Ohio bigamist, 43, dubbed 'Cupid of Chaos' who secretly married FOUR women in four different states to scam them out of more than $20,000, AVOIDS jail and is handed just a 12-month suspended sentence
- Michael Middleton, 43, pleaded guilty to bigamy and was handed a 12-month suspended sentence
- He must undergo screenings for domestic abuse and substance abuse, and comply with counseling for next five years
- Middleton married women in Georgia, Alabama, New Hampshire and Kentucky between 2006 and 2016
- Prosecutors said he swindled $20,000 from his New Hampshire wife, Alice Grant
- His Kentucky wife, Ashley Climer, who is developmentally disabled, previously accused Middleton of putting their baby up for adoption without her consent
- At his sentencing, Middleton said he felt 'compassion and understanding' for Grant and expressed satisfaction with the outcome of his case
A man accused of marrying four women in four states and swindling them out of tens of thousands of dollars pleaded guilty on Monday to bigamy charges in New Hampshire - but he won't go to jail if he stays out of trouble for the next five years.
Michael Middleton, 43, nicknamed by police 'the Cupid of Chaos,' married Katherine Lashley in Georgia in 2006, Kassandra Shipley in Alabama in 2011 and Alice Grant in New Hampshire in 2013.
That led to the bigamy charge in New Hampshire, but according to court documents, he also married a fourth woman, then-25-year-old Ashley Climer, who is developmentally disabled, in Kentucky in 2016.
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Cupid of Chaos: Notorious bigamist Michael Middleton pleads guilty in Strafford County Superior Court in Dover, New Hampshire on Monday
As part of his plea deal, Middleton, 43, will avoid jail time if he behaves for the next five years
Middleton's New Hampshire wife, Alice Grant (left), wrote in her impact statement that being married to him has turned her from a compassionate person to someone with a 'not-my-problem' attitude
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Prosecutors say he used the marriages to gain access to the women's assets. including $20,000 from his New Hampshire wife, Alice Grant.
In court Monday, Assistant Strafford County Attorney Michael Rotman read a statement from Grant, who blamed Middleton for her transformation from a compassionate person to someone with a 'not-my-problem' attitude.
She said she was 'satisfied' that he was facing consequences for his actions.
'When we got married six years ago, what I thought I had found in him was a life partner, someone that I could face life's ups and downs with, someone my children could look up to,' Grant wrote. 'Instead I got six years of pain and misery as I tried to free myself from the prison of his lies and manipulations.'
His Kentucky wife, Ashley Climer, previously told the station NBC4i that she had a baby with Middleton and that he allegedly forged her signature and put their daughter up for adoption in Missouri last year.
Middleton's Kentucky wife, Ashley Climer, previously said she married him a month after meeting him on Facebook in March 2016
Climer, who is developmentally disabled, claimed that Middleton forged her signature and put their baby daughter (pictured above after birth) up for adoption in 2018
Climer broke down in tears when she spoke about her relationship with Middleton to NBC4i in February
Middleton was arrested in Ohio in February, after Alice Grant called a number that belonged to a woman claiming to be Middleton's wife, which then prompted her to contact the authorities and accuse her husband of fraud.
He also has faced domestic violence charges in Maine stemming from a 2014 arrest.
As part of his 12-month suspended sentence, Middleton was ordered to undergo screenings for domestic abuse and substance abuse, and comply with any recommended counseling or programs.
After the hearing, Middleton was asked if he was sorry for his actions. He told reporters he felt 'compassion and understanding' for his New Hampshire wife, Grant, after hearing her letter.
'It was a good outcome,' he said. 'I hope to move forward with my life and everything, and abide by everything that was handed down to me.'
Spared: If Middleton complies with the conditions of his 12-month suspended sentence, he will avoid jail time
