Man: Durham's scheme cost life savings

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - Behind every dollar Tim Durham allegedly stole is a victim.

Wednesday, 24-Hour News 8 talked to a retired police officer who lost almost half a million dollars, but he says the stress caused him to lose even more. Don Russell will never forget the day in November of 2009 when his phone rang. It was his mom.

"She called and said the FBI raided Fair Finance yesterday. I remember thinking it was the worst feeling in my life," said Russell.

But it wasn't the worst day. That day came less than a month later when his mom died. She had been rushed to the hospital the night she learned her savings of $125,000 was gone. She never recovered.

Russell lost his savings too — $350,000. It was money he'd hoped to leave to his children and grandchildren.

"My mother lost everything. I lost everything. I just had three grandchildren. I look at them now. They're three months and two months old. I look at them and I wonder what their future is going to be like," Russell said.

Durham's indictment, while welcome, is not enough for Don Russell. He'd like a bit of vengeance. He speaks wistfully about what he'd do if he had a moment with the high-flying money mogul in his jail cell.

"I'd probably kick his (expletive) and probably conversing in that direction. And then I would tell him, 'I hope you rot in jail,'" said Russell

And that's not all. The former lawman wants justice. He believes there are others who helped Durham — others who knew, others who schemed. He wants them in jail, too. Russell can never get his mother back, but he'd like his money back.

"Him being in jail, he needs to be there. But what I'm more concerned about is restitution," said Russell.

We're told that Russell and other victims can expect little more than pennies on the dollar in restitution, and that could be years coming.