Ogona Anita
A man in Florida, Henry Betsey Jr., managed to marry three different women without them knowing about each other.
He was recently found guilty of bigamy but avoided jail. Instead, he was sentenced to two years of probation and must complete 100 hours of community service.
Henry’s first marriage was in 2020 to Tonya in Duval County. They met through Tinder and got married at a courthouse in Jacksonville. Two years later, he married Brandi in Manatee County. He met her on a dating app for single parents called Stir. That same year, he also married Michele, after meeting her on Match.com. Michele said she married him just three weeks after they met.
Tonya later became suspicious and began checking court records in different counties. She discovered Henry had also married Brandi and Michele. “I just started county by county, putting in his name. And that’s when I came up with the marriage to Michele and the marriage to Brandi,” she told WFTS.
When Henry was sentenced, his new girlfriend—who hasn’t been named—was seen supporting him in court. Michele also spoke at the hearing. “I am unfortunately still the wife of the defendant,” she said. “I am not here today just as a woman betrayed by someone I once trusted, but I am also speaking on behalf of the other women involved.”
After the court session, Michele said she had hoped Henry would go to jail but was at least glad he was now a convicted felon. She didn’t think he truly felt sorry for what he had done.
The three women Henry married were all single and recently divorced moms living in different parts of Florida. Michele said Henry looked for women in those situations to get financial help. “He was seeking the extra perks of marrying a newly single, divorced woman,” she said.
Brandi said Henry tried to get access to her bank account on the very same day they got married. Tonya added that all of them were either recently divorced or about to be divorced when they met him.
Michele blamed Florida’s marriage license system for failing to catch the multiple marriages. “There are no safeguards, and I feel like that’s part of where the system failed,” she said.
Henry had earlier pleaded guilty in May. His bond was taken away after he got arrested again in Virginia for assault and battery involving a family or household member. At his sentencing, Henry made a public apology. “First and foremost, I want to apologize to the ladies and I want to apologize to the court administration and to my family and friends that had to be involved in this. Because ultimately this is something that I didn’t wish to be part of,” he said.
After Henry’s crimes became public, more women began to speak out. A woman named Micha Everett said she dated Henry in 2019. She shared a video saying the relationship started well, but then his behavior changed. She said he used a different name—“Dell Betts”—and even scared her once by driving dangerously on the highway.
Henry has now started his probation. As part of the sentence, he is not allowed to contact the three women and must stay off social media. Michele and Tonya also filed for protection orders against him. Henry’s marriage to Tonya ended in divorce, and his other two marriages were annulled.
Source: Daily Mail
