Education
William J. McCorkle attended Bishop Moore High School in Orlando, Florida, graduating in 1984.
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William McCorkle
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Career
McCorkle, born William Joseph Gonzalez, later took the last name of a stepfather. He worked in a number of jobs, including busing tables and exotic dancing, before turning to real estate as a career. In his infomercials, McCorkle represented himself as having made millions of dollars from the "real estate secrets" he was selling.
Others who appeared in the infomercials, affirming that the McCorkle Seminars had made them rich, were paid actors.
Although the McCorkles lived in Orlando, Florida, they transferred most of the money they made to a bank account in the Cayman Islands. William and Chantal McCorkle were charged in a multi-count indictment with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, laundering money, using fraudulently obtained cr cards, and using a false Social Security number.
They were represented in court by F. Lee Bailey. Following a two-month jury trial, both McCorkles were convicted and sentenced to prison time.
McCorkle reportedly collapsed when the jury pronounced him guilty, and had to be taken to the hospital.
The McCorkles were each originally sentenced to over 24 years in federal prison under mandatory sentencing laws, but after two appeals, their sentences were reduced on March 14, 2006 to 18 years. William McCorkle was eventually transferred to a low-security "camp" prison in preparation for release. Chantal McCorkle was released from prison in June 2010, and William was released in July 2014.
He has one sister, Tansey McCorkle Soderstrom, co-owner of Stirling Sotheby Realty in Orlando, Florida.
