Billy Ash, the self-professed expert and know-it-all in the maybe-murder/maybe-suicide of CNBC contributor Seth Tobias, is much the subject of New York magazine's cover story this week. He's also been keeping in touch with Jossip, going so far as to submit a copy of his video deposition, in which he chokes up at the thought of Tobias' wife, Phyllis, killing his former boss. (Tobias claims to be his former assistant.)
For obvious reasons – including his six month stint in prison, in 1997, for running a prostitution ring and various other illicit activities – Ash's credibility has been questioned. Namely, by New York's Stephen Rodrick.
"I asked Ash if he could provide a snapshot or any other evidence to back up his claim that he and Seth Tobias had ever met," writes Rodrick. "I asked him if I could see the photos of Tobias taken the day he died. He tugged at his cap and shifted his weight. 'You really need to call Debra and make a proposal.' He wanted money before speaking to me further. 'I’m only telling you one percent of it. Make a good proposal, and I’ll tell you more.'"
Well, Ash didn't ask us for any money, but he did provide a photo of Tobias supposedly taken the day he died. It's yours, after the jump.
Ash writes in:
We were offered hundreds of thousands of dollars for these pictures when the media knew they existed. I’ve never been given any money and I’ve just obtained one of the pictures back and I’m sending it to show what was going on that night. Look at the condition that Seth was in. His wife should have taken him to receive medical attention or call 911, instead she was busy taking photographs. This further shows that after giving him the crushed Ambien from his safe that only had her fingerprints on the bag, she had no intention of getting him medical attention. The police have tapes that I recorded for them – one clearly stating that the police did not take any of the dishes, pots or utensils and that she washed all the residue of the Ambien off of them by hand and then put them in the dishwasher to make sure. The second says that he was in the water floating on his back, sleeping from being drugged with Ambien and she had get into the water and turn him over so he’d drown. The police have these tapes of her confession. There is a mountain of evidence that back up my statements, including rigormortis and the lividity of his body, indicating he was dead long before the 12:08am phone call she made to her friends saying, “Seth is acting weird.” Jay Jacknin has come out in the media recently and said he was dead before he called 911 and she didn’t call right away, but that is not a crime. If you listen to the 911 tape, it clearly makes you believe that she just discovered him and she was talking to him. The evidence and facts back up everything that I’ve been saying for five months. Look at the evidence. Report the facts. The police had seen the pictures when they were in San Diego. This is a cover up.
UPDATE: A reader points out: "That picture is an old picture. You could tell from the background - that's the tub of his old house that he lived in over a year and half ago." Perhaps true, but we've never been to his old house. Either way, it's still a photo Ash insists was taken the day he died (though not necessary posthumously).
Editorial Director
Is it just me or does he not actually look DEAD? Is this all some weird frat joke?
Thats a Picture of Seth in his old house - you could tell from the granite!
Legitimacy for Bill E. Ash……………
Puhhhhhhhhhhhhleeze
Where have all you reporters and writers been…go read http://www.nationalgaynews.com….
Mr Ash has just been made toast —
he is all ash no substance……
GOD BLESS YOU GATOR MAN FOR THE INFO. HE IS SUCH A CON MAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HE HAD ALMOST A NATION FOOLED WITH HIS NEW CON. YOU MAY HAVE SAVED A DEAD MAN AND HIS WIFE'S REPUTATION.
The Con Artist Lives Again
Bill Ash Re-Emerges With a New Tale of Lies and Lust
By Norm Kent
Publisher, http://www.nationalgaynews.com
It is a story that could only have South Florida roots.
It is September of 2007, and Seth Tobias, 44, a multi millionaire hedge fund investor, known nationally for his appearances as a respected financial commentator for CNBC is found very dead in the swimming pool of his Palm Beach Estate, a 5 million dollar, 6,700 square foot mansion.
The night before his body was discovered, his friends, together for a pool party, witnessed an angry dispute between he and his wife of two years.
Allegations of sexual trysts, domestic violence, and drug abuse emerge as law enforcement officers interview the spouse, the brothers, and a mysterious online psychic whom the thrice-divorced wife apparently consulted with regularly. The psychic regales the willing media with lurid tales of drinking, of male hustlers, wild parties and cocaine.
That ‘psychic,’ Bill Ash, a rather large and exquisitely effeminate gay man, surprisingly alleges that the wife, his online confidant, is the one who murdered the husband to steal his fortune and avoid a divorce.
Ash purportedly holds secrets about the spousal relationship, and he has been peppering the media for months with hidden revelations, giving the story life, helping it run large in the tabloids and on the ‘net in force.
Today, it is all over pagesix.com
But Bill Ash is no psychic. Bill Ash is a con man with South Florida roots, and the roots have a very bad fungus.
You almost have to believe the movie rights are being sold as you read this. At the very least, the sordid and scandalous story of the sad death of Seth Tobias was the cover page feature of New York Magazine last week.
This week, not in the media, but in real life, in a Palm Beach county courtroom, a legion of attorneys- eight at least- are battling over the multi million dollar estate of Seth Tobias. His pre marital will leaves the bulk of his purported 25 million dollar estate to his family and brothers. But his wife, Phyllis, is fighting for her legal rights under Florida law, asserting she is now the rightful heir.
No one has been charged in the death of Seth Tobias, and months have passed without a measured toxicology report being published by the coroner.
Evidence is being gathered suggesting that Seth’s death was caused by an overdose; that there was cocaine and the sleeping pill, ambien, in his bloodstream. However, the mysterious gay psychic claims the wife confessed to him in an online session. So Seth’s brothers’ lawyers are using his testimony to advance the claim that as a potential murderer, she cannot be the rightful heir. It’s Florida law.
The psychic however, has claimed to have a relationship not only with Mrs. Tobias, but purports to have known Seth as well, claiming to have met him in La Jolla, California. He alleges that he provided male hustlers for Seth, took him to gay strip clubs like Cupid’s in West Palm Beach, and provided personal services on an ongoing basis for the deceased fund manager.
Bill Ash cannot sustain a single claim about his alleged relationship with Seth Tobias. However, one of Seth’s secretaries can. She represents Bill called and demanded money.
The New York Times bought into Bill Ash, and on the front page of their Business section last December 4th, ran a story about the Tobias death. The paper related Ash’s allegations du jour, including a claim that his wife had lured Seth into the pool with promises she would arrange a sexual liaison with a gay porn star.
However, police, lawyers, investigators, and journalists, who have spent countless hours investigating and unraveling the claims of ‘Billy’- that’s his new moniker- Ash are just beginning to learn that the man making these claims has a sordid past, pockmarked by defrauding countless others to advance his own mercenary, self-aggrandizing artifices and schemes.
The truth is that Bill Ash is a con man and the truth has caught up with him again.
It is not just that William Ash is a convicted felon. It is that his criminal history involves acts of fraud, transparent lies, knowing deceit, and repeated dishonesty. It is that his reputation for truth and reliability is virtually non existent.
It is not just that he has misused his talents to persuade others to advance his own criminal acts, misdeeds, embezzlements, and swindles. It is that his skills at deception and dishonesty have harmed good and decent charitable organizations, as well as honest businessmen trying to earn a living. Add to that now the wild goose chase he must be sending lawyers for the Tobias family on.
The reality of Billy Ash’s chronicles of deception that newspapers and television crews are uncovering today in the Seth Tobias case were already exposed by The Express Gay News in March of 2000. I should know. I was the publisher and I was the author of the articles revealing his scams. Inconsistency and unreliability are Bill Ash’s middle name.
The crooked dealings of Bill Ash which I exposed in The Express seven years ago revealed a man who lied for a living, and attempted to compound one lie with another when caught and exposed in an untruth. It revealed a person who was incapable of remembering one story from another, since they were mostly made up to begin with. If his deeds were not so sinister, the conduct would have been comical.
Ash’s criminal history includes a 1996 felony conviction for stealing the client list of a company that sold goods manufactured by the disabled and setting up a rival company; passing worthless checks for years while delivering false promises of restitution; misrepresenting his role and compromising the position of AIDS charities and Pride South Florida; lying to tabloids about celebrities while publishing untruths engineered to defame them; and scamming businessmen by rendering payments with checks from a man he knew was dead.
In one of his more elaborate deceptions in 1995, he chartered a boat for his own 31st birthday, arranging for thousands of dollars on flowers and balloons by telling vendors he was throwing the party for Dolphins owner Wayne Huizenga, and that the Miami businessman would be footing the bill.
In another episode in the year 2001, he misled one charity into thinking he was booking Jennifer Holliday as a main act, failing to reveal that Holliday was so appalled by Ash she had sought a restraining order against him the year before.
All of these acts led to criminal prosecutions which were eventually consolidated before a Broward County Circuit Court Judge. Ash would initially be placed on probation, but he would violate it by running an illegal escort service. The court would revoke his probation, convict him as a felon, and give him jail time.
Ash did not just spend months in jail for running a prostitution ring as some of the stories concerning Tobias relate. Ash was adjudicated guilty of multiple criminal charges, including grand theft, kiting checks, not making restitution, and fraudulent use of credit cards.
This is the gay man and key witness whose testimony the Tobias family lawyers, on both sides of the bar, are now fighting over. This is the man who the media gave a moment in the sun.
His escort scheme was gay soap opera. At the time, Ash was billing himself as ‘Mr. Madam’ and boasted he had an offer to write a book about his days as a Heidi Fleiss–like pimp. He feigned elaborate connections, international contacts, and incredible wealth, all while bouncing checks to restaurants for fifty bucks. He claimed to own bars he never bought, booked acts he never paid for, and be involved in deals with people he never met and knew nothing about him.
Bill Ash may have stumbled upon fame when Phyllis Tobias reached out to him, relying on ‘askbilly.com’ for advice, counseling, and guidance. I understand he got paid thousands and was sought out often by the wife of the late Seth Tobias.
With his persuasive charm, I cannot imagine how much his newly discovered professional ‘psychic’ career has generated for him. You never know. Like W.C. Fields once said, “There’s a sucker born every minute.”
There may be some measure of truth in some of the things Ash is relating to the media and authorities about Phyllis and Seth Tobias, but those who are listening to the things he says today ought to be reminded of his lack of credibility yesterday. The big boy has cried wolf a few thousand times too many.
He left South Florida for San Diego in disgrace, and set up shop on the Internet as the ‘world’s best psychic’. He gets involved intricately in the death of a celebrity and milks it for everything it is worth.
With Bill Ash involved, my guess is the milk turns out to be very sour.
PUBLISHER’S NOTE AND DISCLOSURE
Writing for New Times in 2001, Wyatt Olson did an even more elaborate story documenting the details and dimensions of the fraud that was Bill Ash, Entitled ‘Ash and Burn,’ you can still find it on the Internet. See the link below.
Unfortunately, the new owners of the Express, who I sold the newspaper to in December of 2003, have not put the first four years of our paper online yet.
Consequently, those researching Bill Ash’s background could never have come upon our first series of very revealing stories from February and March of 2000. Too bad; the cops and litigators could have used some background material.
To her credit, Courtney Ford of CNBC did thoroughly read and review the story of Bill Ash in New Times, and has now contacted me for more information, some of which I have published in this story.
She has NOT be proven innocent. This is a murder case and at any time she can go to jail. Do you really think Seth will let Filomena have any happiness or his money after she gave him the sleeping pills? They haven't gone to court yet. She finally got deposed on Friday after cancelling so many times. She wouldn't answer most questions and got caught in a lot of lies. The world will see what happened when everything goes to court. Seth will not let her get away with killing him.
Why would Filomena take these horrible pictures of Seth instead of calling 911? She killed him and will rot in hell! No happiness will ever come her way.
TOO BAD THAT IS A PICTURE OF SETH IN HIS OLD HOUSE. YOU IDIOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HER TRUE FRIENDS KNOW SHE IS INNOCENT SO YOU WILL BE THE ONE ROTTING FOR YOU AND SETH'S BROTHER'S LIES. I WISH SETH COULD COME BACK SO HE COULD TELL ASH AND HIS BROTHERS TO ALL ROT!
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.
Amen and Lord have mercy on their souls.
1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. [a]
2 I will say [b] of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust."
3 Surely he will save you from the fowler's snare
and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with his feathers,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
5 You will not fear the terror of night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,
6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
nor the plague that destroys at midday.
7 A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.
8 You will only observe with your eyes
and see the punishment of the wicked.
9 If you make the Most High your dwelling—
even the LORD, who is my refuge-
10 then no harm will befall you,
no disaster will come near your tent.
11 For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways;
12 they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread upon the lion and the cobra;
you will trample the great lion and the serpent.
14 "Because he loves me," says the LORD, "I will rescue him;
I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
15 He will call upon me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble,
I will deliver him and honor him.
16 With long life will I satisfy him
and show him my salvation."
Filomena, just like people that go to jail they try to turn to the bible. You have been seen at the very fancy, Palm Beach Breakers with almost no cloths on at the beach pretending to read your bible. Everyone was laughing at your act. We even called Terri Parker but you had gone. You really are acting more nuts than even you usually do. How can you think of living in South Florida with all this going on. You got tossed out of half of the places in town. Shame on you to bring the bible up after your past and the life you lead with Seth. Did you have the bible at Cupid's while you were have sex? We don't want your type in Palm Beach.
This has turned into one of the number one hit stories on most sites including this one. I love a good scandal and Phyllis and Nancy has sure help make it a great story with the blogs. Sounds like a best seller!
Look At Some Facts! Sounds Like Filomena Killed Seth
Filomena stopped taking her medication for mental illness seven weeks prior to Seth Tobias’s death, making her hostile and aggressive. Filomena gave Seth a black eye 4 weeks prior to his death. This was also noted by Seth’s personal driver and personal secretary in depositions. Seth said publicly that he was going to divorce Filomena two weeks prior to his death. Filomena hired a voodoo princess to put a death wish on Seth, which showed her mental state and her desire for him to be dead. Her attorneys agree that she spent over $100,000 on this voodoo woman. Filomena says she spends her days reading the bible. She still calls psychics.
all of you awful people on here should be ashamed of yourselves. i dont know this guy at all and i feel for him. you all suck.
All I have to say is ASH-HOLE