What have we learned about Sarah Phillips, the woman who was apparently scamming people on the Internet when she wasn't writing a column for ESPN.com, in the 24 hours since our story was published? The most interesting bit is that she and her partner, Nilesh Prasad, apparently engaged in some low-grade scamming in 2010 while working together at a T-Mobile store in Corvallis, Ore.
We'll get to that in a second, but let's start with the easy stuff. We have an age now: Phillips said during last night's Twitter soliloquy that she's 22 years old. (That photo up there comes from The Sports Brewery, which has a few more.) And we know the identity of the blonde woman in the photos Covers.com ran with Phillips's early columns. Not surprisingly, that isn't Sarah Phillips. According to several readers from Oregon, the blonde is Ivy Smith, a hairdresser who lives in Eugene. She—like Phillips—went to Sheldon High School in Eugene, according to a reader named Alan.
And what of Nilesh Prasad, the man with whom she apparently shares an apartment? He's the guy who claimed—falsely—to be a "managing director" at ESPN as part of an effort to euchre a 19-year-old out of his NBA Memes Facebook page. According to several readers, Prasad is a few years older than Phillips (according to public records, he's 26). One reader—Chris, from Eugene—said Prasad and Phillips first met when Prasad was a senior in high school, and she was an eighth grader (and still in middle school). They started dating not long after, said our source.
There seems to be a consensus that Prasad sort of disappeared after he graduated from high school. "He essentially vanished and completely fell off the face of the earth," said one source. Two readers emailed to say that Prasad—like Phillips and Ivy Smith—attended Sheldon High School, but at some point transferred to North Eugene High School.
One source who knows both of them said the two "are intertwined."
Nilesh had a very methodical way of doing research to make a bet. Always talking about how he knew high end sports betters and would get advice. Sarah just bet on things Nilesh told her to bet on. He knew everything and did all of the "research." They are both very inteligent . Sarah is the sarcastic one and Nilesh is the very direct and analytical one. She may be writing some but Nilesh was always the leader.
They were always together even worked together at one time.
Nilesh and Sarah apparently worked together at a T-Mobile store in Corvallis, Ore., according to two sources. It was never clear if they were dating:
Always a joke about dating. They said no but always attached at the hip. Always driving each other's car. She won't detatch because he is a very controlling person. This was probably his life dream and now it is over he will not be very happy. He will find another place to get his word out. Vindictive couple. Will want to have the last word.
In 2010, the two were fired at the same time. One source cited "massive fraud"; another said they were "selling phones and activating phones outside of policy (selling them on eBay and other routes)" and claiming commissions. The latter source said in an email:
They found a loop hole, exploited it and ran it till they couldn't keep up.
Know more?
Let me know: koblin@deadspin.com.
More
- Is An ESPN Columnist Scamming People On The Internet?
- Sarah Phillips Admits She "Concealed" Her Identity, Made "Poor Choices With Who To Trust"
- Another Sarah Phillips Scam: "I'm A Writer For ESPN And I Plan To Take Over The World"
- Meet Nilesh Prasad, Sarah Phillips's Scamming Partner And Supposed "Puppetmaster"
- In The Realm Of Gambling Message Boards, Anyone Could Be The Next Sarah Phillips
- Source: Sarah Phillips Steered Business To A Bookie Who Was Probably Nilesh Prasad