Husband of missing Connecticut mother allegedly owes over $2.5 million to mother-in-law
The mother of a Connecticut woman whose been missing since May 24 claims her daughter's estranged husband, Fotis Dulos, owes her more than $2.5 million in loans. Court documents reveal Fotis, a luxury home developer and owner of building company the Fore Group, may have had financial troubles.
Police arrested Fotis and his girlfriend, Michelle Troconis on Saturday. Though no body has been found, the investigation is being treated as a homicide, and they are facing charges that include tampering with or fabricating physical evidence and hindering prosecution in the first degree, reports CBS News' Mola Lenghi.
Both appeared in court Monday and were ordered held on $500,000 bond, reports CBS affiliate WFSB. They were also ordered to turn in their passports, court officials in Norwalk told the station. Police say more charges are expected.
Meanwhile, Jennifer's children are safe with her mother as the case unfolds. CBS News reached out to Fotis' attorney about his financial situation but has not heard back.
According to Troconis's LinkedIn profile, she has spent the past four-and-a-half years working as an event coordinator in Miami. Her profile also lists previous roles as a producer for ESPN in Argentina and Chile. The Stamford Advocate reports Troconois has strong ties to Argentina and worked for almost a decade as the marketing director for an Argentinian ski resort, which hosted the 2012 Freestyle Skiing World Cup.
On Sunday, Connecticut police descended on a home owned by 51-year-old Fotis. For more than a week, they've been combing through woods, looking in dumpsters and deploying dogs in the search for his estranged wife. The 50-year-old was last seen leaving her children's school. Her car was found by a park shortly after she was reported missing by friends.
Carrie Luft, who has known Jennifer for nearly 30 years, said, "She's incredibly devoted to her five children. They are her world."
In June 2017, Fotis called 911 around the same time his wife filed for divorce and left their family home. Ever since, Fotis and Jennifer had been involved in a vicious divorce and custody battle.
According to the Stamford Advocate newspaper, in court documents dating back to 2017, Jennifer said she was "afraid" of Fotis and he had shown "irrational, unsafe, bullying, threatening and controlling behavior."
She also allegedly claimed Fotis had threatened to kidnap their children and take them to his native Greece. Fotis denied all of those claims.
Hundreds of people gathered Sunday night at two separate vigils to pray for Jennifer and her children.