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tephen Webster, former owner of the now‑closed Success! Real Estate in Marshfield, is accused of siphoning more than $11.6 million from client escrow accounts to finance an extravagant lifestyle that included luxury cars, a Hawaii vacation, a Florida apartment lease, casino gambling, and other personal expenses.

    In September, Plymouth Superior Court indicted Webster on four counts: fiduciary embezzlement, larceny by scheme over $1,200, witness intimidation, and filing a false financial statement. He was arrested as a fugitive on September 29 and is being held in Palm Beach County Jail, Florida.

    Assistant District Attorney Alex Zane filed the indictment, detailing Webster’s “consistent pattern of misuse” of escrow funds that were meant to be held in trust. Success! abruptly shut its doors in December 2024, and a month later, a dozen former brokers sued Webster for withholding nearly $500,000 in commissions and loan repayments—claims unrelated to the criminal case.

    State investigators began probing Success! in March 2023. Webster presented a forged bank letter claiming an escrow account held about $1 million, when the account actually contained roughly $7,000. By January 2024, escrow money became the primary liquidity source for Webster’s business and personal accounts. Each month he routinely transferred large sums from escrow to pay employees, utilities, a Deerfield Beach residence, casino bets, mortgage payments, and Zelle transfers to family. In some months, over 80 % of the money deposited into a single business checking account came from escrow. Prosecutors allege that Webster moved more than $1 million monthly, using tactics such as “check‑kiting” and “high‑velocity transfers” to mask shortfalls and create a false appearance of liquidity.

    Webster’s lavish purchases included a 2025 BMW 430i for over $70,000 (with an $11,000 down payment) while already financing two Tesla Model 3s worth more than $121,000. He paid $8,250 a month in rent for a Florida apartment, spent over $65,000 on restaurants in 2024, and withdrew nearly $89,000 from casino ATMs. He frequently flew between Massachusetts and Florida, staying at the Encore casino in Everett and gambling there.

    The scheme escalated from embezzlement to outright theft. By November 2024, Webster told creditors he was “essentially out of money” and sought emergency cash from employees. When Success! closed in December, about $350,000 in employee loans remained unpaid. Even after the firm’s collapse, Webster continued paying for luxury vehicles, jet skis, a boat, and personal credit cards instead of addressing escrow deficits.

    In a last‑ditch effort to sell the company name in December, Webster appeared visibly unsettled during a meeting with potential buyers, admitting a shortfall of roughly $970,000. One attendee likened the scene to “the Titanic.”

    Webster also faces extensive civil litigation, including his ex‑wife’s enforcement of divorce terms. He is ordered to pay $3,000 monthly in alimony and $10,000 for her South Shore home maintenance.

    The story is reported by Ross Cristantiello, a general assignment journalist for Boston.com covering local politics, crime, and the environment.