Olympic Con Artist Receives 14 Years 31-Year-Old Went Door-To-Door With Javelin As Part Of Scam

A 31-year-old man who scammed donors by carrying a javelin and soliciting door-to-door for a bogus athletic foundation was sentenced to 14 years in prison.

Michael Hagstrom admitted he fraudulently collected donations for the Olympic Games.

Hagstrom was sentenced Monday to 14 years and four months, but he had faced as much as 153 years in prison after pleading guilty to 27 counts of burglary and 80 counts of petty theft with a prior conviction. Hagstrom had previously been convicted of a local burglary.

As a condition of his sentence, he was ordered to pay more than $1,500 restitution to dozens of victims contacted by a probation officer.

Hagstrom told a probation officer he collected the money to support an amphetamine addiction.

Hagstrom was arrested May 19, 1996, in Encinitas after he was spotted carrying a javelin while soliciting money door-to-door for a group he called the United States Athletic Foundation.

Residents said Hagstrom told them he was the son of Gen. Alexander Haig and an Olympic hopeful. When Hagstrom was arrested, he had seven checks totaling $430. He was released from custody the next day.

Authorities gave information about Hagstrom’s arrest to the media, and more than 100 people around the county called to report they had given money to Hagstrom, according to court records.

San Diego police rearrested Hagstrom on May 23, 1996, and charged him with the additional crimes as he and his wife were preparing to move from their Pacific Beach home.

Hagstrom admitted he never planned to participate in the Olympics, and court records show no money from his checking accounts had gone to athletes or Olympic organizations.