Have a serious question here - What can one do at age 50 with a

[DumbAss Tanker]

The only people who should ridicule ditch-diggers are those who like sewage running through their streets.

Exactly.  Anyone with a job is entitled to be treated with dignity, not much pisses me off worse than seeing some privileged asshat giving a waitress or janitor a hard time just to make himself or herself feel superior.

Hate to say it, but the only realy bankable kind of work for a person like the OP writes about (Especially given the bad criminal record) would be as a walking set of books for a drug gang or some other clandestine organization...and it doesn't sound like the individual involved is either good enough at being a criminal or basically trustworthy enough to do even that. 

[AllosaursRus]

as a walking set of books for a drug gang or some other clandestine organization...and it doesn't sound like the individual involved is either good enough at being a criminal or basically trustworthy enough to do even that.

I've often contemplated on this very thing, given the clientele I deal with. Just how does one trust a "criminal" with the books? Seems a contradiction in terms to me, but then again I'm a law abidin', productive citizen so maybe I don't have the perspective to dwell on such matters. The old sayin' "There's no honor among thieves" comes to mind.

[DumbAss Tanker]

I've often contemplated on this very thing, given the clientele I deal with. Just how does one trust a "criminal" with the books? Seems a contradiction in terms to me, but then again I'm a law abidin', productive citizen so maybe I don't have the perspective to dwell on such matters. The old sayin' "There's no honor among thieves" comes to mind.

It's a basic problem with the arrangement, either the bookkeeper taking excessive advantage of the situation or flipping to be a Government witness - but there are four primary ways to handle it:
1.  The bookkeeper's identity remains a very closely-guarded secret.
2.  You as the kingpin have some lever over the bookkeeper so powerful that he would risk rotting in prison for life over whatever alternative thing you can make happen, for instance a clearly-communicated understanding that he won't live long enough to testify if he turns.
3.  The kingpin and the bookkeeper are the same guy (Not feasible here, this 'Kid' clearly isn't very good at the crime thing).
4.  You have the critical info split up among multiple bookkeepers who do not work together, perhaps also partially encrypted, so that they can't collude to sell you out and none of them has the information necessary to bring you down in one set of hands.     

[AllosaursRus]

It's a basic problem with the arrangement, either the bookkeeper taking excessive advantage of the situation or flipping to be a Government witness - but there are four primary ways to handle it:
1.  The bookkeeper's identity remains a very closely-guarded secret.
2.  You as the kingpin have some lever over the bookkeeper so powerful that he would risk rotting in prison for life over whatever alternative thing you can make happen, for instance a clearly-communicated understanding that he won't live long enough to testify if he turns.
3.  The kingpin and the bookkeeper are the same guy (Not feasible here, this 'Kid' clearly isn't very good at the crime thing).
4.  You have the critical info split up among multiple bookkeepers who do not work together, perhaps also partially encrypted, so that they can't collude to sell you out and none of them has the information necessary to bring you down in one set of hands.     

Been my experience that the "KingPins" ain't very smart either. Sure they get away with it for awhile, but most get "nicked" in the long run. Usually by spending more money than is feasible with their supposed income. I like those guys, they have high bonds!

[DumbAss Tanker]

Been my experience that the "KingPins" ain't very smart either. Sure they get away with it for awhile, but most get "nicked" in the long run. Usually by spending more money than is feasible with their supposed income. I like those guys, they have high bonds!

By and large, I agree, but we do have to consider that the only ones we know about are the screw-ups.

[JohnnyReb]

He's a mathematical genius....you name the crime and he'll tell you how much time you're gonna have to do.

[NHSparky]

I'm surprised bobbieo hasn't yet signed up on here to tell us how mean, misguided, and wrong we are.

[AllosaursRus]

By and large, I agree, but we do have to consider that the only ones we know about are the screw-ups.

To tell you the truth, we actually know about most of them. We are just waiting for them to screw up enough in order to make the charges stick. Innocent until proven guilty and all that nonsense.