When Dorian Wilkerson got back in touch with Shareza Jackson 20 years after they first met, she thought she had finally found her Prince Charming - until the whirlwind romance turned into a real-life nightmare.
Jackson, 44, had initially known Wilkerson in high school and decades later remembered him as good-looking and a great athlete who played football and ran track.
In 2014, his clean-cut image and her fond memories came flooding back when he contacted her on Facebook. She was at a high point in her life - and quickly started to believe Wilkerson was the only missing puzzle piece.
She told DailyMail.com how excited she was feeling when he told her about his work as a doctor at Emory Hospital, overjoyed to have found someone she believed shared her work ethic.
But their love turned sour when Jackson uncovered a slew of dirty secrets that her husband of six years had been hiding from her, leaving her devastated - and, by her own estimation, at least $1.4million poorer.
Wilkerson was, in fact, no doctor.
She says her supposed knight in shining armor was nothing more than a serial fraudster who had been charged with assault and battery, family violence, stalking, theft and extortion.
And she found she was far from the first victim of his deceit: other women emerged saying he had swindled them too.
A dream turned sour: The pair had been married for six years when Shareza Jackson started to suspect her husband Dorian Wilkerson was a conman. By this point, she estimates, she had handed over hundred of thousands of dollars from her savings and 401(k) to help him fund a cosmetic surgery center. She filed for divorce in March 2023 (pictured above on their 2016 wedding day)
Prince Charming? Shareza Jackson and Dorian Wilkerson pictured on their wedding day November 27, 2016. The pair had known one another in high school and reconnected when he contacted her on Facebook. He told her he was a medical doctor and an epidemiologist for the CDC
In March this year, she filed for divorce and in October filed a civil suit claiming that he conned her out of at least $1 million - on top of a $400,000 business investment.
She says it was with her cash he opened a cosmetic clinic so he could take the profits, but says he also forged her name on documents to secure loans in her name - and in a final blow, claims she found out he wasn't faithful.
In the lead-up to the pair reconnecting, the single mother was raising two teenage daughters alone while working at a Fortune 500 healthcare company as a regional director. She owned her own home, had two luxury cars and was also a published author.
Jackson says the first time they spoke, he told her that he was a medical doctor at Emory Hospital in Atlanta and an epidemiologist for the Centers for Disease Control. She liked that he was accomplished, hard-working, and, like herself, was passionate about philanthropy.
At the time, he was living in Atlanta and she was in Florida. But during a business trip she had to take across state, the pair finally met up. She says he had picked her up in a Bentley at her hotel, and he was wearing medical scrubs.
Before their dinner date, he took her back to his apartment - a 'beautiful loft with stunning views of the park', so he could get changed.
It didn't take long for Jackson to become smitten. She says he was 'intrigued' by her and they appeared to share many of the same values. Wilkerson reminded her of her military father, with whom she has a close relationship.
'He was tall, dark and handsome, and he was very accomplished,' she says. 'He was not just an MD but also a Ph.D. and attended these prestigious universities and would lecture around the country on vaccines and infectious disease.'
After kissing many toads, she thought she had found her Prince Charming.
She says he was loving and attentive and claims he put her on a pedestal, showering her with gifts and lavish trips.
On November 27, 2016, the pair wed at an exclusive venue in Fort Lauderdale, in front of 200 friends and family members.
Her two adult daughters were so taken by the man their mother loved, they legally changed their last names to match their new step-dad.
The onetime power couple are pictured together at their cosmetic medical center, Best U Now in 2019. The center, which was closed in December 2022, provided procedures including tummy tucks, breast augmentation and Brazilian butt lifts. A year into their wedded bliss, she supported him in opening the center but became concerned when it repeatedly failed to turn a profit
Happier times: The couple pictured in the pool at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida during a staycation in 2021 before Jackson discovered Wilkerson's trail of deceit
A year into their wedding bliss, she supported him in opening a cosmetic center that would offer breast augmentation, tummy tucks and Brazilian butt lifts.
She says his role at the center would be bringing the doctors in to do the procedures and manage the day-to-day operations.
Jackson, who was busy working her day job, financially invested in Best U Now which would be located in Broward County, Florida.
At his insistence, she gave him the funds to get started - by emptying her savings account and 401K.
She estimates this figure overall grew to as much as $400,000.
She says she wasn't actively involved in their business at first, but eventually she noticed that the center was losing money despite having a full roster of client bookings.
To help their investment and keep their business afloat, she left her corporate job to devote herself entirely to their cosmetic center.
When she started questioning Wilkerson about missing money, she claimed he had an answer for everything. She began believing he was a 'master manipulator.'
As their romance began to unravel, she started to hear stories about Wilkerson stealing money from other people.
Several women allegedly deceived by Wilkerson reached out to tell her that 'he's a dangerous person and is not who he says he is.' They warned her to be careful.
One woman, who told Jackson that she is friends with Wilkerson's first ex-wife sent her a text that Jackson shared with DailyMail.com.
She described Wilkerson as a master 'con artist'.
'I have known him for 16 years and he has always been a liar and a con,' she wrote.
Increasingly anxious at realizing the man she fell in love with seemed to be a con artist, Jackson's worst fears were realized, she said, when she saw a text he'd sent to a male friend saying he didn't need her anymore because 'she's broke'.
Dorian Wilkerson is pictured in a Linkedin profile dressed in medical scrubs with stethoscope that claimed he was educated at Emory University/Clark Atlanta University
Battery: Dorian Wilkerson mug shot when he was arrested February 13, 2007 by the Fulton County Sheriff's Office and charged with battery and assault. He was released the following day after posting $5,000 bail
Assault: Dorian Wilkerson's mug shot when he was arrested on February 9, 2009 by the Fulton County Sheriff's Office. He was charged for battery, assault and family violence, and was released the following day after posting $10,000 bail
Jackson began digging into her husband. She was appalled to discover he was a convicted felon, who'd been arrested for fraud in 2002, battery and assault in 2007 and battery, assault and family violence in 2009 - and was still on probation.
She obtained a report of his criminal history that dates back to 2001, provided to DailyMail.com, that was obtained through the clerk of courts in Atlantic City Probation (NJ) and clerk of courts in Georgia where he was facing a domestic battery charges.
In August 2001, felony charges were filed against him for theft and extortion of more than $75,000 in Atlantic, New Jersey. He pled guilty and was convicted September 6, 2002 and was placed on probation, documents reveal.
In February 2007, he was booked on simple battery and released from prison on $5,000 bail, according to documents by the Fulton County Sheriff's Department in Georgia.
In February 2009, he was arrested for simple battery family violence and was released from prison on $10,000 bail, as per records from the Fulton County Sheriff's Department in Georgia.
He was also charged in August 2017 for speeding in Broward County, Florida and for careless driving in Pembroke Pines, Florida in January 2020, records show.
According court documents by the Broward County Clerk of Courts obtained by DailyMail.com, Wilkerson hasn't been employed since December 2022.
She uncovered more disturbing evidence which included Wilkerson being fined for being a bogus medical physician.
Jackson believes he was fleecing tens of thousands from their business to support his lifestyle that she alleges included, partying, drinking and frequent strip club visits.
According to Jackson, Jackson says when she confronted him, he filed a 'bogus' police report against her having to do with their joint finances, and tried to get her arrested.
'He'd always play the victim often and blame others,' Jackson shared.
Jackson was at a high point in her life - and quickly started to believe Wilkerson was the only missing puzzle piece. A year into their marriage she invested in his cosmetic surgery business but when it failed to turn a profit, she got suspicious
She shared an audio of her speaking with a former employee informing her that Wilkerson was signing her name and two other doctors from their cosmetic center on documents.
Upon learning this she also learned he was using her credit. She claims he accessed hundreds of thousands of dollars in her name.
She tried to file restraining order against him - concerned for her safety and the safety of her two daughters- but was told the case is a civil matter that needed to be handled in the divorce proceedings.
His claim of being a medical doctor also to be part of the web of deceit.
On the cosmetic center's BestUNow website, Wilkerson was referred to as 'Doctor Body,' and a 'Rejuvenation Specialist and Cosmetic Analyst,' but online records do not show him holding a medical license in the state of Florida or Georgia, contrary to what his LinkedIn profiles show.
The Florida Department of Health grew so incensed he was issued a cease and desist letter telling him to stop pretending he was.
In October 2017, the Florida Department of Health issued a cease and desist to Wilkerson, cited by DailyMail.com.
It states 'the department has probable cause to believe that Wilkerson is not licensed by the the Department or the Board of Medicine and is practicing medicine and leading the public to believe he is a medical doctor'.
The document was signed by the state surgeon general of the Florida Department of Health, Edwin Bruno.
A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention official told DailyMail.com there is 'no record of Dorian Wilkerson in any of their current CDC employee directories.'
In October, she published the book, 'Successful Women Get Played Too.' Her message to other women is to 'always go with your gut and your intuition.' Despite all her suffering and anguish, she told DailyMail.com that she hopes to find love again
In December 2022, they closed the business.
'When people start finding out about him he tries to silence them and goes after their livelihood and freedom,' she said.
She added: 'Nothing ever happens to him and he continues to swindle women and business owners and scares them so they don't come for him.'
According to Jackson, he is currently believed to be living with another woman.
She provided a letter that was sent to Wilkerson from his probation officer on January 22, 2023 regarding money he owned. On Thursday, DailyMail.com made contact with the investigator, who said he was unable to talk about the case and referred us to their legal department. No further response has been forthcoming.
In March, Jackson filed for divorce and in October filed a civil suit against her ex.
Florida divorce attorney Nydia Streets is handling the case. In the divorce filing obtained by DailyMail.com, Jackson made several allegations, including her 'husband forged wife's name on documents to obtain loans and for his own personal gain.'
Jackson filed for divorce earlier this year. In October, she filed a civil suit. She told DailyMail.com that wants to get past this and is relying on faith and her family to help rebuild her life
In the court documents, she claimed Wilkerson 'has a pattern of defrauding women and leaving them with high debt once he feels he can no longer benefit from them anymore,' according to court documents.
She alleged that 'wife became aware husband was previously convicted for fraud, a conviction which husband downplayed and about which he misled wife'.
According to the filing, she claimed 'husband event went so far as to fabricate parts of his past to wife. For example, husband mispresented that he was formerly an epidemiologist with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention'.
She also alleged that her her 'committed adultery throughout their marriage. 'Upon information and belief, several accusation of sexual harassment have been made against husband by third parties.'
Jackson said she is trying to rebuild her life and is relying on her faith and the strength of her family. In October, she published a book 'Successful Women Get Played Too'.
Asked if Jackson felt that Wilkerson ever loved her, she told DailyMail.com: 'I don't think a narcissist has the ability to love. They are self-centered and only think about themselves.'
DailyMail.com made numerous attempts to seek comment from Wilkerson. He declined to make a statement on the record.