Con artist turns his skills to good uses

Is Frank Abagnale Jr. a good man?

If he is today, he hasn't always been.

Abagnale was in the inspiration for Steven Spielberg's latest film, "Catch Me if You Can." It's the story of Abagnale con-artist exploits as a youth. At one point, he was wanted in all 50 states for his now legendary life of crime. He posed as a doctor, a lawyer and a jet pilot while cashing bogus checks for about $2.5 million.

The government spent years trying to catch him. After his arrest in 1969, he worked with the government. He began teaching businesses how to catch counterfeiters.

He even visited Cape Girardeau 20 years ago to show business owners how to spot bad checks. He certainly had the right credentials for explaining how con artists ply their trade.

Today, he says he considers his past immoral, unethical and illegal.

It is not something he is proud of -- nor should he be.

Abagnale turned out to be someone who served society in a good way, after all.