The Colorado dentist charged in his wife’s poisoning death had serious financial trouble — from going bankrupt, to gambling issues to losing big in crypto, according to documents obtained by The Post.
James Craig racked up $2 million in personal debt while his then-dental business was losing about $120,000, according to his Chapter 11 bankruptcy case, which was finalized in July. The money woes got so bad, his dental practise failed and he was forced to sell it off.
All this came as the 45-year-old’s wife Angela, 43, had three life insurance policies out on her when she died on March 18 in the hospital from a dose of poison that the medic allegedly gave to her.
Prior to his wife’s passing, the Aurora, Colorado dentist ordered deadly toxins online, after searching Google to learn if arsenic was detectable in an autopsy, authorities claim. He allegedly gave his unsuspecting wife, and mom to his six kids potassium cyanide by mixing it into her workout smoothies.
According to police records, Craig was declaring his love and devotion to Angela in her final days, while also flying in his Texas mistress to carry on his affair while Angela was in her final days.
The other woman, Karin Cain, is a married orthodontist from Marble Falls, near Austin, who thought she would be starting a new life with Craig at some point, according to police records.
In August 2022, Craig’ practice was acquired by Ryan Redfearn, who went to dental school with Craig and had known him for 20 years.
“Ryan described James as a risk taker and found out he had filed for bankruptcy in 2021 and was on the verge of bankruptcy again,” the disgraced dentist’s arrest report states. “Ryan also stated that in January, James confided in Ryan, telling him that he and Angela were having marital problems.”
Despite reporting an income of $778,107 in 2019 and living in a $1 million dollar home in Denver’s suburbs that he had paid off, Craig borrowed against the home in 2019– with a loan for $675,000 and a second for $242,697.
But his debt was mounting, with $314,998 owed in back taxes to the IRS, $750,000 of other debts, and more than $200,000 that had to be paid back to credit cards.
Additionally, Craig invested in three separate cypto currencies where he lost money. He also tried to use cyprto to pay off debt, the documents say.
Three life insurance policies for Angela are also listed in the paperwork, one with a value of $80,778.90 and two others without a known value.
Before her death, Angela told her sister that Craig had “run the dental office into the ground” and that their finances were dire– adding that on a recent trip to Las Vegas, he had gambled away over $2,000.
Craig is charged with first degree murder is expected back in court April 7.
