[busterarm]

Even if you take the OP at face value, they're an unreliable narrator at best.

They have questionable character and moral standards by their own admission. That's before even considering the effects of their mental illness.

I would never hire this "perpetually unemployed" person. Everything they say points to something being off.

[saber6]

Flipside: This criminal enterprise spotted those same exact attributes, but the mitigating factor was technical competence and submissiveness. And if it came to be where they thought it would never end up (the situation today), someone would discredit them as crazy, given their background.

[busterarm]

Absolutely they did. I'm not discounting OP's story, I'm basically suggesting exactly what you're saying.

I've seen a similar scenario play out before with another spammer and the kind of people he hired.

[saber6]

Gotcha. I misunderstood - I thought you were saying they were crazy and not to believe them etc.