Jason Bregman is the son of real estate agent Sol Bregman and an alleged kidnapping victim, until it was realized Bergman staged his own kidnapping.
History[]
Jason was protected by Sol throughout his life from trouble, in the wishful thinking hopes Sol could get Jason to grow up and be responsible for himself. As Jason was a playboy by heart, he struggled even to follow in his father’s footsteps when Sol helped him become a real estate agent. Jason wanted easy money to secure his comfortable future, so he found career criminals Shep Watson and Helena Navarro. Jason tried to commit insurance fraud on one of Watson’s paintings he bought, but Sol found out the company was catching his scent and told them to look the other way. Jason, bothered by the failure, hired the couple to fake his kidnapping for ransom.
Jason recorded the tapes he’d have played on phone calls, with Watson and Navarro keeping drafts for insurance in case Jason sold them out. When Sol got the ransom demands through Jason’s "distressed" messages, he prepared $5 million for the drop. Police stopped his car on pure suspicion and took him in when they found the money, where he told the police what happened and reluctantly accepted their help. Sol still delivered the money when his lawyer was called, and Sol switched cars with him.
Jason, Watson, and Navarro met to count the money. When they disagreed on dividing the cuts, or when the couple decided to double-cross him, Watson shot Jason and left him for dead in the South Bronx. Jason was rescued when Watson was identified by the vehicle he drove and the building he was in was found in a rendering in Watson’s studio apartment.
Jason was unconscious for two days, then woke up and lied to hide his complicity, refusing to identify Watson and Navarro. As Watson’s and Navarro’s criminal histories were identity to tie them to the conspiracy, they gave one of Jason’s rehearsal tapes in hopes of a deal. Jason refused to give himself up, but Sol was encouraged to talk to him after it was revealed Sol realized Watson collaborated with Jason when Sol recognized him from the insurance fraud conspiracy.
In spite of Jason spiting his father and refusing to be accountable for his own set up, he took a plea of second-degree grand larceny in exchange for testifying against Watson and Navarro while out on bail. They were successfully convicted of first-degree grand larceny, but Jason was later revealed to have jumped bail with Sol’s help. A bench warrant for Jason’s arrest was issues, and Schiff, a friend of Sol, had Sol arrested for hindering prosecution.
Jason’s ultimate legal fate is left unknown. (L&O: "Snatched")