Theoretically he could just have been doing cash jobs for the last four decades. That's definitely still a thing in rural areas.

Well he did say “Abra kadabra” during a crescent moon on a leap year while holding two silver coins in one hand and a fig in the other, while facing exactly northwest while standing barefoot in an open field, six feet down in a hole because anything past 5’11” down isnt government property anymore, it’s technically the underworld, so…maybe he’s the first successful sovcit ever.