Swindled
Utilizes narrative storytelling, archival audio, and immersive soundscapes to explore true stories of white-collar criminals, con artists, and corporate evil. From corruption and fraud to Ponzi schemes and environmental disasters, these financially motivated crimes have shaped our world in unimaginable ways. All in the name of greed.
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Episodes (153)
131. The Utopia (Galt's Gulch Chile)
A proposed libertarian paradise in the Chilean countryside devolves into a spectacle of betrayal and broken promises.
Prelude: Lazarus Long's Principality of New...
Prelude: Lazarus Long's Principality of New...
Rerun: The Crusader (Nicholas Alahverdian)
Originally published June 5, 2022.
The untimely death of an outspoken advocate for foster children reveals his despicable double life. Prelude: A tragedy occurs after a woman in Rhode Island adopts...
The untimely death of an outspoken advocate for foster children reveals his despicable double life. Prelude: A tragedy occurs after a woman in Rhode Island adopts...
130. The Wunderkind (Ephren Taylor II)
A self-proclaimed “socially conscious” entrepreneur uses church seminars and motivational speeches to lure investors into a nationwide Ponzi scheme.
Prelude: "King" Perry Santillo and Chris Parris...
Prelude: "King" Perry Santillo and Chris Parris...
129. The Death Trap (Ride the Ducks Intl.)
A tourism industry's ugly past is revealed after a "duck boat" sinks on Table Rock Lake in Branson, Missouri, during a storm.
Prelude: The sinking of Miss Majestic in Hot Springs,...
Prelude: The sinking of Miss Majestic in Hot Springs,...
128. The Charade (Scott W. Rothstein)
A Fort Lauderdale lawyer's ostentatious lifestyle is supported by the largest Ponzi scheme in Florida history.
Prelude: The body of attorney Melissa Britt Lewis is found in a Florida...
Prelude: The body of attorney Melissa Britt Lewis is found in a Florida...
Rerun: The Inferno (The Station nightclub fire)
Originally published September 27, 2021.
Incompetence and negligence lead to a devastating loss of life at a concert in West Warwick, Rhode Island. Prelude: A fight in the E2 nightclub in Chicago...
Incompetence and negligence lead to a devastating loss of life at a concert in West Warwick, Rhode Island. Prelude: A fight in the E2 nightclub in Chicago...
127. The White Knight (eBay)
A bizarre and sinister harassment campaign targeting a married couple in Massachusetts is linked to executives at one of the world’s largest e-commerce companies.
Prelude: A content creator...
Prelude: A content creator...
126. The Baby Heaven (Camp Lejeune)
An estimated one million people are exposed to decades of toxic water contamination at a U.S. Marine Corps base in North Carolina, leading to serious health issues, cover-ups, and endless legal...
125. The Reporter (Jeff German)
An investigative journalist is murdered in an act of retaliation by a Clark County elected official accused of misconduct.
Prelude: The mysterious death of Las Vegas casino heir, Ted...
Prelude: The mysterious death of Las Vegas casino heir, Ted...
Rerun: The Messenger (Kevin Trudeau)
Originally published April 30, 2023.
A series of infomercials lands a TV pitchman in federal prison. Prelude: The founder of Hooked on Phonics is criticized over dubious advertising claims before he...
A series of infomercials lands a TV pitchman in federal prison. Prelude: The founder of Hooked on Phonics is criticized over dubious advertising claims before he...
124. The Pinto (Ford Motor Company)
An American automotive company is charged with reckless homicide related to the defective design of a popular car.
Prelude: Toyota is held responsible for the ghastly deaths of three...
Prelude: Toyota is held responsible for the ghastly deaths of three...
123. The Acquisition (Charlie Javice)
The founder of a fintech company is accused of defrauding JPMorgan Chase by falsifying customer data to secure a $175 million acquisition deal.
Prelude: Joanna Smith-Griffin's rising startup is built...
Prelude: Joanna Smith-Griffin's rising startup is built...
122. The Warlord (Kony 2012)
A viral video sparks accusations of charity fraud and other improprieties while exposing a potentially much darker truth.
Prelude: Efforts to neutralize a brutal warlord in central Africa are...
Prelude: Efforts to neutralize a brutal warlord in central Africa are...
121. The Derailment (East Palestine, OH)
A train derailment in Ohio caused by corporate greed leads to widespread environmental contamination, conspiracy, and political mudslinging.
Prelude: A train derailment in Paulsboro, New Jersey,...
Prelude: A train derailment in Paulsboro, New Jersey,...
Bonus: The Fund (Darren Berg)
The Pacific Northwest's "mini Madoff" escapes prison after being convicted of operating a $140 million Ponzi scheme.
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120. The Descent (OceanGate)
An experimental deep-sea submersible disappears during an expedition to the Titanic shipwreck. Prelude: Legendary explorer Steve Fossett disappears during a casual plane...
119. The Magic Pill (Fen-Phen)
A trendy new diet drug combination subjects millions of users to serious health effects, resulting in a monumental legal battle. Prelude: Cancer concerns force Belviq, a popular diet drug, to be...
118. The Prince (Joel Morehu-Barlow)
A government employee posing as a Tahitian prince commits the largest public sector fraud in Queensland history. Prelude: The catastrophic implementation of Queensland Health's new payroll...
117. The Airliner (ValuJet)
A budget airline's penny-pinching strategy is examined after one of its planes crashes in the Florida Everglades. Prelude: Allegiant Air's safety history is called into question after a rash of...
116. The Juggalos (ICP v. FBI)
A "quintessential" civil rights battle ignites when fans of the much-maligned rap group Insane Clown Posse are officially classified as a "street gang" by the federal government. Prelude: Two Juggalos...
115. The Bling Bishop (Lamor Whitehead)
A flashy Brooklyn pastor finds himself in the media spotlight due to his current lifestyle and criminal past. Prelude: An unprovoked murder on the New York...
114. The Fungus (New England Compounding Center)
A compounding pharmacy's attempt to maximize revenue leads to a devastating public health crisis. Prelude: Pharmakon Pharmaceuticals ships overly-potent medication to hospitals, including a neonatal...
Bonus: The Predator (Nate Holzapfel)
A former Shark Tank contestant’s fraud spree leaves a trail of destruction.
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Bonus: The Studio (Carissa Carpenter)
A proposal to build a massive movie studio in Northern California signals the end of a 17-year-old scheme.
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113. The Satan Seller (Mike Warnke)
A reformed Satanic priest becomes America's most prominent Christian comedian and authority on the occult. Prelude: Cassette recordings of John Todd's conspiratorial seminars spread through...
112. The Sugarpit (Indiana State Fair stage collapse)
Dedicated fans of country band Sugarland are crushed when a stage collapses during a storm at the Indiana State Fair. Prelude: A gust of wind destroys the stage at Ottawa Bluesfest while Cheap Trick...
111. The Embattled (Jasiel Correia)
The arrest of Fall River's 23-year-old mayor ignites a political fiasco. Prelude: A popular Massachusetts State Senator is convicted of bribery.
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110. The Mess (Eric C. Conn)
The largest disability fraud case in United States history is linked to a flamboyant lawyer in a small Kentucky town. Prelude: The history and abuse of Social Security Disability...
109. The Machine (Tyson Foods)
A multinational meat processing company wreaks havoc on animals and people in pursuit of profits. Prelude: Cody Easterday's $233 million "ghost cattle"...
108. The Commander (Bobby C. Thompson)
The eccentric director of a veterans charity goes on the run after being exposed as a fraud. Prelude: The downfall of a county commissioner in...
107. The Technology (Real Water)
A Nevada-based alkaline water company owned by a local politician is blamed for an outbreak of serious illnesses. Prelude: The events surrounding a Nevada state senator's...
106. The Tornado (Kim Neiman)
A village clerk in Nebraska leads the charge to rebuild after a catastrophic tornado and becomes the focal point of an international mystery. Prelude: Twin tornadoes devastate Pilger,...
Rerun: The Ghost Writer (Anthony Godby Johnson)
A critically ill teenager writes a best-selling book about his abusive childhood. Prelude: New Horizons Youth Ministry opens a child reform program overseas.
Originally published July 18,...
Originally published July 18,...
Rerun: The Brand (Procter & Gamble)
A multinational consumer goods corporation finds itself mired in controversy. Prelude: The Fenholloway River is classified as an "industrial waterway."
Originally published June 20,...
Originally published June 20,...
Rerun: The Treatment (Bayer AG)
A multinational pharmaceutical company with a dark past becomes the central figure of a contaminated blood product crisis. Prelude: Ryan White is banned from school after contracting HIV.
Originally...
Originally...
105. The Monopoly (Pacific Gas & Electric)
A utility company's neglected equipment ignites the deadliest wildfire in California history. Prelude: A natural gas leak destroys a neighborhood in San...
104. The Kepone Shakes (Life Science Products)
The manufacturer of a persistent pesticide endangers the people and environment of Hopewell, Virginia. Prelude: Two islands in the French West Indies are contaminated with...
103. The Nose Doctor (Mark Weinberger)
A renowned sinus surgeon disappears after malpractice allegations surface. Prelude: Philip and Marcella Gabriele are accused of performing unnecessary eye...
102. The Other Woman (Vicki Morgan)
A mistress' 12-year-long affair with a wealthy department store heir ends in violence and conspiracy. Prelude: The collapse of Bernie Cornfeld's financial...
Bonus: The Oven (Bumble Bee Foods)
A worker (Jose Melena) at a canned tuna factory becomes trapped in an industrial oven and burns to death. A worker (Alan Catterall) at a plastic kayak company becomes trapped in an industrial oven and...
101. The Missing (Melissa Caddick)
A Sydney-based financial advisor disappears hours after federal agents raided her house. Prelude: $60 million is lost as a result of Brad Sherwin's Ponzi...
100. The Side Door (Operation Varsity Blues)
Rick Singer is exposed as the leader of a widespread college admissions bribery conspiracy. Prelude: A digital bank and Swiss asset manager work together to conceal dozens of illegal pump-and-dump...
99. The Skywalks (Hyatt Regency disaster)
More than one hundred people are killed when two overhead walkways collapse in the lobby of a Kansas City hotel. Prelude: The failure of a much-needed pedestrian bridge at Florida International...
98. The Lottery Lawyer (Jason Kurland)
A nationally-known attorney specializing in lottery winnings rips off those who entrusted him. Prelude: Winning the lottery ruins Billie Bob Harrell Jr.'s...
97. The Jeweler (Nicolas Shaughnessy)
A popular Austin, Texas, jeweler is murdered in his home on the same day a serial bomber begins terrorizing the city. Prelude: Erik Charles Maund reacts to an extortion...
96. The Islanders (John Spano)
A fledgling Long Island professional hockey team is revived when sold to a Texas-based con artist. Prelude: William "Boots" Del Biaggio III purchases a minority stake in the Nashville...
95. The Captive (SeaWorld)
Tragedy at a marine animal amusement park illuminates the issues surrounding keeping killer whales in captivity. Prelude: A campaign to save Keiko, the orca whale star of 'Free...
94. The Messenger (Kevin Trudeau)
A series of infomercials lands a TV pitchman in federal prison. Prelude: The founder of Hooked on Phonics is criticized over dubious advertising claims before he settles a sexual assault lawsuit with...
93. The Teenager (Malachi Love-Robinson)
An 18-year-old boy in Florida is caught masquerading as a medical doctor. Prelude: A 17-year-old boy in Florida is caught masquerading as a physician...
92. The Phantom (Imperial Food Products)
Workers at a chicken processing plant in North Carolina become trapped inside a burning building. Prelude: Tragedy at the Triangle Waist Company in Manhattan leads to worker safety...
91. The Balloon Boy (Richard Heene)
A botched backyard science experiment sends a 6-year-old boy soaring through the Colorado sky on a balloon. Prelude: Lawn Chair Larry fulfills a lifelong...
Rerun: The Switch (Flint Water Crisis)
A cost-cutting decision to switch municipal water sources leads to a public health crisis in Flint, Michigan. Prelude: The discovery and response to the lead contamination of Washington, D.C. drinking...
Rerun: The Vigilante (Pat Johnson)
A towing industry watchdog patrols the streets of Austin, Texas in search of a serial rock thrower. Prelude: Joe Stack exacts revenge against the Internal Revenue...
Rerun: The Mayor (Kwame Kilpatrick)
A young politician ruins a promising career with numerous financial and sexual scandals. Prelude: The unsolved murder of Tamara Greene.
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Rerun: The GPO Girl (Samantha Azzopardi)
Australia's "most notorious con woman" adopts multiple aliases to commit crimes around the world. Prelude: Jerry Joseph leaves Haiti to become a high school basketball star in a small, west Texas...
90. The Relief (Hurricane Katrina)
Ignored warnings and delayed disaster relief transforms a hurricane in New Orleans into a true American horror story. Prelude: Hurricane Betsy causes widespread flooding in New Orleans.
Listen to...
Listen to...
89. The Crocodile (Heather Morgan & Ilya Lichtenstein)
An aspiring rapper ("Razzlekhan") and her Russian-born husband are accused of attempting to launder billions of dollars in stolen Bitcoin. Prelude: The rise and fall of AlphaBay, the world's largest...
88. The Liability (Johnson & Johnson)
A multinational corporation discontinues the sale of its famous baby powder after thousands of users allege that the product causes cancer. Prelude: Ethicon's pelvic mesh implants feature a critical...
87. The Label (Johnson & Johnson)
A pharmaceutical company widely promotes an antipsychotic drug that causes young boys to develop female breasts. Prelude: DePuy's new metal hip implant features a critical design...
86. The Wagon (Richard Scrushy)
The charismatic CEO of HealthSouth stands trial for a $2.8 billion accounting fraud. Prelude: Don Siegelman, the former governor of Alabama, becomes a political...
85. The Creamery (Blue Bell)
A beloved ice cream brand issues a recall when its products are linked to a listeria outbreak. Prelude: Big Olaf Creamery in Sarasota, Florida, continues to sell tainted ice cream while under...
84. The Body Broker (Megan Hess)
A funeral director in a small town in Colorado is accused of selling human body parts. Prelude: A raid on Arthur Rathburn's body brokering business in Detroit leads to arrests in Phoenix and...
Rerun: The Revenger (Hunter Moore)
Swindled returns on August 7th! Until then, let's revisit a classic: A middle school dropout embraces his role as "the most hated man on the Internet" after creating a notorious "revenge porn" website...
83. The Troubadour (Mark Leonard)
A former exotic dancer and his girlfriend are questioned when a house explodes in the Richmond Hill subdivision in Indianapolis. Prelude: A massive explosion in downtown Richmond, Indiana, kills 41...
82. The Perfect Trigger (Remington Arms)
America's oldest gun manufacturer denies that its most popular product is defective and dangerous. Prelude: A deadly toy gun is recalled by Family...
81. The Crusader (Nicholas Alahverdian)
The untimely death of an outspoken advocate for foster children reveals his despicable double life. Prelude: A tragedy occurs after a woman in Rhode Island adopts eight children with developmental...
80. The Standoff (Ed & Elaine Brown)
After refusing to pay taxes, a New Hampshire couple engages in a months-long standoff with federal authorities. Prelude: The Montana Freemen perpetrate a massive fraud scheme under the guise of...
79. The Rockefeller (Christian Gerhartsreiter)
A lifelong impostor is accused of murdering a couple in California and kidnapping his daughter. Prelude: Chris Rockefeller is revealed to be French con artist Christophe...
![Bonus: The Canal (Love Canal) [Redux]](https://megaphone.imgix.net/podcasts/daa20c4c-c94a-11ec-9b0e-bb0ba7229e36/image/canal_square.jpg?ixlib=rails-4.3.1&max-w=3000&max-h=3000&fit=crop&auto=format,compress)
Bonus: The Canal (Love Canal) [Redux]
Once envisioned as a model community, the neighborhood of Love Canal in Niagra Falls, New York, became the victim of a massive, man-made environmental disaster. Prelude: James Denney, a Missouri...
78. The Verrückt (Schlitterbahn)
The quest to build the world's tallest water slide ends in tragedy. Prelude: A 14-year-old boy dies after falling from an amusement ride in...
77. The Pioneer (uBiome)
A revolutionary microbiome testing company often described as "the 23andMe of poop" is accused of illegal billing practices. Prelude: A former music pirate transitions to a healthcare fraud...
76. The Vegan (Sarma Melngailis)
A popular vegan restaurant is destroyed when its beloved owner falls for the wrong man. Prelude: The PlantLab culinary academy cancels classes after the CEO...
Bonus: The Hero (Candace Clark)
The State of Illinois' newly appointed Director of Special Investigations is exposed as a lifelong con artist and notorious property squatter.
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75. The Explosion (Port of Beirut disaster)
A massive explosion in Lebanon's capital city is revealed to be a symptom of a corrupt system. Prelude: A fertilizer plant explosion destroys the small town of West,...
74. The OB-GYN (Javaid Perwaiz)
An anonymous tip leads to the arrest of a beloved gynecologist in Chesapeake, Virginia. Prelude: Dr. Roger Beyer is investigated for improperly reusing a rectal pressure...
73. The Salesman (William J. McCorkle)
A charismatic real estate guru builds a fortune with infomercials. Prelude: Charles J. Givens sells financial advice to a susceptible audience.
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72. The Killdozer (Marvin Heemeyer)
A muffler shop owner exacts revenge over a zoning dispute in the mountain town of Granby, Colorado. Prelude: Tom Leask makes a violent statement against a small-town...
71. The Inferno (The Station nightclub fire)
Incompetence and negligence lead to a devastating loss of life at a concert in West Warwick, Rhode Island. Prelude: A fight in the E2 nightclub in Chicago triggers a deadly...
70. The Outbreak (Peanut Corporation of America)
A Virginia-based peanut processing company unleashes one of the most massive and lethal food-borne contamination events in United States history. Prelude: The Jensen brothers are charged with crimes...
69. The Scheme (Bernie Madoff)
A Wall Street tycoon's money management firm is revealed to be the world's largest Ponzi scheme. Prelude: Samuel Israel III disappears after his hedge fund...
Bonus: The Beach House Sheriff (Todd Entrekin)
A sheriff in Alabama uses the inmate food budget to purchase personal property.
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PATREON: Patreon.com/Swindled
DONATE: SwindledPodcast.com/Support
CONSUME:...
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PATREON: Patreon.com/Swindled
DONATE: SwindledPodcast.com/Support
CONSUME:...
68. The Ghost Writer (Anthony Godby Johnson)
A critically ill teenager writes a best-selling book about his abusive childhood. Prelude: New Horizons Youth Ministry opens a child reform program...
67. The Patriarch (Anthony Todt)
In Celebration, Florida, a family disappears in the wake of the father's physical therapy insurance scam. Prelude: John Chairmonte attempts to burn down his own...
66. The Brand (Procter & Gamble)
A multinational consumer goods corporation finds itself mired in controversy. Prelude: The Fenholloway River is classified as an "industrial...
65. The Bakery (Sandy Jenkins)
A corporate accountant lives luxuriously by embezzling millions from a family-owned bakery. Prelude: Alvin Kennard is sentenced to life in prison on a non-violent robbery...
64. The Ivy Leaguer (Esther Reed)
An intelligent imposter steals the identity of a missing woman to con her way into Columbia University. Prelude: James Arthur Hogue's compulsion leads to a life of...
63. The Bishop (John P. Tomkins)
An unknown entity attempts to manipulate the stock prices of two companies by mailing threats to investment firms. Prelude: Luke Helder places pipe bombs in mailboxes across the Midwest.
Special...
Special...
62. The Well (Walkerton E. coli outbreak)
Unprecedented rainfall in a small Ontario township leads to a public health disaster. Prelude: Thousands fall ill after attending the Washington County Fair in New York.
Special thanks to Mike Alfano...
Special thanks to Mike Alfano...
61. The Atheist (Madalyn Murray O'Hair)
An infamous First Amendment activist becomes the "most hated woman in America" then mysteriously disappears. Prelude: The constitutionality of state-sponsored prayer in public schools is challenged in...
Bonus: The Sweepstakes (Pepsi Number Fever)
A soda company's botched promotional game leads to unrest in the Philippines.
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PATREON: Patreon.com/Swindled
DONATE: SwindledPodcast.com/Support
CONSUME:...
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PATREON: Patreon.com/Swindled
DONATE: SwindledPodcast.com/Support
CONSUME:...
60. The Spill (Deepwater Horizon)
An explosion on a deepwater drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico leads to the largest oil spill in United States history. Prelude: More than 3.4 million barrels of crude oil leak into the ocean after an...
59. The Downfall (Marcus Schrenker)
The president and chief executive of an Indianapolis wealth management company takes drastic measures to avoid prosecution. Prelude: A Long Island man's plan to escape his debts...
58. The Pitchman (Don Lapre)
A multi-level marketing salesman advertises his get-rich-quick schemes on television and becomes the "King of Infomercials." Prelude: The founder of a nutrition company is suspected of his wife's...
57. The Saint (Mother Teresa)
Critics and former volunteers reveal the disturbing details of a Catholic nun's international mission to help the "poorest of the poor." Prelude: A six-year-old boy's journey to Heaven becomes a...
56. The Space Program (Challenger Disaster)
The organizational culture of the United States space program leads to one of the deadliest disasters in aeronautics history. Prelude: Soviet cosmonaut Vladimir Komarov embarks on a doomed mission to...
55. The I.M.O.M. (Peter Foster)
An Australian con artist is arrested on multiple continents while indulging in "millions, models, and mayhem". Prelude: Novy Chardon disappears amid a divorce dispute with her millionaire...
54. The Barefoot Bandit (Colton Harris Moore)
A teenager from the Pacific Northwest embarks on an international burglary spree. Prelude: Joshua Paul Calhoun becomes the East Texas...
53. The Treatment (Bayer AG)
A multinational pharmaceutical company with a dark past becomes the central figure of a contaminated blood product crisis. Prelude: Ryan White is banned from school after contracting...
52. The Referee (Tim Donaghy)
A professional basketball referee uses his knowledge of the inner workings of the league to place bets on the games. Prelude: Joe Gagliano recruits Arizona State University's star basketball player to...
51. The Vigilante (Pat Johnson)
A towing industry watchdog patrols the streets of Austin, Texas in search of a serial rock thrower. Prelude: Joe Stack exacts revenge against the Internal Revenue...
50. The Octopus (United Fruit Company)
One of the largest and most recognizable banana companies in the world has an exploitative and bloody history in Central America. Prelude: An American banana company continues to use a pesticide in...
49. The Genius (Martin Frankel)
A sex-obsessed stockbroker uses astrology when conducting a series of investment frauds. Prelude: Tommy Quinn's life of crime.
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48. The Grant (Scott Westerhuis)
The suspect administration of an education grant in South Dakota leads to tragedy. Prelude: Steven Sueppel discovers an easy way out after being charged for...
47. The Pope (Dan Johnson)
The lies and crimes of a Kentucky pastor turned politician are revealed in an investigative report. Prelude: A Louisville city councilman's career in politics ends following multiple accusations of...
46. The Gamechanger (Belle Gibson)
A young Australian woman becomes a health and wellness guru after defeating terminal brain cancer through diet, exercise, and alternative therapies. Prelude: Jess Ainscough transforms into 'The...
Bonus: The Boner King (Enzyte)
Led by an effective advertising campaign (Smilin' Bob), an herbal supplement company's popular male enhancement pill is revealed to be a $500 million...
45. The Switch (Flint Water Crisis)
A cost-cutting decision to switch municipal water sources leads to a public health crisis in Flint, Michigan. Prelude: The discovery and response to the lead contamination of Washington, D.C. drinking...
44. The Raid (Agriprocessors)
An immigration raid at a kosher slaughterhouse in Postville, Iowa uncovers financial crimes committed by the company's CEO, Sholom Rubashkin. Prelude: Thirteen hundred undocumented workers are...
Bonus: The Promotion (McDonald's Monopoly)
In a scheme that lasted over a decade, Jerome "Uncle Jerry" Jacobson defrauded fast-food giant McDonald's for over $20 million by rigging the promotional Monopoly...
43. The Sultan (Anthony Gignac)
A lifelong con artist impersonates a Saudi Arabian prince to live a life of luxury. Prelude: Thomas Noe manages the State of Ohio's $50 million rare coin...
42. The Revenger (Hunter Moore)
A middle school dropout embraces his role as "the most hated man on the Internet" after creating a notorious "revenge porn" website called Is Anyone Up. Prelude: Kevin Bollaert becomes the first...
41. The GPO Girl (Samantha Azzopardi)
Australia's "most notorious con-woman" adopts multiple aliases to commit crimes around the world. Prelude: Jerry Joseph leaves Haiti to become a high school basketball star in a small, west Texas...
40. The Mine (Crandall Canyon Mine)
A coal mining disaster in Utah places the mine's owner in the media spotlight. Prelude: The Sago Mine disaster leads to renewed scrutiny on mine...
39. The Madam (Deborah Jeane Palfrey)
The owner of a Washington D.C. escort agency loses everything after becoming the subject of a federal investigation. Prelude: Kristin M. Davis, the Manhattan Madam, runs for office after spending time...
38. The Family Business (Doug Pielsticker)
A successful trucking company is destroyed after it is inherited by the boss' greedy son. Prelude: Hundreds of Falcon Transport employees are blindsided by the company's sudden...
37. The Survivor (Tania Head)
A Spanish woman becomes the president of a survivors group in the aftermath of the World Trade Center attacks on September 11, 2001. Prelude: Fred Parisi, a New York City police officer, creates a...
36. The Fundraiser (Johnny Bobbitt Jr.)
A New Jersey couple raises money on GoFundMe to repay a homeless man for his act of kindness. Prelude: Ginny Irovando Long organizes a fundraiser for her terminally ill...
35. The Whistleblower (Karen Silkwood)
A chemical technician risks her life to expose corporate misdeeds at a nuclear facility in Oklahoma. Prelude: Energy mogul Robert S. Kerr becomes the "uncrowned king of the...
34. The Tour (Jered Threatin)
A disastrous European tour reveals that an American rock band manufactured an entire fan base. Prelude: German R&B duo, Milli Vanilli, is exposed for...
33. The Implants (Poly Implant Prothèse)
A French breast implant manufacturing company's method of cutting costs incites a global health scare. Prelude: Concerns over safety issues related to silicone breast implants lead to a moratorium on...
32. The Match (Simon Leviev)
An international fraudster posing as a wealthy CEO utilizes a popular dating app to scam women out of hundreds of thousands of dollars. Prelude: Maria Elvira Pinto Exposto, an Australian grandmother,...
31. The Socialite (Anna Delvey)
A Russian-born con artist posing as a wealthy German heiress scams businesses and acquaintances in an attempt to develop her own art foundation in New York. Prelude: Kari Ferrell's Brooklyn exploits...
Bonus: The Refugee (Wyclef Jean)
A between-season bonus episode in which a hip-hop superstar establishes a charitable foundation to benefit his homeland, the Republic of Haiti.
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30. The Producer (Joe Francis)
A young entrepreneur’s Girls Gone Wild franchise leads to a litany of legal issues related to tax evasion, bribery, and false imprisonment as well as accusations of sexual assault. Prelude: A group of...
29. The Downline (Herbalife)
A multi-level marketing company becomes a global success despite accusations of dangerous products and exploitation. Prelude: Glenn W. Turner’s lifetime of pyramid...
28. The Sting (Abscam)
The FBI turns to a career con artist to assist with an undercover sting operation that ensnares multiple members of the United States Congress. Prelude: Mel Weinberg’s lifetime of scams finally...
27. The Mayor (Kwame Kilpatrick)
A young politician ruins a promising career with numerous financial and sexual scandals. Prelude: The unsolved murder of Tamara Greene.
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26. The Body Snatcher (Michael Mastromarino)
A prominent oral surgeon embarks on a new career path after an addiction to painkillers leads to the loss of his dental license. Prelude: A horrifying discovery is made at the Tri-State Crematory in...
25. The Formula (Nestlé Boycott of 1977)
An international boycott ensues after a multinational corporation is accused of contributing to the deaths of millions of infants around the world. Prelude: Baby milk tainted with an industrial...
24. The Mogul (Lou Pearlman)
An aviation entrepreneur creates the boyband craze of the nineties and one of the longest-running Ponzi schemes in American history. Prelude: In Australia, Alan Bond is remembered as both a national...
23. The Deputy (Frankie Bybee)
A law enforcement officer goes beyond the call of duty in order to steal money from an elderly woman. Prelude: A fallen hero's criminal nature is exposed after he is killed in the line of...
22. The Psychic (Sylvia Browne)
A self-proclaimed psychic makes a fortune by using her supernatural powers to help solve missing person cases. Prelude: The rise-and-fall of Miss Cleo and the Psychic Readers Network telephone...
21. The Contestant (Charles Ingram)
A British Army major and his wife devise a plan to cheat the popular television game show, Who Wants To Be A Millionaire. Prelude: Michael Larson's record-breaking performance on Press Your...
20. The Hostage (Tony Kiritsis)
The president of a mortgage company is taken hostage by a paranoid loan customer after allegations of mistreatment. Prelude: Clay Allen Duke seeks vengeance on a superintendent of a Florida school...
19. The Fyre Festival (Billy McFarland)
A technology entrepreneur defrauds investors in order to build a luxury music festival in the Bahamas. Prelude: The Lapland New Forest Christmas Festival delivers an underwhelming...
18. The Tycoon (Allen Stanford)
The financial empire built by Allen Stanford, a mysterious man from Texas, is revealed to be a massive Ponzi scheme. Prelude: The highs-and-lows of American financier, Michael...
17. The Lawsuit (McDonald's Hot Coffee)
An elderly woman suffers severe burns after spilling McDonald's coffee into her lap. Prelude: A California janitor's case against the owners of a phone booth is labeled as a "frivolous" lawsuit by...
16. The Canoe Man (John Darwin)
An English man is presumed dead after he disappears while canoeing in the North Sea. Prelude: A New Jersey State Senator starts a new life on the Maldives...
15. The Gigolo (Richard Bailey)
A smooth-talking con man becomes the prime suspect in the disappearance of Helen Brach, a multimillionaire candy heiress. Prelude: Horse owners summon "The Sandman" to assist in recovering a portion...
14. The Association (FIFA)
A culture of corruption at the international governing body of soccer has plagued the world's most popular sport for decades. Prelude: Colin Fowles, a local football star, is remembered by his...
13. The Pharma Bro (Martin Shkreli)
A young pharmaceutical company CEO raises the price of a drug for a rare disease and becomes the "most hated man in America". Prelude: Valeant Pharmaceuticals pioneers a new business model for the...
12. The Televangelist (Jim Bakker)
A popular evangelical preacher's financial and sexual scandals topple his Christian entertainment empire. Prelude: The secrets of faith healer Peter Popoff are...
11. The Hitman (Frank Howard)
A quintessential family man embezzles millions of dollars from his employer to fund a love affair and the attempted murder of his wife. Prelude: A multi-millionaire motivational speaker solicits help...
10. The Judges (Kids for Cash)
Two Luzerne County judges are accused of accepting over $2 million in kickbacks in exchange for imposing harsh sentences on juveniles to increase occupancy at for-profit detention centers. Prelude:...
09. The Leak (Bhopal Gas Disaster)
An American company avoids accountability for its role in an accident at a pesticide plant in Bhopal, India. The effects of the tragedy have lasted decades, accounting for over 20,000 deaths and half...
08. The Impostor (Jimmy Sabatino)
A serial con man uses multiple aliases and his gift of gab to bilk victims out of millions of dollars worth of hotel rooms, jewelry, clothes, and electronics. Prelude: William Douglas Street Jr....
07. The Treasurer (Budd Dwyer)
An honest, hardworking politician reaches his breaking point after becoming entangled in a bribery scandal. Prelude: A shocking discovery is made after the death of Illinois Secretary of State, Paul...
06. The Contraceptive (Dalkon Shield)
A pharmaceutical company looks the other way as its promising new birth control product, the Dalkon Shield intrauterine device (IUD), endangers the lives of more than 2 million women around the world....
05. The Delivery Man (Brian Wells)
A bizarre bank robbery in Erie, Pennsylvania involving a pizza delivery man and an improvised collar bomb leads to a scavenger hunt full of explosions, bodies, and double-crosses. Prelude: The teenage...
04. The Canal (Love Canal)
Once envisioned as a model community, the neighborhood of Love Canal in Niagara Falls, New York, became the victim of a massive, man-made environmental disaster. Prelude: James Denney, a Missouri...
03. The Treasure Hunter (Tommy Thompson)
An incredible discovery of sunken treasure leads to a manhunt for the person who investigators have called "one of the smartest fugitives ever". Prelude: A millionaire art dealer named Forrest Fenn...
02. The Horse Queen (Rita Crundwell)
A municipal employee embezzles over $50 million from the city of Dixon, Illinois, to support her extravagant lifestyle and expensive hobby. Prelude: History of Ronald Reagan's oft-repeated maxim,...
01. The Lucky Winner (Eddie Tipton)
An unclaimed, jackpot-winning lottery ticket purchased in Iowa leads to a cross-continent search for the winner. Prelude: Nick Perry, a local TV celebrity in Pittsburgh, rigs the Pennsylvania lottery...
About this Podcast
Copyright
© 2025 Swindled. All Rights Reserved.
Language
en
Categories
True Crime, Society & Culture, Documentary, History