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 unimagina… read more
91. The Balloon Boy (Richard Heene)
March 19th, 2023
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 …
Rerun: The Switch (Flint Water Crisis)
February 8th, 2023
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 water.
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Rerun: The Vigilante (Pat Johnson)
January 21st, 2023
A towing industry watchdog patrols the streets of Austin, Texas in search of a serial rock thrower. Prelude: Joe Stack exacts revenge against the …
Rerun: The Mayor (Kwame Kilpatrick)
January 8th, 2023
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)
December 23rd, 2022
Australia's "most notorious con woman" adopts multiple aliases to commit crimes around the world. Prelude: Jerry Joseph leaves Haiti to become a high …
90. The Relief (Hurricane Katrina)
December 6th, 2022
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 Deformr's SWINDLED LP on
89. The Crocodile (Heather Morgan & Ilya Lichtenstein)
November 10th, 2022
An aspiring rapper ("Razzlekhan") and her Russian-born husband are accused of attempting to launder billions of dollars in stolen Bitcoin. Prelude: …
88. The Liability (Johnson & Johnson)
October 23rd, 2022
A multinational corporation discontinues the sale of its famous baby powder after thousands of users allege that the product causes cancer. Prelude: …
87. The Label (Johnson & Johnson)
October 6th, 2022
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 flaw.
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86. The Wagon (Richard Scrushy)
September 18th, 2022
The charismatic CEO of HealthSouth stands trial for a $2.8 billion accounting fraud. Prelude: Don Siegelman, the former governor of Alabama, becomes …
85. The Creamery (Blue Bell)
August 22nd, 2022
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 investigation.
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84. The Body Broker (Megan Hess)
August 9th, 2022
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 …
Rerun: The Revenger (Hunter Moore)
July 27th, 2022
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 …
83. The Troubadour (Mark Leonard)
July 5th, 2022
A former exotic dancer and his girlfriend are questioned when a house explodes in the Richmond Hill subdivision in Indianapolis. Prelude: A massive …
82. The Perfect Trigger (Remington Arms)
June 21st, 2022
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)
June 5th, 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 eight children with developmental issues.
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80. The Standoff (Ed & Elaine Brown)
May 22nd, 2022
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 sovereignty.
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79. The Rockefeller (Christian Gerhartsreiter)
May 8th, 2022
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 Rocancourt.
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Bonus: The Canal (Love Canal) [Redux]
May 1st, 2022
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 farmer, makes a deal for …
78. The Verrückt (Schlitterbahn)
April 17th, 2022
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 Florida.
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77. The Pioneer (uBiome)
April 3rd, 2022
A revolutionary microbiome testing company often described as "the 23andMe of poop" is accused of illegal billing practices. Prelude: A former music …
76. The Vegan (Sarma Melngailis)
March 16th, 2022
A popular vegan restaurant is destroyed when its beloved owner falls for the wrong man. Prelude: The PlantLab culinary academy cancels classes after …
Bonus: The Hero (Candace Clark)
January 6th, 2022
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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PATREON: Patreon.com/Swindled
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75. The Explosion (Port of Beirut disaster)
December 6th, 2021
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, Texas.
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74. The OB-GYN (Javaid Perwaiz)
November 11th, 2021
An anonymous tip leads to the arrest of a beloved gynecologist in Chesapeake, Virginia. Prelude: Dr. Roger Beyer is investigated for improperly …
73. The Salesman (William J. McCorkle)
October 25th, 2021
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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PATREON: Patreon.com/Swindled
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72. The Killdozer (Marvin Heemeyer)
October 12th, 2021
A muffler shop owner exacts revenge over a zoning dispute in the mountain town of Granby, Colorado. Prelude: Tom Leask makes a violent statement …
71. The Inferno (The Station nightclub fire)
September 28th, 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 triggers a deadly stampede.
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70. The Outbreak (Peanut Corporation of America)
September 12th, 2021
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 after a deadly …
69. The Scheme (Bernie Madoff)
August 29th, 2021
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 …
Bonus: The Beach House Sheriff (Todd Entrekin)
August 1st, 2021
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: …
68. The Ghost Writer (Anthony Godby Johnson)
July 18th, 2021
A critically ill teenager writes a best-selling book about his abusive childhood. Prelude: New Horizons Youth Ministry opens a child reform program overseas.
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PATREON: …
67. The Patriarch (Anthony Todt)
July 4th, 2021
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 home.
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PATREON:
66. The Brand (Procter & Gamble)
June 20th, 2021
A multinational consumer goods corporation finds itself mired in controversy. Prelude: The Fenholloway River is classified as an "industrial …
65. The Bakery (Sandy Jenkins)
June 6th, 2021
A corporate accountant lives luxuriously by embezzling millions from a family-owned bakery. Prelude: Alvin Kennard is sentenced to life in prison on …
64. The Ivy Leaguer (Esther Reed)
May 23rd, 2021
An intelligent imposter steals the identity of a missing woman to con her way into Columbia University. Prelude: James Arthur Hogue's compulsion …
63. The Bishop (John P. Tomkins)
May 9th, 2021
An unknown entity attempts to manipulate the stock prices of two companies by mailing threats to investment firms. Prelude: Luke Helder places pipe …
62. The Well (Walkerton E. coli outbreak)
April 25th, 2021
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 (Walkerton: The …
61. The Atheist (Madalyn Murray O'Hair)
April 11th, 2021
An infamous First Amendment activist becomes the "most hated woman in America" then mysteriously disappears. Prelude: The constitutionality of …
Bonus: The Sweepstakes (Pepsi Number Fever)
December 6th, 2020
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: SwindledPodcast.com/Shop
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60. The Spill (Deepwater Horizon)
November 22nd, 2020
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 …
59. The Downfall (Marcus Schrenker)
November 8th, 2020
The president and chief executive of an Indianapolis wealth management company takes drastic measures to avoid prosecution. Prelude: A Long Island …
58. The Pitchman (Don Lapre)
October 25th, 2020
A multi-level marketing salesman advertises his get-rich-quick schemes on television and becomes the "King of Infomercials." Prelude: The founder of …
57. The Saint (Mother Teresa)
October 11th, 2020
Critics and former volunteers reveal the disturbing details of a Catholic nun's international mission to help the "poorest of the poor." Prelude: A …
56. The Space Program (Challenger Disaster)
September 27th, 2020
The organizational culture of the United States space program leads to one of the deadliest disasters in aeronautics history. Prelude: Soviet …
55. The I.M.O.M. (Peter Foster)
September 12th, 2020
An Australian con artist is arrested on multiple continents while indulging in "millions, models, and mayhem". Prelude: Novy Chardon disappears amid …
54. The Barefoot Bandit (Colton Harris Moore)
August 30th, 2020
A teenager from the Pacific Northwest embarks on an international burglary spree. Prelude: Joshua Paul Calhoun becomes the East Texas "Superthief".
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53. The Treatment (Bayer AG)
August 16th, 2020
A multinational pharmaceutical company with a dark past becomes the central figure of a contaminated blood product crisis. Prelude: Ryan White is …
52. The Referee (Tim Donaghy)
August 3rd, 2020
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 participate in a …
51. The Vigilante (Pat Johnson)
July 19th, 2020
A towing industry watchdog patrols the streets of Austin, Texas in search of a serial rock thrower. Prelude: Joe Stack exacts revenge against the …
50. The Octopus (United Fruit Company)
July 6th, 2020
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 Central America after …
49. The Genius (Martin Frankel)
June 21st, 2020
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)
June 7th, 2020
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 embezzlement.
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47. The Pope (Dan Johnson)
May 24th, 2020
The lies and crimes of a Kentucky pastor turned politician are revealed in an investigative report. Prelude: A Louisville city councilman's career in …
46. The Gamechanger (Belle Gibson)
May 10th, 2020
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 Wellness Warrior' …
Bonus: The Boner King (Enzyte)
April 1st, 2020
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)
January 26th, 2020
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 water.
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44. The Raid (Agriprocessors)
January 12th, 2020
An immigration raid at a kosher slaughterhouse in Postville, Iowa uncovers financial crimes committed by the company's CEO, Sholom Rubashkin. …
Bonus: The Promotion (McDonald's Monopoly)
January 5th, 2020
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 …
43. The Sultan (Anthony Gignac)
December 22nd, 2019
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 investment.
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PATREON: …
42. The Revenger (Hunter Moore)
December 8th, 2019
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 …
41. The GPO Girl (Samantha Azzopardi)
November 24th, 2019
Australia's "most notorious con-woman" adopts multiple aliases to commit crimes around the world. Prelude: Jerry Joseph leaves Haiti to become a high …
40. The Mine (Crandall Canyon Mine)
November 10th, 2019
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 safety.
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PATREON: …
39. The Madam (Deborah Jeane Palfrey)
October 27th, 2019
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 in prison. Listen …
38. The Family Business (Doug Pielsticker)
October 13th, 2019
A successful trucking company is destroyed after it is inherited by the boss' greedy son. Prelude: Hundreds of Falcon Transport employees are …
37. The Survivor (Tania Head)
September 29th, 2019
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 …
36. The Fundraiser (Johnny Bobbitt Jr.)
September 15th, 2019
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 son.
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35. The Whistleblower (Karen Silkwood)
September 1st, 2019
A chemical technician risks her life to expose corporate misdeeds at a nuclear facility in Oklahoma. Prelude: Energy mogul Robert S. Kerr becomes the …
34. The Tour (Jered Threatin)
August 18th, 2019
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 lip-syncing.
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PATREON:
33. The Implants (Poly Implant Prothèse)
August 4th, 2019
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 sales in the United …
32. The Match (Simon Leviev)
July 21st, 2019
An international fraudster posing as a wealthy CEO utilizes a popular dating app to scam women out of hundreds of thousands of dollars. Prelude: …
31. The Socialite (Anna Delvey)
July 7th, 2019
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 earn her the …
Bonus: The Refugee (Wyclef Jean)
May 15th, 2019
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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PATREON: Patreon.com/Swindled
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30. The Producer (Joe Francis)
April 1st, 2019
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 …
29. The Downline (Herbalife)
March 17th, 2019
A multi-level marketing company becomes a global success despite accusations of dangerous products and exploitation. Prelude: Glenn W. Turner’s …
28. The Sting (Abscam)
March 3rd, 2019
The FBI turns to a career con artist to assist with an undercover sting operation that ensnares multiple members of the United States Congress. …
27. The Mayor (Kwame Kilpatrick)
February 17th, 2019
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)
February 3rd, 2019
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 northwest Georgia.
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25. The Formula (Nestlé Boycott of 1977)
January 20th, 2019
An international boycott ensues after a multinational corporation is accused of contributing to the deaths of millions of infants around the world. …
24. The Mogul (Lou Pearlman)
January 6th, 2019
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 hero and a national …
23. The Deputy (Frankie Bybee)
December 16th, 2018
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 duty.
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22. The Psychic (Sylvia Browne)
December 2nd, 2018
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 …
21. The Contestant (Charles Ingram)
November 18th, 2018
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 …
20. The Hostage (Tony Kiritsis)
November 4th, 2018
The president of a mortgage company is taken hostage by a paranoid loan customer after allegations of mistreatment. Prelude: Clay Allen Duke seeks …
19. The Fyre Festival (Billy McFarland)
October 21st, 2018
A technology entrepreneur defrauds investors in order to build a luxury music festival in the Bahamas. Prelude: The Lapland New Forest Christmas …
18. The Tycoon (Allen Stanford)
October 7th, 2018
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 Marin.
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17. The Lawsuit (McDonald's Hot Coffee)
September 23rd, 2018
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 …
16. The Canoe Man (John Darwin)
September 9th, 2018
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 Islands.
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PATREON: …
15. The Gigolo (Richard Bailey)
July 1st, 2018
A smooth-talking con man becomes the prime suspect in the disappearance of Helen Brach, a multimillionaire candy heiress. Prelude: Horse owners …
14. The Association (FIFA)
June 14th, 2018
A culture of corruption at the international governing body of soccer has plagued the world's most popular sport for decades. Prelude: Colin Fowles, …
13. The Pharma Bro (Martin Shkreli)
May 28th, 2018
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 pharmaceutical …
12. The Televangelist (Jim Bakker)
May 13th, 2018
A popular evangelical preacher's financial and sexual scandals topple his Christian entertainment empire. Prelude: The secrets of faith healer Peter …
11. The Hitman (Frank Howard)
April 29th, 2018
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 …
10. The Judges (Kids for Cash)
April 15th, 2018
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: Luzerne County …
09. The Leak (Bhopal Gas Disaster)
April 1st, 2018
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 …
08. The Impostor (Jimmy Sabatino)
March 18th, 2018
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 …
07. The Treasurer (Budd Dwyer)
March 4th, 2018
An honest, hardworking politician reaches his breaking point after becoming entangled in a bribery scandal. Prelude: A shocking discovery is made …
06. The Contraceptive (Dalkon Shield)
February 18th, 2018
A pharmaceutical company looks the other way as its promising new birth control product, the Dalkon Shield intrauterine device (IUD), endangers the …
05. The Delivery Man (Brian Wells)
February 4th, 2018
A bizarre bank robbery in Erie, Pennsylvania involving a pizza delivery man and an improvised collar bomb leads to a scavenger hunt full of …
04. The Canal (Love Canal)
January 21st, 2018
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 farmer, makes a deal …
03. The Treasure Hunter (Tommy Thompson)
January 7th, 2018
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 releases clues …
02. The Horse Queen (Rita Crundwell)
January 7th, 2018
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, "Trust but verify", and …
01. The Lucky Winner (Eddie Tipton)
January 7th, 2018
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 in a scandal known …
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