Not Another True Crime Podcast

Sara and Danny are joined by attorney Rex Chatterjee, who explains why the FTX case is actually simpler than you might think. He walks Danny and Sara through the basics of wire fraud, how this kind of trial works, Sam Bankman-Fried's strategy of placing the blame on his attorneys, and why venture capitalists keep bankrolling narcissists who "move fast and break shit." Note: This episode was recorded before the verdict was announced. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Danny's flying solo this week with another roundup of recent newsworthy scams. First up, a Massachusetts family defrauds the lottery out of $20 million. Then, an Australian woman is the latest victim of an employment scam, losing her life savings. And finally, striking actors are being recruited for AI research that may end up replacing them in the future. SOURCES: https://nypost.com/2023/10/25/news/how-a-massachusetts-family-scammed-the-lottery-out-of-20-million/ https://www.news.com.au/finance/work/at-work/aussie-mum-loses-her-life-savings-to-a-cruel-employment-scam/news-story/13a9a41820d16246d020b51a0b5dad96 https://www.technologyreview.com/2023/10/19/1081974/meta-realeyes-artificial-intelligence-hollywood-actors-strike/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Sara and Danny cover James Hogue, a champion runner-turned con man, who stole everything from trophies, to bikes, to gemstones - all while posing as a teenage student, despite the fact that he was pushing 30. SOURCES: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2001/09/03/the-runner https://paw.princeton.edu/article/strange-case-james-arthur-hogue#:~:text=As%20it%20turned%20out%2C%20Alexi,for%20possession%20of%20stolen%20property. https://areomagazine.com/2022/04/08/the-curious-case-of-a-scholar-who-didnt-exist/ https://www.aspentimes.com/news/famed-con-man-who-lived-in-ajax-shack-arrested-again-in-aspen/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Part 2 of Sara and Danny's deep dive on Barry Minkow, Barry is released from prison and rebrands himself as a pastor, starts a for-profit investigative firm dedicated to uncovering business frauds., and his church parishioners raise funds for a film about his life. But Barry's compulsion for scamming was far from over, and he had to face the legal system once again. SOURCES: https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-01-19-me-37107-story.html https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/sandiego/news/press-releases/notorious-conman-turned-pastor-barry-minkow-sentenced-to-five-years-in-prison-for-bilking-congregation-of-more-than-3-million https://www.dailynews.com/2022/01/11/barry-minkow-got-famous-cheating-the-system-now-hes-back-with-king-of-the-con/ https://moneyweek.com/503094/great-frauds-in-history-zzzz-best https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-12-15-mn-362-story.html https://www.nytimes.com/1988/01/18/business/company-news-zzzz-best-indictment.html https://web.archive.org/web/20110705125654/http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2011/jul/03/jailhouse-convert/ https://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/barry-minkow-has-to-pay-lennar-corp-583-million-and-serve-five-years-6539824 https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/business/real-estate/sdut-minkow-attacking-lennar-2011jul06-htmlstory.html Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sara and Danny are back with a deep dive on Barry Minkow, a man with a relentless entrepreneurial spirit for cons and scams. In Part 1, they cover his early start as a child telemarketer, and how his adolescent carpet cleaning business ZZZZ Best led him to credit card fraud, stock fraud, getting in bed with the mob, and prison. Come back next week for Part 2, where Barry becomes a born-again Christian. SOURCES: https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-01-19-me-37107-story.html https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/sandiego/news/press-releases/notorious-conman-turned-pastor-barry-minkow-sentenced-to-five-years-in-prison-for-bilking-congregation-of-more-than-3-million https://www.dailynews.com/2022/01/11/barry-minkow-got-famous-cheating-the-system-now-hes-back-with-king-of-the-con/ https://moneyweek.com/503094/great-frauds-in-history-zzzz-best https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-12-15-mn-362-story.html https://www.nytimes.com/1988/01/18/business/company-news-zzzz-best-indictment.html https://web.archive.org/web/20110705125654/http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2011/jul/03/jailhouse-convert/ https://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/barry-minkow-has-to-pay-lennar-corp-583-million-and-serve-five-years-6539824 https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/business/real-estate/sdut-minkow-attacking-lennar-2011jul06-htmlstory.html Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sara and Danny are joined by journalist, NYT bestselling author, and Pulitzer finalist Tom Wright, to talk about his podcast Crypto Kingpins. The podcast covers the rivalry between two titans in the crypto industry: Sam Bankman-Fried of FTX and Changpeng Zhao of Binance. Tom tells Sara and Danny how Bankman-Fried presented himself as the good boy of crypto, how his rivalry with CZ began, and where things stand with crypto now. With Bankman-Fried currently on trial for fraud, and billions of dollars on the line, there's still more to come with this story. Check out our latest promo codes here:https://betches.com/promos Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sara and Danny are joined by Travon Free and Martin Desmond Roe to talk about their new HBO documentary BS High, which covers the story of a high school football scandal that made headlines 2021. The Bishop Sycamore Centurions - a football team for a high school that doesn't exist - had the internet in a frenzy when they suffered a humiliating loss to IMG Academy that was televised on ESPN. Travon and Martin share how they became aware of and involved with this story, what it was like interviewing self-proclaimed liar Roy Johnson, who orchestrated the scam, and where some of the main characters of the documentary are today. Check out our latest promo codes here:https://betches.com/promos Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Sara and Danny recap some recent celebrity news. First up is Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis, who were in hot water after their letters to the judge in Danny Masterson's rape case were made public. Ashton subsequently resigned as Chairman of the Board at Thorn, the sex trafficking organization he founded with Demi Moore in 2009. Iggy Azalea also faced criticism last month, when the public became aware of *her* letter of support for Tony Lanez regarding the Megan Thee Stallion shooting. And finally, Russell Brand has been accused by multiple women of rape and sexual misconduct, and put out a YouTube video in response to the allegations. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sara and Danny are joined by documentary filmmaker Sam Lipman-Stern, to talk about his 3 part HBO docuseries Telemarketers. This two-decades-long project began back when Sam first started working at the Civil Development Group, where he started recording the bizarre goings-on at the office simply because it was entertaining, all the while unwittingly participating in a massive scam. Sam fills Sara and Danny in on how everything unfolded, the journey to getting the project funded and made, and what he's working on now. Check out our latest promo codes here:https://betches.com/promos Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sara and Danny bid a sweaty farewell to summer with a roundup of some recent festival fiascos and one coming down the pipeline. First up is Burning Man, the week-long festival in the Nevada desert, where each year participants erect (and fully dismantle) Black Rock City. This year, an unexpected rainfall of extreme proportions created a disastrous level of mud, and 70,000 people were subsequently trapped there and forced to shelter in place. Next, NYC's Electric Zoo festival became a massive organizational nightmare, leaving thousands of ticket holders stuck in never ending lines. And finally, Billy McFarland is trying his hand at Fyre Fest once more, with tickets already selling out for the December 6, 2024 event at an as-of-yet undisclosed Caribbean destination. SOURCES: https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/04/us/burning-man-storms-shelter-monday/index.html https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/electric-zoo-attendees-frustrated-chaos-disorganized-three-day-festiva-rcna103258 https://www.insider.com/fyre-festival-2-tickets-lineup-location-billy-mcfarland-2023-8 https://www.curbed.com/2023/08/whats-going-on-at-the-brooklyn-mirage.html https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/mayor-eric-adams-says-city-will-take-action-against-electric-zoo-festival-organizers/ https://www.billboard.com/pro/electric-zoo-festival-canceled-friday-didnt-have-permits/ Check out our latest promo codes here:https://betches.com/promos Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices