Swindled

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 Prelude: Cancer concerns force Belviq, a popular diet drug, to be withdrawn from the marketplace. –––-–---------------------------------------- BECOME A VALUEDLISTENER™ Spotify Apple Podcasts Patreon –––-–---------------------------------------- DONATE: SwindledPodcast.com/Support CONSUME: SwindledPodcast.com/Shop WATCH: SwindledVideo.com –––-–---------------------------------------- MUSIC: Deformr –––-–---------------------------------------- FOLLOW: SwindledPodcast.com Instagram Twitter.com TikTok Facebook Thanks for listening. :-) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 system. –––-–---------------------------------------- BECOME A VALUEDLISTENER™ Spotify Apple Podcasts Patreon –––-–---------------------------------------- DONATE: SwindledPodcast.com/Support CONSUME: SwindledPodcast.com/Shop WATCH: SwindledVideo.com –––-–---------------------------------------- MUSIC: Deformr –––-–---------------------------------------- FOLLOW: SwindledPodcast.com Instagram Twitter.com TikTok Facebook Thanks for listening. :-) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 concerning incidents. –––-–---------------------------------------- BECOME A VALUEDLISTENER™ Spotify Apple Podcasts Patreon –––-–---------------------------------------- DONATE: SwindledPodcast.com/Support CONSUME: SwindledPodcast.com/Shop WATCH: SwindledVideo.com –––-–---------------------------------------- MUSIC: Deformr –––-–---------------------------------------- FOLLOW: SwindledPodcast.com Instagram Twitter.com TikTok Facebook Thanks for listening. :-) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 are charged with the murder of a man in Pennsylvania. –––-–---------------------------------------- BECOME A VALUEDLISTENER™ Spotify Apple Podcasts Patreon –––-–---------------------------------------- DONATE: SwindledPodcast.com/Support CONSUME: SwindledPodcast.com/Shop WATCH: SwindledVideo.com –––-–---------------------------------------- MUSIC: Deformr –––-–---------------------------------------- FOLLOW: SwindledPodcast.com Instagram Twitter.com TikTok Facebook Thanks for listening. :-) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 subway. –––-–---------------------------------------- BECOME A VALUEDLISTENER™ Spotify Apple Podcasts Patreon –––-–---------------------------------------- DONATE: SwindledPodcast.com/Support CONSUME: SwindledPodcast.com/Shop WATCH: SwindledVideo.com –––-–---------------------------------------- MUSIC: Deformr –––-–---------------------------------------- FOLLOW: SwindledPodcast.com Instagram Twitter.com TikTok Facebook Thanks for listening. :-) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 intensive care unit. –––-–---------------------------------------- BECOME A VALUEDLISTENER™ Spotify Apple Podcasts Patreon –––-–---------------------------------------- DONATE: SwindledPodcast.com/Support CONSUME: SwindledPodcast.com/Shop –––-–---------------------------------------- MUSIC: Deformr –––-–---------------------------------------- FOLLOW: SwindledPodcast.com Instagram Twitter.com TikTok Facebook Thanks for listening. :-) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A former Shark Tank contestant’s fraud spree leaves a trail of destruction. –––-–---------------------------------------- BECOME A VALUEDLISTENER™ Spotify Apple Podcasts Patreon –––-–---------------------------------------- DONATE: SwindledPodcast.com/Support CONSUME: SwindledPodcast.com/Shop –––-–---------------------------------------- MUSIC: Deformr –––-–---------------------------------------- FOLLOW: SwindledPodcast.com Instagram Twitter.com TikTok Facebook Thanks for listening. :-) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A proposal to build a massive movie studio in Northern California signals the end of a 17-year-old scheme. –––-–---------------------------------------- BECOME A VALUEDLISTENER™ Spotify Apple Podcasts Patreon –––-–---------------------------------------- DONATE: SwindledPodcast.com/Support CONSUME: SwindledPodcast.com/Shop –––-–---------------------------------------- MUSIC: Deformr –––-–---------------------------------------- FOLLOW: SwindledPodcast.com Instagram Twitter.com TikTok Facebook Thanks for listening. :-) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 Evangelical communities. –––-–---------------------------------------- BECOME A VALUEDLISTENER™ Spotify Apple Podcasts Patreon –––-–---------------------------------------- DONATE: SwindledPodcast.com/Support CONSUME: SwindledPodcast.com/Shop –––-–---------------------------------------- MUSIC: Deformr –––-–---------------------------------------- FOLLOW: SwindledPodcast.com Instagram Twitter.com TikTok Facebook Thanks for listening. :-) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 performs. –––-–---------------------------------------- BECOME A VALUEDLISTENER™ Spotify Apple Podcasts Patreon –––-–---------------------------------------- DONATE: SwindledPodcast.com/Support CONSUME: SwindledPodcast.com/Shop –––-–---------------------------------------- MUSIC: Deformr –––-–---------------------------------------- FOLLOW: SwindledPodcast.com Instagram Twitter.com TikTok Facebook Thanks for listening. :-) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The arrest of Fall River's 23-year-old mayor ignites a political fiasco. Prelude: A popular Massachusetts State Senator is convicted of bribery. –––-–---------------------------------------- BECOME A VALUEDLISTENER™ Spotify Apple Podcasts Patreon –––-–---------------------------------------- DONATE: SwindledPodcast.com/Support CONSUME: SwindledPodcast.com/Shop –––-–---------------------------------------- MUSIC: Deformr –––-–---------------------------------------- FOLLOW: SwindledPodcast.com Instagram Twitter.com TikTok Facebook Thanks for listening. :-) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 Insurance. –––-–---------------------------------------- BECOME A VALUEDLISTENER™ Spotify Apple Podcasts Patreon –––-–---------------------------------------- DONATE: SwindledPodcast.com/Support CONSUME: SwindledPodcast.com/Shop –––-–---------------------------------------- MUSIC: Deformr –––-–---------------------------------------- FOLLOW: SwindledPodcast.com Instagram Twitter.com TikTok Facebook Thanks for listening. :-) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A multinational meat processing company wreaks havoc on animals and people in pursuit of profits. Prelude: Cody Easterday's $233 million "ghost cattle" scheme. –––-–---------------------------------------- BECOME A VALUEDLISTENER™ Spotify Apple Podcasts Patreon –––-–---------------------------------------- DONATE: SwindledPodcast.com/Support CONSUME: SwindledPodcast.com/Shop –––-–---------------------------------------- MUSIC: Deformr –––-–---------------------------------------- FOLLOW: SwindledPodcast.com Instagram Twitter.com TikTok Facebook Thanks for listening. :-) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 Florida. –––-–---------------------------------------- BECOME A VALUEDLISTENER™ Spotify Apple Podcasts Patreon –––-–---------------------------------------- DONATE: SwindledPodcast.com/Support CONSUME: SwindledPodcast.com/Shop –––-–---------------------------------------- MUSIC: Deformr –––-–---------------------------------------- FOLLOW: SwindledPodcast.com Instagram Twitter.com TikTok Facebook Thanks for listening. :-) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 resignation. –––-–---------------------------------------- BECOME A VALUEDLISTENER™ Spotify Apple Podcasts Patreon –––-–---------------------------------------- DONATE: SwindledPodcast.com/Support CONSUME: SwindledPodcast.com/Shop –––-–---------------------------------------- MUSIC: Deformr –––-–---------------------------------------- FOLLOW: SwindledPodcast.com Instagram Twitter.com TikTok Facebook Thanks for listening. :-) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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, Nebraska. –––-–---------------------------------------- BUY THE SWINDLED SOUNDTRACK ON VINYL –––-–---------------------------------------- BECOME A VALUEDLISTENER™ Spotify Apple Podcasts Patreon –––-–---------------------------------------- DONATE: SwindledPodcast.com/Support CONSUME: SwindledPodcast.com/Shop –––-–---------------------------------------- MUSIC: Deformr –––-–---------------------------------------- FOLLOW: SwindledPodcast.com Instagram Twitter.com TikTok Facebook Thanks for listening. :-) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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, 2021. –––-–---------------------------------------- PATREON: Patreon.com/Swindled DONATE: SwindledPodcast.com/Support CONSUME: SwindledPodcast.com/Shop –––-–---------------------------------------- MUSIC: Deformr.black –––-–---------------------------------------- FOLLOW: SwindledPodcast.com Instagram.com/SwindledPodcast Twitter.com/SwindledPodcast Facebook.com/SwindledPodcast Thanks for listening. :-) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A multinational consumer goods corporation finds itself mired in controversy. Prelude: The Fenholloway River is classified as an "industrial waterway." Originally published June 20, 2021. –––-–---------------------------------------- PATREON: Patreon.com/Swindled DONATE: SwindledPodcast.com/Support CONSUME: SwindledPodcast.com/Shop –––-–---------------------------------------- MUSIC: Deformr.black –––-–---------------------------------------- FOLLOW: SwindledPodcast.com Instagram.com/SwindledPodcast Twitter.com/SwindledPodcast Facebook.com/SwindledPodcast Additional writing and research on this episode by Jordan Rozansky. Thanks for listening. :-) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 published August 16, 2020. –––-–---------------------------------------- BECOME A VALUEDLISTENER™ Spotify Apple Podcasts Patreon –––-–---------------------------------------- DONATE: SwindledPodcast.com/Support CONSUME: SwindledPodcast.com/Shop WATCH: SwindledVideo.com –––-–---------------------------------------- MUSIC: Deformr –––-–---------------------------------------- FOLLOW: SwindledPodcast.com Instagram Twitter.com TikTok Facebook Thanks for listening. :-) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A utility company's neglected equipment ignites the deadliest wildfire in California history. Prelude: A natural gas leak destroys a neighborhood in San Bruno. –––-–---------------------------------------- BECOME A VALUEDLISTENER™ Spotify Apple Podcasts Patreon –––-–---------------------------------------- DONATE: SwindledPodcast.com/Support CONSUME: SwindledPodcast.com/Shop WATCH: SwindledVideo.com –––-–---------------------------------------- MUSIC: Deformr –––-–---------------------------------------- FOLLOW: SwindledPodcast.com Instagram Twitter.com TikTok Facebook Thanks for listening. :-) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 chlordecone. –––-–---------------------------------------- BECOME A VALUEDLISTENER™ Spotify Apple Podcasts Patreon –––-–---------------------------------------- DONATE: SwindledPodcast.com/Support CONSUME: SwindledPodcast.com/Shop WATCH: SwindledVideo.com –––-–---------------------------------------- MUSIC: Deformr –––-–---------------------------------------- FOLLOW: SwindledPodcast.com Instagram Twitter.com TikTok Facebook Thanks for listening. :-) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A renowned sinus surgeon disappears after malpractice allegations surface. Prelude: Philip and Marcella Gabriele are accused of performing unnecessary eye surgeries. –––-–---------------------------------------- BECOME A VALUEDLISTENER™ Spotify Apple Podcasts Patreon –––-–---------------------------------------- DONATE: SwindledPodcast.com/Support CONSUME: SwindledPodcast.com/Shop WATCH: SwindledVideo.com –––-–---------------------------------------- MUSIC: Deformr –––-–---------------------------------------- FOLLOW: SwindledPodcast.com Instagram Twitter.com TikTok Facebook Thanks for listening. :-) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 empire. –––-–---------------------------------------- BECOME A VALUEDLISTENER™ Spotify Apple Podcasts Patreon –––-–---------------------------------------- DONATE: SwindledPodcast.com/Support CONSUME: SwindledPodcast.com/Shop WATCH: SwindledVideo.com –––-–---------------------------------------- MUSIC: Deformr –––-–---------------------------------------- FOLLOW: SwindledPodcast.com Instagram Twitter.com TikTok Facebook Thanks for listening. :-) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 burns to death. Two workers (Ian Erickson and David Mayes) at a bakery become trapped in an industrial oven and burn to death. –––-–---------------------------------------- BECOME A VALUEDLISTENER™ Spotify Apple Podcasts Patreon –––-–---------------------------------------- DONATE: SwindledPodcast.com/Support CONSUME: SwindledPodcast.com/Shop WATCH: SwindledVideo.com –––-–---------------------------------------- MUSIC: Deformr –––-–---------------------------------------- FOLLOW: SwindledPodcast.com Instagram Twitter.com TikTok Facebook Thanks for listening. :-) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 scheme. –––-–---------------------------------------- BECOME A VALUEDLISTENER™ Spotify Apple Podcasts Patreon –––-–---------------------------------------- DONATE: SwindledPodcast.com/Support CONSUME: SwindledPodcast.com/Shop WATCH: SwindledVideo.com –––-–---------------------------------------- MUSIC: Deformr –––-–---------------------------------------- FOLLOW: SwindledPodcast.com Instagram Twitter.com TikTok Facebook Thanks for listening. :-) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 stock schemes. –––-–---------------------------------------- BECOME A VALUEDLISTENER™ Spotify Apple Podcasts Patreon –––-–---------------------------------------- DONATE: SwindledPodcast.com/Support CONSUME: SwindledPodcast.com/Shop WATCH: SwindledVideo.com –––-–---------------------------------------- MUSIC: Deformr –––-–---------------------------------------- FOLLOW: SwindledPodcast.com Instagram Twitter.com TikTok Facebook Thanks for listening. :-) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 University. –––-–---------------------------------------- BECOME A VALUEDLISTENER™ Spotify Apple Podcasts Patreon –––-–---------------------------------------- DONATE: SwindledPodcast.com/Support CONSUME: SwindledPodcast.com/Shop WATCH: SwindledVideo.com –––-–---------------------------------------- MUSIC: Deformr –––-–---------------------------------------- FOLLOW: SwindledPodcast.com Instagram Twitter.com TikTok Facebook Thanks for listening. :-) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A nationally-known attorney specializing in lottery winnings rips off those who entrusted him. Prelude: Winning the lottery ruins Billie Bob Harrell Jr.'s life. –––-–---------------------------------------- BECOME A VALUEDLISTENER™ Spotify Apple Podcasts Patreon –––-–---------------------------------------- DONATE: SwindledPodcast.com/Support CONSUME: SwindledPodcast.com/Shop WATCH: SwindledVideo.com –––-–---------------------------------------- MUSIC: Deformr –––-–---------------------------------------- FOLLOW: SwindledPodcast.com Instagram Twitter.com TikTok Facebook Thanks for listening. :-) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 attempt. –––-–---------------------------------------- BECOME A VALUEDLISTENER™ Spotify Apple Podcasts Patreon –––-–---------------------------------------- DONATE: SwindledPodcast.com/Support CONSUME: SwindledPodcast.com/Shop WATCH: SwindledVideo.com –––-–---------------------------------------- MUSIC: Deformr –––-–---------------------------------------- FOLLOW: SwindledPodcast.com Instagram Twitter.com TikTok Facebook Thanks for listening. :-) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 Predators. –––-–---------------------------------------- BECOME A VALUEDLISTENER™ Spotify Apple Podcasts Patreon –––-–---------------------------------------- DONATE: SwindledPodcast.com/Support CONSUME: SwindledPodcast.com/Shop WATCH: SwindledVideo.com –––-–---------------------------------------- MUSIC: Deformr –––-–---------------------------------------- FOLLOW: SwindledPodcast.com Instagram Twitter.com TikTok Facebook Thanks for listening. :-) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 Willy.' –––-–---------------------------------------- BECOME A VALUEDLISTENER™ Spotify Apple Podcasts Patreon –––-–---------------------------------------- DONATE: SwindledPodcast.com/Support CONSUME: SwindledPodcast.com/Shop WATCH: SwindledVideo.com –––-–---------------------------------------- MUSIC: Deformr –––-–---------------------------------------- FOLLOW: SwindledPodcast.com Instagram Twitter.com TikTok Facebook Thanks for listening. :-) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 his corporate attorney, who then purchases a ranch from a phony French noblewoman who faked her own death. –––-–---------------------------------------- BECOME A VALUEDLISTENER™ Spotify Apple Podcasts Patreon –––-–---------------------------------------- DONATE: SwindledPodcast.com/Support CONSUME: SwindledPodcast.com/Shop WATCH: SwindledVideo.com –––-–---------------------------------------- MUSIC: Deformr –––-–---------------------------------------- FOLLOW: SwindledPodcast.com Instagram Twitter.com TikTok Facebook Thanks for listening. :-) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 assistant. –––-–---------------------------------------- BECOME A VALUEDLISTENER™ Spotify Apple Podcasts Patreon –––-–---------------------------------------- DONATE: SwindledPodcast.com/Support CONSUME: SwindledPodcast.com/Shop WATCH: SwindledVideo.com –––-–---------------------------------------- MUSIC: Deformr –––-–---------------------------------------- FOLLOW: SwindledPodcast.com Instagram Twitter.com TikTok Facebook Thanks for listening. :-) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 reforms. –––-–---------------------------------------- BECOME A VALUEDLISTENER™ Spotify Apple Podcasts Patreon –––-–---------------------------------------- DONATE: SwindledPodcast.com/Support CONSUME: SwindledPodcast.com/Shop WATCH: SwindledVideo.com –––-–---------------------------------------- MUSIC: Deformr –––-–---------------------------------------- FOLLOW: SwindledPodcast.com Instagram Twitter.com TikTok Facebook Thanks for listening. :-) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 dream. –––-–---------------------------------------- BECOME A VALUEDLISTENER™ Spotify Apple Podcasts Patreon –––-–---------------------------------------- DONATE: SwindledPodcast.com/Support CONSUME: SwindledPodcast.com/Shop WATCH: SwindledVideo.com –––-–---------------------------------------- MUSIC: Deformr –––-–---------------------------------------- FOLLOW: SwindledPodcast.com Instagram Twitter.com TikTok Facebook Thanks for listening. :-) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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. –––-–---------------------------------------- BECOME A VALUEDLISTENER™ Spotify Apple Podcasts Patreon –––-–---------------------------------------- DONATE: SwindledPodcast.com/Support CONSUME: SwindledPodcast.com/Shop WATCH: SwindledVideo.com –––-–---------------------------------------- MUSIC: Deformr –––-–---------------------------------------- FOLLOW: SwindledPodcast.com Instagram Twitter.com TikTok Facebook Thanks for listening. :-) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 Service. –––-–---------------------------------------- BECOME A VALUEDLISTENER™ Spotify Apple Podcasts Patreon –––-–---------------------------------------- DONATE: SwindledPodcast.com/Support CONSUME: SwindledPodcast.com/Shop WATCH: SwindledVideo.com –––-–---------------------------------------- MUSIC: Deformr –––-–---------------------------------------- FOLLOW: SwindledPodcast.com Instagram Twitter.com TikTok Facebook Thanks for listening. :-) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A young politician ruins a promising career with numerous financial and sexual scandals. Prelude: The unsolved murder of Tamara Greene. –––-–---------------------------------------- BECOME A VALUEDLISTENER™ Spotify Apple Podcasts Patreon –––-–---------------------------------------- DONATE: SwindledPodcast.com/Support CONSUME: SwindledPodcast.com/Shop WATCH: SwindledVideo.com –––-–---------------------------------------- MUSIC: Deformr –––-–---------------------------------------- FOLLOW: SwindledPodcast.com Instagram Twitter.com TikTok Facebook Thanks for listening. :-) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 town. –––-–---------------------------------------- PATREON: Patreon.com/Swindled DONATE: SwindledPodcast.com/Support CONSUME: SwindledPodcast.com/Shop –––-–---------------------------------------- MUSIC: Deformr.com –––-–---------------------------------------- FOLLOW: SwindledPodcast.com Instagram.com/SwindledPodcast Twitter.com/SwindledPodcast Facebook.com/SwindledPodcast Thanks for listening. :-) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 Spotify, Apple Music, or YouTube –––-–---------------------------------------- BECOME A VALUEDLISTENER™ Spotify Apple Podcasts Patreon –––-–---------------------------------------- DONATE: SwindledPodcast.com/Support CONSUME: SwindledPodcast.com/Shop WATCH: SwindledVideo.com –––-–---------------------------------------- MUSIC: Deformr –––-–---------------------------------------- FOLLOW: SwindledPodcast.com Instagram Twitter.com TikTok Facebook Thanks for listening. :-) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 darknet market. Listen to Deformr's SWINDLED LP on Spotify, Apple Music, or YouTube –––-–---------------------------------------- BECOME A VALUEDLISTENER™ Spotify Apple Podcasts Patreon –––-–---------------------------------------- DONATE: SwindledPodcast.com/Support CONSUME: SwindledPodcast.com/Shop WATCH: SwindledVideo.com –––-–---------------------------------------- MUSIC: Deformr –––-–---------------------------------------- FOLLOW: SwindledPodcast.com Instagram Twitter.com TikTok Facebook Thanks for listening. :-) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 design flaw. –––-–---------------------------------------- BECOME A VALUEDLISTENER™ Spotify Apple Podcasts Patreon –––-–---------------------------------------- DONATE: SwindledPodcast.com/Support CONSUME: SwindledPodcast.com/Shop WATCH: SwindledVideo.com –––-–---------------------------------------- MUSIC: Deformr –––-–---------------------------------------- FOLLOW: SwindledPodcast.com Instagram Twitter.com TikTok Facebook Thanks for listening. :-) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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. –––-–---------------------------------------- BECOME A VALUEDLISTENER™ Spotify Apple Podcasts Patreon –––-–---------------------------------------- DONATE: SwindledPodcast.com/Support CONSUME: SwindledPodcast.com/Shop WATCH: SwindledVideo.com –––-–---------------------------------------- MUSIC: Deformr –––-–---------------------------------------- FOLLOW: SwindledPodcast.com Instagram Twitter.com TikTok Facebook Thanks for listening. :-) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 target. –––-–---------------------------------------- BECOME A VALUEDLISTENER™ Spotify Apple Podcasts Patreon –––-–---------------------------------------- DONATE: SwindledPodcast.com/Support CONSUME: SwindledPodcast.com/Shop WATCH: SwindledVideo.com –––-–---------------------------------------- MUSIC: Deformr –––-–---------------------------------------- FOLLOW: SwindledPodcast.com Instagram Twitter.com TikTok Facebook Thanks for listening. :-) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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. –––-–---------------------------------------- BECOME A VALUEDLISTENER™ Spotify Apple Podcasts Patreon –––-–---------------------------------------- DONATE: SwindledPodcast.com/Support CONSUME: SwindledPodcast.com/Shop WATCH: SwindledVideo.com –––-–---------------------------------------- MUSIC: Deformr.com –––-–---------------------------------------- FOLLOW: SwindledPodcast.com Instagram.com/SwindledPodcast Twitter.com/SwindledPodcast Facebook.com/SwindledPodcast Thanks for listening. :-) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 Chicago. –––-–---------------------------------------- BECOME A VALUEDLISTENER™ Spotify Apple Podcasts Patreon –––-–---------------------------------------- DONATE: SwindledPodcast.com/Support CONSUME: SwindledPodcast.com/Shop WATCH: SwindledVideo.com –––-–---------------------------------------- MUSIC: Deformr.com –––-–---------------------------------------- FOLLOW: SwindledPodcast.com Instagram.com/SwindledPodcast Twitter.com/SwindledPodcast Facebook.com/SwindledPodcast Thanks for listening. :-) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 called Is Anyone Up. Prelude: Kevin Bollaert becomes the first person convicted under California's revenge porn law. –––-–---------------------------------------- BECOME A VALUEDLISTENER™ Spotify Apple Podcasts Patreon –––-–---------------------------------------- DONATE: SwindledPodcast.com/Support CONSUME: SwindledPodcast.com/Shop WATCH: SwindledVideo.com –––-–---------------------------------------- MUSIC: Deformr.com –––-–---------------------------------------- FOLLOW: SwindledPodcast.com Instagram.com/SwindledPodcast Twitter.com/SwindledPodcast Facebook.com/SwindledPodcast Thanks for listening. :-) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 people. –––-–---------------------------------------- BECOME A VALUEDLISTENER™ Spotify Apple Podcasts Patreon –––-–---------------------------------------- DONATE: SwindledPodcast.com/Support CONSUME: SwindledPodcast.com/Shop WATCH: SwindledVideo.com –––-–---------------------------------------- MUSIC: Deformr.com –––-–---------------------------------------- FOLLOW: SwindledPodcast.com Instagram.com/SwindledPodcast Twitter.com/SwindledPodcast Facebook.com/SwindledPodcast Thanks for listening. :-) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

America's oldest gun manufacturer denies that its most popular product is defective and dangerous. Prelude: A deadly toy gun is recalled by Family Dollar. –––-–---------------------------------------- BECOME A VALUEDLISTENER™ Spotify Apple Podcasts Patreon –––-–---------------------------------------- DONATE: SwindledPodcast.com/Support CONSUME: SwindledPodcast.com/Shop WATCH: SwindledVideo.com –––-–---------------------------------------- MUSIC: Deformr.com –––-–---------------------------------------- FOLLOW: SwindledPodcast.com Instagram.com/SwindledPodcast Twitter.com/SwindledPodcast Facebook.com/SwindledPodcast Thanks for listening. :-) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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. –––-–---------------------------------------- PATREON: Patreon.com/Swindled DONATE: SwindledPodcast.com/Support CONSUME: SwindledPodcast.com/Shop WATCH: SwindledVideo.com –––-–---------------------------------------- MUSIC: Deformr.com –––-–---------------------------------------- FOLLOW: SwindledPodcast.com Instagram.com/SwindledPodcast Twitter.com/SwindledPodcast Facebook.com/SwindledPodcast Thanks for listening. :-) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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. –––-–---------------------------------------- PATREON: Patreon.com/Swindled DONATE: SwindledPodcast.com/Support CONSUME: SwindledPodcast.com/Shop WATCH: SwindledVideo.com –––-–---------------------------------------- MUSIC: Deformr.com –––-–---------------------------------------- FOLLOW: SwindledPodcast.com Instagram.com/SwindledPodcast Twitter.com/SwindledPodcast Facebook.com/SwindledPodcast Thanks for listening. :-) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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. –––-–---------------------------------------- PATREON: Patreon.com/Swindled DONATE: SwindledPodcast.com/Support CONSUME: SwindledPodcast.com/Shop WATCH: SwindledVideo.com –––-–---------------------------------------- MUSIC: Deformr.com –––-–---------------------------------------- FOLLOW: SwindledPodcast.com Instagram.com/SwindledPodcast Twitter.com/SwindledPodcast Facebook.com/SwindledPodcast Thanks for listening. :-) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 a local chemical company to bury its waste on his property. Watch Swindled Video on Spotify: https://sptfy.com/8dFX Watch Swindled Video on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/SwindledPodcast –––-–---------------------------------------- PATREON: Patreon.com/Swindled DONATE: SwindledPodcast.com/Support CONSUME: SwindledPodcast.com/Shop –––-–---------------------------------------- MUSIC: Deformr.com –––-–---------------------------------------- FOLLOW: SwindledPodcast.com Instagram.com/SwindledPodcast Twitter.com/SwindledPodcast Facebook.com/SwindledPodcast Thanks for listening. :-) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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. –––-–---------------------------------------- PATREON: Patreon.com/Swindled DONATE: SwindledPodcast.com/Support CONSUME: SwindledPodcast.com/Shop WATCH: SwindledVideo.com –––-–---------------------------------------- MUSIC: Deformr.com –––-–---------------------------------------- FOLLOW: SwindledPodcast.com Instagram.com/SwindledPodcast Twitter.com/SwindledPodcast Facebook.com/SwindledPodcast Thanks for listening. :-) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 scheme. –––-–---------------------------------------- PATREON: Patreon.com/Swindled DONATE: SwindledPodcast.com/Support CONSUME: SwindledPodcast.com/Shop WATCH: SwindledVideo.com –––-–---------------------------------------- MUSIC: Deformr.com –––-–---------------------------------------- FOLLOW: SwindledPodcast.com Instagram.com/SwindledPodcast Twitter.com/SwindledPodcast Facebook.com/SwindledPodcast Thanks for listening. :-) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 disappears. –––-–---------------------------------------- PATREON: Patreon.com/Swindled DONATE: SwindledPodcast.com/Support CONSUME: SwindledPodcast.com/Shop WATCH: SwindledVideo.com –––-–---------------------------------------- MUSIC: Deformr.com –––-–---------------------------------------- FOLLOW: SwindledPodcast.com Instagram.com/SwindledPodcast Twitter.com/SwindledPodcast Facebook.com/SwindledPodcast Thanks for listening. :-) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The State of Illinois' newly appointed Director of Special Investigations is exposed as a lifelong con artist and notorious property squatter. –––-–---------------------------------------- PATREON: Patreon.com/Swindled DONATE: SwindledPodcast.com/Support CONSUME: SwindledPodcast.com/Shop –––-–---------------------------------------- MUSIC: Deformr.com –––-–---------------------------------------- FOLLOW: SwindledPodcast.com Instagram.com/SwindledPodcast Twitter.com/SwindledPodcast Facebook.com/SwindledPodcast Thanks for listening. :-) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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. –––-–---------------------------------------- PATREON: Patreon.com/Swindled DONATE: SwindledPodcast.com/Support CONSUME: SwindledPodcast.com/Shop WATCH: SwindledVideo.com –––-–---------------------------------------- MUSIC: Deformr.com –––-–---------------------------------------- FOLLOW: SwindledPodcast.com Instagram.com/SwindledPodcast Twitter.com/SwindledPodcast Facebook.com/SwindledPodcast Thanks for listening. :-) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 device. –––-–---------------------------------------- PATREON: Patreon.com/Swindled DONATE: SwindledPodcast.com/Support CONSUME: SwindledPodcast.com/Shop WATCH: SwindledVideo.com –––-–---------------------------------------- MUSIC: Deformr.com –––-–---------------------------------------- FOLLOW: SwindledPodcast.com Instagram.com/SwindledPodcast Twitter.com/SwindledPodcast Facebook.com/SwindledPodcast Thanks for listening. :-) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A charismatic real estate guru builds a fortune with infomercials. Prelude: Charles J. Givens sells financial advice to a susceptible audience. –––-–---------------------------------------- PATREON: Patreon.com/Swindled DONATE: SwindledPodcast.com/Support CONSUME: SwindledPodcast.com/Shop WATCH: SwindledVideo.com –––-–---------------------------------------- MUSIC: Deformr.com –––-–---------------------------------------- FOLLOW: SwindledPodcast.com Instagram.com/SwindledPodcast Twitter.com/SwindledPodcast Facebook.com/SwindledPodcast Thanks for listening. :-) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 government. –––-–---------------------------------------- PATREON: Patreon.com/Swindled DONATE: SwindledPodcast.com/Support CONSUME: SwindledPodcast.com/Shop WATCH: SwindledVideo.com –––-–---------------------------------------- MUSIC: Deformr.com –––-–---------------------------------------- FOLLOW: SwindledPodcast.com Instagram.com/SwindledPodcast Twitter.com/SwindledPodcast Facebook.com/SwindledPodcast Thanks for listening. :-) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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. –––-–---------------------------------------- PATREON: Patreon.com/Swindled DONATE: SwindledPodcast.com/Support CONSUME: SwindledPodcast.com/Shop WATCH: SwindledVideo.com –––-–---------------------------------------- MUSIC: Deformr.com –––-–---------------------------------------- FOLLOW: SwindledPodcast.com Instagram.com/SwindledPodcast Twitter.com/SwindledPodcast Facebook.com/SwindledPodcast Thanks for listening. :-) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 listeria outbreak. –––-–---------------------------------------- PATREON: Patreon.com/Swindled DONATE: SwindledPodcast.com/Support CONSUME: SwindledPodcast.com/Shop WATCH: SwindledVideo.com –––-–---------------------------------------- MUSIC: Deformr.com –––-–---------------------------------------- FOLLOW: SwindledPodcast.com Instagram.com/SwindledPodcast Twitter.com/SwindledPodcast Facebook.com/SwindledPodcast Thanks for listening. :-) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 collapses. –––-–---------------------------------------- PATREON: Patreon.com/Swindled DONATE: SwindledPodcast.com/Support CONSUME: SwindledPodcast.com/Shop WATCH: SwindledVideo.com –––-–---------------------------------------- MUSIC: Deformr.com –––-–---------------------------------------- FOLLOW: SwindledPodcast.com Instagram.com/SwindledPodcast Twitter.com/SwindledPodcast Facebook.com/SwindledPodcast Thanks for listening. :-) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A sheriff in Alabama uses the inmate food budget to purchase personal property. –––-–---------------------------------------- PATREON: Patreon.com/Swindled DONATE: SwindledPodcast.com/Support CONSUME: SwindledPodcast.com/Shop –––-–---------------------------------------- MUSIC: Deformr.com –––-–---------------------------------------- FOLLOW: SwindledPodcast.com Instagram.com/SwindledPodcast Twitter.com/SwindledPodcast Facebook.com/SwindledPodcast Thanks for listening. :-) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A critically ill teenager writes a best-selling book about his abusive childhood. Prelude: New Horizons Youth Ministry opens a child reform program overseas. –––-–---------------------------------------- PATREON: Patreon.com/Swindled DONATE: SwindledPodcast.com/Support CONSUME: SwindledPodcast.com/Shop –––-–---------------------------------------- MUSIC: Deformr.com –––-–---------------------------------------- FOLLOW: SwindledPodcast.com Instagram.com/SwindledPodcast Twitter.com/SwindledPodcast Facebook.com/SwindledPodcast Thanks for listening. :-) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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. –––-–---------------------------------------- PATREON: Patreon.com/Swindled DONATE: SwindledPodcast.com/Support CONSUME: SwindledPodcast.com/Shop –––-–---------------------------------------- MUSIC: Deformr.com –––-–---------------------------------------- FOLLOW: SwindledPodcast.com Instagram.com/SwindledPodcast Twitter.com/SwindledPodcast Facebook.com/SwindledPodcast Thanks for listening. :-) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A multinational consumer goods corporation finds itself mired in controversy. Prelude: The Fenholloway River is classified as an "industrial waterway." –––-–---------------------------------------- PATREON: Patreon.com/Swindled DONATE: SwindledPodcast.com/Support CONSUME: SwindledPodcast.com/Shop –––-–---------------------------------------- MUSIC: Deformr.com –––-–---------------------------------------- FOLLOW: SwindledPodcast.com Instagram.com/SwindledPodcast Twitter.com/SwindledPodcast Facebook.com/SwindledPodcast Additional writing and research on this episode by Jordan Rozansky. Thanks for listening. :-) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 charge. –––-–---------------------------------------- PATREON: Patreon.com/Swindled DONATE: SwindledPodcast.com/Support CONSUME: SwindledPodcast.com/Shop –––-–---------------------------------------- MUSIC: Deformr.com –––-–---------------------------------------- FOLLOW: SwindledPodcast.com Instagram.com/SwindledPodcast Twitter.com/SwindledPodcast Facebook.com/SwindledPodcast Thanks for listening. :-) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 crime. –––-–---------------------------------------- PATREON: Patreon.com/Swindled DONATE: SwindledPodcast.com/Support CONSUME: SwindledPodcast.com/Shop –––-–---------------------------------------- MUSIC: Deformr.com –––-–---------------------------------------- FOLLOW: SwindledPodcast.com Instagram.com/SwindledPodcast Twitter.com/SwindledPodcast Facebook.com/SwindledPodcast Thanks for listening. :-) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 thanks to Justin from Generation Why (genwhypod.com) –––-–---------------------------------------- PATREON: Patreon.com/Swindled DONATE: SwindledPodcast.com/Support CONSUME: SwindledPodcast.com/Shop –––-–---------------------------------------- MUSIC: Deformr.com –––-–---------------------------------------- FOLLOW: SwindledPodcast.com Instagram.com/SwindledPodcast Twitter.com/SwindledPodcast Facebook.com/SwindledPodcast Thanks for listening. :-) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 Forgotten Stories) –––-–---------------------------------------- PATREON: Patreon.com/Swindled DONATE: SwindledPodcast.com/Support CONSUME: SwindledPodcast.com/Shop –––-–---------------------------------------- MUSIC: Deformr.com –––-–---------------------------------------- FOLLOW: SwindledPodcast.com Instagram.com/SwindledPodcast Twitter.com/SwindledPodcast Facebook.com/SwindledPodcast Thanks for listening. :-) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 the United States Supreme Court. –––-–---------------------------------------- PATREON: Patreon.com/Swindled DONATE: SwindledPodcast.com/Support CONSUME: SwindledPodcast.com/Shop –––-–---------------------------------------- MUSIC: Deformr.com –––-–---------------------------------------- FOLLOW: SwindledPodcast.com Instagram.com/SwindledPodcast Twitter.com/SwindledPodcast Facebook.com/SwindledPodcast Thanks for listening. :-) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A soda company's botched promotional game leads to unrest in the Philippines. –––-–---------------------------------------- PATREON: Patreon.com/Swindled DONATE: SwindledPodcast.com/Support CONSUME: SwindledPodcast.com/Shop –––-–---------------------------------------- MUSIC: Deformr.com –––-–---------------------------------------- FOLLOW: SwindledPodcast.com Instagram.com/SwindledPodcast Twitter.com/SwindledPodcast Facebook.com/SwindledPodcast Thanks for listening. :-) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 accident at the Ixtoc I well. –––-–---------------------------------------- PATREON: Patreon.com/Swindled DONATE: SwindledPodcast.com/Support CONSUME: SwindledPodcast.com/Shop –––-–---------------------------------------- MUSIC: Deformr.com –––-–---------------------------------------- FOLLOW: SwindledPodcast.com Instagram.com/SwindledPodcast Twitter.com/SwindledPodcast Facebook.com/SwindledPodcast Thanks for listening. :-) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 backfires. –––-–---------------------------------------- PATREON: Patreon.com/Swindled DONATE: SwindledPodcast.com/Support CONSUME: SwindledPodcast.com/Shop –––-–---------------------------------------- MUSIC: Deformr.com –––-–---------------------------------------- FOLLOW: SwindledPodcast.com Instagram.com/SwindledPodcast Twitter.com/SwindledPodcast Facebook.com/SwindledPodcast Thanks for listening. :-) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 mysterious death. –––-–---------------------------------------- PATREON: Patreon.com/Swindled DONATE: SwindledPodcast.com/Support CONSUME: SwindledPodcast.com/Shop –––-–---------------------------------------- MUSIC: Deformr.com –––-–---------------------------------------- FOLLOW: SwindledPodcast.com Instagram.com/SwindledPodcast Twitter.com/SwindledPodcast Facebook.com/SwindledPodcast Thanks for listening. :-) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 best-selling book. –––-–---------------------------------------- PATREON: Patreon.com/Swindled DONATE: SwindledPodcast.com/Support CONSUME: SwindledPodcast.com/Shop –––-–---------------------------------------- MUSIC: Deformr.com –––-–---------------------------------------- FOLLOW: SwindledPodcast.com Instagram.com/SwindledPodcast Twitter.com/SwindledPodcast Facebook.com/SwindledPodcast Thanks for listening. :-) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 space. –––-–---------------------------------------- PATREON: Patreon.com/Swindled DONATE: SwindledPodcast.com/Support CONSUME: SwindledPodcast.com/Shop –––-–---------------------------------------- MUSIC: Deformr.com –––-–---------------------------------------- FOLLOW: SwindledPodcast.com Instagram.com/SwindledPodcast Twitter.com/SwindledPodcast Facebook.com/SwindledPodcast Thanks for listening. :-) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 husband. –––-–---------------------------------------- PATREON: Patreon.com/Swindled DONATE: SwindledPodcast.com/Support CONSUME: SwindledPodcast.com/Shop –––-–---------------------------------------- MUSIC: Deformr.com –––-–---------------------------------------- FOLLOW: SwindledPodcast.com Instagram.com/SwindledPodcast Twitter.com/SwindledPodcast Facebook.com/SwindledPodcast Thanks for listening. :-) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A teenager from the Pacific Northwest embarks on an international burglary spree. Prelude: Joshua Paul Calhoun becomes the East Texas "Superthief". –––-–---------------------------------------- PATREON: Patreon.com/Swindled DONATE: SwindledPodcast.com/Support CONSUME: SwindledPodcast.com/Shop –––-–---------------------------------------- MUSIC: Deformr.com –––-–---------------------------------------- FOLLOW: SwindledPodcast.com Instagram.com/SwindledPodcast Twitter.com/SwindledPodcast Facebook.com/SwindledPodcast Thanks for listening. :-) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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. –––-–---------------------------------------- PATREON: Patreon.com/Swindled DONATE: SwindledPodcast.com/Support CONSUME: SwindledPodcast.com/Shop –––-–---------------------------------------- MUSIC: Deformr.com –––-–---------------------------------------- FOLLOW: SwindledPodcast.com Instagram.com/SwindledPodcast Twitter.com/SwindledPodcast Facebook.com/SwindledPodcast Thanks for listening. :-) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 point-shaving scandal. –––-–---------------------------------------- PATREON: Patreon.com/Swindled DONATE: SwindledPodcast.com/Support CONSUME: SwindledPodcast.com/Shop –––-–---------------------------------------- MUSIC: Deformr.com –––-–---------------------------------------- FOLLOW: SwindledPodcast.com Instagram.com/SwindledPodcast Twitter.com/SwindledPodcast Facebook.com/SwindledPodcast Thanks for listening. :-) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 Service. –––-–---------------------------------------- PATREON: Patreon.com/Swindled DONATE: SwindledPodcast.com/Support CONSUME: SwindledPodcast.com/Shop –––-–---------------------------------------- MUSIC: Deformr.com –––-–---------------------------------------- FOLLOW: SwindledPodcast.com Instagram.com/SwindledPodcast Twitter.com/SwindledPodcast Facebook.com/SwindledPodcast Thanks for listening. :-) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 it is banned in the United States. –––-–---------------------------------------- PATREON: Patreon.com/Swindled DONATE: SwindledPodcast.com/Support CONSUME: SwindledPodcast.com/Shop –––-–---------------------------------------- MUSIC: Deformr.com –––-–---------------------------------------- FOLLOW: SwindledPodcast.com Instagram.com/SwindledPodcast Twitter.com/SwindledPodcast Facebook.com/SwindledPodcast Thanks for listening. :-) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A sex-obsessed stockbroker uses astrology when conducting a series of investment frauds. Prelude: Tommy Quinn's life of crime. –––-–---------------------------------------- PATREON: Patreon.com/Swindled DONATE: SwindledPodcast.com/Support CONSUME: SwindledPodcast.com/Shop –––-–---------------------------------------- MUSIC: Deformr.com –––-–---------------------------------------- FOLLOW: SwindledPodcast.com Instagram.com/SwindledPodcast Twitter.com/SwindledPodcast Facebook.com/SwindledPodcast Thanks for listening. :-) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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. –––-–---------------------------------------- PATREON: Patreon.com/Swindled DONATE: SwindledPodcast.com/Support CONSUME: SwindledPodcast.com/Shop –––-–---------------------------------------- MUSIC: Deformr.com –––-–---------------------------------------- FOLLOW: SwindledPodcast.com Instagram.com/SwindledPodcast Twitter.com/SwindledPodcast Facebook.com/SwindledPodcast Thanks for listening. :-) WHERE TO DONATE FOR BLM: https://nymag.com/strategist/article/where-to-donate-for-black-lives-matter.html Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 sexual misconduct. –––-–---------------------------------------- PATREON: Patreon.com/Swindled DONATE: SwindledPodcast.com/Support CONSUME: SwindledPodcast.com/Shop –––-–---------------------------------------- MUSIC: Deformr.com –––-–---------------------------------------- FOLLOW: SwindledPodcast.com Instagram.com/SwindledPodcast Twitter.com/SwindledPodcast Facebook.com/SwindledPodcast Thanks for listening. :-) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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' following a rare cancer diagnosis. –––-–---------------------------------------- PATREON: Patreon.com/Swindled DONATE: SwindledPodcast.com/Support CONSUME: SwindledPodcast.com/Shop –––-–---------------------------------------- MUSIC: Deformr.com –––-–---------------------------------------- FOLLOW: SwindledPodcast.com Instagram.com/SwindledPodcast Twitter.com/SwindledPodcast Facebook.com/SwindledPodcast Thanks for listening. :-) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Led by an effective advertising campaign (Smilin' Bob), an herbal supplement company's popular male enhancement pill is revealed to be a $500 million fraud. –––-–---------------------------------------- PATREON: Patreon.com/Swindled DONATE: SwindledPodcast.com/Support CONSUME: SwindledPodcast.com/Shop –––-–---------------------------------------- MUSIC: Deformr.com –––-–---------------------------------------- FOLLOW: SwindledPodcast.com Instagram.com/SwindledPodcast Twitter.com/SwindledPodcast Facebook.com/SwindledPodcast Thanks for listening. :-) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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. –––-–---------------------------------------- PATREON: Patreon.com/Swindled DONATE: SwindledPodcast.com/Support CONSUME: SwindledPodcast.com/Shop –––-–---------------------------------------- MUSIC: Deformr.com –––-–---------------------------------------- FOLLOW: SwindledPodcast.com Instagram.com/SwindledPodcast Twitter.com/SwindledPodcast Facebook.com/SwindledPodcast Thanks for listening. :-) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 arrested during a coordinated raid of six Swift & Co. meatpacking facilities. –––-–---------------------------------------- PATREON: Patreon.com/Swindled DONATE: SwindledPodcast.com/Support CONSUME: SwindledPodcast.com/Shop –––-–---------------------------------------- MUSIC: Deformr.com –––-–---------------------------------------- FOLLOW: SwindledPodcast.com Instagram.com/SwindledPodcast Twitter.com/SwindledPodcast Facebook.com/SwindledPodcast Thanks for listening. :-) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 game. –––-–---------------------------------------- PATREON: Patreon.com/Swindled DONATE: SwindledPodcast.com/Support CONSUME: SwindledPodcast.com/Shop –––-–---------------------------------------- MUSIC: Deformr.com –––-–---------------------------------------- FOLLOW: SwindledPodcast.com Instagram.com/SwindledPodcast Twitter.com/SwindledPodcast Facebook.com/SwindledPodcast Thanks for listening. :-) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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. –––-–---------------------------------------- PATREON: Patreon.com/Swindled DONATE: SwindledPodcast.com/Support CONSUME: SwindledPodcast.com/Shop –––-–---------------------------------------- MUSIC: Deformr.com –––-–---------------------------------------- FOLLOW: SwindledPodcast.com Instagram.com/SwindledPodcast Twitter.com/SwindledPodcast Facebook.com/SwindledPodcast Thanks for listening. :-) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 person convicted under California's revenge porn law. –––-–---------------------------------------- PATREON: Patreon.com/Swindled DONATE: SwindledPodcast.com/Support CONSUME: SwindledPodcast.com/Shop –––-–---------------------------------------- MUSIC: Deformr.com –––-–---------------------------------------- FOLLOW: SwindledPodcast.com Instagram.com/SwindledPodcast Twitter.com/SwindledPodcast Facebook.com/SwindledPodcast Thanks for listening. :-) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 town. –––-–---------------------------------------- PATREON: Patreon.com/Swindled DONATE: SwindledPodcast.com/Support CONSUME: SwindledPodcast.com/Shop –––-–---------------------------------------- MUSIC: Deformr.com –––-–---------------------------------------- FOLLOW: SwindledPodcast.com Instagram.com/SwindledPodcast Twitter.com/SwindledPodcast Facebook.com/SwindledPodcast Thanks for listening. :-) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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. –––-–---------------------------------------- PATREON: Patreon.com/Swindled DONATE: SwindledPodcast.com/Support CONSUME: SwindledPodcast.com/Shop –––-–---------------------------------------- MUSIC: Deformr.com –––-–---------------------------------------- FOLLOW: SwindledPodcast.com Instagram.com/SwindledPodcast Twitter.com/SwindledPodcast Facebook.com/SwindledPodcast Thanks for listening. :-) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 to Susie Bright's full interview with Deborah Jeane Palfrey on In Bed with Susie Bright exclusively on Audible. –––-–---------------------------------------- PATREON: Patreon.com/Swindled DONATE: SwindledPodcast.com/Support CONSUME: SwindledPodcast.com/Shop –––-–---------------------------------------- MUSIC: Deformr.com –––-–---------------------------------------- FOLLOW: SwindledPodcast.com Instagram.com/SwindledPodcast Twitter.com/SwindledPodcast Facebook.com/SwindledPodcast Thanks for listening. :-) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 closure. –––-–---------------------------------------- PATREON: Patreon.com/Swindled DONATE: SwindledPodcast.com/Support CONSUME: SwindledPodcast.com/Shop –––-–---------------------------------------- MUSIC: Deformr.com –––-–---------------------------------------- FOLLOW: SwindledPodcast.com Instagram.com/SwindledPodcast Twitter.com/SwindledPodcast Facebook.com/SwindledPodcast Thanks for listening. :-) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices