American Greed
Documentary series focusing on history's largest financial crimes ranging from Ponzi schemes, murder, card counting, generating fake currency and goods, extortion, online dating, identity theft, drug distribution, and insider trading.
Genre: Documentary, Crime
Cast:Stacy Keach , Scott Cohn , Kristin Reyer , Katharin 'Ladie K' Mraz , Bryan Burrough , Kevin Lingle , David Marchant , Bill Stoneking , Michael Shnayerson , Mary Thompson , Tommy Bartlett , Jay Washington , Lillian Lamour , Brian Brusokas , Keli Delane , Pete Berwick , Sean Keenehan , Lamont Metcalf
S15.E0 ∙ James McGill
This mock episode released on April fools day looks at the events surrounding the fictional Saul Goodman character as seen in Breaking Bad (2008) and Better Call Saul (2015).
S15.E1 ∙ The Life & Crimes of Joel Greenberg
Joel Greenberg is a privileged millennial from a rich Florida family who runs for Seminole County Tax Collector - and wins. Once in office, he embarks on a breathtaking series of crimes.
S15.E2 ∙ Theranos CEO on Trial
Former employees, whistleblowers, and even a family friend-turned-foe provide new insights into the company's leadership and the mysterious long-term relationship between Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes and her top deputy, Sunny Balwani.
S15.E3 ∙ How WeWork Went Wild
Inside the rise and near-collapse of WeWork, the startup co-founded by its former CEO, Adam Neumann, who mesmerizes venture capitalists with grandiose promises, even though WeWork turns out to be a traditional real estate leasing business.
S15.E4 ∙ Boeing's Deadly Design
When two brand-new Boeing 737 Max jets fall out of the sky five months apart - killing a total of 346 people - investigators quickly home in on a mysterious software program known as MCAS.
S15.E5 ∙ The Biggest Theft of All Time?
Jho Low is accused of being one of the biggest thieves the world has ever seen; authorities say he's the mastermind of an international scheme to steal over $4 billion from the government of Malaysia.
S15.E6 ∙ The Kingpin Next Door
The story of a suburban Eagle Scout turned Dark Web drug lord; Aaron Shamo launches a new type of American drug ring, recruiting other Utah millennials to help him manufacture deadly counterfeit opioids and sell them online.
S15.E7 ∙ The Polygamist and the Bio Fuel Baron
CEO Jacob Kingston appears to be a rising star in Utah's fledgling biofuel industry, until a member of a secretive polygamist group called The Order reveals that Kingston is committing a 1.1 billion dollar fraud.
S15.E8 ∙ Chasing Tesla
Serial entrepreneur Trevor Milton founds the electric vehicle company Nikola, which suggests it will be the next Tesla, but for long-haul trucks.
S15.E9 ∙ COVID Cons
While an estimated $100 to $400 billion dollars in COVID-19 federal relief funds are stolen by scammers and criminals, one seasoned California family of fraudsters easily grabs millions of dollars that Americans desperately need. Richard Ayvazyan, along with his wife Marietta Terabelian and other family members were convicted of stealing up to $350 million dollars in federal COVID-19 relief loans. The family members bought luxury cars, multi-million dollar mansions, jewelry, gold coins, watches, vacations and more with their ill-gotten gains. They obtained bank loans in other peoples' names that they never intended to pay back. Three of them ended up on the FBI's 'Most Wanted' list. Those three (Richard Ayvazyan, his wife Marietta Terabelian and his sister-in-law Tamara Dadyan) had cut off their ankle monitor bracelets and abandoned their also-guilty children and fled to the mountains of Montenegro, a country in the Balkans in Southeastern Europe. The three fugitives were tracked down by law enforcement and apprehended. In the end, the criminals were caught. Richard Ayvazyan, age 43, was sentenced to serve 17 years in prison. His wife, Marietta Terabelian, age 37, was sentenced to six years in prison. His brother, Artur Ayvazyan, age 41, was sentenced to five years in prison. Manuk Grigoryan, age 28, was sentenced to six years in prison. Edvard Paronyan, age 41, was sentenced to 30 months in prison. Vahe Dadyan, age 42, was sentenced to 12 months in prison. Arman Hayrapetyan, age 39, was ordered to serve 10 months of probation. Richard Ayvazyan's sister-in-law, Tamara Dadyan, age 42, was sentenced to 10 years plus 10 months in prison.
S15.E10 ∙ The Accused Crypto Couple
In February 2022, the Justice Department announced charges against Heather Rhiannon Morgan and her husband Ilya Lichtenstein for their alleged roles in the conspiracy to launder $4.5 billion in stolen Bitcoin cryptocurrency. Heather Morgan was as also known as 'Razzlekhan', a fledgling rap artist.
S15.E11 ∙ Financial Infidelity
Purported entrepreneur Antonio Mariot Wilson changes his name, pitch, and act to play a series of roles, and the inveterate huckster fleeces unsuspecting investors for decades, including television star Jenifer Lewis. In this installment, Jenifer Lewis opens up about her relationship with Antonio Wilson and how it went from a storybook romance to a nightmare. In the end, Antonio Mariot Wilson, aka 'Brice Carrington' and 'Dr. Tony Mariot', age 58, was sentenced in March 2021 to 8 years in federal prison for deceiving women he met online and elsewhere into investing hundreds of thousands of dollars into his sham companies, and then spending their money on himself. From May 2015 to October 2018, Wilson defrauded four women with whom he had engaged in romantic relationships, including actress Jenifer Lewis, whose credits include the television series 'Black-ish'. Wilson falsely told his victims that he was a Navy SEAL, a graduate of Oxford University, and an Oxford professor. He conveniently 'forgot' to tell the victims that he had previously pleaded guilty in federal court in Oakland, California to carrying out a similar fraud scheme, and had served a four-year term in federal prison after pleading guilty in 2009.
S15.E12 ∙ The Spy Who Conned Me
This installment discusses Garrison Courtney, who infiltrated Washington DC's intelligence circles. In doing so, he collected $4.5 million dollars with his tall tales of running a top-secret national security operation for the CIA, the Central Intelligence Agency. Now age 44, when Courtney's lies unraveled after four years of fraud, he was apprehended and was sentenced in October 2020 in federal court in Alexandria, VA to seven years in prison.
S15.E13 ∙ Million Dollar Prison Kickback
Chris Epps charms his way up the ladder, from prison guard to the top post of Mississippi Department of Corrections Commissioner. Once in office, he and his businessman buddy, Cecil McCrory, set up shop, siphoning kickbacks and bribes.
S15.E14 ∙ California Schemin'
In sun-drenched San Diego, entrepreneur and real estate developer Gina Champion-Cain lures in investors with a glamorous, beach and fun image with promises of sky-high returns on short-term liquor license loans.
S15.E15 ∙ Streaming and Scheming
Zachary Horwitz has dreams of making it big in Hollywood. While his onscreen career never quite flourishes, Horwitz acts his way into raising more than $600 million for an investment opportunity that is completely bogus.
S15.E16 ∙ The Decline of a Dynasty
American Greed Murdaugh Saga, Part 1: Alex Murdaugh, a well-respected lawyer from a prominent family is accused of stealing millions of dollars from the suffering clients who turn to him for his legal knowledge, compassion and help. This brazen act of fraud results in the decline of a dynasty. This installment discusses details about the deaths and multiple legal cases surrounding South Carolina lawyer Alex Murdaugh, who was accused of killing his wife and son in June 2021. The sprawling investigation into the prominent and powerful Murdaugh family uncovers years of unchecked power and privilege that has allegedly resulted in years of fraud, conspiracy, corruption and murder.
S15.E17 ∙ A Legacy of Fraud
American Greed Murdaugh Saga, Part 2: Alex Murdaugh, a well-respected lawyer from a prominent family is accused of stealing millions of dollars from the suffering clients who turn to him for his legal knowledge, compassion and help. This brazen act of fraud results in the decline of a dynasty. This installment discusses details about the deaths and multiple legal cases surrounding South Carolina lawyer Alex Murdaugh, who was accused of killing his wife and son in June 2021. The sprawling investigation into the prominent and powerful Murdaugh family uncovers years of unchecked power and privilege that has allegedly resulted in years of fraud, conspiracy, corruption and murder.
S15.E18 ∙ The Busted Mogul
Former Buddhist monk Lobsang Dargey escapes from Tibet, makes his way to the America, marries into a sports superstar's family, and builds a real estate empire. But his success is built at the expense of would-be Chinese immigrants.
S15.E19 ∙ Follow the Juul Money
When an epidemic of teenage nicotine addiction breaks out across the country, some people ask whether Juul's founders who produce electronic cigarettes are intent on saving lives or targeting the next generation with hopes they will become addicted.
S15.E20 ∙ VIP Schemers
Convicted fraudster and identity thief Tracii Show Hutsona is once again up on federal charges after a high-profile client discovers more than 1 million missing from her bank accounts.
S15.E21 ∙ Preaching Pyramid Schemes
Reality TV couple Marlon Moore, also known as DJ ASAP, and his wife, LaShonda Moore are accused of exploiting vulnerable people during the COVID-19 pandemic and convincing thousands of their fans to invest in their illegal pyramid scheme. Regulators claim the Moores have "blessed" themselves to the tune of millions of dollars.
S15.E22 ∙ Drunk with Power
With his long white beard, ponytail and ubiquitous advertising, a former police officer who is now an attorney, James Morris Balagia of Manor, Texas, is also known as the 'D.W.I. Dude'. He is well-known in Texas as a flamboyant defense lawyer who can get 'drunk driving' defendants out of a jam. His advertising slogan was, 'Busted? Call the Dude!'. However, he pocketed money that he told drug dealers would be used to bribe officials, prosecutors said. In the end, when Jamie Balagia, now age 65, got convicted for his crimes in May 2021, he was sentenced to 15 years in prison.
S15.E23 ∙ Fame, Fortune & Fraud
Jason Van Eman is a B-list actor from Oklahoma who seeks fame and fortune as a Hollywood, CA producer. He hatches a $68 million scheme involving bank and wire fraud, spanning 8 years. He was convicted and sentenced to 21 years in prison.
S15.E24 ∙ Lawyers, Lies, and a Housewife
Personal injury attorney Tom Girardi posits himself as a champion for the little guy, but jilted clients cry foul when they discover him cheating them out of millions of dollars in settlement money as Girardi's wife flaunts her wealth on reality television. Girardi was the subject of 205 attorney ethics complaints between 1982 and June 2022 when he was disbarred in California.
