Lauren wanted white collar crime, so we've got a white collar crime episode this week! Samuel Isreal III didn't want to rely on his family's wealth. No! He wanted to make it all on his own. So when it turned out he was really bad at hedge funding, he just pretended he was good at it.

Sources:

• Business Insider: “The Crazy Story of Samuel Israel, the Ponzi Schemer who Faked His Own Suicide and Sparked an International Manhunt” by Myles Meserve
• Reuters: “Bayou hedge fund’s Samuel Israel, who ran big Ponzi scheme, fails to win freedom” by Jonathan Stempel
• Department of Justice Press Release: “Victims of Bayou Hedge Funds Receive Another $31 Million in Forfeited Assets, Including Millions Repatriated from Singapore and the United Kingdom”
• FBI Press Release: “Former Investment Advisor Samuel Israel III Pleads Guilty to Failing to Surrender to Begin a 20-Year Sentence”
• Court Record: United States v. Samuel Israel III
• Court Record: Securities and Exchange Commission v. Israel, Marino, and Bayou Funds
• American Greed: “Suicide is Painless,” aired on February 3, 2010
• Wikipedia

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