In this week's Crime Roundup, Sheryl McCollum and Joshua Schiffer discuss one of the most urgent and misunderstood frontiers in criminal law: who owns your identity in the age of AI? From celebrities digitally resurrected without consent to student-athletes blocked from profiting off their own names, Sheryl and Joshua expose the legal chaos surrounding name, image, and likeness (NIL). They share real cases involving image theft, fraud, and stalking to show just how deep this rabbit hole goes, including how NIL rights intersect with immigration law, gambling, and even organized crime. Whether it’s a deepfake of Robin Williams or a repurposed viral video, the message is clear: your face, your voice, and your story... they’re assets. And they’re up for grabs.

 

Highlights:

• (0:00) Welcome to Crime Roundup with Sheryl McCollum and Joshua Schiffer
• (1:00) The power of presence: from Michael Jackson to Jennifer Aniston
• (3:30) Robin Williams’ image and the dangers of AI-generated deepfakes
• (5:30) What is NIL, and why it matters in crime, sports, and identity
• (9:00) Real-world image theft: fraud, fake agents, and misused images in advertising
• (10:45) When student visas block NIL deals
• (12:00) Who owns the school logos in NIL endorsements?
• (14:30) Why you cannot always use your own sports photos
• (17:00) Free speech vs. image rights: parody, politics, and the First Amendment
• (18:30) Public figures and stalking: where the law draws the line
• (24:45) Illegal gambling, NIL, and the risk of game-fixing
• (29:30) Protecting yourself in the digital age
• (34:45) This week’s message: “The capacity for love knows no bounds.”

 

About the Hosts

Joshua Schiffer is a veteran trial attorney and one of the Southeast’s most respected legal voices. He is a founding partner at ChancoSchiffer P.C., where he has litigated high-stakes criminal, civil rights, and personal injury cases for over two decades. Known for his bold courtroom presence and ability to clearly explain complex legal issues, Schiffer is a frequent media contributor and a fearless advocate for accountability.

Sheryl “Mac” McCollum is an Emmy Award-winning CSI, a writer for CrimeOnline, a forensic and crime scene expert for Crime Stories with Nancy Grace, and co-author of the textbook Cold Case: Pathways to Justice. She is the founder and director of the Cold Case Investigative Research Institute, a national collaboration that advances techniques for solving cold cases and assists families and law enforcement with unsolved homicides, missing persons, and kidnappings.

 

🎧 Want more from Sheryl?

Catch her every week on the Zone 7 podcast, where she hosts the main series on Wednesdays, Pathology with Dr. Priya on Mondays, and Crime Roundup each Friday alongside Joshua Schiffer.

 

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Follow the Hosts:

• Sheryl on X: @ColdCaseTips
• Facebook: @sheryl.mccollum
• Joshua on X and Instagram: @lawyerschiff

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