Fraudsters

This week we begin our journey covering the one and only, Rod Blagojevich. Rod is the epitome of the American Dream– the son of Yugoslavian immigrants, he came from humble beginnings, shining shoes, delivering pizza, working as a… bookie. He worked himself all the way up to Congress and the story does not stop there! He ran for Governor of Illinois and won on an anti-corruption platform. Spoiler alert: he was corrupt!!! Rod was on the up and up, sneaking in bits of corruption here and there, that is until he tried to sell then-President-elect Barack Obama's Senate seat. He flew too close to the sun and can you blame him?! There’s so much more to the story and it only gets better (worse) from here!! 

Follow The Show:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/fraudstersLPN

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fraudsterslpn/

Discord: https://discord.gg/WRZ8zgusPT

Website: https://fraudsters.fm/

Follow the Hosts: https://twitter.com/seenanow

https://www.instagram.com/justin_williams_comedy

https://twitter.com/arielleaty

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQwl8sDTVEAxhwJdYgm-yrgIntro

Music Credit and Sound Fx:https://twitter.com/gograntgordon

Season Cover Art by:https://comedyartwork.com/

Media Links:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qre7DzEtxyc&t=50s

https://www.c-span.org/video/?74609-1/democratic-convention-afternoon-session

https://www.c-span.org/video/?74883-1/illinois-5th-district

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9T_Scmgc6Q0&t=103s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lo29Q3gfJnQ&t=84s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V03szmwwCBg&t=1s

https://www.c-span.org/video/?174596-1/illinois-gubernatorial-inaugural

https://www.c-span.org/video/?298903-1/david-axelrod-conversation-james-warren

https://www.c-span.org/video/?194711-1/illinois-gubernatorial-debate

https://www.wbez.org/shows/public-official-a/09be1fbf-e991-4627-88ed-0004c94b48f6

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOKg9pbHIpY&t=87s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ANe8f1ElZFs

Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of Fraudsters ad-free.
Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus.

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We’re back to finish off the story of Jen Shah. In this episode, comedian and Emmy-nominated TV writer, Rae Sanni, serves as our Real Housewives expert helping us dig into Jen’s time on the Real Housewives of Salt Lake City. Jen Shah is nothing if not ambitious, she chose to be on national TV while actively running a telemarketing scheme that targeted the elderly. She’s sick and twisted and at the end of the day that’s actually what reality TV is all about!! She wasn’t our most strategic fraudster– her time on the show allowed the feds to grow their case against her and she was famously arrested during the filming of Season 2, which actually makes for great reality TV (toxic!!!). We talk about how she’s doing in prison, and Rae helps us envision the Real Housewives of Salt Lake City’s future without Jen. Spoiler alert: with Jen in prison, it’ll be boring. 
Follow The Show: 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/fraudstersLPN
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fraudsterslpn/
Discord: https://discord.gg/WRZ8zgusPT
Website: https://fraudsters.fm/

Follow the Hosts: https://twitter.com/seenanow
https://www.instagram.com/justin_williams_comedy
https://twitter.com/arielleaty 

Follow Our Guest:
https://twitter.com/raesanni
https://www.instagram.com/raesanni87/?hl=en

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQwl8sDTVEAxhwJdYgm-yrgIntro 
Music Credit and Sound Fx:https://twitter.com/gograntgordon
Season Cover Art by:https://comedyartwork.com/

Clips Pulled From:
Real Housewives of Salt Lake City S1E1
Real Housewives of Salt Lake City S2E9

Clip Links:
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1488529711334463
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dr6aSTPzTt0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPF74wkNuWc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIqVnmznKuo&t=1s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U54biR9Dk9U&t=401s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFnrNYk4jmY&t=89s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jc5quAdh5II

Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of Fraudsters ad-free.
Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What’s the one place riddled with fraud that we just don’t talk about enough? That’s right, it’s reality TV baby!!! This week we’re talking all about Jen Shah from the Real Housewives of Salt Lake City. And there’s a lot to talk about. From her very Mormon childhood growing up in Utah to meeting her husband and converting to Islam, to when she started dipping her toe in the pool of defrauding the elderly to her actually becoming a fraudster herself (girlboss!), we cover it all. It’s the circle of life and it’s nothing if not beautiful!! And absolutely twisted!!!

What’s the one place riddled with fraud that we just don’t talk about enough? That’s right, it’s reality TV baby!!! This week we’re talking all about Jen Shah from the Real Housewives of Salt Lake City. And there’s a lot to talk about. From her very Mormon childhood growing up in Utah to meeting her husband and converting to Islam, to when she started dipping her toe in the pool of defrauding the elderly to her actually becoming a fraudster herself (girlboss!), we cover it all. It’s the circle of life and it’s nothing if not beautiful!! And absolutely twisted!!! 
Follow The Show: 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/fraudstersLPN
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fraudsterslpn/
Discord: https://discord.gg/WRZ8zgusPT
Website: https://fraudsters.fm/

Follow the Hosts: https://twitter.com/seenanow
https://www.instagram.com/justin_williams_comedy
https://twitter.com/arielleaty 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQwl8sDTVEAxhwJdYgm-yrgIntro 
Music Credit and Sound Fx:https://twitter.com/gograntgordon
Season Cover Art by:https://comedyartwork.com/

Clips Pulled From:
Real Housewives of Salt Lake City S1E1
Hulu Documentary: Housewife and the Shah Shocker

YT Links:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgWLa12SfYQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zxlyg0HVf1Q
 

Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of Fraudsters ad-free.
Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This week we’re back with more on Elijah Muhammad and the NOI! But of course, we can’t talk about the NOI without at least mentioning Malcolm X and his influence and then ultimately his breaking away from the group. What led to this you ask? Well, it maybe had something to do with Elijah Muhammad’s complicated relationships, financial improprieties, revelations of pregnancies, affairs, and blackmail – classic! We talk about the financial dealings of the NOI and the internal conflicts that led to its fragmentation. But don’t worry, the Nation of Islam is still out there, being led by the one and only Louis Farrakhan!! Listen now for all the juicy details!!

This week we’re back with more on Elijah Muhammad and the NOI! But of course, we can’t talk about the NOI without at least mentioning Malcolm X and his influence and then ultimately his breaking away from the group. What led to this you ask? Well, it maybe had something to do with Elijah Muhammad’s complicated relationships, financial improprieties, revelations of pregnancies, affairs, and blackmail – classic! We talk about the financial dealings of the NOI and the internal conflicts that led to its fragmentation. But don’t worry, the Nation of Islam is still out there, being led by the one and only Louis Farrakhan!! Listen now for all the juicy details!! 
Follow The Show: 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/fraudstersLPN
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fraudsterslpn/
Discord: https://discord.gg/WRZ8zgusPT
Website: https://fraudsters.fm/

Follow the Hosts: https://twitter.com/seenanow
https://www.instagram.com/justin_williams_comedy
https://twitter.com/arielleaty 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQwl8sDTVEAxhwJdYgm-yrgIntro 
Music Credit and Sound Fx:https://twitter.com/gograntgordon
Season Cover Art by:https://comedyartwork.com/

YouTube Links:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4_fPCT0Vd4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RaSWS5VBX4&t=1s
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=214086604119059

Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of Fraudsters ad-free.
Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Our Fraudster du jour is none other than the honorable Elijah Muhammad paired with the Nation of Islam. As always we are setting up the fraud with some good ole fashioned background info. We go from Elijah’s turbulent childhood and upbringing to his days as an alcoholic, to the moment he found God… or Wallace Fard, who interestingly enough claimed to be the Mahdi and founded the Nation of Islam. Ooookay, sounds legit! Like any good fraudster, Elijah went through many iterations of his name and title. And you know what, his antics were working!!! He was raking in new followers and new haters and that’s actually #goals because all press is good press baby!!!!

Our Fraudster du jour is none other than the honorable Elijah Muhammad paired with the Nation of Islam. As always we are setting up the fraud with some good ole fashioned background info. We go from Elijah’s turbulent childhood and upbringing to his days as an alcoholic, to the moment he found God… or Wallace Fard, who interestingly enough claimed to be the Mahdi and founded the Nation of Islam. Ooookay, sounds legit! Like any good fraudster, Elijah went through many iterations of his name and title. And you know what, his antics were working!!! He was raking in new followers and new haters and that’s actually #goals because all press is good press baby!!!! 
Follow The Show: 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/fraudstersLPN
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fraudsterslpn/
Discord: https://discord.gg/WRZ8zgusPT
Website: https://fraudsters.fm/

Follow the Hosts: https://twitter.com/seenanow
https://www.instagram.com/justin_williams_comedy
https://twitter.com/arielleaty 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQwl8sDTVEAxhwJdYgm-yrgIntro 
Music Credit and Sound Fx:https://twitter.com/gograntgordon
Season Cover Art by:https://comedyartwork.com/

YouTube Links:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JgWiJ5DK-z8

Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of Fraudsters ad-free.
Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This week we’re back with more Jim Traficant tales to tell with some help from Senator Bob Hagan. Traficant was a complicated man, a hero to some, and a fraudster to… everyone else. We take a walk down memory lane (CSPAN) to look at some of Traficant’s most memorable one-minute speeches AND his frauds from his time in Congress. Eventually, an FBI-led mob investigation brought him down. He represented himself in court (heroic), was expelled from Congress, and then sent to prison. Despite all of Traficant’s wrongdoings, he never forgot his roots at the height of his career. He continued to honor Crimetown, USA by… well… committing crimes. And if that’s not the American spirit, we don’t know what is!

This week we’re back with more Jim Traficant tales to tell with some help from Senator Bob Hagan. Traficant was a complicated man, a hero to some, and a fraudster to… everyone else. We take a walk down memory lane (CSPAN) to look at some of Traficant’s most memorable one-minute speeches AND his frauds from his time in Congress. Eventually, an FBI-led mob investigation brought him down. He represented himself in court (heroic), was expelled from Congress, and then sent to prison. Despite all of Traficant’s wrongdoings, he never forgot his roots at the height of his career. He continued to honor Crimetown, USA by… well… committing crimes. And if that’s not the American spirit, we don’t know what is!
Follow The Show: 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/fraudstersLPN
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fraudsterslpn/
Discord: https://discord.gg/WRZ8zgusPT
Website: https://fraudsters.fm/

Follow the Hosts: https://twitter.com/seenanow
https://www.instagram.com/justin_williams_comedy
https://twitter.com/arielleaty 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQwl8sDTVEAxhwJdYgm-yrgIntro 
Music Credit and Sound Fx:https://twitter.com/gograntgordon
Season Cover Art by:https://comedyartwork.com/

Video Links:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLlKvytNBvQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zo13S2IDGTE&t=1s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSIIXbz-O78&t=1s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPrLALmtdaU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VbV3aC2x9s
https://www.c-span.org/video/?c4932359/user-clip-james-traficant-1998-tough-china
https://www.c-span.org/video/?c4523490/rep-james-traficant-hershey-kiss
https://www.c-span.org/video/?6768-1/drugs-assault-rifles
https://www.c-span.org/video/?c4511062/user-clip-james-traficant-bras
https://www.c-span.org/video/?171436-101/expulsion-representative-james-traficant

Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of Fraudsters ad-free.
Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We’re traveling all the way to Youngstown, Ohio this week to bring you all the hot goss on Fraudster, Jim Traficant. But context is everything, so before we get to the complicated Ohio Congressman, Seena goes over some history and how the rust belt got RUSTY, with the help of our guest, Senator Bob Hagan. Jim Traficant aka Jimbo, was a star college quarterback who could’ve played in the NFL, but instead somehow became the Sheriff of the Mahoning Valley. This man lived quite the life– he was indicted for racketeering, caught in a bribery scheme involving the Pittsburgh and Cleveland mob, and later caught in a civil case against the IRS for - you guessed it - not paying his taxes. Against all odds, he went on to become a Congressman. Nevertheless, he persisted!!
We’re traveling all the way to Youngstown, Ohio this week to bring you all the hot goss on Fraudster, Jim Traficant. But context is everything, so before we get to the complicated Ohio Congressman, Seena goes over some history and how the rust belt got RUSTY, with the help of our guest, Senator Bob Hagan. Jim Traficant aka Jimbo, was a star college quarterback who could’ve played in the NFL, but instead somehow became the Sheriff of the Mahoning Valley. This man lived quite the life– he was indicted for racketeering, caught in a bribery scheme involving the Pittsburgh and Cleveland mob, and later caught in a civil case against the IRS for - you guessed it - not paying his taxes. Against all odds, he went on to become a Congressman. Nevertheless, he persisted!!
Follow The Show: 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/fraudstersLPN
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fraudsterslpn/
Discord: https://discord.gg/WRZ8zgusPT
Website: https://fraudsters.fm/

Follow the Hosts: https://twitter.com/seenanow
https://www.instagram.com/justin_williams_comedy
https://twitter.com/arielleaty 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQwl8sDTVEAxhwJdYgm-yrgIntro 
Music Credit and Sound Fx:https://twitter.com/gograntgordon
Season Cover Art by:https://comedyartwork.com/

Video links:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPI8nwPQRVU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WplyOgCeyEg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gukT_aKSXWM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivGFfw3gqGg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEAB9yXrkH8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNip2ZamrMc&t=1s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZD9RtNEOok
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8IHjEMdUiM
https://www.c-span.org/video/?c5074571/user-clip-nixon-trade-china
 

Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of Fraudsters ad-free.
Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We are back with the last installment of our series on the Fugees to talk about the other guy… Pras Michel. As we learned in our last episode, dealing with money was Pras’s “niche” and it all makes sense now! We untangle the web of Pras’s finance fraud in this episode walking through his relationship with billionaire, Jho Low, the 1MDB scandal (a massive embezzlement scheme that toppled the Malaysian government- no big deal!!), and his latest convictions: money laundering, illegal lobbying, witness tampering, and campaign finance violations. We also have special guest and comedian, Gastor Almonte on to roast Pras and talk Fugees fraud. Buckle up and get ready to LOL!

We are back with the last installment of our series on the Fugees to talk about the other guy… Pras Michel. As we learned in our last episode, dealing with money was Pras’s “niche” and it all makes sense now! We untangle the web of Pras’s finance fraud in this episode walking through his relationship with billionaire, Jho Low, the 1MDB scandal (a massive embezzlement scheme that toppled the Malaysian government- no big deal!!), and his latest convictions: money laundering, illegal lobbying, witness tampering, and campaign finance violations. We also have special guest and comedian, Gastor Almonte on to roast Pras and talk Fugees fraud. Buckle up and get ready to LOL!
Follow The Show: 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/fraudstersLPN
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fraudsterslpn/
Discord: https://discord.gg/WRZ8zgusPT
Website: https://fraudsters.fm/

Follow the Hosts: https://twitter.com/seenanow
https://www.instagram.com/justin_williams_comedy
https://twitter.com/arielleaty 

Follow Our Guest:
https://twitter.com/gastoralmonte

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQwl8sDTVEAxhwJdYgm-yrgIntro 
Music Credit and Sound Fx:https://twitter.com/gograntgordon
Season Cover Art by:https://comedyartwork.com/

YouTube Sources:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FmGNya0j8d4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jysYLcLo1AA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q08zb3_FAQg&t=16s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_n_HRhy2RRQ&t=2s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mXVgyXNeAxM&t=1456s

Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of Fraudsters ad-free.
Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill? More like the Miseducation of Lauryn Hill filing her taxes! [cough] SO the joke here is that Lauryn Hill, the only truly talented member of the Fugees, intentionally did not file taxes for FIVE years, which is bad. On the bright side, she got to go to the famous prison from Orange Is the New Black. Tax evasion isn’t all we cover in this episode, in fact, there’s so much more… Lauryn Hill wanted to do good, but sometimes life (Wyclef) just gets in the way. This episode has it all— a love triangle, a big ego getting in the way of true potential, and a few lawsuits here and there!

The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill? More like the Miseducation of Lauryn Hill filing her taxes! [cough] SO the joke here is that Lauryn Hill, the only truly talented member of the Fugees, intentionally did not file taxes for FIVE years, which is bad. On the bright side, she got to go to the famous prison from Orange Is the New Black. Tax evasion isn’t all we cover in this episode, in fact, there’s so much more… Lauryn Hill wanted to do good, but sometimes life (Wyclef) just gets in the way. This episode has it all— a love triangle, a big ego getting in the way of true potential, and a few lawsuits here and there!
Follow The Show: 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/fraudstersLPN
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fraudsterslpn/
Discord: https://discord.gg/WRZ8zgusPT
Website: https://fraudsters.fm/

Follow the Hosts: https://twitter.com/seenanow
https://www.instagram.com/justin_williams_comedy
https://twitter.com/arielleaty 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQwl8sDTVEAxhwJdYgm-yrgIntro 
Music Credit and Sound Fx:https://twitter.com/gograntgordon
Season Cover Art by:https://comedyartwork.com/

Youtube Sources:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OaEH1e_DLm0&t=180s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhRItXb5EKI&t=301s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54WECf1ioeY&t=1643s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcJ5YuIB_MY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3OvBuFkqYJg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUiJB0FgsdY&t=94s
 

Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of Fraudsters ad-free.
Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Musicians can be Fraudsters too! In this episode, we focus on Haitian-American Wyclef Jean of the Fugees and dive into his many frauds… many many… many many…. you get it. We start off with how the band came to be and the significance of their success, before the trio’s inevitable downfall. But most importantly, we talk the twists and turns of Wyclef’s Yele Foundation/scam. It’s a tale as old as time– you see your country crumbling, you create an NGO, you spend $400,000 of $1.2 million dollars on Haiti, you make empty promises to build schools, hospitals, and homes, you use $50k to fly celebrities to look at Haiti, you get caught for misusing funds, and then you run for president of the country you don’t live in. It could happen to anyone really!!!! Listen now for all the juicy details!

Musicians can be Fraudsters too! In this episode, we focus on Haitian-American Wyclef Jean of the Fugees and dive into his many frauds… many many… many many…. you get it. We start off with how the band came to be and the significance of their success, before the trio’s inevitable downfall. But most importantly, we talk the twists and turns of Wyclef’s Yele Foundation/scam. It’s a tale as old as time– you see your country crumbling, you create an NGO, you spend $400,000 of $1.2 million dollars on Haiti, you make empty promises to build schools, hospitals, and homes, you use $50k to fly celebrities to look at Haiti, you get caught for misusing funds, and then you run for president of the country you don’t live in. It could happen to anyone really!!!! Listen now for all the juicy details!


Follow The Show: 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/fraudstersLPN
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fraudsterslpn/
Discord: https://discord.gg/WRZ8zgusPT
Website: https://fraudsters.fm/

Follow the Hosts: https://twitter.com/seenanow
https://www.instagram.com/justin_williams_comedy
https://twitter.com/arielleaty 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQwl8sDTVEAxhwJdYgm-yrgIntro 
Music Credit and Sound Fx:https://twitter.com/gograntgordon
Season Cover Art by:https://comedyartwork.com/

Youtube Sources:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=inMnJmA-dr8&t=56s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5AKTs4aewUc&t=4070s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xM1OdDoSHaw&t=135s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3ta62s-jso
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTMRt8Rz42A&t=57s

Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of Fraudsters ad-free.
Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.