Derek Alldred could have been an actor. He first invented characters to fuel an addiction, putting on costumes and playing trustworthy roles that put people at ease and got him what he wanted. But as his lies left a trail of destruction, he had to invent more aliases to cover his tracks—a web that spun out of control. But the curtain dropped when a girlfriend found his iPad—and his real name. Then military investigators got involved, bringing charges of stolen valor. Alldred received an astounding 24-year sentence in federal prison. He tells the story of his shifting identity.

Join Mariana deeper into the underground, and don’t miss the TV series Trafficked with Mariana van Zeller Wednesday on National Geographic and streaming on Hulu.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices