Queen of the Con

Sergeant Jordan Mirakian was set up by a fellow officer and drummed out of the police force. And it plunged him into the world of loss prevention and forever changed the trajectory of his life.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A veteran loss prevention officer goes rogue and reveals the truly dark side of policing professional shoplifters.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Johnathan goes undercover to investigate Michelle Mack's mansion. But police send Jonathan and his buddy Evan running for their freedom.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The criminal case against Michelle Mack is released to the public. And the contents of her cell phone could end up putting her away for a very long time.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Michelle Mack hosts weddings at both her sprawling mansions for rock bottom prices. But one bride is still paying for it, all in ways she could have never imagined.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Professional shoplifter 'Susan' can make as much as $1K a day driving from store to store stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars in merchandise for the Michelle Mack's of the world. But could Susan actually be a victim of human trafficking?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Johnathan embarks on his own quest to hire a professional shoplifter and gets a foothold into a secret world costing retailers $120 billion a year.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In a dramatic early morning raid on Michelle Mack's Tuscan style mansion, this mother of three gets taken into custody in front of all her neighbors. And what investigators find hiding in her four car garage forever seals her fate.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From her sprawling Southern California mansion, Michelle Mack sends her team of 12 women - who authorities call 'The California Girls' - all over the country to steal tons of merchandise that she then sells on Amazon for millions of dollars. Though by day she hides her criminal lifestyle in plain sight, renting out her lavish hilltop mansion as a wedding venue. But this Queen of the Con's days are numbered and Johnathan Walton is there to see it all come crashing down around her. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A series of crazy lawsuits and appeals filed by Peggy's son Elkin against Peggy's ex-husband for the most bizarre reasons is unearthed and analyzed.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Television producer Andrena Hale shares her personal experience with Peggy. From Peggy allegedly scamming drug dealers on the streets of New Orleans to where Peggy claims all those millions she stole from professional athletes actually went.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

While Peggy's scam for sympathy backfires spectacularly, she still crafts a clever way to walk free. It turns out Peggy Fulford is as adept at manipulating the criminal justice system as she is at tricking her victims out of millions of dollars.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As soon as it appears justice is coming for Peggy, she seemingly slips away. Again. But how long can her good fortune last? This might very well be the beginning of the end for con artist Peggy Ann Fulforfd.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

NFL Running Back Ricky Williams knows Peggy for 5 years before he hires her as his financial manager. But after driving a wedge between Ricky's wife and his childhood friend, Peggy unknowingly orchestrates the beginning of her end.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

NBA Shooting Guard Rashad McCants gets sucked into Peggy's world of opulence and perceived financial opportunity. But when his debit card gets declined at the local donut shop one day, he discovers his bank account is actually bone dry. And Peggy is not returning his calls. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dennis Rodman refuses to believe he's being scammed. But when his child support payments suddenly stop for unknown reasons, Rodman's attorney puts him on the stand and tricks him into seeing the truth.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Though he's been retired from the NBA for years, Dennis Rodman still has millions of dollars coming in back in 2009 - from doing lucrative public appearances and movies & TV shows. Rodman is living in South Florida at the time, when all of a sudden an attractive blonde he meets on trendy South Beach convinces him to let her handle his finances. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Professional athletes have a limited window where they can rake in millions of dollars. And they are constantly surrounded by an impenetrable wall of agents, lawyers and managers - all tasked with keeping them safe and earning big. But con artist Peggy Fulford figures out an unlikely way to slip through that protective wall. And she convinces the likes of NBA star Dennis Rodman and NFL star Ricky Williams to give her control of their finances. They thought she was making savvy investments for them to create generational wealth. But in reality, she was robbing them blind... And the only thing she ever really created were unbelievable stories to explain everything away.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Right now, Jen Shah is reinventing herself in prison and making plans for a bright future. Veteran Housewives producer Carlos King and Bravo guru Kate Casey talk about the strange times we’re living in, where True Crime and Reality Television are blurring into one. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jen Shah and Dropout Elizabeth Holmes wind up in the same Federal prison in Bryan, Texas. And while both women appear to be guilty of the same types of crimes are they actually the same kind of criminal? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The contents of Jen Shah’s many cell phones go public and completely contradict every single statement she ever made about her case, about her business and about her life. Suddenly the walls start closing in and Jen Shah is left with only one choice.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jen Shah pulls out all the stops to convince a judge to let her go. She claims she was never read her Miranda rights properly. She says a Hulu documentary destroyed her chances of a fair trial. She says she never did anything wrong anyways and that her unscrupulous business partners are the ones to blame for the multi-million dollar scams. But will a seasoned federal judge buy anything Jen Shah is selling?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An internet savvy 38 year old woman gets tricked out of $30,000 by Jen Shah’s flimflam machine through a fantastical series of elaborate stories and lures - playing hard on the woman’s deep seated desires and dreams.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When Jen Shah drops out of college, she starts working in the telemarketing industry. And it's not long until she aligns herself with a clutch of unsavory companies that start racking up thousands of complaints from customers who claim they were scammed, setting the stage for an all new complex framework of cons down the road.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jen Shah grew up as an outcast in Provo, Utah. Being of Hawaiian and Tongan descent, her darker skin and exotic features made her a target for ridicule. But a former classmate comes forward to explain the spectacular metamorphosis she witnessed, as Jen Shah went from social pariah to the most popular girl in high school. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jen Shah’s personal designer paints a disturbing picture of the abuse he suffered working for the Real Housewife. He lived in her home. And witnessed things he now realizes were all signs of an elaborate con. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bravo’s Real Housewives of Salt Lake City star Jen Shah appears to have it all. Beauty. Money. Power. Fame. But appearances are deceiving because this outspoken reality star is actually a professional con artist - amassing millions of dollars over the years by swindling thousands of victims across the country. Her scams are as sophisticated as they are cruel. And she cleverly and successfully manages to distance herself from her crimes - for years. Hear from her childhood friends, her former neighbor, her employees, her victims and from the federal agent responsible for ultimately figuring her out and toppling her house of cards. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A wealthy heiress and childhood friend of Danielle Miller reveals shocking scams Danielle pulled on her when they were just young girls. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Danielle Miller throws herself at the mercy of the court, with an impassioned plea that goes horribly wrong. And she ends up paying dearly for her overconfident miscalculation. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hundreds of messages from Danielle’s confiscated cell phone are read aloud in court proceedings and the judge is not happy with what he hears. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A former roommate of Danielle’s from her Los Angeles days reveals she was a victim of this scammer’s creative bait-and-switch con which caused her to get tossed out of an apartment she thought she had been paying rent for. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Danielle throws Sarasota authorities a curveball - but will it turn out the way she plans? Then suddenly, mother nature steps in and offers her a lifeline, and she takes it... all the way back to New York City.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fresh out of Rikers Island, Danielle heads south with her new partner in crime to Florida and pulls her most ambitious con yet - impersonating people in the flesh and driving all over town withdrawing money from their bank accounts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Danielle takes advantage of a wealthy childhood friend suffering from a devastating heroin addiction. She’s later thrown in jail at Rikers island where she makes friends with a notorious con artist about to land her own Netflix series.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Danielle Miller tricks a guy she’s in love with into going into business with her. And then tries to con him into marriage. When he doesn’t take the bait, she secretly assumes his identity and creates massive chaos and confusion. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Federal agents arrest Danielle Miller at her luxury apartment in Miami, where she’s recovering from Brazilian Butt Lift Surgery. She’s accused of trying to scam a million dollars from the Federal Government using a sophisticated system of lies, impersonations and unparalleled braggadocio. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Danielle’s embarrassing childhood mistake has profound repercussions on the rest of her life. Some say it’s what turned her into a con artist. She goes on to scam a Manhattan medical spa out of thousands of dollars while convincingly pleading to anyone who will listen, “That was not me.”See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Danielle Miller lived a privileged ‘Gossip Girl’ lifestyle growing up in Manhattan and attending a fancy private school. Her mom was a Rockette; her dad was president of the New York Bar Association. But a cruel twist of fate and vengeance drastically and irrevocably altered her childhood, leading her to a life of scamming. Starting with her “Rod Stewart” con at the age of 16… she’s now got a rap sheet longer than a CVS receipt and is awaiting federal trial for trying to scam nearly a million dollars from Uncle Sam.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Where are Lizzie Mulder’s victims today? What was this con artist like as a child? And how the heck does that voice changing software work, anyway? Answers to all of these questions - and much, much more will be revealed in this final conclusion episode of Queen of the Con: The OC Savior.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Queen of the Con host Johathan Walton has uncovered new evidence that proves... while Lizzie Mulder was pleading guilty to scamming more than a dozen people in Orange County out of $1.5 million, she was also scamming a federal judge and two federal prosecutors. They just had no idea. But now that they know - will Lizzie Mulder face any consequences? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Once Detective Jordan Mirakian gets the IRS and FBI involved with the Lizzie Mulder case, a federal courtroom becomes ground zero for the con artist’s auspicious reckoning. In never before heard audio recordings of the gripping proceedings, victims come out of the woodwork to tell a federal judge just how irreparably damaged they are as a result of Lizzie’s many scams. But will the judge believe them? Or will he believe Lizzie Mulder, who has already proven herself to be one of the most convincing liars?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Con artist Lizzie Mulder tries her darndest to spin her elaborate scams as innocent misunderstandings, but Detective Jordan Mirakian soon catches her in documented lie after lie. Especially about one victim she scams named Joe Love. While the criminal case against Lizzie Mulder gets stronger and stronger, the detective’s higher-ups and the Orange County DA’s office order him to close the case—and let Lizzie Mulder walk away scot-free. But what Detective Mirakian does next... no one sees coming. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In a shocking turn of events, Lizzie Mulder’s own husband, Jesse, shows up unannounced to the Laguna Beach police department and confesses to detective Jordan Mirakian that his wife is stealing millions of dollars from her clients. And then suddenly, con artist Lizzie Mulder uses the element of surprise to her advantage and ambushes detective Mirakian at a local park; telling him she wants to talk about her case. The detective convinces her to come down to the police station to talk and then records their entire conversation. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

While Lizzie Mulder is scamming the salon, the print shop, and the winery, her biggest victim yet is unknowingly waiting in the wings. Jen Rodriguez is a co-worker of Lizzie’s at a successful website that sells luxury travel experiences to a high-end clientele. Lizzie uses every dirty trick in her arsenal of cons and causes the company to lose millions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Is con artist Lizzie Mulder working alone? A trusted business owner known as "The Dog Trainer" gives Lizzie a glowing recommendation to print shop owner and victim Mike Cochran. So Mike hires her to do the books for his business. He also introduces Lizzie to his parents who need tax help. Then tragedy strikes. Mike’s ailing father takes a turn for the worse and gets admitted into hospice care. And con artist Lizzie Mulder… takes full advantage.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When Jay Avery needs to take a break from his new wine business to go to rehab, Lizzie Mulder is there for him like family. And when she takes the reins of his winery, business is booming and Jay gets an attractive offer from a Chinese investor who wants to pump millions into his company. The only problem is that every time they set up a meeting, the investor inexplicably cancels at the last minute. When Jay and his wife Marla finally learn what Lizzie’s really been up to, they go straight to the police. But will anyone believe them? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When Lizzie’s husband Jesse calls up salon owners Lauren and Geneva to tell them that his wife has been stealing from them, that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Suddenly, Laguna Beach PD’s fraud detective Jordan Mirakian is fielding calls from a number of victims. He learns that Lizzie used an elaborate system of phony emails, invoices, bank accounts, and even voice-disguising technology to con her victims out of hundreds of thousands. But it’s how she gets inside the life and finances of a winery owner that hits a diabolical new low. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After going public for putting "The Irish Heiress" con artist Mair Smyth behind bars, Queen of the Con host Johnathan Walton gets deluged by requests from hundreds of victims of other con artists asking for help bringing their scammers to justice. One of the most fascinating cases to come across Johnathan’s desk takes place in Orange County, California. Lizzie Mulder is no Real Housewife—she’s a dazzling CPA with an impressive pedigree and roster of high-end clientele. But things are not what they appear to be, as one of her victims learns the hard way. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lizzie Mulder appears to be a wealthy Orange County CPA, swooping in like an angel to help small business owners manage their companies. After this clever con artist’s scams push her clients to the brink, Lizzie ends up in the crosshairs of an enterprising Laguna Beach detective and the FBI. But even that heat can’t prevent Lizzie from pulling her most brazen con yet. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this bonus episode, Johnathan reviews the case of Mair Smyth with Tori Telfer, author of the award-winning book Confident Women: Swindlers, Grifters, and Shapeshifters of the Feminine Persuasion. They talk about the profile of the female con artist, what Telfer has learned from her research on famous con women, why these smart criminals make some of the dumbest mistakes, and how listeners can avoid falling prey to cons. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this bonus episode, Johnathan catches up with Buddha Noah, a Los Angeles spiritual advisor who saw the future months before Mair was charged, arrested, and convicted—and implored Johnathan not to give up just when he was about to throw in the towel. The two talk about the dark energy Buddha Noah saw in Mair Smyth, how he knew Johnathan would ultimately see justice served, and what he thinks karma has in store for this Queen of the Con. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mair Smyth goes on trial for scamming reality TV producer Johnathan Walton out of almost $100,000. But her latest con could prevent Walton from being allowed in the courtroom to testify against her. Victims come out of the woodwork to tell the court how she scammed them. Even her own daughter, Chelsea, shows up and tells the judge Mair is a pathological liar. But Mair's attorney casts doubt on everyone's story, threatening to thwart the justice her victims have sought for so long. As the trial reaches a fever pitch, who will the jury believe? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After doggedly pursuing law enforcement for years, Johnathan finally gets some relief. Mair Smyth is arrested in Los Angeles, but keeps herself busy awaiting trial. She uses a phony mental illness claim and a pair of crutches to trick a judge into going easy on her. But the folks she’s conned band together and are committed to fighting back. As Johnathan and his fellow victims put it all on the line to see her brought to justice, Mair’s next brazen scam could let her walk away scot-free. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Johnathan discovers that Mair Smyth’s cons have gone international, and police from Northern Ireland are hot on her trail. Mair's daughter Chelsea speaks out for the first time about her experience being raised by a con artist and getting roped into helping her scam $500,000 from dozens of victims in Northern Ireland. Chelsea reveals not only that Mair was an unfit mother, but offers a stunning psychological portrait of a woman who uses and exploits family members without a shred of remorse. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mair Smyth spectacularly scams a Los Angeles politician out of tens of thousands by impersonating his former mistress and making threats of taking their relationship public right before an election. Johnathan also learns that Mair’s been in the blackmail business for a while, conning men she meets on a “Sugar Daddy” dating site. As he uncovers each new head-spinning con, Johnathan wonders just how far down this rabbit hole goes. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Johnathan’s blog not only draws out more victims, it also stops one major crime before it happens. Mair comes very close to scamming a Newport Beach engineer into adding her name to the deeds of his two multi-million dollar homes—so that she can own half of them. But when the engineer’s ex-wife, herself a victim of Mair’s evil lies, finds Johnathan’s blog, the truth puts the kibosh on the con queen's plan just in the nick of time. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Johnathan discovers that his good will helping his best friend was actually a long con: Mair scammed him out of nearly $100,000. But his story is only the beginning of what’s shaping up to be a laundry list of cons, including credit card fraud, blackmail, and much more. When police refuse to take his case seriously, Jonathan takes to the internet, writing blog posts warning any future victims, including one in particular: a wealthy SoCal software engineer Mair is dating who has no idea what she has in store for him. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Johnathan gets a panicked call from Mair...in jail. Her powerful Irish family set her up to make it look like she stole hundreds of thousands from her employer, all so they can torpedo her chances of getting her $25 million inheritance. Johnathan spends $70,000 trying to help Mair clear her name and help her get what’s rightfully hers. But one day he discovers "Mair Smyth" is not even her real name. And that's only the tip of the iceberg that forces Johnathan to question everything he thinks he knows about Mair Smyth. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When reality TV producer Johnathan Walton and his neighbors lose access to their resort-style swimming pool in their Downtown Los Angeles high-rise, they band together to push back against their landlord. At one of their protest parties, Johnathan meets Mair Smyth, a wealthy Irish heiress with a storied past who is battling some serious demons from her family back in Ireland. She dazzles the crowd, dropping in like an angel ready to solve everyone’s problems with the pool and beyond. But is Mair really the sweet savior she appears to be? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After four years, you think you know someone. But what if you woke up one day to discover that your best friend is an international con artist – and that she’s scammed you out of your life savings? That’s what happened to Johnathan Walton, and he’s been out to set the record straight and protect future victims of his one-time best friend, Marianne Smyth.    Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.