https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-imposter-trap--7191752
Each episode dissects real impostors and the patterns behind their lies, mixing forensic storytelling with clear lessons you can use to spot deception. Expect concise case breakdowns, behavioral clues, red flags in resumes and social media, and conversations about why smart people fall for confidence dressed as competence. This is not true crime melodrama — it's an evidence-forward look at how imposture works and how to protect yourself from it.

New episodes drop every day: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday at 9:00 AM. Episodes are short, focused and actionable so you can listen on the commute, before a meeting, or when you want a quick dose of skeptical thinking.

For listeners who worry about being fooled, who hire or date online, or who want to recognize manipulation before it costs them time or money, The Imposter Trap gives the tools and vocabulary to see through a confident act.

Subscribe now and train your instincts — new insights arrive daily at 9:00 AM.

keywords SEO: impostor, fraud, deception, red flags, social engineering]]>enTrue Crime© 2026 OBOMEDIA Creatorshttps://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/7e3a7c018a1d7cbaa0cc714f6325347d.jpghttps://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-imposter-trap--7191752Fri, 11 Sep 2026 13:02:23 +0000Creator at ObomediaCreator at Obomediacreators@obomedia.comHow convincing could you be if no one checked the script? The Imposter Trap pulls back the curtain on frauds, fabricators and the psychology that lets them succeed. Each episode dissects real impostors and the patterns behind their lies, mixing...
Each episode dissects real impostors and the patterns behind their lies, mixing forensic storytelling with clear lessons you can use to spot deception. Expect concise case breakdowns, behavioral clues, red flags in resumes and social media, and conversations about why smart people fall for confidence dressed as competence. This is not true crime melodrama — it's an evidence-forward look at how imposture works and how to protect yourself from it.

New episodes drop every day: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday at 9:00 AM. Episodes are short, focused and actionable so you can listen on the commute, before a meeting, or when you want a quick dose of skeptical thinking.

For listeners who worry about being fooled, who hire or date online, or who want to recognize manipulation before it costs them time or money, The Imposter Trap gives the tools and vocabulary to see through a confident act.

Subscribe now and train your instincts — new insights arrive daily at 9:00 AM.

keywords SEO: impostor, fraud, deception, red flags, social engineering]]>falsee9555d1e-960b-54e6-a695-b4ca9493db6depisodichttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/three-brides-one-lie-how-a-quiet-conman-built-three-fake-futures--73057514
A meter reader found three sealed envelopes tucked beneath a gas meter on June 4, 2019 - inside each was a marriage license application with the same groom, Eric York, filed in three different counties. How did a man who rented one unit, worked at a clinic with forged credentials, and managed three separate romantic lives simultaneously get five days from leaving the state before being exposed?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from York’s arrival in Hensley Township in autumn 2017 to the discovery on June 4, 2019, detailing his roles with Debra Cho, Monica Halstead, and Angela Rusk and the professional cover he used at a Ridgemont clinic; could small institutional hesitations and a single unremarkable pharmacist’s note be the reason the deception lasted so long?

Person: Eric York
Date: June 4, 2019
Location: 114 Caldwell Street, Hensley Township
Case: Three marriage license applications with same groom
Occupation (claimed): Hospitalist physician / consultant

- Kimberly Wilson, a meter reader, found the three sealed envelopes at 8:40 AM on June 4, 2019.
- Debra Cho had been with York for roughly 14 months and believed him to be a hospitalist physician.
- Monica Halstead had an eight-month private engagement with York while teaching in Pryor Falls, about 40 miles northeast of Hensley Township.
- Angela Rusk, a 29-year-old loan officer in Sutter Bridge (~60 miles southeast), knew York as transitioning to consulting.
- York paid three months’ rent in advance for the upper unit at 114 Caldwell Street and was hired at a Ridgemont clinic within about six weeks of arriving.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73057514Sat, 12 Sep 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaThree Brides, One Lie: How a Quiet Conman Built Three Fake Futures A meter reader found three sealed envelopes tucked beneath a gas meter on June 4, 2019 - inside each was a marriage license application with the same groom, Eric York, filed in...
A meter reader found three sealed envelopes tucked beneath a gas meter on June 4, 2019 - inside each was a marriage license application with the same groom, Eric York, filed in three different counties. How did a man who rented one unit, worked at a clinic with forged credentials, and managed three separate romantic lives simultaneously get five days from leaving the state before being exposed?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from York’s arrival in Hensley Township in autumn 2017 to the discovery on June 4, 2019, detailing his roles with Debra Cho, Monica Halstead, and Angela Rusk and the professional cover he used at a Ridgemont clinic; could small institutional hesitations and a single unremarkable pharmacist’s note be the reason the deception lasted so long?

Person: Eric York
Date: June 4, 2019
Location: 114 Caldwell Street, Hensley Township
Case: Three marriage license applications with same groom
Occupation (claimed): Hospitalist physician / consultant

- Kimberly Wilson, a meter reader, found the three sealed envelopes at 8:40 AM on June 4, 2019.
- Debra Cho had been with York for roughly 14 months and believed him to be a hospitalist physician.
- Monica Halstead had an eight-month private engagement with York while teaching in Pryor Falls, about 40 miles northeast of Hensley Township.
- Angela Rusk, a 29-year-old loan officer in Sutter Bridge (~60 miles southeast), knew York as transitioning to consulting.
- York paid three months’ rent in advance for the upper unit at 114 Caldwell Street and was hired at a Ridgemont clinic within about six weeks of arriving.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1148falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-orchid-the-fake-degree-and-the-woman-who-built-a-lie--73057513
The scent of a freshly watered Phalaenopsis in an empty office hints at a live secret: a woman who vanished after eleven years of building a professional life with forged transcripts and a single recommendation letter. How did a badge, a fake degree, and one nurtured orchid hide a decade of deception - and what finally made the structure topple?

In this episode, we tell the story recorded in the files and memories: how Erin Paulette Decker assembled a career at Hargrove Systems under the name Erin PauletteBrien, what roles she took on, and the moment investigators pieced together the gaps that mattered. How did a retired mail carrier’s inventory check begin an investigation that revealed fraud and unexpected consequences?

Person: Erin Paulette Decker
Also known as: Erin PauletteBrien
Date found: Second Tuesday of May 2019
Location: Hargrove Systems, Millhaven, Ohio
Education record: One semester associate program in technical drafting (1984), withdrawn

- Decker worked at Hargrove Systems for eleven years and occupied a suite on the fourth floor that had been officially vacant for eleven days.
- A white Phalaenopsis orchid on the windowsill was freshly watered despite Decker’s badge being deactivated and her name removed from the directory.
- Decker attended at least twelve regional engineering conferences between 1998 and 2007 as a non-presenting participant.
- In 2007 she met Gerald Foss and later received a letter of recommendation from him describing contributions to a 1999 pedestrian bridge feasibility study.
- Hargrove’s civil infrastructure division grew from three people when she started to twenty-two by 2016, with Decker (as PauletteBrien) running hiring and signing off on load calculations.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73057513Fri, 11 Sep 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Orchid, the Fake Degree, and the Woman Who Built a Lie The scent of a freshly watered Phalaenopsis in an empty office hints at a live secret: a woman who vanished after eleven years of building a professional life with forged transcripts and a...
The scent of a freshly watered Phalaenopsis in an empty office hints at a live secret: a woman who vanished after eleven years of building a professional life with forged transcripts and a single recommendation letter. How did a badge, a fake degree, and one nurtured orchid hide a decade of deception - and what finally made the structure topple?

In this episode, we tell the story recorded in the files and memories: how Erin Paulette Decker assembled a career at Hargrove Systems under the name Erin PauletteBrien, what roles she took on, and the moment investigators pieced together the gaps that mattered. How did a retired mail carrier’s inventory check begin an investigation that revealed fraud and unexpected consequences?

Person: Erin Paulette Decker
Also known as: Erin PauletteBrien
Date found: Second Tuesday of May 2019
Location: Hargrove Systems, Millhaven, Ohio
Education record: One semester associate program in technical drafting (1984), withdrawn

- Decker worked at Hargrove Systems for eleven years and occupied a suite on the fourth floor that had been officially vacant for eleven days.
- A white Phalaenopsis orchid on the windowsill was freshly watered despite Decker’s badge being deactivated and her name removed from the directory.
- Decker attended at least twelve regional engineering conferences between 1998 and 2007 as a non-presenting participant.
- In 2007 she met Gerald Foss and later received a letter of recommendation from him describing contributions to a 1999 pedestrian bridge feasibility study.
- Hargrove’s civil infrastructure division grew from three people when she started to twenty-two by 2016, with Decker (as PauletteBrien) running hiring and signing off on load calculations.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1206falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/she-faked-a-whole-ministry-the-linda-patterson-case--73057512
A pristine, laminated ordination certificate was found half-buried in mud on Thomas Bell Trail in April 2019 - yet the paper showed no water damage, no creases, and no bubbling around the lamination. How did a 22-year-old from Millhaven invent a seminary, fabricate reference letters signed by people who never existed, and still get hired by a real congregation for nearly three years - and why would she bury a document she apparently needed?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from a dog walker’s discovery to the courtroom, tracing the documents, websites, and printed letters that composed a false ministerial identity and asking the investigative question that drove the case: why bury a crucial certificate? Press play to hear how the evidence unraveled and what remained unanswered.

Person: Linda Andrea Patterson
Location: Belton, Ohio
Victim: Gracewood Community Church congregation
Date: 2016-2019
Case Status: Resolved - guilty plea, September 2019

- The ordination certificate was found in April 2019 on Thomas Bell Trail by Doug Ellison and showed no water damage despite being half-buried in damp mud.
- Linda Patterson created Calverton Theological Seminary’s entire website in about three weeks using a $40 template and listed courses copied from a real seminary catalog.
- The seminary had no accreditation, no IRS records, and no state registration in Virginia.
- A replacement ordination certificate was ordered from a Millhaven print shop weeks before her arrest and later found on the trail.
- At the preliminary hearing, Patterson paused for eleven seconds when asked to describe her fabricated mentor, Dr. Arthur Hensley, before saying she could not remember clearly.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73057512Thu, 10 Sep 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaShe Faked a Whole Ministry: The Linda Patterson Case A pristine, laminated ordination certificate was found half-buried in mud on Thomas Bell Trail in April 2019 - yet the paper showed no water damage, no creases, and no bubbling around the...
A pristine, laminated ordination certificate was found half-buried in mud on Thomas Bell Trail in April 2019 - yet the paper showed no water damage, no creases, and no bubbling around the lamination. How did a 22-year-old from Millhaven invent a seminary, fabricate reference letters signed by people who never existed, and still get hired by a real congregation for nearly three years - and why would she bury a document she apparently needed?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from a dog walker’s discovery to the courtroom, tracing the documents, websites, and printed letters that composed a false ministerial identity and asking the investigative question that drove the case: why bury a crucial certificate? Press play to hear how the evidence unraveled and what remained unanswered.

Person: Linda Andrea Patterson
Location: Belton, Ohio
Victim: Gracewood Community Church congregation
Date: 2016-2019
Case Status: Resolved - guilty plea, September 2019

- The ordination certificate was found in April 2019 on Thomas Bell Trail by Doug Ellison and showed no water damage despite being half-buried in damp mud.
- Linda Patterson created Calverton Theological Seminary’s entire website in about three weeks using a $40 template and listed courses copied from a real seminary catalog.
- The seminary had no accreditation, no IRS records, and no state registration in Virginia.
- A replacement ordination certificate was ordered from a Millhaven print shop weeks before her arrest and later found on the trail.
- At the preliminary hearing, Patterson paused for eleven seconds when asked to describe her fabricated mentor, Dr. Arthur Hensley, before saying she could not remember clearly.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1343falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-uniform-that-floated-upright-the-woman-who-wasn-t-a-veteran--73057510
A spotless Army Class A uniform, still in its dry paper bag, floated upright in Dry Fork Creek the last weekend of March 2014 - eleven ribbons, two unit citations, and a black-stenciled collar reading "COLLINS, G." How did a woman with no military record build a life in a tight-knit town by claiming two deployments to Afghanistan, and why did nobody demand her DD-214 until it was nearly too late?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from the uniform found on the creek bank through Gina Collins's arrival in Mableton around 2008, her volunteer work with the American Legion and the Veterans Services Advisory Council, and the small clues that eventually drew suspicion. What finally breaks the story wide open?

Date: late March 2014
Location: Dry Fork Creek, Mableton
Person: Gina Collins
Claimed Unit: Forty-First Forward Support Battalion
Verified Military Record: none

- The uniform found was an Army Class A, dark blue, hanging from a submerged branch still inside a dry paper garment bag.
- The inside collar of the uniform was stenciled "COLLINS, G."
- The uniform bore eleven service ribbons and two unit citations.
- Collins arrived in Mableton around 2008 at age thirty-one and claimed two deployments to Afghanistan in 2004 and 2007.
- A library volunteer noted the claimed unit, the Forty-First Forward Support Battalion, had been deactivated before 2004 and had not deployed to Afghanistan in Collins's claimed years.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73057510Wed, 09 Sep 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Uniform That Floated Upright: The Woman Who Wasn't a Veteran A spotless Army Class A uniform, still in its dry paper bag, floated upright in Dry Fork Creek the last weekend of March 2014 - eleven ribbons, two unit citations, and a...
A spotless Army Class A uniform, still in its dry paper bag, floated upright in Dry Fork Creek the last weekend of March 2014 - eleven ribbons, two unit citations, and a black-stenciled collar reading "COLLINS, G." How did a woman with no military record build a life in a tight-knit town by claiming two deployments to Afghanistan, and why did nobody demand her DD-214 until it was nearly too late?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from the uniform found on the creek bank through Gina Collins's arrival in Mableton around 2008, her volunteer work with the American Legion and the Veterans Services Advisory Council, and the small clues that eventually drew suspicion. What finally breaks the story wide open?

Date: late March 2014
Location: Dry Fork Creek, Mableton
Person: Gina Collins
Claimed Unit: Forty-First Forward Support Battalion
Verified Military Record: none

- The uniform found was an Army Class A, dark blue, hanging from a submerged branch still inside a dry paper garment bag.
- The inside collar of the uniform was stenciled "COLLINS, G."
- The uniform bore eleven service ribbons and two unit citations.
- Collins arrived in Mableton around 2008 at age thirty-one and claimed two deployments to Afghanistan in 2004 and 2007.
- A library volunteer noted the claimed unit, the Forty-First Forward Support Battalion, had been deactivated before 2004 and had not deployed to Afghanistan in Collins's claimed years.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1174falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-tuesday-volunteer-who-stole-a-town-s-112-000-trust--73057508
A small town trusted a woman who showed up every Tuesday morning for eleven months - and yet the leather folio buried in snow contained handwritten balance statements, wire confirmations, and a notarized letter claiming a $14,000,000 capital fund that were all fabricated. How did someone so present and trusted assemble an entirely invented financial life, and what did the town lose with that trust?

In this episode, we tell the story of Sandra Meyer’s arrival in Dellwood, her steady Tuesday volunteer shifts at the food bank, the friendships that rooted her in the community, and the discovery that exposed the $112,000 trust theft - a story that asks whether consistent kindness can hide long-term deception.

Person: Sandra Meyer
Location: Dellwood, Wisconsin
Date: February 11, 2019
Amount: $112,000
Organization: Vanterre Capital Partners

- Discovered folio date and recovery: February 11, 2019, found half-buried against a hotel foundation.
- Volunteer routine: Sandra attended food bank shifts every Tuesday at 7:45 AM for eleven months without missing a shift.
- Claimed capital fund size: handwritten statements claimed a capital fund valued at $14,000,000.
- Hotel evidence: documents were written on stationery from hotels in nine states, including Marriott Denver, Westin Atlanta, and a Hyatt in Charlotte.
- Community ties: Sandra arrived late 2017, paid hotel cash, and within eight weeks was a familiar face at the food bank and Heritage Society events.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73057508Tue, 08 Sep 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Tuesday Volunteer Who Stole a Town's $112,000 Trust A small town trusted a woman who showed up every Tuesday morning for eleven months - and yet the leather folio buried in snow contained handwritten balance statements, wire confirmations, and...
A small town trusted a woman who showed up every Tuesday morning for eleven months - and yet the leather folio buried in snow contained handwritten balance statements, wire confirmations, and a notarized letter claiming a $14,000,000 capital fund that were all fabricated. How did someone so present and trusted assemble an entirely invented financial life, and what did the town lose with that trust?

In this episode, we tell the story of Sandra Meyer’s arrival in Dellwood, her steady Tuesday volunteer shifts at the food bank, the friendships that rooted her in the community, and the discovery that exposed the $112,000 trust theft - a story that asks whether consistent kindness can hide long-term deception.

Person: Sandra Meyer
Location: Dellwood, Wisconsin
Date: February 11, 2019
Amount: $112,000
Organization: Vanterre Capital Partners

- Discovered folio date and recovery: February 11, 2019, found half-buried against a hotel foundation.
- Volunteer routine: Sandra attended food bank shifts every Tuesday at 7:45 AM for eleven months without missing a shift.
- Claimed capital fund size: handwritten statements claimed a capital fund valued at $14,000,000.
- Hotel evidence: documents were written on stationery from hotels in nine states, including Marriott Denver, Westin Atlanta, and a Hyatt in Charlotte.
- Community ties: Sandra arrived late 2017, paid hotel cash, and within eight weeks was a familiar face at the food bank and Heritage Society events.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1340falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/she-wasn-t-a-doctor-the-lauren-zimmerman-case--73057507
Cold trust can feel like safety until it isn't: a 26-year-old posed as Dr. Lauren Zimmerman, used a Vanderbilt diploma dated May 2008, and wrote 112 controlled-prescription scripts while the town's only clinic depended on her - so how did no one spot the math or the missing credentials until it was too late?

In this episode, you will hear how a small Tennessee clinic hired a woman whose paperwork matched real licenses and registrations in fragments, how patients praised diagnoses that sometimes saved lives, and how colleagues noticed oddities yet stayed silent - what does that choice cost a community and its patients?

Person: Lauren Zimmerman
Location: Duvall, Tennessee
Age: 26
Event: Hired as clinic physician in March 2016
Controlled prescriptions: 112

- Envelope with Vanderbilt return address and "Dr. Lauren Zimmerman" was found wedged between a door frame and dryer vent.
- Framed Vanderbilt University diploma in her files was dated May 2008 while she was actually 26 years old.
- Tennessee medical license on file matched "Laura Zimmer," a license surrendered in 2014 after relocation to Canada.
- DEA registration number used by Lauren belonged to a Louisville physician whose registration had been suspended the previous year.
- The clinic's founding physician retired in autumn 2015 and the clinic hired Lauren in March 2016 after months without applicants.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73057507Mon, 07 Sep 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaShe Wasn't a Doctor: The Lauren Zimmerman Case Cold trust can feel like safety until it isn't: a 26-year-old posed as Dr. Lauren Zimmerman, used a Vanderbilt diploma dated May 2008, and wrote 112 controlled-prescription scripts while the town's...
Cold trust can feel like safety until it isn't: a 26-year-old posed as Dr. Lauren Zimmerman, used a Vanderbilt diploma dated May 2008, and wrote 112 controlled-prescription scripts while the town's only clinic depended on her - so how did no one spot the math or the missing credentials until it was too late?

In this episode, you will hear how a small Tennessee clinic hired a woman whose paperwork matched real licenses and registrations in fragments, how patients praised diagnoses that sometimes saved lives, and how colleagues noticed oddities yet stayed silent - what does that choice cost a community and its patients?

Person: Lauren Zimmerman
Location: Duvall, Tennessee
Age: 26
Event: Hired as clinic physician in March 2016
Controlled prescriptions: 112

- Envelope with Vanderbilt return address and "Dr. Lauren Zimmerman" was found wedged between a door frame and dryer vent.
- Framed Vanderbilt University diploma in her files was dated May 2008 while she was actually 26 years old.
- Tennessee medical license on file matched "Laura Zimmer," a license surrendered in 2014 after relocation to Canada.
- DEA registration number used by Lauren belonged to a Louisville physician whose registration had been suspended the previous year.
- The clinic's founding physician retired in autumn 2015 and the clinic hired Lauren in March 2016 after months without applicants.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1175falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-chaplain-who-never-existed-portfolios-lies-and-quiet-betrayal--73057506
A leather portfolio left in a garden at 6:45 a.m. on December 14, 2019 contained ordination papers and continuing education records that looked real but pointed to organizations with no existence; how does a professional identity get manufactured and then sustain itself for years inside a hospice? Who benefits from that silence, and what breaks the trust when the truth surfaces?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of events that led from a planter discovery to a three-week investigation and the unresolved legal question in Ohio, mapping how forged credentials entered and persisted in an institutional record - and asking whether paperwork or presence defines professional legitimacy.

Person: Marcia Ann Ann
Date: December 14, 2019
Location: Cresthollow garden
Position: Primary chaplain at Cresthollow Hospice Care
Salary: $41,000 per year

- Portfolio discovered at 6:45 a.m. contained ordination certificate, continuing education records, and a laminated corner lifting.
- Marcia Ann hired in March 2016 after submitting a fabricated credential packet produced over roughly six weeks using design software and a secondhand color laser printer.
- Two reference letters submitted with her application came from colleagues Patricia Helm and Terry Nguyen who had observed her hospice work.
- Four years (2016-2019) of annual continuing education certificates were filed by compliance officer Robert Egan, two of which named accrediting bodies that do not exist in any registry.
- Prior work history includes roughly five years as a home health aide coordinator in the mid-2000s and volunteering at St. Agatha's bereavement program beginning in 2013.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73057506Sun, 06 Sep 2026 13:00:03 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Chaplain Who Never Existed: Portfolios, Lies, and Quiet Betrayal A leather portfolio left in a garden at 6:45 a.m. on December 14, 2019 contained ordination papers and continuing education records that looked real but pointed to organizations...
A leather portfolio left in a garden at 6:45 a.m. on December 14, 2019 contained ordination papers and continuing education records that looked real but pointed to organizations with no existence; how does a professional identity get manufactured and then sustain itself for years inside a hospice? Who benefits from that silence, and what breaks the trust when the truth surfaces?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of events that led from a planter discovery to a three-week investigation and the unresolved legal question in Ohio, mapping how forged credentials entered and persisted in an institutional record - and asking whether paperwork or presence defines professional legitimacy.

Person: Marcia Ann Ann
Date: December 14, 2019
Location: Cresthollow garden
Position: Primary chaplain at Cresthollow Hospice Care
Salary: $41,000 per year

- Portfolio discovered at 6:45 a.m. contained ordination certificate, continuing education records, and a laminated corner lifting.
- Marcia Ann hired in March 2016 after submitting a fabricated credential packet produced over roughly six weeks using design software and a secondhand color laser printer.
- Two reference letters submitted with her application came from colleagues Patricia Helm and Terry Nguyen who had observed her hospice work.
- Four years (2016-2019) of annual continuing education certificates were filed by compliance officer Robert Egan, two of which named accrediting bodies that do not exist in any registry.
- Prior work history includes roughly five years as a home health aide coordinator in the mid-2000s and volunteering at St. Agatha's bereavement program beginning in 2013.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1116falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/she-sold-fire-the-forger-who-burned-a-man-alive--73057504
The idea that a trusted fire investigator could be a calculated arsonist is terrifying: a forged transcript, seven years of fabricated credentials, and one subcontractor dead in a warehouse blaze. How did a folder found on wet asphalt and a neat embossed seal hide a trail of fraud and a murder charge that only investigators would eventually piece together?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of events from a newspaperboy finding a soaked folder to the arrival of a forty-three page fire report that names the investigator at the center of the case. You'll hear how small-town reputations, forged documents, and technical jargon let a false expert operate for years - and what finally unraveled her story.

Person: Cynthia Moore
Event: Greer warehouse fire
Date: October 2011
Location: Hartwell / Larkin Park
Case: Seven years of arson and credential fraud

- A fourteen-year-old boy named Philip Marshall found a folder on wet asphalt around 2:00 AM on November 4, 2011.
- The folder contained fourteen fire investigation reports, each bearing an embossed professional seal and one with handwriting across a photograph.
- Cynthia Moore forged a transcript from Dunbar Community College using access to college document templates from property management work.
- Moore scored in the 83rd percentile on the Midwestern Institute of Fire Investigation entrance exam after submitting the fabricated transcript.
- The Greer warehouse fire resulted in one death (subcontractor Patrick Greer) and a forty-three page official report authored by Cynthia Moore.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73057504Sat, 05 Sep 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaShe Sold Fire - The Forger Who Burned a Man Alive The idea that a trusted fire investigator could be a calculated arsonist is terrifying: a forged transcript, seven years of fabricated credentials, and one subcontractor dead in a warehouse blaze....
The idea that a trusted fire investigator could be a calculated arsonist is terrifying: a forged transcript, seven years of fabricated credentials, and one subcontractor dead in a warehouse blaze. How did a folder found on wet asphalt and a neat embossed seal hide a trail of fraud and a murder charge that only investigators would eventually piece together?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of events from a newspaperboy finding a soaked folder to the arrival of a forty-three page fire report that names the investigator at the center of the case. You'll hear how small-town reputations, forged documents, and technical jargon let a false expert operate for years - and what finally unraveled her story.

Person: Cynthia Moore
Event: Greer warehouse fire
Date: October 2011
Location: Hartwell / Larkin Park
Case: Seven years of arson and credential fraud

- A fourteen-year-old boy named Philip Marshall found a folder on wet asphalt around 2:00 AM on November 4, 2011.
- The folder contained fourteen fire investigation reports, each bearing an embossed professional seal and one with handwriting across a photograph.
- Cynthia Moore forged a transcript from Dunbar Community College using access to college document templates from property management work.
- Moore scored in the 83rd percentile on the Midwestern Institute of Fire Investigation entrance exam after submitting the fabricated transcript.
- The Greer warehouse fire resulted in one death (subcontractor Patrick Greer) and a forty-three page official report authored by Cynthia Moore.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1344falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/she-built-a-murder-case-from-nothing-the-sandra-simmons-fraud--73057502
Belief felt like danger: a forty-thousand-person audience and more than $61,000 on Patreon were convinced a decades-old disappearance had occurred - but the case, the victim, and the detective were all fabrications. How did a former paralegal with no journalism training turn meticulous legal know-how and household props into national press attention and a devoted community that protected the lie?

In this episode, we lay out the sequence of events that created The Dellmoor Files, tracing Sandra Simmons’s path from paralegal to podcaster and showing how small contradictions and public-record checks began to unravel the story. What happens when a fiction accumulates real-world consequences, and who notices first when the light finally hits?

Person: Sandra Simmons
Event: Launch of The Dellmoor Files Season 1 in January 2016
Subscribers: 40,000
Patreon revenue: more than $61,000
Found object: banker's box with 112 printed transcripts and a USB drive containing 41 audio episodes

- On February 9, 2019, a road-grader operator found a banker's box in a ditch containing a press credential, 112 transcripts, and a USB with 41 episodes.
- The Dellmoor Files claimed a disappearance of Patty Osgood last seen October 4, 2003, but searches of 14 sheriff's departments found no record.
- Sandra worked as a paralegal for a decade, then self-published local history pamphlets for three years before starting the podcast.
- By season three the show had launched a Patreon (season two) and cultivated an active fan wiki with listeners contributing theories and archives.
- Listener Marcus Fell sent public records requests in October 2017; 13 of 14 departments reported no such case, and Deputy Al Pruitt confirmed no record.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73057502Fri, 04 Sep 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaShe Built a Murder Case From Nothing: The Sandra Simmons Fraud Belief felt like danger: a forty-thousand-person audience and more than $61,000 on Patreon were convinced a decades-old disappearance had occurred - but the case, the victim, and the...
Belief felt like danger: a forty-thousand-person audience and more than $61,000 on Patreon were convinced a decades-old disappearance had occurred - but the case, the victim, and the detective were all fabrications. How did a former paralegal with no journalism training turn meticulous legal know-how and household props into national press attention and a devoted community that protected the lie?

In this episode, we lay out the sequence of events that created The Dellmoor Files, tracing Sandra Simmons’s path from paralegal to podcaster and showing how small contradictions and public-record checks began to unravel the story. What happens when a fiction accumulates real-world consequences, and who notices first when the light finally hits?

Person: Sandra Simmons
Event: Launch of The Dellmoor Files Season 1 in January 2016
Subscribers: 40,000
Patreon revenue: more than $61,000
Found object: banker's box with 112 printed transcripts and a USB drive containing 41 audio episodes

- On February 9, 2019, a road-grader operator found a banker's box in a ditch containing a press credential, 112 transcripts, and a USB with 41 episodes.
- The Dellmoor Files claimed a disappearance of Patty Osgood last seen October 4, 2003, but searches of 14 sheriff's departments found no record.
- Sandra worked as a paralegal for a decade, then self-published local history pamphlets for three years before starting the podcast.
- By season three the show had launched a Patreon (season two) and cultivated an active fan wiki with listeners contributing theories and archives.
- Listener Marcus Fell sent public records requests in October 2017; 13 of 14 departments reported no such case, and Deputy Al Pruitt confirmed no record.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1173falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/she-built-a-career-on-fake-degrees-the-kathleen-webb-case--73057500
A basement wall of thirty-one framed credentials hid a two-decade deception in Bellard, Indiana - diplomas, licenses and board certificates all made from scratch to mimic legitimacy. How did a woman with no degree build a thriving child psychology practice that helped real children while depending entirely on fabricated documents?

In this episode, we lay out the timeline, the methods and the conflicts that define the Kathleen Webb case, from her departure from Harwick University to the discovery on Mercer Street, and we ask whether outcomes can ever excuse foundational fraud.

Person: Kathleen Webb Webb
Location: Mercer Street, Bellard, Indiana
Date: Second Tuesday of September 2019
Education: Enrolled at Harwick University in 1993; left without a degree
Practice: Webb Case and Family Psychology Services, opened circa 2001

- Thirty-one framed credentials mounted floor to ceiling on black drywall in the practice basement.
- Webb left Harwick University in 1993 and took a one-week practicum at the Olander Center in summer 1996.
- She worked as an administrative coordinator at a pediatric dental clinic from 1996 to 1998.
- Miles Ochoa testified his son began speaking in complete sentences after four months of sessions with Webb.
- Carver State University and the relevant American Board had no record of Webb holding the claimed doctorate or certifications.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73057500Thu, 03 Sep 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaShe Built a Career on Fake Degrees: The Kathleen Webb Case A basement wall of thirty-one framed credentials hid a two-decade deception in Bellard, Indiana - diplomas, licenses and board certificates all made from scratch to mimic legitimacy. How...
A basement wall of thirty-one framed credentials hid a two-decade deception in Bellard, Indiana - diplomas, licenses and board certificates all made from scratch to mimic legitimacy. How did a woman with no degree build a thriving child psychology practice that helped real children while depending entirely on fabricated documents?

In this episode, we lay out the timeline, the methods and the conflicts that define the Kathleen Webb case, from her departure from Harwick University to the discovery on Mercer Street, and we ask whether outcomes can ever excuse foundational fraud.

Person: Kathleen Webb Webb
Location: Mercer Street, Bellard, Indiana
Date: Second Tuesday of September 2019
Education: Enrolled at Harwick University in 1993; left without a degree
Practice: Webb Case and Family Psychology Services, opened circa 2001

- Thirty-one framed credentials mounted floor to ceiling on black drywall in the practice basement.
- Webb left Harwick University in 1993 and took a one-week practicum at the Olander Center in summer 1996.
- She worked as an administrative coordinator at a pediatric dental clinic from 1996 to 1998.
- Miles Ochoa testified his son began speaking in complete sentences after four months of sessions with Webb.
- Carver State University and the relevant American Board had no record of Webb holding the claimed doctorate or certifications.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1085falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-man-who-wore-a-bar-number-for-30-years-then-vanished--73057499
A man who issued over 400 binding arbitration awards across Wisconsin for three decades used a bar number that did not belong to him - and then, on August 14, 2009, thirty years of his files were left in a cardboard box on a public service road before he disappeared. What would make someone build a precise, convincing legal life without a law degree, sustain it for thirty-one years, and then abandon the evidence in the dark?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from a runner finding a box on Halverson Industrial Park service road to a city labor relations officer’s idle curiosity that triggered an official complaint, and the investigator who traced a single bar number through four hundred arbitration decisions - what did those records reveal about identity and authority?

Person: Carl Olson
Person: Dennis R. Olson
Date: August 14, 2009
Location: Halverson Industrial Park service road
Case: Over 400 arbitration decisions spanning roughly 30 years

- A runner named Christine White found a cardboard box with thirty years of legal files on August 14, 2009 at just before 6:00 a.m.
- The box contained files organized by year and rubber-banded in groups of ten, with the lid placed neatly beside it.
- Carl Olson presented a laminated ID in spring 1979 showing his photo and Dennis R. Olson’s Wisconsin bar number, which he had laminated in his car trunk.
- Gary Weaver filed a formal complaint with the Wisconsin Office of Lawyer Regulation on August 4, 2009 after finding no Carl Olson in the bar directory and tracing the bar number to Dennis R. Olson.
- Investigator Lois Crane found the bar number on over four hundred decisions and tracking records back through the 1980s, leading to Dennis R. Olson in Tempe, Arizona.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73057499Wed, 02 Sep 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Man Who Wore a Bar Number for 30 Years - Then Vanished A man who issued over 400 binding arbitration awards across Wisconsin for three decades used a bar number that did not belong to him - and then, on August 14, 2009, thirty years of his...
A man who issued over 400 binding arbitration awards across Wisconsin for three decades used a bar number that did not belong to him - and then, on August 14, 2009, thirty years of his files were left in a cardboard box on a public service road before he disappeared. What would make someone build a precise, convincing legal life without a law degree, sustain it for thirty-one years, and then abandon the evidence in the dark?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from a runner finding a box on Halverson Industrial Park service road to a city labor relations officer’s idle curiosity that triggered an official complaint, and the investigator who traced a single bar number through four hundred arbitration decisions - what did those records reveal about identity and authority?

Person: Carl Olson
Person: Dennis R. Olson
Date: August 14, 2009
Location: Halverson Industrial Park service road
Case: Over 400 arbitration decisions spanning roughly 30 years

- A runner named Christine White found a cardboard box with thirty years of legal files on August 14, 2009 at just before 6:00 a.m.
- The box contained files organized by year and rubber-banded in groups of ten, with the lid placed neatly beside it.
- Carl Olson presented a laminated ID in spring 1979 showing his photo and Dennis R. Olson’s Wisconsin bar number, which he had laminated in his car trunk.
- Gary Weaver filed a formal complaint with the Wisconsin Office of Lawyer Regulation on August 4, 2009 after finding no Carl Olson in the bar directory and tracing the bar number to Dennis R. Olson.
- Investigator Lois Crane found the bar number on over four hundred decisions and tracking records back through the 1980s, leading to Dennis R. Olson in Tempe, Arizona.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1216falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/he-loved-a-ghost-how-a-un-fake-bankrupted-a-widower--73057498
Grief made him vulnerable; a calculated scam took aim with surgical timing and emptied his life savings. A man named Paul lost just over $99,000 after responding to a profile claiming to be a United Nations observer - but who was really behind the messages, and how did one cardboard box become the last piece of the con?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events that led to Paul Jenkins liquidating four certificates of deposit and wiring hundreds of dollars across months, the role of encrypted voice messages and a plausible cover story, and the unanswered questions that remained after investigators arrived. How did the scam match CD maturity dates so precisely, and where did the money end up?

Person: Paul Jenkins
Date: January 9, 2019
Location: 4412 Sycamore Bend, Crestfield, Nebraska
Amount lost: just over $99,000
Suspect name: Victor Halsey

- Paul Jenkins was 44 years old and a cattle rancher who bowled with an average of 162.
- Karen Jenkins had laddered four certificates of deposit at Crestfield First Savings Bank totaling just under $140,000.
- Paul liquidated the first CD in July 2018 to wire $4,000 for interpreter fees and a medical procedure.
- The second wire in September 2018 was $12,000, leading to early withdrawal of the second CD.
- The third CD was broken in November 2018 for $38,000, with the fourth CD due to mature at $41,000 in January 2019.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73057498Tue, 01 Sep 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaHe Loved a Ghost: How a UN Fake Bankrupted a Widower Grief made him vulnerable; a calculated scam took aim with surgical timing and emptied his life savings. A man named Paul lost just over $99,000 after responding to a profile claiming to be a...
Grief made him vulnerable; a calculated scam took aim with surgical timing and emptied his life savings. A man named Paul lost just over $99,000 after responding to a profile claiming to be a United Nations observer - but who was really behind the messages, and how did one cardboard box become the last piece of the con?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events that led to Paul Jenkins liquidating four certificates of deposit and wiring hundreds of dollars across months, the role of encrypted voice messages and a plausible cover story, and the unanswered questions that remained after investigators arrived. How did the scam match CD maturity dates so precisely, and where did the money end up?

Person: Paul Jenkins
Date: January 9, 2019
Location: 4412 Sycamore Bend, Crestfield, Nebraska
Amount lost: just over $99,000
Suspect name: Victor Halsey

- Paul Jenkins was 44 years old and a cattle rancher who bowled with an average of 162.
- Karen Jenkins had laddered four certificates of deposit at Crestfield First Savings Bank totaling just under $140,000.
- Paul liquidated the first CD in July 2018 to wire $4,000 for interpreter fees and a medical procedure.
- The second wire in September 2018 was $12,000, leading to early withdrawal of the second CD.
- The third CD was broken in November 2018 for $38,000, with the fourth CD due to mature at $41,000 in January 2019.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1137falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-chessboard-in-the-road-how-a-stranger-stole-linda-s-life-and-money--73057497
Cold Minnesota roads, a laminated chessboard set mid-game, and a photograph tucked underneath - a puzzle piece that led from an online chess match to a real-life disappearance. Linda was 28, the photo gave a phone number, and a stranger’s stolen identity would ripple through her small town - but who arranged that precise roadside message, and why leave the game paused?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of events that began when Linda joined an online chess platform and accepted a challenge from a user named ScottGM, tracking how an image stolen from one man’s profile was used by another man with prior convictions to build a false identity and contact her; what started as a forty-two-minute game became the first thread of a months-long deception that ended with a chessboard on County Route 7.

Person: Linda Edwards
Age: 28
Date: December 9, 2019
Location: County Route 7, Harwick, Minnesota
Usernames: ScottGM (on Queenside)

- The chess game between Linda and ScottGM lasted 42 minutes and ended with a message praising specific moves.
- The photograph used by ScottGM belonged to Alan Voss, age 41, a chess instructor from Duluth.
- The man using the stolen photo identified as Scott was actually Scott Johnson, age 36, renting a duplex in Maplewood, Saint Paul.
- Linda worked as a medical billing coordinator and saved her clinic over $12,000 in one quarter by flagging a billing error.
- Harwick’s population is described as roughly 9,000 people in Crow Wing County.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73057497Mon, 31 Aug 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Chessboard in the Road: How a Stranger Stole Linda's Life and Money Cold Minnesota roads, a laminated chessboard set mid-game, and a photograph tucked underneath - a puzzle piece that led from an online chess match to a real-life disappearance....
Cold Minnesota roads, a laminated chessboard set mid-game, and a photograph tucked underneath - a puzzle piece that led from an online chess match to a real-life disappearance. Linda was 28, the photo gave a phone number, and a stranger’s stolen identity would ripple through her small town - but who arranged that precise roadside message, and why leave the game paused?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of events that began when Linda joined an online chess platform and accepted a challenge from a user named ScottGM, tracking how an image stolen from one man’s profile was used by another man with prior convictions to build a false identity and contact her; what started as a forty-two-minute game became the first thread of a months-long deception that ended with a chessboard on County Route 7.

Person: Linda Edwards
Age: 28
Date: December 9, 2019
Location: County Route 7, Harwick, Minnesota
Usernames: ScottGM (on Queenside)

- The chess game between Linda and ScottGM lasted 42 minutes and ended with a message praising specific moves.
- The photograph used by ScottGM belonged to Alan Voss, age 41, a chess instructor from Duluth.
- The man using the stolen photo identified as Scott was actually Scott Johnson, age 36, renting a duplex in Maplewood, Saint Paul.
- Linda worked as a medical billing coordinator and saved her clinic over $12,000 in one quarter by flagging a billing error.
- Harwick’s population is described as roughly 9,000 people in Crow Wing County.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1231falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/badge-in-a-storm-drain-the-volunteer-who-became-a-fake-savior--73057496
A man walking his usual Saturday route found a laminated badge in a storm drain: KATHLEEN DRAPER - REGIONAL OPERATIONS DIRECTOR - GLOBAL BRIDGE RELIEF. She spent four years operating inside a major humanitarian organization, deployed to four countries, and never took a dollar - so what was she trying to accomplish?

In this episode, we follow the chain of events set off by that badge and trace how Draper built a false identity from an estate-sale directory, a khaki vest, and a home laminator, asking whether her competence without credentials was service or deception.

Person: Kathleen Draper
Location: Dunbar, Tennessee
Date found: Second week of May 2019
Origin of materials: George Pelton estate sale, Indianapolis
Deployments: Four countries

- The badge was found face-up in the mud beneath the second pedestrian bridge on the Dunbar Greenway Extension.
- William Stevens, 62 years old, found the badge while walking his beagle Pepper on a Saturday morning.
- Kathleen Draper moved to Dunbar in 2015 and had one year of community college with no degree or formal humanitarian training.
- In 2014 Draper applied to three humanitarian aid organizations and was rejected by all three for lack of degree and field experience.
- Draper used a 2004 Global Bridge Relief internal staff directory bought for $0.50 to design her badge, printing an invented ID number in black ink though the organization used green by 2015.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73057496Sun, 30 Aug 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaBadge in a Storm Drain: The Volunteer Who Became a Fake Savior A man walking his usual Saturday route found a laminated badge in a storm drain: KATHLEEN DRAPER - REGIONAL OPERATIONS DIRECTOR - GLOBAL BRIDGE RELIEF. She spent four years operating...
A man walking his usual Saturday route found a laminated badge in a storm drain: KATHLEEN DRAPER - REGIONAL OPERATIONS DIRECTOR - GLOBAL BRIDGE RELIEF. She spent four years operating inside a major humanitarian organization, deployed to four countries, and never took a dollar - so what was she trying to accomplish?

In this episode, we follow the chain of events set off by that badge and trace how Draper built a false identity from an estate-sale directory, a khaki vest, and a home laminator, asking whether her competence without credentials was service or deception.

Person: Kathleen Draper
Location: Dunbar, Tennessee
Date found: Second week of May 2019
Origin of materials: George Pelton estate sale, Indianapolis
Deployments: Four countries

- The badge was found face-up in the mud beneath the second pedestrian bridge on the Dunbar Greenway Extension.
- William Stevens, 62 years old, found the badge while walking his beagle Pepper on a Saturday morning.
- Kathleen Draper moved to Dunbar in 2015 and had one year of community college with no degree or formal humanitarian training.
- In 2014 Draper applied to three humanitarian aid organizations and was rejected by all three for lack of degree and field experience.
- Draper used a 2004 Global Bridge Relief internal staff directory bought for $0.50 to design her badge, printing an invented ID number in black ink though the organization used green by 2015.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1089falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-tape-that-bought-broadway-how-a-0-25-cassette-built-a-lie--73057495
A single quarter bought a cassette that quietly trained one of Broadway’s most respected dialect coaches - and it sat undiscovered for 31 years in a sheriff’s office break room. The tape contains 17 distinct English accents and annotations, and it may hold the key to who Debra Johnson really was before Playbill knew her name: how did a $0.25 Maxell UR-90 and anonymous recordings become the foundation of a celebrated career?

In this episode, we follow the record as it exists: the cassette’s discovery during an April 2023 inventory, the career Debra built in New York with no formal training, and the questions the tape finally answers about her past and her credentials. What does the tape reveal about the origins of her skill, and why did she keep it in a fireproof box for three decades?

Person: Debra Linville (later Debra Johnson)
Date: April 2023
Item: Maxell UR-90 cassette labeled "ACCENT REFERENCE - COMPLETE"
Duration held: 31 years
Rate charged: $400 per hour

- The cassette contained 17 distinct English accents, each repeated three times at decreasing speed with vowel-shift annotations.
- Debra bought the tape for $0.25 at a Goodwill on Pemberton Road in Fort Wayne in spring 1992.
- Debra was born in 1961 in Paulding, Indiana, and dropped out after one semester of state school.
- She moved to New York by 2001, married sound engineer Patrick Johnson (marriage lasted 14 months), and kept his surname.
- Her Broadway credits included three productions and a Welsh mining drama that ran 14 months and won two Tony Awards.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73057495Sat, 29 Aug 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Tape That Bought Broadway: How a $0.25 Cassette Built a Lie A single quarter bought a cassette that quietly trained one of Broadway’s most respected dialect coaches - and it sat undiscovered for 31 years in a sheriff’s office break room. The...
A single quarter bought a cassette that quietly trained one of Broadway’s most respected dialect coaches - and it sat undiscovered for 31 years in a sheriff’s office break room. The tape contains 17 distinct English accents and annotations, and it may hold the key to who Debra Johnson really was before Playbill knew her name: how did a $0.25 Maxell UR-90 and anonymous recordings become the foundation of a celebrated career?

In this episode, we follow the record as it exists: the cassette’s discovery during an April 2023 inventory, the career Debra built in New York with no formal training, and the questions the tape finally answers about her past and her credentials. What does the tape reveal about the origins of her skill, and why did she keep it in a fireproof box for three decades?

Person: Debra Linville (later Debra Johnson)
Date: April 2023
Item: Maxell UR-90 cassette labeled "ACCENT REFERENCE - COMPLETE"
Duration held: 31 years
Rate charged: $400 per hour

- The cassette contained 17 distinct English accents, each repeated three times at decreasing speed with vowel-shift annotations.
- Debra bought the tape for $0.25 at a Goodwill on Pemberton Road in Fort Wayne in spring 1992.
- Debra was born in 1961 in Paulding, Indiana, and dropped out after one semester of state school.
- She moved to New York by 2001, married sound engineer Patrick Johnson (marriage lasted 14 months), and kept his surname.
- Her Broadway credits included three productions and a Welsh mining drama that ran 14 months and won two Tony Awards.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1222falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-fake-lawyer-with-a-framed-diploma-and-a-loyal-cat--73057494
A framed law diploma from a school that closed in 1981 sat in a small Indiana office for nearly a decade, while a thirteen-year-old diabetic cat named Perla set the rhythm of the practice. How did Teresa Coleman run an immigration law practice, register in the bar, and serve hundreds of Spanish-speaking clients using a credential from a non-existent school-and why did multiple checks fail to stop her?

In this episode, you’ll hear the sequence of moments that let Teresa Coleman establish Coleman Immigration Law on Alderton Road, the near-misses by a paralegal and a USCIS officer, and the image that finally set an investigation in motion: a diploma framed on a Victorian office wall. What does it mean when a community trusts someone for years despite a missing credential?

Person: Teresa Coleman
Location: Alderton Road, Dunfield, Prentiss County, Indiana
Event: Diploma from Voss-Hargrove School of Law displayed in office
Date Arrived in Dunfield: Spring of 2009
Witness Photo: Taken by Christine Doyle from her county truck at 7:42 a.m.

- Teresa Coleman arrived in Dunfield in spring 2009 and opened Coleman Immigration Law within six months.
- The diploma on her wall read Voss-Hargrove School of Law, class of 2005, despite the school having closed in 1981.
- Christine Doyle photographed the diploma from her county truck at 7:42 a.m. and sat on the image for five days before calling.
- Kevin Marsh, a paralegal, searched legal databases in March 2013 and found no record of Voss-Hargrove, then was told to stand down.
- In November 2015, USCIS field officer David Kwon flagged the law school during a naturalization interview but the flag expired without referral and the applicant was approved.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73057494Fri, 28 Aug 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Fake Lawyer with a Framed Diploma and a Loyal Cat A framed law diploma from a school that closed in 1981 sat in a small Indiana office for nearly a decade, while a thirteen-year-old diabetic cat named Perla set the rhythm of the practice. How...
A framed law diploma from a school that closed in 1981 sat in a small Indiana office for nearly a decade, while a thirteen-year-old diabetic cat named Perla set the rhythm of the practice. How did Teresa Coleman run an immigration law practice, register in the bar, and serve hundreds of Spanish-speaking clients using a credential from a non-existent school-and why did multiple checks fail to stop her?

In this episode, you’ll hear the sequence of moments that let Teresa Coleman establish Coleman Immigration Law on Alderton Road, the near-misses by a paralegal and a USCIS officer, and the image that finally set an investigation in motion: a diploma framed on a Victorian office wall. What does it mean when a community trusts someone for years despite a missing credential?

Person: Teresa Coleman
Location: Alderton Road, Dunfield, Prentiss County, Indiana
Event: Diploma from Voss-Hargrove School of Law displayed in office
Date Arrived in Dunfield: Spring of 2009
Witness Photo: Taken by Christine Doyle from her county truck at 7:42 a.m.

- Teresa Coleman arrived in Dunfield in spring 2009 and opened Coleman Immigration Law within six months.
- The diploma on her wall read Voss-Hargrove School of Law, class of 2005, despite the school having closed in 1981.
- Christine Doyle photographed the diploma from her county truck at 7:42 a.m. and sat on the image for five days before calling.
- Kevin Marsh, a paralegal, searched legal databases in March 2013 and found no record of Voss-Hargrove, then was told to stand down.
- In November 2015, USCIS field officer David Kwon flagged the law school during a naturalization interview but the flag expired without referral and the applicant was approved.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1300falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/technician-finds-fake-credentials-hidden-in-a-pipe-the-wendy-roberts-case--73057493
A rural septic inspection in February 2019 produced a laminated, watertight sleeve containing a professional credential that belonged to someone who had never legitimately earned it - and that photograph later became Exhibit Seven in a federal indictment. How did a forged CFE credential sealed inside a pipe become the linchpin in exposing nearly two decades of deception and theft?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of events from the morning Amanda Cook opened the inspection port outside Sallow Creek to the federal indictment seven months later. The episode covers Wendy M. Roberts' forged documents, her consulting work at Harwick Regional Hospital, and the internal transactions that ultimately triggered an investigation into her own activity - but how did payments she arranged evade scrutiny for years?

Person: Amanda Cook
Date: mid-February 2019
Location: rural property outside Sallow Creek
Case: federal indictment (Exhibit Seven)
Event: Harwick engagement and subsequent transfers

- The sealed laminated sleeve containing the fake credential was found in a pipe that had not been serviced in 16 years.
- The credential carried a renewal date of March 2020 and was photographed before being touched.
- Wendy M. Roberts bought a house on two acres outside Sallow Creek in 2003 for $84,000, paid outright.
- In 2007 she added a forged CFE credential and a dated reference letter from a firm that had dissolved in 2006.
- Harwick paid Wendy $68,000 for an eight-month engagement that identified $412,000 routed through a shell company.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73057493Thu, 27 Aug 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaTechnician Finds Fake Credentials Hidden in a Pipe: The Wendy Roberts Case A rural septic inspection in February 2019 produced a laminated, watertight sleeve containing a professional credential that belonged to someone who had never legitimately...
A rural septic inspection in February 2019 produced a laminated, watertight sleeve containing a professional credential that belonged to someone who had never legitimately earned it - and that photograph later became Exhibit Seven in a federal indictment. How did a forged CFE credential sealed inside a pipe become the linchpin in exposing nearly two decades of deception and theft?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of events from the morning Amanda Cook opened the inspection port outside Sallow Creek to the federal indictment seven months later. The episode covers Wendy M. Roberts' forged documents, her consulting work at Harwick Regional Hospital, and the internal transactions that ultimately triggered an investigation into her own activity - but how did payments she arranged evade scrutiny for years?

Person: Amanda Cook
Date: mid-February 2019
Location: rural property outside Sallow Creek
Case: federal indictment (Exhibit Seven)
Event: Harwick engagement and subsequent transfers

- The sealed laminated sleeve containing the fake credential was found in a pipe that had not been serviced in 16 years.
- The credential carried a renewal date of March 2020 and was photographed before being touched.
- Wendy M. Roberts bought a house on two acres outside Sallow Creek in 2003 for $84,000, paid outright.
- In 2007 she added a forged CFE credential and a dated reference letter from a firm that had dissolved in 2006.
- Harwick paid Wendy $68,000 for an eight-month engagement that identified $412,000 routed through a shell company.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1094falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/he-wore-a-volunteer-badge-he-stole-a-bereaved-man-s-trust--73057491
Grief was studied and weaponized with surgical calm: a pristine volunteer badge that had never belonged to anyone, a fake identity called Marcus Hale, and a twenty-six-year-old who lost everything after eight months of slow deception. How did a sequence of tiny, perfectly timed lies dismantle the only friendship Neil Stroud thought he had left?

In this episode, we tell the story of Neil Stroud and the online stranger who moved from forum messages to texts and then to repeated financial requests, tracing how a manufactured volunteer identity used details of loss to elicit trust, favors, and money. How did the badge, a photograph, and small personal questions open the door to betrayal?

Person: Neil Stroud
Person: Diane Stroud
Alias: Marcus Hale (mhale_vol)
Platform: Sunward Path private messages and text messages
Event: Eight-month online relationship ending in repeated financial requests

- Neil was 25 when he moved to Coulter Avenue and 26 by the time the badge was found.
- Diane Stroud’s illness lasted 11 weeks from diagnosis to death.
- Neil gave $400 in the first February transfer after moving communication to texts.
- The first message from "mhale_vol" arrived in November 2021.
- Seven additional monetary requests followed over the next four months after the initial $400.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73057491Wed, 26 Aug 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaHe Wore a Volunteer Badge - He Stole a Bereaved Man's Trust Grief was studied and weaponized with surgical calm: a pristine volunteer badge that had never belonged to anyone, a fake identity called Marcus Hale, and a twenty-six-year-old who lost...
Grief was studied and weaponized with surgical calm: a pristine volunteer badge that had never belonged to anyone, a fake identity called Marcus Hale, and a twenty-six-year-old who lost everything after eight months of slow deception. How did a sequence of tiny, perfectly timed lies dismantle the only friendship Neil Stroud thought he had left?

In this episode, we tell the story of Neil Stroud and the online stranger who moved from forum messages to texts and then to repeated financial requests, tracing how a manufactured volunteer identity used details of loss to elicit trust, favors, and money. How did the badge, a photograph, and small personal questions open the door to betrayal?

Person: Neil Stroud
Person: Diane Stroud
Alias: Marcus Hale (mhale_vol)
Platform: Sunward Path private messages and text messages
Event: Eight-month online relationship ending in repeated financial requests

- Neil was 25 when he moved to Coulter Avenue and 26 by the time the badge was found.
- Diane Stroud’s illness lasted 11 weeks from diagnosis to death.
- Neil gave $400 in the first February transfer after moving communication to texts.
- The first message from "mhale_vol" arrived in November 2021.
- Seven additional monetary requests followed over the next four months after the initial $400.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1226falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-envelope-the-anchor-and-the-41-000-that-disappeared--73057490
The dry, wax-sealed envelope with an anchor stamp turned up four feet above the Missouri River after an inch-and-a-half rain - and inside was a wire confirmation for $41,000 sent from Akron, Ohio, to Accra, Ghana. What made Dean liquidate a lifetime savings and send four carefully spaced transfers to the same bank across an ocean, and who really used the face he fell in love with?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of events that begins with Lauren Marshall finding the cream envelope and traces Dean Cole’s relationship, the online persona “Claire,” the motel guest George Walsh from Akron, and the wire records that led investigators to a pattern; how did a fabricated romance turn into repeated international transfers?

Person: Dean Cole
Location: Harwick, Missouri
Amount: $41,000
Origin: Akron, Ohio
Destination: Accra, Ghana

- Envelope found four feet above the waterline in a buttonbush thicket after an inch-and-a-half of rain
- Wire confirmation inside showed $41,000 sent from Akron, Ohio, to a bank in Accra, Ghana
- Dean Cole sent four separate wire transfers between November (Year One) and May, each larger than the last
- Motel guest George Walsh, age 44, stayed four nights in Harwick in October (Year One) and rented a house east of Akron
- Photographs used for “Claire” belonged to Diane Kepler, who noticed unusual views on her account eight months before investigators contacted her

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73057490Tue, 25 Aug 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Envelope, The Anchor, and the $41,000 That Disappeared The dry, wax-sealed envelope with an anchor stamp turned up four feet above the Missouri River after an inch-and-a-half rain - and inside was a wire confirmation for $41,000 sent from...
The dry, wax-sealed envelope with an anchor stamp turned up four feet above the Missouri River after an inch-and-a-half rain - and inside was a wire confirmation for $41,000 sent from Akron, Ohio, to Accra, Ghana. What made Dean liquidate a lifetime savings and send four carefully spaced transfers to the same bank across an ocean, and who really used the face he fell in love with?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of events that begins with Lauren Marshall finding the cream envelope and traces Dean Cole’s relationship, the online persona “Claire,” the motel guest George Walsh from Akron, and the wire records that led investigators to a pattern; how did a fabricated romance turn into repeated international transfers?

Person: Dean Cole
Location: Harwick, Missouri
Amount: $41,000
Origin: Akron, Ohio
Destination: Accra, Ghana

- Envelope found four feet above the waterline in a buttonbush thicket after an inch-and-a-half of rain
- Wire confirmation inside showed $41,000 sent from Akron, Ohio, to a bank in Accra, Ghana
- Dean Cole sent four separate wire transfers between November (Year One) and May, each larger than the last
- Motel guest George Walsh, age 44, stayed four nights in Harwick in October (Year One) and rented a house east of Akron
- Photographs used for “Claire” belonged to Diane Kepler, who noticed unusual views on her account eight months before investigators contacted her

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1078falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-laminated-lie-how-a-hidden-photo-bought-a-widow-s-property--73057489
Fear that someone has quietly rewritten the life of an ordinary widow - a laminated photograph hidden in a cedar post, nine handwritten letters, and a house valued at $260,000 all tied to a stranger’s online romance: how far can an invented intimacy reach? Who engineered it, and why did a teacher’s image end up on a Harwick County nightstand?

In this episode, we follow two parallel lives connected by a single photograph and a string of letters. You’ll hear how an online profile, a county surveyor’s discovery, and a shoebox of correspondence converge into one question: what did it take for a hidden image to help buy a home?

Person: Rebecca Morgan
Location: Tempe, Arizona
Person: Walter Odom
Location: Linden Creek Road, Harwick County
Event: Nine letters signed "R"

- The laminated photograph was found inside a hollow cedar post by county surveyor Gina Gardner in the second week of May 2019.
- Rebecca Morgan was 32 years old, a third-grade teacher who gardened Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 5:30 to 7:00.
- A dating profile for "Stanley Dalton" messaged Rebecca in late June 2018 and led to a 40-minute video call after six weeks of messages.
- The real Stanley Dalton was a structural engineer in Boise whose photos from a 2016 trade newsletter were used without his knowledge.
- Walter Odom, age 78, owned a house on Linden Creek Road appraised at $260,000 and received nine letters from an Arizona return address.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73057489Mon, 24 Aug 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Laminated Lie: How a Hidden Photo Bought a Widow's Property Fear that someone has quietly rewritten the life of an ordinary widow - a laminated photograph hidden in a cedar post, nine handwritten letters, and a house valued at $260,000 all tied...
Fear that someone has quietly rewritten the life of an ordinary widow - a laminated photograph hidden in a cedar post, nine handwritten letters, and a house valued at $260,000 all tied to a stranger’s online romance: how far can an invented intimacy reach? Who engineered it, and why did a teacher’s image end up on a Harwick County nightstand?

In this episode, we follow two parallel lives connected by a single photograph and a string of letters. You’ll hear how an online profile, a county surveyor’s discovery, and a shoebox of correspondence converge into one question: what did it take for a hidden image to help buy a home?

Person: Rebecca Morgan
Location: Tempe, Arizona
Person: Walter Odom
Location: Linden Creek Road, Harwick County
Event: Nine letters signed "R"

- The laminated photograph was found inside a hollow cedar post by county surveyor Gina Gardner in the second week of May 2019.
- Rebecca Morgan was 32 years old, a third-grade teacher who gardened Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 5:30 to 7:00.
- A dating profile for "Stanley Dalton" messaged Rebecca in late June 2018 and led to a 40-minute video call after six weeks of messages.
- The real Stanley Dalton was a structural engineer in Boise whose photos from a 2016 trade newsletter were used without his knowledge.
- Walter Odom, age 78, owned a house on Linden Creek Road appraised at $260,000 and received nine letters from an Arizona return address.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1212falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/she-printed-a-fake-diploma-for-11-the-marilyn-becker-case--73057488
Fear that the person in charge is a step away from exposure - and that every system meant to catch them quietly failed - lodges the moment you learn the diploma on Wetherton Elementary’s wall cost just $11.40. A laminated novelty sheet hung in public for a decade beside principals’ portraits while Ohio Northern University records showed no trace of Marilyn Elaine Becker; how did that go unnoticed for ten years?

In this episode, we tell how the episode covers Becker’s path from teacher’s aide to principal, the administrative checks that were skipped, and the moment a real alumnus recognized the fake diploma - could one note in a file have unraveled it all earlier?

Person: Marilyn Elaine Becker
Location: Wetherton Elementary School, Farwell, Ohio
Date: Printed on August 7, 2001; first day as assistant principal September 2001; exposed October 2011
Institution: Ohio Northern University - no enrollment or graduation record for Marilyn Elaine Becker
Staff: Linda Foss, HR coordinator who recorded “Registrar verification inconclusive - third-party system down, advise recheck.”

- The diploma was printed at Ridout Office Solutions on Kellner Avenue on August 7, 2001 and cost $11.40 including lamination.
- Ohio Northern University records confirmed within 48 hours after a repairman’s phone call in October 2011 that Marilyn Elaine Becker had no student file or graduation record.
- Linda Foss wrote a note in Becker’s file: “Registrar verification inconclusive - third-party system down, advise recheck,” and the recheck was never performed for ten years.
- Marilyn Becker served as assistant principal starting September 2001, became interim principal in 2002, and permanent principal in 2003.
- Gregory Bishop, an Ohio Northern graduate from May 2001, arrived at Wetherton in 2004 and recognized the fake diploma on the hallway wall.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73057488Sun, 23 Aug 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaShe Printed a Fake Diploma for $11: The Marilyn Becker Case Fear that the person in charge is a step away from exposure - and that every system meant to catch them quietly failed - lodges the moment you learn the diploma on Wetherton Elementary’s...
Fear that the person in charge is a step away from exposure - and that every system meant to catch them quietly failed - lodges the moment you learn the diploma on Wetherton Elementary’s wall cost just $11.40. A laminated novelty sheet hung in public for a decade beside principals’ portraits while Ohio Northern University records showed no trace of Marilyn Elaine Becker; how did that go unnoticed for ten years?

In this episode, we tell how the episode covers Becker’s path from teacher’s aide to principal, the administrative checks that were skipped, and the moment a real alumnus recognized the fake diploma - could one note in a file have unraveled it all earlier?

Person: Marilyn Elaine Becker
Location: Wetherton Elementary School, Farwell, Ohio
Date: Printed on August 7, 2001; first day as assistant principal September 2001; exposed October 2011
Institution: Ohio Northern University - no enrollment or graduation record for Marilyn Elaine Becker
Staff: Linda Foss, HR coordinator who recorded “Registrar verification inconclusive - third-party system down, advise recheck.”

- The diploma was printed at Ridout Office Solutions on Kellner Avenue on August 7, 2001 and cost $11.40 including lamination.
- Ohio Northern University records confirmed within 48 hours after a repairman’s phone call in October 2011 that Marilyn Elaine Becker had no student file or graduation record.
- Linda Foss wrote a note in Becker’s file: “Registrar verification inconclusive - third-party system down, advise recheck,” and the recheck was never performed for ten years.
- Marilyn Becker served as assistant principal starting September 2001, became interim principal in 2002, and permanent principal in 2003.
- Gregory Bishop, an Ohio Northern graduate from May 2001, arrived at Wetherton in 2004 and recognized the fake diploma on the hallway wall.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1182falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-hymnbook-ring-that-exposed-a-church-romance-con-artist--73057487
Fear that someone you trust is counting the days until your next payment - Pamela Jensen found a ring in a hymnbook that proved a fourteen-month church romance was actually a calculated con, and one man had already lost $11,400. Who engineered the precise schedule of tears, favors, and short-term loans, and why did a ring in a pew become the undoing?

In this episode, we tell how a routine morning at Calvary Ridge Community Church led to a chain of discoveries that traced months of staged emergencies and financial losses back to one man who’d become a trusted friend. Follow the moment Pamela found the ring and the sequence of events that raised the question: how much of a life can a con reshape before it collapses?

Person: Pamela Jensen
Date: March 2019
Location: Calvary Ridge Community Church
Person: Richard Carlson
Amount lost: $11,400

- Ring found spine-out in the third pew, engraved with initials "R.C. / M.L." and a March date.
- Richard Carlson is 44 years old and divorced for eleven years; his daughter Amber was 17.
- Ronald Padgett presented himself as 51-year-old civil engineer and widow from Columbus, Ohio.
- First requested loan from Richard arrived eleven days after Padgett received a spare house key.
- Vernon Snyder mapped seven payments over fourteen months, including two personal checks and three wire transfers.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73057487Sat, 22 Aug 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Hymnbook Ring That Exposed a Church Romance Con Artist Fear that someone you trust is counting the days until your next payment - Pamela Jensen found a ring in a hymnbook that proved a fourteen-month church romance was actually a calculated...
Fear that someone you trust is counting the days until your next payment - Pamela Jensen found a ring in a hymnbook that proved a fourteen-month church romance was actually a calculated con, and one man had already lost $11,400. Who engineered the precise schedule of tears, favors, and short-term loans, and why did a ring in a pew become the undoing?

In this episode, we tell how a routine morning at Calvary Ridge Community Church led to a chain of discoveries that traced months of staged emergencies and financial losses back to one man who’d become a trusted friend. Follow the moment Pamela found the ring and the sequence of events that raised the question: how much of a life can a con reshape before it collapses?

Person: Pamela Jensen
Date: March 2019
Location: Calvary Ridge Community Church
Person: Richard Carlson
Amount lost: $11,400

- Ring found spine-out in the third pew, engraved with initials "R.C. / M.L." and a March date.
- Richard Carlson is 44 years old and divorced for eleven years; his daughter Amber was 17.
- Ronald Padgett presented himself as 51-year-old civil engineer and widow from Columbus, Ohio.
- First requested loan from Richard arrived eleven days after Padgett received a spare house key.
- Vernon Snyder mapped seven payments over fourteen months, including two personal checks and three wire transfers.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1041falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-teacher-who-stole-a-dead-man-s-name-for-a-decade--73057486
Fear that someone ordinary could live a decade in plain sight under a stolen identity - teaching children, joining colleagues for trivia, and collecting a dead man’s credential - is the chill at the center of this story. A laminated state teaching certificate bearing the name Robert Finch, found pristine ten years after his death, is the single physical trace that exposed a decade-long fraud: how did a woman with no degree become “Robin Finch” and never be stopped?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of events from the discovery of the certificate on August 14, 2019, back through the hiring and daily life at Dunmore Elementary, and into the administrative paperwork and missed signals that let the deception continue. What failures in hiring, record-keeping, and human judgment allowed a person with no valid credential to teach fourth grade for ten years?

Person: Robert Allen Finch
Date: July 2009 (death); September 1, 2009 (first day of teaching position)
Location: Dunmore Elementary, Veltran County
Event: Laminated state teaching certificate found in mailbox on August 14, 2019
Person: Frances Jones

- The laminated teaching certificate in the mailbox was perfectly dry and undamaged and bore the name Robert Finch when found on August 14, 2019.
- Robert Finch died in a single-vehicle accident in late July 2009, seven weeks before the first day of school he had been hired for.
- The woman who taught as “Robin” entered the Dunmore classroom on September 1, 2009, at age twenty-two and remained for ten years.
- By year three of her teaching, her classroom test scores were running above the district average and parents were specifically requesting her.
- In 2015 the state retirement system flagged a birth-month discrepancy for Robert Finch; HR requested a corrected form, Sarah submitted one, and no further verification (such as a birth certificate or in-person ID) was made.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73057486Fri, 21 Aug 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Teacher Who Stole a Dead Man's Name for a Decade Fear that someone ordinary could live a decade in plain sight under a stolen identity - teaching children, joining colleagues for trivia, and collecting a dead man’s credential - is the chill at...
Fear that someone ordinary could live a decade in plain sight under a stolen identity - teaching children, joining colleagues for trivia, and collecting a dead man’s credential - is the chill at the center of this story. A laminated state teaching certificate bearing the name Robert Finch, found pristine ten years after his death, is the single physical trace that exposed a decade-long fraud: how did a woman with no degree become “Robin Finch” and never be stopped?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of events from the discovery of the certificate on August 14, 2019, back through the hiring and daily life at Dunmore Elementary, and into the administrative paperwork and missed signals that let the deception continue. What failures in hiring, record-keeping, and human judgment allowed a person with no valid credential to teach fourth grade for ten years?

Person: Robert Allen Finch
Date: July 2009 (death); September 1, 2009 (first day of teaching position)
Location: Dunmore Elementary, Veltran County
Event: Laminated state teaching certificate found in mailbox on August 14, 2019
Person: Frances Jones

- The laminated teaching certificate in the mailbox was perfectly dry and undamaged and bore the name Robert Finch when found on August 14, 2019.
- Robert Finch died in a single-vehicle accident in late July 2009, seven weeks before the first day of school he had been hired for.
- The woman who taught as “Robin” entered the Dunmore classroom on September 1, 2009, at age twenty-two and remained for ten years.
- By year three of her teaching, her classroom test scores were running above the district average and parents were specifically requesting her.
- In 2015 the state retirement system flagged a birth-month discrepancy for Robert Finch; HR requested a corrected form, Sarah submitted one, and no further verification (such as a birth certificate or in-person ID) was made.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1154falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/una-institucion-de-duelo-nunca-existio-su-sello-costo-cuatro-dolares-con-sesenta-centavos--73057485
The idea that a sealed certificate worth $4.60 could legitimize a three-year grief program for forty-one people is both shocking and intimate, and it forces you to ask: how do you measure harm when the care felt real? What does it mean that the "Centerfield Institute of Grief and Bereavement Sciences" never had a building, a class, or an accreditor-only a rubber stamp from a Knoxville trophy shop?

In this episode, you hear the facts of how Heather Casey arrived in Morrow Falls with a certificate and a portfolio, the growth of a grief group from nine to forty-one members, and the quiet, persistent doubt that led a church deacon to search for the institution online. How did a spiral notebook, two parakeets, and a $4.60 seal shape the lives of people in active grief?

Person: Heather Casey
Location: Morrow Falls, western North Carolina
Event: Ridgeline Fellowship grief support group growth from 9 to 41 members
Date: Heather arrived spring 2011; hospice volunteering 2001-2004; left hospice 2004
Item: Certificate seal purchased in Knoxville; cost $4.60

- Heather purchased the seal at a trophy shop in Knoxville eight years before 2011, when she was 27.
- Heather volunteered unpaid at an eastern Tennessee hospice from 2001 to 2004 for three years.
- She arrived in Morrow Falls in spring 2011 at age 35 and rented a house on Oleander Street.
- Ridgeline Fellowship's grief group grew from 9 members to 41 within Heather's first year as coordinator.
- Heather kept a green, college-ruled spiral notebook with names and detailed notes in the credenza next to the fraudulent certificate.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73057485Thu, 20 Aug 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaUna institución de duelo nunca existió - su sello costó cuatro dólares con sesenta centavos The idea that a sealed certificate worth $4.60 could legitimize a three-year grief program for forty-one people is both shocking and intimate, and it forces...
The idea that a sealed certificate worth $4.60 could legitimize a three-year grief program for forty-one people is both shocking and intimate, and it forces you to ask: how do you measure harm when the care felt real? What does it mean that the "Centerfield Institute of Grief and Bereavement Sciences" never had a building, a class, or an accreditor-only a rubber stamp from a Knoxville trophy shop?

In this episode, you hear the facts of how Heather Casey arrived in Morrow Falls with a certificate and a portfolio, the growth of a grief group from nine to forty-one members, and the quiet, persistent doubt that led a church deacon to search for the institution online. How did a spiral notebook, two parakeets, and a $4.60 seal shape the lives of people in active grief?

Person: Heather Casey
Location: Morrow Falls, western North Carolina
Event: Ridgeline Fellowship grief support group growth from 9 to 41 members
Date: Heather arrived spring 2011; hospice volunteering 2001-2004; left hospice 2004
Item: Certificate seal purchased in Knoxville; cost $4.60

- Heather purchased the seal at a trophy shop in Knoxville eight years before 2011, when she was 27.
- Heather volunteered unpaid at an eastern Tennessee hospice from 2001 to 2004 for three years.
- She arrived in Morrow Falls in spring 2011 at age 35 and rented a house on Oleander Street.
- Ridgeline Fellowship's grief group grew from 9 members to 41 within Heather's first year as coordinator.
- Heather kept a green, college-ruled spiral notebook with names and detailed notes in the credenza next to the fraudulent certificate.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1154falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/a-rescue-dog-found-a-fake-minister-s-id-and-unraveled-three-simultaneous-engagements--73057484
A calm morning walk turned into a discovery that exposed four years of deception: a rescue dog pulled a laminated ID from a culvert naming an ordained minister of a church that did not exist, and that man was secretly engaged to three women at once. How did one fake badge and a pile of remembered details hide a ledger of repeated betrayals across counties?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events that followed the culvert find and outline the people, places, and documents that unfolded the story, ending with the deeper question investigators grappled with: how long had this pattern been repeating?

Person: Dennis Hunt
Event: Discovery of laminated identification card in concrete culvert
Case: Three simultaneous engagements to Beverly Crane, Susan Dillard, and Patricia Marsh
Period: Approximately four years

- The dog found the laminated ID in a dry culvert at least two weeks after it had been discarded.
- Dennis Hunt arrived in Calhoun County about four years before the discovery and became a community fixture within eighteen months.
- Dennis was engaged simultaneously to three women who lived in three different counties: Beverly Crane (53), Susan Dillard (48), and Patricia Marsh (55).
- Patricia Marsh received a standing Wednesday evening call with Dennis at 9:45 PM that she kept for over two years.
- A prior civil judgment in another state recorded financial losses and a broken promise connected to a woman engaged to a man matching Dennis Hunt’s description.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73057484Wed, 19 Aug 2026 13:00:03 +0000Creator at ObomediaA rescue dog found a fake minister's ID - and unraveled three simultaneous engagements A calm morning walk turned into a discovery that exposed four years of deception: a rescue dog pulled a laminated ID from a culvert naming an ordained minister...
A calm morning walk turned into a discovery that exposed four years of deception: a rescue dog pulled a laminated ID from a culvert naming an ordained minister of a church that did not exist, and that man was secretly engaged to three women at once. How did one fake badge and a pile of remembered details hide a ledger of repeated betrayals across counties?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events that followed the culvert find and outline the people, places, and documents that unfolded the story, ending with the deeper question investigators grappled with: how long had this pattern been repeating?

Person: Dennis Hunt
Event: Discovery of laminated identification card in concrete culvert
Case: Three simultaneous engagements to Beverly Crane, Susan Dillard, and Patricia Marsh
Period: Approximately four years

- The dog found the laminated ID in a dry culvert at least two weeks after it had been discarded.
- Dennis Hunt arrived in Calhoun County about four years before the discovery and became a community fixture within eighteen months.
- Dennis was engaged simultaneously to three women who lived in three different counties: Beverly Crane (53), Susan Dillard (48), and Patricia Marsh (55).
- Patricia Marsh received a standing Wednesday evening call with Dennis at 9:45 PM that she kept for over two years.
- A prior civil judgment in another state recorded financial losses and a broken promise connected to a woman engaged to a man matching Dennis Hunt’s description.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1303falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-reservoir-diploma-how-a-thrown-forgery-built-a-city-career--73057483
A forged diploma survived four years underwater and still read clearly when a fisherman found it sealed in a plastic tube at Parrish Reservoir-how did a forty-dollar template and a photo of someone else’s degree build a municipal engineering career? Who benefits when fake credentials meet real competence, and what finally unravels when bureaucracy catches up?

In this episode, we follow the path from a small Indiana high school to a municipal utilities contract, tracing the decisions, the people, and the moment a tossed diploma surfaced to change everything. We outline how a photograph at a house party turned into a realistic diploma, how that paper opened doors, and the unanswered question about why it was thrown away before his first day.

Person: Grant Alan Alan
Location: Parrish Reservoir
Date: May 3, 2016
Employer: Meridian Systems
Salary: $61,000 per year

- The diploma dated 2014 was sealed in a plastic tube and had been underwater for approximately four years yet remained nearly readable.
- Grant photographed Dennis Chu’s Carver Technical University diploma at a house party in 2013 or 2014, which became the source image for the forgery.
- The fake diploma was produced using a $40 template on cream-colored cotton-fiber stock with an embossed gold seal and oil-based ink from a copy shop in Akron.
- Grant was hired by Meridian Systems in early 2016, started a job paying $61,000 per year, and threw the sealed tube into Parrish Reservoir three days before his start date.
- By 2018 Grant had been promoted to project lead overseeing a team of eleven after eighteen months of unremarkable performance and a supervisor’s recommendation.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73057483Tue, 18 Aug 2026 13:00:03 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Reservoir Diploma: How a Thrown Forgery Built a City Career A forged diploma survived four years underwater and still read clearly when a fisherman found it sealed in a plastic tube at Parrish Reservoir-how did a forty-dollar template and a...
A forged diploma survived four years underwater and still read clearly when a fisherman found it sealed in a plastic tube at Parrish Reservoir-how did a forty-dollar template and a photo of someone else’s degree build a municipal engineering career? Who benefits when fake credentials meet real competence, and what finally unravels when bureaucracy catches up?

In this episode, we follow the path from a small Indiana high school to a municipal utilities contract, tracing the decisions, the people, and the moment a tossed diploma surfaced to change everything. We outline how a photograph at a house party turned into a realistic diploma, how that paper opened doors, and the unanswered question about why it was thrown away before his first day.

Person: Grant Alan Alan
Location: Parrish Reservoir
Date: May 3, 2016
Employer: Meridian Systems
Salary: $61,000 per year

- The diploma dated 2014 was sealed in a plastic tube and had been underwater for approximately four years yet remained nearly readable.
- Grant photographed Dennis Chu’s Carver Technical University diploma at a house party in 2013 or 2014, which became the source image for the forgery.
- The fake diploma was produced using a $40 template on cream-colored cotton-fiber stock with an embossed gold seal and oil-based ink from a copy shop in Akron.
- Grant was hired by Meridian Systems in early 2016, started a job paying $61,000 per year, and threw the sealed tube into Parrish Reservoir three days before his start date.
- By 2018 Grant had been promoted to project lead overseeing a team of eleven after eighteen months of unremarkable performance and a supervisor’s recommendation.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1141falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/she-faked-the-seminary-she-also-kept-the-dying-company--73057482
A pastor who led a congregation for nearly eight years presented cream-colored certificates from institutions that never existed, and yet she built a real life of ministry that kept hospitals, pantries, and grief-stricken families afloat - so what do you call someone who fabricates credentials and still does the work faithfully? How did three fake documents and a falsified network of seminaries go unnoticed while a congregation grew around her?

In this episode, we tell the story of Brenda Stein and the documents that made her ministry possible, following the trail from Dunmore to Kettridge to Calloway Township and the librarian whose notebook began to unravel it all. Listen to how a certificate, a transfer letter, and a completion certificate intersect with pastoral care, and ask whether the truth lies in the paperwork or the work.

Person: Brenda Stein
Location: Kettridge, Missouri; Calloway Township
Date: 2003 (application to Kettridge), 2007 (installation at Calvary Road), 2008 (notebook entry)
Case: Three non-existent institutions (Harwick Divinity Seminary, Eastern Pastoral College, Midland Pastoral Institute)
Person: Dawn Norris

- Brenda presented an ordination certificate from "Harwick Divinity Seminary" when applying to Kettridge in 2003.
- Alan Prue, the Kettridge leader who hired Brenda, died approximately 14 months after hiring her.
- Brenda served at Kettridge for four years before presenting three documents to Calvary Road in autumn 2007.
- Dawn Norris first noted the unverifiable citation to "Dr. Estelle Warrick of Eastern Pastoral College" in her notebook in summer 2008.
- The three central documents (ordination, transfer letter, and certificate of completion) all named institutions that did not appear in any directories or accreditation records.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73057482Mon, 17 Aug 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaShe Faked the Seminary - She Also Kept the Dying Company A pastor who led a congregation for nearly eight years presented cream-colored certificates from institutions that never existed, and yet she built a real life of ministry that kept...
A pastor who led a congregation for nearly eight years presented cream-colored certificates from institutions that never existed, and yet she built a real life of ministry that kept hospitals, pantries, and grief-stricken families afloat - so what do you call someone who fabricates credentials and still does the work faithfully? How did three fake documents and a falsified network of seminaries go unnoticed while a congregation grew around her?

In this episode, we tell the story of Brenda Stein and the documents that made her ministry possible, following the trail from Dunmore to Kettridge to Calloway Township and the librarian whose notebook began to unravel it all. Listen to how a certificate, a transfer letter, and a completion certificate intersect with pastoral care, and ask whether the truth lies in the paperwork or the work.

Person: Brenda Stein
Location: Kettridge, Missouri; Calloway Township
Date: 2003 (application to Kettridge), 2007 (installation at Calvary Road), 2008 (notebook entry)
Case: Three non-existent institutions (Harwick Divinity Seminary, Eastern Pastoral College, Midland Pastoral Institute)
Person: Dawn Norris

- Brenda presented an ordination certificate from "Harwick Divinity Seminary" when applying to Kettridge in 2003.
- Alan Prue, the Kettridge leader who hired Brenda, died approximately 14 months after hiring her.
- Brenda served at Kettridge for four years before presenting three documents to Calvary Road in autumn 2007.
- Dawn Norris first noted the unverifiable citation to "Dr. Estelle Warrick of Eastern Pastoral College" in her notebook in summer 2008.
- The three central documents (ordination, transfer letter, and certificate of completion) all named institutions that did not appear in any directories or accreditation records.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1163falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-silver-star-on-a-septic-tank-how-dellard-believed-a-lie--73057481
Fear that someone in your town lived a lie: a face-up Silver Star on the concrete lip of a septic tank riser exposed a seven-year construction of identity that paid off in public honors and grant money. A replica medal bought from a Kentucky surplus dealer, a DD-214 with a mismatched unit designation, and a scar from childhood - how did these specific deceptions go unquestioned for so long, and who finally saw the crack?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of events that began the third week of March when Stanley Holt found the medal and track how Ruth Barnes built a life in Dellard with a role in veteran services, community visibility, and a relationship with local leaders - until one person’s doubt widened into investigation. What did the discovery on a septic tank reveal about community trust and the limits of verification?

Person: Ruth Barnes
Event: Silver Star found on septic tank riser
Date: third week of March
Location: Dellard, Ohio
Duration of claimed service: fourteen months

- The medal was discovered face-up on the concrete lip of a septic tank riser on the eastern edge of Dellard.
- Ruth Barnes arrived in Dellard roughly seven years before the medal was found and was thirty-one years old at arrival.
- She served fourteen months as an administrative specialist at a base in Georgia and received an honorable discharge, general category.
- The unit patch she wore was one she ordered in six copies from a Columbus print shop; investigators later found four of the six copies.
- The Silver Star replica purchase was traced to a military surplus dealer in Kentucky.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73057481Sun, 16 Aug 2026 13:00:03 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Silver Star on a Septic Tank: How Dellard Believed a Lie Fear that someone in your town lived a lie: a face-up Silver Star on the concrete lip of a septic tank riser exposed a seven-year construction of identity that paid off in public honors...
Fear that someone in your town lived a lie: a face-up Silver Star on the concrete lip of a septic tank riser exposed a seven-year construction of identity that paid off in public honors and grant money. A replica medal bought from a Kentucky surplus dealer, a DD-214 with a mismatched unit designation, and a scar from childhood - how did these specific deceptions go unquestioned for so long, and who finally saw the crack?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of events that began the third week of March when Stanley Holt found the medal and track how Ruth Barnes built a life in Dellard with a role in veteran services, community visibility, and a relationship with local leaders - until one person’s doubt widened into investigation. What did the discovery on a septic tank reveal about community trust and the limits of verification?

Person: Ruth Barnes
Event: Silver Star found on septic tank riser
Date: third week of March
Location: Dellard, Ohio
Duration of claimed service: fourteen months

- The medal was discovered face-up on the concrete lip of a septic tank riser on the eastern edge of Dellard.
- Ruth Barnes arrived in Dellard roughly seven years before the medal was found and was thirty-one years old at arrival.
- She served fourteen months as an administrative specialist at a base in Georgia and received an honorable discharge, general category.
- The unit patch she wore was one she ordered in six copies from a Columbus print shop; investigators later found four of the six copies.
- The Silver Star replica purchase was traced to a military surplus dealer in Kentucky.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1221falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-man-who-burned-his-forged-fortune-caught-by-a-trash-photo--73057480
A discarded sheet of paper in twelve-degree weather exposed a fake Swiss bank letter certifying at least fourteen million dollars, captured by a bird photographer who waited eleven days before speaking. How did a man who perfected forgery for six years end up burning his own best work in a frozen trash can - and why did that single careless page lead to his undoing?

In this episode, you’ll hear the story of James R. Petersen: his modest upbringing, the way he learned to manipulate perceptions, the routine that let him vanish documents outdoors, and the small inconsistencies at a lakeside retreat that began to unravel him - could a trash photo and three tiny anomalies be enough to catch a long-practiced fraudster?

Person: James R. Petersen
Date: February 11
Location: Harmon Flats boat launch, Willmar, Minnesota area
Document: Letter of credit on Swiss private bank letterhead claiming not less than $14,000,000
Event: Castellan retreat, February 9-11, eleven attendees

- The photograph was taken at 9:45 a.m, on February 11 in twelve-degree weather.
- The letterhead named a Swiss private bank and certified liquid assets of not less than fourteen million dollars.
- Sharon Wilson waited eleven days before saying anything about the photo she had taken.
- Petersen forged documents for six years using hotel stationery from stays at eleven properties in four countries.
- He worked a two-hour shift every Wednesday at a food bank and signed in at a church-basement pantry on February 10 under his real name.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73057480Sat, 15 Aug 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Man Who Burned His Forged Fortune - Caught by a Trash Photo A discarded sheet of paper in twelve-degree weather exposed a fake Swiss bank letter certifying at least fourteen million dollars, captured by a bird photographer who waited eleven...
A discarded sheet of paper in twelve-degree weather exposed a fake Swiss bank letter certifying at least fourteen million dollars, captured by a bird photographer who waited eleven days before speaking. How did a man who perfected forgery for six years end up burning his own best work in a frozen trash can - and why did that single careless page lead to his undoing?

In this episode, you’ll hear the story of James R. Petersen: his modest upbringing, the way he learned to manipulate perceptions, the routine that let him vanish documents outdoors, and the small inconsistencies at a lakeside retreat that began to unravel him - could a trash photo and three tiny anomalies be enough to catch a long-practiced fraudster?

Person: James R. Petersen
Date: February 11
Location: Harmon Flats boat launch, Willmar, Minnesota area
Document: Letter of credit on Swiss private bank letterhead claiming not less than $14,000,000
Event: Castellan retreat, February 9-11, eleven attendees

- The photograph was taken at 9:45 a.m, on February 11 in twelve-degree weather.
- The letterhead named a Swiss private bank and certified liquid assets of not less than fourteen million dollars.
- Sharon Wilson waited eleven days before saying anything about the photo she had taken.
- Petersen forged documents for six years using hotel stationery from stays at eleven properties in four countries.
- He worked a two-hour shift every Wednesday at a food bank and signed in at a church-basement pantry on February 10 under his real name.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1245falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/una-nina-de-papel-descubrio-que-el-medico-del-pueblo-jamas-existio--73057479
Fear that the person you trusted with your life was a fiction: a small town relied on a doctor who had no degree, no license, and whose wall of framed diplomas were paper lies. How did Sharon A. Holmes practice medicine in Millhaven for eleven years without anyone catching that every reference call, every credential and even the fellowship was fabricated?

In this episode, we follow the timeline of Sharon Holmes’s time at Millhaven Family Clinic and the moment Stanley Bailey found the stacked diplomas, then ask how institutional checks failed so completely that a fabricated physician treated real patients for over a decade.

Person: Sharon A. Holmes
Location: Millhaven Family Clinic, Millhaven, Pennsylvania
Date: January 12, 2011 (discovery); arrival late winter 2000
Age: 32 when she arrived
Community population: roughly 2,200 (as of 2011)

- At about 5:00 a.m. on January 12, 2011, a 14-year-old named Stanley Bailey found roughly forty framed certificates scattered on the clinic floor.
- Sharon Holmes arrived in Millhaven in late winter 2000 and was the sole physician at the clinic by 2001.
- Holmes presented diplomas including a medical degree, a Chicago residency certificate, a rural medicine fellowship, and a Pennsylvania medical license that had been displayed for eleven years.
- Holmes’s claimed references were answered when checked; both phone numbers routed to prepaid devices and the voices were recordings she had made and replayed with modulated pitch.
- Holmes had completed only two years of pre-medicine coursework and four years as a medical secretary-no medical degree, no license, and no clinical training.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73057479Fri, 14 Aug 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaUna niña de papel descubrió que el médico del pueblo jamás existió Fear that the person you trusted with your life was a fiction: a small town relied on a doctor who had no degree, no license, and whose wall of framed diplomas were paper lies. How...
Fear that the person you trusted with your life was a fiction: a small town relied on a doctor who had no degree, no license, and whose wall of framed diplomas were paper lies. How did Sharon A. Holmes practice medicine in Millhaven for eleven years without anyone catching that every reference call, every credential and even the fellowship was fabricated?

In this episode, we follow the timeline of Sharon Holmes’s time at Millhaven Family Clinic and the moment Stanley Bailey found the stacked diplomas, then ask how institutional checks failed so completely that a fabricated physician treated real patients for over a decade.

Person: Sharon A. Holmes
Location: Millhaven Family Clinic, Millhaven, Pennsylvania
Date: January 12, 2011 (discovery); arrival late winter 2000
Age: 32 when she arrived
Community population: roughly 2,200 (as of 2011)

- At about 5:00 a.m. on January 12, 2011, a 14-year-old named Stanley Bailey found roughly forty framed certificates scattered on the clinic floor.
- Sharon Holmes arrived in Millhaven in late winter 2000 and was the sole physician at the clinic by 2001.
- Holmes presented diplomas including a medical degree, a Chicago residency certificate, a rural medicine fellowship, and a Pennsylvania medical license that had been displayed for eleven years.
- Holmes’s claimed references were answered when checked; both phone numbers routed to prepaid devices and the voices were recordings she had made and replayed with modulated pitch.
- Holmes had completed only two years of pre-medicine coursework and four years as a medical secretary-no medical degree, no license, and no clinical training.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1317falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/she-wore-a-fake-certificate-everyone-swore-it-was-a-gift--73057478
A calm presence at countless bedsides turned out to have a laminated ordination certificate that was forged and mailed after a chaotic online application; for three and a half years she sat with dying people, hired after a 40-minute interview, and the document was found dry in a snowbank on December 9, 2019 - how did a forged ordination become the hinge for everything she built? What broke when the paper and the reputation were finally separated?

In this episode, we tell the story of Tammy Olson’s path from a volunteer in a veterans’ memory-care facility to a hired hospice companion, the discovery of her false credential, and the reactions of staff and families who described her presence as unusually steady and, at times, a “gift.” How did a $42 online class, a $60 fee ordination process, and a forty-minute interview produce three and a half years of trust?

Person: Tammy Olson
Date: December 9, 2019
Location: Pinecrest Hospice and Palliative Care, Weller's Ford, Minnesota
Event: Laminated ordination certificate found in snowbank
Course: $42 online grief counseling class

- The ordination certificate with the name Tammy Olson was found dry in a plastic sleeve in a snowbank at 6:45 AM on December 9, 2019.
- Tammy completed one community college course described as a forty-two-dollar online grief course; that was her only formal preparation.
- The Greater Lakes Theological Consortium processed roughly 30 ordinations per year and charged a $60 administrative fee.
- Tammy was hired after a 40-minute interview at Pinecrest in spring 2016 and was 26 years old at the time.
- Harold Steer, age 63 with pancreatic cancer, arrived at Pinecrest in October 2019 and Tammy visited his room on his third day.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73057478Thu, 13 Aug 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaShe Wore a Fake Certificate - Everyone Swore It Was a Gift A calm presence at countless bedsides turned out to have a laminated ordination certificate that was forged and mailed after a chaotic online application; for three and a half years she sat...
A calm presence at countless bedsides turned out to have a laminated ordination certificate that was forged and mailed after a chaotic online application; for three and a half years she sat with dying people, hired after a 40-minute interview, and the document was found dry in a snowbank on December 9, 2019 - how did a forged ordination become the hinge for everything she built? What broke when the paper and the reputation were finally separated?

In this episode, we tell the story of Tammy Olson’s path from a volunteer in a veterans’ memory-care facility to a hired hospice companion, the discovery of her false credential, and the reactions of staff and families who described her presence as unusually steady and, at times, a “gift.” How did a $42 online class, a $60 fee ordination process, and a forty-minute interview produce three and a half years of trust?

Person: Tammy Olson
Date: December 9, 2019
Location: Pinecrest Hospice and Palliative Care, Weller's Ford, Minnesota
Event: Laminated ordination certificate found in snowbank
Course: $42 online grief counseling class

- The ordination certificate with the name Tammy Olson was found dry in a plastic sleeve in a snowbank at 6:45 AM on December 9, 2019.
- Tammy completed one community college course described as a forty-two-dollar online grief course; that was her only formal preparation.
- The Greater Lakes Theological Consortium processed roughly 30 ordinations per year and charged a $60 administrative fee.
- Tammy was hired after a 40-minute interview at Pinecrest in spring 2016 and was 26 years old at the time.
- Harold Steer, age 63 with pancreatic cancer, arrived at Pinecrest in October 2019 and Tammy visited his room on his third day.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1192falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-dry-card-in-the-ruins-how-a-fake-investigator-burned-lives--73057477
A laminated certification card found dry on a soaked ruin started a chain that revealed a decade-long fraud-an investigator who built a career on a fake institute while learning her craft by setting fires she then "investigated." How did a dry card on a truck hood become the first crack in a story that cost people their claims, reputations, and possibly safety?

In this episode, you’ll hear how a woman presented herself as a certified fire investigator, the documents she created to back that claim, and the discovery that should have stopped her-so what happened next that let her work continue for years?

Person: Holly Vickers
Person: Valerie A. Schultz
Organization: Schultz Fire Analysis
Organization: National Association of Fire Investigators
Event: Credential check by Chad Holmes in fall 2016

- Holly Vickers found a laminated NAFI certification card on her truck hood on November 14, 2019, while working a utility line south of Kellerton, Indiana.
- Valerie A. Schultz founded Schultz Fire Analysis in Teller City, Indiana, in 2003 and presented herself as a certified fire investigator.
- Schultz conducted 41 investigations for nine carriers between 2003 and 2008, with her conclusions overturned once then reversed on appeal.
- By 2015 Schultz had contracts with 12 carriers across Indiana, Illinois, and southern Michigan and had given 43 civil testimonies.
- In fall 2016 Chad Holmes, a 38-year-old claims analyst at Arlen Mutual in Fort Wayne, ran a credentialing check and could not verify the Lakewood Fire Investigators Institute listed on Schultz’s certificate.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73057477Wed, 12 Aug 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Dry Card in the Ruins: How a Fake Investigator Burned Lives A laminated certification card found dry on a soaked ruin started a chain that revealed a decade-long fraud-an investigator who built a career on a fake institute while learning her...
A laminated certification card found dry on a soaked ruin started a chain that revealed a decade-long fraud-an investigator who built a career on a fake institute while learning her craft by setting fires she then "investigated." How did a dry card on a truck hood become the first crack in a story that cost people their claims, reputations, and possibly safety?

In this episode, you’ll hear how a woman presented herself as a certified fire investigator, the documents she created to back that claim, and the discovery that should have stopped her-so what happened next that let her work continue for years?

Person: Holly Vickers
Person: Valerie A. Schultz
Organization: Schultz Fire Analysis
Organization: National Association of Fire Investigators
Event: Credential check by Chad Holmes in fall 2016

- Holly Vickers found a laminated NAFI certification card on her truck hood on November 14, 2019, while working a utility line south of Kellerton, Indiana.
- Valerie A. Schultz founded Schultz Fire Analysis in Teller City, Indiana, in 2003 and presented herself as a certified fire investigator.
- Schultz conducted 41 investigations for nine carriers between 2003 and 2008, with her conclusions overturned once then reversed on appeal.
- By 2015 Schultz had contracts with 12 carriers across Indiana, Illinois, and southern Michigan and had given 43 civil testimonies.
- In fall 2016 Chad Holmes, a 38-year-old claims analyst at Arlen Mutual in Fort Wayne, ran a credentialing check and could not verify the Lakewood Fire Investigators Institute listed on Schultz’s certificate.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1181falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/she-made-a-missing-woman-real-shrine-real-grief-no-victim--73057476
The first discovery was tactile: a laminated photo, tea lights, and a handwritten card claiming Donna Marsh had vanished on November 9, 1998 - except Donna Marsh never existed. How did a fabricated disappearance, crafted by one woman over eight months, become a real shrine and real grief for listeners who believed they were mourning a true person?

In this episode, we tell the story of the podcast Still Missing and the creator behind it, Erin Vaughn, describing how she built an audience, a fabricated supporting cast, and a recurring anonymous source. We trace the path from a bedroom production to a roadside shrine and ask how a lie staged to sound like grief caused real harm to real people.

Person: Erin Vaughn
Podcast: Still Missing
Subscribers: 400000
Calls as source: 37 consecutive weeks
Missing date claimed: November 9, 1998

- Erin Vaughn spent eight months preparing the podcast before any episode aired.
- Still Missing launched in March 2019 and reached four hundred thousand subscribers during Season One.
- The anonymous source "Martha" was recorded calling in thirty-seven consecutive Wednesday nights at 11:15 p.m.
- A shrine for Donna Marsh was found by Warren Erickson in Kellner Park in late October 2021.
- Amy Pruitt, who lost a real sister in 2009, created a real roadside shrine and lit candles for the fictional Donna Marsh.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73057476Tue, 11 Aug 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaShe Made a Missing Woman - Real Shrine, Real Grief, No Victim The first discovery was tactile: a laminated photo, tea lights, and a handwritten card claiming Donna Marsh had vanished on November 9, 1998 - except Donna Marsh never existed. How did a...
The first discovery was tactile: a laminated photo, tea lights, and a handwritten card claiming Donna Marsh had vanished on November 9, 1998 - except Donna Marsh never existed. How did a fabricated disappearance, crafted by one woman over eight months, become a real shrine and real grief for listeners who believed they were mourning a true person?

In this episode, we tell the story of the podcast Still Missing and the creator behind it, Erin Vaughn, describing how she built an audience, a fabricated supporting cast, and a recurring anonymous source. We trace the path from a bedroom production to a roadside shrine and ask how a lie staged to sound like grief caused real harm to real people.

Person: Erin Vaughn
Podcast: Still Missing
Subscribers: 400000
Calls as source: 37 consecutive weeks
Missing date claimed: November 9, 1998

- Erin Vaughn spent eight months preparing the podcast before any episode aired.
- Still Missing launched in March 2019 and reached four hundred thousand subscribers during Season One.
- The anonymous source "Martha" was recorded calling in thirty-seven consecutive Wednesday nights at 11:15 p.m.
- A shrine for Donna Marsh was found by Warren Erickson in Kellner Park in late October 2021.
- Amy Pruitt, who lost a real sister in 2009, created a real roadside shrine and lit candles for the fictional Donna Marsh.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1149falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-laminated-lie-how-a-three-dollar-diploma-exposed-a-trusted-doctor--73057474
The first thing that caught a neighbor's eye was a three-dollar laminated diploma in a window - a faux credential that hid eleven peer-reviewed articles, a university title, and a private practice. How did a laminated fake unravel six years of professional life and the trust of a small city without anyone stopping her sooner?

In this episode, we tell the story of the woman who presented herself as an associate professor and clinician, the documents she created, and the gaps in oversight that let her rise. What did April Bennett actually do, and why did the system look at the cracks and keep walking?

Person: April Bennett
Location: 44 Forsythe Lane, Fenner, Indiana
Date: September 19, 2019
Institution: Aldenmere University
Claimed Degree: Doctorate in educational psychology (Benedick State)

- A laminated diploma photographed through a home study window on September 19, 2019, had one corner peeling from the heat.
- April Bennett was born in 1978 and was 41 years old at the time of the discovery.
- She completed only three semesters at a state university in Indiana, leaving in 1996 without a degree.
- April was hired as an adjunct at Aldenmere University in 2013 and promoted to associate professor by 2016.
- Her curriculum vitae listed eleven peer-reviewed articles and a book titled Threshold Listening, with two of the listed publications verified as her real work.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73057474Mon, 10 Aug 2026 13:00:03 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Laminated Lie: How a Three-Dollar Diploma Exposed a Trusted "Doctor" The first thing that caught a neighbor's eye was a three-dollar laminated diploma in a window - a faux credential that hid eleven peer-reviewed articles, a university title,...
The first thing that caught a neighbor's eye was a three-dollar laminated diploma in a window - a faux credential that hid eleven peer-reviewed articles, a university title, and a private practice. How did a laminated fake unravel six years of professional life and the trust of a small city without anyone stopping her sooner?

In this episode, we tell the story of the woman who presented herself as an associate professor and clinician, the documents she created, and the gaps in oversight that let her rise. What did April Bennett actually do, and why did the system look at the cracks and keep walking?

Person: April Bennett
Location: 44 Forsythe Lane, Fenner, Indiana
Date: September 19, 2019
Institution: Aldenmere University
Claimed Degree: Doctorate in educational psychology (Benedick State)

- A laminated diploma photographed through a home study window on September 19, 2019, had one corner peeling from the heat.
- April Bennett was born in 1978 and was 41 years old at the time of the discovery.
- She completed only three semesters at a state university in Indiana, leaving in 1996 without a degree.
- April was hired as an adjunct at Aldenmere University in 2013 and promoted to associate professor by 2016.
- Her curriculum vitae listed eleven peer-reviewed articles and a book titled Threshold Listening, with two of the listed publications verified as her real work.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1118falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-twin-who-stole-a-bar-card-and-ran-the-courtroom-for-31-years--73057472
A 61-year-old man who never went to law school, never took a bar exam, and never held a license spent thirty-one years resolving labor disputes across the Upper Midwest - all enabled by a single Wisconsin State Bar card found in a manila envelope at a Lutheran church rummage sale. How did a laminated rectangle with the wrong photo and the right bar number allow him to command $480 an hour and a six-month waiting list for three decades?

In this episode, we tell how a routine replacement card request, a tired clerk, and identical twin brothers from Fond du Lac produced an extraordinary fraud that went undiscovered until a bar card surfaced in Portell, Wisconsin. What does it mean that 114 cases he presided over were never overturned for legal reasons, even though he had no legal credentials?

Person: Duane Christensen
Person: Warren Christensen
Location: Portell, Wisconsin
Date: August 2019
Case: 114 arbitration cases presided over

- The bar card carried Wisconsin State Bar number 441-7703 and a photograph that did not match the name on the card.
- Duane Christensen was born in 1958, eleven minutes apart from his twin Warren in Fond du Lac.
- Duane charged $480 an hour and maintained a six-month waiting list by 2004.
- Duane presided over 114 cases and none were overturned for legal reasons.
- Warren passed the Wisconsin bar in 1982 and his result was published in a state legal journal two weeks before Duane obtained the replacement card.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73057472Sun, 09 Aug 2026 13:00:04 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Twin Who Stole a Bar Card and Ran the Courtroom for 31 Years A 61-year-old man who never went to law school, never took a bar exam, and never held a license spent thirty-one years resolving labor disputes across the Upper Midwest - all enabled...
A 61-year-old man who never went to law school, never took a bar exam, and never held a license spent thirty-one years resolving labor disputes across the Upper Midwest - all enabled by a single Wisconsin State Bar card found in a manila envelope at a Lutheran church rummage sale. How did a laminated rectangle with the wrong photo and the right bar number allow him to command $480 an hour and a six-month waiting list for three decades?

In this episode, we tell how a routine replacement card request, a tired clerk, and identical twin brothers from Fond du Lac produced an extraordinary fraud that went undiscovered until a bar card surfaced in Portell, Wisconsin. What does it mean that 114 cases he presided over were never overturned for legal reasons, even though he had no legal credentials?

Person: Duane Christensen
Person: Warren Christensen
Location: Portell, Wisconsin
Date: August 2019
Case: 114 arbitration cases presided over

- The bar card carried Wisconsin State Bar number 441-7703 and a photograph that did not match the name on the card.
- Duane Christensen was born in 1958, eleven minutes apart from his twin Warren in Fond du Lac.
- Duane charged $480 an hour and maintained a six-month waiting list by 2004.
- Duane presided over 114 cases and none were overturned for legal reasons.
- Warren passed the Wisconsin bar in 1982 and his result was published in a state legal journal two weeks before Duane obtained the replacement card.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1243falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/she-sold-a-fake-sommelier-life-how-one-bag-unraveled-her-lies--73057471
A dry canvas messenger bag in a drainage culvert held a laminated card claiming certification from an Institut that never existed, and a woman who earned $61,000 a year at a three‑Michelin‑star restaurant had built her career on a $3 estate‑sale book and a $420 fake credential - so how did she keep the deception for four years and three months?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of discoveries from a Tuesday morning find to the unraveling of a constructed biography, tracing how mimicry, memorization, and a forged certification supported a professional sommelier persona - and ask what finally exposed the limits of her knowledge.

Person: Erin Morris, Maître Sommelier (claimed)
Location: Sycamore Spur trail, Dellmont, Ohio
Date: mid‑July 2019 (discovery); certified 2015 (claimed)
Salary: $61,000 per year
Source: Millbrook Atlas, sixth edition (purchased 2014 for $3)

- The canvas messenger bag was dry despite heavy rain two days earlier and county drainage records showing several inches of water.
- The forged credential cost $420 in cash via an online document‑production service and included a laminated card and framed certificate.
- Erin Morris claimed certification in 2015 and worked at Ardent, a three‑Michelin‑star restaurant, for four years and three months.
- Erin bought the Millbrook Atlas sixth edition at an estate sale in 2014 for $3 and used it as the basis of her knowledge.
- A tasting note in summer 2017 described a Santorini Assyrtiko using pre‑2013 vinification vocabulary, revealing a calendrical gap in her expertise.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73057471Sat, 08 Aug 2026 13:00:04 +0000Creator at ObomediaShe Sold a Fake Sommelier Life - How One Bag Unraveled Her Lies A dry canvas messenger bag in a drainage culvert held a laminated card claiming certification from an Institut that never existed, and a woman who earned $61,000 a year at a...
A dry canvas messenger bag in a drainage culvert held a laminated card claiming certification from an Institut that never existed, and a woman who earned $61,000 a year at a three‑Michelin‑star restaurant had built her career on a $3 estate‑sale book and a $420 fake credential - so how did she keep the deception for four years and three months?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of discoveries from a Tuesday morning find to the unraveling of a constructed biography, tracing how mimicry, memorization, and a forged certification supported a professional sommelier persona - and ask what finally exposed the limits of her knowledge.

Person: Erin Morris, Maître Sommelier (claimed)
Location: Sycamore Spur trail, Dellmont, Ohio
Date: mid‑July 2019 (discovery); certified 2015 (claimed)
Salary: $61,000 per year
Source: Millbrook Atlas, sixth edition (purchased 2014 for $3)

- The canvas messenger bag was dry despite heavy rain two days earlier and county drainage records showing several inches of water.
- The forged credential cost $420 in cash via an online document‑production service and included a laminated card and framed certificate.
- Erin Morris claimed certification in 2015 and worked at Ardent, a three‑Michelin‑star restaurant, for four years and three months.
- Erin bought the Millbrook Atlas sixth edition at an estate sale in 2014 for $3 and used it as the basis of her knowledge.
- A tasting note in summer 2017 described a Santorini Assyrtiko using pre‑2013 vinification vocabulary, revealing a calendrical gap in her expertise.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1202falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/she-wrote-her-own-obituaries-61-fakes-47-000-one-secret--73057470
Grief turned into a quiet fraud that lasted four years: 61 fabricated death notices and just under $47,000 siphoned into memorial accounts built from people’s trust. How did a trusted obituary writer exploit small-town routines for years, and what single discovery finally cracked the scheme?

In this episode, we follow the timeline of events, the people who trusted her work, and the investigative detail that shifted the story from a missing person to a calculated fraud. What role did a renewed press credential and one routine records check play in unraveling everything?

Person: Denise Zeller
Age: 48 (spring 2019)
Employer: Caldwell Flats Courier-Register
Duration at obit desk: 11 years
AmountTaken: just under $47,000

- First fabricated obituary published: October 2017 (name: George Athey)
- Number of fabricated death notices: 61 over four years
- Credential renewal date: February 2019 (found laminated by Todd Hamilton June 11, 2019)
- Investigative first crack: spring 2018 when Warren Cobb found no death certificate for George Athey
- Denise’s unpaid origin debt: medical bills from her mother’s 2015 prolonged illness

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73057470Fri, 07 Aug 2026 13:00:04 +0000Creator at ObomediaShe Wrote Her Own Obituaries - 61 Fakes, $47,000, One Secret Grief turned into a quiet fraud that lasted four years: 61 fabricated death notices and just under $47,000 siphoned into memorial accounts built from people’s trust. How did a trusted...
Grief turned into a quiet fraud that lasted four years: 61 fabricated death notices and just under $47,000 siphoned into memorial accounts built from people’s trust. How did a trusted obituary writer exploit small-town routines for years, and what single discovery finally cracked the scheme?

In this episode, we follow the timeline of events, the people who trusted her work, and the investigative detail that shifted the story from a missing person to a calculated fraud. What role did a renewed press credential and one routine records check play in unraveling everything?

Person: Denise Zeller
Age: 48 (spring 2019)
Employer: Caldwell Flats Courier-Register
Duration at obit desk: 11 years
AmountTaken: just under $47,000

- First fabricated obituary published: October 2017 (name: George Athey)
- Number of fabricated death notices: 61 over four years
- Credential renewal date: February 2019 (found laminated by Todd Hamilton June 11, 2019)
- Investigative first crack: spring 2018 when Warren Cobb found no death certificate for George Athey
- Denise’s unpaid origin debt: medical bills from her mother’s 2015 prolonged illness

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1271falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/he-faked-a-humanitarian-career-for-three-years-the-stanley-rafferty-case--73057469
A man used a legitimately issued badge to walk into disaster zones, move supplies, and file accurate reports for nearly three years - all while the organization that issued the credential had no record of him. How did a real authorization number end up describing someone who did not officially exist, and what finally exposed the ruse?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of events that began when a county surveyor found an orange vest on a foreclosed lot and trace how a low-access partner-registration portal, a garage-sale find, and a falsified reference email allowed Thomas to impersonate a humanitarian coordinator. How did bureaucratic gaps and quiet assumptions let him work in active disaster responses unchallenged?

Person: Stanley Thomas Thomas
Date: May 14, 2019
Organization: IHCN (International Humanitarian Coordination Network)
Location: Colver Crossing; Gulf Coast; Caribbean
Case: Badge number valid but issued via partner-registration pathway

- Vest discovered by Paul Lawson at 10:30 AM on May 14, 2019 on a foreclosed lot off Route Eleven.
- Thomas bought the faded orange vest for $3 at a garage sale on Deering Road in spring 2015.
- The vest bore the IHCN insignia and showed ghost stitching where a name patch had been removed.
- Thomas registered a professional reference email six weeks before submitting his IHCN partner-registration application.
- Thomas worked an 11-day deployment in fall 2016 at a logistics staging area outside a flood-affected parish in coastal Louisiana.

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© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73057469Thu, 06 Aug 2026 13:00:03 +0000Creator at ObomediaHe Faked a Humanitarian Career for Three Years: The Stanley Rafferty Case A man used a legitimately issued badge to walk into disaster zones, move supplies, and file accurate reports for nearly three years - all while the organization that issued...
A man used a legitimately issued badge to walk into disaster zones, move supplies, and file accurate reports for nearly three years - all while the organization that issued the credential had no record of him. How did a real authorization number end up describing someone who did not officially exist, and what finally exposed the ruse?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of events that began when a county surveyor found an orange vest on a foreclosed lot and trace how a low-access partner-registration portal, a garage-sale find, and a falsified reference email allowed Thomas to impersonate a humanitarian coordinator. How did bureaucratic gaps and quiet assumptions let him work in active disaster responses unchallenged?

Person: Stanley Thomas Thomas
Date: May 14, 2019
Organization: IHCN (International Humanitarian Coordination Network)
Location: Colver Crossing; Gulf Coast; Caribbean
Case: Badge number valid but issued via partner-registration pathway

- Vest discovered by Paul Lawson at 10:30 AM on May 14, 2019 on a foreclosed lot off Route Eleven.
- Thomas bought the faded orange vest for $3 at a garage sale on Deering Road in spring 2015.
- The vest bore the IHCN insignia and showed ghost stitching where a name patch had been removed.
- Thomas registered a professional reference email six weeks before submitting his IHCN partner-registration application.
- Thomas worked an 11-day deployment in fall 2016 at a logistics staging area outside a flood-affected parish in coastal Louisiana.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1087falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-man-who-built-broadway-on-a-0-35-cassette-and-a-lie--73057468
A single 35-cent cassette and one uncorrected sentence turned a Dayton listener into a sought-after dialect coach - until a laminated certificate found in a septic access panel exposed an institution that never existed. How did ninety minutes of tape, four hundred listens, and a spiral notebook become the scaffolding for a two-decade professional identity built on a lie?

In this episode, we follow the documentary thread from a Goodwill cassette to a laminated credential and the people who trusted Raymond Jones's work. We trace his self-taught methods, the moment his claim became public, and the discovery that began to unravel his career - but what does it mean for skill to be real when the credential is not?

Person: Raymond D. Jones
Date: April 2019 (certificate found)
Location: Columbus (certificate found behind a studio septic access panel)
Event: Found laminated certificate naming a non-existent joint program
Item: Cassette tape labeled "Phonetic Dialect Patterns for the Stage Actor, Volume II" priced at $0.35

- Jones listened to the 90-minute cassette approximately 400 times over three years.
- The cassette label listed nine British regional dialects, three American dialects, two Irish variants, and one stage Scottish.
- Jones transcribed the tape in full into a spiral notebook recovered by investigators.
- In fall 1996 Jones told a reviewer he had trained in the UK; the reviewer printed the claim and Jones never corrected it.
- The fabricated credential listed "Master Practitioner of Phonetic Dialect Coaching" dated June 15, 1991, and referenced a joint program that did not exist.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73057468Wed, 05 Aug 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Man Who Built Broadway on a $0.35 Cassette and a Lie A single 35-cent cassette and one uncorrected sentence turned a Dayton listener into a sought-after dialect coach - until a laminated certificate found in a septic access panel exposed an...
A single 35-cent cassette and one uncorrected sentence turned a Dayton listener into a sought-after dialect coach - until a laminated certificate found in a septic access panel exposed an institution that never existed. How did ninety minutes of tape, four hundred listens, and a spiral notebook become the scaffolding for a two-decade professional identity built on a lie?

In this episode, we follow the documentary thread from a Goodwill cassette to a laminated credential and the people who trusted Raymond Jones's work. We trace his self-taught methods, the moment his claim became public, and the discovery that began to unravel his career - but what does it mean for skill to be real when the credential is not?

Person: Raymond D. Jones
Date: April 2019 (certificate found)
Location: Columbus (certificate found behind a studio septic access panel)
Event: Found laminated certificate naming a non-existent joint program
Item: Cassette tape labeled "Phonetic Dialect Patterns for the Stage Actor, Volume II" priced at $0.35

- Jones listened to the 90-minute cassette approximately 400 times over three years.
- The cassette label listed nine British regional dialects, three American dialects, two Irish variants, and one stage Scottish.
- Jones transcribed the tape in full into a spiral notebook recovered by investigators.
- In fall 1996 Jones told a reviewer he had trained in the UK; the reviewer printed the claim and Jones never corrected it.
- The fabricated credential listed "Master Practitioner of Phonetic Dialect Coaching" dated June 15, 1991, and referenced a joint program that did not exist.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1138falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-lawyer-who-faked-a-diploma-and-saved-immigrant-lives-until-found-out--73057466
A man who represented mostly immigrants for eleven years hung a laminated law diploma from a school that closed in 1963 above his desk - the diploma listed a conferral date five years after his birth. How did a forged Harwick College of Law credential slip through Ohio's bar system for decades, and what finally unravels the story?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from the morning the diploma was found on a greenway to the administrative file that flagged the institution years earlier. You’ll hear how paper records, a paralegal certification, and a narrow bar-admission clause all played parts in the question: when competence and deception meet, who should decide the line?

Person: Roy Alden Thorpe
Event: Diploma from Harwick College of Law found
Date: March 14
Location: Carver Creek greenway; Dellwood, Ohio
Status: Bar admission based on forged credential

- The diploma read Harwick College of Law, Chandler, Ohio with conferral date May 19, 1991, despite the school closing in 1963.
- Roy Thorpe was born in 1968 and submitted the Harwick diploma on his 1993 bar application.
- Thorpe completed a paralegal certification in 1990 at age 22 before pursuing bar admission.
- Teresa Murphy flagged Thorpe’s credential for review four years before the diploma was found and kept a photocopy of her flag for four years.
- Thorpe ran Thorpe Legal Services for eleven years, handled immigration cases without a documented loss, and medicated his office dog, Biscuit, every morning and evening at six.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73057466Tue, 04 Aug 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Lawyer Who Faked a Diploma and Saved Immigrant Lives-Until Found Out A man who represented mostly immigrants for eleven years hung a laminated law diploma from a school that closed in 1963 above his desk - the diploma listed a conferral date...
A man who represented mostly immigrants for eleven years hung a laminated law diploma from a school that closed in 1963 above his desk - the diploma listed a conferral date five years after his birth. How did a forged Harwick College of Law credential slip through Ohio's bar system for decades, and what finally unravels the story?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from the morning the diploma was found on a greenway to the administrative file that flagged the institution years earlier. You’ll hear how paper records, a paralegal certification, and a narrow bar-admission clause all played parts in the question: when competence and deception meet, who should decide the line?

Person: Roy Alden Thorpe
Event: Diploma from Harwick College of Law found
Date: March 14
Location: Carver Creek greenway; Dellwood, Ohio
Status: Bar admission based on forged credential

- The diploma read Harwick College of Law, Chandler, Ohio with conferral date May 19, 1991, despite the school closing in 1963.
- Roy Thorpe was born in 1968 and submitted the Harwick diploma on his 1993 bar application.
- Thorpe completed a paralegal certification in 1990 at age 22 before pursuing bar admission.
- Teresa Murphy flagged Thorpe’s credential for review four years before the diploma was found and kept a photocopy of her flag for four years.
- Thorpe ran Thorpe Legal Services for eleven years, handled immigration cases without a documented loss, and medicated his office dog, Biscuit, every morning and evening at six.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1079falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-fake-cpa-who-found-frauds-then-stole-114-000-from-his-firm--73057464
Cold competence hid a long con: a lapsed Ohio CPA license, a printed certificate, and two years of real on-the-job skill let one man move from whistleblower to embezzler. He uncovered a $4,000/month diversion and payroll manipulation, then siphoned repeated transfers totaling $114,000 while recording his own nightly confessions - so what finally exposed him?

In this episode, we tell how a forged credential opened doors at a forensic accounting firm, how the same man detected client frauds, and how his routine Wednesday-night voicemail habit preserved the evidence that tied him to his crimes. How did a professional identity built on a single lapsed license number become both his ticket in and his undoing?

Person: Mark Robert Lewis
Location: Callum, Ohio
License number: OH-44821
Firm: Vantage Forensic Solutions, 4400 Meridian Connector Road
Date: February 11, 2019

- A 15-year-old paper carrier found a framed certificate propped against the firm's glass door at 6:40 AM on February 11, 2019.
- The certificate showed the name Mark R. Lewis and license number OH-44821, a license that had lapsed in 2013.
- Lewis joined Vantage in January 2017 and by February 2018 had received a raise after uncovering a $4,000/month diversion scheme.
- From spring 2017, Lewis made repeated theft transfers-examples include $800, $1,200, and $2,200-totaling $114,000 from client trust and escrow sub-accounts.
- Every Wednesday night between 11:15 and 11:45 PM Lewis called his own voicemail and read numbers aloud, creating an archive used in the forensic reconstruction.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73057464Mon, 03 Aug 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Fake CPA Who Found Frauds - Then Stole $114,000 from His Firm Cold competence hid a long con: a lapsed Ohio CPA license, a printed certificate, and two years of real on-the-job skill let one man move from whistleblower to embezzler. He...
Cold competence hid a long con: a lapsed Ohio CPA license, a printed certificate, and two years of real on-the-job skill let one man move from whistleblower to embezzler. He uncovered a $4,000/month diversion and payroll manipulation, then siphoned repeated transfers totaling $114,000 while recording his own nightly confessions - so what finally exposed him?

In this episode, we tell how a forged credential opened doors at a forensic accounting firm, how the same man detected client frauds, and how his routine Wednesday-night voicemail habit preserved the evidence that tied him to his crimes. How did a professional identity built on a single lapsed license number become both his ticket in and his undoing?

Person: Mark Robert Lewis
Location: Callum, Ohio
License number: OH-44821
Firm: Vantage Forensic Solutions, 4400 Meridian Connector Road
Date: February 11, 2019

- A 15-year-old paper carrier found a framed certificate propped against the firm's glass door at 6:40 AM on February 11, 2019.
- The certificate showed the name Mark R. Lewis and license number OH-44821, a license that had lapsed in 2013.
- Lewis joined Vantage in January 2017 and by February 2018 had received a raise after uncovering a $4,000/month diversion scheme.
- From spring 2017, Lewis made repeated theft transfers-examples include $800, $1,200, and $2,200-totaling $114,000 from client trust and escrow sub-accounts.
- Every Wednesday night between 11:15 and 11:45 PM Lewis called his own voicemail and read numbers aloud, creating an archive used in the forensic reconstruction.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1267falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/she-faked-everest-level-credentials-the-amanda-snyder-case--73057463
A forgotten Pinecroft ski-lift ticket and a Denali summit certificate with the same month and year cracked open a nineteen-year deception that mixed real mountaineering skill with impossible claims-so how did nobody spot the contradiction until two laminated cards blew out of a plow blade? Discover the single physical clue that unraveled a life built on borrowed altitude and what it reveals about trust, identity, and the thin line between competence and fabrication.

In this episode, we follow the discovery and the small, verifiable moments that let Amanda Snyder's story persist: the plow operator who found the cards, neighbors who treated her as competent, and the few people who noticed inconsistencies but did not act. What finally forced the truth into daylight, and what does that say about how communities verify expertise?

Person: Amanda J. Snyder
Age: 56 at time of discovery
Location: Kellerton, Colorado
Found by: Donna Doyle (plow operator)
Items recovered: Denali summit certificate and Pinecroft ski-lift ticket bound together

- Two laminated cards-the Denali summit certificate and a Pinecroft Mountain ski-lift ticket-shared the same month and year.
- The items were found behind the Pinecroft Mountain Club in eight inches of frozen slush on a Tuesday morning in January.
- Amanda joined the county search-and-rescue unit in her second year in town and performed well according to coordinator Phil Reuter.
- She completed a basic mountaineering course in her thirties and worked in outdoor education, demonstrating real cold-weather and glacier knowledge.
- A photograph she used in public talks was digitally composited, and a Denali summiter, Ray Pollard, suspected the snow surface in the image was inconsistent with that elevation.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73057463Sun, 02 Aug 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaShe Faked Everest-Level Credentials: The Amanda Snyder Case A forgotten Pinecroft ski-lift ticket and a Denali summit certificate with the same month and year cracked open a nineteen-year deception that mixed real mountaineering skill with...
A forgotten Pinecroft ski-lift ticket and a Denali summit certificate with the same month and year cracked open a nineteen-year deception that mixed real mountaineering skill with impossible claims-so how did nobody spot the contradiction until two laminated cards blew out of a plow blade? Discover the single physical clue that unraveled a life built on borrowed altitude and what it reveals about trust, identity, and the thin line between competence and fabrication.

In this episode, we follow the discovery and the small, verifiable moments that let Amanda Snyder's story persist: the plow operator who found the cards, neighbors who treated her as competent, and the few people who noticed inconsistencies but did not act. What finally forced the truth into daylight, and what does that say about how communities verify expertise?

Person: Amanda J. Snyder
Age: 56 at time of discovery
Location: Kellerton, Colorado
Found by: Donna Doyle (plow operator)
Items recovered: Denali summit certificate and Pinecroft ski-lift ticket bound together

- Two laminated cards-the Denali summit certificate and a Pinecroft Mountain ski-lift ticket-shared the same month and year.
- The items were found behind the Pinecroft Mountain Club in eight inches of frozen slush on a Tuesday morning in January.
- Amanda joined the county search-and-rescue unit in her second year in town and performed well according to coordinator Phil Reuter.
- She completed a basic mountaineering course in her thirties and worked in outdoor education, demonstrating real cold-weather and glacier knowledge.
- A photograph she used in public talks was digitally composited, and a Denali summiter, Ray Pollard, suspected the snow surface in the image was inconsistent with that elevation.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1241falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/she-was-twenty-two-and-running-a-fertility-clinic-the-victoria-walker-case--73057461
Cold credentials, a laminated diploma found dry on a rain-soaked utility pole, and a twenty-two-year-old running a fertility clinic with no record at her listed medical school - how did five forged documents evade a single phone call that would have ended it? What happened in the months that eleven families would later say changed their lives?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from the morning a pole-climbing worker found the credential to the opening of Briar Ridge Fertility Clinic and the early doubts raised by staff. The episode covers the forged diploma, the staffing and protocols at the clinic, and the moment a nurse practitioner first checked the medical school registry - but what kept the deception going?

Person: Victoria A. Walker
Location: Briar Ridge Fertility Clinic, Pembrook, Ohio
Date: Clinic opened April 2009; credential found December 11, 2010
Person: Susan Hale, nurse practitioner with 12 years' reproductive medicine experience
Document: Diploma claimed from Kessler School of Medicine (not listed in 2004 graduates)

- A laminated diploma with the name Victoria A. Walker, M.D. was found zip-tied to a utility pole on the east side of the Briar Ridge campus on the morning of December 11, 2010.
- Briar Ridge Fertility Clinic opened in April 2009 with Victoria Walker listed as the physician at age 22.
- Five documents presented during clinic setup included a diploma, a residency certificate, a DEA registration number, a state medical license described as a high-quality forgery, and board certification from the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
- Susan Hale, hired as the clinic's single clinical employee, had 12 years of experience and began noticing clinical anomalies about six weeks after opening.
- In November 2009 Hale searched the Kessler School of Medicine's 2004 graduating class directory of 41 graduates and found no listing for Victoria A. Walker.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73057461Sat, 01 Aug 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaShe Was Twenty-Two and Running a Fertility Clinic: The Victoria Walker Case Cold credentials, a laminated diploma found dry on a rain-soaked utility pole, and a twenty-two-year-old running a fertility clinic with no record at her listed medical...
Cold credentials, a laminated diploma found dry on a rain-soaked utility pole, and a twenty-two-year-old running a fertility clinic with no record at her listed medical school - how did five forged documents evade a single phone call that would have ended it? What happened in the months that eleven families would later say changed their lives?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from the morning a pole-climbing worker found the credential to the opening of Briar Ridge Fertility Clinic and the early doubts raised by staff. The episode covers the forged diploma, the staffing and protocols at the clinic, and the moment a nurse practitioner first checked the medical school registry - but what kept the deception going?

Person: Victoria A. Walker
Location: Briar Ridge Fertility Clinic, Pembrook, Ohio
Date: Clinic opened April 2009; credential found December 11, 2010
Person: Susan Hale, nurse practitioner with 12 years' reproductive medicine experience
Document: Diploma claimed from Kessler School of Medicine (not listed in 2004 graduates)

- A laminated diploma with the name Victoria A. Walker, M.D. was found zip-tied to a utility pole on the east side of the Briar Ridge campus on the morning of December 11, 2010.
- Briar Ridge Fertility Clinic opened in April 2009 with Victoria Walker listed as the physician at age 22.
- Five documents presented during clinic setup included a diploma, a residency certificate, a DEA registration number, a state medical license described as a high-quality forgery, and board certification from the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
- Susan Hale, hired as the clinic's single clinical employee, had 12 years of experience and began noticing clinical anomalies about six weeks after opening.
- In November 2009 Hale searched the Kessler School of Medicine's 2004 graduating class directory of 41 graduates and found no listing for Victoria A. Walker.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1254falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/she-built-a-refugee-life-from-nothing-the-laura-parker-case--73057459
A laminated UN credential with the name Laura Parker landed face-up in the snow at 6:41 a.m. on a Tuesday, sixty feet from the nearest path, after a snowfall between 2:00 and 4:00 a.m. - and no footprints approached it. How did a woman working as a Senior Resettlement Coordinator at a refugee nonprofit sustain a decades-long fabricated identity with forged degrees and certificates, and what finally made that story start to unravel?

In this episode, we follow the staff, documents, and small daily routines that made Laura Parker appear real to colleagues and clients. The episode covers the badge in the snow, the office culture at the Northeastern Pennsylvania Refugee Life Collaborative, and the inconsistencies that emerged over months - culminating in the question of how someone could build a refugee life from nothing.

Person: Laura Parker (alias for Rebecca Haas)
Person: Rebecca Haas
Organization: Northeastern Pennsylvania Refugee Life Collaborative
Location: Dunmore, Pennsylvania
Date: 2018 (first crack), badge found at 6:41 a.m, on a Tuesday after snow between 2:00-4:00 a.m.

- The badge was found face-up in the snow at 6:41 a.m., sixty feet from the nearest path.
- Laura Parker arrived at the office at 8:15 a.m. the same day and clipped the badge back to her lanyard.
- Her real name was Rebecca Haas and she was born in Allentown, Pennsylvania, in 1981.
- She had not spoken to her mother in Stroudsburg for eleven years.
- The Brussels resettlement degree and the citizenship certificate she carried were forged.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73057459Fri, 31 Jul 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaShe Built a Refugee Life From Nothing: The Laura Parker Case A laminated UN credential with the name Laura Parker landed face-up in the snow at 6:41 a.m. on a Tuesday, sixty feet from the nearest path, after a snowfall between 2:00 and 4:00 a.m. -...
A laminated UN credential with the name Laura Parker landed face-up in the snow at 6:41 a.m. on a Tuesday, sixty feet from the nearest path, after a snowfall between 2:00 and 4:00 a.m. - and no footprints approached it. How did a woman working as a Senior Resettlement Coordinator at a refugee nonprofit sustain a decades-long fabricated identity with forged degrees and certificates, and what finally made that story start to unravel?

In this episode, we follow the staff, documents, and small daily routines that made Laura Parker appear real to colleagues and clients. The episode covers the badge in the snow, the office culture at the Northeastern Pennsylvania Refugee Life Collaborative, and the inconsistencies that emerged over months - culminating in the question of how someone could build a refugee life from nothing.

Person: Laura Parker (alias for Rebecca Haas)
Person: Rebecca Haas
Organization: Northeastern Pennsylvania Refugee Life Collaborative
Location: Dunmore, Pennsylvania
Date: 2018 (first crack), badge found at 6:41 a.m, on a Tuesday after snow between 2:00-4:00 a.m.

- The badge was found face-up in the snow at 6:41 a.m., sixty feet from the nearest path.
- Laura Parker arrived at the office at 8:15 a.m. the same day and clipped the badge back to her lanyard.
- Her real name was Rebecca Haas and she was born in Allentown, Pennsylvania, in 1981.
- She had not spoken to her mother in Stroudsburg for eleven years.
- The Brussels resettlement degree and the citizenship certificate she carried were forged.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1154falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-diploma-in-the-hydrangeas-how-a-forged-degree-ruled-a-town--73057457
A found diploma behind a hydrangea reveals that for twenty-eight years a small town’s most trusted school leader had a fake degree - bought for $63, answered for by her sister, and never checked by the district. How did a cream-cardstock forgery from a nonexistent Crestfield University help shape attendance, reading scores, and a community’s trust, and when did the counting inside the district file closet begin to unravel it all?

In this episode, you’ll hear the timeline from the morning Ruth Foster discovered the diploma on Briar Hill Drive to the winter when scanned personnel files exposed conflicting dates that raised alarms. The story covers the purchase, the hiring, the changes Kelly Long implemented in the school, and the moment the district’s digitization project found the inconsistency that could not be explained.

Person: Ruth Foster
Person: Kelly Ann Long
Location: Pallister, Ohio
Date: March 26, 2019 (the fourth Tuesday of March 2019)
Amount: $63

- The diploma was discovered leaning against a hydrangea on Briar Hill Drive during a gas meter reading on the fourth Tuesday of March 2019.
- Kelly Long purchased the diploma and embossing press in one afternoon, paying $63 in cash at a custom awards shop in Millford.
- Kelly Long had completed 18 documented continuing education credits at a regional state university before falsifying the degree.
- She was hired as assistant principal in January 1992 after a verification call was answered by her sister Janet.
- In three years after hiring she redesigned the school’s reading intervention program and chronic absenteeism dropped 14%.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73057457Thu, 30 Jul 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Diploma in the Hydrangeas: How a Forged Degree Ruled a Town A found diploma behind a hydrangea reveals that for twenty-eight years a small town’s most trusted school leader had a fake degree - bought for $63, answered for by her sister, and...
A found diploma behind a hydrangea reveals that for twenty-eight years a small town’s most trusted school leader had a fake degree - bought for $63, answered for by her sister, and never checked by the district. How did a cream-cardstock forgery from a nonexistent Crestfield University help shape attendance, reading scores, and a community’s trust, and when did the counting inside the district file closet begin to unravel it all?

In this episode, you’ll hear the timeline from the morning Ruth Foster discovered the diploma on Briar Hill Drive to the winter when scanned personnel files exposed conflicting dates that raised alarms. The story covers the purchase, the hiring, the changes Kelly Long implemented in the school, and the moment the district’s digitization project found the inconsistency that could not be explained.

Person: Ruth Foster
Person: Kelly Ann Long
Location: Pallister, Ohio
Date: March 26, 2019 (the fourth Tuesday of March 2019)
Amount: $63

- The diploma was discovered leaning against a hydrangea on Briar Hill Drive during a gas meter reading on the fourth Tuesday of March 2019.
- Kelly Long purchased the diploma and embossing press in one afternoon, paying $63 in cash at a custom awards shop in Millford.
- Kelly Long had completed 18 documented continuing education credits at a regional state university before falsifying the degree.
- She was hired as assistant principal in January 1992 after a verification call was answered by her sister Janet.
- In three years after hiring she redesigned the school’s reading intervention program and chronic absenteeism dropped 14%.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1187falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/a-dead-magazine-s-badge-found-in-a-bread-basket-the-brian-carter-fraud--73057456
A laminated press badge from a magazine that had ceased publication five years earlier turned up in a bread basket at a parish food bank - the hologram, seal and photo all genuine, yet the magazine named on it stopped printing in 2014. How did a twenty-six-year-old with no formal culinary credentials convince restaurants and regional press he belonged at their tables, and what did people choose not to notice?

In this episode, we follow the sequence that began the day Dale Whitaker found the badge and trace Brian Carter’s three-year construction of a false professional identity across Fenwick and neighboring counties. We outline how a single unclaimed press pass and an obsessive study of a defunct magazine’s language allowed Carter to gain meals, access, and quotes - but who benefits from that silence?

Person: Brian Carter
Age: 26
Location: Medford, Ohio
Event: Badge found in a bread basket at Saint Ambrose Parish food bank
Publication: Continental Table (ceased 2014)

- Badge discovered on a Tuesday morning in September 2019 by volunteer Dale Whitaker.
- Carter moved to Fenwick in August 2016 at age 23 with a one-bedroom apartment on Forsythe Lane.
- He attended a gastronomy trade event in Columbus in spring 2016 and picked up an unclaimed press pass issued to James Howell.
- He launched a self-hosted blog "Continental Table: Midwest Desk" in 2017 implying proximity to the original guide.
- Continental Table had closed in 2014, creating a five-year gap between the magazine's end and the badge dated 2019.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73057456Wed, 29 Jul 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaA Dead Magazine's Badge Found in a Bread Basket: The Brian Carter Fraud A laminated press badge from a magazine that had ceased publication five years earlier turned up in a bread basket at a parish food bank - the hologram, seal and photo all...
A laminated press badge from a magazine that had ceased publication five years earlier turned up in a bread basket at a parish food bank - the hologram, seal and photo all genuine, yet the magazine named on it stopped printing in 2014. How did a twenty-six-year-old with no formal culinary credentials convince restaurants and regional press he belonged at their tables, and what did people choose not to notice?

In this episode, we follow the sequence that began the day Dale Whitaker found the badge and trace Brian Carter’s three-year construction of a false professional identity across Fenwick and neighboring counties. We outline how a single unclaimed press pass and an obsessive study of a defunct magazine’s language allowed Carter to gain meals, access, and quotes - but who benefits from that silence?

Person: Brian Carter
Age: 26
Location: Medford, Ohio
Event: Badge found in a bread basket at Saint Ambrose Parish food bank
Publication: Continental Table (ceased 2014)

- Badge discovered on a Tuesday morning in September 2019 by volunteer Dale Whitaker.
- Carter moved to Fenwick in August 2016 at age 23 with a one-bedroom apartment on Forsythe Lane.
- He attended a gastronomy trade event in Columbus in spring 2016 and picked up an unclaimed press pass issued to James Howell.
- He launched a self-hosted blog "Continental Table: Midwest Desk" in 2017 implying proximity to the original guide.
- Continental Table had closed in 2014, creating a five-year gap between the magazine's end and the badge dated 2019.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1144falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/a-dead-man-s-name-the-carl-romano-identity-fraud-case--73057454
A buried identity, a dead man's Social Security number, and nine years of classrooms taught under a false name - how did a substitute teacher work undetected for almost a decade using the identity of a man who died in 2003? What gaps let a replacement Social Security card mailed to a living man's rental address become the key to a long con that lasted until a golden retriever found a laminated badge in 2014?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from a Bucks County courthouse filing that exposed a Social Security number, to a replacement card issued in 2004, to substitute teaching applications submitted across southern New Jersey, to the discovery of the badge on the Roy Doyle Trail - and we ask what those nine years of near-invisibility reveal about the systems meant to prevent identity fraud.

Person: Kenneth Farris
Date: August 9, 2014
Location: Roy Doyle Trail, southern New Jersey pine barrens
Person: Carl Romano
Event: Replacement Social Security card issued in 2004

- A golden retriever named Biscuit found a laminated badge in a drainage culvert on August 9, 2014.
- Kenneth Farris died in a car accident in August 2003 at age 38 and had no next of kin listed.
- A Bucks County small-claims filing from 2002 exposed Kenneth Farris's Social Security number.
- A replacement Social Security card in Kenneth Farris's name was mailed to Carl Romano's rental address in Medford in 2004.
- Carl Romano taught sixth-grade science in Fenwick Township Middle School for nearly nine years using the name Kenneth Farris.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73057454Tue, 28 Jul 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaA Dead Man's Name: The Carl Romano Identity Fraud Case A buried identity, a dead man's Social Security number, and nine years of classrooms taught under a false name - how did a substitute teacher work undetected for almost a decade using the...
A buried identity, a dead man's Social Security number, and nine years of classrooms taught under a false name - how did a substitute teacher work undetected for almost a decade using the identity of a man who died in 2003? What gaps let a replacement Social Security card mailed to a living man's rental address become the key to a long con that lasted until a golden retriever found a laminated badge in 2014?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from a Bucks County courthouse filing that exposed a Social Security number, to a replacement card issued in 2004, to substitute teaching applications submitted across southern New Jersey, to the discovery of the badge on the Roy Doyle Trail - and we ask what those nine years of near-invisibility reveal about the systems meant to prevent identity fraud.

Person: Kenneth Farris
Date: August 9, 2014
Location: Roy Doyle Trail, southern New Jersey pine barrens
Person: Carl Romano
Event: Replacement Social Security card issued in 2004

- A golden retriever named Biscuit found a laminated badge in a drainage culvert on August 9, 2014.
- Kenneth Farris died in a car accident in August 2003 at age 38 and had no next of kin listed.
- A Bucks County small-claims filing from 2002 exposed Kenneth Farris's Social Security number.
- A replacement Social Security card in Kenneth Farris's name was mailed to Carl Romano's rental address in Medford in 2004.
- Carl Romano taught sixth-grade science in Fenwick Township Middle School for nearly nine years using the name Kenneth Farris.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1370falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-badge-that-wouldn-t-sink-inside-a-fake-grief-counselor-s-fall--73057453
The dry laminated badge pulled from Tanner Creek named "DR. RHONDA ADAMS, LCGC, CLINICAL GRIEF SPECIALIST" though it should have been soaked after six to ten hours underwater - and it was the first physical clue that unraveled a four-year deception. How did a woman with two years of community college and volunteer experience come to run a private practice with a waiting list of grieving clients, and why did twenty-one former clients still show up at her sentencing?

In this episode, you’ll hear the timeline from the morning Ruth Coleman found the badge through the discovery that Rhonda Adams used a nonaccredited Tidewater Grief Institute certificate to build a practice in Harwick, and the unresolved question about why many clients insisted she had genuinely helped them.

Person: Rhonda Adams
Date: July 9, 2014
Location: Tanner Creek, Harwick County, Tennessee
Topic: Fabricated credentials and private grief counseling practice
Case: Tidewater Grief Institute nonaccreditation

- The badge was found face up and perfectly dry after the creek had run six to ten hours since anyone touched it.
- Rhonda Adams arrived in Harwick around 2010 and was in her early forties at the time.
- She ran a private practice with a waiting list of twenty-three clients by her second year of operation.
- She worked Tuesday through Friday with ninety-minute sessions and had a waiting list of clients referred by local doctors and neighbors.
- Twenty-one former clients attended her sentencing, and eleven asked the court to consider that she had genuinely helped them.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73057453Mon, 27 Jul 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Badge That Wouldn't Sink: Inside a Fake Grief Counselor's Fall The dry laminated badge pulled from Tanner Creek named "DR. RHONDA ADAMS, LCGC, CLINICAL GRIEF SPECIALIST" though it should have been soaked after six to ten hours underwater - and...
The dry laminated badge pulled from Tanner Creek named "DR. RHONDA ADAMS, LCGC, CLINICAL GRIEF SPECIALIST" though it should have been soaked after six to ten hours underwater - and it was the first physical clue that unraveled a four-year deception. How did a woman with two years of community college and volunteer experience come to run a private practice with a waiting list of grieving clients, and why did twenty-one former clients still show up at her sentencing?

In this episode, you’ll hear the timeline from the morning Ruth Coleman found the badge through the discovery that Rhonda Adams used a nonaccredited Tidewater Grief Institute certificate to build a practice in Harwick, and the unresolved question about why many clients insisted she had genuinely helped them.

Person: Rhonda Adams
Date: July 9, 2014
Location: Tanner Creek, Harwick County, Tennessee
Topic: Fabricated credentials and private grief counseling practice
Case: Tidewater Grief Institute nonaccreditation

- The badge was found face up and perfectly dry after the creek had run six to ten hours since anyone touched it.
- Rhonda Adams arrived in Harwick around 2010 and was in her early forties at the time.
- She ran a private practice with a waiting list of twenty-three clients by her second year of operation.
- She worked Tuesday through Friday with ninety-minute sessions and had a waiting list of clients referred by local doctors and neighbors.
- Twenty-one former clients attended her sentencing, and eleven asked the court to consider that she had genuinely helped them.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1302falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-man-who-planned-three-weddings-for-the-same-june-18th--73057451
A stranger with a warm handshake booked three venues, ordered identical flowers, and set the same wedding date for three different women - all without them knowing about each other. How did one man keep three lives stitched together until a florist’s duplicate order and a dismantled arch on Teller Creek Road began to fray the seams of his lies?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of discoveries and the documents that tied them together, from a county surveyor's notebook entry to a florist's copied order and a spiral planner found in a truck. What exactly broke the pattern Curtis O'Brien had spent years constructing, and when did the separate threads finally intersect?

Person: Curtis O'Brien
Date: June 18, 2011
Location: Teller Creek Road
Occupation claim: semi-retired structural engineer
Objects found: spiral notebook with color-coded master calendar

- At 9:47 AM on June 9, 2011 Lauren Smith logged the discovery of a partially dismantled wedding arch on Teller Creek Road.
- Curtis proposed to Angela in March 2010 at the same Teller Creek Road property where the arch later appeared.
- Curtis proposed to Lorraine in November 2010 at a Lutheran reception hall whose reservation he had made before asking.
- Curtis proposed to Diane in February 2011 for a renovated barn venue he had already reserved on the outskirts of town.
- A florist in January 2011 copied a second June 18 order for white ranunculus, sage eucalyptus, and ivory ribbon under the groom name Curtis O'Brien and filed the duplicate.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73057451Sun, 26 Jul 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Man Who Planned Three Weddings for the Same June 18th A stranger with a warm handshake booked three venues, ordered identical flowers, and set the same wedding date for three different women - all without them knowing about each other. How did...
A stranger with a warm handshake booked three venues, ordered identical flowers, and set the same wedding date for three different women - all without them knowing about each other. How did one man keep three lives stitched together until a florist’s duplicate order and a dismantled arch on Teller Creek Road began to fray the seams of his lies?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of discoveries and the documents that tied them together, from a county surveyor's notebook entry to a florist's copied order and a spiral planner found in a truck. What exactly broke the pattern Curtis O'Brien had spent years constructing, and when did the separate threads finally intersect?

Person: Curtis O'Brien
Date: June 18, 2011
Location: Teller Creek Road
Occupation claim: semi-retired structural engineer
Objects found: spiral notebook with color-coded master calendar

- At 9:47 AM on June 9, 2011 Lauren Smith logged the discovery of a partially dismantled wedding arch on Teller Creek Road.
- Curtis proposed to Angela in March 2010 at the same Teller Creek Road property where the arch later appeared.
- Curtis proposed to Lorraine in November 2010 at a Lutheran reception hall whose reservation he had made before asking.
- Curtis proposed to Diane in February 2011 for a renovated barn venue he had already reserved on the outskirts of town.
- A florist in January 2011 copied a second June 18 order for white ranunculus, sage eucalyptus, and ivory ribbon under the groom name Curtis O'Brien and filed the duplicate.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1118falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/she-hung-a-fake-degree-for-nine-years-the-debra-mills-case--73057450
There is a quiet, almost clinical tension in discovering that a single framed diploma-hung for nine years-was impossible: Roebling Community College never awarded the bachelor's degree printed on Debra Mills’s wall. How did a professionally produced fake credential survive routine hires and a decade of real engineering work without anyone calling the registrar?

In this episode, you’ll hear the timeline of events from the moment a septic contractor glanced through a window in May 2011 to the meeting called that Thursday afternoon; the episode traces Mills’s education, her hiring, her technical contributions, and the discrepancy that finally exposed the diploma. What choices and oversights allowed a nonexistent degree to anchor an otherwise undoubted professional life?

Person: Debra A. Mills
Date: May 2011
Institution: Roebling Community College
Position: Lead systems engineer at Hargrove Electromechanical
Age: 44 in 2011

- A septic contractor, Edward Lawson, first noticed the framed diploma while detouring around the east side of Building C in May 2011.
- Roebling Community College awarded Mills an Associate of Applied Science in 1996 and placed her on the dean’s list, but has never awarded a bachelor’s degree.
- The electrical technology program described on the fake diploma did not exist at Roebling until 2003, seven years after the diploma’s printed date.
- Mills was hired by Hargrove in 2002 after an interview where the employer verified only that the institution existed, not the specific degree.
- From 2002 to 2011 Mills served as lead systems engineer, designed a load-balancing framework licensed to three regional utility companies, and supervised junior engineers.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73057450Sat, 25 Jul 2026 13:00:03 +0000Creator at ObomediaShe Hung a Fake Degree for Nine Years: The Debra Mills Case There is a quiet, almost clinical tension in discovering that a single framed diploma-hung for nine years-was impossible: Roebling Community College never awarded the bachelor's degree...
There is a quiet, almost clinical tension in discovering that a single framed diploma-hung for nine years-was impossible: Roebling Community College never awarded the bachelor's degree printed on Debra Mills’s wall. How did a professionally produced fake credential survive routine hires and a decade of real engineering work without anyone calling the registrar?

In this episode, you’ll hear the timeline of events from the moment a septic contractor glanced through a window in May 2011 to the meeting called that Thursday afternoon; the episode traces Mills’s education, her hiring, her technical contributions, and the discrepancy that finally exposed the diploma. What choices and oversights allowed a nonexistent degree to anchor an otherwise undoubted professional life?

Person: Debra A. Mills
Date: May 2011
Institution: Roebling Community College
Position: Lead systems engineer at Hargrove Electromechanical
Age: 44 in 2011

- A septic contractor, Edward Lawson, first noticed the framed diploma while detouring around the east side of Building C in May 2011.
- Roebling Community College awarded Mills an Associate of Applied Science in 1996 and placed her on the dean’s list, but has never awarded a bachelor’s degree.
- The electrical technology program described on the fake diploma did not exist at Roebling until 2003, seven years after the diploma’s printed date.
- Mills was hired by Hargrove in 2002 after an interview where the employer verified only that the institution existed, not the specific degree.
- From 2002 to 2011 Mills served as lead systems engineer, designed a load-balancing framework licensed to three regional utility companies, and supervised junior engineers.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1302falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/at-five-thirty-in-the-morning-on-a-tuesday-in-early-april--73057449
Fear that someone you trust could be a carefully built illusion: a manila folder with twelve documents, a laminated seminary diploma with a punched hole, and a pastor who led a Bible study of twelve people despite fabricated credentials - how did she make it this far, and why leave the diploma intact in a park?

In this episode, we tell the documented events that followed a birdwatcher finding a folder in Harlow Creek Municipal Park and trace who Gloria Anne White presented herself to be and what she actually made of paper and websites; could the truth be the very thing she carried to a tree root?

Person: Gloria Anne White
Location: Harlow Creek Municipal Park
Institution: Covenant Theological Seminary (named on diploma)
Event: Folder with twelve documents found
Witnesses: Wednesday evening study of 12 people

- The manila portfolio contained twelve documents and a laminated seminary diploma with a small punched hole at the top center.
- Gloria White was 29 when she arrived in Harlow Creek and had attended two years of Bible college before leaving.
- The Harlow Creek Community Church congregation had roughly 340 members and its senior pastor, Douglas Innis, had led for 22 years.
- The Congregational Fellowship of the Midwest had issued exactly one ordination, and its address resolved to a UPS Store mailbox in Columbus registered to Gloria A. White.
- Covenant Theological Seminary had closed permanently in 1991, yet the diploma submitted was dated more than 15 years after that closure.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73057449Fri, 24 Jul 2026 13:00:03 +0000Creator at ObomediaAt five thirty in the morning on a Tuesday in early April Fear that someone you trust could be a carefully built illusion: a manila folder with twelve documents, a laminated seminary diploma with a punched hole, and a pastor who led a Bible study...
Fear that someone you trust could be a carefully built illusion: a manila folder with twelve documents, a laminated seminary diploma with a punched hole, and a pastor who led a Bible study of twelve people despite fabricated credentials - how did she make it this far, and why leave the diploma intact in a park?

In this episode, we tell the documented events that followed a birdwatcher finding a folder in Harlow Creek Municipal Park and trace who Gloria Anne White presented herself to be and what she actually made of paper and websites; could the truth be the very thing she carried to a tree root?

Person: Gloria Anne White
Location: Harlow Creek Municipal Park
Institution: Covenant Theological Seminary (named on diploma)
Event: Folder with twelve documents found
Witnesses: Wednesday evening study of 12 people

- The manila portfolio contained twelve documents and a laminated seminary diploma with a small punched hole at the top center.
- Gloria White was 29 when she arrived in Harlow Creek and had attended two years of Bible college before leaving.
- The Harlow Creek Community Church congregation had roughly 340 members and its senior pastor, Douglas Innis, had led for 22 years.
- The Congregational Fellowship of the Midwest had issued exactly one ordination, and its address resolved to a UPS Store mailbox in Columbus registered to Gloria A. White.
- Covenant Theological Seminary had closed permanently in 1991, yet the diploma submitted was dated more than 15 years after that closure.

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© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1076falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-morning-a-cracked-display-case-unraveled-a-fake-ranger-life--73057448
A small-town ritual hid a nine-year fabrication: a glass-fronted display case of military ribbons and a woman who walked to the veterans memorial every morning. One cracked pane at 4:12 AM began to undo claims of ROTC, a commission in 1979, and service with the 75th Ranger Regiment-so who was Diane Whitfield really?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of moments that led neighbors and police to question a life built on military honors and morning routines. Listen for the detail that first triggered suspicion and the gaps in official records that kept the story intact until that March morning.

Person: Diane Whitfield
Date: March 2011
Location: 412 Clement Street, Harlowe, Ohio
Event: Cracked display case found at 4:12 AM, door open eight inches
Period: Nine years of fabricated military identity (2002-2011)

- At 6:15 AM on a March morning in 2011, 14-year-old Robert Myers found the display case face-up and cracked at 4:12 Clement Street.
- Diane arrived in Harlowe in spring 2002, approximately 45 years old, driving a pickup with Kentucky plates.
- She claimed ROTC scholarship, a 1979 commission, and service with the 75th Ranger Regiment-none of which appear in Army records.
- For nine years she kept a lit display case of ribbons and medals beside her front door, visible from the sidewalk every night.
- She walked a 2.25-mile route each morning at 6:15, stopping for about five minutes at the Grigg Park granite memorial, missing that walk fewer than 12 times over nine years.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73057448Thu, 23 Jul 2026 13:00:12 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Morning a Cracked Display Case Unraveled a Fake Ranger Life A small-town ritual hid a nine-year fabrication: a glass-fronted display case of military ribbons and a woman who walked to the veterans memorial every morning. One cracked pane at...
A small-town ritual hid a nine-year fabrication: a glass-fronted display case of military ribbons and a woman who walked to the veterans memorial every morning. One cracked pane at 4:12 AM began to undo claims of ROTC, a commission in 1979, and service with the 75th Ranger Regiment-so who was Diane Whitfield really?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of moments that led neighbors and police to question a life built on military honors and morning routines. Listen for the detail that first triggered suspicion and the gaps in official records that kept the story intact until that March morning.

Person: Diane Whitfield
Date: March 2011
Location: 412 Clement Street, Harlowe, Ohio
Event: Cracked display case found at 4:12 AM, door open eight inches
Period: Nine years of fabricated military identity (2002-2011)

- At 6:15 AM on a March morning in 2011, 14-year-old Robert Myers found the display case face-up and cracked at 4:12 Clement Street.
- Diane arrived in Harlowe in spring 2002, approximately 45 years old, driving a pickup with Kentucky plates.
- She claimed ROTC scholarship, a 1979 commission, and service with the 75th Ranger Regiment-none of which appear in Army records.
- For nine years she kept a lit display case of ribbons and medals beside her front door, visible from the sidewalk every night.
- She walked a 2.25-mile route each morning at 6:15, stopping for about five minutes at the Grigg Park granite memorial, missing that walk fewer than 12 times over nine years.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1147falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/she-built-a-life-from-nothing-the-peggy-rice-identity-fraud--73057446
Fear and fascination: a woman built trust, influence and the promise of $400,000 out of paper, a bus ticket and an attaché case left upright in the snow-so how did no one in a small Ohio city see through her performance? What exactly was in those forty-three pages, and why did a developer, a bank manager and civic leaders all believe her?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from a Greyhound arrival to a vanished “private wealth advisor” and the cold evidence left behind, asking how social networks and introductions can replace documents and why reputation mattered more than verification in Crestfield.

Person: Margaret Eleanor Rice
Date: December 2009 (arrival); February 2011 (attaché found)
Location: Crestfield, Ohio
Case: Rice Identity Capital Group shelf corporation
Event: Attaché case with forty-three pages of invented account numbers found at 5:47 AM

- She arrived in Crestfield by Greyhound in December 2009 at age 22 carrying two suitcases.
- By March 2010 she was introduced to developer Tom Briggs at a Chamber mixer and presented as representing Rice Identity Capital Group.
- The attaché case discovered at 5:47 AM contained forty-three sheets of cream stationery filled with handwritten numbers and wire confirmation-style codes.
- Briggs awaited $400,000 in anticipated capital from Rice Identity Capital Group to reach escrow by January 2011; the money never existed.
- Rice Identity Capital Group had been incorporated in Delaware eleven months before a paralegal later located it as a shelf corporation with no assets.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73057446Wed, 22 Jul 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaShe Built a Life From Nothing: The Peggy Rice Identity Fraud Fear and fascination: a woman built trust, influence and the promise of $400,000 out of paper, a bus ticket and an attaché case left upright in the snow-so how did no one in a small Ohio...
Fear and fascination: a woman built trust, influence and the promise of $400,000 out of paper, a bus ticket and an attaché case left upright in the snow-so how did no one in a small Ohio city see through her performance? What exactly was in those forty-three pages, and why did a developer, a bank manager and civic leaders all believe her?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from a Greyhound arrival to a vanished “private wealth advisor” and the cold evidence left behind, asking how social networks and introductions can replace documents and why reputation mattered more than verification in Crestfield.

Person: Margaret Eleanor Rice
Date: December 2009 (arrival); February 2011 (attaché found)
Location: Crestfield, Ohio
Case: Rice Identity Capital Group shelf corporation
Event: Attaché case with forty-three pages of invented account numbers found at 5:47 AM

- She arrived in Crestfield by Greyhound in December 2009 at age 22 carrying two suitcases.
- By March 2010 she was introduced to developer Tom Briggs at a Chamber mixer and presented as representing Rice Identity Capital Group.
- The attaché case discovered at 5:47 AM contained forty-three sheets of cream stationery filled with handwritten numbers and wire confirmation-style codes.
- Briggs awaited $400,000 in anticipated capital from Rice Identity Capital Group to reach escrow by January 2011; the money never existed.
- Rice Identity Capital Group had been incorporated in Delaware eleven months before a paralegal later located it as a shelf corporation with no assets.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1334falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-doctor-who-wasn-t-inside-an-eight-year-medical-deception--73057445
Fear and fascination collide in a town where a forged diploma and eight years of trusted care hid a life nobody could quite explain - how did a woman convince a rural community she was a physician for nearly a decade? What happened the morning a utility lineman found a perfect-looking diploma and a note that read “this is not real”?

In this episode, we tell the events that unfolded in Pineridge, Missouri, from the arrival of Darlene Cook and the opening of Pineridge Family Health to the moment the deception began to unravel, and we follow the key moments that raised doubt and the choices made when suspicion surfaced. Why did dozens of patients trust Cook, and what did one patient with 22 years of credentialing experience do when she discovered the truth?

Person: Darlene Cook
Location: Pineridge, Missouri
Date: January 9, 2011
Period: Eight years of practice ending in 2011
Case: Forged medical diploma discovered on reception desk

- Population of Pineridge roughly 4,000 and the town had no resident physician for 11 years before October 2002.
- Cook arrived at age 30 and opened Pineridge Family Health after working as a medical assistant, clinical coordinator, and intake specialist.
- A utility lineman named Sarah Underwood found a diploma and a handwritten note saying “this is not real” on January 9, 2011.
- Patient Kimberly Stevens had 22 years of hospital administration experience in physician credentialing and was a patient for six years before discovering irregularities in December 2010.
- A pharmaceutical rep, Dennis Kraft, noted a “half-second of nothing” in March 2007 when Cook failed to recognize a deceased pharmacology professor’s name.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73057445Tue, 21 Jul 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Doctor Who Wasn't: Inside an Eight‑Year Medical Deception Fear and fascination collide in a town where a forged diploma and eight years of trusted care hid a life nobody could quite explain - how did a woman convince a rural community she was a...
Fear and fascination collide in a town where a forged diploma and eight years of trusted care hid a life nobody could quite explain - how did a woman convince a rural community she was a physician for nearly a decade? What happened the morning a utility lineman found a perfect-looking diploma and a note that read “this is not real”?

In this episode, we tell the events that unfolded in Pineridge, Missouri, from the arrival of Darlene Cook and the opening of Pineridge Family Health to the moment the deception began to unravel, and we follow the key moments that raised doubt and the choices made when suspicion surfaced. Why did dozens of patients trust Cook, and what did one patient with 22 years of credentialing experience do when she discovered the truth?

Person: Darlene Cook
Location: Pineridge, Missouri
Date: January 9, 2011
Period: Eight years of practice ending in 2011
Case: Forged medical diploma discovered on reception desk

- Population of Pineridge roughly 4,000 and the town had no resident physician for 11 years before October 2002.
- Cook arrived at age 30 and opened Pineridge Family Health after working as a medical assistant, clinical coordinator, and intake specialist.
- A utility lineman named Sarah Underwood found a diploma and a handwritten note saying “this is not real” on January 9, 2011.
- Patient Kimberly Stevens had 22 years of hospital administration experience in physician credentialing and was a patient for six years before discovering irregularities in December 2010.
- A pharmaceutical rep, Dennis Kraft, noted a “half-second of nothing” in March 2007 when Cook failed to recognize a deceased pharmacology professor’s name.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1243falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-man-with-the-laminated-cross-who-sat-by-your-dying--73057444
A quiet fraud hid in plain sight: a laminated card, a gold cross, and a fake pastoral network that let a man work eleven years inside a hospital. More than 300 families who trusted him are left to wonder what parts of his life were real and who exactly sat with their dying - how did no one catch the fakes for over a decade?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of events from December 11, 2019, when a maintenance worker found the card, backward through Ryan Armstrong’s eleven years at Calvary Ridge Medical Center, to the small clues nurses and coworkers missed; can a single laminated ID and a phony reference explain a decade of unchecked access?

Person: Ryan Armstrong
Date: December 11, 2019
Location: Calvary Ridge Medical Center
Duration: Eleven years (December 2008-2019)
Families affected: More than 300

- A laminated card with a gold cross and barcode bore the name "Reverend Ryan T. Armstrong."
- The issuing organization printed on the card, Tri-County Interfaith Pastoral Network, never existed and was not registered.
- Armstrong applied in December 2008 claiming a divinity degree and submitted a reference letter signed by a Reverend Ryan Cord, who does not exist.
- Hiring coordinator Jean Shattuck called the phone number on the reference and received confirmation, and did not verify seminary records.
- A nurse, Connie Marsh, noted in spring 2017 that a certification number returned an error and filed the note without follow-up.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73057444Mon, 20 Jul 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Man With the Laminated Cross: Who Sat By Your Dying? A quiet fraud hid in plain sight: a laminated card, a gold cross, and a fake pastoral network that let a man work eleven years inside a hospital. More than 300 families who trusted him are...
A quiet fraud hid in plain sight: a laminated card, a gold cross, and a fake pastoral network that let a man work eleven years inside a hospital. More than 300 families who trusted him are left to wonder what parts of his life were real and who exactly sat with their dying - how did no one catch the fakes for over a decade?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of events from December 11, 2019, when a maintenance worker found the card, backward through Ryan Armstrong’s eleven years at Calvary Ridge Medical Center, to the small clues nurses and coworkers missed; can a single laminated ID and a phony reference explain a decade of unchecked access?

Person: Ryan Armstrong
Date: December 11, 2019
Location: Calvary Ridge Medical Center
Duration: Eleven years (December 2008-2019)
Families affected: More than 300

- A laminated card with a gold cross and barcode bore the name "Reverend Ryan T. Armstrong."
- The issuing organization printed on the card, Tri-County Interfaith Pastoral Network, never existed and was not registered.
- Armstrong applied in December 2008 claiming a divinity degree and submitted a reference letter signed by a Reverend Ryan Cord, who does not exist.
- Hiring coordinator Jean Shattuck called the phone number on the reference and received confirmation, and did not verify seminary records.
- A nurse, Connie Marsh, noted in spring 2017 that a certification number returned an error and filed the note without follow-up.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1356falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-laminated-lie-how-a-fake-cfei-toppled-an-insurance-scheme--73057443
A glossy laminated certificate in a storefront window unravelled three years of work, eleven insurance contracts, and an identity crafted in a single afternoon - and it all started when winter light hit the frame the wrong way. The certificate claimed a Certified Fire and Explosion Investigator credential that was created the same afternoon the owner signed his first referral contract; why did nobody check the issuing registry for more than two years?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of events that connected a street-facing framed certificate to suspended contracts, corporate compliance checks, and state complaints, and we ask how a single document in plain sight became the decisive clue.

Person: Jeffrey M. Jones
Company: Verified Origin LLC
Contract count: Eleven insurance contracts and one municipal fire marshal contract
Case: Photo taken by Rebecca Sheridan led to discovery in November 2019
Status: All eleven contracts suspended; three complaints filed with the state attorney general

- The laminated certificate was created in a desktop design program the same afternoon Jones signed his first referral contract with public adjuster Howard Kimball.
- By the end of 2017 Verified Origin LLC had reviewed forty-six fires and billed between $8,000 and $14,000 per month.
- The certificate displayed a printed date that claimed it was eighteen months old although the laminate and metadata showed it was newly created.
- Rebecca Sheridan photographed the certificate on the fourth Tuesday of November 2019; the photo reached Pelham Mutual’s compliance officer within ten days.
- Pelham Mutual checked the NAFI credential database and found zero record for the name on the certificate, triggering suspensions and three complaints in the second week of November 2019.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73057443Sun, 19 Jul 2026 17:34:18 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Laminated Lie: How a Fake CFEI Toppled an Insurance Scheme A glossy laminated certificate in a storefront window unravelled three years of work, eleven insurance contracts, and an identity crafted in a single afternoon - and it all started when...
A glossy laminated certificate in a storefront window unravelled three years of work, eleven insurance contracts, and an identity crafted in a single afternoon - and it all started when winter light hit the frame the wrong way. The certificate claimed a Certified Fire and Explosion Investigator credential that was created the same afternoon the owner signed his first referral contract; why did nobody check the issuing registry for more than two years?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of events that connected a street-facing framed certificate to suspended contracts, corporate compliance checks, and state complaints, and we ask how a single document in plain sight became the decisive clue.

Person: Jeffrey M. Jones
Company: Verified Origin LLC
Contract count: Eleven insurance contracts and one municipal fire marshal contract
Case: Photo taken by Rebecca Sheridan led to discovery in November 2019
Status: All eleven contracts suspended; three complaints filed with the state attorney general

- The laminated certificate was created in a desktop design program the same afternoon Jones signed his first referral contract with public adjuster Howard Kimball.
- By the end of 2017 Verified Origin LLC had reviewed forty-six fires and billed between $8,000 and $14,000 per month.
- The certificate displayed a printed date that claimed it was eighteen months old although the laminate and metadata showed it was newly created.
- Rebecca Sheridan photographed the certificate on the fourth Tuesday of November 2019; the photo reached Pelham Mutual’s compliance officer within ten days.
- Pelham Mutual checked the NAFI credential database and found zero record for the name on the certificate, triggering suspensions and three complaints in the second week of November 2019.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1137falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-fake-murder-that-made-him-millions-and-the-box-that-betrayed-him--73057442
The smell of fresh toner in a thirty-year-old archive tipped a retired volunteer into a conspiracy that fooled 400,000 regular listeners and generated $940,000 in revenue. How did a fabricated murder, a nonexistent Indiana town, and a $12,000-$15,000 prop box create one of the most elaborate deceptions in podcast history-and who finally broke the silence?

In this episode, we follow the discovery in a church storage annex and the tangled web of people connected to the show. You will hear how a librarian, an audio engineer, and a graduate student each noticed different impossible details, and ask whether money, career fear, or something else kept them from speaking up.

Person: Edward Larsen
Person: Ross Becker
Person: Person: Patricia Riley
Person: Robert Fenn
Person: Kevin Aldrich

- 400,000 people listened regularly to Dark Current by its second season.
- The show generated close to $940,000 in total revenue over three seasons.
- Ross Becker paid himself $60,000 per year through the production LLC.
- The prop-filled box cost between $12,000 and $15,000 to create.
- Robert Fenn kept copies of all audio and left a labeled box at a church on Poplar Road.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73057442Sun, 19 Jul 2026 17:34:15 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Fake Murder That Made Him Millions-and the Box That Betrayed Him The smell of fresh toner in a thirty-year-old archive tipped a retired volunteer into a conspiracy that fooled 400,000 regular listeners and generated $940,000 in revenue. How did...
The smell of fresh toner in a thirty-year-old archive tipped a retired volunteer into a conspiracy that fooled 400,000 regular listeners and generated $940,000 in revenue. How did a fabricated murder, a nonexistent Indiana town, and a $12,000-$15,000 prop box create one of the most elaborate deceptions in podcast history-and who finally broke the silence?

In this episode, we follow the discovery in a church storage annex and the tangled web of people connected to the show. You will hear how a librarian, an audio engineer, and a graduate student each noticed different impossible details, and ask whether money, career fear, or something else kept them from speaking up.

Person: Edward Larsen
Person: Ross Becker
Person: Person: Patricia Riley
Person: Robert Fenn
Person: Kevin Aldrich

- 400,000 people listened regularly to Dark Current by its second season.
- The show generated close to $940,000 in total revenue over three seasons.
- Ross Becker paid himself $60,000 per year through the production LLC.
- The prop-filled box cost between $12,000 and $15,000 to create.
- Robert Fenn kept copies of all audio and left a labeled box at a church on Poplar Road.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1369falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/a-dog-digs-up-a-secret-the-charles-mason-fraud-case--73057441
A retriever named Biscuit dug up a laminated psychologist license on September 11, 2019, on a trail that had been open only six days - the card was intact and seemingly new, yet it would unravel a fabricated career that reached a university, a county advisory board, and families with children. How did a one-week trainee become a trusted clinician for years, and what stopped the deception at last?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of events from the moment the license was found through the discovery of Charles Mason’s false credentials, showing how his self-taught construction of a professional identity enabled him to gain appointments and patient trust - and what concrete evidence finally exposed him.

Person: Charles Mason
Date: September 11, 2019
Location: Harvey Lane, Dunmore Falls, Indiana
Institution: Caldwell University
Case: Fabricated psychologist license

- Biscuit the retriever found the laminated psychologist license on a trail that had been open to the public for six days.
- Officer Ray Kowalski logged the card as found property at Dunmore Falls Police Department and it sat in evidence for eleven days.
- Charles Mason graduated from Penbrook College in 2009 with a 3.4 GPA and enrolled in a master’s program in spring 2010 but attended for only one week.
- By 2013 Mason had fabricated a Psy.D. diploma, invented a dissertation title, produced four versions of a license with adjusted expiration cycles, and stored them in a fireproof box.
- Mason was hired as an adjunct at Caldwell University by September 2014 and obtained a full clinical appointment within two years despite having only one week of supervised training.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73057441Sun, 19 Jul 2026 17:34:12 +0000Creator at ObomediaA Dog Digs Up a Secret: The Charles Mason Fraud Case A retriever named Biscuit dug up a laminated psychologist license on September 11, 2019, on a trail that had been open only six days - the card was intact and seemingly new, yet it would unravel...
A retriever named Biscuit dug up a laminated psychologist license on September 11, 2019, on a trail that had been open only six days - the card was intact and seemingly new, yet it would unravel a fabricated career that reached a university, a county advisory board, and families with children. How did a one-week trainee become a trusted clinician for years, and what stopped the deception at last?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of events from the moment the license was found through the discovery of Charles Mason’s false credentials, showing how his self-taught construction of a professional identity enabled him to gain appointments and patient trust - and what concrete evidence finally exposed him.

Person: Charles Mason
Date: September 11, 2019
Location: Harvey Lane, Dunmore Falls, Indiana
Institution: Caldwell University
Case: Fabricated psychologist license

- Biscuit the retriever found the laminated psychologist license on a trail that had been open to the public for six days.
- Officer Ray Kowalski logged the card as found property at Dunmore Falls Police Department and it sat in evidence for eleven days.
- Charles Mason graduated from Penbrook College in 2009 with a 3.4 GPA and enrolled in a master’s program in spring 2010 but attended for only one week.
- By 2013 Mason had fabricated a Psy.D. diploma, invented a dissertation title, produced four versions of a license with adjusted expiration cycles, and stored them in a fireproof box.
- Mason was hired as an adjunct at Caldwell University by September 2014 and obtained a full clinical appointment within two years despite having only one week of supervised training.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1116falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-twin-who-stole-a-law-how-nancy-ruled-for-26-years--73057438
Suspense sits in the ordinary: a fisherman finds a waterlogged badge holder with laminated cards and a photocopy that launched a 26-year legal fraud in Indiana-how did no one catch that photocopy for over two decades? Who benefits when institutions stop looking closely?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events that began with that find and follow how Nancy Vickers used her twin brother's identity to act as a labor arbitrator for 26 years, the near-misses that almost exposed her, and the daily routines that kept the deception hidden. How did routine paperwork and weekly visits to a care facility let a woman without a law degree decide workers' fates for decades?

Person: Nancy Vickers
Person: Thomas A. Vickers
Date: 1981 (bar certificate) / 1985 (Nancy arrives in Braden Crossing) / 2011 (badge found)
Location: Kessler County, Indiana / Braden Crossing / Bloomington
Event: Discovery of badge holder on a trotline by Jerry Ward

- Jerry Ward found a waterlogged badge holder 14 feet from the bank of Coulee Fork in August 2011.
- Nancy used a laminated photocopy of Thomas's 1981 bar certificate shown once to a notary in 1985 to establish a professional identity.
- The Caterpillar plant in Kessler County used Nancy as an arbitrator 11 times between 1987 and 2009.
- A memo noting a signature discrepancy between Thomas's looping cursive and Nancy's block print was created by paralegal Bev Corrigan in spring 2004.
- The memo was filed by Robert Schilling and remained in closed storage for seven years while he continued approving Nancy's fees.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73057438Sun, 19 Jul 2026 17:34:09 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Twin Who Stole a Law: How Nancy Ruled for 26 Years Suspense sits in the ordinary: a fisherman finds a waterlogged badge holder with laminated cards and a photocopy that launched a 26-year legal fraud in Indiana-how did no one catch that...
Suspense sits in the ordinary: a fisherman finds a waterlogged badge holder with laminated cards and a photocopy that launched a 26-year legal fraud in Indiana-how did no one catch that photocopy for over two decades? Who benefits when institutions stop looking closely?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events that began with that find and follow how Nancy Vickers used her twin brother's identity to act as a labor arbitrator for 26 years, the near-misses that almost exposed her, and the daily routines that kept the deception hidden. How did routine paperwork and weekly visits to a care facility let a woman without a law degree decide workers' fates for decades?

Person: Nancy Vickers
Person: Thomas A. Vickers
Date: 1981 (bar certificate) / 1985 (Nancy arrives in Braden Crossing) / 2011 (badge found)
Location: Kessler County, Indiana / Braden Crossing / Bloomington
Event: Discovery of badge holder on a trotline by Jerry Ward

- Jerry Ward found a waterlogged badge holder 14 feet from the bank of Coulee Fork in August 2011.
- Nancy used a laminated photocopy of Thomas's 1981 bar certificate shown once to a notary in 1985 to establish a professional identity.
- The Caterpillar plant in Kessler County used Nancy as an arbitrator 11 times between 1987 and 2009.
- A memo noting a signature discrepancy between Thomas's looping cursive and Nancy's block print was created by paralegal Bev Corrigan in spring 2004.
- The memo was filed by Robert Schilling and remained in closed storage for seven years while he continued approving Nancy's fees.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1242falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/surveyor-opens-a-door-that-shouldn-t-exist-the-darlene-barnes-case--73057437
A county surveyor opened a steel door that wasn't on any drawing and found 240 wine bottles labeled as expensive Grand cru Burgundy - but stripped labels revealed cheap green bottles the kind a bistro would buy for about $6 wholesale. How did a woman from Racine build a Master Sommelier persona around a 912-page wine atlas and seven years in wine logistics, and what finally collapsed the illusion?

In this episode, we lay out the sequence of events from a boundary survey to a ten-year performance of identity, describing how photographs, invoices, and a single tipped case set a fraud in motion. What did investigators confirm about Darlene Barnes's background, training claims, and the bottles behind that door?

Person: Darlene Barnes
Location: Racine, Wisconsin; later Chicago; Hargrove House in Sutter Falls
Event: Discovery of 240 wine bottles in an annex room
Item: 912-page British wine reference atlas memorized by Barnes
Period: Seven years at a wholesale wine distributor in Kenosha

- 240 wine bottles lined the walls of a brick room the size of a walk-in closet behind an unpermitted steel door.
- One bottle lost its label from impact, revealing a plain green bottle worth about $6 wholesale.
- Barnes worked ages 22-29 as a sales associate in logistics, invoicing, and inventory at a Kenosha wholesale wine distributor for seven years.
- The atlas Barnes acquired contained 912 pages of appellations, producers, soil, microclimate data, and vintage assessments.
- The restaurant owner credited Barnes as "the reason Hargrove House earned its third star" while being unaware of any substitution scheme.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73057437Sun, 19 Jul 2026 17:34:06 +0000Creator at ObomediaSurveyor Opens a Door That Shouldn't Exist: The Darlene Barnes Case A county surveyor opened a steel door that wasn't on any drawing and found 240 wine bottles labeled as expensive Grand cru Burgundy - but stripped labels revealed cheap green...
A county surveyor opened a steel door that wasn't on any drawing and found 240 wine bottles labeled as expensive Grand cru Burgundy - but stripped labels revealed cheap green bottles the kind a bistro would buy for about $6 wholesale. How did a woman from Racine build a Master Sommelier persona around a 912-page wine atlas and seven years in wine logistics, and what finally collapsed the illusion?

In this episode, we lay out the sequence of events from a boundary survey to a ten-year performance of identity, describing how photographs, invoices, and a single tipped case set a fraud in motion. What did investigators confirm about Darlene Barnes's background, training claims, and the bottles behind that door?

Person: Darlene Barnes
Location: Racine, Wisconsin; later Chicago; Hargrove House in Sutter Falls
Event: Discovery of 240 wine bottles in an annex room
Item: 912-page British wine reference atlas memorized by Barnes
Period: Seven years at a wholesale wine distributor in Kenosha

- 240 wine bottles lined the walls of a brick room the size of a walk-in closet behind an unpermitted steel door.
- One bottle lost its label from impact, revealing a plain green bottle worth about $6 wholesale.
- Barnes worked ages 22-29 as a sales associate in logistics, invoicing, and inventory at a Kenosha wholesale wine distributor for seven years.
- The atlas Barnes acquired contained 912 pages of appellations, producers, soil, microclimate data, and vintage assessments.
- The restaurant owner credited Barnes as "the reason Hargrove House earned its third star" while being unaware of any substitution scheme.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1150falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-obituary-that-stole-a-town-how-a-fake-death-raised-19-000--73057435
Grief turned into a loophole: a small-town obituary column was used to solicit donations for funerals that never happened, and $19,000 vanished into a nonprofit run by the person writing the fake notices-so who was collecting the money and why did two hundred and fourteen neighbors give?

In this episode, you will hear how a local reporter discovered a death certificate that led back to eighteen months of false obituaries, a volunteer who doubled as the nonprofit’s executive, and the mechanism that made ordinary donations feel like sacred duty-could a community’s trust be weaponized from inside its own paper?

Person: Leon Russo
Person: Dolores Anne Fremont
Person: Organization: Millhaven Community Remembrance Fund
Person: Lisa Tate
Amount: $19,000

- A laminated death certificate for Dolores Anne Fremont was found in a backyard on Alder Creek Road after three days in June heat.
- Lisa Tate, 27, wrote false obituaries while living in an apartment above the hardware store on Clement Street.
- The Millhaven Courier ran these fake obituaries roughly once every six to eight weeks over eighteen months.
- Two hundred and fourteen Millhaven residents donated between $20 and $50 each after appeals linked to the fake notices.
- The fund’s total receipts from those donations reached just over $19,000.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73057435Sun, 19 Jul 2026 17:34:03 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Obituary That Stole a Town: How a Fake Death Raised $19,000 Grief turned into a loophole: a small-town obituary column was used to solicit donations for funerals that never happened, and $19,000 vanished into a nonprofit run by the person...
Grief turned into a loophole: a small-town obituary column was used to solicit donations for funerals that never happened, and $19,000 vanished into a nonprofit run by the person writing the fake notices-so who was collecting the money and why did two hundred and fourteen neighbors give?

In this episode, you will hear how a local reporter discovered a death certificate that led back to eighteen months of false obituaries, a volunteer who doubled as the nonprofit’s executive, and the mechanism that made ordinary donations feel like sacred duty-could a community’s trust be weaponized from inside its own paper?

Person: Leon Russo
Person: Dolores Anne Fremont
Person: Organization: Millhaven Community Remembrance Fund
Person: Lisa Tate
Amount: $19,000

- A laminated death certificate for Dolores Anne Fremont was found in a backyard on Alder Creek Road after three days in June heat.
- Lisa Tate, 27, wrote false obituaries while living in an apartment above the hardware store on Clement Street.
- The Millhaven Courier ran these fake obituaries roughly once every six to eight weeks over eighteen months.
- Two hundred and fourteen Millhaven residents donated between $20 and $50 each after appeals linked to the fake notices.
- The fund’s total receipts from those donations reached just over $19,000.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1201falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-man-who-wore-a-fake-relief-vest-and-saved-strangers--73057434
Fear and fascination collide: a laminated badge, a three-dollar khaki vest, and a man who spent four years moving through disaster zones under a fake name-saving strangers while his organization existed only on a four-page website. How did a former dispatcher from Gadsden convince credentialed humanitarian professionals from three continents to let him coordinate relief in floods, tornadoes, and a cholera outbreak?

In this episode, we tell the timeline of Grant Taylor from his upbringing in Anniston to the moment a birdwatcher in Harwich County found the last physical trace of Meridian Relief International. The story covers his methods, the sites he entered, and the question that drove him: did he want to help, or did he want to be seen doing the work?

Person: Grant Taylor
Date: May 2019
Location: Harwich County, Georgia
Event: Discovery of laminated badge
Period: 2015-2019

- Born in 1957 in Anniston, Alabama, and later lived alone in a one-bedroom apartment in Gadsden.
- Bought a khaki vest with a MERIDIAN RELIEF - AID WORKER patch for $3 at a church rummage sale in April 2015.
- Created a four-page Meridian Relief International website and a laminated PVC badge with the title Coordinating Director.
- First used the fabricated credential at a Greenville, Mississippi flood staging area in September 2015 and was admitted after answering a logistics question.
- Operated for four years responding to floods, tornadoes, and a cholera outbreak while paying his own expenses and taking no salary.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73057434Sun, 19 Jul 2026 17:34:00 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Man Who Wore a Fake Relief Vest and Saved Strangers Fear and fascination collide: a laminated badge, a three-dollar khaki vest, and a man who spent four years moving through disaster zones under a fake name-saving strangers while his...
Fear and fascination collide: a laminated badge, a three-dollar khaki vest, and a man who spent four years moving through disaster zones under a fake name-saving strangers while his organization existed only on a four-page website. How did a former dispatcher from Gadsden convince credentialed humanitarian professionals from three continents to let him coordinate relief in floods, tornadoes, and a cholera outbreak?

In this episode, we tell the timeline of Grant Taylor from his upbringing in Anniston to the moment a birdwatcher in Harwich County found the last physical trace of Meridian Relief International. The story covers his methods, the sites he entered, and the question that drove him: did he want to help, or did he want to be seen doing the work?

Person: Grant Taylor
Date: May 2019
Location: Harwich County, Georgia
Event: Discovery of laminated badge
Period: 2015-2019

- Born in 1957 in Anniston, Alabama, and later lived alone in a one-bedroom apartment in Gadsden.
- Bought a khaki vest with a MERIDIAN RELIEF - AID WORKER patch for $3 at a church rummage sale in April 2015.
- Created a four-page Meridian Relief International website and a laminated PVC badge with the title Coordinating Director.
- First used the fabricated credential at a Greenville, Mississippi flood staging area in September 2015 and was admitted after answering a logistics question.
- Operated for four years responding to floods, tornadoes, and a cholera outbreak while paying his own expenses and taking no salary.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1178falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-man-who-found-a-dead-man-s-tape-then-became-him--73057433
Fear and fascination collide: a found cassette labeled "DIALECTS - MASTER" taught a twenty-one-year-old from Millhaven eight near-perfect regional accents after three months of nightly listening - and he used a forged credential to build a nearly decade-long career nobody checked. How did one tape and a laminated card let him become the voice he heard, unnoticed for years?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of events from a Tuesday morning hotel room discovery to the creation and use of a fake American Association of Voice and Dialect Coaches card, charting the choices that led a man to remake himself around a dead man's recorded voice and the moment someone finally looked twice at his credentials.

Person: Clifford Tate
Location: Millhaven, Ohio; Columbus; New York City (Astoria, Queens)
Date: Spring of 2001 (Goodwill discovery), Spring of 2002 (moved to New York), a Tuesday morning in April (hotel discovery)
Item: Cassette tape labeled "DIALECTS - MASTER" and a laminated credential card
Occupation: Voice and dialect coach (unverified credential), worked in warehousing, food service, copy shop

- He found the cassette at a Goodwill processing center in Columbus in spring 2001 and listened to it every night for three months.
- After three months he could produce eight distinct regional American accents with strong fidelity.
- At age 21 he bought a one-way bus ticket to New York using his federal tax return in spring 2002.
- He created a fake membership card for the American Association of Voice and Dialect Coaches, printed on a home inkjet with a font one point too large and laminated with too-thick laminate.
- He emailed the scanned fake card to Brenda Marsh, who ran a ninety-nine-seat theater in Astoria, Queens, to secure coaching work.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73057433Sun, 19 Jul 2026 17:33:57 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Man Who Found a Dead Man's Tape - Then Became Him Fear and fascination collide: a found cassette labeled "DIALECTS - MASTER" taught a twenty-one-year-old from Millhaven eight near-perfect regional accents after three months of nightly listening...
Fear and fascination collide: a found cassette labeled "DIALECTS - MASTER" taught a twenty-one-year-old from Millhaven eight near-perfect regional accents after three months of nightly listening - and he used a forged credential to build a nearly decade-long career nobody checked. How did one tape and a laminated card let him become the voice he heard, unnoticed for years?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of events from a Tuesday morning hotel room discovery to the creation and use of a fake American Association of Voice and Dialect Coaches card, charting the choices that led a man to remake himself around a dead man's recorded voice and the moment someone finally looked twice at his credentials.

Person: Clifford Tate
Location: Millhaven, Ohio; Columbus; New York City (Astoria, Queens)
Date: Spring of 2001 (Goodwill discovery), Spring of 2002 (moved to New York), a Tuesday morning in April (hotel discovery)
Item: Cassette tape labeled "DIALECTS - MASTER" and a laminated credential card
Occupation: Voice and dialect coach (unverified credential), worked in warehousing, food service, copy shop

- He found the cassette at a Goodwill processing center in Columbus in spring 2001 and listened to it every night for three months.
- After three months he could produce eight distinct regional American accents with strong fidelity.
- At age 21 he bought a one-way bus ticket to New York using his federal tax return in spring 2002.
- He created a fake membership card for the American Association of Voice and Dialect Coaches, printed on a home inkjet with a font one point too large and laminated with too-thick laminate.
- He emailed the scanned fake card to Brenda Marsh, who ran a ninety-nine-seat theater in Astoria, Queens, to secure coaching work.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1151falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-laminated-lie-how-a-gravel-buried-id-toppled-an-attorney--73057432
A gravel-strewn service road hid a laminated ID that exposed three impossible facts: an embossed seal with a May 19, 1993 expiration, a photograph of a woman born around 1970, and a law school-Hartfield College of Law-closed in 1987. Eleven days after the card was found, investigators connected that photograph to an immigration lawyer practicing in the county administrative complex; how did a fake credential go unnoticed for nearly fifteen years?

In this episode, we follow the chain of events from a dog-walk discovery to an official investigation, showing how small details triggered institutional scrutiny and what evidence tied the practitioner to deception. Could a single discarded card unravel a decade and a half of professional practice-and what did the surveillance footage and forensic comparison reveal?

Person: Jessica Ann Ann
Location: Mercer County administrative complex, Dellwood, Ohio
Event: Laminated identification card found in third week of March
Date: Hartfield College of Law closure - spring 1987
Status: Investigation opened January 2017

- The laminated card carried an expiration date of May 19, 1993.
- Hartfield College of Law closed permanently in the spring of 1987, 15 years before the card's expiry.
- The photograph on the card showed a woman appearing to be in her mid-twenties, implying a birth year around 1970.
- Jessica Ann arrived in Dellwood in winter 2008 and by 2012 had moved into the Mercer County administrative complex office.
- Security footage shows a figure using a key card entering at 9:47 PM and exiting 4 hours and 11 minutes later carrying a cardboard box.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73057432Sun, 19 Jul 2026 17:33:54 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Laminated Lie: How a Gravel-Buried ID Toppled an Attorney A gravel-strewn service road hid a laminated ID that exposed three impossible facts: an embossed seal with a May 19, 1993 expiration, a photograph of a woman born around 1970, and a law...
A gravel-strewn service road hid a laminated ID that exposed three impossible facts: an embossed seal with a May 19, 1993 expiration, a photograph of a woman born around 1970, and a law school-Hartfield College of Law-closed in 1987. Eleven days after the card was found, investigators connected that photograph to an immigration lawyer practicing in the county administrative complex; how did a fake credential go unnoticed for nearly fifteen years?

In this episode, we follow the chain of events from a dog-walk discovery to an official investigation, showing how small details triggered institutional scrutiny and what evidence tied the practitioner to deception. Could a single discarded card unravel a decade and a half of professional practice-and what did the surveillance footage and forensic comparison reveal?

Person: Jessica Ann Ann
Location: Mercer County administrative complex, Dellwood, Ohio
Event: Laminated identification card found in third week of March
Date: Hartfield College of Law closure - spring 1987
Status: Investigation opened January 2017

- The laminated card carried an expiration date of May 19, 1993.
- Hartfield College of Law closed permanently in the spring of 1987, 15 years before the card's expiry.
- The photograph on the card showed a woman appearing to be in her mid-twenties, implying a birth year around 1970.
- Jessica Ann arrived in Dellwood in winter 2008 and by 2012 had moved into the Mercer County administrative complex office.
- Security footage shows a figure using a key card entering at 9:47 PM and exiting 4 hours and 11 minutes later carrying a cardboard box.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1183falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/credentials-left-on-a-pole-the-neil-mueller-fraud-case--73057431
Fear that the expert in front of your board is a fraud: a laminated forensic accounting license was found zip-tied eleven feet high to a utility pole in Harwick, Ohio, and four minutes after a photo reached regulators the number was confirmed never issued. How did a man use twelve years of bank-operations experience to build a consulting firm on a credential that did not exist - and what did investigators uncover next?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of events from the morning the fake license was found through the arrest that followed, tracing Meridian Consulting Group’s rise, the verification gaps that let it grow, and the underlying pattern that produced hidden losses. How did small, technically plausible accounting entries add up to large-scale fraud?

Person: Neil H. Mueller
Age: 62
Location: Harwick, Ohio
Event: Arrest at 11:14 AM on February 7, 2019
Organization: Meridian Consulting Group

- A laminated forensic accounting license with Ohio Board number 0041872 was zip-tied to a utility pole eleven feet off the ground.
- The Ohio Board of Forensic Accountancy confirmed in four minutes that license number 0041872 had never been issued.
- Neil Mueller was presenting on the third floor of Meridian Consulting Group when he was arrested at 11:14 AM and was denied requests to finish his presentation.
- Mueller spent twelve years as a bank operations coordinator and later founded Meridian, where he hired two analysts, Brianna Cole and Tom Kershaw.
- Over eight years, numerous entries each below $11,000 were embedded across client ledgers and together totaled $1,100,000.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73057431Sun, 19 Jul 2026 17:33:51 +0000Creator at ObomediaCredentials Left on a Pole: The Neil Mueller Fraud Case Fear that the expert in front of your board is a fraud: a laminated forensic accounting license was found zip-tied eleven feet high to a utility pole in Harwick, Ohio, and four minutes after a...
Fear that the expert in front of your board is a fraud: a laminated forensic accounting license was found zip-tied eleven feet high to a utility pole in Harwick, Ohio, and four minutes after a photo reached regulators the number was confirmed never issued. How did a man use twelve years of bank-operations experience to build a consulting firm on a credential that did not exist - and what did investigators uncover next?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of events from the morning the fake license was found through the arrest that followed, tracing Meridian Consulting Group’s rise, the verification gaps that let it grow, and the underlying pattern that produced hidden losses. How did small, technically plausible accounting entries add up to large-scale fraud?

Person: Neil H. Mueller
Age: 62
Location: Harwick, Ohio
Event: Arrest at 11:14 AM on February 7, 2019
Organization: Meridian Consulting Group

- A laminated forensic accounting license with Ohio Board number 0041872 was zip-tied to a utility pole eleven feet off the ground.
- The Ohio Board of Forensic Accountancy confirmed in four minutes that license number 0041872 had never been issued.
- Neil Mueller was presenting on the third floor of Meridian Consulting Group when he was arrested at 11:14 AM and was denied requests to finish his presentation.
- Mueller spent twelve years as a bank operations coordinator and later founded Meridian, where he hired two analysts, Brianna Cole and Tom Kershaw.
- Over eight years, numerous entries each below $11,000 were embedded across client ledgers and together totaled $1,100,000.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1225falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/he-stole-her-grief-the-sympathy-card-that-exposed-a-romance-scam--73057429
Grief made him vulnerable, and one dry sympathy card in a willow exposed how meticulously someone exploited that vulnerability. A photo inside the card matched an image the victim never sent - so why was it left to be found, and who was watching the marsh?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of events from a widow's private mourning to the online messages that led to six transfers and a drained life savings, and we ask how a methodical scammer used stolen photos, precise requests, and physical surveillance to build trust and extract $31,000.

Person: Dean Erickson
Date: July 14, 2022
Location: Teller Flats marsh, Renville, Ohio
Event: Six transfers totaling $31,000 over eleven weeks
Person: Gregory (alias GregP_Ohio) / real name Peterson

- Dean found a sealed sympathy card wedged fifteen feet from the water inside a dead willow on July 14, 2022.
- Dean's wife Cheryl died in October 2020 at age thirty-seven from ovarian cancer.
- The scam began with messages in February 2022 on the Continuing Bonds grief forum and moved to private messages within three weeks.
- Dean made six transfers over eleven weeks, totaling $31,000, including amounts like $1,100, $2,200, and $4,500.
- A blue sedan linked to a rental paid with a prepaid card was observed parked near the Teller Flats service entrance in late June 2022 for two to three hours on multiple afternoons.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73057429Sun, 19 Jul 2026 17:33:48 +0000Creator at ObomediaHe Stole Her Grief: The Sympathy Card That Exposed a Romance Scam Grief made him vulnerable, and one dry sympathy card in a willow exposed how meticulously someone exploited that vulnerability. A photo inside the card matched an image the victim...
Grief made him vulnerable, and one dry sympathy card in a willow exposed how meticulously someone exploited that vulnerability. A photo inside the card matched an image the victim never sent - so why was it left to be found, and who was watching the marsh?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of events from a widow's private mourning to the online messages that led to six transfers and a drained life savings, and we ask how a methodical scammer used stolen photos, precise requests, and physical surveillance to build trust and extract $31,000.

Person: Dean Erickson
Date: July 14, 2022
Location: Teller Flats marsh, Renville, Ohio
Event: Six transfers totaling $31,000 over eleven weeks
Person: Gregory (alias GregP_Ohio) / real name Peterson

- Dean found a sealed sympathy card wedged fifteen feet from the water inside a dead willow on July 14, 2022.
- Dean's wife Cheryl died in October 2020 at age thirty-seven from ovarian cancer.
- The scam began with messages in February 2022 on the Continuing Bonds grief forum and moved to private messages within three weeks.
- Dean made six transfers over eleven weeks, totaling $31,000, including amounts like $1,100, $2,200, and $4,500.
- A blue sedan linked to a rental paid with a prepaid card was observed parked near the Teller Flats service entrance in late June 2022 for two to three hours on multiple afternoons.

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© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1279falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-key-in-her-kitchen-how-a-stranger-bought-her-trust-and-231-000--73057428
Fear that the person you trust most could be a carefully built lie starts with a key in your kitchen and ends with $231,000 gone - and it all began with a padded envelope and a note saying “for when you finally arrive, my love.” How did a man who never met her, using stolen photos and invented backstories, methodically win Teresa Tucker’s confidence and siphon her savings?

In this episode, we follow the timeline of Teresa Tucker’s online relationship and the slow financial erosion that followed, tracing how small, plausible requests escalated into a seven-figure pattern of deception and a final breach of her home. What were the exact steps the scammer used to turn a friendship into a seven-year-running machine of fraud?

Person: Teresa Tucker
Location: 44 Orchard Slope Road, Millhaven, Ohio
Age: 62 (turned sixty-two in summer 2019)
Perpetrator real name: Erick Poole
Amount taken: $231,000

- A padded envelope with a real house key and a handwritten note arrived on a Thursday before the house was later found open.
- Teresa created a social media account in February 2018 at her daughter Renee’s suggestion; six weeks later she received the first message from “Eric Powell.”
- The profile photos were stolen from Bob Finch, a retired structural engineer in Tempe, Arizona.
- By May 2018 they spoke by voice twice a week, with a fixed Thursday 10:15 PM call that fit Teresa’s routine.
- Between September and December 2018 Teresa transferred $43,000 after a sequence of escalating, specifically justified requests (first was $4,200 for customs fees in Singapore).

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© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73057428Sun, 19 Jul 2026 17:33:45 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Key in Her Kitchen: How a Stranger Bought Her Trust-and $231,000 Fear that the person you trust most could be a carefully built lie starts with a key in your kitchen and ends with $231,000 gone - and it all began with a padded envelope and a...
Fear that the person you trust most could be a carefully built lie starts with a key in your kitchen and ends with $231,000 gone - and it all began with a padded envelope and a note saying “for when you finally arrive, my love.” How did a man who never met her, using stolen photos and invented backstories, methodically win Teresa Tucker’s confidence and siphon her savings?

In this episode, we follow the timeline of Teresa Tucker’s online relationship and the slow financial erosion that followed, tracing how small, plausible requests escalated into a seven-figure pattern of deception and a final breach of her home. What were the exact steps the scammer used to turn a friendship into a seven-year-running machine of fraud?

Person: Teresa Tucker
Location: 44 Orchard Slope Road, Millhaven, Ohio
Age: 62 (turned sixty-two in summer 2019)
Perpetrator real name: Erick Poole
Amount taken: $231,000

- A padded envelope with a real house key and a handwritten note arrived on a Thursday before the house was later found open.
- Teresa created a social media account in February 2018 at her daughter Renee’s suggestion; six weeks later she received the first message from “Eric Powell.”
- The profile photos were stolen from Bob Finch, a retired structural engineer in Tempe, Arizona.
- By May 2018 they spoke by voice twice a week, with a fixed Thursday 10:15 PM call that fit Teresa’s routine.
- Between September and December 2018 Teresa transferred $43,000 after a sequence of escalating, specifically justified requests (first was $4,200 for customs fees in Singapore).

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1058falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/dry-letters-wet-ditch-the-eleven-month-romance-scam--73057427
Loneliness, patience and deception collided in a wet roadside ditch-eleven perfectly dry love letters in a wooden box that should have soaked through during an overnight storm. The letters, addressed to "My Elton" and signed "Your Ruth," were the residue of an eleven-month scheme that targeted an 81-year-old widower; who orchestrated it, and how did a dry box end up in a drenched ditch?

In this episode, we follow the discovery, the people involved, and the timeline that unfolded after Pamela Bishop found the box on the morning of May 14, 2019. As detectives traced messages, meetings, and movements, one persistent question remained: was the box planted earlier or tossed in a hurry that same night?

Person: Elton Marsh
Age: 81
Person: Ruth Adams
Age: 26
Person: Richard Weaver
Age: 34
Date: May 14, 2019

- The box was found by Pamela Bishop with a road grader on Route 9 on May 14, 2019.
- Eleven handwritten letters inside were addressed to "Elton" and signed "Your Ruth."
- Elton Marsh had lived in the same house for 43 years and had been widowed since 2014.
- Ruth Adams had lived in Kellerton for eight months and worked part-time at a veterinary clinic.
- Richard Weaver lived in Columbus, Ohio, roughly three hours from Kellerton and had run similar schemes in Ohio and southern Michigan.

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© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73057427Sun, 19 Jul 2026 17:33:43 +0000Creator at ObomediaDry Letters, Wet Ditch: The Eleven-Month Romance Scam Loneliness, patience and deception collided in a wet roadside ditch-eleven perfectly dry love letters in a wooden box that should have soaked through during an overnight storm. The letters,...
Loneliness, patience and deception collided in a wet roadside ditch-eleven perfectly dry love letters in a wooden box that should have soaked through during an overnight storm. The letters, addressed to "My Elton" and signed "Your Ruth," were the residue of an eleven-month scheme that targeted an 81-year-old widower; who orchestrated it, and how did a dry box end up in a drenched ditch?

In this episode, we follow the discovery, the people involved, and the timeline that unfolded after Pamela Bishop found the box on the morning of May 14, 2019. As detectives traced messages, meetings, and movements, one persistent question remained: was the box planted earlier or tossed in a hurry that same night?

Person: Elton Marsh
Age: 81
Person: Ruth Adams
Age: 26
Person: Richard Weaver
Age: 34
Date: May 14, 2019

- The box was found by Pamela Bishop with a road grader on Route 9 on May 14, 2019.
- Eleven handwritten letters inside were addressed to "Elton" and signed "Your Ruth."
- Elton Marsh had lived in the same house for 43 years and had been widowed since 2014.
- Ruth Adams had lived in Kellerton for eight months and worked part-time at a veterinary clinic.
- Richard Weaver lived in Columbus, Ohio, roughly three hours from Kellerton and had run similar schemes in Ohio and southern Michigan.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1267falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/he-said-he-loved-her-then-disappeared-with-her-6-200-and-photos--73057426
The mix of tenderness and betrayal is immediate: a woman bought a red shoe for a first meeting that never happened, and $6,200 vanished into a profile built from stolen contractor photos. How did a few morning texts and a single broken shoe unravel a nearly four-year fraud scheme?

In this episode, we tell what happened after a utility worker followed an odd smell and a lone red shoe, leading to a welfare check that exposed a romance scam. You’ll hear how messages, lifted images, and a scripted backstory led a billing coordinator to send money-and what paper trail finally connected the dots.

Person: Marcia Simmons
Age: 48
Person: Jerome Raymond Thorpe
Age: 53
Location: apartment two-C, Decker Street, Branton, Ohio

- Marcia uploaded two photographs to ConnectTrue in late February 2017.
- Within four days she matched with a profile named Jerry Thorpe using photos stolen from David Ferris.
- By the third week of March Thorpe told Marcia he was falling in love after less than a month of messaging.
- In the second week of April Thorpe requested a $6,000 bridge loan, later specified as $6,200 in the case summary.
- A utility worker named Richard O'Connor discovered a broken red shoe on the second-floor sill on a Tuesday at 7:51 AM in April 2017.

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© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73057426Sun, 19 Jul 2026 17:33:40 +0000Creator at ObomediaHe Said He Loved Her-Then Disappeared With Her $6,200 and Photos The mix of tenderness and betrayal is immediate: a woman bought a red shoe for a first meeting that never happened, and $6,200 vanished into a profile built from stolen contractor...
The mix of tenderness and betrayal is immediate: a woman bought a red shoe for a first meeting that never happened, and $6,200 vanished into a profile built from stolen contractor photos. How did a few morning texts and a single broken shoe unravel a nearly four-year fraud scheme?

In this episode, we tell what happened after a utility worker followed an odd smell and a lone red shoe, leading to a welfare check that exposed a romance scam. You’ll hear how messages, lifted images, and a scripted backstory led a billing coordinator to send money-and what paper trail finally connected the dots.

Person: Marcia Simmons
Age: 48
Person: Jerome Raymond Thorpe
Age: 53
Location: apartment two-C, Decker Street, Branton, Ohio

- Marcia uploaded two photographs to ConnectTrue in late February 2017.
- Within four days she matched with a profile named Jerry Thorpe using photos stolen from David Ferris.
- By the third week of March Thorpe told Marcia he was falling in love after less than a month of messaging.
- In the second week of April Thorpe requested a $6,000 bridge loan, later specified as $6,200 in the case summary.
- A utility worker named Richard O'Connor discovered a broken red shoe on the second-floor sill on a Tuesday at 7:51 AM in April 2017.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1085falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-bench-the-bible-and-the-ring-that-broke-a-quiet-life--73057425
An unmarked ring left on a green bench at 6:15 a.m., no frost on it though the concrete had a light frost - someone placed it there after nightfall. Four women in three zip codes would later recognize the Bible beneath it by noon; why would one ring connect so many lives and unravel a routine life so quickly?

In this episode, we tell how a man known at church as Douglas Bailey moved into a small community, built trust, and used a ring bought in January to propose to four different women in ten days - and how one morning’s discovery raised the question that changes everything.

Person: Jerry Patterson
Person: Douglas Bailey
Date: ring found at 6:15 a.m.
Location: green bench beside the Dellbrook Reservoir path
Event: four proposals in ten days

- Ring purchase: bought in January at a pawnshop in the county seat with one receipt kept
- First transfer: Jerry Patterson sent $800 in January
- Meetings timeline: Bailey met Jerry in October, texting by November, coffee by December
- Proposals: Douglas Bailey proposed four times to four women in three different zip codes in the last ten days of February
- Discovery timeline: Warren Collins photographed ring at 6:15 a.m., called non-emergency line at 9 a.m., by noon four women recognized the Bible beneath it

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© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73057425Sun, 19 Jul 2026 17:33:37 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Bench, The Bible, and the Ring That Broke a Quiet Life An unmarked ring left on a green bench at 6:15 a.m., no frost on it though the concrete had a light frost - someone placed it there after nightfall. Four women in three zip codes would...
An unmarked ring left on a green bench at 6:15 a.m., no frost on it though the concrete had a light frost - someone placed it there after nightfall. Four women in three zip codes would later recognize the Bible beneath it by noon; why would one ring connect so many lives and unravel a routine life so quickly?

In this episode, we tell how a man known at church as Douglas Bailey moved into a small community, built trust, and used a ring bought in January to propose to four different women in ten days - and how one morning’s discovery raised the question that changes everything.

Person: Jerry Patterson
Person: Douglas Bailey
Date: ring found at 6:15 a.m.
Location: green bench beside the Dellbrook Reservoir path
Event: four proposals in ten days

- Ring purchase: bought in January at a pawnshop in the county seat with one receipt kept
- First transfer: Jerry Patterson sent $800 in January
- Meetings timeline: Bailey met Jerry in October, texting by November, coffee by December
- Proposals: Douglas Bailey proposed four times to four women in three different zip codes in the last ten days of February
- Discovery timeline: Warren Collins photographed ring at 6:15 a.m., called non-emergency line at 9 a.m., by noon four women recognized the Bible beneath it

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1258falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-photo-in-her-mailbox-how-a-widowed-volunteer-lost-11-400--73057424
The quiet trust of a 52-year-old volunteer was built one message at a time - and erased by a single wire transfer totaling $11,400. A laminated photo left on top of a month of uncollected mail became the clue that unspooled weeks of deception; how did a steady rhythm of texts and calls turn into an impossible bank balance and an empty name? Who was the man in the Army uniform, and what did that photograph hide?

In this episode, we tell how ordinary details - a dating profile, steady phone calls, and a single bank transaction - combined into a fraud against Patricia Lawson, a long-time Dunmore resident who had spent seven years rebuilding her life after her husband's death. We follow the timeline from first contact in November through the last transfer in February to ask: at what point does kindness become vulnerability?

Person: Patricia Lawson
Age: 52
Location: Dunmore, central Ohio
Amount lost: $11,400
Date mail discovered: February 14

- Patricia lived at four Sallow Creek Road for 19 years and was widowed seven years earlier.
- The dating profile appeared in early November under the name Daniel Mercer, claiming to be a retired Army logistics officer based in Akron.
- Patricia wired $2,000 in the second week of January to a prepaid account in Louisville after being told the son was in a car accident.
- By early February she had sent a total of $11,400 to an account tied to a shell registration in Louisville and a prepaid, unregistered phone number.
- On February 14 meter reader Paula Dixon found a month of uncollected mail in the Lawson mailbox with a laminated photograph of a man in Army dress uniform placed face-up on top.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73057424Sun, 19 Jul 2026 17:33:34 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Photo in Her Mailbox: How a Widowed Volunteer Lost $11,400 The quiet trust of a 52-year-old volunteer was built one message at a time - and erased by a single wire transfer totaling $11,400. A laminated photo left on top of a month of...
The quiet trust of a 52-year-old volunteer was built one message at a time - and erased by a single wire transfer totaling $11,400. A laminated photo left on top of a month of uncollected mail became the clue that unspooled weeks of deception; how did a steady rhythm of texts and calls turn into an impossible bank balance and an empty name? Who was the man in the Army uniform, and what did that photograph hide?

In this episode, we tell how ordinary details - a dating profile, steady phone calls, and a single bank transaction - combined into a fraud against Patricia Lawson, a long-time Dunmore resident who had spent seven years rebuilding her life after her husband's death. We follow the timeline from first contact in November through the last transfer in February to ask: at what point does kindness become vulnerability?

Person: Patricia Lawson
Age: 52
Location: Dunmore, central Ohio
Amount lost: $11,400
Date mail discovered: February 14

- Patricia lived at four Sallow Creek Road for 19 years and was widowed seven years earlier.
- The dating profile appeared in early November under the name Daniel Mercer, claiming to be a retired Army logistics officer based in Akron.
- Patricia wired $2,000 in the second week of January to a prepaid account in Louisville after being told the son was in a car accident.
- By early February she had sent a total of $11,400 to an account tied to a shell registration in Louisville and a prepaid, unregistered phone number.
- On February 14 meter reader Paula Dixon found a month of uncollected mail in the Lawson mailbox with a laminated photograph of a man in Army dress uniform placed face-up on top.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1112falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/he-was-never-real-how-denise-sent-61-400-to-a-phantom-sailor--73057422
Fear that the person you love might be a carefully constructed lie - Denise printed a four-dollar ninety-nine photo, wrote "My person" on the back, and over sixteen months sent $61,400 to a man who never existed. Investigators found an authentic offshore vest, a real company logo, and seventeen recordings with a mechanical hum that changed everything - who engineered the deception, and why?

In this episode, we tell the story of Denise Weber and the months-long contact that moved from a single connection request to daily messages, calls, and nine bank transfers totaling every dollar she had saved. What did a forensic audio analyst hear in seventeen recordings that broke the case open?

Person: Denise Weber
Location: Maplewood, Ohio
Amount: $61,400
Transactions: 9 transfers
Recordings analyzed: 17

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73057422Sun, 19 Jul 2026 17:33:31 +0000Creator at ObomediaHe Was Never Real: How Denise Sent $61,400 to a Phantom Sailor Fear that the person you love might be a carefully constructed lie - Denise printed a four-dollar ninety-nine photo, wrote "My person" on the back, and over sixteen months sent $61,400...
Fear that the person you love might be a carefully constructed lie - Denise printed a four-dollar ninety-nine photo, wrote "My person" on the back, and over sixteen months sent $61,400 to a man who never existed. Investigators found an authentic offshore vest, a real company logo, and seventeen recordings with a mechanical hum that changed everything - who engineered the deception, and why?

In this episode, we tell the story of Denise Weber and the months-long contact that moved from a single connection request to daily messages, calls, and nine bank transfers totaling every dollar she had saved. What did a forensic audio analyst hear in seventeen recordings that broke the case open?

Person: Denise Weber
Location: Maplewood, Ohio
Amount: $61,400
Transactions: 9 transfers
Recordings analyzed: 17

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1309falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/he-told-me-he-was-real-the-ai-voice-that-stole-my-heart--73057421
Cold, precise, and intimate: a laminated flash card found by a dog on a frozen trail would unravel thirteen months of deception built on a synthetic voice that sounded unmistakably human. The scam linked a linguistics instructor in rural Ohio to a Decatur, Georgia server farm running three fake lives in real time-so how did a voice trained on public audio convince someone to fall in love?

In this episode, we follow the trail from a Pinewood Spur flash card to the online lessons that turned into daily calls, and we trace how a voice model, human operator, and remailing service kept the illusion alive-what broke the illusion, and what questions remain about harm and responsibility?

Person: Jeffrey Hensley
Date found: December 9, 2022
Location found: Pinewood Spur trail, 0.7 miles from rented storage unit
Platform: ClearTone
Country linked to remailing service: United States (California to Decatur, Georgia)

- Jeffrey was 28 years old and a linguistics instructor teaching 22 active students on ClearTone.
- The initial student account, Marcus Lim, began sessions on November 14, 2021, and within three weeks was booking daily.
- Jeffrey mailed physical flash cards to a PO box in Singapore that were rerouted through a remailing service in California then to Decatur, Georgia.
- The laminated flash card found had a Chinese character on one side and a phone number, name, and small ballpoint mark on the other.
- The fraudulent voice setup ran three simultaneous fake lives in real time from a server farm in Decatur, Georgia, with a human operator guiding the model.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73057421Sun, 19 Jul 2026 17:33:28 +0000Creator at ObomediaHe Told Me He Was Real-The AI Voice That Stole My Heart Cold, precise, and intimate: a laminated flash card found by a dog on a frozen trail would unravel thirteen months of deception built on a synthetic voice that sounded unmistakably human. The...
Cold, precise, and intimate: a laminated flash card found by a dog on a frozen trail would unravel thirteen months of deception built on a synthetic voice that sounded unmistakably human. The scam linked a linguistics instructor in rural Ohio to a Decatur, Georgia server farm running three fake lives in real time-so how did a voice trained on public audio convince someone to fall in love?

In this episode, we follow the trail from a Pinewood Spur flash card to the online lessons that turned into daily calls, and we trace how a voice model, human operator, and remailing service kept the illusion alive-what broke the illusion, and what questions remain about harm and responsibility?

Person: Jeffrey Hensley
Date found: December 9, 2022
Location found: Pinewood Spur trail, 0.7 miles from rented storage unit
Platform: ClearTone
Country linked to remailing service: United States (California to Decatur, Georgia)

- Jeffrey was 28 years old and a linguistics instructor teaching 22 active students on ClearTone.
- The initial student account, Marcus Lim, began sessions on November 14, 2021, and within three weeks was booking daily.
- Jeffrey mailed physical flash cards to a PO box in Singapore that were rerouted through a remailing service in California then to Decatur, Georgia.
- The laminated flash card found had a Chinese character on one side and a phone number, name, and small ballpoint mark on the other.
- The fraudulent voice setup ran three simultaneous fake lives in real time from a server farm in Decatur, Georgia, with a human operator guiding the model.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1127falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-bolt-the-bag-and-the-goodbye-how-a-cat-exposed-a-con-man--73057419
Fear that someone you trust is lying while a life depends on it - a weighted phone in a freezer bag, a handwritten note that schedules a cat's insulin at six, and a string of sympathetic late-night calls that hid an elaborate romance scam. Who was the man on the phone, and how did a bolt and a note become the clues that changed everything?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from a river recovery to the people connected to the missing phone and the woman who owned it. We outline Melissa Anderson's life, her relationship with a man who called himself Jason Coleman, and the unanswered question of why the farewell note prioritized a cat's insulin schedule.

Person: Melissa Anderson
Age: 54
Location: Grantsville
Pet: Wren, a 15-year-old diabetic tortoiseshell cat
Amount first requested: $400

- A cell phone sealed in a zip-lock freezer bag and weighted with a single bolt was pulled from the Henner River at 6:15 AM on November 9.
- The handwritten note inside the bag instructed: "Feed her at six, not seven. She cries."
- Melissa Anderson, a licensed practical nurse, missed her overnight shift at Breckenridge Manor and last spoke at 2:00 AM saying she needed someone to know where she was.
- Melissa had been speaking nightly, for two to three hours, with a man who identified himself as Jason Coleman since February after a post on Veterans' Compass.
- The first monetary request from that man came in May for $400, framed as an apology about a gap in his VA coverage.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73057419Sun, 19 Jul 2026 17:33:26 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Bolt, the Bag, and the Goodbye: How a Cat Exposed a Con Man Fear that someone you trust is lying while a life depends on it - a weighted phone in a freezer bag, a handwritten note that schedules a cat's insulin at six, and a string of...
Fear that someone you trust is lying while a life depends on it - a weighted phone in a freezer bag, a handwritten note that schedules a cat's insulin at six, and a string of sympathetic late-night calls that hid an elaborate romance scam. Who was the man on the phone, and how did a bolt and a note become the clues that changed everything?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from a river recovery to the people connected to the missing phone and the woman who owned it. We outline Melissa Anderson's life, her relationship with a man who called himself Jason Coleman, and the unanswered question of why the farewell note prioritized a cat's insulin schedule.

Person: Melissa Anderson
Age: 54
Location: Grantsville
Pet: Wren, a 15-year-old diabetic tortoiseshell cat
Amount first requested: $400

- A cell phone sealed in a zip-lock freezer bag and weighted with a single bolt was pulled from the Henner River at 6:15 AM on November 9.
- The handwritten note inside the bag instructed: "Feed her at six, not seven. She cries."
- Melissa Anderson, a licensed practical nurse, missed her overnight shift at Breckenridge Manor and last spoke at 2:00 AM saying she needed someone to know where she was.
- Melissa had been speaking nightly, for two to three hours, with a man who identified himself as Jason Coleman since February after a post on Veterans' Compass.
- The first monetary request from that man came in May for $400, framed as an apology about a gap in his VA coverage.

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© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1157falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/locked-gate-pressed-lavender-how-lori-loved-kent-and-lost-47-000--73057417
Fear that someone you trust online is quietly reshaping your life-Lori found a weatherproofed envelope with a pressed lavender and a note signed "L" on a locked, vacant parcel twelve miles from town, and six weeks later an investigation named Lori Hughes. How did a museum assistant's careful life and $62,000 inheritance lead to a $47,000 loss?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from a professional networking exchange to secretive late-night calls and a dropped set of Wednesday confessions, tracing what happened between Lori Hughes and a man named Kent Williams. What changed in Lori's routines, and how did her cautious habits fail to stop a costly deception?

Person: Lori Hughes
Person: Kent Williams
Occupation: Assistant curator (Lori)
Occupation: Independent repatriation consultant (Kent)
Amount: $47,000

- Lori found a sealed clear plastic sleeve containing a white envelope addressed to "Kent" in a drainage ditch on the Hessler parcel, which had been vacant for eleven months.
- The envelope interior included a museum gift shop greeting card with pressed lavender taped inside and a handwritten note: "I'm so glad you found me. I've been waiting for something real my whole life. - L."
- Lori was 23 years old and had inherited $62,000 from her paternal grandfather, kept untouched in a credit union account.
- Lori and Kent's online interaction began with a comment on a professional networking post about provenance documentation and moved to direct messages within three weeks, then weekly video calls by August lasting two to three hours each on Thursdays.
- Lori's Wednesday 11:15 p.m. phone calls to her mother, Dottie Hughes, were a standing appointment that continued even after she stopped telling her mother about Kent.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73057417Sun, 19 Jul 2026 17:33:23 +0000Creator at ObomediaLocked Gate, Pressed Lavender: How Lori Loved Kent-and Lost $47,000 Fear that someone you trust online is quietly reshaping your life-Lori found a weatherproofed envelope with a pressed lavender and a note signed "L" on a locked, vacant parcel...
Fear that someone you trust online is quietly reshaping your life-Lori found a weatherproofed envelope with a pressed lavender and a note signed "L" on a locked, vacant parcel twelve miles from town, and six weeks later an investigation named Lori Hughes. How did a museum assistant's careful life and $62,000 inheritance lead to a $47,000 loss?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from a professional networking exchange to secretive late-night calls and a dropped set of Wednesday confessions, tracing what happened between Lori Hughes and a man named Kent Williams. What changed in Lori's routines, and how did her cautious habits fail to stop a costly deception?

Person: Lori Hughes
Person: Kent Williams
Occupation: Assistant curator (Lori)
Occupation: Independent repatriation consultant (Kent)
Amount: $47,000

- Lori found a sealed clear plastic sleeve containing a white envelope addressed to "Kent" in a drainage ditch on the Hessler parcel, which had been vacant for eleven months.
- The envelope interior included a museum gift shop greeting card with pressed lavender taped inside and a handwritten note: "I'm so glad you found me. I've been waiting for something real my whole life. - L."
- Lori was 23 years old and had inherited $62,000 from her paternal grandfather, kept untouched in a credit union account.
- Lori and Kent's online interaction began with a comment on a professional networking post about provenance documentation and moved to direct messages within three weeks, then weekly video calls by August lasting two to three hours each on Thursdays.
- Lori's Wednesday 11:15 p.m. phone calls to her mother, Dottie Hughes, were a standing appointment that continued even after she stopped telling her mother about Kent.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1175falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/it-had-been-there-long-enough-to-pick-up-the-dew--73057415
Fear of being fooled meets the quiet of rural life: a white envelope tucked under a wellhead cap contained a hand-wrapped quartz and a note about a Wyoming meteor shower, but the woman who found it had already sent $4,200 to a man she believed was a grieving long-haul driver - so who really asked for that money?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from the first online profile to the envelope on the concrete pad, following payment requests, visits, and the discovery that the face she trusted was being used by someone else - how did the deception build so convincingly and what stopped it?

Person: Judith Stewart
Location: Marvell Ridge, outside Hatchett, Missouri
Age: 38
Initial payment request: $300
Total sent by second week of September: $4,200

- Envelope found under PVC cap of a wellhead on the east side of Judith Stewart's property on a concrete pad not visible from road or windows.
- First found by a contractor on a Tuesday morning in the second week of September and had picked up dew.
- Judith created an online connection in late April 2019 on CountryMile with a profile named Eugene Wagner, age 51, claiming to be a refrigerated long-haul driver.
- Five payment requests arrived between August and second week of September: $300, $200, $450, $300, and $600, each with specific medical-related reasons.
- The larger request of $1,800 in September brought the total to $4,200; the man who visited Judith’s property was actually Marcus Dewell, age 53, a married facilities manager whose photo was used without his knowledge.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73057415Sun, 19 Jul 2026 17:33:20 +0000Creator at ObomediaIt had been there long enough to pick up the dew Fear of being fooled meets the quiet of rural life: a white envelope tucked under a wellhead cap contained a hand-wrapped quartz and a note about a Wyoming meteor shower, but the woman who found it...
Fear of being fooled meets the quiet of rural life: a white envelope tucked under a wellhead cap contained a hand-wrapped quartz and a note about a Wyoming meteor shower, but the woman who found it had already sent $4,200 to a man she believed was a grieving long-haul driver - so who really asked for that money?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from the first online profile to the envelope on the concrete pad, following payment requests, visits, and the discovery that the face she trusted was being used by someone else - how did the deception build so convincingly and what stopped it?

Person: Judith Stewart
Location: Marvell Ridge, outside Hatchett, Missouri
Age: 38
Initial payment request: $300
Total sent by second week of September: $4,200

- Envelope found under PVC cap of a wellhead on the east side of Judith Stewart's property on a concrete pad not visible from road or windows.
- First found by a contractor on a Tuesday morning in the second week of September and had picked up dew.
- Judith created an online connection in late April 2019 on CountryMile with a profile named Eugene Wagner, age 51, claiming to be a refrigerated long-haul driver.
- Five payment requests arrived between August and second week of September: $300, $200, $450, $300, and $600, each with specific medical-related reasons.
- The larger request of $1,800 in September brought the total to $4,200; the man who visited Judith’s property was actually Marcus Dewell, age 53, a married facilities manager whose photo was used without his knowledge.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1067falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/she-was-already-wiring-the-money-the-lisa-cook-case--73057414
Fear that someone you trust online could be a carefully assembled lie: a man used the archives of dead Italian food writers to build a persona and convinced a 62-year-old blogger to send $5,700 - then a photo of a car in a library lot exposed the scheme. How did a decade of honest writing become a map for deception, and what stopped the next transfer?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events as they unfolded from a morning bird photograph to the discovery that led Lisa Cook to recognize the fraud. You’ll hear how the contact began, the pattern of transfers, and the strange digital trail that pointed back to a man in Macon - and the question remains: what happened next?

Person: Lisa Cook
Location: Haverfield, Ohio
Age: 62
Perpetrator: Randy Rice, 46, Macon, Georgia
Amount: $5,700 total transferred

- First photo taken at 7:15 AM on August 14 showing a green Subaru Forester with a laminated sheet visible on the dashboard.
- Lisa Cook had been writing The Honest Table for 11 years with roughly 60,000 readers.
- Randy Rice discovered Lisa through a food writing forum in January and began daily contact within two weeks.
- The persona used was Marco Vieri, a real Italian critic who died at age 61; Rice used digitized archives from a 2019 Umbrian magazine profile.
- Lisa sent three transfers totaling $5,700 (first $1,500 in April; second $4,200 in June; a third was being calculated on the morning of August 14).

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73057414Sun, 19 Jul 2026 17:33:17 +0000Creator at ObomediaShe Was Already Wiring the Money: The Lisa Cook Case Fear that someone you trust online could be a carefully assembled lie: a man used the archives of dead Italian food writers to build a persona and convinced a 62-year-old blogger to send $5,700 -...
Fear that someone you trust online could be a carefully assembled lie: a man used the archives of dead Italian food writers to build a persona and convinced a 62-year-old blogger to send $5,700 - then a photo of a car in a library lot exposed the scheme. How did a decade of honest writing become a map for deception, and what stopped the next transfer?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events as they unfolded from a morning bird photograph to the discovery that led Lisa Cook to recognize the fraud. You’ll hear how the contact began, the pattern of transfers, and the strange digital trail that pointed back to a man in Macon - and the question remains: what happened next?

Person: Lisa Cook
Location: Haverfield, Ohio
Age: 62
Perpetrator: Randy Rice, 46, Macon, Georgia
Amount: $5,700 total transferred

- First photo taken at 7:15 AM on August 14 showing a green Subaru Forester with a laminated sheet visible on the dashboard.
- Lisa Cook had been writing The Honest Table for 11 years with roughly 60,000 readers.
- Randy Rice discovered Lisa through a food writing forum in January and began daily contact within two weeks.
- The persona used was Marco Vieri, a real Italian critic who died at age 61; Rice used digitized archives from a 2019 Umbrian magazine profile.
- Lisa sent three transfers totaling $5,700 (first $1,500 in April; second $4,200 in June; a third was being calculated on the morning of August 14).

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1207falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-voice-on-the-porch-how-a-fake-coast-guard-broke-sarah--73057413
A small wireless speaker played the same recorded voice for forty-eight hours through rain on a Maine porch, looping nineteen hours of messages that led a 25-year-old marine technician to send $2,100; who was really behind the account that used a real Coast Guard officer's photo, and why did the voice feel more intimate than the facts?

In this episode, we trace the online thread from a technical forum question about tidal variance to private messages, a four-minute video call, and a series of voice memos and wire transfers - asking how specificity, patience, and a borrowed identity convinced someone who described herself as "settled" to doubt what had been real.

Person: Sarah Whitaker
Age: 25
Location: Pelham Cove area, Maine
Duration of voice memos: 19 hours (117 voice memos)
Total money sent: $2,100 across 3 transfers

- The speaker looped on a porch for 48 hours, kept powered by a cable through rain.
- Sarah received 117 voice memos totaling 19 hours over about four months.
- The fake account used a photo of real Coast Guard officer Brian Callahan from Kodiak, Alaska.
- Financial requests escalated from $300 to $1,100, totaling $2,100 sent by wire on three transactions.
- A video call lasted 4 minutes and 20 seconds; after 90 seconds the image cut and only the voice remained.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73057413Sun, 19 Jul 2026 17:33:14 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Voice on the Porch: How a Fake Coast Guard Broke Sarah A small wireless speaker played the same recorded voice for forty-eight hours through rain on a Maine porch, looping nineteen hours of messages that led a 25-year-old marine technician to...
A small wireless speaker played the same recorded voice for forty-eight hours through rain on a Maine porch, looping nineteen hours of messages that led a 25-year-old marine technician to send $2,100; who was really behind the account that used a real Coast Guard officer's photo, and why did the voice feel more intimate than the facts?

In this episode, we trace the online thread from a technical forum question about tidal variance to private messages, a four-minute video call, and a series of voice memos and wire transfers - asking how specificity, patience, and a borrowed identity convinced someone who described herself as "settled" to doubt what had been real.

Person: Sarah Whitaker
Age: 25
Location: Pelham Cove area, Maine
Duration of voice memos: 19 hours (117 voice memos)
Total money sent: $2,100 across 3 transfers

- The speaker looped on a porch for 48 hours, kept powered by a cable through rain.
- Sarah received 117 voice memos totaling 19 hours over about four months.
- The fake account used a photo of real Coast Guard officer Brian Callahan from Kodiak, Alaska.
- Financial requests escalated from $300 to $1,100, totaling $2,100 sent by wire on three transactions.
- A video call lasted 4 minutes and 20 seconds; after 90 seconds the image cut and only the voice remained.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1157falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-laptop-in-the-ditch-how-a-counselor-stole-40-000--73057411
Trust turned to a glowing laptop in a ditch: a thirty-one percent battery, an unsent plea - "I trusted you with everything. Please just tell me it was real." How did a careful, reliable volunteer end up sending $40,000 to a fake counselor and leaving her laptop beside Sycamore Flats Road?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from Nancy Sullivan's fresh start in spring 2022 through two wire transfers and a deserted roadside laptop, asking how a system of therapists, online communities, and institutional referrals was weaponized by a repeat fraudster. What moments of trust made the transfers possible, and who was behind the stolen identity?

Person: Nancy Sullivan
Date: June 3, 2022
Amount: $18,000
Amount: $22,000
Location: Sycamore Flats Road, two miles outside Caldwell Crossing

- Nancy Sullivan turned forty-four in winter 2022 and finalized her divorce in February 2022.
- Nancy joined the Renewal Forum in early April 2022 and was contacted by "Carl Christensen" within ten days.
- The first wire transfer of $18,000 was authorized on June 3, 2022 citing urgent medical bills for "Sophie."
- A second wire transfer of $22,000 was sent on June 10, 2022, eight days after the first transfer.
- The profile photo used by "Carl Christensen" belonged to Dennis Albright, a fifty-one-year-old physical therapist from Spokane, whose image had circulated since 2019.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73057411Sun, 19 Jul 2026 17:33:11 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Laptop in the Ditch: How a "Counselor" Stole $40,000 Trust turned to a glowing laptop in a ditch: a thirty-one percent battery, an unsent plea - "I trusted you with everything. Please just tell me it was real." How did a careful, reliable...
Trust turned to a glowing laptop in a ditch: a thirty-one percent battery, an unsent plea - "I trusted you with everything. Please just tell me it was real." How did a careful, reliable volunteer end up sending $40,000 to a fake counselor and leaving her laptop beside Sycamore Flats Road?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from Nancy Sullivan's fresh start in spring 2022 through two wire transfers and a deserted roadside laptop, asking how a system of therapists, online communities, and institutional referrals was weaponized by a repeat fraudster. What moments of trust made the transfers possible, and who was behind the stolen identity?

Person: Nancy Sullivan
Date: June 3, 2022
Amount: $18,000
Amount: $22,000
Location: Sycamore Flats Road, two miles outside Caldwell Crossing

- Nancy Sullivan turned forty-four in winter 2022 and finalized her divorce in February 2022.
- Nancy joined the Renewal Forum in early April 2022 and was contacted by "Carl Christensen" within ten days.
- The first wire transfer of $18,000 was authorized on June 3, 2022 citing urgent medical bills for "Sophie."
- A second wire transfer of $22,000 was sent on June 10, 2022, eight days after the first transfer.
- The profile photo used by "Carl Christensen" belonged to Dennis Albright, a fifty-one-year-old physical therapist from Spokane, whose image had circulated since 2019.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1287falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-warm-box-on-the-porch-how-love-turned-into-conspiracy--73057410
Warmth from a cardboard box on a deserted porch led investigators to a vanished woman and a web of invented identities; a private-book photograph, a cropped auction watermark, and a $9,400 transfer became the first cold clues. Who created the fiction that pulled a careful collector out of her life - and where did Gloria Richardson go?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events that began with a lineman finding an unlabeled warm package and trace the online courtship that preceded a financial transfer and then Gloria's disappearance; what started as shared literary references and annotated margins became a chain of falsified evidence and deception that raises one central question: who was Stanley Bennett?

Person: Gloria Richardson
Date: May 9, 2019
Location: Sycamore Bend Road, Halverton, Tennessee
Amount: $9,400
Event: Discovery of an unlabeled warm box containing a 1922 annotated book

- A lineman named Terry Morgan found the warm, unlabeled box on the back porch while checking a meter on May 9, 2019.
- Gloria Richardson, age 32, had a four-year routine of Wednesdays at 7:45 AM at the Millstone Diner, booth four, black coffee and pancakes without butter.
- The online correspondent used the username BennettRarebooks and claimed to be a private dealer in Edinburgh; Gloria messaged him in February 2019 and they corresponded daily by March.
- On May 3, 2019, Gloria received an offer for a purported 47-volume Garnett translation collection for $9,400 and transferred the money five days before she disappeared.
- A fraud investigator found the photograph of the collection was copied from a 2016 Portland auction catalog and the customs document’s warehouse did not match the claimed Newark origin.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73057410Sun, 19 Jul 2026 17:33:08 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Warm Box on the Porch: How Love Turned Into Conspiracy Warmth from a cardboard box on a deserted porch led investigators to a vanished woman and a web of invented identities; a private-book photograph, a cropped auction watermark, and a $9,400...
Warmth from a cardboard box on a deserted porch led investigators to a vanished woman and a web of invented identities; a private-book photograph, a cropped auction watermark, and a $9,400 transfer became the first cold clues. Who created the fiction that pulled a careful collector out of her life - and where did Gloria Richardson go?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events that began with a lineman finding an unlabeled warm package and trace the online courtship that preceded a financial transfer and then Gloria's disappearance; what started as shared literary references and annotated margins became a chain of falsified evidence and deception that raises one central question: who was Stanley Bennett?

Person: Gloria Richardson
Date: May 9, 2019
Location: Sycamore Bend Road, Halverton, Tennessee
Amount: $9,400
Event: Discovery of an unlabeled warm box containing a 1922 annotated book

- A lineman named Terry Morgan found the warm, unlabeled box on the back porch while checking a meter on May 9, 2019.
- Gloria Richardson, age 32, had a four-year routine of Wednesdays at 7:45 AM at the Millstone Diner, booth four, black coffee and pancakes without butter.
- The online correspondent used the username BennettRarebooks and claimed to be a private dealer in Edinburgh; Gloria messaged him in February 2019 and they corresponded daily by March.
- On May 3, 2019, Gloria received an offer for a purported 47-volume Garnett translation collection for $9,400 and transferred the money five days before she disappeared.
- A fraud investigator found the photograph of the collection was copied from a 2016 Portland auction catalog and the customs document’s warehouse did not match the claimed Newark origin.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1229falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/she-sent-67-000-to-a-man-who-never-existed-the-marilyn-hensley-case--73057409
Fear that a stranger you trust could be a fabrication - Marilyn Hensley sent a total later calculated as $67,000 across 51 wire transfers to a man who never existed, and his final plea ended with a tablet found in mud six hundred meters from the nearest road. How did months of careful, small requests add up to such a precise and devastating theft?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from the first message on a faith-based platform to the discovery on the Talcott River trail, laying out how a relationship built online turned into repeated financial transfers and a staged photographic narrative - and ask how engineered trust can be detected before it destroys a life.

Person: Marilyn Hensley
Date: April 14, 2019
Platform: GraceConnect
Transfers: 51 wire transfers over 18 months
Largest single transfer: $3,100

- Marilyn joined GraceConnect in January 2018 and received a message from "Duane Farrell" within ten days.
- The first money request came in August 2018 for $420 to clear vaccines held at customs in Accra.
- By March 2018 they were messaging every day; by July 2018 "Duane" had said he loved her.
- The tablet found by Lloyd Rafferty had a cracked screen, pink case, and was located six hundred meters from the nearest road on April 14, 2019.
- Investigators later calculated the total Marilyn sent as $67,000 across 51 transfers, with most individual amounts between $200 and $800.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73057409Sun, 19 Jul 2026 17:33:05 +0000Creator at ObomediaShe Sent $67,000 to a Man Who Never Existed: The Marilyn Hensley Case Fear that a stranger you trust could be a fabrication - Marilyn Hensley sent a total later calculated as $67,000 across 51 wire transfers to a man who never existed, and his...
Fear that a stranger you trust could be a fabrication - Marilyn Hensley sent a total later calculated as $67,000 across 51 wire transfers to a man who never existed, and his final plea ended with a tablet found in mud six hundred meters from the nearest road. How did months of careful, small requests add up to such a precise and devastating theft?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from the first message on a faith-based platform to the discovery on the Talcott River trail, laying out how a relationship built online turned into repeated financial transfers and a staged photographic narrative - and ask how engineered trust can be detected before it destroys a life.

Person: Marilyn Hensley
Date: April 14, 2019
Platform: GraceConnect
Transfers: 51 wire transfers over 18 months
Largest single transfer: $3,100

- Marilyn joined GraceConnect in January 2018 and received a message from "Duane Farrell" within ten days.
- The first money request came in August 2018 for $420 to clear vaccines held at customs in Accra.
- By March 2018 they were messaging every day; by July 2018 "Duane" had said he loved her.
- The tablet found by Lloyd Rafferty had a cracked screen, pink case, and was located six hundred meters from the nearest road on April 14, 2019.
- Investigators later calculated the total Marilyn sent as $67,000 across 51 transfers, with most individual amounts between $200 and $800.

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© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1206falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/he-reads-the-goodnight-texts-twice-the-gregory-johnson-case--73057407
The discovery of a laminated Army colonel badge and wire-transfer slips totaling $62,041 hidden in a gas meter housing began as a quiet, precise betrayal that drained a man’s life savings. How did a man who logged his dog’s IV fluids every morning come to trust a fabricated Army colonel and lose everything to a romance scam?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of facts from the first contact to the transfers, tracking the people, the lies, and the ledger of losses to ask how someone as meticulous as Gregory Johnson was deceived by a constructed identity and coordinated perpetrators.

Person: Gregory Johnson
Age: 44 in spring 2018
Location: duplex on Calloway Road, Harwick, Ohio
Amount: $62,041 total in wire-transfer confirmation numbers
Other Person: Derek Calloway (fabricated identity)

- Badge found by meter reader Dale Fisher in March 2019: laminated Army colonel ID and folded sheet with transfer numbers.
- Total of wire-transfer confirmation numbers found: $62,041.
- Gregory kept two handwritten logbooks: one for his dog Hatch’s IV fluids and one of forty pages recording Derek’s words.
- Initial money request in August 2018: $4,000 to "unfreeze a bank account."
- Forensic analysis identified at least two distinct speakers on recorded calls and photos actually belonged to Thomas Gruber, a retired insurance adjuster from Indiana.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73057407Sun, 19 Jul 2026 17:33:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaHe Reads the Goodnight Texts Twice: The Gregory Johnson Case The discovery of a laminated Army colonel badge and wire-transfer slips totaling $62,041 hidden in a gas meter housing began as a quiet, precise betrayal that drained a man’s life...
The discovery of a laminated Army colonel badge and wire-transfer slips totaling $62,041 hidden in a gas meter housing began as a quiet, precise betrayal that drained a man’s life savings. How did a man who logged his dog’s IV fluids every morning come to trust a fabricated Army colonel and lose everything to a romance scam?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of facts from the first contact to the transfers, tracking the people, the lies, and the ledger of losses to ask how someone as meticulous as Gregory Johnson was deceived by a constructed identity and coordinated perpetrators.

Person: Gregory Johnson
Age: 44 in spring 2018
Location: duplex on Calloway Road, Harwick, Ohio
Amount: $62,041 total in wire-transfer confirmation numbers
Other Person: Derek Calloway (fabricated identity)

- Badge found by meter reader Dale Fisher in March 2019: laminated Army colonel ID and folded sheet with transfer numbers.
- Total of wire-transfer confirmation numbers found: $62,041.
- Gregory kept two handwritten logbooks: one for his dog Hatch’s IV fluids and one of forty pages recording Derek’s words.
- Initial money request in August 2018: $4,000 to "unfreeze a bank account."
- Forensic analysis identified at least two distinct speakers on recorded calls and photos actually belonged to Thomas Gruber, a retired insurance adjuster from Indiana.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1035falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-valentine-that-never-arrived-how-a-fake-lover-killed-hope--73057406
Fear and hope braided together: a sealed Valentine's card addressed to São Paulo sat on a doormat while the man who wrote it had been dead for eleven days, and the recipient never existed - so how did a fabricated romance end with a real death? This episode follows the slow, targeted construction of a decades-old loneliness into a lethal con, and asks what finally broke the life of a steady twenty-nine-year-old.

In this episode, we trace Dennis Rogers's weeknight calls, the fabricated identity of "Cheryl Draper," the November visit with a clipboard, and the chain of wire transfers that tied them together to ask whether deliberate deception can be punished when the law won’t call it murder. How did small, precise choices - a profile photo, scheduled calls, a prepaid card - become the evidence that sent one man to prison?

Person: Dennis Rogers
Age: twenty-nine
Person: Terry Boone
Location: Harlan, Ohio
Item: sealed Valentine addressed to São Paulo

- Dennis had been dead for eleven days when a neighbor read "my husband" on the sealed envelope through a half-inch door gap.
- Dennis sent forty-seven messages in the first week after contacting the LiveWell listing in late March.
- The Wednesday calls began almost always at 11:15 p.m. and continued weekly.
- Six wire transfers preceded the transfer that prompted concern; one small, specific payment was sent for Lily's medical bills.
- A jury deliberated less than four hours before sentencing Terry Boone to eleven years.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73057406Sun, 19 Jul 2026 17:33:00 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Valentine That Never Arrived: How a Fake Lover Killed Hope Fear and hope braided together: a sealed Valentine's card addressed to São Paulo sat on a doormat while the man who wrote it had been dead for eleven days, and the recipient never...
Fear and hope braided together: a sealed Valentine's card addressed to São Paulo sat on a doormat while the man who wrote it had been dead for eleven days, and the recipient never existed - so how did a fabricated romance end with a real death? This episode follows the slow, targeted construction of a decades-old loneliness into a lethal con, and asks what finally broke the life of a steady twenty-nine-year-old.

In this episode, we trace Dennis Rogers's weeknight calls, the fabricated identity of "Cheryl Draper," the November visit with a clipboard, and the chain of wire transfers that tied them together to ask whether deliberate deception can be punished when the law won’t call it murder. How did small, precise choices - a profile photo, scheduled calls, a prepaid card - become the evidence that sent one man to prison?

Person: Dennis Rogers
Age: twenty-nine
Person: Terry Boone
Location: Harlan, Ohio
Item: sealed Valentine addressed to São Paulo

- Dennis had been dead for eleven days when a neighbor read "my husband" on the sealed envelope through a half-inch door gap.
- Dennis sent forty-seven messages in the first week after contacting the LiveWell listing in late March.
- The Wednesday calls began almost always at 11:15 p.m. and continued weekly.
- Six wire transfers preceded the transfer that prompted concern; one small, specific payment was sent for Lily's medical bills.
- A jury deliberated less than four hours before sentencing Terry Boone to eleven years.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1173falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/she-reads-the-letter-and-realizes-it-was-never-him--73057405
A drowned tote bag washed up holding eleven cashed cashier's checks totaling just over $214,000 and a lavender-scented letter to "Wendy" that wasn't written by the man she loved-how did a cautious rancher lose every certificate of deposit to a stranger she trusted? Who engineered that trust, and where did the money actually go?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from a found bag at Calhoun Reservoir to the months-long romance that cost Wendy Nelson her savings, and we follow the financial trail across banks, states, and a borrowed identity to ask: who staged the perfect con and why did it take so long to unravel?

Person: Wendy Nelson
Location: Calhoun Reservoir
Date: December 2018 (bag found), January 2019 (discovered by dog Scout)
Amount: $214,000 (eleven cashier's checks)
Loss timeline: money wired between November 2017 and September 2018

- Eleven cashier's checks totaling just over $214,000 were found in a tote bag wrapped in a plastic sleeve.
- Wendy Nelson had five laddered certificates of deposit across three banks, the largest worth $81,000.
- The online relationship lasted seven months before the first financial request; the first payment requested was $400 in November 2017.
- Wendy wired $400 to an account in Singapore; four weeks later a $400 MoneyGram repayment arrived at the Erling pharmacy.
- Over the next fourteen months Wendy sent amounts timed to CD maturities, including $38,000 in January 2018, $55,000 in May 2018, and $41,000 in September 2018.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73057405Sun, 19 Jul 2026 17:32:57 +0000Creator at ObomediaShe Reads the Letter and Realizes It Was Never Him A drowned tote bag washed up holding eleven cashed cashier's checks totaling just over $214,000 and a lavender-scented letter to "Wendy" that wasn't written by the man she loved-how did a cautious...
A drowned tote bag washed up holding eleven cashed cashier's checks totaling just over $214,000 and a lavender-scented letter to "Wendy" that wasn't written by the man she loved-how did a cautious rancher lose every certificate of deposit to a stranger she trusted? Who engineered that trust, and where did the money actually go?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from a found bag at Calhoun Reservoir to the months-long romance that cost Wendy Nelson her savings, and we follow the financial trail across banks, states, and a borrowed identity to ask: who staged the perfect con and why did it take so long to unravel?

Person: Wendy Nelson
Location: Calhoun Reservoir
Date: December 2018 (bag found), January 2019 (discovered by dog Scout)
Amount: $214,000 (eleven cashier's checks)
Loss timeline: money wired between November 2017 and September 2018

- Eleven cashier's checks totaling just over $214,000 were found in a tote bag wrapped in a plastic sleeve.
- Wendy Nelson had five laddered certificates of deposit across three banks, the largest worth $81,000.
- The online relationship lasted seven months before the first financial request; the first payment requested was $400 in November 2017.
- Wendy wired $400 to an account in Singapore; four weeks later a $400 MoneyGram repayment arrived at the Erling pharmacy.
- Over the next fourteen months Wendy sent amounts timed to CD maturities, including $38,000 in January 2018, $55,000 in May 2018, and $41,000 in September 2018.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1167falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-man-who-loved-her-ledger-how-clifford-drained-11-200--73057404
Fear of being expertly fooled: a meticulous 24-year-old who tracked every dollar still lost $11,200 after six weeks of online romance and careful trust - how did four transfers vanish into a profile that wasn't real? Who was the person behind "Clifford," and why was a dry, handwritten letter found with a laptop at the Route 7 bridge?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of events from the first MatchBoard message to the discovery that changed everything, laying out the timeline of transfers, the preserved ledger, and the clues that led coworkers and investigators to question the man she thought she knew. What did the laptop and the three-pages addressed to Erin reveal?

Person: Erin Carter
Age: 24
Location: Dunhill (Whitmore Street apartment)
Amount: $11,200
Transfers: 4

- First contact on MatchBoard occurred in early October and moved to video calls by November.
- Four separate wire transfers occurred between mid-November and early December totaling $11,200.
- Erin updated a paper ledger every Sunday night without exception, recording each transaction.
- The neoprene sleeve with a laptop and three handwritten pages addressed to "My dearest Erin" was pulled from the shallows at the Route 7 bridge sandbar on December 9.
- The profile photo for "Clifford Osterfeld" of Tacoma returned matches under different names and cities in a reverse image search.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73057404Sun, 19 Jul 2026 17:32:54 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Man Who Loved Her Ledger: How "Clifford" Drained $11,200 Fear of being expertly fooled: a meticulous 24-year-old who tracked every dollar still lost $11,200 after six weeks of online romance and careful trust - how did four transfers vanish...
Fear of being expertly fooled: a meticulous 24-year-old who tracked every dollar still lost $11,200 after six weeks of online romance and careful trust - how did four transfers vanish into a profile that wasn't real? Who was the person behind "Clifford," and why was a dry, handwritten letter found with a laptop at the Route 7 bridge?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of events from the first MatchBoard message to the discovery that changed everything, laying out the timeline of transfers, the preserved ledger, and the clues that led coworkers and investigators to question the man she thought she knew. What did the laptop and the three-pages addressed to Erin reveal?

Person: Erin Carter
Age: 24
Location: Dunhill (Whitmore Street apartment)
Amount: $11,200
Transfers: 4

- First contact on MatchBoard occurred in early October and moved to video calls by November.
- Four separate wire transfers occurred between mid-November and early December totaling $11,200.
- Erin updated a paper ledger every Sunday night without exception, recording each transaction.
- The neoprene sleeve with a laptop and three handwritten pages addressed to "My dearest Erin" was pulled from the shallows at the Route 7 bridge sandbar on December 9.
- The profile photo for "Clifford Osterfeld" of Tacoma returned matches under different names and cities in a reverse image search.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1107falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/he-pretended-to-survive-how-connie-stole-angela-s-trust-and-life-savings--73057403
Fear that someone who shared your scars could be the person who quietly takes everything - Angela found a sealed envelope with a note she already kept, a private Facebook group founded by "Connie Webb" used photos stolen from a real man, and over 19 months Angela sent $61,400 in transfers; who built that friendship and why did the real-life trail end at a taillight stop?

In this episode, we present the timeline and key discoveries from Angela Stroud’s case: how an online support group evolved into a long con, the moment physical mail connected to the deception, and the question investigators followed from a roadside encounter to missing savings.

Person: Angela Stroud
Event: Found sealed envelope in box elder tree on November 12, 2019
Group: "After the Storm - Breast Cancer Survivors Network" (about 400 members)
Total: $61,400 sent over nineteen months
Stop: Man stopped with Tennessee plates on Route 9 approximately three miles from Angela’s house (about fourteen months before the mailed book)

- Angela was 34 when she found the lump and underwent surgery and two rounds of chemotherapy.
- The Facebook group was joined by Angela in early 2017 and had roughly 400 members.
- Photos on "Connie Webb"’s account were uploaded in a single session from a prepaid device in February 2014.
- Angela made seven transfers totaling $61,400 into three accounts over nineteen months starting March 2018.
- A man using the name Mark Pruitt with Tennessee-plated car was stopped by a Greer County deputy on Route 9 about three miles from Angela’s house about fourteen months before a book was mailed to her.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73057403Sun, 19 Jul 2026 17:32:51 +0000Creator at ObomediaHe Pretended to Survive: How "Connie" Stole Angela's Trust and Life Savings Fear that someone who shared your scars could be the person who quietly takes everything - Angela found a sealed envelope with a note she already kept, a private Facebook...
Fear that someone who shared your scars could be the person who quietly takes everything - Angela found a sealed envelope with a note she already kept, a private Facebook group founded by "Connie Webb" used photos stolen from a real man, and over 19 months Angela sent $61,400 in transfers; who built that friendship and why did the real-life trail end at a taillight stop?

In this episode, we present the timeline and key discoveries from Angela Stroud’s case: how an online support group evolved into a long con, the moment physical mail connected to the deception, and the question investigators followed from a roadside encounter to missing savings.

Person: Angela Stroud
Event: Found sealed envelope in box elder tree on November 12, 2019
Group: "After the Storm - Breast Cancer Survivors Network" (about 400 members)
Total: $61,400 sent over nineteen months
Stop: Man stopped with Tennessee plates on Route 9 approximately three miles from Angela’s house (about fourteen months before the mailed book)

- Angela was 34 when she found the lump and underwent surgery and two rounds of chemotherapy.
- The Facebook group was joined by Angela in early 2017 and had roughly 400 members.
- Photos on "Connie Webb"’s account were uploaded in a single session from a prepaid device in February 2014.
- Angela made seven transfers totaling $61,400 into three accounts over nineteen months starting March 2018.
- A man using the name Mark Pruitt with Tennessee-plated car was stopped by a Greer County deputy on Route 9 about three miles from Angela’s house about fourteen months before a book was mailed to her.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>989falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/forty-one-envelopes-how-a-caretaker-s-letters-became-11-340-scam--73057402
There is a slow, intimate violence in how trust can be built letter by letter: forty-one handwritten envelopes, two years and five months of correspondence, and $11,340 sent in nine small transfers - all tied to a man who did not exist. Who watched her life closely enough to exploit a volunteer program and turn private routine into a carefully timed con?

In this episode, we follow the chain of events from the gravel-stacked envelopes to the financial trails investigators traced, outlining how a legitimate pen pal program and routine clinic visits became the entry points for fraud. What detail, visible for years in plain sight, finally unraveled the scheme?

Person: Megan Watson
Person: Roy Wright (alias)
Person: Victor Nance
Date: March 2020 (first assignment); September 2022 (last transfer)
Amount: $11,340

- 41 envelopes containing two years and five months of letters were found stacked and bound under a mailbox.
- Megan Watson turned 61 in August 2022 and had worked 14 years as a patient-intake coordinator at Bellridge orthopedic clinic.
- The first financial request occurred in March 2021 for $80 to cover a nephew’s medical co-payment.
- Nine payments totaling $11,340 were made between March 2021 and September 2022.
- A reverse image search matched a photo in Roy’s third letter to Marcus Webb, a 43-year-old logistics coordinator in Charlotte, North Carolina.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73057402Sun, 19 Jul 2026 17:32:49 +0000Creator at ObomediaForty-One Envelopes: How a Caretaker's Letters Became $11,340 Scam There is a slow, intimate violence in how trust can be built letter by letter: forty-one handwritten envelopes, two years and five months of correspondence, and $11,340 sent in nine...
There is a slow, intimate violence in how trust can be built letter by letter: forty-one handwritten envelopes, two years and five months of correspondence, and $11,340 sent in nine small transfers - all tied to a man who did not exist. Who watched her life closely enough to exploit a volunteer program and turn private routine into a carefully timed con?

In this episode, we follow the chain of events from the gravel-stacked envelopes to the financial trails investigators traced, outlining how a legitimate pen pal program and routine clinic visits became the entry points for fraud. What detail, visible for years in plain sight, finally unraveled the scheme?

Person: Megan Watson
Person: Roy Wright (alias)
Person: Victor Nance
Date: March 2020 (first assignment); September 2022 (last transfer)
Amount: $11,340

- 41 envelopes containing two years and five months of letters were found stacked and bound under a mailbox.
- Megan Watson turned 61 in August 2022 and had worked 14 years as a patient-intake coordinator at Bellridge orthopedic clinic.
- The first financial request occurred in March 2021 for $80 to cover a nephew’s medical co-payment.
- Nine payments totaling $11,340 were made between March 2021 and September 2022.
- A reverse image search matched a photo in Roy’s third letter to Marcus Webb, a 43-year-old logistics coordinator in Charlotte, North Carolina.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>995falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-river-laptop-that-unmasked-a-fake-lover-and-11-300-in-lies--73057401
Loneliness turned to betrayal: a retired postal worker found a powered laptop on a river rock after a flood, and that device led investigators to unravel eight months of manufactured romance and $11,300 lost to wire fraud. How did a glowing screen on the Allegheny become the first clue that exposed a fraud ring operating within two miles of its victims?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of discoveries from a morning walk to subpoenas and bank flags, describing the people, places, and digital traces that connected eleven victims across two zip codes to transfers ending in Lagos - and asking how a single laptop pointed straight at a third-floor office and a name that turned out to be real.

Person: Kevin Simmons
Location: Allegheny River, south of Millhaven, Pennsylvania
Date: September 9, 2017
Case: Eleven victims across two zip codes
Event: Nine wire transfers totaling $11,300 by June 2017

- The laptop was found dry and still on a flat rock three days after the Allegheny River flooded.
- Ronald Slater sent nine wire transfers totaling $11,300 between January and June 2017.
- The laptop's partial serial number matched equipment tied to a commercial sublease on Garfield Avenue, third floor.
- Investigator John Hall received the laptop photos by 9:40 AM and had subpoenaed a flagged bank account on September 6.
- Ronald had a scheduled additional wire of $1,400 for September 12 that would not be sent after the investigation.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73057401Sun, 19 Jul 2026 17:32:46 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe River Laptop That Unmasked a Fake Lover and $11,300 in Lies Loneliness turned to betrayal: a retired postal worker found a powered laptop on a river rock after a flood, and that device led investigators to unravel eight months of manufactured...
Loneliness turned to betrayal: a retired postal worker found a powered laptop on a river rock after a flood, and that device led investigators to unravel eight months of manufactured romance and $11,300 lost to wire fraud. How did a glowing screen on the Allegheny become the first clue that exposed a fraud ring operating within two miles of its victims?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of discoveries from a morning walk to subpoenas and bank flags, describing the people, places, and digital traces that connected eleven victims across two zip codes to transfers ending in Lagos - and asking how a single laptop pointed straight at a third-floor office and a name that turned out to be real.

Person: Kevin Simmons
Location: Allegheny River, south of Millhaven, Pennsylvania
Date: September 9, 2017
Case: Eleven victims across two zip codes
Event: Nine wire transfers totaling $11,300 by June 2017

- The laptop was found dry and still on a flat rock three days after the Allegheny River flooded.
- Ronald Slater sent nine wire transfers totaling $11,300 between January and June 2017.
- The laptop's partial serial number matched equipment tied to a commercial sublease on Garfield Avenue, third floor.
- Investigator John Hall received the laptop photos by 9:40 AM and had subpoenaed a flagged bank account on September 6.
- Ronald had a scheduled additional wire of $1,400 for September 12 that would not be sent after the investigation.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1312falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/she-recognizes-his-face-not-from-the-photos-the-megan-petersen-case--73057400
Cold certainty turned into a slow-burning doubt: a silver-framed photograph signed "Daniel" appears on the porch of a 48-year-old occupational therapist in Dellbrook, Ohio, and the man in the picture had never been there. Three stolen identities, at least two women who loved a man who did not exist, and a photo lifted from a private Facebook post-how did that frame become the first piece of physical evidence in a fraud that crossed county lines?

In this episode, we tell how a paper route discovery and a ceramics-class tip led a paralegal to notice inconsistencies in the frame and ink, and how those details opened a case about online romance, stolen images, and wire transfers. What sequence of small, plausible deceptions turned nightly calls and emails into financial loss and a fabricated life?

Person: Megan Petersen
Location: 4112 Whitmore Avenue, Dellbrook, Ohio
Date: August 2019 (photograph found), January-June 2019 (online contact)
Event: Photograph left on porch signed "Daniel"
Case: Fraud involving stolen identities and wire transfers

- A sixteen-year-old paper carrier, Melissa Myers, found the silver-framed photograph at 6:00 a.m. while running her route.
- Megan Petersen was 48 years old and had lived at the Whitmore Avenue address for eleven years.
- The first message from the profile "Daniel Whitfield" arrived on January 19, 2019.
- Megan wired $1,800 in April after "Daniel" described a subcontractor payment dispute; a second transfer occurred in May (amount not disclosed).
- The man in the photo was identified as Brian Hendricks of Traverse City, Michigan, whose image was taken from a private Facebook account without his knowledge.

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© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73057400Sun, 19 Jul 2026 17:32:43 +0000Creator at ObomediaShe Recognizes His Face - Not From the Photos: The Megan Petersen Case Cold certainty turned into a slow-burning doubt: a silver-framed photograph signed "Daniel" appears on the porch of a 48-year-old occupational therapist in Dellbrook, Ohio, and...
Cold certainty turned into a slow-burning doubt: a silver-framed photograph signed "Daniel" appears on the porch of a 48-year-old occupational therapist in Dellbrook, Ohio, and the man in the picture had never been there. Three stolen identities, at least two women who loved a man who did not exist, and a photo lifted from a private Facebook post-how did that frame become the first piece of physical evidence in a fraud that crossed county lines?

In this episode, we tell how a paper route discovery and a ceramics-class tip led a paralegal to notice inconsistencies in the frame and ink, and how those details opened a case about online romance, stolen images, and wire transfers. What sequence of small, plausible deceptions turned nightly calls and emails into financial loss and a fabricated life?

Person: Megan Petersen
Location: 4112 Whitmore Avenue, Dellbrook, Ohio
Date: August 2019 (photograph found), January-June 2019 (online contact)
Event: Photograph left on porch signed "Daniel"
Case: Fraud involving stolen identities and wire transfers

- A sixteen-year-old paper carrier, Melissa Myers, found the silver-framed photograph at 6:00 a.m. while running her route.
- Megan Petersen was 48 years old and had lived at the Whitmore Avenue address for eleven years.
- The first message from the profile "Daniel Whitfield" arrived on January 19, 2019.
- Megan wired $1,800 in April after "Daniel" described a subcontractor payment dispute; a second transfer occurred in May (amount not disclosed).
- The man in the photo was identified as Brian Hendricks of Traverse City, Michigan, whose image was taken from a private Facebook account without his knowledge.

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© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1241falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/he-knew-her-sandal-how-a-grief-scam-led-to-a-deadly-lie--73057398
Fear of being betrayed while grieving - a coral pink size seven sandal found alone on County Road 14 starts a trail from a funeral to a $4,200 wire and a fabricated sick child; who built the lie and why did that shoe end up at 4:40 a.m.?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of events that connect a sudden death, an online grief forum, and a series of phone calls and money transfers that changed a widow's life; what does the sandal reveal about the person who watched her small attempts to move on?

Person: Gina Jones
Date: Paul Jones death in December (Tuesday)
Location: County Road 14, Harlan County, Missouri
Amount: $4,200 wired over three weeks
Platform: Steady Ground grief forum

- Road-grader operator Raymond Bowers found a coral pink size seven sandal on the shoulder at 4:40 a.m, on a Tuesday in late July.
- Paul Jones died suddenly of cardiac causes at age thirty-four on a Tuesday in December; he and Gina had been married eleven years.
- Gina joined Steady Ground seven weeks after Paul’s funeral and posted about daily details such as making one cup of coffee and Clyde the diabetic cat needing insulin at 6 a.m. and 6 p.m.
- “Kent Moore” contacted Gina in late spring claiming to be a widower and civil engineer on a bridge-inspection project, refusing video calls but speaking by phone.
- Gina wired $1,200 in late June and $3,000 three weeks later after being told Kent’s daughter Sophie needed out-of-network care, totaling $4,200.

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© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73057398Sun, 19 Jul 2026 17:32:40 +0000Creator at ObomediaHe Knew Her Sandal: How a Grief Scam Led to a Deadly Lie Fear of being betrayed while grieving - a coral pink size seven sandal found alone on County Road 14 starts a trail from a funeral to a $4,200 wire and a fabricated sick child; who built the...
Fear of being betrayed while grieving - a coral pink size seven sandal found alone on County Road 14 starts a trail from a funeral to a $4,200 wire and a fabricated sick child; who built the lie and why did that shoe end up at 4:40 a.m.?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of events that connect a sudden death, an online grief forum, and a series of phone calls and money transfers that changed a widow's life; what does the sandal reveal about the person who watched her small attempts to move on?

Person: Gina Jones
Date: Paul Jones death in December (Tuesday)
Location: County Road 14, Harlan County, Missouri
Amount: $4,200 wired over three weeks
Platform: Steady Ground grief forum

- Road-grader operator Raymond Bowers found a coral pink size seven sandal on the shoulder at 4:40 a.m, on a Tuesday in late July.
- Paul Jones died suddenly of cardiac causes at age thirty-four on a Tuesday in December; he and Gina had been married eleven years.
- Gina joined Steady Ground seven weeks after Paul’s funeral and posted about daily details such as making one cup of coffee and Clyde the diabetic cat needing insulin at 6 a.m. and 6 p.m.
- “Kent Moore” contacted Gina in late spring claiming to be a widower and civil engineer on a bridge-inspection project, refusing video calls but speaking by phone.
- Gina wired $1,200 in late June and $3,000 three weeks later after being told Kent’s daughter Sophie needed out-of-network care, totaling $4,200.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1158falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-wednesday-call-he-never-missed-the-wedding-dress-and-the-ledger--73057397
Fear that the person you trust most is disappearing right in front of you - and the proof is a damp wedding dress on your porch and a spiral notebook full of transfers. A woman who never existed convinced a man to wire at least $60,000 and a life of small, steady sacrifices; what broke the scheme was a property bought overseas. How did a ledger and a dress become the trail to a vanished son?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events that led from a missed Wednesday call to a missing man, following the physical clues at Kellerman Road and the financial paper trail that Detective Bev Marchand found. Listen to how routine rituals, a dry-cleaning bag, and a handwritten ledger raised the question: who was Angela Mercer, and where did Steven go?

Person: Steven Tillman
Age: 52
Location: Kellerman Road, northern Georgia
Date last seen: approximately June 1
Investigator: Detective Bev Marchand

- Steven called his mother every Wednesday at 11:15 p.m, for three years without missing a single call.
- The wedding dress was found on the front porch in a dry-cleaning bag with condensation and red clay mud on the hem.
- A padlock like those used on storage units secured the front door while Steven’s cell rang unanswered inside the house.
- Steven kept a spiral-bound ledger with nine months of wire transfers, listing dates, amounts to the cent, and account numbers.
- The largest single transfer recorded was $60,000 withdrawn from his home equity line and sent to a Malaysian account in May.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73057397Sun, 19 Jul 2026 17:32:37 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Wednesday Call He Never Missed - The Wedding Dress and the Ledger Fear that the person you trust most is disappearing right in front of you - and the proof is a damp wedding dress on your porch and a spiral notebook full of transfers. A woman...
Fear that the person you trust most is disappearing right in front of you - and the proof is a damp wedding dress on your porch and a spiral notebook full of transfers. A woman who never existed convinced a man to wire at least $60,000 and a life of small, steady sacrifices; what broke the scheme was a property bought overseas. How did a ledger and a dress become the trail to a vanished son?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events that led from a missed Wednesday call to a missing man, following the physical clues at Kellerman Road and the financial paper trail that Detective Bev Marchand found. Listen to how routine rituals, a dry-cleaning bag, and a handwritten ledger raised the question: who was Angela Mercer, and where did Steven go?

Person: Steven Tillman
Age: 52
Location: Kellerman Road, northern Georgia
Date last seen: approximately June 1
Investigator: Detective Bev Marchand

- Steven called his mother every Wednesday at 11:15 p.m, for three years without missing a single call.
- The wedding dress was found on the front porch in a dry-cleaning bag with condensation and red clay mud on the hem.
- A padlock like those used on storage units secured the front door while Steven’s cell rang unanswered inside the house.
- Steven kept a spiral-bound ledger with nine months of wire transfers, listing dates, amounts to the cent, and account numbers.
- The largest single transfer recorded was $60,000 withdrawn from his home equity line and sent to a Malaysian account in May.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1206falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-card-in-the-weeds-how-todd-walker-stole-her-father-s-home--73057396
A sealed greeting card found in the weeds beside a retention pond - dry after two days of rain and bearing only the line "Don't let them take this from us. - T." - became the single piece of paper that led to a shocked discovery about how carefully a scam was built one ordinary conversation at a time. How did a man who used someone else's photo and the language of crisis extract more than $20,500 from a trusted nurse and leave her family vulnerable?

In this episode, we walk through the timeline of messages, wires, and small domestic changes that reveal how trust was manufactured and money moved. We trace the online forum contact, the escalating wire transfers, and the neighborhood clues that turned a private grief into evidence - could a few texts and a borrowed identity really cost someone their home?

Person: Christine Powell
Person: Todd Walker (alias)
Person: Paul Beaumont
Amount: $21,500
Location: Dellwood Court, Calverton, Indiana

- Christine wired $8,000 from her savings on February 19th.
- In March she wired another $4,500 for legal fees.
- By late April she borrowed $6,000 against her 401(k).
- The total documented amount wired reached $21,500 across multiple months.
- A neighbor's reverse image search linked the profile photos to Paul Beaumont in Roanoke.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73057396Sun, 19 Jul 2026 17:32:34 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Card in the Weeds: How "Todd Walker" Stole Her Father's Home A sealed greeting card found in the weeds beside a retention pond - dry after two days of rain and bearing only the line "Don't let them take this from us. - T." - became the single...
A sealed greeting card found in the weeds beside a retention pond - dry after two days of rain and bearing only the line "Don't let them take this from us. - T." - became the single piece of paper that led to a shocked discovery about how carefully a scam was built one ordinary conversation at a time. How did a man who used someone else's photo and the language of crisis extract more than $20,500 from a trusted nurse and leave her family vulnerable?

In this episode, we walk through the timeline of messages, wires, and small domestic changes that reveal how trust was manufactured and money moved. We trace the online forum contact, the escalating wire transfers, and the neighborhood clues that turned a private grief into evidence - could a few texts and a borrowed identity really cost someone their home?

Person: Christine Powell
Person: Todd Walker (alias)
Person: Paul Beaumont
Amount: $21,500
Location: Dellwood Court, Calverton, Indiana

- Christine wired $8,000 from her savings on February 19th.
- In March she wired another $4,500 for legal fees.
- By late April she borrowed $6,000 against her 401(k).
- The total documented amount wired reached $21,500 across multiple months.
- A neighbor's reverse image search linked the profile photos to Paul Beaumont in Roanoke.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1159falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/he-left-a-flower-at-her-door-the-sherry-allen-romance-scam--73057395
Fear that the person you trust online is a fabrication - and that a few patient lies can empty the savings you built for a fresh start. A pink carnation in a plastic sleeve hid a Western Union slip for $2,350 and the beginning of a three-year savings fund gone in a single wire; who was the man on the calls, and how did he make a real woman's money vanish?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events that followed a dating-app match and a video-call romance, from the first messages to the moment law enforcement uncovered a man watching a service entrance. How did fabricated identities, edited video clips, and a staged emergency persuade Sherry to send money from the exit fund she had saved for 37 months?

Person: Sherry Allen
Location: 412 Dennard Court, Calloway, Indiana
Amount: $2,350
Duration of savings: 37 months
Impostor source: clips taken from Derek Holm's social media

- The carnation was in a grocery-store plastic sleeve re-sealed with packing tape and contained a Western Union confirmation slip dated three days earlier.
- Sherry had built her exit fund with small deposits over three years before Wiring $2,350 on a Thursday in late March.
- The dating profile "Ryan Carlson" claimed to be a 34-year-old civil engineer on contract in Aberdeen, Scotland and moved conversations to WhatsApp within four days.
- Video calls occurred nightly between 8:00 and 8:30 p.m., lasting 20-30 minutes, using clips taken from Derek Holm’s social media and edited into calls.
- A man had been watching Sherry's service entrance from a parked car for three weeks before law enforcement intervened.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73057395Sun, 19 Jul 2026 17:32:31 +0000Creator at ObomediaHe Left a Flower at Her Door: The Sherry Allen Romance Scam Fear that the person you trust online is a fabrication - and that a few patient lies can empty the savings you built for a fresh start. A pink carnation in a plastic sleeve hid a Western...
Fear that the person you trust online is a fabrication - and that a few patient lies can empty the savings you built for a fresh start. A pink carnation in a plastic sleeve hid a Western Union slip for $2,350 and the beginning of a three-year savings fund gone in a single wire; who was the man on the calls, and how did he make a real woman's money vanish?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events that followed a dating-app match and a video-call romance, from the first messages to the moment law enforcement uncovered a man watching a service entrance. How did fabricated identities, edited video clips, and a staged emergency persuade Sherry to send money from the exit fund she had saved for 37 months?

Person: Sherry Allen
Location: 412 Dennard Court, Calloway, Indiana
Amount: $2,350
Duration of savings: 37 months
Impostor source: clips taken from Derek Holm's social media

- The carnation was in a grocery-store plastic sleeve re-sealed with packing tape and contained a Western Union confirmation slip dated three days earlier.
- Sherry had built her exit fund with small deposits over three years before Wiring $2,350 on a Thursday in late March.
- The dating profile "Ryan Carlson" claimed to be a 34-year-old civil engineer on contract in Aberdeen, Scotland and moved conversations to WhatsApp within four days.
- Video calls occurred nightly between 8:00 and 8:30 p.m., lasting 20-30 minutes, using clips taken from Derek Holm’s social media and edited into calls.
- A man had been watching Sherry's service entrance from a parked car for three weeks before law enforcement intervened.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1127falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-velvet-case-how-a-church-romance-stole-14-200-and-a-life--73057394
Fear and betrayal live in the small, familiar routines of Harker's Bluff: a navy velvet box in a church storage room, a man who knew your dog's name, and $14,200 gone from a woman's accounts. How did six months of careful observation and repeated acts of generosity turn into a consummate romance scam that left one life dismantled?

In this episode, we tell how a church acquaintance became a trusted presence in Kimberly Lewis's life and how a sequence of precise lies, loan requests, and staged repayments convinced her to send thousands. How did one man create enough trust to extract multiple transfers and what unraveled when a velvet box revealed the truth?

Person: Kimberly Lewis
Age: 54
Location: Harker's Bluff, western piedmont of North Carolina
Amount stolen: $14,200
Impostor alias: Scott Fitzgerald (real name Thomas Alan Pryor)

- First wired loan: $1,200 sent in January 2019 and returned three weeks later via Venmo.
- Second transfer: $4,800 sent after a late-February phone call about a legal retainer.
- Relationship duration before discovery: approximately six months (introduced in September 2018; discovery in early March 2019).
- Impostor's real identity and history: Thomas Alan Pryor, age 58, with fraud history in at least two other states.
- Photographs used by impostor came from Robert Caudle, a civil engineer living in Greensboro who had never been to Harker's Bluff.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73057394Sun, 19 Jul 2026 17:32:28 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Velvet Case: How a Church Romance Stole $14,200 and a Life Fear and betrayal live in the small, familiar routines of Harker's Bluff: a navy velvet box in a church storage room, a man who knew your dog's name, and $14,200 gone from a woman's...
Fear and betrayal live in the small, familiar routines of Harker's Bluff: a navy velvet box in a church storage room, a man who knew your dog's name, and $14,200 gone from a woman's accounts. How did six months of careful observation and repeated acts of generosity turn into a consummate romance scam that left one life dismantled?

In this episode, we tell how a church acquaintance became a trusted presence in Kimberly Lewis's life and how a sequence of precise lies, loan requests, and staged repayments convinced her to send thousands. How did one man create enough trust to extract multiple transfers and what unraveled when a velvet box revealed the truth?

Person: Kimberly Lewis
Age: 54
Location: Harker's Bluff, western piedmont of North Carolina
Amount stolen: $14,200
Impostor alias: Scott Fitzgerald (real name Thomas Alan Pryor)

- First wired loan: $1,200 sent in January 2019 and returned three weeks later via Venmo.
- Second transfer: $4,800 sent after a late-February phone call about a legal retainer.
- Relationship duration before discovery: approximately six months (introduced in September 2018; discovery in early March 2019).
- Impostor's real identity and history: Thomas Alan Pryor, age 58, with fraud history in at least two other states.
- Photographs used by impostor came from Robert Caudle, a civil engineer living in Greensboro who had never been to Harker's Bluff.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1127falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/tucked-photo-fake-soldier-how-a-stranger-lived-in-her-inbox--73057392
Fear that someone living inside your messages knows more about your life than you do: a photograph of a dead soldier was tucked into a sycamore three-quarters of a mile down a trail, and the man who sent it had been messaging a 22-year-old volunteer for months. How did a profile stolen from a memorial become the voice on Shannon's phone, and what trail of evidence did he leave from a rental house sixty miles away?

In this episode, we tell what happened after a message in a Facebook group led to daily calls, a routed number, and small moments that were collected into a pattern of intrusion - from an inside-the-car photograph to a license plate on a traffic camera - and ask how those fragments point back to the man in the rental house.

Person: Shannon Lewis
Age: 22
Location: Sutter Falls, Missouri
Impostor name: Derek Hollis (real soldier deceased)
Perpetrator: Grant Cook

- The photograph was placed tucked between the roots of a sycamore tree three-quarters of a mile into a trail.
- Shannon turned twenty-two in February 2020 and lived on Birchwood Lane six blocks from her mother.
- The real Derek Hollis died in a training accident at Fort Leonard Wood in 2017.
- Grant Cook, age 38 from Branson, Missouri, had prior convictions: check fraud in 2014 and theft by deception in 2017 involving $5,700.
- Cook made calls from a rental house in Polk County about sixty miles southeast of Sutter Falls using a routing app that masked his number.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73057392Sun, 19 Jul 2026 17:32:25 +0000Creator at ObomediaTucked Photo, Fake Soldier: How a Stranger Lived in Her Inbox Fear that someone living inside your messages knows more about your life than you do: a photograph of a dead soldier was tucked into a sycamore three-quarters of a mile down a trail, and...
Fear that someone living inside your messages knows more about your life than you do: a photograph of a dead soldier was tucked into a sycamore three-quarters of a mile down a trail, and the man who sent it had been messaging a 22-year-old volunteer for months. How did a profile stolen from a memorial become the voice on Shannon's phone, and what trail of evidence did he leave from a rental house sixty miles away?

In this episode, we tell what happened after a message in a Facebook group led to daily calls, a routed number, and small moments that were collected into a pattern of intrusion - from an inside-the-car photograph to a license plate on a traffic camera - and ask how those fragments point back to the man in the rental house.

Person: Shannon Lewis
Age: 22
Location: Sutter Falls, Missouri
Impostor name: Derek Hollis (real soldier deceased)
Perpetrator: Grant Cook

- The photograph was placed tucked between the roots of a sycamore tree three-quarters of a mile into a trail.
- Shannon turned twenty-two in February 2020 and lived on Birchwood Lane six blocks from her mother.
- The real Derek Hollis died in a training accident at Fort Leonard Wood in 2017.
- Grant Cook, age 38 from Branson, Missouri, had prior convictions: check fraud in 2014 and theft by deception in 2017 involving $5,700.
- Cook made calls from a rental house in Polk County about sixty miles southeast of Sutter Falls using a routing app that masked his number.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1019falsefull