PRETEND+

Get exclusive access

65 kr/mån eller 669 kr/år efter provperioden

PRETEND

PRETEND+

PRETEND is an investigative true crime podcast about real people who lie for a living — con artists, scammers, and the victims caught in their web. Hosted by journalist Javier Leiva, PRETEND exposes the human psychology behind deception and fraud. Each episode follows a real case of manipulation — from financial scams and Ponzi schemes to digital hoaxes and emotional cons. PRETEND explains how and why deception works without shaming victims, combining ethical journalism with cinematic storytelling. Featured in lists of the best podcasts about con artists and scams, PRETEND investigates crimes of persuasion, trust, and betrayal. New episodes drop regularly with stories that reveal how manipulation shapes modern life, both online and off. PRETEND is produced by Creative Babble, LLC. © 2026 Creative Babble LLC [CLAIM:B6BT3XC4]

  1. I Beg Your Pardon part 4

    −2 D • ENDAST FÖR ABONNENTER

    I Beg Your Pardon part 4

    Content Warning: This episode contains detailed descriptions of nursing home neglect, including accounts of residents found in unsanitary conditions. Listener discretion is advised. You're about to hear the story of a man who built a nursing home empire from a tiny office above a pizza parlor in New Jersey. His name is Joseph Schwartz. At its peak, his company Skyline Healthcare owned or operated more than 100 facilities across eleven states. What happened inside those facilities (the rationed diapers, the unpaid bills, the maggots, the residents left without food or clean water) is one of the cruelest stories of corporate neglect you will hear this year. When Schwartz finally got convicted of defrauding the government out of $38 million, he started making calls. In this episode, we'll follow the money from a nursing home empire to a presidential pardon, and then to a violent extortion plot that ended with an FBI arrest in Midtown Manhattan. EPISODE RESOURCES & SHOW NOTES ARTICLES & INVESTIGATIONS Brookings Register: Wave of SD nursing home closures hitting hardest in rural small towns URL: https://www.brookingsregister.com/article/wave-of-sd-nursing-home-closures-hitting-hardest-in-rural-small-towns Arkansas Advocate: Nursing home owner pardoned by Trump ordered to serve state sentence URL: https://arkansasadvocate.com Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (2019): Firm's fall risked care in homes for frail URL: https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2019/apr/28/firm-s-fall-risked-care-homes-frail-201/ Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (2025): Judge orders former nursing home magnate to prison URL: https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2025/dec/18/arkansas-judge-orders-former-nursing-home-magnate/ The Washington Post: Joseph Schwartz Trump Pardon Fraud (Coverage of the $960k lobbying effort) URL: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/11/23/joseph-schwartz-trump-pardon-fraud/ The New York Times: Pardon Industry Offers Rich Offenders a Path to Trump The New York Times: Trump Pardons: Lobbyist Charged in Extortion Attempt Philadelphia Coverage: Skyline Healthcare: Scenes from the collapse of a nursing-home operator by Harold Brubaker BROADCAST COVERAGE NBC Nightly News: Nursing Home Chain Collapses Amid Allegation Of Unpaid Bills, Poor Care KELOLAND News: Skyline Healthcare owner facing federal charges PRIMARY SOURCE DOCUMENTS State Petition: Attorney General Tim Griffin's Petition to force Schwartz to serve his state sentence URL: https://arkansasadvocate.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Arkansas-v-Schwartz-12022025-Motion.pdf State Civil Lawsuit: State of South Dakota ex rel. Jason Ravnsborg v. Joseph Schwartz, et al. (Case No. 32CIV22-000010) Federal Criminal Complaint: U.S. v. Joshua Nass (Attempted extortion affidavit, Case No. 26-MJ-54) Lobbying Disclosures: Federal filings for Joshua Nass (Merkava Strategies Corporation) and Jack Burkman (J.M. Burkman & Associates)

    23 min

  2. −4 D ·  BONUSINNEHÅLL

    Introducing Season Seven of Nobody Should Believe Me

    Introducing Season Seven of Nobody Should Believe Me. Andrea revisits the case of Maya Kowalski—the story at the center of the Netflix film Take Care of Maya–and the family’s high-profile lawsuit against Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital. What became widely framed as a story about “medical kidnapping” began when hospital staff reported suspected medical child abuse after Maya arrived with a history of extreme ketamine treatments.  How did a case of horrific abuse become a story about evil doctors kidnapping children? Listen to Season 7 on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3l3MDM959yf6f4fEbw4Dmz?si=6dba402bffa8435b Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    1 tim 4 min
  3. I Beg Your Pardon part 3

    24 MARS

    I Beg Your Pardon part 3

    You know that little bottle of 5-Hour Energy sitting on the counter of almost every gas station in America? Someone was faking it. Millions of bottles, mixed by hand in a filthy warehouse by day laborers with no training, no sanitation licenses, and no recipe. Just plastic barrels, canoe paddles, and industrial chemicals that may not have been approved for human consumption. In this episode, you meet Geoffrey Potter, an anti-counterfeiting attorney at Patterson, Belknap, Webb and Tyler who only takes cases where the fake product can kill you. Think of him as a private prosecutor with powers most people don't even know a private attorney can have. He helped bring down one of the most sophisticated food counterfeiting operations in US history. You'll also learn what happened after the convictions. How a woman with no obvious connection to the President of the United States managed to secure not one, but two acts of presidential clemency. And how, just 42 days after walking out of prison, she was already running a $59 million scheme in the background. This is the story of Adriana Camberos — a woman who was convicted twice, freed twice, and is still out there. This series is called I Beg Your Pardon for a reason. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    36 min
  4. I Beg Your Pardon part 2

    17 MARS

    I Beg Your Pardon part 2

    Twelve days. That’s how long David Gentile spent in federal prison for a $1.8 billion fraud that wiped out the retirement savings of 17,000 people. On Thanksgiving 2025, President Trump signed a one-page clemency grant, commuting Gentile’s seven-year sentence to time served and erasing a $15 million restitution order in the process. In this episode, we talk to one of those 17,000 victims, CarolAnn Tutera, a 70-year-old still working because she can’t afford not to. We also talk to securities fraud attorney Adam Gana and Ponzi Playbook co-host Neal McTighe about how the scheme worked, what the pardon means, and what it says about the current climate for white collar crime. CarolAnn Tutera GPB Capital investor and CEO of Tutera Medical tuteramedical.com Adam Gana Securities fraud attorney, Gana LLP ganalawfirm.com/adam-gana Neal McTighe Co-host, Ponzi Playbook podcast Ponzi Playbook on Spotify The Conviction and Sentencing DOJ Press Release justice.gov The Blueprint of the Fraud SEC Civil Complaint sec.gov The White House Response Forbes Breaking News — search: “Karoline Leavitt Asked About Trump’s Commutation Of Private Equity CEO’s Fraud Sentence” 00:00  CarolAnn’s Story 04:06  David Gentile’s Promise 04:38  I Beg Your Pardon 07:02  How a Ponzi Scheme Works 14:21  The Smoking Gun Emails 15:47  CarolAnn’s $400K 16:42  The Takedown 18:38  The Verdict 19:22  The Pardon 20:06  The White House Response 23:12  Restitution Wiped Out 29:51  The Pay-to-Play Pattern 33:41  The Perfect Storm GuestsResourcesChapters36:44  Ponzi Playbook Returns Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    41 min
  5. I Beg Your Pardon part 1

    10 MARS

    I Beg Your Pardon part 1

    Jerry Bush was a plumber from Virginia with fourteen employees, a wife battling cancer, and a business his father built from nothing. When a big construction job left him waiting on $350,000 he'd already earned, he did what you'd probably do. He looked for a loan. The man who picked up the phone was named Jonathan Braun. Before Braun found Jerry, he was running a half-billion dollar international drug smuggling operation. After he found Jerry, he froze his bank account, drained his father's retirement, took money from his 16-year-old son, and told Jerry his only way out was to win the lottery or die. And then things got worse. By the time it was over, Jerry Bush had lost his business, his savings, and nearly his life. Jonathan Braun had a Ferrari, a Lamborghini, a personal butler, and a very powerful friend. What happens next will make you question everything you think you know about who the justice system is actually designed to protect and who it leaves behind. I Beg Your Pardon is a new investigative series from PRETEND. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    39 min
  6. Who's Afraid of LaDonna Humphrey Revisited

    3 MARS

    Who's Afraid of LaDonna Humphrey Revisited

    CONTENT WARNING: Graphic content. Listener discretion is advised.   Who’s Afraid of LaDonna Humphrey — Revisited A lot of people ask: where should I start if I just discovered PRETEND? The answer is always LaDonna. It’s been almost two years since the first episode of Who’s Afraid of LaDonna Humphrey dropped — and this one is still mind-blowing. Whether you’re a first-time listener or coming back to revisit, this is the place to start. In this episode, we’re replaying Part One. It’s a hell of an introduction. 🎧 Want the full series? We’ve put together a Spotify playlist with all the episodes and updates, tidied up in one place. Check it out below. ➡️ Listen to the full LaDonna Humphrey playlist on Spotify   https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2LOnqAGe8D4JQ4bAwjGn9P?si=54f21cbedfb640f8 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    43 min
  7. Update on “The Hand That Held Me”

    28 FEB. ·  BONUSINNEHÅLL

    Update on “The Hand That Held Me”

    I want to share a quick update about the "Hand That Held Me" series. Due to some recent developments, I’ve made the decision to postpone the release. I know many of you were expecting it, and I’m sorry for the change. These situations can be complex, and I want to make sure I handle the story the right way. This also leaves an unexpected three-week gap in the schedule while I prepare the next series. I appreciate your patience as I work to queue up what’s coming next. Thank you, as always, for listening and for trusting the work. — Javier Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    1 min
  8. The Pests part 3 & 4 Revisited

    24 FEB.

    The Pests part 3 & 4 Revisited

    We conclude one of the most disturbing series ever covered on this podcast. Here are parts 3 and 4 of the Pests. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    1 tim 21 min
Visa alla (354)

Trailrar

Program med förmåner för abonnenter

PRETEND+

Get exclusive access

65 kr/mån eller 669 kr/år efter provperioden

Visa vanliga frågor om abonnemang

Värdar och gäster

4,7
av 5
15 betyg

Om

PRETEND is an investigative true crime podcast about real people who lie for a living — con artists, scammers, and the victims caught in their web. Hosted by journalist Javier Leiva, PRETEND exposes the human psychology behind deception and fraud. Each episode follows a real case of manipulation — from financial scams and Ponzi schemes to digital hoaxes and emotional cons. PRETEND explains how and why deception works without shaming victims, combining ethical journalism with cinematic storytelling. Featured in lists of the best podcasts about con artists and scams, PRETEND investigates crimes of persuasion, trust, and betrayal. New episodes drop regularly with stories that reveal how manipulation shapes modern life, both online and off. PRETEND is produced by Creative Babble, LLC. © 2026 Creative Babble LLC [CLAIM:B6BT3XC4]

Information

  • Kanal
    PRETEND+
  • Skapad av
    Creative Babble, LLC
  • Aktiva år
    2017 - 2026
  • Avsnitt
    354
  • Åldersgräns
    Vuxet innehåll
  • Copyright
    © Creative Babble, LLC. All rights reserved 2025
  • Programmets webbplats
    PRETEND
  • Leverantör

Mer från PRETEND+

Du kanske också gillar