81 episodes

Smoke Screen is an investigative documentary series on people with complex motives and morals. Follow characters on the fringes of society — con artists, cult leaders, corrupt politicians — as they seduce their marks and bend communities to their will. Join us as we unravel their stories and bring justice to the people they’ve deceived.

SEASON 8: My Fugitive Dad
Ashley’s Dad was her favorite person in the world. He drove fast cars and sold them for a living. He was a scratch golfer and the love of her Mum’s life. Ashley thought she knew him better than anyone. But at 38, she found out he wasn’t who he said he was. Inspired by his favorite movie the Thomas Crown Affair, he had pulled off a robbery in Cleveland then disappeared. It turns out he evaded the authorities for half a century, living in their sleepy Massachusetts town.

His secret upended his family’s life, but another family’s too. Because from the moment this 20-year-old vault teller escaped with $215,000 in 1969, Deputy U.S. Marshal John Elliott made it his life’s mission to bring him to justice. After he retired, his son even took up his mantle. For this six episode podcast, host Jonathan Hirsch teams up with Ashley Randele to unravel the mystery of how her Dad got away with it, and ultimately, why he left behind everyone and everything to start over.

Unlock all episodes of Smoke Screen, ad-free, by subscribing to The Binge. Plus, get binge access to brand new stories dropping on the first of every month. Just click ‘Subscribe’ on the top of the Smoke Screen show page on Apple Podcasts or visit GetTheBinge.com to get access wherever you listen.

SEASON 7: Betrayal on the Bayou
For almost two decades, DEA Special Agent Chad Scott ruled the streets just North of New Orleans. He controlled a network of snitches by convincing people he arrested to work for him as informants. Chad would stop at nothing to put drug dealers behind bars. His successes won awards at the DEA, but his willingness to bend the rules earned him a terrifying reputation on the streets. Some called him the Golden Boy. Others called him the White Devil. But when one of guys on Chad's team is caught dealing drugs, Chad’s life is overturned. His right-hand men betray him and confess everything to the FBI. Investigators go over his career with a fine-toothed comb, asking the question: is Chad Scott the greatest DEA Agent in the South, or is he a criminal? 

SEASON 6: Just Say You're Sorry
Texas Ranger James Holland is celebrated as the ‘serial killer whisperer’, solving dozens of murders through his legendary interrogation skills. But how far does he go to get confessions? And has he put innocent people in prison along the way? Smoke Screen: Just Say You're Sorry uses shocking police tapes to reveal the psychological drama behind one murder case, and uncovers something rotten at the heart of the justice system.

SEASON 5: Deadly Cure
Smoke Screen: Deadly Cure is a podcast about a family on the fringe who convinced tens of thousands of people across the globe to buy a miracle liquid made of poison, the international conspiracy they ignited, and the people who fought to take them down. Produced in collaboration with Bloomberg.

SEASON 4: Puppy Kingpin
Americans are used to being on the lookout for a scam, but authorities are warning of a new kind of fraud. Puppy Kingpin shines a spotlight on Jolyn Noethe, a secretive businesswoman from Iowa who is accused of laundering puppies much like drug money. Investigative reporter Alex Schuman exposes the scheme and an underground part of the industry bringing us the pets we love.

SEASON 3: The Sellout
SEASON 2: I Am Rama
SEASON 1: Fake Priest

Smoke Screen: My Fugitive Dad The Binge

    • True Crime
    • 4.0 • 2.1K Ratings

Listen on Apple Podcasts
Requires subscription and macOS 11.4 or higher

Smoke Screen is an investigative documentary series on people with complex motives and morals. Follow characters on the fringes of society — con artists, cult leaders, corrupt politicians — as they seduce their marks and bend communities to their will. Join us as we unravel their stories and bring justice to the people they’ve deceived.

SEASON 8: My Fugitive Dad
Ashley’s Dad was her favorite person in the world. He drove fast cars and sold them for a living. He was a scratch golfer and the love of her Mum’s life. Ashley thought she knew him better than anyone. But at 38, she found out he wasn’t who he said he was. Inspired by his favorite movie the Thomas Crown Affair, he had pulled off a robbery in Cleveland then disappeared. It turns out he evaded the authorities for half a century, living in their sleepy Massachusetts town.

His secret upended his family’s life, but another family’s too. Because from the moment this 20-year-old vault teller escaped with $215,000 in 1969, Deputy U.S. Marshal John Elliott made it his life’s mission to bring him to justice. After he retired, his son even took up his mantle. For this six episode podcast, host Jonathan Hirsch teams up with Ashley Randele to unravel the mystery of how her Dad got away with it, and ultimately, why he left behind everyone and everything to start over.

Unlock all episodes of Smoke Screen, ad-free, by subscribing to The Binge. Plus, get binge access to brand new stories dropping on the first of every month. Just click ‘Subscribe’ on the top of the Smoke Screen show page on Apple Podcasts or visit GetTheBinge.com to get access wherever you listen.

SEASON 7: Betrayal on the Bayou
For almost two decades, DEA Special Agent Chad Scott ruled the streets just North of New Orleans. He controlled a network of snitches by convincing people he arrested to work for him as informants. Chad would stop at nothing to put drug dealers behind bars. His successes won awards at the DEA, but his willingness to bend the rules earned him a terrifying reputation on the streets. Some called him the Golden Boy. Others called him the White Devil. But when one of guys on Chad's team is caught dealing drugs, Chad’s life is overturned. His right-hand men betray him and confess everything to the FBI. Investigators go over his career with a fine-toothed comb, asking the question: is Chad Scott the greatest DEA Agent in the South, or is he a criminal? 

SEASON 6: Just Say You're Sorry
Texas Ranger James Holland is celebrated as the ‘serial killer whisperer’, solving dozens of murders through his legendary interrogation skills. But how far does he go to get confessions? And has he put innocent people in prison along the way? Smoke Screen: Just Say You're Sorry uses shocking police tapes to reveal the psychological drama behind one murder case, and uncovers something rotten at the heart of the justice system.

SEASON 5: Deadly Cure
Smoke Screen: Deadly Cure is a podcast about a family on the fringe who convinced tens of thousands of people across the globe to buy a miracle liquid made of poison, the international conspiracy they ignited, and the people who fought to take them down. Produced in collaboration with Bloomberg.

SEASON 4: Puppy Kingpin
Americans are used to being on the lookout for a scam, but authorities are warning of a new kind of fraud. Puppy Kingpin shines a spotlight on Jolyn Noethe, a secretive businesswoman from Iowa who is accused of laundering puppies much like drug money. Investigative reporter Alex Schuman exposes the scheme and an underground part of the industry bringing us the pets we love.

SEASON 3: The Sellout
SEASON 2: I Am Rama
SEASON 1: Fake Priest

Listen on Apple Podcasts
Requires subscription and macOS 11.4 or higher

    Betrayal on the Bayou | 1. The White Devil

    Betrayal on the Bayou | 1. The White Devil

    Chad Scott made an incredible number of cases by getting drug dealers to work for him as informants. His phone number was written on jailhouse walls because Chad was the guy who could get you out of a tough situation – if you give him what he wants. That if is what this whole story is about. We hear from Virgil Ard, a former drug dealer who navigated streets riddled with Chad’s snitches. Virgil would face a choice: a long prison sentence, or work for Chad.



    Subscribe to The Binge to get all episodes of Smoke Screen ad-free right now. Click ‘Subscribe’ at the top of the Smoke Screen: Betrayal On The Bayou show page on Apple Podcasts or visit GetTheBinge.com to get access wherever you get your podcasts.



    A Neon Hum & Sony Music Entertainment production.



    Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts and follow us @sonypodcasts
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    • 44 min
    Betrayal on the Bayou | 2. The A-Team

    Betrayal on the Bayou | 2. The A-Team

    Meet the A-Team, that’s what Chad called his ragtag group, also known as a DEA Task Force. Karl Newman is a real likable country dude with no moral quandaries. Johnny Domingue is the protege, fresh out of college, with a knack for making drug busts. Chad handpicked this team, and commanded them during operations. But little did he know that they were far out of his control.



    Subscribe to The Binge to get all episodes of Smoke Screen ad-free right now. Click ‘Subscribe’ at the top of the Smoke Screen: Betrayal On The Bayou show page on Apple Podcasts or visit GetTheBinge.com to get access wherever you get your podcasts.



    A Neon Hum & Sony Music Entertainment production.



    Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts and follow us @sonypodcasts
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    • 42 min
    Betrayal on the Bayou | 3. Kid Gloves

    Betrayal on the Bayou | 3. Kid Gloves

    Ron Woods is a Black DEA supervisor who landed in New Orleans and found himself in the perils of the swamp. He’s the agent who could have stopped Chad Scott before things got out of hand. Chad has always courted controversy. In fact, for his first big assignment for the DEA, Chad was toe-to-toe with none other than hip-hop legend James Prince.



    Subscribe to The Binge to get all episodes of Smoke Screen ad-free right now. Click ‘Subscribe’ at the top of the Smoke Screen: Betrayal On The Bayou show page on Apple Podcasts or visit GetTheBinge.com to get access wherever you get your podcasts.



    A Neon Hum & Sony Music Entertainment production.



    Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts and follow us @sonypodcasts
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    • 48 min
    Betrayal on the Bayou | 4. A Sign of Good Faith

    Betrayal on the Bayou | 4. A Sign of Good Faith

    Chad’s luck is finally running out. The beginning of Chad’s downfall centers around Frederick “Boobie” Brown. He’s a high level drug trafficker who drives a $240,000 Bentley and provides dope to dealers all over the South. Chad says he’ll let Boobie walk free… if Boobie does exactly what Chad wants.



    Subscribe to The Binge to get all episodes of Smoke Screen ad-free right now. Click ‘Subscribe’ at the top of the Smoke Screen: Betrayal On The Bayou show page on Apple Podcasts or visit GetTheBinge.com to get access wherever you get your podcasts.



    A Neon Hum & Sony Music Entertainment production.



    Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts and follow us @sonypodcasts
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    • 39 min
    Betrayal on the Bayou | 5. Deal at the DoubleTree

    Betrayal on the Bayou | 5. Deal at the DoubleTree

    Boobie is an informant for Chad but all the while he’s making over $300,000 a month dealing cocaine. Some people say Chad lets him get away with it. When Boobie meets Chad at a Houston Doubletree, Chad puts Boobie on notice: he wants contacts, or Boobie’s freedom is over.



    Subscribe to The Binge to get all episodes of Smoke Screen ad-free right now. Click ‘Subscribe’ at the top of the Smoke Screen: Betrayal On The Bayou show page on Apple Podcasts or visit GetTheBinge.com to get access wherever you get your podcasts.



    A Neon Hum & Sony Music Entertainment production.



    Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts and follow us @sonypodcasts
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    • 39 min
    Betrayal on the Bayou | 6. Cops to Canaries

    Betrayal on the Bayou | 6. Cops to Canaries

    This is the story of how Chad’s team gets caught. Rose Graham is a grandmother who becomes Johnny’s unlikely peddler for the drugs he’s been stealing from evidence. One fateful night, Rose goes to a lakeside restaurant and tries to sell cocaine to an undercover State Trooper. Soon, Chad’s team turns on him.



    Subscribe to The Binge to get all episodes of Smoke Screen ad-free right now. Click ‘Subscribe’ at the top of the Smoke Screen: Betrayal On The Bayou show page on Apple Podcasts or visit GetTheBinge.com to get access wherever you get your podcasts.



    A Neon Hum & Sony Music Entertainment production.



    Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts and follow us @sonypodcasts
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    • 47 min

Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5
2.1K Ratings

2.1K Ratings

BrendanNX ,

what’s charged…

i might have to listen again, but it sounds like you guys totally give Chad a pass…like this was some big reach by FBI…
you know- this guy is some rockstar, do-no-wrong, lock-em-up caped crusader kind of agent in a business that’s very morally murky; lies upon lies, pretense, set-ups, huge amounts of money, dope, guns, violence…
they’re federal employees. you’re sitting there w a million bucks in a suitcase…
in almost every case, what’s charged is what can be proved minus whatever plea arrangement is made.
if this superstar attracted enough attention that DEA would suffer such an embarrassment, & so on, my bet is he did a lot worse…
this is a game w very few actual rules, guys…no one really cares about criminal’s civil rights, come on…
they just want the malefactors dispensed with…

rachelledottie ,

Interesting story

Corruption in government and police- sad but true!

ursula.s ,

Great podcast

Corrupt cops exist. This well told story is about how some are eventually face to face with their own karma.

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