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Smoke Screen: My Fugitive Dad

Smoke Screen: My Fugitive Dad

Author: Sony Music Entertainment

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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
81 Episodes
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For 30 years, a man claimed to be a priest. He performed baptisms and took confession. Every time he ran into trouble, Father Ryan would move on to another small Midwestern town and start his scheme all over again. Followers who once worshiped him, now accuse him of exploitation, fraud and abuse. In season one of Smoke Screen, join Alex Schuman as he unravels this con and gets answers from this white-collar criminal himself. A Neon Hum Media and Sony Music Entertainment production. Coming August 13th. Listen & follow on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, Stitcher or wherever you get your podcasts. Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Coming Soon: I Am Rama

Coming Soon: I Am Rama

2021-06-0803:383

Rama was a spiritual teacher in the 80s and 90s who inspired many of his students while helming what many of his detractors would describe as a cult. He defied society’s archetypal vision of a New Age leader, eschewing minimalism for wealth and celebrity. He was also a man ahead of his time, encouraging his students to develop careers in computer science before that was mainstream. For some, following Rama's lead worked out spiritually, and financially too. But for others, Rama's actions contradicted his cool persona; some eventually came forward with accusations of abuse, others vanished, whistleblowers went to the media, and the group began to shrink and splinter.  In this 10-part investigative series, Jonathan Hirsch explores the life, death and impact of Rama. "I Am Rama" drops June 22.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Coming Soon: The Sellout

Coming Soon: The Sellout

2021-10-1203:108

Jose Huizar grew up in Boyle Heights – a working-class Latinx neighborhood in L.A. Eventually, he became their councilperson. And, for the most part, people trusted Huizar... until the day the FBI raided his home and offices, looking for evidence of corruption. The Feds would go on to say that Huizar led a criminal enterprise based in city hall. He stands accused of taking bribes from luxury developers as his constituents were displaced from their homes. This season of Smoke Screen is a collaboration with grassroots media organization L.A. TACO. In this 9-part investigative series, journalist and host Mariah Castañeda investigates how Huizar got the power to do what he did, and how the community that raised him paid the price.  A Neon Hum Media and Sony Music Entertainment production. Coming October 26th. Listen & follow on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, Stitcher or wherever you get your podcasts. Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jonathan Hirsch, Neon Hum CEO and host of I Am Rama, introduces this season of Smoke Screen (it's called The Sellout!) and our new paid subscription service, Smoke Screen Plus. If you buy a paid subscription on Apple Podcasts, you’ll get three episodes of bonus content throughout the season. You’ll also get each episode without ads, and 24 hours early. And, if you don’t subscribe… that’s fine! You’ll still get access to all the episodes, free. The first two episodes of The Sellout drop on October 26th. It's the story of a politician dogged by allegations of corruption, harassment and pathological pettiness. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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 like drug money. Over the course of 7 episodes, investigative reporter and host Alex Schuman exposes the scheme and an underground part of the industry bringing us the pets we love. From Neon Hum Media and Sony Music Entertainment. Smoke Screen: Puppy Kingpin is available June 16th. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts to binge all episodes or listen weekly wherever you get your podcasts.  Smokescreen: Puppy Kingpin is part of The Binge -  a new podcast channel from Sony Music Entertainment. The Binge: All Episodes, All at Once. Coming Soon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Chameleon: Scam Likely host, Yudhijit Bhattacharjee, sits down with Alex Schuman to chat about the newest season of the blockbuster Chameleon franchise. The duo dig into another scam you should be wary of - telefraud. Ordinary citizens all around the U.S. have lost their life savings to scam callers, many originating from India. These fraudsters often target especially vulnerable populations, including immigrants and the elderly. Listen as Yudhijit shares the jaw-dropping story of how a small team of investigators went on the hunt to dismantle the shadowy multinational mob behind the con in what became the biggest telefraud case in U.S. history. From Neon Hum Media and Sony Music Entertainment, listen to Smoke Screen: Puppy Kingpin and other seasons wherever you get your podcasts. Chameleon is a Campside Media & Sony Music Entertainment production. Subscribe to The Binge to get all episodes of Chameleon: Scam Likely ad-free right now. Click ‘try free’ at the top of the Chameleon: Scam Likely show page on Apple Podcasts to start your free trial or visit GetTheBinge.com to get access wherever you get your podcasts. Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Behind every infamous news story is a journalist trying to hold power to account. Join reporters Vanessa Grigoriadis and Gabriel Sherman as they take an in-depth look at the most explosive scandals of this century. From high-profile divorces to sex cults to the lies that started a war, they’ll guide you through the juiciest, most outrageous, celeb-filled stories of the last two decades, and give you a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to shine an unflattering light on the world’s most powerful people. A Campside Media & Sony Music Entertainment production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Introducing: Deadly Cure

Introducing: Deadly Cure

2023-01-1803:232

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. Want the full story? Unlock all episodes of Smoke Screen, ad-free, right now by subscribing to The Binge. Plus, get binge access to brand new stories dropping on the first of every month — that’s all episodes, all at once, all ad-free. 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. A Neon Hum Media, Bloomberg, & Sony Music Entertainment production. Find out more about The Binge and other podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts and follow us @sonypodcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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. Subscribe now to unlock all shows on The Binge — All Episodes. All at Once… and you’ll be the first to access Smoke Screen: Just Say You're Sorry as soon as it drops on May 1st. A Sony Music Entertainment production. Find out more about The Binge and other podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts and follow us @sonypodcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
You may have heard of the abortion pill, especially in the wake of the overturning of Roe v. Wade last year. But the story of how the pill became legal in America is closer to an action film than to a courtroom drama—with covert operations, heists, and even murder. On the new season of Cover Up: The Pill Plot, travel   back to the ‘90s and join the ragtag group that plotted an international drug   smuggling scheme and set up a secret lab to get the abortion pill to America. Get a front row seat to the epic struggle facing activists who battled presidents, the Supreme Court, militant anti-abortionists and so much more. Subscribers to The Binge can listen to all episodes of Cover Up: The Pill   Plot right now, completely ad-free. Catch new episodes of Cover Up: The Pill Plot every week wherever you get your podcasts or subscribe to The Binge and unlock all episodes ad-free today. Just click ‘Subscribe’ on the top of the Cover Up show page on Apple Podcasts or visit GetTheBinge.com to get access wherever you listen. A Sony Music Entertainment production. Find out more about The Binge and other podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts and follow us @sonypodcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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? Smoke Screen: Betrayal on the Bayou is part of The Binge – a channel on Apple Podcasts. Browse all the shows included in your subscription here: apple.co/thebinge  The Binge – All Episodes. All at Once. New binge-drops every month. Don’t miss a thing, follow us @sonypodcasts A Neon Hum Media & Sony Music Entertainment production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
How far would you go to save the world from itself? Dr. Eugene Mallove believed that a new form of world-changing free energy — cold fusion — was just around the corner. Even when his work was pushed to the fringes, he dreamed of a brighter future. But before Dr. Mallove could usher in that future, he was found dead in the driveway of his childhood home. Everyone had their own ideas of who killed him, and investigators were looking in all the wrong places. From QCODE and Faceplant, in association with No Smiling, Crime Waves: Cold Truth is a story about one man's quest to expose the truth, the lengths he would go to save the world, and how his dream caught up with him. Visit qcodemedia.com for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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. Subscribe now to unlock all shows on The Binge and you’ll be the first to access Smoke Screen: My Fugitive Dad as soon as it drops on December 1st. A Neon Hum Media & Sony Music Entertainment production. Find out more about The Binge and other podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts and follow us @sonypodcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The wives and daughters of Dubai’s ruler live in unbelievable luxury. So why do the women in Sheikh Mohammed’s family keep trying to run away? The New Yorker staff writer Heidi Blake joins In the Dark’s Madeleine Baran to tell the story of the royal women who risked everything to flee the brutality of one of the world’s most powerful men. In four episodes, drawing on thousands of pages of secret correspondence and never-before-heard audio recordings, “The Runaway Princesses” takes listeners behind palace walls, revealing a story of astonishing courage and cruelty. “The Runaway Princesses” is a four-part narrative series from In the Dark and The New Yorker. To keep listening, follow In the Dark wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
In 2001, a series of letters laced with a deadly powder called anthrax appeared on the desks of prominent journalists and politicians in New York City and Washington D.C causing a national panic. But what started as an unprecedented case soon turned into an unsettling mystery. Who had sent these letters? And why? Join us as we trace the FBI’s costly investigation into the attacks, all with an eye toward the question that remains today: Did the FBI identify the true killer, or is this case still unresolved? Unravel the story the played out behind closed doors on Cover Up: The Anthrax Threat, listen now wherever you get your podcasts Subscribers to The Binge can listen to all episodes of Cover Up: The Anthrax Threat right now, completely ad-free. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Investigative reporter Alex Schuman hears about a guy accused of swindling millions who has travelled the Midwest for decades pretending to be a priest. Alex starts his journey talking to two people who have long tried to expose the truth. Alex is hoping to finally figure out why anyone would try to pull off such an elaborate con. A Neon Hum Media and Sony Music Entertainment production. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts to binge all episodes now or listen weekly wherever you get your podcasts. Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Alex tracks down Father Ryan’s son, Jonathan Brady, and discovers Father Ryan was a scammer and manipulator long before he wore a priestly robe. Turns out he had plenty of practice committing fraud before he opened his first church in Wisconsin.  A Neon Hum Media and Sony Music Entertainment production. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts to binge all episodes now or listen weekly wherever you get your podcasts. Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Even con artists need mentors. Meet the false prophet who teaches Father Ryan how to perfect his con. Father Ryan evades criminal charges again and Alex learns about an unspoken reason prosecutors could let many criminals go free. A Neon Hum Media and Sony Music Entertainment production. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts to binge all episodes now or listen weekly wherever you get your podcasts. Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
After Father Ryan steals a follower's money, her property and even her husband's ashes, she hires a lawyer. A legal battle ensues over unpaid loans and a herd of llamas that Father Ryan leaves high and dry. A Neon Hum Media and Sony Music Entertainment production. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts to binge all episodes now or listen weekly wherever you get your podcasts. Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
A sheriff deputy arrests Father Ryan for taking more than $70,000 from an elderly follower. It's looking like he might get 7 years in prison, but then he meets a father-daughter pair of private investigators who change everything. A Neon Hum Media and Sony Music Entertainment production. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts to binge all episodes now or listen weekly wherever you get your podcasts. Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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Comments (92)

Lars Bee

highly intelligent investigator is taking advantage of a low IQ person .... no wonder prisons r crowded with innocent people. as long as the word lawyer is said, they should get a lawyer...

Mar 12th
Reply

M L

let's now look at all the Vax complications and the Lefties

Mar 10th
Reply

Rebecca Butcher

Beautiful ❤️

Jan 22nd
Reply

Mia Michael

🔴Really Amazing ️You Can Try This ➤👉https://co.fastmovies.org

Jan 12th
Reply

Teresa Wilkinson

🤦‍♀️ America has no concept of the complexity of human nature, you want your 'bad guys' to be irredeemable, like in movies, Ted was pretty much an adolescent influenced by a Hollywood movie that glorified theft & the thief who escaped, this podcast is a let down because it's American authors have gone looking for a monster only to find a little boy with his hand in a cookie jar, who however, under a punative legal system, would have lost his life to a jail term out of proportion to his crime

Dec 11th
Reply

Mohammad Ebrahimnejad

hi

Dec 4th
Reply

Storm

So interesting ! one 40minutes per week isn't enough...good job👍

Oct 31st
Reply

bob caygeon

DEA Agent Joseph Bongiovanni. A Buffalo, NY agent who sold out to the Italian Mob. It includes a judge who jumped in front of a train, and another witness who died prior to testi- lying.

Aug 18th
Reply

Shannon Compton

As a lifelong vegetarian, I care about the way animals are treated. As someone who lives in the Midwest, I would say that a little bit of the culture is not given air space. It seems like the breeders and puppy mills are just run by exceedingly cruel people, but that is a little bit of the culture. Most jobs out here are factory jobs. The factories run much of the products that the coastal U.S enjoys. The factories however, are like human farms. They people are not paid enough and the conditions are not great. You know out here that unless you have power or money, you are not special. People are just a replaceable product out here. I wish that we were as focused on how people are being treated as we are dogs. I say all of this while hoping that the situation for both changes.

Aug 18th
Reply (1)

Tom Bigbee

wasn't expecting that bombshell!

Aug 17th
Reply

Lenora Thorium

Manipulation, fraud, exploitation and abuse using religion? Say it ain't so! lol happens all the time

Aug 11th
Reply (1)

Lenora Thorium

DEA badge = government issued permit to commit crimes

Aug 1st
Reply

ID23846960

It’s funny how that vaccine ended up be the THING that killed you.

Jun 28th
Reply (9)

Lenora Thorium

This is a great podcast. Fantastic storytelling skills backed with pertinent interviews and a really interesting case. Really easy and enjoyable to listen to 👍

May 23rd
Reply

lisa bradford

I believe the pizza defense! I don't eat Papa John's if someone said to me I was at a crime scene and they know because the Papa John's pizza box was there I could definitively say it was not m************ me because I don't like Papa John's I'll get it frozen pizza before I get Papa John's. or I won't eat pizza at all LOL

May 22nd
Reply

Ryan Phillips

what these people are pushing is terrible but again this lady talking about how bad it was for her to be doxed after she was doxing a bunch of people that is insane

Apr 2nd
Reply

Ryan Phillips

this lady seems horrible horrible but I'm sure she's the type of person that would say it's okay to cut your child's penis off

Apr 2nd
Reply

Ball Sports Pro

This article is really amazing. Thanks for the sharing. https://www.ballsportspro.com/pickleball-exercises/

Mar 1st
Reply

An-D

I think California has the biggest demand for pure bread rescue dogs. The law doesn't address the heart of the issue just creates this mess.

Dec 12th
Reply (1)

Rebecca Butcher

Eye opening series. Well done.

Jul 22nd
Reply
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