A Nation for Thieves

There are 183 countries in the world. 123 of them are considered corrupt. Each is "A Nation for Thieves." Join Justin Shenkarow and former FBI Special Agent Debra LaPrevotte on a journey into the impact international corruption has on the world. Debra has spent over 25 years on an international treasure hunt, trying to bring justice to the world’s worst Kleptocrats. A Nation for Thieves premieres on November 15, 2022. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Trillions of dollars derived from corruption are moved around the world every year. Justin Shenkarow sits down with FBI veteran Debra LaPrevotte, who has spent the last 25 years chasing down kleptocrats and corrupt officials all around the world. Debra single-handedly built the FBI’s Kleptocracy division from the ground up - tracking, tracing and seizing over one billion dollars worth of assets. She is one of the world’s leading anti-corruption experts. Debra’s career began at Quantico, the FBI’s prestigious training academy. A Nation for Thieves is a Lionsgate Sound podcast, engineered by Pilgrim Media. New episodes come out every Tuesday. Check out http://lionsgatesound.com for more. Listen to and follow Surviving El Chapo: The Twins Who Brought Down A Drug Lord: https://link.chtbl.com/survivingelchapo?sid=anft Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Debra makes the jump from FBI field work to the investigation of corrupt foreign officials with the indictment of ex-Ukrainian Prime Minister Pavlo Lazarenko. Lazarenko amassed hundreds of millions of dollars despite only being in the office of Prime Minister for around a year. He used threats and extortion to illegally build his fortune. And he’s now living somewhere very close to home. A Nation for Thieves is a Lionsgate Sound podcast, engineered by Pilgrim Media. New episodes come out every Tuesday. Check out http://lionsgatesound.com for more. Listen to and follow Surviving El Chapo: The Twins Who Brought Down A Drug Lord: https://link.chtbl.com/survivingelchapo?sid=anft Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Debra’s next case takes her to Nigeria, once considered the most corrupt country in the world. While we all know of the ‘Nigerian Prince’ scam, Debra focuses on the former President, General Sani Abacha. Through her work, Debra meets Lanre Suraju, chairman of the Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA) Resource Center. A Nation for Thieves is a Lionsgate Sound podcast, engineered by Pilgrim Media. New episodes come out every Tuesday. Check out http://lionsgatesound.com for more. Listen to and follow Surviving El Chapo: The Twins Who Brought Down A Drug Lord: https://link.chtbl.com/survivingelchapo?sid=anft Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lanre Suraju tells of the immense danger anti-corruption activists face, recalling how armed men invaded his home and threatened his family. Investigations in Nigeria introduce Debra to her counterpart at Scotland Yard, Jonathan Benton (sometimes referred to as the real-life James Bond). A Nation for Thieves is a Lionsgate Sound podcast, engineered by Pilgrim Media. New episodes come out every Tuesday. Check out http://lionsgatesound.com for more. Listen to and follow Surviving El Chapo: The Twins Who Brought Down A Drug Lord: https://link.chtbl.com/survivingelchapo?sid=anft Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Debra recalls the stress of the September 11 terror attacks and the FBI’s monumental investigative role. She gets a phone call from the government of Bangladesh asking for assistance in tackling corruption in the country and heads out to begin investigating. She meets foreign correspondent and Emmy-award nominee, David Montero. A Nation for Thieves is a Lionsgate Sound podcast, engineered by Pilgrim Media. New episodes come out every Tuesday. Check out http://lionsgatesound.com for more. Listen to and follow Surviving El Chapo: The Twins Who Brought Down A Drug Lord: https://link.chtbl.com/survivingelchapo?sid=anft Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Debra details how corrupt money from overseas ends up funding lavish parties, and even Hollywood movies. She is called to testify in Bangladesh about her investigation into corruption in the country. You can find pictures of Debra at the Bangladesh courthouse and her ‘15 minutes of Lindsay Lohan’ at http://lionsgatesound.com A Nation for Thieves is a Lionsgate Sound podcast, engineered by Pilgrim Media. New episodes come out every Tuesday. Listen to and follow Surviving El Chapo: The Twins Who Brought Down A Drug Lord: https://link.chtbl.com/survivingelchapo?sid=anft Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Through her work investigating corruption in Ukraine, Debra meets anti-corruption activist Daria Kaleniuk. In the season finale, Daria and Debra detail the corruption fuelling the ongoing war in Ukraine. Debra discusses her advisory role and what we all can do to help. A Nation for Thieves is a Lionsgate Sound podcast, engineered by Pilgrim Media. New episodes come out every Tuesday. Listen to and follow Surviving El Chapo: The Twins Who Brought Down A Drug Lord: https://link.chtbl.com/survivingelchapo?sid=anft Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hey A Nation for Thieves listeners, we're excited to announce the premiere of our new Lionsgate Sound podcast: Died and Survived. Check out the trailer and click here to follow and listen: https://link.chtbl.com/diedandsurvived?sid=anft WHAT IF OUR END WAS REALLY JUST THE BEGINNING? IT’S THE GREATEST MYSTERY OF OUR LIVES THAT NONE OF US WILL SOLVE UNTIL WE DIE. WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE DIE? British journalist and broadcaster Charlie Webster experienced life after death. After completing an exhausting 3000 miles charity cycling challenge from Europe to South America, she became critically ill and spent two weeks on life support in a coma. This is when she had her ‘NDE’—near death experience—she made a miraculous recovery that baffled doctors both in Brazil and the UK. After her close brush with death, she is now determined to open the conversation about the afterlife, and find answers to what she experienced in the moments doctors were trying to save her. In this captivating and inspirational 8-part series, Charlie will act as a detective, piecing together clues to build a bulletproof case as to how to approach death, and how to live in the here and now. She’ll meet with “experiencers” and hear their startling personal encounters with death and the beyond. She’ll also chat with experts - scientific and spiritual opinion leaders —who are using hard science and modern technology to gain never-before seen or heard evidence of the afterlife.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices