American Greed (2007)
American Greed
2007 / TV-PGA dissection of the dark side of the American Dream, a survey of how far some people go to become rich, no matter the cost to themselves and those around them. Real-life cases are reviewed and involve such criminal activity as credit card scams, identity theft, counterfeiting and Ponzi schemes.
Seasons & Episode
Joel Greenberg is a privileged millennial from a rich Florida family who one day decides to run for Seminole County Tax Collector and wins; once in office, he embarks on a breathtaking series of crimes, ranging from fraud to sex trafficking.
Theranos, now back in the news with the blockbuster trial of founder and former CEO Elizabeth Holmes. Former employees, whistleblowers and even a family friend-turned-foe provide new insights into the company’s leadership and the mysterious long-term relationship between Holmes and her top deputy, Sunny Balwani.
Inside the rise and near-collapse of WeWork, the startup co-founded by its former CEO, Adam Neumann, who mesmerizes venture capitalists with grandiose promises, even though WeWork turns out to be a traditional real estate leasing business.
Two new Boeing 737 Max jets fall out of the sky five months apart, killing 346 people; investigators home in on a software program known as MCAS; some critics say the real culprit is a corporate culture that values shareholders over passengers.
Jho Low is accused of being one of the biggest thieves the world has ever seen; authorities say he’s the mastermind of an international scheme to steal over $4 billion from the government of Malaysia.
The story of a suburban Eagle Scout turned Dark Web drug lord; Aaron Shamo launches a new type of American drug ring, recruiting other Utah millennials to help him manufacture deadly counterfeit opioids and sell them online.
CEO Jacob Kingston appears to be a rising star in Utah’s fledgling biofuel industry, until a member of a secretive polygamist group called The Order reveals that Kingston is committing a 1.1 billion dollar fraud.
Serial entrepreneur Trevor Milton founds the electric vehicle company Nikola, which suggests it will be the next Tesla, but for long-haul trucks.
While an estimated $100 billion in COVID relief funds is stolen, this seasoned family of fraudsters easily grabs millions of dollars Americans desperately need to buy themselves mansions, jewelry and gold.
In February 2022, the Justice Department announced charges against Heather Rhiannon Morgan and her husband Ilya Lichtenstein for their alleged roles in the conspiracy to launder $4.5 billion in stolen Bitcoin cryptocurrency. Heather Morgan was as also known as 'Razzlekhan', a fledgling rap artist.
This installment discusses Garrison Courtney, who infiltrated Washington DC's intelligence circles. In doing so, he collected $4.5 million dollars with his tall tales of running a top-secret national security operation for the CIA, the Central Intelligence Agency. Now age 44, when Courtney's lies unraveled after four years of fraud, he was apprehended and was sentenced in October 2020 in federal court in Alexandria, VA to seven years in prison.
Chris Epps charms his way from prison guard to the top post of Mississippi Department of Corrections Commissioner. Once in office, he siphons off millions in bribes and kickbacks.
In sunny San Diego, entrepreneur and real estate developer Gina Champion-Cain lures in investors with a glamorous image and promises of sky-high returns on short-term liquor license loans.
Zachary Horwitz has dreams of making it big in Hollywood; while his onscreen career never quite flourishes, Horwitz acts his way into raising more than $600 million for an investment opportunity that is completely bogus.
Lobsang Dargey escapes from Tibet, makes his way to the United States, marries into a sports superstar's family, and builds a real estate empire. But his success is built on lies.
When an epidemic of teenage nicotine addiction breaks out across the country, some people ask whether Juul's founders are intent on saving lives or targeting the next generation.
Convicted fraudster and identity thief Tracii Show Hutsona is once again up on federal charges after a high-profile client discovers more than $1 million missing from her bank accounts.
Marlon and LaShonda Moore are accused of exploiting vulnerable people during the pandemic and convincing thousands of their fans to invest in their illegal scheme; regulators claim the Moore's "blessed" themselves to the tune of millions of dollars.
Covers a film financier company's $68M scheme, involving bank fraud, wire fraud, and spanning eight (8) years.
Personal injury attorney Tom Girardi posits himself as a champion for the little guy, but jilted clients cry foul when they discover him cheating them out of millions of dollars in settlement money as Girardi's wife flaunts her wealth on reality television. Girardi was the subject of 205 attorney ethics complaints between 1982 and June 2022 when he was disbarred in California.
A dissection of the dark side of the American Dream, a survey of how far some people go to become rich, no matter the cost to themselves and those around them. Real-life cases are reviewed and involve such criminal activity as credit card scams, identity theft, counterfeiting and Ponzi schemes.