Ambition's Price: Paul Bergren, a top lawyer, risks everything when linked to a drug ring, showcasing how those who understand the law can also exploit it. Meanwhile, Sean Brokos transitions from banking to law enforcement, revealing the complex interactions between legality and crime in their lives.
Paul Bergren was an exceptional lawyer known for his ability to help clients escape serious legal trouble. However, his reputation was put at risk when an FBI agent discovered links between him and a significant drug operation. As stories of his past success circulate, the reality of his own legal troubles begins to unfold. Meanwhile, Sean Brokos, a former banker, becomes involved in a drug-related case when she is tipped off about a possible gun possession in Newark. Once captivated by the idea of justice, Sean finds herself navigating the complexities of law enforcement, showcasing how the lives of those in law can become intertwined with crime. This narrative illustrates the fine line between law and unlawful activities, especially for those who know the law best. Paul’s journey morphs from defending others to needing a defense himself, exemplifying a riveting true crime tale of ambition and downfall.
FBI Challenges: Shauna, an FBI agent, faced challenges apprehending Kimo McCrae, a felon with an illegal shotgun. During their encounter, Kimo escaped, demonstrating the unpredictability of law enforcement work in gang-infested areas like Newark.
Shauna, an FBI agent, shared her experience of working in law enforcement, particularly with gangs in Newark. One case involved Kimo McCrae, a man illegally possessing a shotgun due to his felony conviction. During their attempt to apprehend him, Shauna was caught off guard when Kimo slipped out of his jacket and escaped, highlighting the challenges officers face when pursuing suspects. Despite the dangers, Shauna found her job thrilling, as working in law enforcement in a challenging area like Newark was filled with excitement and unpredictability.
Informant Strategy: Sean Brokos, an FBI agent, seeks to turn Kimo McCray into an informant to help dismantle Newark's crime network despite the challenges of gaining his trust and cooperation.
Sean Brokos is a determined FBI agent who sees a chance to gather crucial intelligence through Kimo McCray, a potential informant. Although Kimo has run away and his mother initially tries to protect him by claiming ownership of a gun found with him, Sean knows that getting Kimo involved could help bring down more significant players in Newark’s crime scene. Her approach shows a complicated moral landscape where she is tasked with both enforcing the law and seeking deeper connections within the criminal world. Sean’s ability to convince Kimo and his mother to meet with her is a crucial move, emphasizing her strategy in the fight against crime, which often involves persuading individuals to cooperate for the greater good, despite the dangers and risks. Successfully turning Kimo into an informant could prove invaluable for targeting larger trafficking issues in the area.
Tough Choices: Kimo faces a tough choice between becoming an informant to avoid jail and risking his safety, or returning to prison, jeopardizing his dreams for his family.
Kimo, a young man with a troubled past and a desire to change for the sake of his family, faces a difficult choice when confronted by law enforcement. Sean, representing the government, offers him a way to avoid jail by becoming an informant. This puts Kimo in a tough position, as he must weigh the risks of betraying his community against the consequences of returning to prison. His mother, aware of the pressures her son is under, supports him in this challenging moment. Kimo's decision could either lead to a hopeful future with his family or a return to a life he desperately wants to escape. This situation highlights the significant impact of past choices and the tough paths some individuals must navigate in their quest for a better life.
Listen Now - Criminal Attorney
Recent Episodes from Scamfluencers
ENCORE: Long Island Liars
The Lottery Lawyer’s luck has run out: Jason Kurland is now behind bars. We revisit how he went from a Long Island real estate lawyer to eventually representing major lottery winners. He claimed to help new millionaires and billionaires manage their wealth. But once these unsuspecting winners gave Jason access to their bank accounts, their sudden good fortune started to look like a curse. And Jason and his buddies felt like they hit the jackpot.
Listen to Scamfluencers on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen early and ad-free on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/scamfluencers/ now.
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Listen Now - Criminal Attorney
Paul Bergrin is a hotshot criminal defense attorney in Newark, New Jersey. Seemingly unstoppable and with unorthodox methods, he’s built a reputation for getting his clients off the hook. But as Paul's legend grows, so do the suspicions swirling around him.
When FBI Agent Shawn Brokos starts investigating a major drug ring, she makes a shocking discovery: the gang's most powerful player is none other than Newark’s star attorney. Has the ex-federal prosecutor crossed the line and started committing crimes himself?
From Wondery, comes a new series about a lawyer who breaks all the rules, the FBI agent determined to take him down at all costs, and the people caught in the middle who paid the ultimate price.
Listen to Criminal Attorney on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen early and ad-free on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App or on Apple podcasts. Start your free trial by visiting Wondery.fm/Criminal_Attorney now.
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Elon Musk: Too Big to Scam
When Elon Musk bid to buy Twitter for $44 billion, he made headlines for the mess that followed — including flip flopping on the deal and immediately firing most of the site’s employees. In this special episode of Scamfluencers, Scaachi Koul talks with New York Times reporters Kate Conger and Ryan Mac about their new book Character Limit: How Elon Musk Destroyed Twitter. They explain how Musk leveraged his Silicon Valley clout to take over, and tank, everyone’s favorite hellsite and we’re left wondering: is Elon Musk the ultimate Scamfluencer?
Listen to Scamfluencers on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen early and ad-free on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/scamfluencers/ now.
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Jack Abramoff: Bringing Down the House Part 2
Jack Abramoff has schemed his way to the top of right-wing politics, skimming off the top of every lobbying deal he makes. But when burned clients expose his scam to Congress, Jack is forced to answer to elected officials who have actually stuck to their convictions. He still considers himself a hero, even as his circle of DC power players gets taken down. And even a stint behind bars can’t stop Jack’s impulsive need to lie, cheat, and steal, even as he tries to stage a comeback tour.
Listen to Scamfluencers on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen early and ad-free on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/scamfluencers/ now.
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Listen Now - Empire City: The Untold Origin Story of the NYPD
At a time when we’re debating where policing is going, we’re going to tell you where the police came from. Guided by Peabody award-winning host Chenjerai Kumanyika, Empire City will provide the first accessible narrative history of the American police and its place in popular culture. Who are the police? And why were police departments created in the first place? To find answers, we’re going to tell the origin story of the largest police force in the world: The NYPD. We begin in the late 1800’s at a moment when the entire police force was on trial. It’s the biggest corruption scandal in the history of the NYPD, and it all plays out like a high stakes courtroom drama. What follows is the action-packed account of how the NYPD got to this point and what happened next. It involves Black abolitionists fighting slave patrols in the courts of Gotham; two rival police forces duking it out for power at City Hall; the origins of the true crime genre; and how the NYPD spread their tactics worldwide.
Listen to Empire City wherever you get your podcasts: Wondery.fm/Empire_City.
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Jack Abramoff: Bringing Down the House Part 1
Jack Abramoff got his start bending the rules while he was still in elementary school… and never stopped. At first, he works to advance right-wing causes he believes in. Jack’s principles start to fade once he finds his true calling: using pay-to-play politics to amass wealth and power for himself and his friends. Years before calls to drain the swamp, Jack Abramoff was The Swamp Thing.
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Kingdom Con: The Vermont Ski Scam
Ski-obsessed Bill Stenger has big dreams for his sleepy Vermont mountain town. He pairs with a wealthy businessman to tap into an obscure government program that funnels millions from foreign investors looking to fast-track their visa applications. Bill and Ariel turn their ski resort into a year-round tourist attraction and create thousands of jobs… but millions of dollars are unaccounted for. When troubled investors band together, they discover their money is hiding in a mountain of fraud.
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Abby Lee Miller: Scam Like Nobody's Watching
Before she became the most infamous dance teacher in America, Abby Lee Miller ran a struggling dance studio in Pittsburgh. Shortly after declaring bankruptcy, she gets the break of a lifetime: she’s cast as the lead in Dance Moms. She becomes a reality TV star overnight, and even as she leads young dancers to stardom in front of millions of viewers — fighting their moms every step of the way — she schemes to keep her newfound wealth a secret from the courts. And when curtain finally falls on her fraud, Abby insists on an encore.
Listen to Scamfluencers on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen early and ad-free on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/scamfluencers/ now.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
ENCORE: Brooklyn's Bling Bishop
Now that Lamor Whitehead has been sent to prison, we return to his Biblical fall from grace. In 2006, Lamor gets arrested while wearing a mink coat, prompting the New York post to dub him a “high roller.” But after a stint in prison, Lamor reinvents himself as a man of God. He starts his own for-profit ministry called Leaders of Tomorrow and befriends some very influential people, including New York politician Eric Adams. But Lamor never lets go of his flashy lifestyle. After he gets robbed while wearing expensive jewelry, his community begins to wonder: How does the pastor of a tiny church afford all of this luxury?
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ENCORE: Chess Cheater
It’s been more than a year since Hans Niemann’s cheating scandal rocked the chess world and we’re looking back to see if the bad boy of chess has been redeemed. From a young age, Hans knows he loves chess and wants to face off against his hero, Magnus Carlsen. Hans grows into a brash and intense player who makes questionable moves during online chess tournaments. When he finally gets the opportunity to compete against Magnus, their egos and ambitions collide, threatening to tarnish both of their legacies.
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