Ridiculous Crime

Once upon a time... a married man and father of three went online and there he met a mystery woman from Uzbekistan. The two began an internet friendship that blossomed into an online romance. Within months, he and she decided he should fake his death so he could leave his wife and kids behind in Wisconsin and run away to be with her. Obviously, that didn't go down as planned since he's on this show!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The salad oil business is slippery stuff. Sometimes you have to grease some palms to get what you want. You have to be slick. And you have to trim the fat to keep your business profitable. Lubricating the cogs of international trade...okay, you get the picture. This guy dealt in oil and got himself into serious trouble.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

LSD didn't used to be a street drug, originally it was considered a wonder drug, part of the post-war belief in "better living through chemistry." That's when Hollywood mega-star Cary Grant was a big advocate for the potential of acid. But that all changed in the '60s. This week, we take a groovy psychedelic trip with Carrie Fisher, Marc Maron, and the Grateful Dead to find out how LSD became illegal. Also John Lennon and Keith Richards enjoy an LSD-fueled magical mystery tour through England on their own acid road trip. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Theo and Karl Albrecht build a discount food empire. Aldi is known the world over for "the best quality at the lowest price." Bringing bargains to the people is lucrative business, and the Albrecht brothers built their fortunes to astonishing heights. But with great wealth comes great risk, even if you do your very best to stay under the radar. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A one-time revolutionary and member of the Black Panthers was the first person to successfully hijack a plane in Canada. That led to a 30-year life on the lam as an international fugitive from justice. And for reasons that only make sense to him, he decided to return to the U.S. and do so using his real name. He would've gotten away with it all if it weren't for that pesky new invention called the Internet. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As Billie Jean King once said, "if you can see it, you can be it." Young Anna Sorokin took this to heart. She saw the fabulously wealthy and became one of them... sort of. She conned the social circles of NY’s super rich. She wined and dined with the best of them. But seeing isn't always being. Especially if your transformation involves audacious criminality.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If a New York City hairdresser who looks a little like James Brown comes up to you and says he can make you a star, don't believe him. But Miss Mary Jane Jones had to learn that lesson the hard way –– by playing Florida nightclubs as she pretended to be the real Aretha Franklin. Naturally, that's no way to earn R.E.S.P.E.C.T. But it will certainly get you attention from the law.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you boast that you can make diamonds out of burnt sugar, you better be able to deliver. Especially if you're boasting to a diamond magnate whose industry you could destroy. Proving it may include showing your tush, but that's life in the diamond biz.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How does someone get a life sentence for stealing their own tools? Take one part probate, one part rebellion, multiple parts prison escapes, and one part Florida. What you get is the wild tale of Mark DeFriest, the Prison Houdini. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Looking for some engagement with some crime content from the world of social media influencers? Look no further, Rude Dudes! Become brand embassadors to ridiculousness with tales of sob stories, lies, and financial hijinks! #adSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's Coach John Heisman, bacon grease, rivals Auburn vs. Georgia Tech and the train that nearly wrecked. There's LSU vs. Tulane and the hijacking of the mascot Mike the Tiger, a real live Bengal. There's also Harvard vs. Yale (vs. MIT) and the surprise exploding football field. And finally, the birth of the Legend of the Stanford Axe with its the horseback and wagon chase through San Francisco that gave us The Big Game. It's a wild look at the absurdities of college football rivalries!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today's automobiles are brimming with technology. Most of the time, that's pretty cool. But it stops being cool when sneaky hackers breach the systems and have a field day. Those are crimes…ridiculous crimes.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Buddhist Monks are supposed to be exemplars of the faith. Yet these days there has been a recent slew of headlines wherein the monks and abbots of temples have been caught in sextortion scandals and have been main players for cartel drug smuggling. What's up with all the meth-addicted monks, vow-violating fathers of love children, and not to mention the widespread corruption and embezzlement? These monks are shaking the faith of their followers and the true believers. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the early days of Hollywood, Jackie Coogan made a splash playing a lovable waif in Charlie Chaplin's silent film, The Kid. His groundbreaking performance made him a ton of money. Or rather, it should have, but his parents had other ideas. His life story is full of twists and turns right out of a classic movie, and his legal battle changed the face of Hollywood forever.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

He was trained to be a fine art painter. Early on, he was considered “gifted.” But times change, tastes change, and the art world moves on...Han Van Meegeren wanted his revenge for being left behind. His plan: art forgery of the great masters of the past. But then came World War II, and a huge complication, one that meant he had to do crime to prove his innocence.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We are stardust, we are golden. We are billion-year-old carbon. And we've got to get ourselves back to the garden. Unless, of course, you're there to scam or steal. In that case, stay out of the garden, bro.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It was meticulously planned, it was executed brilliantly, their alibis were unimpeachable, their getaway plan was flawless, and their money laundering scheme a thing of beauty. So then, what went wrong? Why the hell are they on this show? The Dunbar Heist of 1997 is one of those crime tales that will make you say: you have got to be kidding me!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When a fancy lady rolled into town, she captivated everyone. An heiress-elect, she was about to come into some serious cash, which was exciting! But then tragedy struck. And then mystery. And then drama. A lot of stuff struck. What happened to Violet Charlesworth? Listen to find out!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sewers, pizza, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles –– this one has everything that's cool, comical and subterranean. It was a brilliant plan. It was executed perfectly. That is, until one fatal flaw brought the whole operation crashing down.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jack Shepherd was a petty, pretty thief. He wasn't very good at it, so he got caught a lot. And he escaped a lot. Just like Henry More Smith. He, too, couldn't stop stealing and couldn't stop freeing himself from prison life. These guys prove that you can't keep a good (well, at least non-violent) man down.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Prolific French bank robber Redoine Faid repeatedly evaded capture then repeatedly escaped imprisonment, entertaining all who heard of his exploits. His Hollywood-style capers were larger than life, just like his audacious public image. But can the authorities ever truly capture the man who has captured a nation's imagination?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A thief breaks into luxury homes in tony Boca del Mar. the cops are flummoxed by this brazen burglar. Even more so when they find out it’s a lady thief! How could the Bandit of Boca del Mar be a woman? That’s unthinkable! Hey, anything is possible in Palm Beach County, baby.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sometimes you just need to get away. For a Chinese dissident that meant making a daring escape on a jet ski. For a former cyclist turned "ocean jogger," it meant building himself a human-powered hamster wheel so he could run across the sea. In both cases, these men's choices were crimes, but their methods were... ridiculous!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It was a pretty genius plan. Steal gems from a Brinks truck as it made its way from one jewelry show to another. And the heist crew pulled it off…sort of. Seems practice runs can both improve the actual big theft, but also leave a trail of evidence for the feds. Oh, well.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Elizabeth, what's your third-favorite bird? On the heels of that question follows one of the strangest tales we've told. It's a globe-trotting, desert-crossing, ostrich-wrangling, feather-lusting, pith-helmeted, African cowboy adventure... with crime! Just how far will a bunch of profit-minded South Africans go to steal a flock of coveted French colonial ostriches?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Recently, Zaron Burnett and Elizabeth Dutton joined AJ Jacobs on The Puzzler to test their puzzling skills! Join host A.J. Jacobs and his guests as they puzzle–and laugh–their way through new spins on old favorites, like anagrams and palindromes, as well as quirky originals such as “Ask AI” and audio rebuses. Subscribe to The Puzzler podcast wherever you get your podcasts!  "The Puzzler with A.J. Jacobs" is distributed by iHeartPodcasts and is a co-production with Neuhaus Ideas.  Our executive producers are Neely Lohmann and Adam Neuhaus of Neuhaus Ideas, and Lindsay Hoffman of iHeart Podcasts. The show is produced by Jody Avirgan and Brittani Brown of Roulette Productions.  Our Chief Puzzle Officer is Greg Pliska. Our associate producer is Andrea Schoenberg.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you are dissatisfied with the state of the world, you have to get out there and make some changes yourself. Joshua Norton, Emperor of the United States and Protector of Mexico, tried to do just that. He dubbed himself leader and issued proclamations asserting his vision for a better life. Only in San Francisco, California, could a madman be a wise man and a folk hero for the ages.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For centuries, wigs were the look. And in the era of Marie Antoinette, the bigger the better, and the more fantastical, the more whimsical, even better. Industries were built to attend to the many needs of the big wigs of Europe. And there was another industry born of the decadence and hair-based opulence. Enter the professional wigjacker! (Ridiculous crimes guaranteed.)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An idealistic British MP had it all, until a series of bad decisions nearly destroyed his career. But that didn't stop the bad decisions, it only made them worse.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Whether it's Steven Seagal versus his pants, or Sylvester Stallone and Richard Gere battling over Princess Di, over Tom Hardy going toe-to-toe with Shia LaBoeuf, or the one celeb brief that led to the greatest pop art of the 21st century, this week, we've got the beef... the celebrity beef you need... for a good laugh!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A true sovereign citizen, George Streeter claimed land as his own. Then he made even more of it. The cops and the courts and the fat cats of Chicago couldn't pry him out. Instead, he provided entertainment, vice, and choice quotes to a fabulous city that knows how to celebrate a character. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

At the height of the swing music era, jazz drummer and musical great Gene Krupa was caught up in a federal bust. He was used as a cautionary tale in America's First Drug War. Taken down in order to scare young people away from that serious and dire threat to America... jazz music.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An ocean-loving, expert mariner Florida man made his living transporting bales of marijuana until the law caught up with him. Then he went to a land down under, where women glow and men plunder (as they say in the song). He made a new life for himself there. Can't you hear, can't you hear the thunder? You better run, you better take cover.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Black Bart was not his government name. While the name was fearsome and his occupation as a stagecoach robbing outlaw was typically violent and careers short-lived, Black Bart was the opposite in every way. He was a gentleman outlaw folk hero who never hurt anyone. Not only that, he left poems for the lawmen chasing after him. The secret to his success? Black Bart was not at all what anyone expected!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A lumber baron who set his sights on facilitating luxury living established an enormous, posh, private ski club. And in a shocking turn of events that absolutely no one could ever see coming, hundreds of lawsuits followed.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Florida club promoter had a big idea: he'd take four young American lads, grow out their hair, dress 'em like John, Paul, George and Ringo, and call 'em the American Beetles to cash in on a thing called Beatlesmania. That worked so well the four lads embarked on a magical mystery tour of South America. And that's how Los Beetles Americanos came to Buenos Aires. Only trouble was: no one told Argentina it wasn't the real Beatles. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A cardsharp, a ladies man, a con artist extraordinaire. Nicky Arnstein skirted the law and lived the high life, even married the most famous woman in radio. A couple stretches of hard labor in the pen couldn't break him, but a film adaptation of his life almost did. Tough guy, thin skin.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's the big leagues of insider trading, like what we see from both sides of the aisle in Washington DC. And when we think of Wall St. crimes taking place it's in boardrooms, backrooms, and out on golf courses. But what about in the Tampa Bay Rays farm system? That's where a roster of struggling minor leaguers tried to grab a big league pay day off of Del Taco stock options. Ridiculous crimes followed.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We've come to expect corruption and lies in Washington, but there are times when it just goes too far. Witness George Santos, a guy who is seemingly allergic to the truth (but not Hermès). He proves that there's money to be made in the outrage machine, whether we like it or not.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's Sebastian Bach. The former lead singer of the hair metal band, Skid Row. You expect stories of him acting out –– that's kinda his whole deal. He goes through life like he's a one-man reality show about a former rock star who now enjoys wine bars and Broadway. But there's also his namesake, Johann Sebastian Bach. And let us tell ya, he was every bit the bad boy. And just as criminally ridiculous. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Two con men. Each masters of financial fraud. Each on the run from the law, using aliases and wild maneuvers to stay one step ahead of the authorities. Until they weren't. And it was only then that they crossed paths, with ridiculous result. Get ready to throw a couple more tomes into the Ridiculous Crime library!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A former footballer in the Norwegian league who was also a former street criminal jumped back in the game as a high-end art thief. He says he made Edvard Munch's painting "The Scream" famous by stealing it. We say his whole story is...ridiculous!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This guy was the other Soapy Smith, running crime rings in Denver, Colorado. A bunco magnate, he made his money off the naïveté of rube tourists. His stock market wasn't real but, then again, is any stock market real? Anyway, the King of the Bunks ran afoul of the law in the most intense way possible. And it was…ridiculous. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On a Hollywood film set, the director is like a god. They have the power to make or to break. They have the carte blanche to do whatever they must to make their art. And they often abuse this privilege and all the fine folks around them. And then, there's David O Russell who takes bad behavior to whole 'nother level. Listeners, be warned: there's plenty of salty language in this one, it's bleeped, but it's still there.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A gorgeous thief who was perhaps too talented for her own criming good, Sonia Golden Hand stole hearts and goods all over Europe. She ran cons and palmed gems like no other, which gained her fame. Pro tip: fame and recognition aren't particularly helpful for those looking to fly under the radar. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From college mascots getting arrested, to Gritty being investigated for fighting a kid, to the battlin' superheroes of Times Square, and on out west to the tourist wrasslin' costumed characters of Hollywood Blvd, this week Zaron amuses Elizabeth with tales from life behind the mask. It's wild how a little bit of cloth can make a person act out. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Graffiti is generally illegal. Unless it's created by a celebrated, anonymous artist named Banksy. Then it's worth millions and ripe for the stealin'. People steal Banksy pieces, even the murals off of walls of buildings. Is it illegal to steal something that's already technically illegal? We shall see. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A mad inventor, his cheated heiress, a villainous toy company called Big Time Toys, astronaut John Glenn, Howie Mandel, the Pixies, and a dark secret... this story has it all and then some. Get ready for a wild ride into the underwater world of Sea Monkeys and their very, very strange inventor. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Escaping from prison isn't easy. It was near impossible from a place like Alcatraz Island in the San Francisco Bay. The prison was notorious not only for its infamous prisoners, but also for its harrowing location amidst choppy waters and hungry sharks. But the human spirit and the desire to be free can't be squelched. Come with us as we escape "The Rock."See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What do you do when you come home to find there is no home where your home should be? This was the curious dilemma for one particularly unlucky Irishman. His missing home conundrum led to a meandering multi-decade long legal melee to solve the seemingly magical mystery of who stole his missing 150-year old house. Because on an island with a population less than the seating limit of a large restaurant, somehow no one knew what happened to his missing home.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.