American Greed

Michael McCant is a former bank robber who says he's gone "legit" and is now making millions by promoting up-and-coming rap musicians. McCant solicits money from individual investors, promising 30% returns on investment in his concert promotion business. Some investors give McCant their entire nest eggs but learn the hard way that this former convict is too illegit to quit...his life of crime.

A Florida man wins a $13 million Lottery payout and gives away much of it to strangers in need. After businesswoman Dee Dee Moore takes over his finances to protect his wealth, the millionaire disappears. Did she want to help him or help herself to Abraham Shakespeare's millions? Watch how the police hatch an outrageous undercover sting to catch "The Lady Killer."

First, a New Age evangelist becomes a greedy, groovy, guru, telling investors that positive thinking can lead to positive returns. But this false prophet is returning nothing but false profits in her $113 million scam. Then...civilization is on the verge of collapse, Ronnie Gene Wilson tells his followers, and the only path to a secure future is investing in precious metals.

A Brooklyn investment manager starts the longest running Ponzi scheme in history. Philip Barry runs his scam from Bay Ridge, a solid working-class neighborhood where families go back generations. Through local connections, Barry pulls more than 800 investors into a $40 million scheme by offering "guaranteed returns" on investments. He tells his story exclusively to AMERICAN GREED from prison.

Trevor Cook seems to be a local boy made good in Minneapolis, running an investment fund. Cook and his cohorts solicit $190 million from 700 investors, many of whom were swayed by a talk radio star. The investors think the money is going into securities but will be shocked to see how Trevor and his boys blow their hard-earned savings...turning a historic mansion into a den of debauchery.

San Francisco entrepreneur Samuel "Mouli" Cohen starts a fake Internet music company and takes in $31 million from celebrities, investors, and even a charity. He claims they will make a fortune when his company is sold to Microsoft. But there is no deal.

Jack Walsh and Charles Martin appear to be getting very rich running a Chicago currency trading brokerage. But an audit reveals that they've been pilfering clients' accounts to the tune of $10 million. Their outrageous spending even included $1 million at a single strip club. Then, in "Miami Burn"...a trusted tax advisor lures his best friends into an investment scheme that bleeds them dry.

In "Union Bu$ter," a shady benefits administrator embezzles $42 million from a New York City union to fund her outrageous lifestyle. Then, a creative conman sells barrels of "gold concentrate" that turn out to be dirt in "The Fool's Gold." Can the FBI catch him in the act?

With a long career in real estate, many thought broker Doug Vaughan was a man to be trusted. His charisma helped make him a fortune in New Mexico real estate...but it was all lies. He funded his luxurious lifestyle with $75 million of investors' money. After investigators stepped in and arrested him, he went on TV in search of money to pay for his defense.

A trio of Texas conmen scores $100 million, telling investors there's big money in the "life settlement" insurance biz. They claim policy holders can cash out before they die and investors can double their money. When the fraudsters fail to pay returns and keep the money for themselves, it all comes crashing down, leaving investors' finances in critical condition.

Perry Griggs ran an investment fraud claiming to sell coffee futures when all he did was keep investors' money. He was convicted of securities fraud and sentenced to eight years in federal prison. While in prison, he starts yet another scam. This time, his victims are fellow prisoners and their families. After he is paroled, Griggs disappears. Will the Feds catch up with him for the second time?

Randy Treadwell is the son of a preacher but leaves the righteous path. Claiming he's a financial wizard, he uses his Southern charm to bilk believers out of nearly $65 million. His scams have legitimate sounding names like "Learn Waterhouse" and "The Wealth Builders Club," which promise huge returns for short-term investments. See how the FBI finally brings him to justice.

From spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on clothes and cars to leaving thousand-dollar tips at bars, Michael Vorce is a twenty-something playboy living it up. By all appearances he makes millions selling and buying luxury yachts, which allows him to borrow millions from banks. But when the loans come due, questions float to the surface - where are all the yachts? And where is all the money?