American Greed unveils incredible true cases of crime and the lust for power...stories of people who will do anything for money.
Kenneth Ira Starr is a money manager. He courts celebrity clients … Sylvester Stallone, Uma Thurman and Wesley Snipes. But Starr doesn’t stop there. He steals $30 million to buy his way onto Hollywood’s A-list and live a life of luxury … all in the name of love.
Carlos Perez-Olivo is a successful lawyer with a silver tongue and solid gold taste. But when he’s disbarred for fleecing desperate clients, he finds another way to make money … and proves how greed really is a deadly sin.
Nevin Shapiro is the conman at the center of a college football scandal. He kicked off the controversy with stunning stories of gifts to players and allegations of broken NCAA rules. Who is this man who jeopardized the future of the University of Miami’s football team and how did he steal the millions that made it all possible?
Kevin Cohen is an attorney who says he can make dreams come true for couples wanting children. He promises babies … for a hefty price. But unbeknownst to his trusting clients, Cohen is exploiting their hopes and dreams.
Billionaire Tom Petters was a respected CEO for more than a decade. His companies included iconic American brands like Polaroid, Sun Country Airlines and Fingerhut. But these legitimate businesses were purchased with dirty money. Petters’ reputation was built on a foundation of lies.
It’s one of the biggest cases of insider trading in history. Raj Rajaratnam had it all … a wildly successful hedge fund, billions in the bank and the respect of Wall Street. But behind closed doors, Rajaratnam was gaming the system to the tune of $75 million dollars!
A televised art auction appears to showcase masterpieces. It’s billed as your chance to own a Rembrandt, Chagall or Dali. A rare Picasso sells for $500. Too good to be true? American Greed takes you inside a picture-perfect art scam.
Norman Schmidt spent a lifetime moving from one get-quick-rich scheme to the next. He stole millions until a trusted employee brought him down. Then, Hawaiian mortgage broker James Lull offering side deals to make quick cash. But he used the money to fund a veritable museum of collectibles. When the bubble burst, the treasure went missing and so did James Lull.
Homebuilding giant Bill Erpenbeck promised clients the house of their dreams. But when he diverted $34 million worth of mortgage payments into his company’s bank account, those dreams soon became nightmares.
He’s dubbed Long Island, New York’s “Mini-Madoff.” Nicholas Cosmo promised huge returns on booming real estate opportunities. He brought white-collar crime to blue-collar Americans and scammed thousands of trusting investors.
Michael Lock was a man driven by ambition. He was a Milwaukee crime boss with a business model that took him from cocaine dealing to bank fraud … and Lock had a surefire way to beat the competition.
Van Thu Tran is a sexy Vietnamese-American who knows how to beat the odds. She makes millions in casinos using one of the oldest tricks in the book … with a new high-tech twist. Find out how the notorious Tran gang brings down the house!
Shawn Merriman was a bishop in the Mormon Church, a family man and the head of a thriving investment business pulling in millions. But unknown to investors, Merriman was living a lie and ripping off his neighbors, friends…even his own mother.
In the city of brotherly love, car wrecks piled up and auto insurance policies were treated like ATM machines. American Greed takes you inside a Philadelphia car insurance fraud ring where everybody got a piece of the action.
Lee Farkas was a mortgage mogul, a millionaire and chairman of Taylor, Bean & Whitaker. But unknown to his clients, Farkas made his fortune by peddling fake mortgages and looting his company.
Solomon Dwek was a real estate mogul, philanthropist … and an expert flimflammer. He was the mastermind behind a multi-million dollar real estate scam and bank fraud. But when Dwek’s luck runs out, he becomes an informant in the biggest case of corruption and greed in New Jersey history.
Sir Allen Stanford was once one of the richest men in America. His company, The Stanford Financial Group, made its name selling what’s usually a safe bet for investors – certificates of deposits. But Stanford was eventually convicted of running an international $7 billion Ponzi scheme!
"American Greed" is narrated by Stacy Keach. The award-winning actor of stage, film and television is well-known for his portrayals of Detective Mike Hammer and Ernest Hemingway, for which he won a Best Actor Golden Globe.
We’ve assembled some of the most notorious, notable and nasty cases, proving that some people really will do anything for money… even kill.
A man’s home is his castle, and that’s particularly true for men who have been convicted of swindling others out of their money or other crimes.
While not every one of these Wall Street jailbirds had offices in downtown Manhattan, they all dealt in the financial world. Click ahead to see those who have traded in their pinstripes for prison stripes.
Some people think it's funny, they'll do anything for money. That's what CNBC's American Greed narrator Stacy Keach sings in the song he wrote the lyrics to called, appropriately, "Anything For Money."
