All American Scams | American Greed

[Music] [Music] April 16th 2012 security cameras role capturing a man as he enters a storage facility in Portland Oregan he was once an intelligence officer a master deg disguise who felt at home in the corridors of power now beaten down after decades on the run his life is a tangle of lies and each step is a struggle he's on his way to Locker 646 where he stashed the secrets to his very survival to authorities he's known as Mr X A fitting name for a man cloaked in mystery the mystery has not been unraveled and might be might be Stranger than what we already know [Music] Dr Patrick Bray knows that service to Country involves great sacrifice the Navy paid for him to go to medical school and sent him all over the world as a Navy doctor I know firsthand some of the hardships that this works on people you know it's tough to be deployed if your wife's pregnant and you're not going to be there and they're having troubles at home it's it's difficult after leaving the military Bray practices medicine in Cleveland Ohio in 2007 he gets a call from a fundraiser I'm usually hang up right away on a telemarketer but he said Navy and that kept me on the phone representatives of a charity called the US Navy veterans association tell Bray they're sending care packages to troops and supporting local vets in need they aren't asking for much and Bray writes them two checks totaling $300 just the name was you know sounded legitimate US Navy veterans who's against that as Ohio attorney general Mike dwine will later see Bray is just one target among thousands in a Relentless telemarketing Blitz I think most Americans have a soft spot in their heart uh for veterans and feel that we owe them a lot claiming a history dating back to 1927 the US Navy veterans association or us NVA says it has 66,000 members 41 state chapter offices and a headquarters in Washington DC its CEO Jack Nimitz shares a last name with chester Nemitz commander of the Pacific Fleet during World War II in Ohio Assistant Attorney General Brad Tamaro says the US NVA seems like the right organization at the right moment I think at this time in our history there is a strong patriotic feeling there's a strong desire to help the veterans that are coming back from Afghanistan and and Iraq the charity has been recognized by the Department of Veterans Affairs and granted tax exempt status by the IRS 41 states allow the association to operate after it files registration documents and keeps them current year after year though these papers list schol SC of officers in truth one man is behind it all Commander Bobby Thompson Thompson says he's a retired Navy Lieutenant Commander with a background in intelligence he hires Helen McMurray to be the US nv's attorney and she believes in him 100% no one loved this country more than he did no one was a greater Patriot no one talked more about Liberty and freedom and his appreciation for it than him the charity touts an 80-year history but Thompson first files registration documents in the early 2000s not long after showing up in Tampa Florida when he first started off there wasn't a whole lot of money coming in and he was doing everything by himself and it wasn't until he hired those professional fundraisers that things really seem to take off the telemarketing firm's Thompson hires will eventually help his charity bring in millions they are allowed to an astounding 85% of what they raise and they don't ask many questions about Commander Thompson if you want to look at it with a jaist eye so to speak you could say they were being paid a lot of money to do what they were doing they asked a question they got an answer the answer seemed legitimate and they didn't dig any deeper as a former Ohio Assistant Attorney General McMurray once went after charity cheats now she works for nonprofits in telar marketers helping them to clear regulatory hurdles Bobby Thompson calls me up and he said that you know these goshorn Regulators just keep trying to tell me what to do he was the most passionate person I have ever heard talk about these issues on anything with anybody ever I mean when you're paying a lawyer hourly you don't sit there and and you know talk for hours and hours and that's what he did McMurray says she's not the only one to hear the Commander's self-serving anti-regulation message he regularly interacted with different important political people you know the same message is that you know we should be able to do what we want whenever we want to do it however we want to do it that's our right as the US NVA grows into a multi-million dollar operation Thompson becomes a big-time donor to politicians most of them Republicans the commander has his photo taken with presidential candidates John McCain and Rudolph Giuliani Speaker of the House John Boehner presidential adviser Carl Ro and President George W bush he's not afraid to share these pictures with others he was trying to show he was a big shot that he had a lot of pool with people due to his position with the US NVA by 2009 tax returns say the US Navy veterans association has brought in close to 100 million do it was a money-making business he had money coming in hand over fist if he had not had that altercation with the reporter he would have kept taking the [Music] money in August 2009 investigated reporter Jeff testerman is on his way to see Bobby Thompson about a donation he's made to a local politician in Tampa Florida my expectation was that I would talk to this retired Navy guy and and I'd have a nice quote for the you know the bottom of my story uh you know about this County Commissioner it didn't go like that at all when testerman gets to the Commander's home it hardly seems a Fitting Place for a retired Navy officer running a multi-million dollar charity he was stuck in a hole across from a cigar Factory with barb wire run if you're looking to kind of keep a low profile no better place Thompson has his apartment on one side of his duplex and the office from which he runs his charity on the other his windows are covered with an odd mix of stickers inside he Scrolls bizarre messages on nailed up boards and in the kitchen he said to keep kiler by the case fall this guy was no dummy and yet the place he's living is a dump he might have a little bit of a screw loose you know he became openly hostile aggressive he basically threw me off his property intrigued testerman returns to his office and discusses the strange encounter with the newspapers head researcher John Martin and I said you know I just went over to see this guy and this Lieutenant Commander Bobby Thompson was just all over me like vter on roadkill you know what do you think they think it's time to dig deeper and begin by looking at the association's at times rambling website among 85 names they find connected to the charity one sticks out that of the association's listed CEO Jack nemit this famous Navy name let's find him you know let's call him and find out what's going on and uh Jack nemus was nowhere to be found over the next few months they continue searching and get similar results they were supposed to have a board of 12 people they were supposed to have 85 officers in state chapters around the country they were supposed to have 60 6,000 dues paying members we never found anything except Bobby Thompson but even information on Commander Thompson is elusive he's like a man without a past the sort of background that real people people like me have there wasn't anything he might as well have landed in Tampa on a spaceship for Mars [Music] September 4th 2008 before a cheering crowd in Detroit City Hall embattled mayor kwami Kilpatrick gives an emotional televised speech despite the upbeat atmosphere the mayor has a serious message to deliver I've often said that you have to stand strong for the city of Detroit but sometimes standing strong means stepping down after the turbulent 6 and 1/2 years in office the mayor is resigning and heading to jail earlier that day he pleaded guilty to two felony counts of obstructing justice after you're lying under oath during a police whistleblower trial amazing and it was a huge story and it was amazing it was historic despite facing 120 days in jail and $1 million in restitution Kilpatrick's tone is anything but defe we fall but this city always gets up and I want to tell you Detroit that you done set me up for a comeback godess and so even right down to the end even after being sentenced to jail it was hard not to believe him he continued to rebound from everything that was ever thrown at him but there will be no comeback this time the worst is yet to come over the next few years the mayor will be at the center of one of the largest Municipal corruption probes in US history in which the government accuses him of running the city like a Crime Boss but this wasn't supposed to be the script for kwami Kilpatrick he was supposed to be different the Native Son destined to turn around his faltering Rust Belt City the hipop mayor who would provide a new model of what a public official could be he was Barack Obama before Barack Obama knew who he was he knew how to talk to people he had it going on Adolf is a veteran political consultant and and onetime Aid to former Detroit mayor Coleman Young he's known the Kilpatrick family for decades oh they had a great name you know lots of years in the political circles had had a lot of influence kwami is the son of Carolyn cheeks Kilpatrick a former Michigan State Representative and future seven-term us congresswoman his father is Bernard katrick a former Wayne County Commissioner and power broker in the Region's Democratic machine uh he was sheltered his mother and father took care of and they were divorced uh he went to Florida A&M played football in 1996 just four years after earning a degree in political science kwami enters the family business he wins a seat in the Michigan State Legislature and quickly makes a name for himself I had a leadership Post in the Democratic party had Charisma so yeah he was a good State Rep while the young legislator thrives in Lancing his hometown isn't fairing as well during the 1990s nearly 80,000 residents leave Detroit by 2001 unemployment is at 10% and Rising Clinton had a successful uh eight years in office these were some great times and the city of Detroit did not uh benefit from it and people was looking for somebody new they was looking for fresh a fresh face somebody young in the runup to the 2001 mayor's election a group of Detroit businessmen the African-American men's organization or ammo is conducting a search for a candidate to represent their interests the Kilpatrick men are members of that group well this is if you look in the back the innocent quami katrick Larry is the older brother of Adolf and a founding member of ammo every Friday or Wednesday twice a week we all met and most of these men were self-made men or high political positions but then we said why not get us a young John F Kennedy why not get us a young black guy post Silver Rights that's our person Larry says that during one of amm's weekly meetings kwami Kilpatrick tells the group that he recently received a sign during a prayer session kwami says he opened up his Bible and landed on the story of David who was anointed king of Israel at the age of 30 he says so I'll tell y'all I will run and here's a young black guy talking about the Bible we think it's superstitious you go against a good kid like that so we did we said okay quami you did it Kilpatrick's youth makes him a long shot in the race but with his good name his natural charm and the financial support of ammo he has a fighting chance we put up all this money we knew we controled the streets we knew we control the right preachers Kevin Deets is an investiga reporter with WDIV in Detroit at first nobody thought Kilpatrick had a chance but he just wowed the crowd everywhere he went he just had this Charisma about him we want our citizens to go to The Ballot Box and decide whether they want to move forward or they want to stay in the mud in an upset kwami wins the election becoming the youngest mayor in the city's history at just 31 years of age we were excited about this young new mayor who was going to come in and and make Detroit different but during that night's celebration Larry says the new mayor makes a curious statement when he got elected mayor I swear to you he approached me and said Mr I said what I don't want to go to jail and I laughed and I said man I said the last thing you have to worry about is going to jail Detroit 2002 shortly after taking office new mayor kwami Kilpatrick has residents of the city feeling good once again how you doing you all right how's everything conations thank you so much I know you going to take care of thank you the big man has big plans demolishing abandoned buildings revitalizing neighborhoods and bringing business back to the Motor City he's so likable you just are certain that he's going to be able to get the attention of Washington and get dollars brought into Detroit get business to invest in the city Kilpatrick embodied the best and the brightest of what Detroit had produced Sheila cochrell is a member of the Detroit city council she is impressed by the new mayor's enthusiasm they had put together this Strategic Management Center and I mean it was really good ideas good Rock Solid public policy stuff though he has good ideas the new mayor relies on a questionable group to carry out his vision Kilpatrick's Administration is stacked with friends and family including old high school Pals Christine Bey as his chief of staff and Derek Miller as his chief administrative officer the friends and family plan was big he hired dozens of people appointed them they got the best jobs and they got the most money to do them Bernard Kilpatrick the mayor's father also plays a role in the city's operations shortly before his son takes office Bernard sets up a new consulting firm Maestro Associates what is a maestro you see in other words told everybody I'm in charge you wanted something done you had to go to Bernard the consultant Maestro Maestro pre-approve it then you will meet with the son despite the red flags the Kilpatrick Administration is off to a roaring start the mayor's big plans and even bigger personality make him a local celebrity how y'all doing today all right how are you how's everything I saw you sneaking a picture you could have just say he felt that he was just bigger than life he was believing his own press that he was just the greatest thing ever it's not uncommon to see the mayor flaun his Newfound status around town he was going to these clubs hung out with all the football players come in town you can see him at the games you can see him everywhere when he went out to dinner he'd get up and walk out of the restaurant without paying the bill he'd said well why would I pay the bill I'm the mayor he would take 8 10 bodyguards everywhere he went but it was about the show it was about being kwami Kilpatrick but the mayor's celebrity lifestyle would soon catch up with him [Music] [Music] more than 1 million Americans serve in active duty in the US military Fighting For Freedom at home and abroad for many US troops are are held with great respect and [Music] admiration Amy bushatz is a reporter and editor for military.com I think that there's also something to be said for a man in uniform I mean everybody loves a man in uniform right and so um oh and Military members are typically very fit so uniform fit handsome but according to her husband a major in the Alaskan National Guard Crooks have another idea Americans love American soldiers because American soldiers protect them so how can I use that to exploit people and take from [Music] them in the age of catfishing it's easy for con artists to assume the identity of a hero and it's even easier for these false Heroes to trick victims into handing over their wallets in the Name of Love I don't think people realize the enormity of of the scam that's going on on a daily basis every day they're out there trolling the internet looking for unsuspecting victims they're throwing in a fishing line and looking for someone who's vulnerable and is open to relationship and once they snag them they reel them in and they take millions of dollars I'm a hopeless romantic so I I thought maybe I would meet my husband online Lilo Schuster is a chiropractic physician living in Illinois in 2009 she goes on match.com looking for someone special my dating history would be I would go out with somebody for I don't know 3 months 6 months and I could not date somebody for 2 years 3 years and so my heart was really hurting I was really sad I was desperate I was pretty just kind of fed up for years Lilo yearns to start a family of her own at one point even spending $20,000 on artificial insemination but unfortunately with no results I actually prayed to God and I said will you please send me a widow with a child cuz I love children and by the time I'm 45 I thought well I probably won't have children of my own miraculously the next morning she checks her computer and her PR prayers have been answered I can't believe that I had this email from my Widow and he has a child and he's in Afghanistan and he's fighting the terrorists and he's a pilot and I thought my my prayers had been answered his name he says is Officer Adam Smith we start to email back and forth and he sends me attractive pictures saying kind things and how beautiful that I am and by the end of the year he wants to be able to come back and we can create a family together so these kinds of things that I wanted to hear and it felt really nice actually officer Smith tells Lilo his wife died tragically not long ago and he's left with a sick daughter to care for I love children I always wanted them and not having my own that certainly was a way to connect but within a few weeks of their relationship a problem comes up with his daughter his daughter who was in the United Kingdom with his mom was going to school and they were going to go on a school trip he asks for her help to pay for the trip and he would of course pay her back Lilo devotedly goes to Western Union where she wires $2,700 to the UK at this point she has known him online for only 4 weeks you feel like you're contributing to your relationship that you're helping his daughter be able to go on a trip that he couldn't provide for her but you know he'll pay me back is what he had [Music] said that same year in Colorado a 38-year-old single mother and hairdresser named Tracy Vasser has a very similar experience as she later tells investigators in an interview at her home basser meets a person online claiming his name is Captain Jeffrey Lawrence and he was like oh I have a son and he was supposed to be in Afghanistan and he's like I have a son and his name is Paul and I'm widowed my wife is dead and someone watches after him cuz I have no family in the same fashion shortly after they start their online romance her new bow has a problem his son is in desperate need of cash and then he was like oh he doesn't have any money could you send some money in reality neither of these women are talking to an officer in Afghanistan and their stories have an all too common theme Theo is all the same I'm a single father my wife I'm I'm a widower my I'm raising a 5-year-old girl and they they play on the emotions of the victims I didn't feel that it was a scam from the beginning it was I felt that there was something that was off I didn't know what it was I speak to hundreds of victims and it's hard for them to believe that they're being scammed someone is playing on your emotions and they're making millions of dollars off of uh unsuspecting [Music] victims in Brighton Colorado 38-year-old single mom Tracy vassard is living the dream quite literally because her new love is all just a fantasy as her first relationship Fades Tracy is introduced to a new online romantic interest named Kel's Klein he claims to be a sergeant stationed in Afghanistan and knows Captain Lawrence kleene and Tracy get it off immediately Mr Klein at least the beginning made Tracy believe that he loved her and and they at some point were exchanging emails expressing their love for each other and wanting to be together in the future Tracy is then asked for a favor he was like I need an agent to like pick up money and I'm like what what sometimes the frosters then flip or turn these original victims into mules themselves to take in money from other victims and open bank accounts and then transfer yet more money Sergeant Kel's Klein tells Tracy Vasser she'll be transferring money from people all over the world to Nigeria for a charity fund for US soldiers she'll be acting as an agent for the government it gives an air of legitimacy to the intended victim like well I'm not wiring the money overseas I'm not sending it to Nigeria IA everybody knows that's a fraud sending it to this woman named Tracy vassor that I've been told in this letter with military letterhead that she's the agent in exchange for her help Kel's offers Tracy a small percentage of the money she is transferring to help cover fees one transaction leads to many and Tracy starts taking in thousands of dollars from women all over the world and sends it to various places dictated by Sergeant Klein they reached out via IM message she would be instructed on when to collect it and directions of where it had to go who it had to be sent to in her correspondence with Klein Tracy starts negotiating for a bigger cut of the profit one message States I can't do this for free especially since I'm the one taking all the risk soon she is opening bank account after bank account in an effort to hide the large amounts of money she is receiving and then immediately sending out numerous bank accounts at numerous Banks all around the state because various Banks or money remitter would get wise and move her down the road so she'd have to come up with different names or excuses for people to accept that money and all the while taking some for yourself and pushing that money back to the Nigerians her involvement became so extensive and when she she was wiring amounts in the tens of thousands of dollars told us that she didn't believe that this was something that was legitimate she knew what she was doing it becomes so lucrative for tracing she even brings her own 71 year-old mother Karen into the scam as well she involved her mother in collecting that money and we even believe she recruited family members uh to in fact assist with this because it did get quite busy but then the Brighton Colorado Police Department gets a call from a woman in North Carolina she says she sent a military agent named Tracy basser $2,000 but now believes it was a scam authorities look into the allegations and find enough evidence to support her claim [Music] station key here feeling greedy for more videos like this one then be sure to like And subscribe right here on CNBC Prime

Channel: CNBC Ambition

Views: 162,893

Keywords: Money, cnbc, cnbc channel, cnbc television, business, cnbc business, cnbc ambition, shark tank, american greed, undercover boss, documentaries, cnbc documentaries

Id: FDpW7SeqhSA

Length: 31min 17sec (1877 seconds)

Published: Fri Jul 05 2024