Artwork

Content provided by Dominique Molina. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Dominique Molina or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://ppacc.player.fm/legal.
Player FM - Podcast App
Go offline with the Player FM app!

Barry Minkow: King of the Con

32:05
 
Share
 

Manage episode 481079783 series 3550302
Content provided by Dominique Molina. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Dominique Molina or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://ppacc.player.fm/legal.

He was a teenage millionaire. A carpet-cleaning king. A Wall Street darling. Then, a convict. Then, a pastor. Then… a convict again.

In this jaw-dropping episode of Tax Crime Junkies, Dom and Tom unravel the unbelievable story of Barry Minkow, a man whose life has more plot twists than a Hollywood thriller (ironically, there is a Hollywood movie about him—he starred in it as himself).

We begin in Reseda, California, where 16-year-old Barry launched ZZZZ Best, a carpet cleaning company that he turned into a $200 million publicly traded corporation... built entirely on lies. But Minkow didn’t stop there. After being convicted of 57 felonies and spending years in prison, he reinvented himself as a pastor and fraud investigator—only to fall back into scandal, stealing millions from his own congregation and defrauding investors again.

In this episode, you'll hear:

🔹 How Barry faked restoration jobs, forged documents, and got mob ties to help his company go public
🔹 His time in prison and seemingly miraculous comeback as a man of faith and fraud-busting crusader
🔹 The real story behind the self-funded biopic "Minkow" — and the new crimes he committed while filming it
🔹 How he ran scams from the pulpit, stealing from widows and churches, and manipulated the justice system
🔹 Why even after serving two prison terms, Barry is still out there today... on TikTok, Instagram, and filing whistleblower claims with the SEC

This episode isn't just a cautionary tale about fraud—it’s a look into the psychology of a man addicted to the con. Barry’s story raises deeper questions: Can a person like him ever be reformed? Or does the con always find its way back in?

Key Takeaways:

✅ Some Ponzi schemes are built on greed—others on charisma, charm, and a craving to be adored
✅ Redemption stories can be real… but sometimes they’re just sequels to a long-running scam
✅ If the pastor’s asking for a PayPal account linked to your Discover card, maybe say no

📲 Subscribe, rate, and share if you love true crime, financial fraud, and untangling the lies behind the biggest scams in tax history.

📸 Follow us on Instagram and X: @TaxCrimeJunkies
🎧 Available wherever you get your podcasts.

  continue reading

63 episodes

Artwork
iconShare
 
Manage episode 481079783 series 3550302
Content provided by Dominique Molina. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Dominique Molina or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://ppacc.player.fm/legal.

He was a teenage millionaire. A carpet-cleaning king. A Wall Street darling. Then, a convict. Then, a pastor. Then… a convict again.

In this jaw-dropping episode of Tax Crime Junkies, Dom and Tom unravel the unbelievable story of Barry Minkow, a man whose life has more plot twists than a Hollywood thriller (ironically, there is a Hollywood movie about him—he starred in it as himself).

We begin in Reseda, California, where 16-year-old Barry launched ZZZZ Best, a carpet cleaning company that he turned into a $200 million publicly traded corporation... built entirely on lies. But Minkow didn’t stop there. After being convicted of 57 felonies and spending years in prison, he reinvented himself as a pastor and fraud investigator—only to fall back into scandal, stealing millions from his own congregation and defrauding investors again.

In this episode, you'll hear:

🔹 How Barry faked restoration jobs, forged documents, and got mob ties to help his company go public
🔹 His time in prison and seemingly miraculous comeback as a man of faith and fraud-busting crusader
🔹 The real story behind the self-funded biopic "Minkow" — and the new crimes he committed while filming it
🔹 How he ran scams from the pulpit, stealing from widows and churches, and manipulated the justice system
🔹 Why even after serving two prison terms, Barry is still out there today... on TikTok, Instagram, and filing whistleblower claims with the SEC

This episode isn't just a cautionary tale about fraud—it’s a look into the psychology of a man addicted to the con. Barry’s story raises deeper questions: Can a person like him ever be reformed? Or does the con always find its way back in?

Key Takeaways:

✅ Some Ponzi schemes are built on greed—others on charisma, charm, and a craving to be adored
✅ Redemption stories can be real… but sometimes they’re just sequels to a long-running scam
✅ If the pastor’s asking for a PayPal account linked to your Discover card, maybe say no

📲 Subscribe, rate, and share if you love true crime, financial fraud, and untangling the lies behind the biggest scams in tax history.

📸 Follow us on Instagram and X: @TaxCrimeJunkies
🎧 Available wherever you get your podcasts.

  continue reading

63 episodes

All episodes

×
 
Loading …

Welcome to Player FM!

Player FM is scanning the web for high-quality podcasts for you to enjoy right now. It's the best podcast app and works on Android, iPhone, and the web. Signup to sync subscriptions across devices.

 

Quick Reference Guide

Listen to this show while you explore
Play