By 2012, undercover DEA agents had cracked holes in an underground criminal conspiracy. It was the “Amazon.com of Drugs” – the Silk Road. But to take down its shadowy founder, they’d have to team up with a surprising number of federal agencies – and go to criminal lengths themselves.
The audiobook edition of American Kingpin by Nick Bilton is available for ... Show More
Aug 19
Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, and the Laurel Canyon Conspiracy
In the 1960s, a new musical revolution emerged from Laurel Canyon, California. Bands like The Beach Boys, The Doors, and Crosby, Stills & Nash sang hit songs protesting the Vietnam War. However, while these tunes spoke to war protesting "hippies," some believe that they were crea ... Show More
56m 23s
Aug 12
UFO Over the Bass Triangle? The Disappearance of Fred Valentich
On October 21st, 1978, 20-year-old pilot Fred Valentich disappeared while flying across the Bass Strait, off the southeastern coast of Australia. Moments before vanishing, Fred described a bizarre encounter over the radio. He claimed an unidentified object seemed to be harassing ... Show More
53m 50s
Aug 5
Was 'The Battle of the Sexes' Fixed?
On September 20, 1973, tennis star Billie Jean King defeated Bobby Riggs in “The Battle of the Sexes,” notching a victory for feminism, women’s athletes, and societal equality. In America’s collective memory, the iconic sporting event was on the up and up. But what if Riggs, a ma ... Show More
47m 25s
Jun 2024
Silk Road: Murder, Drugs & Crypto
In this RE-RELEASE episode, Tess takes us through the journey of Ross Ulbricht’s founding of Silk Road, the dark web known as “the Amazon for drugs.” Meant to be a place for buyers and sellers to conduct marijuana transactions using Bitcoin, it quickly escalated to offering hard ... Show More
1h 27m
Jun 2023
Inside The Dark Web: Taking Down The Silk Road
Beneath the surface web, the websites and search engines we use on a daily basis, lies the dark web, a hidden network of dangerous websites which are hidden from public access. In 2011, a man operating under the pseudonym, "Dread Pirate Roberts," created the Silk Road, a dark web ... Show More
49m 36s
Oct 2024
North Korea's Meth Trafficking: The Hermit Narco-Kingdom
When a bizarre group of international gangsters shook on a massive meth deal with a DEA agent in Bangkok, Thailand eight years ago, it kicked off a manhunt ensnaring Hong Kong Triads, Outlaws bikers and an ex-US Army sniper’s band of contract killers. But the bust also shone a li ... Show More
54m 33s