Kingdom of Fraud

In the golden age of air travel, flying was sold as glamorous, luxurious, and effortlessly chic. But for the young women working the aisles at 30,000 feet, the reality was very different. When Patt Gibbs joined American Airlines in the 1960s, she was trained to be slim, smiling, and subservient. Stewardesses like her were weighed like luggage, forced to retire at 32 years old, banned from marriage, and expected to endure sexual harassment with grace. One extra pound, one birthday too many, or one wedding ring and your wings were clipped. But when Patt walks into a union meeting on a whim, everything changes. The Girlfriends: Flight or Fight tells the story of the stewardesses who refused to be grounded. From secret meetings to landmark discrimination cases to high-stakes union votes, these women challenged America’s biggest airlines and the sexism baked into the industry itself. A powerful sisterhood began to form across cabin aisles and crew lounges. They weren’t just fighting for better contracts. They were fighting for control of their own lives. Listen here and subscribe to The Girlfriends: Flight or Fight on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Producer Jake Otajovic talks to author and journalist Don Carr to understand the pervasiveness of fraud in the biofuel industry and they discuss the shocking truth behind the biofuel subsidy program. Kingdom of Fraud is produced by Novel for iHeart Podcasts. For more from Novel, visit https://novel.audio/ . You can listen to new episodes of Kingdom of Fraud completely ad-free and 1 week early with an iHeart True Crime+ subscription, available exclusively on Apple Podcasts. Open your Apple Podcasts app, search for “iHeart True Crime+, and subscribe today! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As Michele McPhee reported on Jacob and Levon, she heard many dramatic stories from and about the women in The Order. In this bonus episode, she drives around Salt Lake City with Amanda Grant and Priscilla Tucker to understand what life inside a polygamist sect looks like and what it costs to leave that life behind. Kingdom of Fraud is produced by Novel for iHeart Podcasts. For more from Novel, visit https://novel.audio/ . You can listen to new episodes of Kingdom of Fraud completely ad-free and 1 week early with an iHeart True Crime+ subscription, available exclusively on Apple Podcasts. Open your Apple Podcasts app, search for “iHeart True Crime+, and subscribe today! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Investigative reporter Michele McPhee explores the shocking web of corruption surrounding this case. She talks to producer Jake Otajovic to unravel a few of The Boys’ own outrageous criminal cases. And they discuss why corruption is one of the most important aspects of this story. Kingdom of Fraud is produced by Novel for iHeart Podcasts. For more from Novel, visit https://novel.audio/ . You can listen to new episodes of Kingdom of Fraud completely ad-free and 1 week early with an iHeart True Crime+ subscription, available exclusively on Apple Podcasts. Open your Apple Podcasts app, search for “iHeart True Crime+, and subscribe today! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jacob Kingston attempts a dramatic escape. The Feds race to get him and Levon Termendzhyan behind bars before they can disappear to Turkey. In Kingdom of Fraud’s dramatic finale, alliances will be tested. How strong is the bond between Jacob and Levon? Kingdom of Fraud is produced by Novel for iHeart Podcasts. For more from Novel, visit https://novel.audio/ . You can listen to new episodes of Kingdom of Fraud completely ad-free and 1 week early with an iHeart True Crime+ subscription, available exclusively on Apple Podcasts. Open your Apple Podcasts app, search for “iHeart True Crime+, and subscribe today! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As news of a criminal federal investigation causes Jacob and Levon to panic, federal agents from the IRS gear up for a case unlike any other. But… the Feds have a problem. Have ‘The Boys’ infiltrated the investigation? Kingdom of Fraud is produced by Novel for iHeart Podcasts. For more from Novel, visit https://novel.audio/ . You can listen to new episodes of Kingdom of Fraud completely ad-free and 1 week early with an iHeart True Crime+ subscription, available exclusively on Apple Podcasts. Open your Apple Podcasts app, search for “iHeart True Crime+, and subscribe today! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jacob Kingston makes a terrible misstep as the heat on him and Levon Termendzhyan rises. Could an unassuming teenager from The Order potentially bring down the criminal conspiracy? Kingdom of Fraud is produced by Novel for iHeart Podcasts. For more from Novel, visit https://novel.audio/ . You can listen to new episodes of Kingdom of Fraud completely ad-free and 1 week early with an iHeart True Crime+ subscription, available exclusively on Apple Podcasts. Open your Apple Podcasts app, search for “iHeart True Crime+, and subscribe today! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the fraud starts to rake in tens of millions of dollars, Jacob Kingston rises up the ranks of The Order. But he and Levon need to find somewhere to stash all their dirty money. So they look abroad - far away from Salt Lake City. Kingdom of Fraud is produced by Novel for iHeart Podcasts. For more from Novel, visit https://novel.audio/ . You can listen to new episodes of Kingdom of Fraud completely ad-free and 1 week early with an iHeart True Crime+ subscription, available exclusively on Apple Podcasts. Open your Apple Podcasts app, search for “iHeart True Crime+, and subscribe today! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Michele McPhee is on an LA-wide mission to learn more about Levon Termendzhyan’s backstory and to uncover the web of corruption surrounding this case. Who are Jacob and Levon’s supposed powerful protectors - ‘The Boys’? Kingdom of Fraud is produced by Novel for iHeart Podcasts. For more from Novel, visit https://novel.audio/ . You can listen to new episodes of Kingdom of Fraud completely ad-free and 1 week early with an iHeart True Crime+ subscription, available exclusively on Apple Podcasts. Open your Apple Podcasts app, search for “iHeart True Crime+, and subscribe today! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jacob Kingston meets Levon Termendzhyan, ‘The Lion’, for the first time. Their unforgettable first adventure cements them as business partners - and before long, partners in crime. Their billion dollar fraud conspiracy starts here. But does Jacob realize what he’s in for? Kingdom of Fraud is produced by Novel for iHeart Podcasts. For more from Novel, visit https://novel.audio/ . You can listen to new episodes of Kingdom of Fraud completely ad-free and 1 week early with an iHeart True Crime+ subscription, available exclusively on Apple Podcasts. Open your Apple Podcasts app, search for “iHeart True Crime+, and subscribe today! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jacob Kingston grew up in The Order, an insular polygamist sect in Utah. He is one of his father’s more than 100 children. On the quest to prove himself to his family, Jacob starts an ambitious new business. Then, he gets seduced by a life of crime. Investigative reporter Michele McPhee travels to Salt Lake City to uncover Jacob’s early life and understand his path to meeting ‘The Lion’ – the fearsome Armenian oil tycoon who would change the course of his life. Kingdom of Fraud is produced by Novel for iHeart Podcasts. For more from Novel, visit https://novel.audio/ . You can listen to new episodes of Kingdom of Fraud completely ad-free and 1 week early with an iHeart True Crime+ subscription, available exclusively on Apple Podcasts. Open your Apple Podcasts app, search for “iHeart True Crime+, and subscribe today! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s the most unlikely of criminal partnerships: A devout polygamist from an insular Utah sect joining forces with a shadowy Armenian tycoon from LA. The result– a billion dollar fraud conspiracy . In the Kingdom of Fraud podcast, investigative reporter Michele McPhee traces the story of Jacob Kingston’s extraordinary relationship with Levon Termendzhyan. Together, the two men trigger the largest tax investigation in American history and weave around themselves a web of dirty cops, influential political relationships and transnational money laundering. All set against the backdrop of Jacob Kingston’s family – The Order. A wealthy and powerful polygamist organization in Salt Lake City. To whom Jacob is desperate to prove his worth. Kingdom of Fraud is produced by Novel for iHeartPodcasts. For more from Novel, visit https://novel.audio/ . See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.