Behind The Scammer

We’re culturally obsessed with scammers, con artists and fraudsters. People like Elizabeth Holmes and Bernie Madoff dominate headlines and then get films made and books written documenting what they did and how they did it.

But behind the scammers are the victims: individuals who are struggling to recover their sense of safety, their identity … and their money.

In June 2021, Isaiah Goodman was sentenced to 7 years in prison for defrauding clients out of $2.3 million dollars. He spent the money on a hot tub, a fancy house, two cars, a cruise … but it wasn’t his money. That money belonged to -- among others -- Celisia Stanton and Rev. Michael Gonzales, two very real people whose lives were materially impacted by Goodman’s materialism.

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Read the transcript for this episode here.

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Resources:

The Gonzales Family GoFundMe

Maple Grove Financial Adviser and MoneyVerbs Owner Charged With Fraud

Maple Grove Investment Advisor Sentenced To 7 Years In Prison For Defrauding Clients Out Of More Than $2.3 Million

5 Facts About Prisoners and Work, Before and After Incarceration

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