Ren Xiaofeng had a good life –– married, blessed with twins, a good job at a bank. But it wasn't enough. So he came up with a plan: what if he robbed the bank where he worked and then used that money to win a huge lottery prize? You can't win if you don't play. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...

I may or may not have the most talkbacks featured on @ridiculouscrime.bsky.social Will I stop leaving talkbacks? Probably not. 😅 If you don’t listen to Ridiculous Crime, you absolutely should. If I could meet the man and lady host IRL, I absolutely would.

A young feisty gal with nothing to lose met a young tough fella with nothing to lose. The only thing they could possibly lose? The spark between them. And there was no stopping that. They made no money, but lived lives of wild luxury and excitement. How? Robbery! podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/y...

Wherever people compete for a prize, if the number of them grows large enough, eventually, you will have cheaters. In the niche worlds of competitive stone-skippers, hog hunters, and British trivia shows, Zaron and Elizabeth ferret out some ridiculous examples. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/c...

This heist team was more meticulous than most. They planned, they schemed, they made years of dry runs and observations. And the plan went off without a hitch. After the plan? Not so much. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/p...

In a round-up of fakers, fraudsters, and phonies, Zaron shares with Elizabeth a smorgasbord of stories of fake bears, phony medical emergencies on Mount Everest, and a fraudulent influencer abduction... to get at the truth of why we can't trust anything any more. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/f...

Randy Lanier started as a construction site weed dealer. Over the years he graduated to major drug smuggler, bringing hundreds of tons of grass into the US. To add to the risk factor, he became a Formula One driver and team owner. So much fun! ...Until it wasn't. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/i...

He was a man born into crime. From a family of British hard men. Movies were made about the men of his family. That all made him a nepo baby of crime. But John McAvoy surprised the world and himself when he forged a new identity... thanks to a rowing machine. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...

It takes money to make money. And sometimes, you take someone else's money to make your money. You know how that goes. Marc Dreier was a flashy lawyer with a cash problem. Luckily, he had rich clients to impersonate. Problem solved! Listen: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/l...

Most times if you fight the law, the law wins. But sometimes... luck is on your side and you win. When a pair of treasure hunters go to extraordinary lengths to recover lost gold, they must fight the law to win rights to their find. And things get... ridiculous! podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/m...

London in the late 1600s was chaotic. So it makes sense that an agent of chaos like Mary Carleton would become famous. An audacious woman, she wrote her own pamphlets, like some olden times Riot Grrrl. And along the way, she made herself a witness to history. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/e...

Corpse worship is so weird to me Like what you mean you desecrate the corpses of the people you claim to respect & put them on display to grant wishes?

In the Dark Ages, holy relics were ripe for the taking. Thieving monks, conspiring bishops, and rebel princesses all went to outrageous lengths to secure the blessings of the bones and body parts of the saints. Sometimes crime requires a little faith. Listen: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/l...

The apartment in The Bob Newhart Show defies all logic and the laws of physics. It cannot exist in the layout implied. Now if you’ll direct your attention to this rough sketch I’ve made on a yellow legal pad…

Ladies and gentlemen, children of all ages! Step right up! Witness the amazing circus con! A menagerie that never appears! Be amazed by the daring scoundrels! Stare in awe as a fraudster pulls a fast one on a small town, only to have the tables magically turned! podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/h...

Crime was rampant in the coal industry. So, Larry Wayne Price Jr. did what any self-respecting wannabe would do, he also got heavy into crime. But when his scams and schemes collapsed not even a made-up outlaw bike gang could save him... from himself! podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a...

John Ernst Worrell Keely was a blue collar scientist, a visionary, a meticulous con man. He spent time rigging an elaborate fraud workshop where he promised unlimited vibe-based energy. In just two weeks. He just needed a lil more funding. Cash for vibes. Listen: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/v...

Two scientists pushed the envelope of both good taste and morality as they experimented with dolphins. The idea was simple. Give dolphins LSD and then see if we can teach them to speak English. The results were mixed and, um, ridiculous... and criminal! Listen: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/w...

Fredericka (AKA "Marm") Mandelbaum was the powerful ruler of a criminal empire. Based on pickpocketing, theft, bank robbery, and forgery, her organization raked it in at the end of the 1800s in New York City and beyond. Even the Pinkertons were no match for her. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/l...

Single mom Nadine Vaujour was something of a romantic. One day, she decided it was time to spring her lover from the French prison where he was locked up. And to make her daring jailbreak plan work, she learned to fly a helicopter. Ah, the things we do for love! podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/h...

Country star George Jones was often on the edge of the law. But the most ridiculous crimes surrounded No Show Jones. Missing recordings, drug runs, and stolen crypto. Throw in an old pickup, a loyal dog, and a broken heart and you'd have a heck of a country song. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/p...

Aubrey Lee Price was a husband, father, pastor, and broker... until he decided he'd had enough of that life. He found a new path as a pimp, cocaine trafficker and marijuana cultivator. But he never gave up on Jesus. Because Jesus was his criminal role model. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...

To make it in Hollywood, you sometimes have to tell some half-truths and fudge your resume. People play a little fast and loose. But not so loose as to forge checks and scam friends. That's a little too loose, even by Tinseltown standards. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...

Armed masked men stroll into the National Museum in Stockholm and breeze out with multimillion dollar masterpieces. Many undercover operations, some Bulgarian drug dealers, FBI art crime detectives, and one Swedish boat seller later... and you get this wild tale! podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...

He was a charming art dealer, a man who climbed to the highest heights of the Hollywood elite. Once there, he conned 'em all for fun and profit. He even became business partner of Jack Nicholson. And conned him, too. That is, until it all came crashing down! podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...

So you're saying Zaron's grandmother was spot-on about the dirt behind her ears?! 😂

Come for the Cheech Marin art collection, stay for the insane and illegal hijinks of a San Francisco man who conned, cheated, bullied, and lied his way into a fortune. This is the tale of "Lucky" Luke Brugnara, the pinnacle of criminal ridiculousness. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/c...

playing the GenX name game:

"If you believe that, I've got a bridge to sell you" is shorthand for someone being gullible. The saying started with the Brooklyn Bridge. Turns out selling the bridge was a lucrative con in the early 1900s. Until the popular con sent a few bad guys to prison. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/w...

As a boy, he wanted to be James Bond. But when no one liked him and bosses overlooked him, Robert Hanssen became a double-agent and spied for the USSR. Larry King, Mother Theresa, secret messages hidden in used car ads... this spy story has a bit of everything! podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...

Some people believe in psychics, others are skeptics who doubt their skills. If you're in the camp somewhere in between, not caring one way or another, we dare you to have no opinion once you've heard the tales of Sylvia Browne and her visions and predictions. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/y...

She was a legend of the Wild West, a self-made outlaw, iron hard as her six-shooter, yet delicate as a prairie butterfly. Cora Hubbard, Lady Bandit was a compelling mix of contradictions. And at one time she was nationally famous as the next great female outlaw. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/i...

A respected New York art gallery thought they'd stumbled on a treasure trove of undiscovered Abstract Expressionist art. But a powerhouse art gallery broker should've known it was too good to be true. It's a classic art crime tale; the kind we all need right now! podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/i...

After his playing days were done, former pro football player Devin Aguilar decided his next career move: robbery. He planned the "perfect robbery" for 6 months. However, he likely needed more time. Come for the crime, stay for Elizabeth and Zaron's theater play! podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/l...

This week on Antiques Roadshow, we're coming to you from historic Ridiculous Crime Headquarters. Zaron Burnett, a crime authenticator, and Elizabeth Dutton, an authority on quirkiness, appraise tales of naughtiness, foolishness, and the search for... crimes! podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/i...

Imagine some brothers. No, like a lot of them. Now imagine they love robbing banks and trains. But they also love fast cards and high living. Now imagine what Zaron would say about that. Yup, "my men." Listen here: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/i...

Crime headline of the day.

For those who live their lives online, follower numbers, likes, and ad collabs are essential. You'd think in the expansive social media universe, these folks could live in peace and harmony. Nope. Not possible. Their beefs are stupid, so let's talk about them. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/h...

If you can't handle me at my Durst you don't deserve me at my Wes

The front man for Limp Bizkit is known to be a bit of an ass. However, he claims the role of Fred Durst is actually a monster of his own making. But as numerous incidents prove... the greatest crime is that he just won't stop being Fred Durst. Listen here: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/f...

Elizabeth Dutton of the Ridiculous Crime podcast (@ridiculouscrime.bsky.social) wants you to raead this article, and so do I! During World War II, This Farmer Risked Everything to Help His Japanese American Neighbors, by Jake Whitney www.smithsonianmag.com/history/duri... #NoFascistUSA

Original studio recordings are incredibly valuable. Theft of master tapes are a musician's worst nightmare. Whether the thief nabs the tapes as revenge, as bootleg material, or by accident, sometimes it can be a blessing in disguise. And pretty ridiculous! podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/g...

Most famous cyclist in the world. Then it all came crashing down. What went wrong for Lance Armstrong? E and Z dig-in to the bulletproof lies, the implacable champion's mystique, and the many ridiculous crimes of the 7-time winner of the Tour de France. Lance!! podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/l...

A con man flim flam artist wanted to own a pro hockey team. The problem: he wasn't a billionaire. But he said, "No problem!" His answer: Borrow cash, fake some documents, tell some lies and BOOM, the team was his... ...for a couple of months. Fill up the tub. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/p...

When WW I kicked off, Grover Cleveland Bergdoll, a notorious daredevil and rich kid playboy, decided to dodge the draft. As a result, he would spend the next two decades begging for a pardon as he evaded justice... and the many men sent to capture him! podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/b...

Great find! Our only question is: where can we get some of this?

The best part of espionage is the spycraft, the cool gadgets and codes often disguised as everyday objects. Some look like lipstick, others like umbrellas. But there are also ones that are a bit riskier because they're easy to misplace. Like, say a hollow nickel. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/b...

When World War II broke out, the biggest star in the world planned to sit it out. But events conspired to motivate Clark Gable to go fight the Nazis. Just like his wife Carole Lombard hoped, Clark Gable went off to war against his biggest fan boy, Adolf Hitler. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/i...

Filippo Bernardini felt like an outsider in the publishing world, so he decided to fix that. Did he dazzle executives with his intellect and insight? No. He stole his way into literary inner circles. And we know how those stories end. Listen here: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...

We're glad to have ya!