McMillions. The McDonalds Monopoly Scam

0:01 Hello. Bizarre story friends. You're tuned into the bizarre AF where we talked about the strange, the Absurd unknown and things that are bizarre as fuck. I'm Kevin, I'll be your host for today's episode. And as always, we ask you to keep an open mind, keep a skeptical ear but keep listening to the facts. As we take you on our newest Journey, make millions the McDonald's Monopoly scam. Hello.

1:00 My bizarre story friends and my co-host is with the most Silesia. How you doing? Girlfriend? No, no. I am good. I feel like I cannot pass. Go and collect $200. Look like you're in jail. You look great. Thank you. Make a burglar. Yeah. Oh shoot. I should have like glasses. Yeah. Just put some like these are gonna steal your burger. Okay. Good job. Will have you. Do you go to McDonald's? Oh my God. Is it a guilty? Pleasure. It's so a guilty pleasure. Like honestly, I love a McNugget. I love a chicken nugget.

1:43 I love like the french fries, french fries? Are you kidding me? Like, I could totally eat that right now. Do you like the sandwiches, like that? Yeah, Big Macs. The Quarter Pounders with? Yeah, give it. Give it. Give it all. I'm out, literally strip. Yeah. So I love that shit. Do you like, what is your favorite like? What's your go-to? It's the Double Quarter Pounder with cheese, okay? Onions and the fries. That's pretty fucking God. Damn it, it's good. It's really, really good at like all that stuff. I like sometimes I'll do a Big Mac you're swallowing. I know I'm like, oh my God, I'm so fucking hungry. Like I would do it. We are hungry. So I would, I would do that or I would do like the Nuggets or like to cheese.

2:31 Just give me two cheeseburgers cheeseburger, eat cheeseburgers. I mean like those small delicious little bites McDonald's. You want to start sounds like a minute? McDonald's sponsor, right? I know. I do love it. When people like McDonald's is trash. I'm like, no, I fucking love that trash. You love it. Well, you know, have you have the Monopoly game? You're wearing Monopoly game? Yeah, you could like you to have like the you'd buy like specific items or whatever, and like the drinks or the fries would have liked. But yeah. They have like these little like plastic tabs that you'd get off and you could like when like a free small fry or like if you got like all like of a specific area in like Monopoly.

3:21 Yes. Then you could win like about trip to the Bahamas or something. Crazy yes they have this. So yes exactly. So the audience and prizes you were speaking of the Food prizes. Yeah, it's surprises. Like a jaguar. And then they had the, you know, collect all the railroads were all the boardwalks or the blues, the greens, and the yellows. Yeah, on a monopoly but I'm not bleep. Yeah, exactly. Well in the 1990s. So McDonald's Monopoly. This Monopoly game was everywhere and as I said it was boats and it was cars and it was the instant million dollar prize has, yeah, half-a-million-dollar prizes and twenty thousand dollar prizes. And everyone was playing to collect these pieces. I mean, it was, it was an absolutely brilliant marketing. It was great tragedy from strad.

4:10 Did g for McDonald's, but from 1987 to 2001 when they ran this game. Yeah, there were no legitimate big prize, winners. Not one, everyone, everyone, everyone of them were fixed. It was fixed. That's bullshit. You know how many fucking times I went and like I put it on that stupid ass, like brochure. Never I was never going to win. Ever going to win. What the fuck ever did I enjoy the food? Yes, but I wanted to win. I enjoyed Les.

4:55 So what? Jacksonville Florida? Okay. Small FBI office there. It had a reputation of being like this, retirement office for the FBI is so slow and boring and dumb. So in 2001, Christopher G, this is name. He supervised 12 people and among them was a guy named Richard Dent and Doug Matthews. Now, Richard is this mathematician? A very smart guy but has the personality of a wooden plank of course, as do both mathematician. Yeah, absolutely.

5:37 Yeah. Someone calls in to the FBI. And they report the Monopoly game is fixed. And they give them this details, some details about, but the FBI's priority at this point in time was all about all the health care scams in cases that were happening, especially in Florida. Oh yeah, you could say that. so, He takes the note. And writes a little know, a sticky, note writer self like okay Monopoly scam question mark, right? Puts it on his monitor.

6:33 And so his friend, Doug has other his co-partner happens to see this little sticky note. I was so, so sorry, so Richard goes back to work, right? But Monopoly Sam, okay, I got health care about yeah, goes about his business. Well this friend Doug next door. Yeah, sees this little Post-It note on his monitor and sees my Napoles Cam and he's like huh, what? That about. Yeah and he goes do you mind if I call your informant and he goes. Yeah, fine whatever. Yeah. I have other things to do. I got it. Thanks. So Doug causes person and this person gives Doug like three names. And these all the threes name three names were million dollar Prize winners for McDonald's, but it's McDonald's game. And the informant tells him.

7:34 These winners are all related in some way. No conspiracy don't don't don't? Yeah. So The informant calls them the McDonald's tree. She says, these are all part of the McDonald's, family tree. This sounds like very conspiracy theorist conspiratorial where they have like pictures and stuff and like, like string connecting. Yeah. Everything honestly, give me that all the time. Yeah, love it. Yeah so fun so fun but Also, it's just McDonald's, right? Well, that was the other thing they're like, hmm. Like, do we care a prop?

8:21 Do we care? Like, it's McDonald's. Like, it's their own things. Like their own deal. Yeah. Like yeah whatever. But also if they're all related but like is yes it's like fraud. Like yes it's right there. It's frog. Are they paying taxes? We'll get to that. That's why we know about it. All right. So dispersed, that is informant. Also mention someone called Uncle Jerry Uncle Jerry. Okay, mmm. And that Uncle Jerry is in some form or fashion controlling.

9:02 This is like so mob mentality kind of thing. Oh my God. Girlfriend. So ridiculous. Okay, sorry so Uncle, Jerry's like the head of the, right the whole thing, right? So when So they get a list of all the winners. Yeah. From McDonald's to determine if this kind of a legit thing. Yeah up and up for open up, right? And they're using all these databases and trying to figure out who's connected to who and blah, blah, blah, blee blah blah and then they were able to determine that these three women.

9:49 It winners did in fact have family Connections in the Jacksonville area. Huh. Now the odds of winning for the spec up, so that's happening of high-value prize. Was one in 250 million. That was the kind of odds of the like the million dollars or whatever. Okay. The odds of three relatives winning, the big prize was like one and three hundred sextillion. Oh sure for sure. I mean really, there's nobody knows no way. So clearly they're like, okay, we've Something's Happened. So, okay, it's something.

10:32 Yeah, something's going on. So the FBI engages with the u.s. district attorney. In this case, it was guy named Mark, Deborah. And they go look, we got this thing going on. This is something you didn't. You're willing to prosecute if it became something. Yeah. And as Mark, I was like, yeah, yeah, we definitely would. We went. So they're like, okay, here we go. So they're trying to figure out well, where is, how is this working? Like, where's the opportunity to steal a game? Like how is this, possibly even fixed? These are like, little small digital EP stickers that are on stuff and all over the state United States. Like, like, how is this working?

11:16 So, like, is it somebody inside McDonald's a job? Exactly. Inside job, like, was it somebody who made the Cups with somebody who made the fries, what like what's happening right? Was something the game pieces like the a million direct? Yeah, it go. So they reaching this point where they had nothing but questions, they just couldn't they just like weren't figuring anything out there running into dead end after dead end and they're going. Hmm. Maybe we need to contact McDonald's. Yeah yeah ask him ask. Um even though even could be an inside job. Yeah but we now we got we got to go inside.

11:57 Yep. so they take a chance that they call the head of Global Security of McDonald's guys, name is Rob home and they tell Rob, Hey bud, you need to come to Jacksonville. And by the way, don't tell anyone you're coming, don't let tell anyone what you're doing. We're not going to tell you why you're coming. You just need to come to Jacksonville. Don't tell anyone. FBI is asking for you. Yeah, just come down here. So he comes down with three fucking people. Of course he does. It's like, no, but I thought, I just only tell these three people that like my Aunt Ash.

12:41 So the FBI takes him in the office. And so they're trying to assess these people all the time because they're like, What's head of security like me Kimmy? Yeah yeah. So they're all you know, trying to assess but trying to give him limited information but enough information try fig because they're running into dead ends right? Sir and so they start FBI starts putting names on the Whiteboard. And they asked these McDonald's. People do you know who these people are? And the guys go McDonald's. Guys, go. We don't know who those people are. And the FBI goes, these are all winners of your game, huh?

13:22 And then they start doing the yellow, the red strings. They have pictures of like like unsuspecting pictures of like people like eating a like something or any. They're like, okay this string connects to this one and like everyone's wearing fucking tinfoil hats and like look, haven't seen like the day at the light of day and like two fucking weeks. Look look look at our fucking board, our cork board filled with our suspect. That's right. Yeah, So they do that and then and then they go. Hmm, Brother.

14:04 Sister Sister. Oh, this is his mother. Why daughter looks like cousin? Everyone's a millionaire? This person is married to this person's daughter. They have different last names. They're so fucking real like and McDonald's. People are like, what the fuck? Yeah. What the actual fuck? Yeah. And so they tell the McDonald's so they all agree. We're going to keep this tight. We're not going to sit. And of course McDonald's doesn't want to let. They don't want to let the world know that dissolve fix. Yeah. Yeah. That's the last thing I want to do. So yes, I will keep this quiet.

14:47 So it turns out the mcdot so they did this games in releases like there was different mcdot. They would do these Monopoly games in chunks so they would do a game it close out. They do another McDonald's game, close. It did not acknowledge close out. So, they were right on the cusp of doing another run the game. And but the FBI obviously wanted to catch them in the act. So they're figuring, okay? This is a perfect opportunity, you're just starting a new game, right? And so, let us end to this end. Let's work this work at. Yeah. And so, honestly McDonald's didn't want to do it. They're like, no.

15:32 I think we're just going to cut our losses and just stopped. And yeah, I don't think so. But they finally, Talk him into doing it. Okay. And Big and the reason McDonald's finally decide to do it because they're like maybe it's somebody in our own office. Sure. It sounds like an inside job. If it's if it's if it's honestly like every single person. Yeah like like is related in some capacity like something? Yeah, we like things up. And if it's something in our own office, we don't want to just stop it because we could have some Criminal Just continuing working for us and we're not just like, thinking it's conspiracy. It's like probably actually, it's good like literally happen again. Like it's the FBI knocking on your fucking door. Yeah, exactly. so, Yeah, McDonald's. Like taking time we got we've got to figure out what this, what's happening?

16:27 Totally. And so they call the FBI and they go. Yeah, we're going to work will run the game. We're gonna do it. And so this is the last chance. FBI has to figure this out like because the McDonald's is like, no not going to do it anymore. No more. We're done with us. This is it. So if you guys got like we got to figure this out. So now the FBI needs McDonald's to tell them. How does the game work? So they can figure out. Yeah, how this fraud is happening. Totally. And so while Donald's is really good at making yum, yum food. Yes, there are terrible at marketing because they, so they had to Outsource all the marketing. They weren't even responsible for this game.

17:09 They Outsource this, to somebody else. This makes sense because they make great delicious fat Fast food. Yes, they don't. They're not in loving company. Yeah, they're not a marketing company there. That they're actually like a real estate company. Yeah, okay, yeah. So, like they, they lease out like, pads and stuff. And so, it's like a franchise, like, people own like the actual individuals businesses. Yeah, that's right. So they hired a company called Simon marketing, okay? Now that's in fact, the same company that came up with a goddamn I need a sound effect for this and yes, I can make, I can make a okay, make it, I don't know what you're going to say. No, I don't either no.

17:55 Wait, what are you gonna say? What's a good one? Happy Meal marketing. Imagine how much business the Happy Meal generates I am Lee's go to McDonald's specifically for for having me. Yeah, yeah, and the toy and stuff so genius totally genius. So, Simon marketing goes It's Happy Meals are good for children mean. I think of something for adults. Yeah, I know Monopoly.

18:37 Everyone likes mad. Everyone likes Monopoly. Okay, I have a question. Uh-huh, out of curiosity. Mmm, are you Monopoly player? McDonald's Monopoly or like real life Monopoly. Real life Monopoly. Yeah like Monopoly Deal I do when was last time you play like the one the new version that actually use credit cards instead of cash. Oh my God, I have not actually had the digital thing and you have a credit card You would like, you know, pay you $50, just my credit card, here's my credit card, roulette deduct 50. Do you have that? No, no, I wish I did. I've never played that. No. No.

19:17 But the last time I played Monopoly was with my best friend. Okay. Of course we make an alliance because we're best friends. No Amanda. So she and I are an alliance and then we have two other people who are against us, you you gang up. Well, they started Ganging up on us and then. So of course, we're like, well, fuck you or going to fucking look at. I have was like buying shit. Like I'm like, I'm like, okay, I have three dollars left to like, okay, fine, I bought all of these things but then I couldn't afford like hotels or houses, or anything on it anyway. I buy everything up and waste all my money. But and then we, of course, like we came together and we're trying to get, but we had an odd man out, and the odd man out like, we were trying to win over where I will. The oh, oh, you can't pay that.

20:06 You can't pair our hotel fever. Yeah. What are you gonna give me? How about this afternoon? Anthony, how about this? You could give us a the money that you make on this next. Like we're George. Yeah, totally. So, it's like, it's like we gamify freaking kneecap but with her, she does like accounting and stuff. So she kept on like mortgaging an done. Mortgaging, our properties, cause we're like bad, very close to die, like we're dead, we're done. We Like, we lost the fucking game. I forget about mortgaging, by the way. Oh, no. We forget about did not mortgaging. On mortgaging, like Amanda. She was a dog with a bone and I was like, Amanda. We have lost, we have lost.

20:50 And she's like, I don't just like, no, we haven't. There's such as that I'm like, Soho. Oh my God, like like, what's gonna happen with our friendship after play with her? He's hilarious. That was last time I played. I would not touch the game. And I was like, it's a decade can be tedious and long and boring as a kid I loved at. Yeah. But I know it can be that way. So that's what you got to make us become ruthless. You go like every time you plan on here you put that in the middle and then when you land on free parking. Yeah. Some get the money. Yeah. And then you just make up rules. Absolutely. Yeah. You guys fun because it can get really tedious freaking tedious. Yeah. But the medicines game is like addictive because you're like, I am one piece away from I just need Boardwalk.

21:35 You only need boardwalk and then you'd get a fucking Cruiser, I just need st. Charles Place. I just need one Railroad and you're like, oh, and I want a Big Mac anyway. So I'm hungry. Who cares about the 20 pounds? I just gained a new fucking cares like I need fucking this gonna go get a salad knows good Big Mac I need a boardwalk. Yeah I'll get a McDonald's salad exactly with french fries on the side. So we devised this time increases. This great white Willie. Kris is McDonald's business, like 40%? Like it is, that's huge. Same, huge huge. Wow. So, if those of you who are super annoying and you don't eat fast food, the game works by collecting pieces.

22:20 And as Alicia said earlier, the pieces were available on French fry cartons on drink cartons. You could also get them in things like a magazine, like People magazine. They would have them in there where you can get the game board in the People magazine. They would have to free pieces in there. Did you do that? No. Oh, God. Now was not that. No, no. And or you could get a game or they would, you would go into the McDonald's. They would give you a board, you ask for the board and then because they could. So they, if you ask for game piece, they had to give you one because if they didn't, it would be considered gambling. Because if you had to buy something to get something that's considered gambling, we had to be able to way to give it to you for free. So you could go into McDonald's.

23:06 Say give me a game piece and they were and they would have to give you a game piece. I know that's a lots of ways of getting yeah. So again the question becomes how the hell? Yeah. Were they getting these kids stealing these game pieces? Right? Because it seems like It seems to me like they had the game pieces before they were out. Right. Yeah. Like how unless they knows do you unless you knew where it was going to be but then it might but there's so many sales. So many manufacturers like yes. Manufacturing the carton.

23:50 So how did you know where that game piece? Went on that carton in that box into that struck into that store. I mean that seems like impossible. Yeah. You know, I'm saying it does. Yeah, it does see, it seems like it's like way too. Tedious, tedious. So so everyone's so. So super confused. Yeah. Okay, so the answer to that is coming soon. Okay, guys are coming soon so McDonald's runs the game. Short time later, boom. Have a winner. McDonald's calls. The FBI says hey A guy by the name of Michael who were just claimed the first million-dollar prize interesting.

24:30 The FBI goes to work. They call it. No, that's the wrong one. Final Answer, wait operation vital and so operation, Final Answer starts. Okay. They wiretap, Michael Hoover's phones, and every winners phone's going for because they know there's the last 20 years. There has been no diligent winner, right? Of the big prizes. So they so they retro actively tapped every yes, there are no winners or less the. Now they're tapping people's phone. Yep, makes sense.

25:15 So we decide we want to create this commercial like Publishers Clearing House did for years. Yeah, right. And they're like, this is the perfect way to opportunity, opportunity to interview these fucking criminals. Yeah. Right. You're literally asking them questions and you're recording them and, you know, they're criminals because, you know, every single one of these have been non legit, right? So they create this fictitious company called Shamrock Productions and like The whole van like the whole bit, of course, the whole bit, and they give the all the FBI. So, everyone in it is FBI, right? The cameraman FBI the producer FBI like everyone's like got their role and so the idea behind like Publishers Clearing House. If you haven't seen one of those like commercials, which I'm sure a lot of people haven't.

26:05 All right. True. Anyway. So so it was like, you know, these people would like play this like mail and thing was called Publishers Clearing. Us and like the chances were like, you would win a huge check and so, like Ed McMahon or someone would like come in and like a van with, like, a camera crew and like balloons and, you know, a huge Chuck and they'd be like, you one and they're like, oh my God, like this helps me, like pay off my house and like, it's always like a sob story or something. Exactly. And it would, but it was like this huge like Primal? Where's production guy thing? Okay. They're trying to do anything with that with this dude. But this with With with this in their thinking we're going to do this with all the winners because that way we can interview all these criminals. Yes right.

26:50 Yeah. And so they go interview Michael and he tells the the story of the day that he wins and so his story is, he's on the beach and he loses his People magazine in a wave and he really wants his People magazine. So he goes to a convenience store to get a new People magazine. And in that People magazine of course, was to game pieces and the board. And when he pulled off that second tab, it was a million-dollar winner. What a miracle? What? Mm, thank you wave. Yes. And so the FBI says wow.

27:34 What? Sorry Shamrock production says wow amazing. Take us to the store. Yeah let's reenact this whole thing to make a really cool. Commercial. And so he takes them to the store and they re-enacted and he picking up the magazine and he's like holding this is where I got it from the store and then like, take us back to the beach. And so we take them to the beach and he goes. That's where I'm sitting and I got my umbrella and I'm pulling off my tabs like the wind does the whole bit? Yeah the whole time he FBI knowing it's a complete, ask you.

28:14 Him a chance. So it's just like going through the fantasy. So his phone being tapped. They all leave, he picks up the phone. Banks of phone call. To someone called AJ gloom and he goes, hey, Andy, Andy, okay. They were here. They believed everything. They believed the People magazine, they believed all of it.

28:58 Can you believe these fucking idiots? So they continue to tap winners. Phones. Yeah. And they're hearing things like, You don't want to make Uncle Jerry upset and things that were mentioning. Cool, Jerry and kind of obscure things. And so they knew so then they knew Uncle Jerry is legit? Yeah. This name, they got pretty informant is legit, they knew this person so they take the list of winners and they trying to match up all the phone numbers going in and out of the winners homes and lo and behold. They all have calls going to one person just before the win and just after the win and this person's name was Jerry Jacobson.

29:55 Like oh, who is Jerry, Jacobson. Jerry Jacobson is head of Simon marketing. The company that was doing the marketing, okay? Like they're like, is this Uncle? Jerry like how the hell is he stealing these pieces? Because he's a head of marketing coming soon. So who's your Jacobs? He was a police officer in Hollywood California and 77 he left his career because he had multiple sclerosis and so then he moves to Atlanta Georgia to be near the doctor that was helping him get better. Sure if he's described as a person having Being short fuse. That sounds about right, physically abusing his wife and his children just off on another one of these d-bags, yeah, total d-bag.

30:47 Threatens and threatening his wife's life. I mean, just dick. Yeah. Police officer dick. So at some point in the 80s, Simon marketing office in this job managing security over Monopoly. So alright, so going too far we're going to call him either security, jarier Jerry, number one, juror number one will come on Carrie number one, okay, cool, okay, Sherry, what? So, Simon marketing had the game pieces made just north of Atlanta by a company called day. Taylor brothers and Diller, Brothers was a security printing company so they would print things like post u.s. postage stamps lottery tickets. Oh my Donald's game pieces like things that like required very secure process printing.

31:35 Yeah. So, the way that would work it was was that they would be printing these McDonald's tickets. Mmm, they would stop printing, they would print winners. They would stop printing. and then, They would be collected, which will go into later, put in a safe. And then continued Printing and this whole process is being watched over by like 10 people so that no one person could be crooked and they had this whole process of watching security tape envelopes like briefcases safes like it was all it was a very stable they printed like I said scratch off tickets and postage stamps so they had to be very secure. Yeah.

32:31 Yeah. So Jerry being head of security. He was responsible for taking these game pieces from the printer print from the printers. And taking them to the manufacturers that manufactured things like cups People magazine and the fry can try containers and inserting these winners into the run into the print run. Wow. Now, there's a woman named Hilda Bennett who is a CPA now she would. She had to travel with him during this whole thanks again, they had to have two people on it all times and she was again, she was a CPA from some Law Firm or some accounting firm and so she had nothing to do with anything, right, six. So she was an independent party again again to keep everything legit legit on the up-and-up, you didn't have to be working together, totally, right?

33:33 Yeah, that makes sense. Checks and balances, right? So the FBI is like okay, these two bitches in cahoots, that's what I would think they got to be working together. Yeah. Because these two are responsible from it from beginning to end but also like maybe one person just to get didn't give a fuck. So like, if this is all, you're stealing. Well are the CPS just like, man, whatever like? Yeah, like I don't fucking care. I'm just for, I'm in. I'm in this for a paycheck. Yeah. Okay, right. I don't know. It's not. Earth my job. Yeah. Just go do what you gotta do is just I'm turning the other cheek turn the other. I don't fucking care. That's right. Yeah, yeah. So they didn't know yeah. They obviously had a surveil her 24/7.

34:15 Sure. They don't know. But they still can't figure out how they were getting the game pieces because there was such a secure process from printing to distribute it to manufacture of the thing. Yes, they did not like how, how is it getting out Jerry? Re well, Jerry number one. We think it's Jerry. Number one, I kind of think it's Jerry whenever one. Okay, so so the FBI they continue their investigation. Well they come across another Jerry. Oh great Jerry Colombo. The guy named Jerry Colombo. Fucking naked dude. So they start linking the winners to this. Jerry this Janu Jerry Jerry Colombo. Number two, we're calling Jerry and I'm sure a number two. Yeah.

35:04 So Start linking the winners to him and really obscure ways like friend of a friend of a brother of a sister of a cousin or that's weird mother of a sister of a married friends, uncle or whatever. There was like a connection and so come to find out Jerry Colombo's, part of the Colombo crime, family. Oh my God, you mentioned mob earlier. That's why I laugh, because Jerry Colombo, part of the mob. Bob some. How can I give this whole head of course. So in 95, he marries this woman named Robin will Robin wasn't really great herself, a bookie just you know, mob, you know, you get that. Yeah, yeah, criminal life, criminal life so she Yeah. So like security Taj Mahal Gambler deep in the Colombo mob, Mafia Family, he had clubs and bars. And all those things that are really easy to launder, money, Sherry, and all the CDs super see stuff. Well, Robin Starts handing out the game pieces. So Jerry Colombo.

36:17 And Robin Colombo? Are somehow connected to Jerry number one and they're like handing out the game pieces to people the people that they want to win. What? What rights are there any she giving him one to work? Father? Yeah, he gave one to his daughter, his brother-in-law. How the hell is it getting from Jerry? Number 1 to Jerry, number two, Coming soon. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I would be like, what the hell so aside from names. How are these people related? So, then she realizes wait a minute.

36:57 All these winners are Italians on the East Coast. He's fuck. They're going to figure it out. So she goes, oh, I'm gonna go give one to my black friend in Atlanta. He's like, I'm gonna go mail one to st. Jude's. Oh, Anonymous donation. Yeah, rights a title. That's pretty smart starts. Getting the Italians out of the picture. Yeah. Stop having it be. So like, come on. How stupid is that when you're like, hey look I know how to win. I'm gonna give you and you'll give me a cut and like it's like that's like the worst idea. Like doors at the worst, don't do that. Just if you're going to cheat she would like a smaller one.

37:41 Not the big grand prize. I'm sorry like For, I don't know the fucking Cruise Cruise. Yeah, don't don't constantly have all your family members. Getting a million dollars my custom questions, but keep so now keep this in mind. So, you would think that, but, this was going on, dude, since like 1987, right? Until 2001? Yes, that's crazy, dude. No one knew the wiser. Yeah, this was going on for years and years and years and years and years. That's the bottom line McDonald's Had. I'm up of course they don't. They're very still so much money by 40% like you said, and then on top of that and then give out a million dollars every time we're on this game lamp, who cares?

38:24 Yeah. Like that's fucking. That's chump change, bro. But like also, you know, you have all these people. I remember like, thinking, how come we never seen any winners? Yeah, we see any winners. Like, as a kid, I was like, you'd think that it would be like Publishers Clearing House where they're like, oh my God, like they didn't like a super big deal on. There was never a big deal. You didn't have like any kind of like news. Paper or like, you know, news story anything and there and there was but they did it locally there wasn't like a big National that was all east coast of. Yeah, we would have, we'll never know. Yes, we're on the west coast. Yeah, so yeah, so it's getting crazy and so they're like, okay we got to diversify right, right.

39:05 Diversify give it to a black man st. Jude's, I can't, exactly, exactly exactly. All right. So yeah, Abso that, okay? So, now flashback 15 years, okay, Security Jerry or Jerry number one, he figures out. He can commit this scam in this fraud. But he needs to get himself separated from the winter somehow. So that's how he found during number two, did he intentionally choose another? Jerry he did not okay, it was just so happy to be another Jerry.

39:46 Okay, so, the plan was Jerry, number one would get the winning game pieces, he would sell them to Jerry. Number two, based on the prize size, The million-dollar prize, for example, was fifty thousand dollars. So, Jerry number 2 would give Jerry number 150 thousand dollars for the million-dollar game piece and then the prizes went down there. So they had like half a million twenty thousand a Jaguar like you said, he's in surprises. So the prices would go down from there. So, during number one was making quick fast money. Sure. So again, how did he effing still these prices? I don't know coming soon.

40:29 Okay, so now the winners. So now they're gonna like, okay, let's bring all these winners together in Vegas, and we're gonna get them all together and we're going to film. I'm asking me like a thing. We're going to do just like the sting, yeah. And it's gonna be like an all-expense trip, paid strip. And we're going to write out the whole floor of the embassy Mike ever. Make it a thing. Exactly. Making this bug. Exactly. And then that way they would have all this video. They're trying to compile all this video evidence. I like V 2 bar related these. Yeah the things that they said they're going to somehow use them and there's trying to build out trying to do. So they go in and film all the winners like they did Michael Hoover and they tell them, they're going to get this Vegas trip.

41:19 Like I said, the point was to get for the da, the da one at all as much evidence as it could and video from the actual criminals was perfect and want to. So one of the examples, the interview, they interview one of the winners and name's Gloria Brownwood. This was the black lady. Yeah. And George are on. Oh yeah. And so she was a million-dollar instant winner and so she lives in Florida, but she wins in South Carolina. So weird. Very strange. And so they say, what were you doing in South Carolina? Yeah, I know. Nothing accusatory because this is the interview, right? You're the winner.

42:00 Oh, what were you doing in South Carolina? That right? Yeah. And she's like, oh, I was taking a break from work and I was looking for work and then they go one. Why did you move up there? Oh, I had a friend. And I had another friend, and I was doing a lot of visiting and okay, girl, it's okay, girl. Okay, the correct answer is, I've always wanted to visit South Carolina. I've heard it so romantic. And I just needed a break to relax and think for myself, you fucking idiot.

42:41 Don't come up with all this other dumb bullshit. She was petrified. You know, something's up fucking get your story straight. She was striking scurred. So, so. And then they notice I, she's very guarded and wasn't, yes. Merely as forthcoming as on the winners. And so then they asked for this is Gloria. Do you remember what McDonald's? You won? The prize in. She goes all. Oh yeah, absolutely. And so then they hand her a picture and they go. Is this the McDonald's that you wanted in? She goes Yes, that's the McDonald's. I won the prize in they go great. Can we have you sign it and say something like thanks a million McDonald's or you know, something clever like that stupid. And so she does.

43:28 Yeah /. Oh actually. She's the one that came up with. That's where they go. Can use autograph it and do something clever and she goes. How about thanks a million. They go like perfect. Yes come up with some more ideas. Come on Gloria. All right Lori. Yeah give us give us some more ideas. Yeah. Definitely. Are you sure this is the fucking A sure. It's like, for sure, I've never been to South Carolina, but absolutely. I'm talking when I wanna ride. Yeah. Thanks a million. What was funny is that the McDonald's that they showed her was the McDonald's right by her house in Jacksonville, Florida or so, of course. We're so fucking idiot. Did it's so intense and you're wrong.

44:11 It feels like a set up. She's like she gets its like when like dumb criminals like get like overly like Their birth certificate at the crying saying, hey, I like still like overly like what is it called? But I'm confident. Yeah, overly confident. They're like, oh yeah, don't worry. I don't have to do this. Hmm, thanks a million. Yeah, you just think you got it? Looking at you like you fucking idiot. Don't give away any information. Don't say yes or no to anything like I don't fucking know. So F, you guys getting all this information. They're catching all these people and all these Lies. They're completely recording every minute of it. They're linking the people to the other people. They're referring phone calls.

44:54 I mean they are right on the cusp of solving it getting put taking them into court. Give you the da, but they couldn't figure out the most important part, right? How did those tickets? F was Jerry doing it? Yeah, coming soon, okay. So around 2001 mobbed. Jerry mob. Jerry. Jerry number two, yeah dies. How does he die? Robin is driving there in a car accident. He dies. So they're kind of now, they're needing a replacement to kind of help the volume of recruiters the people that are giving the tickets.

45:43 This is where aj glum comes into the picture. Gotcha. We were talking about earlier, so, His wife Robyn, she jams, she's like, I'm done with this. Yeah, enough's enough. Enough's enough. I don't want any part of this. She takes everything. She can tie the house and she jams. Well, the family is thinking, oh, great. So she kills Jerry and is no, you know, on the lam, that's what they're thinking, of course, they are, right? Because they're all guiltily. He had some odd family. They're all fucking guilty parties, exact criminals. They're thinking, everyone else, is exact same way. Totally, exactly. Right. Like, I'm Over at right. So there were some real innocent people dragged into this. There was this guy named George Chandler and one of the recruiters I can't remember how he got to be a recruiter but Heat.

46:37 There's this real sweet. Sweet guy. And he the this recruit I can't remember his name. Kind of raise this kid, this guy up to be an adult and so he was kind of his like cement other. Oh yeah. Right. And so he this. So George just really looked up to him. Thought the world of him and George is really starting to make something of himself. Sure. and he was becoming a Rancher and just like I said, really making something of myself, part of the Church community, the community really good person and the guy that raised him gave him a 50,000 dollar ticket and said my friend is going through a divorce and he doesn't want his wife. To get the other half and so, could you claim this? And we'll give give him half and you can keep the other half. Completely fictitious.

47:43 He was just recruiting him to cash in a ticket. That's that's some dirty ass shit. Dirty dirty, you raced this poor kid, it's greed. God, it's total grade total greed. Yeah, that is really sad. This is that's just one example. There are like 50, 50, 60, people, 50, or 60 people. Where is that bulletin board with all of them? Again, I'm going to I show you something. Girl. Are you okay? Yes, because it's Nauseating is that it's mind-boggling. Watch this. Okay, I'm all done so we'll have it also best show notes. Oh my God.

48:27 Okay, so you're watching on video. This is the diagram of operation final answer. And at the top, we have our wonderful Jerry Jacobson. Jerry number one Simon marketing and He's listed as the leader. And then underneath him, we start to have, guys, you guys have seen the like when you're at work and you have the little chart of the hierarchy of people reporting to people different people. So we see the people in yellow as the recruiters and everyone under the recruiters is the winner and we can see like how much the people that we look. Jerry Colombo and Robin. We can see all these million dollar winners right now thousand dollar winners.

49:10 And then if we come over and look at Andrew Gloom, look at that million million million million million million million million million million. The these are all the people that they specifically called out and gave them the winners and this all float up. Its, or imagine the recruiter gets a portion. Hmm. the recruiters recruiter especially if it has two layers deep like, Dwight Baker, and then, and his wife Linda, which I could, I could do a whole episode on those two. Those two are creeps and then they had Ron Huger underneath there, right?

49:51 Who gave John Davis a million-dollar winner while, so I'm sure Noah, Dwight Baker, got a cut of Ron's and then, of course, Jerome got paid from Noah. You don't say it's like, so it's like a pyramid kind of, yeah, kind of sower like multi-level marketing, it. Oh my God hilarious. It's insane. You're saying is it's a pyramid scheme. So yeah, I mean that's exactly what it looks like. Everybody gets a cut. So one person doesn't really actually get a million dollars. They just get a portion of that million and then they give it onto to the other people. Yes. Who, you know, had given them these fucking tickets. So, okay, a question.

50:35 Yes. Are they paying taxes on this? Okay, so what would happen? When was? Jerry number one, yes. Would give well just say, Jerry number two in this example because you saw all their work, right, right. Yeah, to get Jerry. Number two, the win. The million dollar ticket ticket. Yeah, Jerry number one. Gets 50,000 dollars, right? So now jury number two, has a million-dollar winner. Yes. So Jerry, number 2 gives the million-dollar winner to Kevin. Yeah. Kevin goes and claims it. Hmm, Jerry number two says, give me 50. 500 bucks in thousand dollars when half your winning? Yeah. They give him 50 thousand dollars, but Kevin is stuck with the task because Kevin clean the fucking prize.

51:23 Yeah. So you have so, okay, this is a great, like, a crime of stupid, like, you have to have a lot of stupid. Fucking people know shit who's the, because the first thought that I had and should have went wait a minute. Yeah, I have to pay taxes on this because I'm claiming it. Are you paying taxes during number two? Yeah. Clearly not because you want half on my way. Yeah. Okay. Kevin, you're an idiot. Yeah. You're a total fucking idiot. Like, you should you so them. They're stuck with the, the tax implications, and guess what? So, they end up winning nothing. Yeah, because the taxes are greater than what they get. Yeah. Yeah, gift taxes are like higher than like, yeah, normal Texas, huh. So, take their Cut - the taxes there in the whole all of these like winners, don't actually win a or not. He's winning.

52:10 So actually, when a goddamn, not a thing, they never really want it. Begin with but like even like going to claim it really? It's the people who are recruiting. Yes, they're getting money. Yeah. And it's and it's tax-free because it's cash, hack them. There's no like tax-free. Yeah, there's no like ramifications. There's no record of them actually. Winning. Brilliant, brilliant brilliant. Good for them, so people be smart. Yeah. Use your head your head like nothing is easy. Nothing's easy. Stop it, if someone One stop it. If someone's giving you money, stop it. Yeah totally.

52:51 So Finally the FBI figures out. How Jerry number one, does it? They figure that out so the case bust wide open. Okay, they're getting ready to prosecute. Yes, the media is just getting ready to report on. This is starting like a wildfire. You can. Imagine course, it would be huge. Imagine couple days later September 11th. 2001 happens. No. Oh my gosh. So clearly we have a terrorist threat. All of this, like, stuff that's being built up for a huge release on the back burner.

53:33 Because what we had to fucking like, Cessna or to like commercial flights, go into the World Trade Centers in New York City. Do you remember the McDonald's scan? Fuck. No. I don't nobody remembers the McDonald's Scandal. No, because all we heard about was our terrorist attack. Yeah. Yeah, we saw it happening on live are like, when you have something like that, such a huge. That's takes precedence, it does for sure, but the FBI was like so. So here's to two issues. So, part of the problem was, Now, all of the FBI agents.

54:15 Now they, suddenly become terrorists, terrorism agents. Their focus is on now terrorism. Yeah. So poor Doug and Rick are stuck with this case, all by themselves now. Yep. So, it's completely collapsed. Updates to this case are no longer on the front page there on the back page of course they're nobody. At this point gives a shit about McDonald's. So it sounds, it sounds very crass, but I'm sure McDonald's was like, thank God. Can you have? It would be slaughtered. Oh yes, they would. They would most certainly be slaughtered like, okay, these games that you've been playing for what. Fuck.

55:00 I'm totally fixed. Yeah, totally fixed, totally fix like for 14 years. Yes. 14 years of you like doing this huge marketing Ploy and not one. Real persons actually. I want not a one. Well yeah, I would be counting my blessings blessings. Yeah. Yeah. I mean their sales, I mean, I just can't even 40% increased. That's incredible. Would have probably boycott it. I who knows? Yes, do not. People would have been really upset, so the trial happens just in 2002 shortly after the issue and September 11th, I'm trial last three weeks and they do a age.

55:40 Igloo member him, Dwight Baker. Who do I Baker was the guy Guy, who did that poor? Who raise the kid? Yeah. The, he was the asshole did that, or maybe he was a good one. Doesn't matter. Anyway. So there was a total of 53 people that they're trying to convict. Can this whole thing? Jerry, number one pleads guilty and that's in order to help him get out. Yeah, this shit because they're like you significantly helped us. So now your sentence of my ensuring number one has the most To lose holy. So of course yours and be like whoa! Whoa, whoa. Well I'll of course, I'll help you guys.

56:21 I'm the one who's made the most money. Yes. Give me a like I'm going to help you find these criminals. Yeah. Oh my God, these people are awful. Like, give me a sweetheart deal. Like what can I do? Like he's a piece of shit people yakked like. Yeah, of course. He's first in every single one of these people plead guilty, except for seven people in George Chandler, being one of them in Georgia. Chandler was the poor guy that got taken. Yeah, he had no idea or guy. Three of them changed their pleas from guilty to not get from to guilty from not guilty as soon as they heard the opening statements, from the district attorney, seriously, totally. They're like, oh yeah, nobody was George one of them.

57:05 No. Okay, so pleading not guilty because we didn't know. Here's the thing. The judge said you can only find him guilty if you think that he knew. Yeah. But the game piece was stolen. Hmm. Or that it was some sort of a can't remember, there was another circumstance of which George knew not didn't know. Of course, he didn't know. He thought he was doing some guy favor. Again, note to the people if his sounds scammed like even if you'd like keep my because the reality is his wife deserve that even if that was true his wife deserve that other half that much. Yeah, grade. So he sorry George because you knew that wasn't a really good thing to do.

57:49 Yeah. But your Mentor is telling you to do this. So yeah, you know, I yeah, it's like no matter what. Like it wasn't a good thing, wasn't, it wasn't? Well, that you're probably pretty naive, so they're gay their This was built around the recruiters that the recruiters violated the game rules. And if you broke the game rules, you're a criminal. And so people are saying like, why are you Prosecuting asses up effing game? Yeah, it's a game, right? They didn't break a law. You're saying they violated game rules, like, stop and then, but the FBI was like Nana Nana, no, no, no. Like if you tell your friend go claim this prize that you didn't win. That's considered frog. Yeah, and because just deceived wrong. Old MacDonald into giving you money, right? The FBI is like know that that's fraud. And this and the FBI even says, like if you found a game piece on the street and you cashed it in, you're committing a federal crime.

58:45 That's bullshit. Bullshit. I know it's totally bullshit. Finders Keepers. Okay, Finders Keepers one until you want to know. They're really pissed off about taxes. Aha. It's the fact these people were were committing fraud, embezzling money and not paying the fucking IRS money but the is the problem, the suckers Is were no suckers, were the suckers weren't really making it really, really matter. The real money was with these other people. So that's why they're like, oh no, it's fraud, right? Oh, you just found it on the ground, it's fraud, it's like, fuck off, Finders Keepers. Yeah, I went and grabbed a fucking big mouth Mac, like whatever. Like, you know, anyone would do that. No one would say that. Was so, even the McDonald's spoke person who was cross-examined, who the prosecution?

59:29 It was a prosecution witness. Yeah. But on the stand, he's that witness said there was nothing in the rules that prohibited a transfer of a ticket. And that was the argument. That's true. It was just a transfer of a ticket and so st. Jude's. Broke the rules right then but they have Bagels. No, that was a donation. They give the mental three goodness of their heart. Yeah, they're trying to like save babies. Right? Right. And save the children's. Yeah. Yes. Okay so completely obviously gray area You could argue it either way, right?

1:00:12 Hmm. And so the defense is like, well, it's like buying a car. That is stolen versus buying a car that you know, is stole it right? That that's their argument, right? Like I like you're giving me a game piece like I don't know what stolen hmm like I don't know, the circumstances kind of weak but it's yeah I was going to say there's still like a purchase. Yeah and this is, there's nose purchase. Yeah. You're not buying McDonald's and like right Fort from the person's like hey can you buy me like a Big Mac because and here you go. Here's a 1 million dollar like, you know, Is that I would have got, you know what I mean? Yeah, that's you clearly. If you're abroad logic.

1:00:53 Yeah. And so also, the prosecution said, a lot of these metal pieces were mailed. And we all know that mail fraud is federal. Oh yeah, that's a huge problem. Yeah, big big, big problem. And so the Devil's Advocate and the other argument was Jerry's job was to take those pieces wherever he wanted. That was his job was to get the winning pieces and take them to the distributors in any order form or fashion wherever he wanted. Hmm? Just it was to be random, right? He just chose the people that he wanted to win. No, that's bullshit. That's the argument though. If you're looking so I say Alicia, I want you to win this prize versus putting random and letting Joe Blow when it was a matter of some 11.

1:01:44 Someone's gonna win? I understand it. Uh-huh. But it's like, also, like it's supposed to be anonymous. You're not supposed to choose the winner. It's not Jerry's Monopoly fucking, it's not very, it's not Jerry. Chooses, the winner fucking Monopoly game for McDonald's. Like that's not what this is j-mac burglar. Exactly. But, but I but, you know, on the flip side, it was like putting all that power into one person's hand. Yeah, not a good idea. And a good idea. So Jerry number one. Now goes on the stand and so at this point, no one other than the FBI knows how he did it. Jerry gets a 37 month, sentence has to pay. Twelve million dollar restoration, retribution which we know will never see.

1:02:32 Right. Yeah. Totally 37 months like if you're gonna do it, do it. Yeah. Some of these other people got way more than that and he was like the head. Well it's cuz he was because he cooperate. Yeah, he cooperated and fucking little effort. Yeah totally go figure. You ready to know how he did it? I'm like, dying. I'm on the edge of my seat. Yes, please tell me how he did it. So everything was up to In of all the way through up the process up until Jerry left the printer with the tickets. So what they would do as I mentioned before is they would stop the writer for print the winners, the winners? Yes, take them out he ever, everyone was witnessing, he would put them in and I'm bloap. Hmm, seal the envelope, he would put one of those security tapes, you know, those like shiny silver things but if you tear it, you can tell that it's torn.

1:03:24 Yeah. Flip it over, right? The number of tickets in the envelope, huh. Put it in a briefcase click. It had two sides of combination. Take the briefcase, put it in the safe, shut the safe and it was there until he came back with was a Hilda, whatever. It was to get it to take it to the airport, okay? So one of us time to get the winning tickets to the manufacturers, to put on the card and in the magazines and blah blah, blah. Jerry along with Hilda, what open up? The Safe. Get the briefcase out. Go to the airport.

1:04:05 They frequent flyer, they were frequent flyers. They got to go to all of those, you know, uppity fancy Club, so sure. Well, Jerry had to go potty. Every time. So helda was supposed to be with him in the briefcase at all times. Make sense? Yeah, makes sense. But are you going to go to Jerry with the bathroom? Oh, you do not want to go with Jerry. Do the math when I go to jury? Number one weird to watch him. Go number one word. Yeah, I can do it. Even number two is even numbers, good idea. So Jerry would go into the bathroom. Go into a stall, he put his coat in one side.

1:04:46 He figured out probably by looking over her shoulder. What her coat was, of course? But in her code flipped, open that side, open it up. Now, he's got the envelope to deal with, huh? The effing company? That printed the security labels on the envelopes? Yeah, shipped. Accidentally a pact to Jerry number one, so he has Add those security labels. So he would slice open that the envelope. Yeah, take out the winners. He had a pocket full of the old ones. He would count out whatever than envelopes. Yeah, 37 put him in the envelope. Take his brand new security tape that he had placed it on there. Put it in seal.

1:05:36 It never opened. Never open. It's like they want. Wanted him to stop the Chateau, you know, the facts that like the security tape was actually mailed directly to him, it's like that. When I see these criminals get all these fucking breaks makes me so mad. They take advantage of the brakes. I'm sure that you've had breaks and you did not taken advantage of them, right? Probably. But you know what? Karma's a bitch. So exactly clearly clearly. Yeah. Oh. So in my notes I said I got to read this it says he would open up the envelope. Take out the winners, replace the non-winners, seal up the envelope, put it back into the briefcase, wipe his butt and head back to the case.

1:06:21 Don't forget about the wiping his butt. And so, then when he would go to the manufacturers and give him the winners, right? Clearly not the winners corrected me and they said, the FBI said he'd make a big deal of it. He'd go to the printers and go look everyone. Here's the sealed envelope says 37 winners and he would you can see on one side. It is very clear. And it's perfectly sealed. Never open the seal as such look. Normal envelope, normal tickets on the inside. Exactly. This is the little, that's what he would do is just make this big show of it. So damn, and so then of course, when you get home, he would sell the winners to mob Jerry and then mob Jerry would pick the people. He wanted to be the winners.

1:07:07 And the deal is, they was split the money and security jinsuk security Jerry. Of course, was making money instantly mobster was making money but then who got fucked. All those, poor women people? Yes. One woman, he conned the mob Jerry, he gave her a ten thousand dollar winner. She, of course, had to give him five thousand dollars and then she got ended up getting nothing. She ended up somehow showing the IRS like fifty thousand dollars. Yeah, it's got EFT. Yeah, yeah. It's because it's a gift. So they look at it and they see like the 20,000 or whatever it is or 10,000. Yeah. And then if it puts you up over like a specific Echelon, or whatever, exactly. Like the yeah, no, she's fucking stupid. So Jerry number to his wife, Robin, she serves three years in prison.

1:07:58 The marketing and the printing company shut down. Thousands of workers lost their job because because a jury number fucking one thousands of course. And because Jerry number two was such a dbag. Mmm, Someone calls the FBI and tells them about this scam which is what I always started. Ryan tires. Yeah. Francesco. Jerry Columbus is Mother. Okay? Hey, did Robin. Why did she hate Robin? Because she blamed Robin for killing her son. Oh, because it was a car accident car accident.

1:08:40 Yeah, he driving. Yes. Okay, yeah. And She thought she was a terrible mother so she took her Robinson while she was in prison. and so, No one is saying who the informant is like, the FBI won't say. No one will say the informant is but everyone is quite confident. It's very it was Frank's number two's mother, of course it called. She's like, she's got nothing to lose like her son's dad. Hmm. She wants Robin to suffer. Yeah, she's got Robin. Sunshield she got that from him or her? Yeah. So now I'm going to call the FBI. Tell them about this story and let her get effed.

1:09:21 Over this Monopoly game too. That's the theory. I mean that makes Total sense to me. Uh-huh. Uh-huh. Yeah, so for their cooperation is a lot of the women winners were just given probation. Sure, many of them were, we gotta be ready for things. Oh my God, the IRS money and now they're going to jail stupidity, dude. The big players were convicted. And, of course, tax of except for, you know, Terry number to kick the bucket, right? Right. He got his come. I guess he did. Yeah, it just goes to prove that I call this greed and Chaos. Hmm.

1:10:03 It you have to pay for it. You have no matter what. It doesn't matter what happens. Like you're gonna there has to be something as we pay. Yeah. Like get-rich-quick schemes are never use your head. People of rewards that goddamn and remember at the end of the day, you always have to pay taxes. Exactly. Thanks, don't think you're gonna get one by That's my story. I have never heard. I had no idea. I just knew that there. I had never seen a winner. Yeah, that was a fun one. Yeah I did. It doesn't make me want McDonald's. Yes. Definitely. Oh my God. Thank you for that one. Welcome hope you enjoyed.

1:10:44 I did. Definitely. Well thanks. We'll see you next time on the flippity-flop. Okay, bye.