Ridiculous Crime

iHeartPodcasts

True Crime is more than blood, guts, mayhem, and murder. Zaron Burnett and Elizabeth Dutton share outlandish tales of capers, heists, and cons that shine a light on the absurd and outrageous side of criminality. Always 99% murder-free and 100% ridiculous, this is Ridiculous Crime, a podcast by iHeartRadio.

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20 episodes
Updated Thursday

Episodes20

Newest first

Thursday · 52 min
I'll Stop the World and Melt with You: Joe Colombo Jr.
Joe Colombo Jr. was the son of a powerful, ruthless, flashy, publicity-loving mob boss. Joe Sr. was larger than life and as audacious as they come. One would expect his namesake to follow in his criming footsteps, which he did. In his own way. Junior joined in on a half-baked criminal plan, only for the whole thing to go south. The impact of his arrest, though, would go on to change the culture and even one of Hollywood's biggest films. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Tuesday · 1 hr
God Wants You...To Make Me Rich!: The Crimes of John Alexander Dowie
He was America's first super-wealthy faith healer. You could also say he was America's first religious robber baron. His name is John Alexander Dowie. After many arrests, lawsuits, and court fights, Dowie decided it would be best if he and his thousands of followers started their own town. And he named it Zion City. He ran his spiritual utopia like a company town in coal country. Things worked well for the wannabe Old Testament-style patriarch, right up until Dowie decided to lead a holy crusade to save the people of Gotham from their wickedness. They say if you can make it in New York you can make it anywhere. John Alexander Dowie certainly put that to the test! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
July 30 · 55 min
Full of (John) Bull: Horatio Bottomley
A prototype for generations of crooked politicians and media figures to come, Horatio Bottomley knew how to work the public. Whether defrauding them with fake sweepstakes or holding boisterous hate rallies, Bottomley was a pro at making a name for himself while making plenty of coin, as long as there was plenty of the right champagne on hand. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
July 28 · 1 hr 2 min
The Rebel With A Cause: Rodney Wilkinson
In the days of apartheid South Africa, no one expected a young white man who was a former South African soldier to turn rebel and to then help Nelson Mandela and the ANC conduct a super-secret sabotage operation. But that's exactly what Rodney Wilkinson did. And his target? The new Koeberg nuclear facility. With the help of a lot of luck and his steely nerves, he planned to blow it all up. The question is: can a dope-smoking, bike-riding, commune-dwelling hippie turned fencing instructor get the job done? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
July 23 · 1 hr 2 min
Terrible, But Charming: Arthur Barry
If you're going to break the law, you might as well do it in style. And be polite, too! Arthur Barry robbed from the rich while pretending to be one of their own. In a bespoke suit with a martini in hand, he scoped out mansions and returned later to relieve the swells of their precious jewels. A truly ridiculous way to live! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
July 21 · 56 min
To Thine Own Self Do Crime
Sometimes in this world you're confronted with a choice. One that, years later, you'll look back at and recognize that choice was a key moment in your life. Because that choice catapaulted you forward where you eventually get slammed into the consequences of your actions. Whenever that moment comes, hope you don't look back and think: I should not have chosen the stupidest crime or the dumbest lie I could think of... because that's what the crimers in this episode did. Just one ridiculously criminal choice and their whole life changes! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
July 16 · 56 min
We Didn't Start the Fyre: Fabulous Festival Failures
We all need escapes from this crazy world, and one way to do that is to meet up with like-minded folks and enjoy your shared, niche interests. Whether it's a magical world of candy, the finery of the Gilded Age, or the fantasy realm of dragons and otherkin, getting together and reveling in a breakaway from dismal reality is pretty satisfying. But what happens when the ones who are meant to facilitate flights of fancy drop the ball? Listen and find out. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
July 14 · 55 min
Shonk This Way: The 1935 Croydon Aerodrome Robbery
Once upon a time, some British hard men decided to steal some gold. They went out to an airport, worked their way into a bullion room, and lifted the gold. It was a classic heist for the ages. Here's the thing: they took a taxi home. The black cab was a cool ride, but it also left a witness in the form of the driver, a man chock full of "The Knowledge" and then some. The driver became the key to this case, but also somehow the lock. Figure that one out. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
July 9 · 49 min
The Good Bootlegger: Roy Olmstead
Using the nooks and crannies of Puget Sound as cover, Roy Olmstead ran a massive bootlegging empire during Prohibition. He was nonviolent, creative, and a whole lotta fun. And on top of that, he managed to have a lasting impact on the US legal system. Not bad for a former cop. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
July 7 · 1 hr 6 min
You Get an "A" For Effort: Beautiful Plans, Become Ridiculous Crimes
Often times the crimers on this show come up with audacious plans for their capers, heists and cons. But far too often they forget the other half of the equation: how to get away with their crimes. That's the theme of this episode! It features a single mother who tries to dig a tunnel to her child in prison, a techno DJ who sells phony airplane engine parts to major airlines, and a French academic who makes up an academy to give himself an award. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
July 2 · 1 hr
Here I Dreamt I Was an Architect: LEGO theft
LEGO sets. Everybody loves them, crimers love to steal them. They're light, valuable, in demand, and untraceable. Perfect for illicit maneuvers! There are many ways to steal LEGOs; here are some of our favorites. This episode approved for listeners ages 4 - 99. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
June 30 · 1 hr 5 min
Sebastian Marset: the Cocaine Kingpin and Professional Footballer
When he was a kid in Uruguay, playing football in the streets he always dreamed that one day he would grow up to be a professional soccer star. Instead, he grew up to be a cocaine cartel kingpin. And then, using his illicit power and untold illegal wealth he made his original dream come true. Along the way, he became an outlaw folk hero. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
June 25 · 57 min
Strong Like Iron: Sophie Lyons
Sophie Lyons was an iconic criminal. From shoplifting to pickpocketing to scams to bank robbery, she could do it all. She knew what it was to break the law…and to pay the price. As her last act, she did her best to keep others from her fate. We love a good redemption story, don't we folks? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
June 23 · 1 hr 6 min
I'm Gonna Steal Your Bird: the Strange World of Pigeon Theft
Have you ever wanted to race a pigeon? No? Well, have you ever wanted to steal a pigeon? Still, no? Well, that doesn't matter! You'll still have your mind blown and your heart strings tugged by the weird and wonderful world of pigeon theft. The eye-popping prices for prized pigeons, the curious pigeon breeders and pigeon keepers, and of course the international criminals who take advantage of it all to fuel the black market. One thing is certain: this story says a lot about more about us than it does about pigeons. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
June 18 · 52 min
The Likker King of Appalachia: Popcorn Sutton
To borrow from the late, great Waylon Jennings, Popcorn Sutton was just'a good ol' boy, never meanin' no harm. A modern day moonshiner, he was pretty much in trouble with the law since the day he was born. He was making his way the only way he knew how. Which was a little bit more than the law would allow. You get it. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
June 16 · 1 hr 13 min
The Billion Dollar 1MDB Heist: Jho Low Meets Leo and Marty
Jho Low was a well-connected money man for the 1MDB sovereign wealth fund, created to foster green energy investment and better jobs for the people of Malaysia. But instead of doing any of that, Jho Low used the ill-gotten billions to finance a multi-year long orgy of parties and pleasure cruises. He eventually found his way to Hollywood, where he wooed Leonardo DiCaprio and Martin Scorsese by financing Leo's dream project The Wolf of Wall Street. Oh the irony, that a film about financial crimes was paid for with... financial crimes! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
June 11 · 57 min
The Moment You've Been Waiting For: 2025 Louvre Museum Heist
Hot diggity dog, we love a good heist. And an art heist? Get outta here! And in the Louvre Museum? In Paris? Pinch us because we've got to be dreaming. In 2025, an audacious crew broke into the Louvre in broad daylight and stole glittering, historical jewelry. Then they made a run for it. The perps were eventually caught, but the loot has yet to be recovered. But the best part? A kid in a fedora who doesn't steal art...he steals our hearts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
June 9 · 57 min
Julie D'Aubigny: the Opera-Singing, Sword-Swinging, Gender-Bending Badass of 17th Century France
Julie D'Aubigny was truly a rare one. She could sword fight with the best of them. She could sing opera like a song bird. She wore men's clothing, she wore women's clothing, she wore whatever she wanted. And as a great lover, she'd also steal your girl. There was almost nothing she couldn't do. She also was a shameless outlaw who lived by the sword and nearly died by the executioner's ax. But she was cool with the Sun King, Louis XIV. Basically, she lived, she loved, and her life begs the question: how is there not a major movie about her? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
June 4 · 55 min
Where Everybody Knows Your Name: Charles Ponzi
It's the American Dream to reach these golden shores, work hard, make your fortune, and see your name go down in history. Charles Ponzi did all that, just not in the way the law intended. He perfected the pyramid scheme to such a degree, they just named the whole thing after him. Not the legacy you want in life. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
June 2 · 51 min
True Crime by A True Crimer: Mary Carole McDonnell, the Fake Aerospace Heiress
She made a name for herself in the world of True Crime TV. But it was not a good name. Mary Carole McDonnell was known to run a fly-by-night TV production company that paid poorly and paid late. But that was only a part of the story. She was also a faux nepo baby posing as an aerospace heiress. Which she leveraged into bank fraud to the tune of millions and millions. Further proof, in Hollywood, nothing is ever at it seems. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.