Smoke Screen: I Am Rama

He told each of them a different story: billionaire's son, crypto genius, tech founder. None of it was true. From the outside, Ken was everything—successful, charming, generous. But when the women he deceived compared notes, they uncovered something far more sinister: a scam that stretched from Los Angeles to Italy, a man who kept reinventing himself, and a mystery no one had fully solved. Now, they're fighting back. And the search to uncover the real Ken is on. Unravel this twisted true crime story of deception and discovery on Catch Me If You Ken, the latest seriest to drop on The Binge - as a subscriber you can listen to all episodes, ad-free right now. Search for Catch Me If You Ken wherever you get your podcasts to start listening today. Subscribers to The Binge can listen to all episodes right now, completely ad-free. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

She had a million-dollar smile and a trail of dead men behind her— who was Sandra Bridewell? Host and investigative report Cooper Moll exposes the secrets of the 'black widow' on Fatal Beauty - the latest true crime series to drop on The Binge.    Search for Fatal Beauty wherever you get your podcasts to start listening today. Subscribers to The Binge can listen to all episodes right now, completely ad-free Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Noreen Boyle goes missing, and her 11-year-old son is determined to find her. He teams up with a homicide cop to investigate his mother's murder. In a shocking turn of events, together, they uncover evidence that brings the killer to justice. A killer who the son knows all too well. Search for Finding Mom's Killer wherever you get your podcasts to start listening today. Subscribers to The Binge can listen to all episodes right now, completely ad-free. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tara Lee  ran an adoption company called Always Hope, that promised to make families  dreams come true - but behind the scenes, Tara was orchestrating a nightmare.  Baby Broker is the shocking true story of a cold-hearted criminal who pulled off an unimaginable scheme—and the parents who fought back to take her down. Search for Baby Broker wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribers to The Binge can listen to all episodes right now, completely ad-free. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A single gunshot left Diane McIver dead and her husband Tex at the center of a deadly mystery - but was it a tragic accident or a carefully calculated scheme? Found out on Deadly Fortune. Search for Deadly Fortune wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribers to The Binge can listen to all episodes right now, completely ad-free. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Between 1977 and 1989, a dozen people died under mysterious circumstances, with one thing in common: a spiritual leader named Terri Hoffman. Join investigative reporter Jonathan Hirsch as he unravels the web of lies, manipulation, and dubious deeds that surround Hoffman on Scary Terri - A dark Texas Gothic about the Charlie Manson you've never heard of. Search for Scary Terri wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribers to The Binge can listen to all episodes right now, completely ad-free. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sara King lived large as 'Lady Mafia,' but what caused it all to come crashing down? Host Michele McPhee unravels the secrets behind Sara King's high-roller life and high-stakes crimes - with the help of Lady Mafia herself. Search for 'Lady Mafia' wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribers to The Binge can listen to all episodes right now, completely ad-free. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Karen Falasca last saw her 15 year old sister Denise on July 14, 1969, when they parted ways not far from their Bergen County home.  The next day, Denise's body was found strangled next to a cemetery.  For almost 50 years, Karen searched for her sister's killer. In Denise Didn't Come Home, host Anthony Scalia joins her in her search and discovers an shocking and unexpected truth. Listen to Denise Didn't Come Home wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribers to The Binge can listen to all episodes right now, completely ad-free. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A string of suspicious deaths and a man who may be one of the most prolific killer nurses in the United States - unravel the chilling case and the shocking cover up on Witnessed: Night Shift. Listen now wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribers to The Binge can listen to all episodes right now, completely ad-free. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What would you do if someone you knew turned out to be a serial killer? In the 1970s, Steve Fishman was an intern at his local newspaper. One day, he hitched a ride back home from Boston with a kind stranger who graciously picked him up and dropped him off at his destination. What Steve didn't know however, was that this stranger was hiding a dark secret: by the time he picked up Steve, he had already killed three people - all hitchhikers. But this fateful ride was just the beginning of Steve's story. While this may have been the first time Steve met the man he'd come to know as Red, it wouldn't be the last… Featuring exclusive interviews and never-before-heard tapes, join Steve as he tells his chilling story for the first time and unravels the lingering questions surrounding this wild chapter of his life. Why did Steve get spared by the killer during their first meeting? And what could have possibly driven Steve back to the same killer he had just escaped? Find out on Smoke Screen: My Friend, the Serial Killer - available now wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribers to The Binge can listen to all episodes right now, completely ad-free. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the 1970s, John Todd exploded onto the evangelical scene with a shocking claim: a secret group of devil-worshiping elites called the Illuminati were planning a violent world takeover, and Christians needed to arm themselves against them to protect their families and way of life. But none of it was true—so why did the idea spread so quickly? Dive into John Todd's dark and distorted world with journalist Paul Murphy on Cover Up: The Conspiracy Tapes. Featuring sensational tales of witchcraft and human sacrifice from recorded tape of John Todd's original testimony, this story unravels the threads of Todd's deceptions, and traces his legacy as an originator of modern day conspiracy theories. Available now wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribers to The Binge can listen to all episodes of Cover Up: The Conspiracy Tapes right now, completely ad-free. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On March 2, 2018, an anonymous and deadly package bomb detonated on the doorstep of a home in Austin, Texas. Soon after -  another was discovered, and another—each one a little more sophisticated than the last, and each target seemingly more and more random. Confusion and panic set in across the city - who was this elusive serial bomber? Why were they planting these bombs? And why were they so hard to track down? Find out on Witnessed: 19 Days - The story behind the frantic race to catch the Austin serial bomber. Join host Sean Flynn as he traces the case from its origins to its shocking conclusions. Available now wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribers to The Binge can listen to all episodes of Witnessed: 19 Days right now, completely ad-free. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In 2001, a series of letters laced with a deadly powder called anthrax appeared on the desks of prominent journalists and politicians in New York City and Washington D.C causing a national panic. But what started as an unprecedented case soon turned into an unsettling mystery. Who had sent these letters? And why? Join us as we trace the FBI's costly investigation into the attacks, all with an eye toward the question that remains today: Did the FBI identify the true killer, or is this case still unresolved? Unravel the story the played out behind closed doors on Cover Up: The Anthrax Threat, listen now wherever you get your podcasts Subscribers to The Binge can listen to all episodes of Cover Up: The Anthrax Threat right now, completely ad-free. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the Fall of 2020, 14 men were arrested for allegedly conspiring to kidnap the governor of Michigan. Americans were shocked to hear the news of the foiled plot but were left to wonder - what really what happened here? Find out on this season of the award-winning podcast, Chameleon: The Michigan Plot. You'll eavesdrop in on this group of alleged kidnappers through the actual wire recordings (that have never been heard by the public) from the FBI informant that infiltrated it. Unravel the story behind the headlines on Chameleon: The Michigan Plot, listen now wherever you get your podcasts Subscribers to The Binge can listen to all episodes of Chameleon: The Michigan Plot right now, completely ad-free. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the small town of Montrose, Colorado - Megan Hess ran the Sunset Mesa funeral home. Known for her kindness and warmth, Megan was beloved by her customers. But behind this sweet demeanor, Megan was hiding a dark, twisted and shocking secret operation. What was going on in the back room of Sunset Mesa funeral home? Find out on this season of Cover Up: Body Brokers, listen now wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribers to The Binge can listen to all episodes of Cover Up: Body Brokers right now, completely ad-free. Catch new episodes of Cover Up: Body Brokers every week wherever you get your podcasts or subscribe to The Binge and unlock all episodes ad-free today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Meet Ashley Randele. Ashley's Dad, Thomas Randele, was her favorite person in the world. A great dad, a great golfer, and the love of her Mum's life. Ashley thought she knew him better than anyone. But at 38 years old, that notion would be shattered. Ashley's dad wasn't Thomas Randele, he was Ted Conrad - a wanted fugitive who had evaded authorities for over half a century. The mystery of Ted Conrad haunted law enforcement for decades, and now, for the first time, the secrets of his story are finally being revealed. Join host Jonathan Hirsch as he teams up with Ashley herself to unravel the truth behind her father's secretive past on Smoke Screen: My Fugitive Dad. Subscribers to The Binge can listen to all episodes of Smoke Screen: My Fugitive Dad right now, completely ad-free. Catch new episodes of Smoke Screen: My Fugitive Dad every week wherever you get your podcasts or subscribe to The Binge and unlock all episode's ad-free today. Just click ‘Subscribe' on the top of the Smoke Screen show page on Apple Podcasts or visit GetTheBinge.com to get access wherever you listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When LA screenwriter Gary Devore mysteriously disappears in the summer of 1997, weird coincidences lead family and friends to believe he may have been a victim of foul play -- possibly because of his mysterious ties to the CIA. Gary was on the way home from finishing his latest script, which was allegedly going to be based in part on real events that occurred during the American invasion of Panama, and that script vanished along with him and his vehicle. In Season 5 of Witnessed: Fade to Black, host Josh Dean — along with journalist Evan Wright and producer Megan Donis — investigates one of the most infamous missing person cases in Hollywood history.  Subscribers to The Binge can listen to all episodes of Witnessed: Fade to Black right now, completely ad-free. Catch new episodes of Witnessed: Fade to Black every week wherever you get your podcasts or subscribe to The Binge and unlock all episodes ad-free today. Just click ‘Subscribe' on the top of the Witnessed show page on Apple Podcasts or visit GetTheBinge.com to get access wherever you listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's the 1990's and in the world of show horses - Rita Crundwell was the name on everyone's lips. Known as "The Horse Queen," she was the proud owner of hundreds of champion quarter horses on her ranch outside the small city of Dixon, Illinois. But something wasn't adding up with Crundwell's equestrian empire. A shocking FBI investigation revealed a decades long scam that Rita was running from inside the halls of Dixon City Hall, a scam that drained the town completely dry. How did this horse crazed criminal get away with the largest municipal embezzlement in American history? Reveal the secrets of The Horse Queen on the new season of Crooked City: Dixon IL. Subscribers to The Binge can listen to all episodes of Crooked City: Dixon, IL right now, completely ad-free. Catch new episodes of Crooked City: Dixon, IL every week wherever you get your podcasts or subscribe to The Binge and unlock all episodes ad-free today. Just click ‘Subscribe' on the top of the Crooked City show page on Apple Podcasts or visit GetTheBinge.com to get access wherever you listen. A Truth Media & Sony Music Entertainment production. Find out more about The Binge and other podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts and follow us @sonypodcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For years, Helge Achenbach has been among the world's most successful art dealers. But with one treacherous move, he lands in prison. In Season 6 of Chameleon: Gallery of Lies, host Bijan Stephen sets out on the international trail of the most famous criminal you've never heard of. With unprecedented access to an ex-con, Bijan attempts to solve the riddle of who Helge really is—and who he might become. Subscribe now to unlock all shows on The Binge and you'll be the first to access Chameleon: Gallery of Lies as soon as it drops on September 1st. A Campside Media & Sony Music Entertainment Production. Find out more about The Binge and other podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts and follow us @sonypodcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For almost two decades, DEA Special Agent Chad Scott ruled the streets just North of New Orleans. He controlled a network of snitches by convincing people he arrested to work for him as informants. Chad would stop at nothing to put drug dealers behind bars. His successes won awards at the DEA, but his willingness to bend the rules earned him a terrifying reputation on the streets. Some called him the Golden Boy. Others called him the White Devil. But when one of guys on Chad's team is caught dealing drugs, Chad's life is overturned. His right-hand men betray him and confess everything to the FBI. Investigators go over his career with a fine-toothed comb, asking the question: is Chad Scott the greatest DEA Agent in the South, or is he a criminal? Subscribers to The Binge can listen to all episodes of Smoke Screen: Betrayal On The Bayou right now, completely ad-free. Catch new episodes of Smoke Screen: Betrayal On The Bayou every week wherever you get your podcasts or subscribe to The Binge and unlock all episodes ad-free today. Just click ‘Subscribe' on the top of the Smoke Screen show page on Apple Podcasts or visit GetTheBinge.com to get access wherever you listen. A Neon Hum & Sony Music Entertainment production. Find out more about The Binge and other podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts and follow us @sonypodcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You may have heard of the abortion pill, especially in the wake of the overturning of Roe v. Wade last year. But the story of how the pill became legal in America is closer to an action film than to a courtroom drama—with covert operations, heists, and even murder. On the new season of Cover Up: The Pill Plot, travel   back to the ‘90s and join the ragtag group that plotted an international drug   smuggling scheme and set up a secret lab to get the abortion pill to America. Get a front row seat to the epic struggle facing activists who battled presidents, the Supreme Court, militant anti-abortionists and so much more. Subscribers to The Binge can listen to all episodes of Cover Up: The Pill   Plot right now, completely ad-free. Catch new episodes of Cover Up: The Pill Plot every week wherever you get your podcasts or subscribe to The Binge and unlock all episodes ad-free today. Just click ‘Subscribe' on the top of the Cover Up show page on Apple Podcasts or visit GetTheBinge.com to get access wherever you listen. A Sony Music Entertainment production. Find out more about The Binge and other podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts and follow us @sonypodcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Want to get all episodes of Smoke Screen: I Am Rama, ad-free? Subscribe to The Binge - a new podcast channel from Sony Music entertainment. Unlock all episodes of this show along with the entire network of true crime and investigative podcasts on The Binge. Plus, a brand new story drops every month - that's all episodes, all at once, all ad-free. Click “try free” at the top of the Smoke Screen: I Am Rama show page on Apple Podcasts to start your free trial or check out The Binge channel page at apple.co/thebinge to browse all the great shows available to binge ad-free. Not on Apple? Visit getthebinge.com to get access wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you're looking for more Smoke Screen check out Smoke Screen: Puppy Kingpin. Americans are used to being on the lookout for a scam, but authorities are warning of a new kind of fraud. Puppy Kingpin shines a spotlight on Jolyn Noethe, a secretive businesswoman from Iowa who is accused of laundering puppies like drug money. Over the course of 7 episodes, investigative reporter and host Alex Schuman exposes the scheme and an underground part of the industry bringing us the pets we love. From Neon Hum Media and Sony Music Entertainment. Smoke Screen: Puppy Kingpin is available now. Subscribe on apple podcasts to binge all episodes or listen weekly wherever you get your podcasts. Smokescreen: Puppy Kingpin is part of The Binge -  a new podcast channel from Sony Music Entertainment. The Binge - All Episodes. All at Once.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we explore all that Rama left behind: students, a charitable foundation, music, books, and a complicated legacy. A Neon Hum Media and Sony Music Entertainment production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Rama's image took a hit in the public sphere, his students circled the wagons around their teacher. In something of a last ditch effort to win over the media, Rama accepts an invitation to appear on Dateline. A Neon Hum Media and Sony Music Entertainment production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Power trips to paradise and never-before shared knowledge -- were these golden times, or Rama's way of saying goodbye? This episode explores the final years leading of Rama's life. A Neon Hum Media and Sony Music Entertainment production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Multiple women accuse Rama of sexual misconduct and emotional manipulation. Many of Rama's students defend their teacher. A Neon Hum Media and Sony Music Entertainment production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rama finds himself in the crosshairs of the Cult Awareness Network, a group dedicated to extricating people from what they consider to be cults by “deprogramming” them. But Rama's students tell a much different story. A Neon Hum Media and Sony Music Entertainment production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A young woman follows Rama to New York, and mysteriously vanishes, leaving behind many to wonder what happened. In this episode, people who knew and loved Brenda Kerber piece her story back together. If you have any information about the death of Brenda Kerber that wasn't reflected in this episode, please contact the White Plains Police Department in New York at https://whiteplainspublicsafety.com/submit-a-tip/ or 914-422-6111. A Neon Hum Media and Sony Music Entertainment production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Will Arntz is a man of many talents, from filmmaker to laser physicist. In this episode, Will relives the time he spent studying with Rama and how it changed his life. A Neon Hum Media and Sony Music Entertainment production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rama's growth as a spiritual teacher in the mid-80s starts in California but takes him and his students all over the country. Rama defines his doctrine, turning his attention to the potential of the computer industry. But for his students, it's not always easy to keep up with their teacher, or stay in his good graces. A Neon Hum Media and Sony Music Entertainment production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode follows Frederick Lenz III from his early days and education through his introduction to spiritualism with his mentor, Sri Chinmoy, at the dawn of the New Age. Young Freddie  becomes “Atmananda,” a recruiter for his mentor, until it becomes time to strike out on his own, as Zen Master Rama. If you want to know more about Rama's early years, you can read more from the people who we interviewed for this episode. Liz Lewinson's book is called “American Buddhist Rebel The Story of Rama, Dr. Frederick Lenz.” Mark Laxer's books is called “Take Me For a Ride, Coming of Age in a Destructive Cult.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rama was a man of many faces: teacher, tech entrepreneur, friend - and to some, a scam artist. This episode introduces Rama, examining the world from which he came, the way he shaped those who entered his orbit for better and for worse, and the mysterious circumstances around his demise. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rama was a spiritual teacher in the 80s and 90s who inspired many of his students while helming what many of his detractors would describe as a cult. He defied society's archetypal vision of a New Age leader, eschewing minimalism for wealth and celebrity. He was also a man ahead of his time, encouraging his students to develop careers in computer science before that was mainstream. For some, following Rama's lead worked out spiritually, and financially too. But for others, Rama's actions contradicted his cool persona; some eventually came forward with accusations of abuse, others vanished, whistleblowers went to the media, and the group began to shrink and splinter. In this 10-part investigative series, Jonathan Hirsch explores the life, death and impact of Rama. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices