Introducing Season Seven of Chameleon: The Michigan Plot
6 June 2024 - 3 mins explicitIn the fall of 2020, 14 men were arrested across three states in a series of FBI raids that shocked the nation. The government alleged that these men conspired to kidnap, and possibly even kill, the sitting governor of Michigan, Gretchen Whitmer. But is that really what happened?
On season 7 of Chameleon, we’ll explore that notorious plot to kidnap governor Whitmer from its inception by taking listeners on an unprecedented journey inside the investigation. Through hundreds of hours of wire recordings that have never been heard by the public, you’ll ride along in the pocket of an FBI informant posing as a militia member, as he infiltrates an anti-government group that seems dangerous. But ar...
Big Man on Campus: The Hoops Phenom Who Tried High School Twice
explicitA promising high school basketball star seemed to appear out of nowhere—a talented homeless kid trying to rebuild his life after Hurricane Harvey. But Rashun Richardson was no ordinary freshman. In fact… He wasn’t even a teenager.
32 mins
30 July Finished
Going Places: The College Art Students Who Fooled a Nation
explicitIn the late 1990s, a group of art students from Leeds, England, announce a week in Spain as their latest “conceptual artwork” — and Britain’s tabloids lose their collective mind. But as the headlines pile up, it becomes clear the “holiday” is only the surface story. And the Art is aimed straight at the culture machine that’s reporting it.
38 mins
23 July Finished
The Wannabe Pilot: Fish Swim, Birds Fly, and Randy Lies
His friends, family and a string of partners all believed a version of the same thing. That Randy was a former marine who now flew commercial airliners. But as the people around him started to look more closely, their ideas about who this charming man was began to wobble. And if Randy has been taking such great liberties with the truth then what else isn’t true?
37 mins
16 July Finished
For The Love Of Dogs: The Scam Shelters Abusing Animals For Clicks
A network of animal shelters in Uganda started posting heartbreaking videos of starving, mutilated dogs on social media, begging for donations from animal lovers. But as a group of women around the world began comparing notes, they uncovered something much darker: a sprawling scam operation where animals were being tortured for clicks, sympathy and cash. And they started fighting back.
39 mins
9 July Finished
REVISITED: The Kid Who Couldn’t Stop Playing Cop
explicitIn 2009, Vincent Richardson walked into a Chicago police station and reported for duty. No one noticed he wasn’t actually a cop. No one noticed he was 14 years old. This is the story of the teenager who fooled the system time after time. Was it a prank? A cry for help? Or something else entirely?
30 mins
2 July Finished
Mother of All Stories Part 2: Mom On The Run
explicitWhen Heidi Cloud was twelve years old, she became the first child in America to be sent to jail for refusing a court-ordered visit with her father. As she grew up, Heidi came to understand that the real danger had been much closer to home. Her mother spent decades pulling everyone around her into a relentless world of conspiracy. Then she disappeared.
42 mins
25 June Finished