Introducing: Kingdom Of Fraud
5/5/20262 min
It’s the most unlikely of criminal partnerships: A devout polygamist from an insular Utah sect joining forces with a shadowy Armenian tycoon from LA. The result– a billion dollar fraud conspiracy.
In the Kingdom of Fraud podcast, investigative reporter Michele McPhee traces the story of Jacob Kingston’s extraordinary relationship with Levon Termendzhyan. Together, the two men trigger the largest tax investigation in American history and weave around themselves a web of dirty cops, influential political relationships and transnational money laundering.
All set against the backdrop of Jacob Kingston’s family – The Order. A wealthy and powerful polygamist organization in Salt Lake City. To whom Jacob is desperate to prove his worth.
Kingdom of Fraud is produced by Novel for iHeartPodcasts. For more from Novel, visit https://novel.audio/.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsSpeaker 00:01
How does this member of a polygamous organization in Utah, who earnestly started a business, how do you go from there to gold Ferraris, private jets, meeting the president of Turkey?
Michelle McPhee· Host0:16
I'm Michelle McPhee. I'm an investigative journalist who's worked the crime and corruption beat for decades. But in all my years reporting, this must be the strangest conspiracy I've ever come across.
Jacob Kingston· Soundbite0:30
We were God's chosen kingdom on Earth.
Michelle McPhee· Host0:32
There's Jacob, an oddball, even within his isolated polygamist community.
Speaker 3· Soundbite0:39
He was so socially awkward.
Michelle McPhee· Host0:41
And Levon, a swaggering Armenian businessman with an eye for a deal.
Speaker 3· Soundbite0:47
He has a very Scarface persona.
Michelle McPhee· Host0:50
Together, they'd cook up a truly audacious fraud, an empire entirely built on lies.
Speaker 4· Soundbite0:58
We found another bank account, and another bank account, and another bank account.
Speaker 01:01
Millions and millions of dollars stolen from the United States Treasury.
Michelle McPhee· Host1:07
Soon, Jacob would find himself far from the quiet plains of Utah, in a dangerous new world.
Speaker 4· Soundbite1:15
Seduced by this lifestyle.
Jacob Kingston· Soundbite1:17
Trips, money, big house, nice cars.
Michelle McPhee· Host1:20
This is a story of con men and crooked cops, paranoia and revenge.
Speaker 01:26
It was a scene out of a Hollywood movie.