CrimeLess: “Even Bad Guys Fall for Scams”

Podcast: CrimeLess
Hosts: Rory Scovel (comedian), Josh Dean (journalist)
Guest: Lane Rose
Release Date: March 25, 2026

Episode Overview

In this episode, “Even Bad Guys Fall for Scams,” hosts Rory Scovel and Josh Dean flip the script on traditional crime tales by spotlighting real stories where criminals themselves become targets of elaborate stings, cons, and setups. Rather than focusing on innocent victims, this week’s theme is the poetic justice—and dark comedy—of the bad guys getting outwitted. In their trademark irreverent, banter-heavy style, Rory and Josh walk through legendary stings, failed criminal capers, and even a “fake priest” interrogation, all interspersed with their own comic commentary and a final fun round of crime riddles.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Personal Scam Stories and the "Scam Economy"

• (03:29) Host Scam Confession — Josh opens by asking if Rory has ever fallen for a scam. Rory admits to nearly falling for a phishing scam in the early days of email spam, noting:

  “Now, I’m very good at it, but I for sure fell for a scam. I never got in so deep that I gave a lot of information away. I was able to safely backtrack out.” — Rory (03:33)

• Empathy for Elderly Victims — Both sympathize with older generations who are less equipped to detect scams, lamenting the lack of protection for them as digital fraud gets more advanced.

2. When Criminals Get Conned: The Case of Alberto Saavedra Lopez

• (04:36–07:13) Overview — Josh tells the tale of Lopez, who stole $5,000 from his own bank employer in Arizona, went on the run, then brazenly applied for a job as a dispatcher at the local police department under his real name.
  • The police set up an interview, arrested him on the spot. Both hosts revel in the irony:

    “He basically put the bear trap in front of his front door, went to sleep, got up, walked out.” — Josh (06:14) “This guy walked right into a trap we didn’t even set.” — Rory (06:10)

  • Bonus: The police told him he was “out of the running” for the job. (07:43)

3. Operation Flagship: The Legendary Sports Sting

• (08:29–18:38) Main Event — The hosts break down the famous 1985 DC police sting, “Operation Flagship.”
  • Setup: 3,000 fugitives were sent fake invitations to a Redskins (now Washington Commanders) event: brunch, tickets, and a shot at Super Bowl prizes. (09:29–10:51)
  • Execution: 101 wanted men attended and were treated to a pep talk by “Dr. Red Flag”—actually the head of U.S. Marshals Enforcement. At the cue, cops (and undercover cheerleaders & even a mascot) raided the event and made mass arrests:

    “The cheerleaders drew their weapons, as did the chicken and the Indian characters.” — Josh (14:04, quoting the marshal’s memoir)

  • Memorable Details:
    • The fake CEO was "I. Michael Detnaw"—“Detnaw” is “wanted” backwards. (15:38)
    • Some arrestees complained: “This ain’t fair. This just ain’t fair. ... I came to see Boomer,” (the Bengals’ quarterback). (17:05)
  • Impact: 144 arrests at a cost of $22,100—just $153 per fugitive, vs the usual $1,300. The hosts marvel at the cost-effectiveness and movie-worthy absurdity of the whole caper.

4. Criminals Trying to Outsmart the System: The Fake Priest of Taqueria Garibaldi

• (24:05–35:41) California Wage Theft Case — A Sacramento-area Mexican restaurant under Department of Labor investigation tries a desperate intimidation ploy:
  • The owners bring in a “Catholic priest” to coax confessions out of employees—hoping to ID “rats” (workers talking to authorities about wage theft).

    “The priest asked if I’d stolen anything at work ... or if I did anything to harm my employer, as Parra said. Was this a real priest? Rory, this was not a real priest. This was Father Red Flag.” — Josh (27:41)

  • It backfired; the owners were hit with $140,000 in damages and back pay. The Times later tried and failed to confirm if the “priest” was even a priest.
  • Comic Aside: The hosts riff on the concept of “burrito meatballs” (Mexican-Italian fusion), poking fun at taqueria naming, and joke about “imported priests” as a concept. (26:11, 35:16)
• Greater Point: Attempts to manipulate (or intimidate) rarely outsmart the government; more often, they backfire with poetic justice.

5. Deepfake Scams & The AI Age

• (36:04–37:24) Modern Twist — The episode closes with discussion of a new breed of scam: AI-generated deepfake videos using celebrity pastors’ likenesses to solicit money for fraudulent causes. A warning from Pastor Mike Schmitz is played, followed by the hosts joking about megachurches and televangelist scams:

  "You know, I wonder if he’s ever heard of Joel Osteen because that’s not a deep fake." — Rory (37:05)

• Reiteration of Caution — Especially for vulnerable folks (the elderly), new technologies make scams ever more convincing.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On poetic justice:

  “You rarely hear about bad guys getting fooled, right? But it happens. And when it does, it’s glorious karmic justice.” — Josh (04:32)

• On the self-own sting:

  “He set the sting for himself.” — Josh (06:07)

• On Operation Flagship's suspects:

  “I came to see Boomer!” (shouted by an arrestee, as related by Josh) (17:05)

• On reviewing fake priest “scams”:

  “Was this a real priest? Rory, this was not a real priest. This was Father Red Flag.” — Josh (27:41)

• On the new age of AI scams targeting faith:

  “There are people who have made AI generated videos of me ... and basically a scam. People can’t necessarily tell.” — Pastor Mike Schmitz warning (36:32) “You know, I wonder if he’s ever heard of Joel Osteen because that's not a deep fake.” — Rory (37:05)

• On unhelpful middle-of-the-road reviews:

  “I’m always fascinated by people who write reviews of restaurants when they don’t really have super strong feelings one way or the other ... It's like, really?” — Josh (31:37)

Highlighted Segments & Timestamps

| Time | Segment/Topic | |-----------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 03:29 | Hosts share personal run-ins with scams | | 04:36–07:13 | Alberto Saavedra Lopez—the case of a criminal applying for a police job | | 08:29–18:38 | Operation Flagship: The Redskins ticket sting arresting 101 fugitives | | 24:05–35:41 | Fake priest scam at Taqueria Garibaldi | | 36:04–37:24 | AI deepfake scams using religious figures | | 41:42–51:14 | “Lane’s Game”: Comic crime riddles segment (see endnotes) |

Tone & Atmosphere

• Highly irreverent, comedic, and self-deprecating
• Banter-heavy with pop-culture sports references, wordplay, and asides on everything from color names to fusion cuisine
• Both hosts underline the absurdity of criminal schemes—especially when crooks get hoisted by their own petard
• Occasional educational asides (e.g., the legal differences between entrapment and a sting)

Final Section: “Lane’s Game”—Crime Riddle Round (41:42–51:14)

• Lane Rose presents a series of classic logic riddles themed around crime.
• The hosts comically struggle, riffing on “widdle riddles” and faux-competitiveness.
• Riddles include:
  • The broken window insurance fraud
  • The prisoner with a shovel and a dirt floor
  • The “upside down flag” on a Japanese ship
  • The “one-way ticket” murder in Hawaii
  • The tape recorder “suicide” that had been rewound

In Summary

This light-hearted, fast-paced episode uses deft storytelling and sharp banter to celebrate the rare schadenfreude when criminals get outschemed by smarter—and sometimes equally devious—adversaries. Mixing famous real-world stings, oddball recent news, and old detective riddles, Rory and Josh keep things both “funny first” and sneakily informative—living up to their own description of “How Stuff Works if it got drunk and robbed a Papaya King.” Whether you’re a crime buff, comedy lover, or just like seeing a bad guy fall for a bad idea, this one is packed with karmic twists and laugh-out-loud moments.

Noteworthy Quotes (by timestamp):

• “He basically put the bear trap in front of his front door, went to sleep, got up, walked out.” — Josh (06:14)
• “The cheerleaders drew their weapons, as did the chicken and the Indian characters.” — Josh, quoting marshal’s memoir (14:04)
• “By the way, we tried to tell you—we dropped little Easter eggs.” — Rory (16:49) on the “Detnaw” alias.
• “The priest asked if I'd stolen anything at work ... Rory, this was not a real priest. This was Father Red Flag.” — Josh (27:41)
• “I wonder if that's illegal. Are you allowed to impersonate a priest?” — Rory (34:12)
• “There are people who have made AI generated videos of me ... and basically it's a scam. People can't necessarily tell.” — Pastor Mike Schmitz (36:32)

Takeaway

Crime doesn’t pay—but sometimes, it pays off in hilarious, head-scratching stories when criminals themselves become the victims of clever stings and shocking cons. Stay skeptical; even the bad guys aren’t safe from scams.