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- [00:00]
A
Hey, Scamflancers fans, Sachi here. If you live for the outrageous stories and unbelievable cons that we cover, you need OneDryPlus. It's like sitting in the room with us as we unravel every twist ad free, a week ahead of everyone else and packed with exclusive content you won't hear anywhere else. Start your free trial in the Wondry app, Apple podcasts or Spotify. Now, a heads up to our listeners. This story includes a brief mention of suicide. Please listen with care Wondry. Sarah, is there any musician who could trick you into a Ponzi scheme?
- [00:36]
B
Yeah, I feel like it would be someone who would be really unlikely to need something from me, like Kate Bush or something.
- [00:44]
A
Oh, that's a good one.
- [00:46]
B
Like one of these gentle, beautiful women that makes people cry. I'd be like, yeah, of course I'll do whatever you want, Kate.
- [00:53]
A
This is what I like about us. We have such different answers to these sorts of questions.
- [00:56]
B
And I know what your answer's gonna be.
- [00:57]
A
What is it gonna be?
- [00:58]
B
It's gonna be 50 cents.
- [01:00]
A
Yeah, 100%.
- [01:00]
B
It's going to be 50 cent. I love him.
- [01:02]
A
He is evil and I love him. But if he asked me for any amount of money, I would offer it to him alongside my spirit and soul and perhaps other things that we can't talk about on the podcast. Well, I ask because today we have our very first Stan Scammer. Someone who used the parasocial relationship his audience had with him for financial evil. It's April 1992 and Pete Chacho is in Italy with his band. Pete is a slim middle aged accordion player with curly hair and a well groomed mustache. He's been partying his way through Europe as part of a big group trip with their fans. But when they reach Sorrento, Pete's boss pulls him aside and says he needs Pete's help. Pete is part of a popular American polka band led by Jan Levan. Jan is a charismatic 50 something Polish American man with an angelic round face and a twinkle in his eye. Jan is so beloved, he actually has a side business arranging trips like this one for some of his biggest fans. Basically, they're paying for their favorite artists to take them on a tour through Europe. Things have been going really well so far. Jan has taken them through places like London, Vienna and his home country of Poland. But now Jan needs Pete's help to make good on the trip's big ticket item. A personal meeting with Pope John Paul ii. The Pope is Polish, like most of Jan's Fans and lots of people on this trip. And Jan apparently knows the big guy, though Pete isn't sure how. Jan says he met him back in the 70s when he was living in Canada and the Pope was just a cardinal. On a tour of the country, he says they hit it off, spending an evening drinking and speaking in Polish.
- [02:39]
B
You know, name dropping. The Pope must feel so powerful. Like, oh yeah, the Pope and I go way back. We were in Canada, we used to get drunk, you know, hanging out on Ronci.
- [02:51]
A
Ugh, yeah, God's not on Ron. You know that. Well, however they know each other, Jan and the Pope have stayed in touch. But Jan hasn't been able to confirm this meeting. So he takes Pete to Rome with a suitcase of money in hand. When they get to St. Peter's Square, Jan takes the suitcase and heads into the building alone. What happens next and where the suitcase ended up is shrouded in conclave level secrecy. But Jan's tactic works. When the fans arrive, they get an exclusive audience with John Paul ii. And when they walk into the room, the Pope greets Jan by name. After they get back on the tour bus, Jan stands and addresses the group. He's just shown them he can seemingly work miracles. And now he has a proposition. Jan tells his fans that he's looking for investors to expand his businesses. His touring polka band, a travel agency, and a Polish import shop. And he says he can guarantee them a huge return. Pete doesn't put in his own money, but he's not surprised that the tourists are interested. Unfortunately for these wide eyed polka loving travelers, Jan's golden investment opportunity is a classic con. And when it comes time for him to pay up, he'll orchestrate one of the biggest Ponzi schemes polka has ever seen.
- [04:13]
C
It's your man, Nick Cannon, and I'm here to bring you my new podcast, Nick Cannon at Night. I've heard y' all been needing some advice in the love department. So who better to help than yours truly? Nah, I'm serious. Every week I'm bringing out some of my celebrity friends and the best experts in the business to answer your most intimate relationship questions. Having problems with your man? We got you catching feelings for your sneaky link. Let's make sure it's the real deal first. Ready to bring toys into the bedroom? Let's talk about it. Consider this a non judgment zone to ask your questions when it comes to sex and modern dating in relationships, friendships, situationships, and everything in between. It's gonna be sexy, freaky, messy, and you know what you'll have to watch the show, so don't be shy, join the conversation and head over to YouTube to watch Nick Cannon at night or subscribe on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcast. Want to watch episodes early and ad free? Join Wondery right now.
- [05:10]
D
How hard is it to kill a planet? Maybe all it takes is a little drilling, some mining, and a whole lot of carbon pumped into the atmosphere. When you see what's left, it starts to look like a crime scene.
- [05:22]
A
Are we really safe? Is our water safe? You destroyed our tap.
- [05:26]
D
And crimes like that, they don't just happen.
- [05:28]
A
We call things accidents. There is no accident. This was 100% preventable.
- [05:35]
D
They're the result of choices by people. Ruthless oil tycoons, corrupt politicians, even organized crime. These are the stories we need to be telling about our changing planet. Stories of scams, murders and coverups that are about us and the things we're doing to either protect the Earth or destroy it. Follow Lawless Planet on the Wondry app or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to new episodes of Lawless Planet early and ad free right now by joining Wondry plus in the Wondery app, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.
- [06:12]
A
From Wondery. I'm Sachi Kol. And I'm Sarah Haggie and this is Scamfluencers.
- [06:17]
B
Come and give me your attention. I won't ever learn my less. Turn my speakers to 11. I feel like a legend.
- [06:25]
A
Jan Levan was an immigrant who used his musical talent to become a larger than life polka star. He had charisma, a beautiful singing voice, and a sparkly wardrobe directly inspired by Liberace. He performed for US Presidents, got nominated for a Grammy, and attracted a devoted following. But the size of his music dream soon outgrows his cash flow. So he turns his fans into marks, crossing ethical and legal lines. And as the money runs out, the lies pile up, millions of dollars are lost, lives are upended, and one family's life is tragically changed forever. When Jan's scheme is finally exposed, his victims will be left wondering how someone they admired so deeply could betray them so completely. This is Jan Levan. From Polka Dreams to Ponzi Schemes Legend Jan Levan grows up in Poland in the 1940s. The country is a war zone and under Nazi occupation for the first few years of his life, and after World War II, it's controlled by the USSR. It's a rough environment for a kid, but when Jan's around 10 years old, he starts listening to Radio Free Europe, the pro American station that broadcasts news reports from the west to combat communist propaganda. Through these stories, Jan starts to dream of living in America one day. And he knows just how he'll get there, by becoming a musician. This is kind of a rebellious choice for Jan. His parents want him to do something more practical, like his father's job of teaching sailors how to build model ships. So they aren't thrilled when Jan decides to study singing at a Polish music conservatory. But Jan is a natural. He has his first public performance when he's just 16, playing Cupid in a comedic opera. He's talented and handsome, with an expressive face and hair so blonde it's almost white. Sarah, take a look at a photo of young Jan.
- [08:17]
B
He looks really happy. It's like an old timey black and white photo. And he's wearing what looks like traditional, maybe Polish clothes. And he looks pretty thrilled to be on stage. He's a little cutie.
- [08:29]
A
Well, eventually Jan passes his exams and becomes a professional performer. This gives him new opportunities and the chance to perform on tv. The Polish government even sends him to festivals in Germany, Austria, Russia and Mongolia. Jan's music is pretty traditional, mostly gentle opera stuff and upbeat polish songs. In 1965, Jan records his first album at a vinyl factory run by communists. It should be a thrilling experience, but Jan wants more artistic freedom. During this time, the government decides who gets to record music and what they get to perform. A few years later, when Yan is In his late 20s, he finally gets a chance to break free. A promoter from Chicago visits him backstage after a performance and promises to get Jann a visa to tour his music. In 1972, the promoter comes through and Jann heads to North America as a part of a musical revue. Jann dreads going home to Poland when the revue is over. So as the tour drives from the United States to Canada, he sneaks away from his group and seeks asylum in Canada. He's made it to North America, and sure, he's still dreaming of the United States, but he's willing to start somewhere with a little less competition. Ontario. It's the early 70s and Jann's struggling with a giant bag of garbage filled with old meat. In the short time since he's defected, Jan's music hasn't caught on with audiences in Ontario. So for now he's working as a janitor at a meat processing plant in Toronto. It's one of a few odd jobs he works after arriving in Canada, and after a few months of hustling and improving his English, he saves enough money to buy instruments and equipment. He performs at piano lounges, churches, and Polish cultural clubs, selling cassettes at every show. At this point, Jan's style is sort of romantic, adult contemporary. One of his future bandmates later compares his music at the time to Julio Iglesias. Things are tough, but Jann keeps plugging away, booking gigs, mostly in major Canadian cities. In 1979, after more than six years of hustling, Jan plays a show that changes his life. It's at a Polish heritage festival in New Jersey. It's a pretty big event with about 5,000 people in attendance. The organizers have billed Jan as the, quote, number one Polish Canadian entertainer. And they push Jan to pep up his music by adding a polka beat. Sarah, how much do you know about polka music?
- [10:57]
B
I know next to nothing about it, but I feel like if I heard it, I would know it's polka. And if I saw people playing it without hearing it, I'd be like, polka.
- [11:07]
A
Well, we're going to spend a lot of time talking about polka. So here is some background. Polka originated in the 1800s as Eastern European dance music. It has Czech roots, and it's not super popular in Poland. The version of polka that they won Jan to perform was actually created in the US after World War II, and it took off with Polish American communities in Chicago and Pittsburgh. Here's what modern American polka sounds like. This is Pennsylvania polka by one of the genre's stars, the Jimmy Sturr Orchestra.
- [11:36]
B
Strike up the music. The band has begun the Pennsylvania Polka. You know what? That sounds to me kind of American. Not just because it's in English, but it's like upbeat music that's like, well done. Yeah, it's good.
- [11:53]
A
Yeah, it's fun as hell.
- [11:54]
B
It's fun and it's good. And I get why it has an audience. Yeah.
- [11:58]
A
Well, Jan agrees to change his music, and when he debuts his polka influence set, the crowd goes crazy. Audiences love Jan's polka, and Yan loves an audience. He fully commits to this new niche community and starts doing a lot of regional events, including a cancer research telethon in Pennsylvania in the early 80s. Yan appears alongside local celebrities like Rhonda Mihalyk. Rhonda was a state finalist in the Miss Teenage America pageant and won the Pennsylvania Oregon Queen title, an event sponsored by the Pennsylvania Accordion Teachers Association. Here's a picture of Rhonda accepting her crown. Sarah, can you describe it?
- [12:38]
B
So she is obviously very pretty girl. It's like a classic pageant photo. Her hair's done, she's wearing a tiara sash, flowers. I am aware that she is a teenager. And I would like Yan to stay very far away from her because I do not believe he and this beautiful young woman should fall in love.
- [13:01]
A
Well, Sarah, they do fall in love. According to Yan, it's love at first sight, even though Ronda is in high school and he is pushing 40. And Ronda apparently feels the same way. Although their age gap is questionable, she later says she was infatuated with his charm and sophistication. And as far as I can tell, no one has expressed their issue with the age gap. On record. Rhonda and Jann date long distance for a while and then get married the following year and settle down in Rhonda's hometown of Hazleton, Pennsylvania. Now that Jan has moved to Pennsylvania, he's in the heart of American polka. So he gets back on his grind, just like in Canada, and it pays off. In 1984, he gets invited to perform and emcee a Ronald Reagan campaign rally in Pennsylvania. This is a huge moment for Jan, but he dreams of more than just rallies. He wants a global polka empire. And to make this happen, he doesn't just need an audience, he, he needs cash. In 1986, a couple of years after emceeing the Ronald Reagan rally, Jan starts his own band, the Jan Levan Orchestra. The band is comprised of eight core musicians, and it puts a polka spin on the big band sound. Take a listen to some of their music.
- [14:24]
B
You can tell he is someone who is putting a lot into his music and wants to truly be a performer just by his sound alone. And it sounds like the crowd is loving it. And he knows how to get a response like it sounds like he is very different from most of the people we cover who've ever made music.
- [14:44]
A
Yeah, I mean, a Jan Lavan Orchestra concert isn't just about the music. Jan is putting on a show. He wears sequin suits and barely stands still, dancing from one side of the stage to the other. He leads the crowd in call and response response and takes time between songs to tell heartfelt stories. He goes out into the audience and dances with his fans, who are mostly senior citizens. He kisses ladies on the lips, and his charisma is undeniable. And in 1987, Jan achieves a major part of his American dream. He becomes a US Citizen. But even though he's officially an American with a legion of loyal fans, he's not exactly rolling in the dough. The band's gigs don't bring in much, and once you split it up between all the members, it's even less so. Around this time, Jan decides to expand into new ventures. He creates a new company called JRD Productions, Inc. A big part of the business is buying and selling Polish merchandise. With the USSR's grip on Poland weakening, the country's factories are liquidating their inventory. And Jan sees this as an opportunity. He buys thousands of dollars of Polish cultural merchandise for dirt cheap, and then he sells those same items at an insane markup back at his shows in the US this is a legit business, but he still needs cash to build up his inventory. Luckily, he has access to a large group of people who love and most importantly, trust him. So he reaches out to fans and says that he has an investment opportunity for them. He claims that if they give him a small investment, but no less than $1,000, he'll give them a promissory note, basically guaranteeing a 12% return. That is an insane return. And as Jan says, Wall street only gives you a 10% return if you're lucky. Jan is a smooth talker, and his celebrity Persona is built on a rags to riches story. His fans see him as successful and smart, so they're probably inclined to believe him when he says that this is a good investment. Many give him tens of thousands of dollars. Some give up to six figures.
- [16:48]
B
Wow. I mean, it's such a crazy jump to do this from, like, just being a normal, legitimate artist. And it makes sense that his fans would jump at this opportunity because think about it at this time, like, what are the ways a fan could be close to an artist? It's not like now where you can follow them, blah, blah, blah, blah. It makes total sense to me.
- [17:10]
A
Well, for what it's worth, it really does seem like Yan thinks this will be a win, win situation for everyone. He's already come so far in life. He's got total faith in his own potential. And by 1990, two years after starting JRD Productions, Jan is doing well enough to open his very own storefront in Hazleton. It's called Jan Levan Show Gifts, and they sell Polish souvenirs, dolls, costumes, and Baltic amber set in gold and silver jewelry. Things are going so well that Jan even starts paying dividends to his investors. But he pays these dividends with money from new investors, making this a classic Ponzi scheme.
- [17:49]
B
It is so crazy thinking of how quickly it turned into a Ponzi scheme. Yeah, it really just naturally went there. I understand he wants to grow, but it seems like he's so successful, like, it feels like a very unnecessary scam.
- [18:03]
A
Well, Jan does it anyway. He rakes in the investments for a couple of years. And then in 1992, he gets a call from the Pennsylvania Securities Commission. They've heard that Yan is selling promissory notes, but he hasn't registered with the state or filed a business plan. This call comes as a surprise to him. He claims in a later interview with Glenn Beck, of all people, that he ran his plan by an accountant who gave him the legal all clear before it even began. But either way, this is an illegal investment scheme. So the Pennsylvania Securities Commission gives him a warning. Jann agrees to cancel the promissory notes, pay a $1,300 fine, and not sell any more unregistered securities. But this is just a slap on the wrist, and Yan takes it that way. He starts a new company and goes right back to selling unlicensed securities. But he's about to walk into a very public controversy because Jan has made a mistake. That's unusual for our scammers. He really loves his wife. It's March 1995, and Rhonda is at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles for the Grammys. This is the biggest night of Yan's career. He's been nominated for best polka album. Rhonda is by her husband's side, hopnobbing with 90s icons like Boyz II Men and Amy Grant. Here's a picture of them with Tom Jones. Sarah, can you describe it?
- [19:23]
B
Yeah. I mean, there's a lot to say here for such a straightforward photo. Tom Jones is between Rhonda and Yan, and they're all quite tanned, so orange, very orange. You know, this is so of the time. Like, everything to me when I'm looking at this is like mid-90s, and they just look really happy. And again, like Tom Jones, he's a big deal. And wait, before I continue. Best polka album was a Grammy.
- [19:52]
A
I think it still is.
- [19:53]
B
Is it still okay?
- [19:54]
A
I think it's just not televised anymore.
- [19:55]
B
Okay. You know what? Mad respect to the polka community. Okay. I'm scared they're going to come for us.
- [20:02]
A
They probably will. Well, Jan and Rhonda have gotten used to being around famous people. Jan has become a regular at Donald Trump's Taj Mahal, sometimes riding into the hall on a horse. Rhonda is happy for Jann, but she feels like she's living in the shadow of her husband. When Rhonda was younger, she played the accordion. She was on her high school student council, and she studied X ray technology at a local hospital. And now she spends most of her life Helping Jan achieve his dreams. And while she loves him and their two children, it doesn't feel like enough. So now, in her 30s, she decides she needs to have her own goals outside of being Mrs. Lavon. Like returning to her pageant queen roots.
- [20:42]
B
Yeah. She gets with an adult man as a teenager, and clearly everything will stop in her life in order to fulfill his dreams. She's in her 30s, at the prime of her life, and I guess it's good that she feels like she can restart and get back into the world of pageantry. Though I fear for her because as a woman in her 30s right now, I don't think pageants would be too kind to me.
- [21:07]
A
Well, Rhonda jumps into it. In 1998, she signs up for a competition for married women called the Mrs. Pennsylvania pageant. And Rhonda takes it very seriously. She takes dance classes, gets a personal trainer, and goes to speech and modeling classes. She travels to Florida to get a competition bathing suit, and Jan is behind her the entire way. When the pageant arrives, Rhonda feels pretty good. Jan buses in dozens of his fans and bandmates to cheer her on. She shows up wearing a jean jacket yan bought for her, embroidered with the title Mrs. Pennsylvania 98. Here she is in her pageant look. Can you describe her?
- [21:46]
B
You know, she looks very happy, I will say, and it's nice that at least her husband is supportive of her in this way where he's, like, trying to drum up support, bringing fans along. It's like she's just a very 90s looking woman. She has short hair and, like, you know, that 90s pixie cut style thing. Her eyebrows are insane.
- [22:08]
A
They look like they're doing long division.
- [22:10]
B
But I would like to say, is there just a pageant for anything? Yeah, A pageant for married women.
- [22:16]
A
Yeah, there's like a million of them. All of the Mrs. Pageants. Sarah, you have to be married. You know that, right? Like Mrs. Universe. Like, you have to be a married woman for that.
- [22:25]
B
Oh, my God. There should be a pageant for girls like me.
- [22:28]
A
Yeah, I'm sure we can find a pageant for, like, bitter bitches in their 30s. You and I would both tie for first place.
- [22:35]
B
Yeah, that's true.
- [22:35]
A
We would kiss on the podium, and then we would take our $200 prize and go to Olive Garden.
- [22:41]
B
Wow.
- [22:44]
A
Well, when it comes time to announce the winner, Rhonda Mulholland. Rhonda is delighted to hear her name, and there's audible surprise in the room because no one really expected her to win. She was up against some pretty tough competition, but there are tons of cheers of support as well. And Ronda finally feels like she has her own place in the spotlight separate from her famous husband. She's overwhelmed and starts crying. But Ronda's elation won't last long because her title is about to be challenged and the ensuing controversy won't just undermine her burgeoning pageant career, It'll kickstart the fall of her husband's empire.
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B
I feel like I legend.
- [23:30]
A
It's the same night as Rhonda's big win in the Mrs. Pennsylvania pageant and Rita Rowley is licking her wounds at the after party. Rita is a 46 year old blonde, beautiful mom who has been doing well in the pageant these past couple of years. She was just named runner up, but she is not happy because she was positive this was going to be her year. Instead, the wife of a celebrity swooped in and stole her crown. Plus the buses of fans and a very arrogant jean jacket didn't exactly endear Ronda to Rita and her competitors.
- [24:02]
B
Wow, this is really fascinating because I was seeing this completely differently when I was getting it from Rhonda's perspective. But I do understand, like, yeah, if I was a regular woman in a pageant and this woman with a famous husband bustin people and gave her a jean jacket, I'd be like, what the hell? Where did she come from?
- [24:21]
A
Yeah, I'd be mad too. The mood in the room isn't especially festive, and when Rita looks over at the judges, she sees that they're cuddled in the corner. Here's Rita later describing what happened on the American Greed podcast. They came to us and said there has been an error. We need to get the scorecards back because all the judges are saying she wasn't even near the top of their tabulations. Apparently, some of the judges did not pick Rhonda as the winner. So over the next few months, Rita and some of the other contestants publicly dispute the outcome. Their claims make news nationwide and the attention forces state authorities to open a case against the pageant organizers. Since it's a crime in Pennsylvania to rig a public contest, detectives start looking into the allegations against Rhonda and her and Nyon's reputation takes a major hit. But ever the supportive wife, Guy Yan releases a song to celebrate Rhonda and puts up a poster in the window of their gift shop that says the home of Mrs. Pennsylvania. Rita is furious. She's even more upset when the couple goes on a local talk show to discuss the scandal. And Jan jokes that he called in a favor with the pope. To get Rhonda the win. And Rita is positively fuming in July when Rhonda gets to go to Las Vegas to compete in the the Mrs. United States national pageant. But Rhonda doesn't win.
- [25:40]
B
You know, when we do stories where there's one person who just can't let go because they were personally harmed, and they're like, I'm gonna topple down all of this because I deserve justice and so does everyone else. I feel like that's Rita for me right now.
- [25:54]
A
Yeah, Rita's a g. And she gets her first taste of victory in August 1998, when four of the pageant organizers are charged with rigging a public contest, Theft by deception, and criminal conspiracy. Rhonda isn't charged with anything, but she steps down as Mrs. Pennsylvania just before a group of pageant officials vote on whether to dethrone her. Rita is thrilled. Not just because Rhonda has gone down, but this means that she's the winner. However, the national pageant organizers say that the title of Mrs. Pennsylvania will remain vacant the rest of the year because the votes were, quote, so messed up. Can you read what Rita told the Hazleton standard speaker about that choice?
- [26:33]
B
Yes. She said, I'm gonna take it to court if that's the case. I feel like I'm being screwed twice. I mean, yeah, I get it. Because they determined she had won and it was their mistake. I don't know why she wouldn't just get the title instead of them pretending it was a wash and never happened at all.
- [26:53]
A
Well, eventually, the local district attorney confirms that Rita would have been the rightful winner. And in October, she finally gets her crown. When the case goes to trial in 1999, Rita follows it closely. The prosecutor suggests the competition was rigged as a favor to Jan, and the trial reveals that Rhonda brought in $3,000 in advertising revenue to the pageant, the most of any contestant. But Rhonda says she sold those ads to show she was a well respected entrepreneurial woman, not to buy her crown. The whole trial feels a bit like a show itself, as if the local authorities are just reacting to the bad press. The jurors are puzzled that the pageant organizer's financial records were never collected during the investigation to see if they'd been paid off. And they wonder why Rhonda was never charged or even called as a witness, since she was the person allegedly benefiting from the fraud. When the verdict comes in, the pageant director and her husband are acquitted. The jury foreman says that the contest was clearly rigged, but the prosecutors hadn't done enough to prove their case against the couple. And the charges against the other two pageant organizers are dropped the next day. Likely because the prosecution's case against the first two was pretty weak. Rita is glad to see the Levins reputation has taken a hit, even if they didn't face real legal consequences for her. The scandal has come to a close. But the spotlight on Ronda's questionable win will spook Jann's investors, exposing cracks in his business and in one of his closest friendships. It's the late 90s and Pete Chacho is having a difficult conversation with his boss. Pete is Jann's accordion player and the guy who joined Jann in Rome with a suitcase full of cash. That wild trip didn't scare Pete off. He's very loyal. And Jan has been a good friend to Pete too. Like, he normally pays for Pete's wife Harriet to join them on their international travels. But since the Mrs. Pennsylvania pageant scandal, Jan's investors have been pulling their money, which has really put the squeeze on his businesses. So Jann has bad news for Pete. He can't afford to pay for Harriet to come on their next trip. This is a problem for Pete, who is just as big a wife guy as Yan. He's so pissed that after a big fight, he decides to leave the band.
- [29:08]
B
What universe is this where these musicians are obsessed with their wives being around them? Like, is this the world of polka?
- [29:15]
A
Do you think these polka players have lots of other options in terms of, like, women to cheat on their wives with?
- [29:19]
B
Yes, of course they do.
- [29:22]
A
Maybe the female polka groupies have more self respect than that.
- [29:25]
B
Yeah, maybe they do. Maybe it's just, you know, pretty legit fandom.
- [29:30]
A
Well, Pete feels betrayed and he's a dangerous enemy for Jann to have because he knows a lot about Jan's investment scheme. Jan once told Pete that people had invested half a million dollars, which would mean he owes $60,000 a year alone. But that was a while ago, and Pete has no idea how much more money Yan has coaxed away from their fans. Around this time, someone starts making anonymous calls to Yan's investors, warning them that the promissory notes are illegal. And when the investors bring their concerns to Yan, he says the anonymous caller is actually Pete, who's just mad about being kicked out of the band. There are even rumors that Pete's been working with another snitch, Rhonda's mother, who wants her daughter to be free of Yan. For what it's worth, Pete denies that he's the one making the calls and no one ever proves a connection between him and Rhonda's mother. But either way, he's pretty blunt in his opinion of Jan's scheme. When people ask him about their investments, he tells them to take their money and get out. People start taking his advice and between Rhonda's pageant scandal, scary anonymous phone calls, and Pete straight up telling people Jan is screwing them over, the whole scheme begins to fall apart. And soon a tragedy in Jan's life will push his financial situation to its limit. By the end of 2000, things are looking pretty bad for Jan. The net profit of all of his companies combined comes out to 16 grand. He desperately needs more money to keep his store, his music career and his travel business going. Jan sends letters to his established investors promising them a jaw dropping 20% return if they give him more money. And while some people actually buy in, the Pennsylvania Securities Commission finds out what he's doing. By the middle of January 2001, they sanction Jan again for selling unlicensed securities and bar him from selling securities in Pennsylvania for five years. Jann decides there's only one way he can get out of the hole by doing his actual job. He books a sold out six night run of shows in Florida in the hopes that the money will help tide things over until he can find a solution. So on January 25, 2001, the Jan Levan Orchestra loads into a Ford minibus. The band now includes Jan's grown up son Daniel, who plays the trumpet. Jan takes the first driving shift, but around 3am he gets tired and another band member takes over. Around 6am as the van crosses into South Carolina, the driver falls asleep at the wheel and the bus crashes into a concrete bridge column. When Jann comes to, he finds a tragic scene. Two of his band members are dead, the others are badly injured and his son is unresponsive. They rush to the hospital where Jan learns that Daniel's injuries are so severe he might not survive. Jan is devastated. He tells Rhonda that if Daniel doesn't make it, he is going to kill himself. But luckily, after about a week in the hospital, Daniel's condition stabilizes and he's able to fly home with Rhonda and Jan. At home, Jan is fully focused on his son's recovery, which is understandable, but it means he isn't bringing any money in from gigs or new investors and he's putting whatever does come in towards Daniel's medical bills. Jan's investors get spooked. Many ask to take their money out, but Jann says they can't. When one investor confronts him, Jan claims all of his financial records were destroyed in the bus crash. Understandably, people are skeptical. Why would someone take boxes of financial records with them on tour?
- [33:08]
B
Wow. This is insane. The tragedy of the crash mixed in with his own woes and his son. It's a tragedy in itself, but that is such a lie of desperation because it's so stupid.
- [33:22]
A
Yeah. He's trapped, and Jan's friends are getting worried. One fellow polka musician suggests Jan take a permanent vacation to Poland, where no one can find him. But Jann says if he has to pay the price, he will pay the price. Jan has no choice but to file for bankruptcy and close his businesses. Jan seems to be realizing that the good times may be over. And now it's time for him to take his final bow. More than a year after the tragic bus crash, Katherine Damavandy is assigned to investigate Jan levan. Catherine is 28 years old, with raven hair and a professional sense of. Of style. She's a deputy attorney general in the state of Delaware, and she's looking into calls from investors who claim that Yan was soliciting Delaware fans into his scheme. After he was banned from selling securities in Pennsylvania, a lot of victims come forward, including an elderly Polish American couple who started investing in 1999. They didn't have much cash, so they sold a trailer they used as a vacation property and invested 30 grand with Jan. They trusted Jan so much so that they told him to take any interest they earned and reinvest it. Catherine starts digging into the case and notices that Jan's businesses were losing money. In one recent year, they lost more than $200,000. All of his alleged profits were just coming from other investors. And on top of that, he ignored the Pennsylvania Securities Commission's warning. That's enough to prove that he didn't just make a mistake. This is criminal intent.
- [34:53]
B
Ugh. It is so sad when, like, the victims of the Ponzi scheme are just, like, totally regular people. Yeah, it's not like these high powered businessmen who have millions and millions of dollars. These are just his fans.
- [35:07]
A
Yeah.
- [35:08]
B
Sweet Polish couples who don't have that much money and are like, we believe in you and we love your music, and you bring us together culturally. It's just so cruel.
- [35:18]
A
Yeah, it's really unfair. Well, the following year, Catherine brings her case to a grand jury. They indict Jan on 57 felony counts, including racketeering, securities fraud, theft, and the sale of unregistered securities. Within hours, Catherine's office gets a flood of calls from other victims. When they had asked Yan how many investors he had, he said 8 to 12. But in reality, there were more than 400 investors in 21 states who gave Jan close to $5 million in total. Catherine never sees the case go to trial, because by December 2003, Jan pleads guilty to six charges for racketeering, theft from the elderly, and sale of unregistered securities. Catherine is satisfied when he gets sentenced to five years alongside an order to pay $87,000 in restitution to the Delaware families. Catherine might be done with Jan, but many other victims aren't. That flood of calls opens a new federal case, and Yan's American dream is about to turn into an American nightmare.
- [36:28]
B
I feel like a legend.
- [36:34]
A
In January 2004, Yan reports to a state prison in Delaware to serve his first five year sentence. While behind bars, he pleads guilty to additional state charges in New Jersey for securities fraud and money laundering and to federal charges for mail and wire fraud. His three sentences will run simultaneously, keeping his time in jail to around five years. He's ordered to pay back nearly $5 million in restitution, but his lawyers say Yan has no assets, and the only way he'll be able to pay his victims is by restarting his singing career once he's released. Jan may have committed some serious crimes, although he isn't a hardened criminal. But Delaware places him in a maximum security prison alongside violent offenders. With his gentle demeanor and thick accent, he does not fit in. And worse still, Yan later claims that rumors started to spread around the prison that he was locked up for crimes against a child, which puts a huge target on him with fellow inmates. In April, just a couple of months after starting his sentence, Jan's cellmate attacks him with a makeshift weapon. Jan's neck gets sliced open, but he manages to hold on until one of the guards finally notices. It's brutal, but somehow he survives, Although the attack leaves Jan with possible nerve damage.
- [37:47]
B
Wow. I'm really shocked.
- [37:50]
A
Another time for us to talk about how we hate jail.
- [37:52]
B
Well, yeah, I mean, and usually we see people go to prison for these kinds of crimes, and they're never in maximum security.
- [38:00]
A
Very rarely.
- [38:01]
B
Very rarely. And, yeah, I mean, that's super brutal. I really wasn't expecting this to happen.
- [38:08]
A
Yeah. Well, the attack isn't Jan's only health issue. In 2006, he develops a heart problem. So the state of Delaware commutes the rest of his sentence. But he still has to finish serving his federal time, which means he has three years to go. And to make things worse, Rhonda asks Jann for a divorce. He bounces around different detention centers for a few years until he finally lands at a halfway house in Pennsylvania, where he finishes out his sentence in 2009. At 67, he's finally released, but not before learning a new polka rap. Here's one of the songs he wrote while he was incarcerated. The only crime I did commit Was.
- [38:47]
B
Wanted to be famous no one was.
- [38:50]
A
Hurt and I did not something heinous Listen to my story Hear the tale that I relate so you and your.
- [38:57]
B
Loved ones may escape my afro faith oh my God.
- [39:01]
A
It's pretty good.
- [39:02]
B
He's back to being himself. Although I guess because he was in prison, he thought, hey, why don't I do rap? Also like him saying that the only crime was that he wanted to be famous and that no one was hurt. You did do something. There were victims. There was a lot of money.
- [39:21]
A
Yes, exactly. Jann might claim that no one was hurt, but his victims disagree. They're still livid, especially since Jann can't pay the restitution he owes. Many of them give their side of the story in the documentary the man who Would Be Poka King, which debuts soon after Yan's release. Though Yan participates in the film, his victim stories take center stage, like retired couple Bill and Leona Martin, who have seven children. Bill worked at General Electric for 30 years, and Leona worked as a bus driver for 20. After Jann took their money, she was forced to go back to work. She estimates that between the two of them and a couple of their kids, they invested a million dollars in Yan. Here's what they told the I figure whatever he's getting, he deserves. We still have each other, we still have our family, we still have the love of everybody, but he doesn't.
- [40:15]
B
It seems like the most important thing to Jan was fame. So, yeah, I mean, he does have that now it's the only thing he cares about, right?
- [40:23]
A
Yes, exactly. Leona also says that she thinks that Jan's prison attacker didn't go deep enough, a feeling repeated by other victims. Though it's unlikely Leona would take things into her own hands. One of Jan's friends gets worried for Jann's safety, so he invites Jann to move to Florida to live with him and his girlfriend. Though the documentary is unequivocal about Yan's scamming ways, it's about to catch the eye of someone in Hollywood, and Yan will finally get the type of mainstream celebrity he's Been chasing all along. It's 2017, eight years after Yan was released from prison. Yan is in Utah at the Sundance Film Festival watching the premiere of a movie about his life. It's called the Poke King, and Netflix is about to acquire it for seven figures. The documentary made Yan look pretty awful, but it also caught the attention of actor and musician Jack Black, who decided that he had to play Jann in a movie. And they're at Sundance today to show it off. Jenny Slate plays the character based on Rhonda, and Jason Schwartzman plays the stand in for Pete. After the screening, Jack brings Yan up on stage to celebrate. The two men collaborated closely throughout filming, and Jack has really nailed Yan's accent and his dance moves. Let's listen to them perform a rapping polka duet on stage in Park City. The crowd eats it up. Rhonda accompanies Jann, and they take photos together. Despite the fact that they divorced a long time ago, Rhonda and Jan are still friends. In a twist, she actually married Steve, Jan's former trumpet player and the man behind the wheel during the van accident.
- [42:09]
B
Okay, these people are messy. Yeah. Rhonda, just leave the polka community. They've done you.
- [42:17]
A
They've done you dirty.
- [42:18]
B
They've done you dirty. They've ruined your life. In some ways, it's just nuts that she's married to. It's nuts that she's married to this guy. And also, it's so weird to imagine these two being amicable in any sense.
- [42:30]
A
Yeah, it's very bizarre. Well, this screening is a serious culmination of Yan's redemption journey. He comes out of the event looking like a misguided dreamer instead of an evil villain, which doesn't sit well with some of his victims these days. Yan is still living in Florida. He's a piano teacher and now a grandfather. There's a musical in the works based on his life called Big Famous, written by Yan's former musical director. And according to Yan's Instagram, it started rehearsals earlier this year. Yan still plays polka music at festivals from time to time to help pay some of the restitution he owes. But now he's got a whole new band. Sarah, this is one of my least favorite scams because, you know, it is really funny and weird, but we can't even laugh at it because the people he was ripping off were just, like, overly trusting polka fans.
- [43:19]
B
Yeah, the circumstances around it are. Let's not lie, you're quite funny. But, yeah, it is so evil when it is just a bunch of regular People who just love your music and your work.
- [43:34]
A
I mean, I guess, like, the lesson, if there is one to pull from this is like, why should you trust, like, some artist you like with your money?
- [43:42]
B
Yes, exactly. It's like, you just kind of believe that enjoying their work and connecting to it means that they're good people or trust you or appreciative of you, but it's transactional to a certain level.
- [43:55]
A
I think he also benefited from ripping people off within his own community.
- [43:59]
B
Yes.
- [44:00]
A
Like, obviously, if you are a Polish American and you really like polka, then you're more inclined to trust this guy. If he had tried to set up this Ponzi scheme in any other community, it wouldn't have worked, because why would you trust him?
- [44:12]
B
Yeah. I mean, I think it makes it even more painful because I feel like there's a deeper level of kinship here. I do think it's crazy, though, that he legitimately did know the Pope. Like, that wasn't a scam. Like, in my mind, I'm like, oh, this is the beginning of the scam. He's one of those people that lies about knowing the Pope, but I guess.
- [44:27]
A
He just knew how to buy his way into St. Peter's but if someone.
- [44:32]
B
Told me they knew the Pope and the Pope knew them by name, I would trust them a little bit more because I'd be like, well, you know, the Pope.
- [44:41]
A
I really love that all of this fell apart because he just loved his wife too dang much, and he frightened his way into her good graces, too.
- [44:50]
B
Yeah. In my mind, I'm like, he clearly had an image he was trying to uphold of his life and marriage, and he went so far for a pageant. Maybe she could have won on her own. You could make the case that if there was robust arts funding, Polka King wouldn't need to have scammed.
- [45:08]
A
You know, everything goes back to an arts council grant.
- [45:11]
B
Yep. If he just got to apply for some grants and got his pay, if.
- [45:15]
A
Somebody liked Hitler's paintings, things would have been different.
- [45:18]
B
You know, I'm just scared of how much fame corrupts, you know? And this guy was talented. We've had so many people who've dipped their toes into entertainment, and anytime they do, they're always bad. We haven't had one scammer who's been really, really good at what they're doing. And I could tell this guy was good at polka.
- [45:37]
A
You know what? Again, just do the thing you're good at. Don't do fraud. Just be good at the thing.
- [45:42]
B
If I was there, if I was his manager. Wouldn't have happened.
- [45:45]
A
Well, that's why you're mine.
- [45:46]
B
Yep. Yep. And that's why you're out of jail for now.
- [45:56]
A
Loving Scamflancers get exclusive episodes and early access to new ones. All ad free on Wondry Plus. Join now in the Wondry app, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Before you go, help us out by taking a quick survey@wondry.com survey this is Jan Levan. From Polka Dreams to Ponzi Schemes, I'm Sachi Kol.
- [46:18]
B
And I'm Sarah Hagie. If you have a tip for us on a story that you think we should cover, please email us@scamfluencerswondery.com we use many sources in our research. A few that were particularly helpful were the documentary the man who Would Be Polka King the American Greed podcast Polka King When An American Dream Turned Turns into An American Tragedy Jan Levan Strives for Redemption by Vince Chesney and Cosmopolitan Review Beauty Queen Resigns Cheating Alleged by the Associated Press the Polka King's Empire Crumbles by Jerry Lynott in the Times Leader and Rise and Fall of a King by Kelly Monitz in the Standard.
- [46:55]
A
Speaker Jessica Ford wrote this episode. Additional writing by us, Sachi Cole and Sarah Hagie. Eric Thurm is our story editor. Fact Check by Gabrielle Drollet sound design by James Morgan. Additional audio assistance provided by Augustine Lim. Our music supervisor is Scott Velasquez for Freeze on Sync. Our managing producer is Desi Blaylock. Our senior managing producer is Callum Plews, Janine Cornello and Stephanie Jens, our development producers. Our associate producer is Charlotte Miller. Our producer is Julie McGruder. Our senior producers are Sarah Enny and Ginny Blum. Our executive producers are Jenny Lauer, Beckman, Marshall Louie and Aren't O Flarity for Wondry.