Lisette Lee: The Simple Life Of Crime | 167

Summary

Scamfluencers Episode Summary: Lisette Lee - The Simple Life Of Crime (Episode 167)

Introduction

In Episode 167 of Wondery's "Scamfluencers," hosts Scaachi Koul and Sarah Hagi delve into the captivating story of Lisette Lee, a charismatic figure whose ascent from a glamorous Beverly Hills heiress to a notorious drug trafficker epitomizes the dark side of influencer culture. This detailed exploration uncovers the layers of deception, manipulation, and ambition that defined Lisette's life and ultimately led to her downfall.

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Lisette Lee's Early Life and Background

The story begins in 1981, Seoul, South Korea, where Lisette Lee was born Ji Yeon. Her early life took a dramatic turn when her close friend Yoshi Morita faced societal pressures preventing his marriage to Corinne, a wealthy Korean heiress. Unable to marry due to anti-Japanese sentiment and cultural stigmas surrounding unmarried parents, Yoshi turned to his friend Pam Kol Lee for help. Master Li, a respected Taekwondo practitioner and sixth-degree black belt, and his wife made the selfless decision to adopt Lisette when she was just three weeks old.

Quote:

"Yoshi needs his friend's help. Master Lee steps in. He and his wife offer to raise Yoshi's child." [06:50]

Master Lee relocated his family to Beverly Hills in 1986, enrolling Lisette in public school to shield her from the corrupting influences of her affluent biological parents, who were deeply entrenched in the Samsung empire and the casino industry.

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Rise to Fame and Glamorous Lifestyle

Despite Master Lee's intentions, Lisette's natural inclination towards the lavish LA lifestyle became evident by 2005. Emulating the likes of Paris Hilton, she began crafting an image of a high-profile heiress. Lisette’s early ventures into acting saw her landing cameo roles, such as in the indie film "The Doorman," where she played herself.

Her charm and ostentatious display of wealth, including gifts like a Mercedes convertible and a Ferrari model, fostered rumors of her being a Samsung heiress. However, these claims were largely fabricated, lacking any substantial ties to the conglomerate.

Quote:

"Lisette plays herself. Master Lee has been trying to protect Lisette from the glamorous LA life, but it has not worked." [06:58]

Lisette's online persona on MySpace, under the username "Royal Princess 007," showcased a blend of glamorous modeling photos and flashy animations, attracting Miley Katie, a struggling actress from Washington State, to join her inner circle.

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Lisette's Descent into Crime

Lisette's appetite for excess and control led her down a perilous path. By 2009, she had begun orchestrating elaborate drug trafficking schemes, positioning herself as the mastermind behind a sophisticated operation that involved smuggling large quantities of marijuana across state lines.

Her relationship with Christian Navarro, a successful wine entrepreneur, and Scott Brian Cooper, a publicist and aspiring actor, were tactical moves to expand her influence within Hollywood's elite circles. Lisette's manipulation extended to demeaning her associates, as evidenced when she referred to Scott as a "little desperate whore" [18:31], highlighting her controlling and abusive nature.

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Involvement of Miley Katie

Miley Katie's entanglement with Lisette began when she accepted a position as Lisette's personal assistant, lured by the promise of financial stability and flexible time for auditions. Unbeknownst to Miley, this role was a façade for her involvement in Lisette's drug operations.

Lisette exploited Miley's naivety, using her bank account to funnel illicit funds and involving her in high-stakes smuggling flights. Despite Miley's growing discomfort and ethical dilemmas, Lisette's relentless persuasion kept her entangled deeper into the criminal enterprise.

Quote:

"Miley did feel safer knowing that she would be willing to kill someone to save me." [17:45]

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DEA Investigation and Arrest

The volume and frequency of Lisette's drug shipments eventually attracted federal attention. DEA Special Agent Matthew Heufelder spearheaded the investigation, focusing on the suspicious pattern of private jet flights transporting massive amounts of marijuana from Los Angeles to Columbus, Ohio.

In June 2010, during a routine inspection, the DEA intercepted a Gulfstream jet laden with over 500 pounds of marijuana and supplementary cocaine, alongside substantial financial ledgers detailing the operation. Lisette's elaborate attempts to obscure her involvement—such as lodging Miles' name as the flight organizer—proved futile when the DEA connected the dots.

Quote:

"It's boneheaded. Well, Lisette offers to charter the jet, using her flashy lifestyle as a cover for the shipment." [23:06]

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Trial and Consequences

Facing 15 counts, including conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute over 1,000 kilograms of marijuana, Lisette's trial was marred by revelations of her fraudulent background and fabricated connections. Master Lee's testimony and Samsung's public disavowal of any relationship with her further dismantled her constructed persona.

Despite various legal maneuvers and attempts to manipulate the narrative, Lisette accepted a plea deal, resulting in a six-year prison sentence—relatively lenient perhaps due to influential blueprints submitted on her behalf.

Quote:

"Lisette wasn't about to back down. She's about to get involved in something that really, really does." [40:42]

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Aftermath and Reflections

Post-incarceration, Lisette attempted to rehabilitate her image through media engagements, including a contentious interview with Rolling Stone's Sabrina Erdley. Her efforts to humanize herself were met with skepticism and backlash, overshadowed by her extensive criminal activities.

Miley Katie, meanwhile, served a brief sentence and transformed her ordeal into a memoir titled "How a Small Town Girl Accidentally Wound Up Smuggling 7,000 Pounds of Marijuana with the Pot Princess of Beverly Hills." The book served as both a cautionary tale and a stepping stone to her new career in public relations.

Quote:

"I could never hate her. If I allowed that to happen, I risked the possibility of loving her again." [45:12]

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Host Commentary and Insights

Throughout the episode, Scaachi Koul and Sarah Hagi provide incisive commentary, highlighting the psychological manipulation and societal factors that enabled Lisette's rise and fall. They intertwine humor with critique, emphasizing the absurdity and brutality of Lisette's actions.

Notable Host Quotes:

• Sarah Hagi reflects on Lisette's attempts at control:

  "Why wouldn't she? Why not? I think this is her breaking down mentally." [46:17]

• Scaachi Koul muses on Lisette's mismanaged persona:

  "At least they were having fun. I feel like the issue with Lisette is she didn't party enough." [52:25]

• Discussion on the operational flaws in Lisette's scheme:

  "Who is going from LA to Ohio with a bunch of bags all the time?" [37:01]

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Conclusion

Lisette Lee's saga is a potent illustration of how the allure of wealth, fame, and influence can distort one's values and lead to criminality. Her ability to manipulate those around her underscores the vulnerability of individuals seeking acceptance and success in a high-pressure environment. The episode not only sheds light on Lisette's intricate web of deception but also serves as a broader commentary on the cultural phenomena that nurture such "Scamfluencers."

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Additional References

• Books and Articles:

  • "How a Small Town Girl Accidentally Wound Up Smuggling 7,000 Pounds of Marijuana with the Pot Princess of Beverly Hills" by Miley Katie
  • "The Gangster Princess of Beverly Hills" by Sabrina Rubin Erdley for Rolling Stone

• Produced By:

  • Steven Michaels, Jonathan Koch, Mark Monroe, and Alex Piper for "Gangsters America's Most Evil."

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Production Credits

• Written by: Merritt Kay
• Additional Writing: Sachi Cole and Sarah Hagi
• Story Editor: Eric Thurm
• Fact Checking: Kalina Newman
• Sound Design: James Morgan
• Additional Audio Assistance: Augustine Lim
• Music Supervisor: Scott Velasquez for Freeze on Sync
• Managing Producer: Desi Blaylock
• Senior Managing Producers: Callum Plews, Janine Cornello, and Stephanie Jens
• Associate Producer: Charlotte Miller
• Producer: Julie McGruder
• Senior Producers: Sarah Enny and Ginny Blume
• Executive Producers: Jenny Lauer, Beckman Marshall Louie, and Aaron O'Flaherty for Wondery

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This comprehensive summary encapsulates the key developments, character arcs, and thematic explorations from Episode 167 of "Scamfluencers," offering a thorough understanding for those who haven't listened to the episode.

Transcript

[Sarah Hagie]

Hey scamfluencers fans, Sarah here. If you love the drama Deception and mind blowing reveals, Wondery is your VIP ticket to more ad free episodes, early access to the juiciest scandals and deep dives you won't find anywhere else. Get the full Scamfluencers experience. Sign up today.

[Sachi Cole]

Sarah, do you ever think about the scammers of yore who we have to thank for the scammers of today? Like who walked so Anna Delvey could run?

[Sarah Hagie]

Yeah, you know I do think there are true trailblazers in the field. I say the ones who scammed before there was photoshop and technology and the type of influence you can find online. Like those are the OG trailblazers. Saudi Prince he walked so Anna Delvey could run for sure.

[Sachi Cole]

Well, I like to think that we opened the door for multiracial scam artists, podcasters everywhere.

[Sarah Hagie]

Absolutely. We made history, baby.

[Sachi Cole]

You're welcome. Well, today I'm bringing you back to our era of origin with an early aughts scammer that would give the Bling Ring a run for their stolen Money. It's autumn 2009 in Los Angeles, and Miley Katie is at the bar at the Ritz Carlton, sipping a dirty martini and reading a book. Miley is 21 years old with long dark hair and hazel eyes, and she's waiting for a guy when Mr. Tall, Dark and Handsome walks into the lobby. She greets him and leads him upstairs to a suite, and then she turns around and goes back to the bar. Miley is an aspiring actress. She's booked small roles on shows like Californication, but she's struggling to make ends meet. She's only here at the Ritz because she was invited by her friend Lisette. She is in awe of Lisette. Miley is from a small town in Washington State, while Lizette is a glamorous Beverly Hills heiress. Lizette is an East Asian woman in her late twenties who nearly always sports a heavy smoky eye and winged liner. She's confident and outrageous, and she does all kinds of crazy things Miley would never dream of. For example, it's Lisette's birthday and she wanted to spend the day with Miley at the Ritz. But she also rented this suite to see her boyfriend. Well, one of her boyfriends. That's the guy Miley just let upstairs. After the boyfriend leaves the Ritz, Miley goes up to the suite expecting to hang with Lisette. But Lizette sends her back to the lobby to wait for another guy and bring him up to the room.

[Sarah Hagie]

I feel like it'd be so undignified to kind of be facilitating this. Like, okay, I guess I'll be the one to run your boyfriends up and down the elevator to visit you. Like, ew.

[Sachi Cole]

Well, eventually the guys are gone and it's just Miley and Lizette. But Miley is a little anxious because Lisette wants to talk to her about something. Lisette starts with an apology. She says that she's done taking Miley for granted and she's going to start making amends by offering Miley a job as her personal assistant. Miley is intrigued. A job is exactly what she needs right now. Even if Lisette is just making up a position as a way to give her money. Lisette says that all Miley would have to do is travel with her on a private plane. She'll pay Miley in cash and give her all the time off she needs to get to auditions. It seems simple enough. So Miley says yes, this could be the answer to her prayers. But Miley doesn't realize that this so called job is about to take her on a high flying adventure. One where she'll discover that behind this queen bee's perfect facade is a hive of secrets.

[Lisette Lee]

You know that person in your life who just can't stand mayo? Call them traumatized. Call them close minded. We get it. They're stuck in their ways. But here's the thing. They just haven't tried Hellman's flavored mayo. We're talking bold flavors that will flip even the biggest skeptics. Spicy mayo that adds the perfect kick to your burger. Garlic aioli that transforms ordinary fries into something extraordinary. Chipotle mayo that turns your basic wrap into a smoky sensation. So to all the mayo haters out there, yes, we're looking at you. It's time to eat your words. Because with mayo this flavorful, any hater is just a mayo lover waiting to be convinced. Hellman's flavored Mayo. Get ready to eat your words. Why are there ridges on Reese's peanut butter cups? Probably so they never slip from her hands. Could you imagine I'd lose it? Luckily, Reese has thought about that. Wonder what else they think about. Probably chocolate and peanut butter.

[Sachi Cole]

From Wondery. I'm Sachi Cole.

[Sarah Hagie]

And I'm Sarah Hagie.

[Sachi Cole]

And this is Scamfluencers.

[Sarah Hagie]

Come and give me your attention. I won't ever learn my lesson. Turn my speakers to 11. I feel like a legend.

[Sachi Cole]

Lisette Leigh seems like the epitome of a 2000s era Louisiana. It girl. She's a beautiful party girl heiress who uses money to control everyone around her. Her friends, her boyfriends, and her would be boyfriends. But when daddy's cash isn't enough to sustain her lifestyle, she makes a hard pivot into a new career as a Bling ring wannabe who manipulates her adoring posse into acting as her drug mules. I'm calling this one Lizette the Simple life of crime legend. To understand how Lisette became Beverly Hills Pot Princess, we need to go back a few decades and go halfway around the World to 1981 in Seoul, South Korea. Pam Kol Lee just gotten what would be exciting news. His close friend Yoshi Morita had a baby. Pumkol is a Taekwondo practitioner in his early 30s. He met Yoshi 13 years ago when they studied under the same master and they've stayed close ever since. Pumkul stuck with martial arts. He's now a sixth degree black belt and has earned the title Master Li. The two are still tight. Master Lee later describes their relationship as, quote, very close more than brothers. But today, Yoshi is calling Master Lee to say that his new baby is a problem. Yoshi is Japanese and his baby's mother Corinne is Korean. The couple can't get married due to prevailing anti Japanese sentiment in Korea. Plus, Korean culture doesn't look kindly on children raised by unmarried parents. So Yoshi needs his friend's help. Master Lee steps in. He and his wife offer to raise Yoshi's child. They adopt the baby when she's just three weeks old.

[Sarah Hagie]

You know, that's a pretty incredible act of friendship to just make that decision, which I'm sure is hard for everyone involved.

[Sachi Cole]

Yeah, it's pretty profound. Well, the baby's birth name is Ji Yeon, but we'll call her Lisette, the name she eventually chooses for herself. In 1986, when Lisette is five, Master Li makes a big decision. He moves the family to a modest apartment in Beverly Hills. This is partly a work decision. Master Lee has gotten a well paying job as a Taekwondo instructor for Hollywood bigwigs. But this isn't the only thing drawing him to the States. Master Li intends to raise baby Lisette with the values he's developed as a sixth degree black belt. Discipline, restraint and self respect. But to do this, he needs to get Lisette away from the influence of her birth parents. Because Corinne and Yoshi are both insanely rich. Corinne is the daughter of the founder of Samsung, and Yoshi's made a fortune in the casino business, an industry that has a lot of unsavory associations in Asia. Yoshi seems to appreciate everything Master Lee is doing to give his daughter a normal upbringing. The two men meet up every year or so, and each time Yoshi gives Master Li 30 to $50,000 in cash. Master Li could use this money to send Lisette to a fancy private school. Instead, he enrolls her in public school, hoping to keep his adopted daughter away from the corrupting influence of money and privilege. But trying to keep a kid grounded in the heart of Beverly Hills is something even a master can't hope to achieve. It's the middle of 2005 and Lisette is on a movie set wearing a fur coat and being shadowed by a bodygu. She's in her 20s now, and she's following in the footsteps of the hottest celebrity in LA at the time, Paris Hilton. She's filming a cameo in an indie movie called the Doorman, playing herself. Master Lee has been trying to protect Lisette from the glamorous LA life, but it has not worked. Even when he pulled her out of school and started teaching her taekwondo, Yoshi was still there, giving her cash and expensive gifts. Like on Lisette's 16th birthday, Yoshi gave her a Mercedes convertible and a Ferrari 360 model nut Spider. And even though Master Lee doesn't approve, Lisette and Yoshi see each other in person every once in a while.

[Sarah Hagie]

I mean, it must be hard when you definitely have the means to take care of a child, but maybe there's like a level of guilt he feels because it was all about societal pressure and not that he couldn't provide for his daughter.

[Sachi Cole]

Yeah, it's a weird kind of gift giving routine here. Yeah, well, Lisette has used these flashy toys, along with a bit of exaggeration to turn herself into a larger than life life character. The crew on the movie set has heard the rumors that she's an heiress to the Samsung fortune, so they treat her like a real celebrity. Now, it's true that Lisette's biological mother is a Samsung heiress, but as best we can tell, Lisette has never had a professional or financial relationship with the company. Still, none of the other people at the shoot know this, and Lisette isn't doing anything to dispel the rumors. She seems ready for the attention and immediately takes over the set. At some point, she sets her sight on Scott Brian Cooper, a dark haired, bearded publicist, aspiring actor and party boy in his mid-30s. When shooting stops for the day, Lisette sends her bodyguard home and hops into bed with Scott. But Lisette is currently living with someone. Her boyfriend, Christian Navarro. Christian is a sharply dressed man with neat hair who wears horned rimmed glasses. He's a successful wine entrepreneur who's more than a decade older than Lisette. But Lisette isn't sure she even wants to be with Christian. She started dating him because someone dared her to. And besides, being in a stable relationship doesn't exactly reflect a party girl lifestyle.

[Sarah Hagie]

Um, okay. She was dared to have a live in boyfriend. What is this? What movie is this? Well, I guess she was dared to ask him a, you know, that thing.

[Sachi Cole]

Of like, oh, man, I gave this guy a chance and now I live with him.

[Sarah Hagie]

He just put it on. That sounds so insane. But you know what? Yeah, sure. I mean, it's crazy that she's like, well, I guess I live with this guy, but if I'm a real party girl, I should be with someone else.

[Sachi Cole]

Well, don't get me wrong, she is getting something out of their relationship. Christian's wine connections in Hollywood get him into fancy events attended by celebrities like Pierce Brosnan and Julia Louis Dreyfus. And obviously, Lisette is his plus one. Now, Lizette is interested in Scott for similar reasons. He has connections in the entertainment industry, including a record producer who agrees to produce an album for her. Lisette approaches music the same way she approached acting. She's less interested in making music and more into being the kind of person who can. So of course, she shows up to the recording studio wearing intense makeup and designer sunglasses, likely carrying a Chihuahua again, trailed by a bodyguard. By now, she knows exactly how she wants to come across as a controlling, batshit diva. She looks around the room and notices that one of the people present is a 6 foot 3, 400 pound black guy. She throws him the keys, calls him the N word, and tells him to park the car. There's a moment of hesitation, but then almost everyone starts cracking up. And the producer then reportedly says, quote, this girl's a star.

[Sarah Hagie]

Wow, this is so disturbing and diabolical.

[Sachi Cole]

Isn't it crazy? This is like how we were. Like we were raised in this cultural environment.

[Sarah Hagie]

Yes.

[Sachi Cole]

Yes. Well, Sarah, you and I know that there's more to being a diva than throwing around racial slurs and having a squad of men desperate for your attention. If Lisette's gonna be a true early 2000s glamour monster, she needs one more thing. An uncomfortably close, borderline homoerotic female friendship. The Nicole to her, Paris. It's November 2005, and Miley is driving up to a fancy West Hollywood apartment. She's nervous about meeting a new potential friend. Lisette. A mutual friend said she simply had to meet this Samsung heiress. Miley was skeptical, and that wasn't helped by what she found when they connected on MySpace. Lisette's username was Royal Princess 007, and her page had an autoplaying rap song and blingy animations, along with glamorous modeling photos. But their mutual friend told Miley that Lisette's looking for more down to earth friends. Ones who haven't been corrupted by a rich Hollywood life. And after reading Lisette's first message to her, Miley decides to give her a chance. Sarah, will you read some of what Lizette wrote?

[Sarah Hagie]

I would love to. She says you'll get to know me and find out for yourself that I'm not what you might think. People misjudge me simply because I'm an heiress. Unfortunately, my former schoolmate Paris Hilton has given heiresses a bad name. We are not all like that. I don't only like to hang out with other rich people, and I care about more than just money. Yeah, okay. If you have to say it that way, it's not true. And you know what? I would assume most heirs and heiresses to a huge fortune are assholes. Also, she's connected to a family by blood. Sure. Is she an actual heiress? No.

[Sachi Cole]

You're making great points. And when Miley pulls up today, she sees Lisette's purple Mercedes and worries that she might have made a mistake. She's nervous when Lisette insists that they go shopping. But to her relief, they don't hit the fanciest stores on Melrose Avenue. And Lisette is actually nice to the sales staff. Sure, Lisette insults Miley's taste in music almost immediately and tells her that she should start doing cocaine to lose weight. But Miley is new to LA and figures that this is probably normal here. Plus, she finds Lisette magnetic. When Lisette later tells her quote, I just know we're gonna be best friends. Miley believes her. Here is a photo of the two of them together. Sarah.

[Sarah Hagie]

Okay, so it's a photo of them together. And Lisette, you know, she's smizing.

[Sachi Cole]

She's smizing.

[Sarah Hagie]

And Miley is thrilled. Full teeth smile. Which she will learn. Hot girls don't do that. You never smile with your teeth. It's a rule that they all have. It's unspoken. But that is how you know a baddie from a normie.

[Sachi Cole]

I mean, you know, I don't like to smile with my teeth. That's true. Yeah.

[Sarah Hagie]

And I smile with my teeth. And that's why you're a baddie. But you know what is so fascinating here is that this is such a classic female friendship. Like clueless esque rich girl, she's nice.

[Sachi Cole]

To me when no one's around.

[Sarah Hagie]

Yeah, exactly. It's like this is such a classic type of female friendship that is like borderline triggering. Yeah, well, I don't think it's going to get that much better, and I'm excited to see where this goes. I can't wait to see them maximize their joint slay.

[Sachi Cole]

Two queens. Well, after their shopping trip, Lisette takes Miley back to her condo. Maile is stunned as the elevator takes them to the top floor of the building and the heavy wooden door opens into a long hallway. Inside, the condo has polished granite countertops, heavy gold curtains, and a primary bedroom covered in mirrors. Lisette makes them Bloody Marys, and she spills everything to Miley about her boyfriend Christian and her birthright as an heiress to Samsung. Miley later learns that Lisette was mixing truth and fiction, claiming that her parents live in Bel Air and that her dad was instrumental in Sony's success. But today, Miley is riveted as Lizette tells her that she skipped two grades at the elite Buckley School. And not long after, she also claims to be seeing Leonardo DiCaprio and Channing Tatum. Miley is totally swept away by Lisette's confidence and her glamorous life. In just a few weeks, they become incredibly close. Sure, it's a little strange that they only hang out one on one in Lisette's condo with no cell phones, to TV or music. And the emotional intensity of their friendship can be a lot like. One time, Miley tells Lisette that some of her hometown friends used to bully her in elementary school. And Lizette says, quote, these people make me fucking sick. They were never your friends. I would never do that to you. Miley feels defensive of her old friends, but she appreciates Lisette's protectiveness. She finds herself fantasizing about having had a friend like her as a child. It seems like she's made a rare and special connection, and she feels privileged to see the softer, private side of Lisette. But one day, Miley opens a drawer in Lisette's hallway and finds a Handgun. When Miley asks Lisette about it, Lisette says that she should feel safer knowing Lizette could protect them. Miley later writes in her memoir, Smoke that quote, I did feel safer knowing that she would be willing to kill someone to save me.

[Sarah Hagie]

Save you from what? What are we talking about here? You are two girls who like buying things.

[Sachi Cole]

Save her from the haters and the hoes.

[Sarah Hagie]

Okay. It's, like, so confusing.

[Sachi Cole]

Well, all this over the top love bombing comes with a flip side. Lisette can be casually cruel. Miley later says Lisette introduces her to Scott as her, quote, little desperate whore.

[Sarah Hagie]

That's what I'm gonna start calling you. Oh, yeah, her. She's my little desperate whore.

[Sachi Cole]

That's amazing. Well, after Miley finds a boyfriend, Lisette demands to scroll through her phone to keep tabs on her. Their insta relationship has shifted from being a love fest into straight up abuse. Miley is fully caught in Lisette's thrall. And she's not the only one. It's summer 2009, and Scott knows he should stop seeing Lisette. They've been hanging out for a few years now, and she humiliates him pretty much every chance she gets. One night, he even ran into Lisette and her boyfriend Christian at Spago, and he's sure that she set it up to embarrass him. Still, there's something about Lizette that keeps him coming back. Maybe it's the 20 grand she's been promising to invest into his clothing company, which still hasn't materialized. That's why he's invited her to a party at the house of his record producer friend, where he's been crashing for a little while. But when she shows up, she gets distracted by another guy. His name is David Garrett. He's in his late 20s, with a shaved head, covered in tattoos, and wearing pricey jeans and a black polo. David is a drug dealer, and Lisette insists on trying his best product. She cuts up some of his coke with a butcher knife from the kitchen. Then she throws a $100 bill at Scott and tells him to go out and get her a bottle of Grey Goose. He wants to tell her to fuck off, but she's so commanding that he does what she says. When he comes back to the room where she's chatting up David, Lisette grabs the bottle and slams the door in his face.

[Sarah Hagie]

I mean, she treats people like garbage.

[Sachi Cole]

I know. I honestly kind of find it really aspirational.

[Sarah Hagie]

Oh, God.

[Sachi Cole]

Well, Scott knows that he should probably cut his losses and move on, but he can't let it go. So a few weeks later, he decides to get back at Lisette. He tells her that he can't believe she hooked up with a, quote, thug. And he threatens to get in touch with Samsung to tell them what their Hollywood heiress has been up to. Scott and Lisette decide to meet up and talk things over. Lisette sends a black Escalade to pick Scott up, but when he gets into the car, Lisette isn't there. Instead, two big, muscly guys grab him and pull him into the backseat. The driver reportedly calls someone on the phone and says, yes, boss, we have the package. Then the two big guys take Scott's watch, shoes, and wallet before leaving him on the side of the road. They do leave him with his phone, though, and that way, he can read the text that he gets from Lisette later that night. Can you read what she said?

[Sarah Hagie]

Yes. She says, nobody talks to me like that. Now, you see, um, she is straight up crazy, like there's no other way to slice it. Also, I feel like he won't dig any further into her being a Samsung heiress. Now, this is kind of a way to show, like, I do whatever the hell I want. And now you see what happens to people who do that.

[Sachi Cole]

Yeah, this is gangster behavior. Well, Scott tried to push back against Lisette, and he suffered the consequences. But while being roughed up and mugged is a terrifying experience, Scott was right to push Lisette away when he did. Because while Scott doesn't have the power to threaten Lizette's cushy lifestyle, she's about to get involved in something that really, really does. David and Lisette's hookup turns into a relationship, even though they come from very different backgrounds. David was raised by a single mother, dropped out of high school, and started dealing drugs. Like Scott, he's insecure and nervous about keeping Lizette's ATT to keep her interested, he starts bragging about his connections in the drug trade. David tells Lizette that he has a supplier who can get him near endless amounts of weed at 500 bucks a pound. He says he also has contacts in Ohio who will buy from him for double that. So if he can find a way to get it to Ohio, he could make a ton of money. Lisette is really interested and says there's an easy solution to his just hire a private jet. Sure, it costs 50 grand, but they can fit a lot of weed on a jet, which means they can cover the fee and still make a tidy profit.

[Sarah Hagie]

That's insane. Also, people look at what's on jets. You're not in this, like, maritime law.

[Sachi Cole]

Like no man's land world. The sky has no rules.

[Sarah Hagie]

Just because the jet is private doesn't mean no one's gonna search it.

[Sachi Cole]

Yeah, it's boneheaded. Well, Lisette offers to charter the jet, using her flashy lifestyle as a cover for the shipment. And David realizes she's serious. At first, he isn't sure why a rich girl like Lisette would be so keen on turning to crime. Maybe her allowance isn't enough for the lifestyle she wants. Or maybe it's just a thrill. He knows Lisette's favorite movie is Scarface. Maybe she's just seen it one too many times. Later, he tells Rolling Stone that Lysette was, quote, one of those rich girls that was bored. Whatever the reason, David can't pass up on an opportunity this good. He agrees to supply the pot and handle sales in Ohio, but it's up to Lisette to transport the goods. Still, David's concerned about getting a privileged rich girl involved in a life of crime. If things go bad, he could be in a lot of trouble. The justice system wouldn't look kindly on him. And neither would Lisette's father, who seems to have some scary connections in Japan. But what David doesn't realize is that he's not the mastermind here. He's Lisette's first criminal dupe. Ever notice how fees are just everywhere these days? From those sneaky convenience charges on concert tickets to those surprise cleaning fees on vacation rentals, it seems like everyone's got their hand out for a little extra.

[Sarah Hagie]

And when it comes to banking, those fees can really kick you when you're down. That monthly maintenance fee when your balance dips too low, or that overdraft charge that turns a $4 coffee into a $39 head.

[Sachi Cole]

But that's why people are switching to Chime. They believe banking shouldn't cost you money. It should help you keep more of it. No monthly fees to drain your account, no overdraft fees to worry about, and no minimum balance requirements watching over your shoulder.

[Sarah Hagie]

Which is a game changer, because when you're trying to get ahead financially, the last thing you need is your bank pulling you backwards with fees.

[Sachi Cole]

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[Sarah Hagie]

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[Sachi Cole]

Again and again by working directly with top artisans and cutting out the middleman. Everything at Quint's is half the cost of similar brands. Sarah, you know that a bunch of my wardrobe is comprised of Quint stuff, but it's actually all stuff that I bought a couple of years ago and it still really holds up. I still look very cute, which you know is top priority.

[Sarah Hagie]

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[Sachi Cole]

A few weeks after Lisette and David meet, Miley is linking up with Lisette at a hotel in Beverly Hills. Miley agreed to be Lisette's personal assistant about a week ago. Now she's here to start her new job. Miley parks a few blocks away and walks, per Lisette's request. Lisette doesn't want anyone to see that Miley drives a VW Beetle. Miley arrives at the hotel and finds her friend sipping a gin and tonic in the lounge. Lisette is gathering everyone involved in her new venture and Miley is surprised to see that this includes not one, but two of Lisette's boyfriends. There's David, the drug dealer, but Lisette has also brought in Henry Hernandez, a 22 year old who works as a doorman in her building on top of that, there's Lisette's bodyguard and a friend of David's who fawns over Lisette like she's a real life princess. Lisette asks Miley and Henry to go sit outside by the pool for a while. The two get to talking, and Henry tells Miley he dropped out of college because he couldn't afford tuition. This job is important to him, but like Miley, he also doesn't know what Lisette's getting them into. When Lisette calls them back in, she tells Miley to meet at David's place on Friday, then they'll fly out on a private jet before returning the next day on a commercial flight. Lisette says that she isn't coming because she has meetings, so Miley has to go in her place to, in Lisette's words, keep an eye on the boys. Miley still doesn't know why they're actually making the trip, but assumes that it must have something to do with Lisette's father's casino business. Lisette tells her to respond to any questions from friends or family by saying that she had to sign an NDA.

[Sarah Hagie]

Yeah, that wouldn't concern them at all, right? If your friend got a job being her friend's assistant and was like, actually, I can't tell you anything about what's going on with my mildly abusive friend because they signed an NDA. Yeah, you'd be like, I'm kidnapping you and saving you.

[Sachi Cole]

I think everybody would be totally cool with it. Well, a few days later, Miley accompanies Lisette to a bank in Beverly Hills. In the parking lot outside, Lizette casually pulls out 40 grand in cash to show Miley what it looks like. Inside the bank, Lisette introduces Miley as her assistant and deposits cash into Miley's account. Afterwards, she books a private jet using Miley's information and bank account. Miley is uncomfortable with this, but she's Lisette's employee now, and she doesn't want to disappoint her. And besides, Lisette tells her it basically doesn't count if the money is only in her account for a few minutes.

[Sarah Hagie]

That is like the three second rule of money. Like what? It's still good. It's still good. No, no, no, no. Don't worry about it. Don't worry about it. It's like this rich person log. You don't know about it. It's about money. Yeah. God.

[Sachi Cole]

Well, Miley does still have a few questions. Like, aren't there going to be tax issues, why do the payments have to go through her account? And why are they booking this private jet in the first place? Here's Miley describing what happened next in an interview with ABC's 20 20. She said, you know what? Your job is so easy, I don't know what you're complaining about. If you want, I would be more than happy to throw a stick down Sunset Boulevard and hit some other dumb prod who would do it for half the money.

[Sarah Hagie]

I like that Miley can laugh about this.

[Sachi Cole]

I mean, it's objectively funny.

[Sarah Hagie]

However, I'm not Miley. I don't know what it'd be like to be in that mindset. Would I continue doing it just to see it through, perhaps? Like, what is this crazy woman going to do?

[Sachi Cole]

Well, obviously Miley goes ahead with the plan. On Friday, she meets David and the other boys at David's building. Lisette told her to dress like a diva, but Miley didn't really know what that meant. So she's wearing jeans, boots and a basic black top. She also brought a coat because David told her that they were heading somewhere cold. Lisette said that there was no room for extra bags on the plane and Miley quickly finds out why they're bringing some seven suitcases with them that are so heavy the guys struggle to load them into a limo. Miley still has no idea what's inside. She goes with the luggage to Van Nuys airport while David heads to lax. When Miley gets on the tiny plane, she still doesn't know where she's headed or why. She falls asleep for a few hours and then wakes up. As they touch down on a frosty tarmac. Miley offers to help the guys with the bags. After some in confusion, they rent a car and drive out to an old run down chain motel. Miley still doesn't even know what state they're in. But the next day, David hands Miley an envelope full of cash and puts her and Henry in a cab to the airport where she finally learns where they are. Columbus, Ohio. They fly commercial back to la where Miley uses the money to pay off her bills and fill up her fridge for the first time in months. At least on paper it seems like everything went according to plan. But it turns out that Lisette is not happy. Remember how Miley offered to help with the bags? Well, Lisette heard about that and she is pissed. Apparently it meant that no one would believe Miley is a proper diva. And for some reason Miley doesn't fully understand that's a problem. Lizette says that now she has to come on all of their trips going forward. Oh, and she's docking Miley's pay. Miley is rattled, but she's still getting paid pretty well. They start making more trips with nicer planes and fancier hotels. Miley later says that running around with Lisette makes her feel like Ray Liotta's wife in Goodfellas. This feeling only intensifies when Lisette buys her a 2 1/2 carat diamond ring and tells her to wear it on her engagement finger. Sarah, take a look at this picture of Miley on one of their flights.

[Sarah Hagie]

I know a BlackBerry photo when I see one. This is BlackBerry Bold, baby.

[Sachi Cole]

It's an original.

[Sarah Hagie]

They're on a private jet and it's a of Miley smiling, just being Miley, one would say. Holding a chihuahua and a glass of wine probably. You know, everything here is spelling like I'm gonna frame you. Being like, I'm so upset that you didn't look rich enough and that you helped with the bags.

[Sachi Cole]

Well, this goes on for a few months. And then in January, Miley notices something on one of their flights. She can smell pot. Actually, the scent becomes so overwhelming that she later writes that it was like being, quote, stuck inside of a flying blunt. When they land and check into the hotel, Lisette complains that the plane smelled like a Cypress Hill show. That's how Miley realizes that her weird little job is actually cross country drug trafficking. But she's way past her first hit and in too deep with Lisette to get out. Now. It's spring 2010 and Lisette is at a hotel bar with Miley. Her phone rings lines from the movie Scarface over music and she's pleased to see that it's a new guy she's brought into both her drug operation and her roster of boyfriends. Lisette needs fresh blood because a lot of people are leaving her. Henry bailed on the operation when he realized what he'd gotten into. David, who knew all along, said that she was being unprofessional and unpredictable and left. Even Christian, her long suffering boyfriend, is out of the picture now. To make matters worse, Miley won't shut up about her own boyfriend. One night, Lisette asks Miley who she would choose to kill if she was forced to pick between them. And sure, eventually Miley says that she'd save Lisette. But she hesitated.

[Sarah Hagie]

What on earth? What the hell is going on? Lisette is so weird. Not only is she crazy, she's weird. First of all, Scarface ringtone is really funny. It's really funny. She loves a theme. But being like, okay, you have to kill one of us, who do you pick? And then being, like, upset at the hesitation, it's like, what are you grooming her to be your henchwoman? Your bodyguard? Your proxy? Your best friend? Like, what is it? Because it's not really clear.

[Sachi Cole]

Yeah, it seems like Lizette wants loyalty, but she doesn't even know for what. Despite all of her challenges, Lisette is nothing if not resourceful. Sure, she could just cut her losses and move on, but the flow of money from her father is still a little unpredictable. She's had to borrow cars from friends on occasion, and she's even started sticking other people with the bills when she goes out to eat. So when David left her, she went straight to his weed supplier and convinced him to sell to her directly. Team ll, as Lisette has dubbed the remaining crew, is doing just fine without the middleman. She's seen enough movies to know how to be the boss. Everyone has their burner phone and 00 codename. Lisette's, of course, is 007. She continues booking the flights under a fake name and routes the money through Miley's bank account. When airport staff asks why Lisette is traveling with so much luggage, she just tells them that she's moving to Ohio. But the stress is getting to her. She starts drinking heavily on the flights. She forces members of the gang to prove their loyalty by firing them and making them beg for their jobs. Back on one flight, she has Miley and the gang spray entire bottles of air freshener onto their suitcases to hide the pot stench. But it doesn't help. It just makes the plane smell like a mix of weed and several gallons of Febreze. Throughout it all, Lisette tries desperately to maintain her image. Like, she goes out of her way to show Miley two paintings by a French artist that she says were gifts from her mother. But they're actually commercial prints available at places like Bed, Bath and Beyond. Lisette has spent years living the high life at the expense of everyone around her. But things are coming undone, and soon she's going to be in for a crash landing. It's mid June in 2010, and Special Agent Matthew Heufelder is at the Columbus airport waiting for a Gulfstream jet to land. Matthew is a clean shaven, mostly bald DEA agent in his 40s, and he's been investigating mysterious shipments of pot that have been coming into Ohio for the last seven months. Some colleagues in LA have tipped him off to a series of suspicious private flights that might be the source. Who would fly from LA to Ohio on private jets more than 10 times in a year with a ton of baggage if they weren't carrying drugs or drug money?

[Sarah Hagie]

It's so insane that this very obvious flaw in this plan Lisette has is just like, not on her radar. That's the number one question. Who is going from LA to Ohio with a bunch of bags all the time?

[Sachi Cole]

Yeah, it's a good question. Well, after the Jetlands, Matthew and his team watched several burly men emerge from the plane and unloading 13 suitcases as two women accompanying them stand and watch. The luggage is so heavy that the crew can barely move it. They're preparing to shift the cases into waiting vehicles. But as the group goes to leave the airport, Matthew takes action. He moves on the crew with his armed backup and informs them that he's from the dea. While most of Lisette's group tries to stay calm, one of them seems extremely flustered. And that, of course, is Miley. She's so obviously out of her depth. One of Matthew's agents asks her, you're not in charge here, are you? Matthew and his agents can tell who's running the show. Lizette has never been a shrinking violet, and she won't start now. Lisette tries to tell Matthew a story about bringing supplies to her boyfriend's horse farm. Though she can't provide his last name. She also insists that she's a Korean pop star and model. But Matthew has brought someone with him that she can't lie to. A drug sniffing canine. The dog goes nuts and Matthew orders agents to open the van and take the luggage out. Here's a picture of the dog next to the suitcases. Sarah, please describe this very good boy.

[Sarah Hagie]

Okay, so here is this cop dog. Cop dog standing in front of.

[Sachi Cole]

He looks like a baby.

[Sarah Hagie]

He looks like a baby. Like, I mean, free him.

[Sachi Cole]

First of all, cats would never work for the police, by the way.

[Sarah Hagie]

No, of course not. The amount of bags of weed behind him is astronomical. It's such a huge amount of drugs to be carelessly traveling with. I'm shocked by the volume.

[Sachi Cole]

Yeah, Sarah, it's more than 500 pounds of weed, as well as a little bit of coke. And a purchase ledger for the merchandise, written in plain English on a hotel notepad. Michael caught Lisette red handed, except when he sits down to interrogate her. She says she has no idea what he's talking about. She says she was paid to make the trip and had no idea what she was transporting, but figured it had something to do with, quote, weapons and money laundering or something. Matthew knows this can't be true. According to the charter flight records and interviews he's conducted in LA, Lisette has made 14 of these trips, moving about 500 pounds of weed each time. She has shipped over 7,000 pounds of cannabis total for a net profit of over $3 million. Sarah, can you read how an Assistant US Attorney later described it?

[Sarah Hagie]

Yeah. They describe it as enough to put one reefer in every seat of Ohio Stadium for the first four games of the Ohio State University football season. Okay, I get this is America and everything is about stadiums and sports and hamburgers and shit, but just give us, give us a true one to one. I don't know what this means. What is one reefer? Is that a joint?

[Sachi Cole]

Yes, it's a joint. One joined for every person.

[Sarah Hagie]

It was enough to get a bunch of people at a football game stoned. Thank you. Yeah, which sounds great, actually. Yeah.

[Sachi Cole]

Well, Matthew and the Attorney General's office think this is going to be an open and shut case. But Lisette isn't about to back down. And she's going to pull out all the stops to try to pin her crimes on the very people she used to commit them.

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[Sarah Hagie]

I feel like.

[Sachi Cole]

About six months after she was arrested on the tarmac, Lisette is sitting in an imposing neoclassical courthouse in downtown Columbus. David Henry and most of the other members of Team LL have already pleaded out. Now it's Lisette's turn. It turns out the DEA only got her because she kept feeding airport staff the same lie. They started to wonder just how many times can one woman move to Ohio? About three months after Lisette and her crew got caught, a grand jury charged her with 15 counts, including conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 1000kg or more of marijuana. Lisette was pissed. She even called one of her associates in LA to try to get him to hide the drug money, and she vowed to fight the charges in court. But the trial was awful for Lisette, and not just because of potential prison time. People did show up for her. Master Lee offered to monitor her 24 hours a day in his home or even stay in Columbus to watch her until her court date. Even her ex Christian flew out to testify on her behalf, saying he still does regular taekwondo lessons with Master Lee. But each hearing was an opportunity to air more of her dirty laundry. The circumstances of her adoption, the lies about her childhood, it all came out. Samsung even issued a public statement disavowing any relationship between Lisette and the company, despite her aunt testifying otherwise. It was a crushing blow to the mythos of Lisette Li. She was so angry that she fired the expensive lawyers her family hired, got new ones, and then fired those lawyers. She even argued in federal court that the judge couldn't fairly determine her fate because the judge is, quote, non Asian and presumably not the progeny of an internationally prominent family and seemingly not aware or sensitive to the many nuances, demands and sentiments societal burdens contained therefrom. In the end, she decides to take a plea deal for six years. Her sentence is light, perhaps because of some powerful letters the court received from her family. Sarah, do you want to read this quote by Lisette's birth father, Yoshi?

[Sarah Hagie]

He says, in pursuing the creation and maintenance of my own empire, I've sacrificed an invaluable aspect of being a normal dad in society's eyes. I believe my daughter's mistake was an indirect statement of rebellion towards me. I mean, it could be, but also, it's still not really an excuse. I think it is really probably tough to know that you were put up for adoption in some sense because of societal pressure and not because your parents couldn't provide for you or that they were too young or something. But also, she was given quite a lot.

[Sachi Cole]

Yeah. Well, Lisette isn't done trying to control her life's narrative. She files a motion requesting that her sentence be vac or reduced, alleging that her lawyers undermined her case with, quote, self serving television appearances and news articles. Then in May 2012, she gets in touch with a reporter named Sybrina Erdley. Sabrina reached out to lisette back in 2010 to ask about profiling her for Rolling Stone. Sabrina said she would humanize Lisette in contrast to the sensational coverage of her crimes. At first, Lisette said no, but now she's ready to talk. Lisette sits down with Sabrina in the federal prison in Dublin, California, where she's serving her sentence. She sports blue colored contacts and heavy makeup, and she tries her best to make her case. She calls her lawyers bumble fuck incompetence. She claims to be using her, quote, vacation in prison as a learning experience and says that she's trying to think of it as a kind of no frills boarding school. And for some reason, she does the entire interview in a British accent.

[Sarah Hagie]

Why wouldn't she? Why not? Why not? I think this is her breaking down mentally.

[Sachi Cole]

Yeah. Well, throughout the interview, Lisette blames everyone else. She says that David manipulated her into the plot. She calls Miley, quote, a known drug user and points out that the flights were chartered in her name. Of course, this was the whole point of booking the flights that way in the first place. But when Sabrina's story is published in Rolling Stone, Lisette is less than thrilled. She responds in a later issue of the magazine. Sarah, can you read some of it? Yeah.

[Sarah Hagie]

She says, my greatest fear was that this would be a takedown piece, a total hatchet job. That fear, unfortunately, has been realized. It is completely defamatory, salacious, and frankly, catty. You know, she is someone who could be saying a lot Worse, as we know. But it's always funny to me when someone responds this way to an interview or some type of profile with a journalist that they don't know at all, that owes them nothing. Because if it doesn't turn out the way they want it to, it's like automatically a hit piece. Which I'm sure you haven't ever experienced with any of your subjects, right?

[Sachi Cole]

Sachin, I have no idea what you're talking about. This has never happened to me before in my life.

[Sarah Hagie]

As I was saying, that, like, four profiles you've written popped into my head. That's wrong.

[Sachi Cole]

Everybody likes everything I write.

[Sarah Hagie]

Nobody has any complaints.

[Sachi Cole]

Well, Lisette says that the article isn't an accurate portrayal, that it's based on interviews with a small number of people who didn't know her very well, and that Sabrina has tried to make her look like, quote, a complete head case. It's worth noting that a couple of years later, Sybrina and Rolling Stone made headlines for her retracted defamatory story about a rape case at a college in Virginia. But there have been no indications of faulty reporting on Lisette, except from Lisette herself. The truth about Lisette is now out in the open. For the public, it's a bizarre and entertaining spectacle. But for the people who were closest to her, it's a startling revelation that she's lied about nearly everything she's ever told them. Lisette is finally facing consequences for her actions, but the damage she's done to other people's lives might exceed what she's done to her own. Lisette, of course, isn't the only one facing legal consequences. On August 26, 2011, Miley holds her breath as the judge reads out her sentence in the Columbus Federal Courthouse. She's terrified she'll get years in prison and be dragged out screaming by armed guards. Instead, the judge gives her 30 days in custody, a year of house arrest, and three years probation before her sentence begins. Miley reads about Lisette's own six year prison sentence in the newspaper. Soon after, she receives a call from someone she hasn't spoken to in a long time. The friend who introduced her to Lisette in the first place. He tells her that he has Lisette on the other line. She wants to talk. Miley thinks about accepting, but ultimately she says no. Minutes later, she gets another call from a restricted number and she ignores it.

[Sarah Hagie]

You know, at that point, I would just accept. I would just be like, you're like, in too deep. What more could she do. I'm out of this. What could she possibly have to say? Like, I would pick up the phone for the plot completely.

[Sachi Cole]

You're such a sucker, Sarah.

[Sarah Hagie]

I am. I'm such a sucker. I would do it.

[Sachi Cole]

While Miley serves one month in prison in Victorville, California, after her release, she returns to la, where she begins writing a blog called House Arrest Girl. During this time, she meets a producer who gets her a literary agent. She develops her story into a book called How a Small Town Girl Accidentally wound up smuggling 7,000 pounds of marijuana with the Pot Princess of Beverly Hills. In the book, she notes that she never spoke to Lisette again after their arrest, saying, quote, she had to be dead to me and I would be dead to her. I could never hate her. If I allowed that to happen, I risked the possibility of loving her again. Miley didn't find success as an actor, but she began a new career in PR after the publication of the book. David, meanwhile, got 10 years. The feds eventually caught his supplier, who they alleged had connections to a Mexican cartel. And as for Lisette, she's stayed out of the spotlight since her release in 2015. She's now in her mid-40s and seems to have put her glamorous days of excess behind her. If anything, she seems to be living out the way one thing she was always running away from a quiet, anonymous existence. Sarah, unfortunately, I love this scammer. Cause I think it's funny when women are rude, which I know is not a laudable position, but I do think some of the things she said are genuinely so funny.

[Sarah Hagie]

She was really funny to me because she was trying so hard to be someone she wasn't. You know, there was this whole playbook she was following to try and be this type of character that you and I knew very well. Cause we were teenagers around this time. You know, this type of girl who's just saying something crazy and has a little dog and is wearing a little skirt. It's just like this caricature of a baddie at the time. And I love that she was actually not really that good at it.

[Sachi Cole]

I mean, the thing is that she barely did the heiress part like she was doing the scam part so much that how could she even have the time to do the fun part? Like she had enough money to just be an heiress. 50 grand really meant something in 2006 in Beverly Hills, you could do something with that.

[Sarah Hagie]

And it was also an easier time to become this type of proto influencer. Yeah, she obviously had some connections, but It's a little weird to me that even she didn't really have, like, a gaggle of women outside of Miley to parade around and have them do her bidding. Like you saying wannabe Bling Ring makes total sense. Yeah, because it's like, even those girls were able to really do it properly. Like, create the false image.

[Sachi Cole]

At least they were having fun. I feel like the issue with Lisette is she didn't party enough. She was only bitchy and capitalistic, but she forgot to, like, go to the club.

[Sarah Hagie]

Yeah. And, you know, I also think she was trying too hard to be a gangster. She was trying to be this, like, girly Tony Montana. She just couldn't really pull it off, which is the funniest part to me.

[Sachi Cole]

You know, Sarah, I think this scam has really encouraged me to think big in terms of crime. Think bigger.

[Sarah Hagie]

I think often about how I would be if I was in one of these scams or like, what kind of how I'd be reacting or how scared I'd be. And the thing is, like, if you're brave enough and crazy enough to smuggle drugs on a private jet at the same place ten times a year or whatever, like, have an imagination is all I'm saying.

[Sachi Cole]

Yeah, you know what? A plus for attitude, B minus for execution. Did you learn anything?

[Sarah Hagie]

I absolutely earned nothing, actually.

[Sachi Cole]

Okay. That's what I like to hear. 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 [e-mail] survey. This is Lisette Lee. The Simple Life of Crime. I'm Sachi Cole.

[Sarah Hagie]

And I'm Sarah Haggie. If you have a tip for us on a story that you think we should cover, please email [e-mail] we use many sources in our research. A few that we were particularly helpful were Smoke How a Small Town girl Accidentally wound up smuggling 7,000 pounds of marijuana with the Pop Princess of Beverly Hills by Miley Katie, the Gangster Princess of Beverly Hills by Sabrina Rubin Eardley for Rolling Stone and the Pop Princess of Beverly Hills, Lisette Lee, produced by Steven Michaels, Jonathan Koch, Mark Monroe and Alex Piper for Gangsters America's Most Evil.

[Sachi Cole]

Merritt Kay wrote this episode. Additional writing by us, Sachi Cole and Sarah Hagie. Eric Thurm is our story editor. Fact checking by Kalina Newman. 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 producers is Charlotte Miller. Our producer is Julie McGruder. Our senior producers are Sarah Enny and Ginny Blume. Our executive producers are Jenny Lauer, Beckman Marshall Louie and Aaron o' Flaherty for Wondery Tipping Culture is out of control. Yesterday I tipped someone just for handing me a napkin.

[Sarah Hagie]

So when hotels.com gives me up to.

[Sachi Cole]

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[Sarah Hagie]

Finally get tips tipped. And you know what? It feels good. Hotels.

[Sachi Cole]

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