S22 Ep8: We Got Her!

Summary

Something Was Wrong: "We Got Her!" (S22 E8)
Released December 12, 2024
Host: Broken Cycle Media | Wondery

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Overview

In the eighth episode of the award-winning docuseries Something Was Wrong, host Tiffany Reese delves into the intricate and high-stakes operation that led to the arrest of Megan Stoner, a notorious figure accused of orchestrating multiple scams and manipulative schemes. Titled "We Got Her!", this episode meticulously outlines the collaborative efforts of community members, activists, and vigilantes who sought justice against Stoner's alleged abuses.

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Recap of Megan Stoner's History and Previous Attempts to Arrest Her

The episode begins by revisiting the events from the previous installment, where Indianapolis community member Alyssa, posing as a journalist, attempted to entrap Megan Stoner. On August 12, 2023, Stoner met with Alyssa and her accomplice Vero, founder of the Megan Stoner Scam Awareness Facebook group. However, despite initial hopes, the attempt faltered when local police, encountering a bench warrant rather than an arrest warrant, released Stoner due to jurisdictional issues. Following her failure to appear in court, an additional arrest warrant was issued.

“At the time the warrant was a bench warrant and not an arrest warrant and they were in a different county, the police let Megan Stoner go.” ([03:09])

Stoner continued her elusive behavior, renting multiple Airbnbs and presumably using funds from her alleged scam victims to sustain her lifestyle. This persistence only heightened the community's frustration and fear, galvanizing members to devise more effective strategies to apprehend her.

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The Yoni Massage Operation: Devising a New Plan

Justin and Amanda, both acquainted with Stoner through the Young Republicans political scene, hypothesized that Stoner's obsession with yoni massages could be exploited to lure her into a trap. Recognizing the absence of scientific backing and legal acceptance for yoni massages—illegal in all states except Nevada—they identified Stoner's fervent dedication to these practices as a vulnerability.

“We created a fake yoni Practice called True Renewal Bloomington and connected with Stoner on Instagram through its fake account. Stoner took the bait.” ([06:55])

Leveraging Amanda's graphic design skills and Justin's deep understanding of Stoner's behaviors, they established a credible facade to engage her.

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Engaging with Megan: Interactions and Challenges

Once the fake practice was set up, Stoner enthusiastically reached out, arranging consultations and appointments. The episode features an authentic exchange between Stoner and Justin, who impersonated a yoni practitioner named Xavier St. Clair:

[08:03] Justin (as Xavier St. Clair): “So tell me more about yourself. And I know we've talked a little bit on Instagram and we'd just like to know more about you.”
Megan Stoner: “I live in Indy and I have been with a couple different practitioners that do this work...”
Justin: “It's really hard. And I can't travel to the East Coast...”

Stoner's immediate involvement and continued trauma dumping—sharing fabricated stories of sexual assault and manipulation by her previous practitioner Haribo (Harry Friedman)—revealed her patterns of deceit.

“She started telling me about how Haribo, her previous practitioner, had assaulted her... She doesn't know she's talking to Justin here.” ([14:35])

Despite the emotional toll, Justin and Amanda maintained their composure, carefully navigating Stoner's relentless and fabricated narratives.

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The Final Operation: Coordinating the Arrest

As Stoner grew increasingly eager to meet, the team recognized the critical moment to act. With Alyssa's assistance, they orchestrated a coordinated effort to involve law enforcement without alerting Stoner, who was suspected of monitoring police scanners.

Amanda detailed the meticulous preparation:

“I write it all down on a piece of paper and I'm like, all right, I'm going upstairs. Let's make this call... That's how I was brought in on the situation...” ([26:40])

Alyssa eventually called the non-emergency police line, providing comprehensive details about Stoner's location at an Airbnb, including potential escape routes.

“We got her. She was in jail.” ([24:36])

The team waited anxiously, fearing that Stoner might evade capture. Their patience was rewarded when, late at night, the sheriff's office confirmed her arrest.

“I screamed fuck yes.” ([26:40])

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Reactions and Aftermath: Community and Team Member Responses

The episode transitions to live audio from a Twitter space hosted shortly after Stoner's arrest, capturing the raw emotions and relief of the team and community members involved.

Justin: “I didn't think she had my phone number because we had talked that one time over Zoom... but we got her. This is one of the most exciting things that's ever happened to me.” ([30:35])

Alex: “I was at a LEGO convention... Right as it crossed the finish line, the notification pops up on the top bar of the screen saying, we got her... It was the most incredible moment... We got her for good this time.” ([32:28])

Alyssa: “We created a fake yoni account, and Megan has messaged us. All of this that she's saying is lies... She scam a lot of people...” ([19:54])

Tom: “Megan and I go back ways, and, Jesus, she really gaslit me. It was manipulative... She cannot do this to anybody anymore.” ([29:50])

These testimonials underscore the emotional and psychological impact of their mission, highlighting both personal and communal triumphs.

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Conclusion

"We Got Her!" serves as a compelling narrative of vigilance, community solidarity, and the pursuit of justice against manipulative wrongdoing. Through strategic deception and unwavering determination, Justin, Amanda, and their allies successfully dismantled Megan Stoner's facade, bringing her to account for her alleged transgressions. The episode not only celebrates their victory but also emphasizes the importance of collective action in combating trauma and abuse.

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Notable Quotes:

• “We created a fake yoni Practice called True Renewal Bloomington and connected with Stoner on Instagram through its fake account. Stoner took the bait.” — Justin ([06:55])

• “We got her. She was in jail.” — Amanda ([26:40])

• “She scam a lot of people. She's done a lot of people wrong. And this is going to make a lot of people happy to know that she's going to be finally brought to justice.” — Amanda ([26:40])

• “I didn't think she had my phone number because we had talked that one time over Zoom... but we got her.” — Justin ([30:35])

• “Right as it crossed the finish line, the notification pops up on the top bar of the screen saying, we got her... It was the most incredible moment...” — Alex ([32:28])

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This detailed summary encapsulates the key points, discussions, insights, and emotions conveyed in the episode, providing a comprehensive overview for those who haven't listened to "We Got Her!".

Transcript

[Tiffany Reese]

Wondery subscribers can listen to Something Was Wrong early and ad free right now. Join Wondery in the Wondery app or on Apple Podcasts. Audible's best of 2024 picks are here. Discover the year's top audiobooks and originals in all your favorite genres, from memories and sci fi to mysteries and thrillers. Audible's curated list in every category is the best way to hear 2024's best in audio. Enter Like a stunning new full cast production of George Orwell's 1984 heartfelt memoirs like Supreme Court Justice Jackson's Lovely One, or the year's best fiction, like the Woman by Kristin Hannah Audible. There's more to imagine when you listen. Go to audible.comsww and discover all the years best waiting for you. The holidays just really mean survival mode. Luckily, you've got a secret holiday helper. DoorDash get gifts, groceries, dinner delivered right when you need it. And they've got big holiday deals from Best Buy, Ulta Beauty, Aldi wingstop, and more. DoorDash makes it so easy, you may even feel guilty. But hey, no one needs to know. Doordash your door to more use code SWWJOY24 for 50% off your first order of $15 plus max $10 off. Offer ends December 26, 2024. One promo per order not valid. For orders containing alcohol terms apply. This podcast is intended for mature audiences and discusses topics that may be upsetting. For a full content warning, sources and resources, please visit the Episode Notes. Opinions shared by the guests of the show are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of myself, Broken Cycle Media, or Wondery. The podcast and any linked materials should not be misconstrued as a substitution for legal or medical advice. Megan Stoner's responses to these allegations are addressed within this season. I'm Tiffany Reese and this is Something was wrong.

[Justin]

You.

[Tiffany Reese]

They can know me you down.

[Amanda]

And know me well.

[Megan Stoner]

And all.

[Alex]

I don't at all.

[Justin]

You.

[Amanda]

Know me. You don't know me.

[Tiffany Reese]

Last episode we heard from Indianapolis community member Alyssa, who acted as a journalist, wanting to buy Stoner's life rights in hopes of gaining her trust to ultimately get her arrested. On August 12, 2023, Stoner agreed to meet fake journalist Alyssa and her fake sister Vero, who was actually the founder of the Megan Stoner Scam Awareness Facebook group. Vero called the cops while Alyssa kept Stoner busy pretending to be waiting on Vero to bring her cash. The police arrived and the community members finally thought Stoner had been arrested on her pending warrant, but because at the time the warrant was a bench warrant and not an arrest warrant and they were in a different county, the police let Megan Stoner go. Then, after Stoner failed to attend multiple court hearings the following week, an additional arrest warrant was issued. Stoner continued laying low, renting Airbnbs with what was assumed to be the money of her alleged scam victims. As their frustration and the fear of what Stoner could be capable of next continued to grow and they continued to learn of more vulnerable populations being impacted by Stoner's alleged crimes and cons, members of the Facebook scam awareness group continued to brainstorm how they could find out where Stoner was hiding to have her arrested. After the fake journalist sting, Justin and Amanda, who knew Megan through the Young Republicans political scene, who you heard from last episode, began devising a plan of their own to catch Stoner. Justin and Amanda believed that Stoner would do just about anything to receive her beloved yoni massages. As a reminder, a yoni massage is by definition an erotic or sensual massage that is a tantric practice. It aims to create an intimate connection with one's body. A yoni massage is primarily focused on massaging the clitoris, labia, G spot, breasts, anus, and many other erogenous zones. While there are many people who believe that yoni massages can have all sorts of health benefits, at the end of the day, there's no scientific research to support this. Also, from a legality standpoint, erotic massages given by another in exchange for money is illegal in every state but Nevada. Meghan started posting about these yoni massages from a guy named Haribo, real name Harry Friedman. He lives in New Jersey. Later, it would be alleged by Meghan herself that she had spent over $17,000 with Haribo for these yoni massages. I'm told that when Haribo started to learn more about the allegations against Meghan online and was more focused on his upcoming wedding and honeymoon, Stoner started speaking to a new yoni practitioner named Leo from California. Stoner connected with Leo because Haribo is out of town for his honeymoon the summer of 2023. According to Stoner, she never actually met up in person with Leo. Between Stoner's avid social media posts, spending allegedly thousands of dollars on her yoni massages and seeking out multiple practitioners, it was clear to Amanda and Justin the lengths she was willing to go in order to receive these massages. So with Amanda's graphic design background and Justin's deep knowledge of all things Megan Stoner, they created a fake yoni Practice called True Renewal Bloomington and connected with Stoner on Instagram through its fake account. Stoner took the bait. She accepted and DMed the account, asking for an appointment. From that point on, Justin took care of messaging Stoner, pretending to be a yoni practitioner named Xavier St. Clair. Here's Justin.

[Justin]

Amanda made all the branding and stuff for the business, but she was like, you know, Megan, you've watched her closer than I have. You've talked to her a few times in person. You go ahead and you take the lead on messaging her. And so I messaged with her a few times, and she was very instantly rude with me, like very demanding. She wanted us to message through a specific app. I think it was Telegram. We were chatting through Instagram DMs. She very quickly was like, I feel like my boundaries aren't being respected because I've asked you to move to this other platform and you won't do it. My character is like, well, Megan, I'm not familiar with this app. Give me a couple days to feel comfortable with it and then I would be happy to try to meet you where you're at. But she was very difficult to deal with, like, in that professional setting.

[Tiffany Reese]

Here's Amanda, who you met last episode. She's a friend of Justin's who originally connected with Stoner through Mutual Friends Online.

[Alyssa]

Megan would have recognized Justin's voice. So our friend logged into the account and did a call with her for like 10 minutes.

[Justin]

Hello?

[Alyssa]

Hi.

[Xavier St. Clair]

Hey, is this Megan?

[Megan Stoner]

It is good to connect. Thank you.

[Xavier St. Clair]

Hey, Megan, this is Xavier. I'm so glad that we get connected.

[Megan Stoner]

Yeah.

[Xavier St. Clair]

How has your night been?

[Megan Stoner]

Pretty good. Thank you for making time.

[Xavier St. Clair]

Oh, yeah, of course. Sorry, I probably only have maybe five to 10 minutes. It's been exhausting with the research work this week, and I definitely need to go to bed sometime soon. But I wanted to make it a priority to connect with you and kind of just get to know you. So tell me more about yourself. And I know we've talked a little bit on Instagram and we'd just like to know more about you.

[Amanda]

Yeah.

[Megan Stoner]

So I live in Indy and I have been with a couple different practitioners that do this work. And unfortunately, as you know, no one here does it. And so I've had to deal with flying them in or flying out to them, and it's been really. I feel like that part has been really hard and I don't know, it's hard. It's been really hard having an out of state coach. There's something about the connection of this Work. And I don't know for you, but there definitely is a lot of power to the in person work, you know.

[Xavier St. Clair]

Yeah. You know, one thing that, you know, stuck out to me too is I'm, you know, more surprised that there's people in India that, you know, are looking for this work and are aware of it too. You know, most people that I'm familiar with are on the coast. There's not too many people kind of in the heartland that are interested in this. So I was glad that when you messaged me and figured out that there are people that are interested in this sacred space too.

[Megan Stoner]

Yeah. Have you had a lot of people reach out later?

[Xavier St. Clair]

Not really. I mean, maybe two. And so I was really thankful to see that you reached out just to see if we could explore this together. And I was really just surprised it happened kind of so quick as well. It's really exciting to see somebody that cares about this, you know, as much as Ian, you know, believes in the healing that can result from it too.

[Megan Stoner]

Oh, without a doubt. I am definitely a big, big, big, big, big fan of this work, if you can't tell. First, when I first did it in February of this year, I thought it was a little, I was like, oh, this sounds a little woo woo, like I don't think this is gonna work. But you know what, I was open minded, I tried it and I was like, holy fuck, this stuff moves mountains quicker than anything I've ever done in my healing journey. My first relationship in this work, my first practitioner, definitely could not hold the complex trauma that I bring. And so our work ended abruptly. We were in a three month container and then it ended up, we had continued on for about two or three more weeks and it ended up abruptly and it was just he couldn't hold me and that was fine and he was great at what he does. But you know, like you said, this work can really take a toll on someone. And I've been doing some coaching, virtual work with someone now from la and you know, he only takes on two to three clients at a time because this work can really take a toll on a practitioner.

[Xavier St. Clair]

So I'm glad you recognize that because, you know, some clients, I think that's a challenge that I've seen in just in this field. And something that I've heard from other practitioners as well as about a fear that they have when working with new clients because it takes a while to build up the trust and rapport as well.

[Megan Stoner]

Yeah. And so I was really excited because like I said, there's Something about the in person aspect of this work. And it's really hard to coordinate when you're dealing with someone that's out of state, that also has a schedule. It's just, it's really hard. And I can't travel to the East Coast. We went out, my significant other and I, my partner, we went out over Memorial Day weekend. But that's all something we can do regularly. And so. And obviously we can't go to California regularly. So it's just, it's really hard to not have that in person aspect in my work.

[Xavier St. Clair]

I mean, that's such, you know, I think that's a systemic problem that we have is that, you know, people that need this care can't get it into luxury for a lot of people when it needs to be more basic need and be treated as like a lot of healthcare. I know that's probably way forward looking in the future, but hopefully we can get to a point where people see it as needed healthcare. Not kind of this weird manifestation, because I think it is some of the most powerful work that I've seen, especially in the field of trauma healing and sacred spaces.

[Megan Stoner]

Oh, without a doubt. Yeah. So.

[Xavier St. Clair]

Well, I'm getting close to probably when I need to get ready for bed tonight, but, you know, maybe we continue this. I don't know if you'd be interested in meeting, you know, in, you know, Bloomington, or I could come over to Indy. You know, whatever works best. But I think that may be the next step and we can connect in person. If that's something that maybe interests you or another phone call, let me know. But I think that might be the next step for us.

[Tiffany Reese]

Okay.

[Megan Stoner]

All right, let me know when you can come up to Indy and I will be glad to meet you.

[Xavier St. Clair]

Okay, fantastic. Well, hey, I really enjoy this, Megan, and I know we'll probably talk on Instagram well before then, so.

[Amanda]

Okay.

[Megan Stoner]

All right, thanks.

[Alyssa]

Have a good night, Xavier.

[Tiffany Reese]

Yeah, bye.

[Xavier St. Clair]

Bye.

[Megan Stoner]

Thanks.

[Justin]

Once we started messaging, it didn't take long for her to just start trauma dumping in a way that you would not believe. I'm talking 30 to 40 messages to every reply she would get. And the thing that stands out to me the most now is it was immediately back to the same lie she had told. She starts alluding to Brian Bosman. I don't think we got to her using that name, but the same story was starting to be told. She started telling me about how Haribo, her previous practitioner, had assaulted her. The same story that she had threatened to accuse him of. Again, she doesn't know she's talking to Justin here. I've already heard all these stories. Outwardly, she's presenting as though she's trying to turn her life around, but then to someone new she's latched onto on the Internet, she went immediately back to all her old lives. We play along for about two weeks. This goes back and forth messaging and it was really taking a toll on me to just sit and have conversations about sexual assaults that didn't happen all day. I sort of reached a point where I was like, listen, we either need to like get her to agree to meet up somewhere and try this or we need to punt the football. And I can't talk to her for a few weeks. I can't do this.

[Alyssa]

Then he reaches out on telegram. At this point, we have not talked to her about her legal troubles. We've never mentioned that to her. She just starts bringing up and she's just like, trauma dumping. She's like, so how will this work? And he's like, well, I send you a workbook and then you fill out the workbook, we can meet, we can get a hotel room. And she's like, well, I was raped and trafficked in a hotel, so I don't want to do it in a hotel. And he was like, okay. And then she's like, and don't you think it just feels like a one night stand? Like, what are you talking about? She was just bombarding him with text after text after text. She made up this weird thing with Haribo and his now wife being like, haribo's wife tried to make me kill myself. The most bizarre thing. And like, what's so uncanny about it is Justin was texting her, but he was consulting me for a lot of it the whole time. All of it that she's saying is lies. When she finally tells about the legal troubles, it's like, well, they say I left him homeless, but like, I don't really care. Like that's their problem. So flippant, no remorse. She got really close a couple times to being like, okay, I want to meet up. Actually, no, I don't want to meet up. And Justin finally was like, I've made it a priority that I must start taking clients by the fall equinox. If you don't want to do this, fine, but like, I'm only able to take on a few clients at a time and I'm going to take on some other clients if you won't get back to us. So we're messaging her on the Instagram, she's very enthusiastic to the point where I'm like, justin, this weekend she's going to want to meet up. We didn't know what a meetup would look like because Justin and I are not the most sex positive people in the world. We did no research. I think he had listened to the Haribo call and that's the only reason he knew how to talk to her in the way that one of these practitioners would talk. But she's so overeager. Just texting him nonstop on the Instagram. He had a dog show or something that weekend. And I don't live in Indiana. And we were thinking, like, they would have to meet up in person. And so we'd have to have somebody who could be sitting in a coffee shop who could call the police. When she got there, we're thinking, she wants to do it now. So we were like, we need to loop someone in on this to get help. So we knew Alex would be more open to us telling her this. So we text Alex. We're like, we are very ashamed of something, but we have something to tell you. She was laughing. She's like, this is hilarious. She's an Oregon liberal and she's like, okay, the two young conservatives have come up with this. She knew how, like, out of character it was for us. We knew that she was one of the admins, but we didn't know she was in this other group of people who were, like, trying to get Megan. We were telling her, like, what do you think we should do if Justin's out of town and Megan wants to meet up this weekend? And she's like, I can loop you in with some of these guys and we can figure it out. So she made a Facebook chat with Kyle, Mike, herself, me and Justin.

[Alex]

I was at work and I get a text message from Justin and Amanda in a group chat.

[Tiffany Reese]

That's Alex, whom we heard from in episode three. She met Stoner in the Facebook group called the Spice Girls back in 2017 after learning of Stoner's crimes. Years later, Alex joined the Scam Awareness Facebook group. She later became an admin to the group and got more involved with the efforts to hold Stoner accountable. You'll hear Amanda, Justin, and Alex mentioning Mike, Kyle, Chloe, and Alyssa, some of whom you've already heard from. This season, these local politicos and community members were involved in the efforts towards accountability as well.

[Alex]

And they said, alex, we have to tell you something. We've done something really bad. And I'm sitting there and I'm thinking, okay, there's a scale of bad for me, and there's a scale of bad for them. What version am I going to get? I was like, okay, what's going on? And Amanda's texting me. She's like, I'm so embarrassed. I cannot believe I've done this. And I'm like, girl, it's okay. Tell me what's going on. I'm not a judgmental person. You know this. And they said, we created a fake yoni account, and Megan has messaged us. I needed to get up from my desk and go into a conference room to bust out laughing. I mean, that was the funniest, most out of left field thing I had ever heard in my life. I know their hearts, and I know their values. Amanda is not somebody who would, like, even talk about relationships or dating. Hearing the fact that she was involved in that is hilarious. And that Justin was driving that conversation was somehow even funnier. And they said, we just needed to tell somebody. And I was like, of course. If there's anything I can do to support you, I'm here. If we need to bring other people into the conversation, let's do it. I was given the green light to discuss with Kyle and Mike. They thought it was hilarious. And they were like, okay, this is a great opportunity to get her. And then we all had a group chat together. We added Alyssa in as well because she had had that experience, that first attempt to try to get Megan. So she was able to share a lot more perspective of this is what worked and this is what didn't.

[Tiffany Reese]

Here's Alyssa, who posed as a journalist in the previous sting operation that we heard from last episode. Alyssa was brought into the yoni sting as well to offer her perspective.

[Amanda]

Justin would send messages to the other people in the chat and be like, oh, my God, how do I respond to this? She was like, this is what I've had in the past. This is what I'm looking for. Do you offer this? How do you feel about situations like this? And she was, like, asking pretty deep questions. And they did such a wonderful job at responding. From my perspective, it was just a lot of back and forth, strange questions, strange answers. We're all really cringing at the conversation and where it went. There are times where conversations were uncomfortable, but he did such a good job of staying in character dealing with these hard conversations. I'm not even sure that the other people in, like, our specific group chat really knew what was going on, but I was told on the side about what was happening, and I was like, this is Brilliant. I love this. I want to say it's maybe a week or two that this went on. And then she finally agreed, like, let's schedule our first appointment. They're like, okay, great. Do you want to come to us? Do you want us to come to you? And she's like, well, you can come to me. And at the time, she's like, renting a room in a house that has multiple rooms being rented out in an Airbnb.

[Tiffany Reese]

Here's Justin.

[Justin]

Her excuse was actually the fall equinox, because I was like, what's something that a yoni would be into? So the fall equinox was coming up, and so I said, megan, I have a long list of potential clients that are wanting to do consultations and sign the paperwork and move forward with the process. And I promised myself I would have this business up and going after the fall equinox, it's coming up, I kind of need a decision if you want to meet up for a consultation or not. And she immediately was like, okay, I'm ready, and just gives me an address. I was very skeptical that this was a real place that she was at or, like, is this a setup? But I ran it online, and I think it was, like a Redfin posting of the house that the address was. And she had sent me a picture to the fake Yoni of her, like, having breakfast in the morning. And in the background, you could see the tiles of the bathroom. And when I found the Redfin for the address, it was the same bathroom. So I knew this is the place she was hiding. This was late at night, and we agreed to meet in the evening of the next day. You never know what Megan's planning or what she's plotting. She's probably listening to, like, a police scanner right now, like, to see, does anything happen after I put this address out into the world. I haven't told anyone where I'm at.

[Tiffany Reese]

Here's Amanda.

[Alyssa]

Justin and I were very, very clear about, like, we will not accept any payment upfront because we didn't want her to go try and scam someone else. I think that that's where we could have gotten into legal trouble if we had gotten payment. We were like, we will not discuss payment with you until we've met, and we are a good connection. Whatever. We didn't want to call 911 because we believed that Megan listened to the police scanner, so if we called 911 to report her, she would have known to run. So we sat on the address all night. The next morning, Justin's Working, I think Kyle, Chloe and Mike were at a YR convention and Alex was at a convention in Oregon. So then they invited Alyssa to the group and Alyssa is the one who ended up calling the non emergency line. But she called me during it. It was like a three way call. But I. They didn't know that I was on the call. Alyssa was so well prepared. I mean she had everything down. She like knew that it was an Airbnb, but there was a back entrance. So she's like, I think that she could get out of the back entrance. I'm worried that if you go knock on the door, she won't come. Before she hung up, she said, would it be okay if you called me back to tell me that you got her if you get her? And they were like, yeah. It was like the longest half hour of my life.

[Tiffany Reese]

Here's Alyssa again.

[Amanda]

I was like, I'm gonna go ahead and make the call. I wrote everything down. And what's really funny is that I'm looking at it right now. All the information I needed, I first looked up the owner of the Airbnb, found him, found his contact information. I let them know like how long she had been there, what her name was, physical description, address of the Airbnb, owner of the Airbnb, the phone number I found for the owner, all of this. So I write it all down on a piece of paper and I'm like, all right, I'm going upstairs. Let's make this call. Amanda, do you want me to like three way you in? She's messaging me on the other side while I'm talking to them in case I forget something. I have that piece of paper at my work desk on my corkboard. I've saved it all this time because it was like such a fantastic moment for me because I had told her previously when I tried to get her arrested the first time and she was like, oh, they let me go. And I'm like, I will do everything I can to get your victims justice.

[Tiffany Reese]

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[Amanda]

So I make the call. I think they told me that they needed to like speak to the sheriff's department about this regarding a warrant. A couple minutes later, maybe they transferred the line and I start speaking to someone at the sheriff's office and I tell them what's going on. I give them the address, name, all the information that they need. And I'm like shaking while I'm doing this because I'm like, this might be the moment that this girl really gets some justice. This is it. So I talked to the guy and he's like, we're headed to the address provided. And I was like, sweet, can you call me afterwards? Is that okay? Is that like against protocol? He's like, no, I can give you a call when we're done. And I was like, cool. So I messaged both group chats and I'm like, all right, they're on their way. We'll see what happens. She doesn't have to answer the door. That's the whole thing. They can't kick the door down. They can't even gain access to the main house, let alone her bedroom that she's renting out. If no one answers the door, it's like 40 minutes. I'm like almost giving up hope and I'm like, maybe she didn't answer the door. The Just another lost cause. I keep looking at my phone and waiting and waiting and waiting. I was in the bathroom or something, and one of my daughters comes running in there with my phone. She's like, mommy, your phone's ringing. Your phone's ringing. And it's the sheriff. And so I take the call, and I'm like, hello. And he was like, hi, is this Alyssa? And I said, yes, it is. And he was like, well, I just wanted to let you know that we got her. I didn't mean to, but I screamed fuck yes. So loud. And I could hear him laughing in the background. And I'm like, thank you so much for letting me know. She scammed a lot of people. She's done a lot of people wrong. And this is going to make a lot of people happy to know that she's going to be finally brought to justice. And he was like, yeah. We talked to the Airbnb owner, and he told us that he had already had some issues with her not wanting to pay. She'd only been there for a few nights, saying, you know, I can pay you in a couple hours. Can you give me a little bit longer? Can I stay a little bit longer? And he's like, no, you know, you got to pay me. And this has gone on for a couple days. So in true Megan fashion, she was already pissing off the Airbnb owner, which is why when the police showed up, the Airbnb owner answered the door and led them to Megan's door. And had he not done that, I don't know that they would have gotten in. But luckily, the owner was home at the time. So, yeah, that's all that happened. That's how I was brought in on the situation, because I wasn't directly involved with the Yoni page. But at the end, they were kind enough to let me make that call. After that, I was like, I told you. I told you the last time I talked to you on the phone, which was the night that the other cops had let her go, that I wasn't going to stop until she was behind bars. It finally happened. We had been trying for, like, four months to get this girl arrested. She's running from the law. She's staying in different Airbnbs every night, like, catch me if you can. And I messaged the group chat, and I'm like, she's in jail. And everyone, like, blew up and was like, this is it. This is truly the moment we have been waiting for. And I remember asking in the group chat, I was like, who's going to reach out to Tom and let him know? That was my first Thought he's always been in the forefront of my mind when it comes to all of this with Megan. And they were like, why don't you make the call? So I got to pick up my phone and call Tom. I'd never heard him hoop and holler so loud in his life. He was truly so excited to know that she was just in jail and not even for crimes that she had committed against him.

[Tiffany Reese]

Here's Tom.

[Tom]

I still can't wrap my head around how Justin and Amanda were able to take her down with someone who didn't even exist. She was so wrapped up in her own way of thinking that she let her security barrier down and it cost her. It cost her big time. I learned in college about how vigilantes were this disorganized ragtag group of bounty hunters. But with modern technology today and a few intelligent and hard thinking individuals, vigilante justice is a lot easier to come by.

[Tiffany Reese]

Here's Justin.

[Justin]

I was at work at the time and I do a job where I work with my hands. My hands were shaking for the next hour because I was like, this is it. If she told this person who she thinks is a healer, all of this stuff, and she finds out it was us trying to get her, she will not trust anyone ever again. It really did feel like a do or die. Like we're either going to get her now or she's never going to get caught. And then the officer called Alyssa back and he was like, yep, they found her. And she messaged me through the Telegram app and said, I believe you've turned me in. I've just been arrested. And that's one of the most exciting things that's ever happened to me. I mean, to realize we got her. This is the interesting thing. She could see my cell phone number on Telegram the whole time and she never looked it up. She never ran the number. I didn't think she had my phone number because we had talked that one time over Zoom and all of my messages with her from the past had been on Twitter and Instagram, so I didn't think she had it. But if she had Googled it, I've had that number for 10 years. Like she could have figured out who it was. She called the number from inside the jail and she said, are you even a real practitioner? And I said, no, Megan, this has all been fake. And she said, how were you able to fake it so well? This sound of defeat in her voice. And I said, it honestly beats the hell out of me. I don't know how I was able to do it. I've spent a lot of time in 12 step rooms in DBT therapy. I've done some work in those spaces. I guess I knew enough kind of yogi speak from some of the people I've met through that that I was able to get by. I'm not usually the kind of guy that would have ever done anything like that, but one of the most exciting things in my life.

[Tiffany Reese]

Here's Spice Girl Alex again.

[Alex]

I had taken my mom to a LEGO convention as a delayed Mother's Day present. It was the best day of my life. We went out to breakfast and we were at this LEGO event and we were just living our best girly lives. The weather was phenomenal. And I found out she was arrested. My mom and I participated in a build your LEGO race car and send it down this ramp drag strip. And I think if you won, you got like a sticker or something. And I was filming the race and my car was winning to note. So this is how glorious this moment was for me. My car wins and crosses the finish line. I was one sticker richer in my life. And right as it crossed the finish line, the notification pops up on the top bar of the screen saying, we got her and we got her officially this time. And it was the most incredible moment, second most incredible moment of my life besides marrying my husband. We got her for good this time. We were so relieved that she was in jail at that point. There were days where I couldn't fall asleep at night because I was like, she's hurting somebody right now and I just know it and there's nothing anybody can do about it. I felt very lost because there's a lot of big differences between how we do things in Oregon versus how they do things in Indiana. I'm learning with other people, you know, a whole different civil justice system and how things work there. And I felt a huge, huge sense of duty to do right and to do something about this and also do it correctly. So knowing that the world and specifically that community in Indiana was just that much more safer, was a huge, huge relief for not only myself, but for everybody else as well.

[Tiffany Reese]

Hey, prime members, have you heard? You can listen to your favorite podcasts ad free.

[Alyssa]

Good news.

[Tiffany Reese]

With Amazon Music, you have access to.

[Alyssa]

The largest catalog of ad free top.

[Tiffany Reese]

Podcasts included with your prime membership. To start listening, download the Amazon Music app for free or go to Amazon.com adfreepodcast that's Amazon.com ad freepodcast to catch up on the latest episodes without the Ads. The holidays are all about sharing with family meals, couches, stories, Grandma's secret pecan pie recipe. And now you can also share a cart. With Instacart family carts, everyone can add what they want to one group cart from wherever they are. So you don't have to go from room to room to find out who wants cranberry sauce or whether you should get mini marshmallows for the yams or collecting votes for sugar cookies versus shortbread. Just share a cart and then share the meals. In the moments, download the Instacart app and get delivery in as fast as 30 minutes. Plus enjoy free delivery on your first three orders. Service fees and terms apply. The following is audio from a Twitter space live that Justin and Amanda hosted shortly after Stoner was arrested.

[Justin]

Ladies and gentlemen. We got her.

[Megan Stoner]

We got her.

[Justin]

Thank you everyone who has been so kind and everything that they've said the last few days. I mean, it's been. People have said a lot of really nice things about the work that Amanda and I did, and it was not just us. So we'll get to all that, but it's been very nice, all the nice messages you all have been sending.

[Alyssa]

Yeah. I'm really grateful for everyone we've met throughout all of this. I feel like we've come together through kind of a traumatic situation, which is Megan Stoner. But I'm grateful that some good has come with the bad.

[Justin]

You know, I was talking to somebody last night and they said, like, do you feel like you were a part of a mob, like, doing all of this? And I said, I mean, a little bit, yeah, I do. But, like, and this goes back to, like, she had no one else to call but the fake Yanni guy coming to, like, meet her, who she already probably knew was a fake at that point. That was the only person she had to call besides her mom. And I said, you know, like, she had no one. There's no one here tonight who wants to speak on her behalf. We've done four of these now. Nobody's come up and been like, she's a really great person. Like, I'd like to think if it was me, like, a couple of you guys would speak up on my behalf if there were this many people. No one is defending her. No one. There's 1400 people in a Facebook group about her for a reason. And this has all been of her own making. So, yeah, let's open it up. Who else wants to talk?

[Alex]

Yes.

[Alyssa]

I was just going to say, I mean, I've been part of the Megan Stoner saga since her behaviors really started in 2015, 2016. And, you know, I think nobody that has been part of this has really been seeking attention, you know?

[Amanda]

Right.

[Alyssa]

Like, we've all been involved in this because of the behaviors Megan exhibited. She brought this on herself. And I have a tremendous amount of respect for Justin, Amanda, Alyssa, Alex, everyone that has put so much time and effort into taking her off the streets, because literally every day, it was a new scam, a new person that was being, you know, scammed out of money or scammed out of their house or something else. And so I just want to, you know, again, like, echo the. Echo the saying that you guys deserve a medal and thank you all for your hard work and look forward to the trials. Hi, everyone.

[Alex]

I hope that was some of the earlier operations.

[Megan Stoner]

I'm so glad you guys caught her.

[Alex]

Thank God. But I wanted to say that for anyone who isn't familiar with this or is just jumping on the bus now, that this group had 1400 people in.

[Megan Stoner]

It, and I've met amazing people in.

[Alex]

It, and Megan Stoner could have had 1400 friends if she had been anyone but herself. And that's really all on her. This wasn't a hate mom. This wasn't something that was anything but. People who could have been really good supporters of her and actually really on Team Meg. And just a thank you to all the friends I've made along the way.

[Alyssa]

Totally, totally thank you to everyone who helped a little bit, a ton, like. And I just. My biggest thing is I'm thankful that this. Now we can all get our lives back and this is all over and we don't have to worry about other victims.

[Tom]

We finally did it, y'all. Oh, my God. Sorry. Well, it's. It's very good feeling to be out. Here I am. I was the anonymous person who came forward before the last Twitter space. I will be very brief in my remarks this evening, but because this was a team effort. But I do. I again, cannot thank all of the people here, Kyle, Mike, Justin, Alyssa, Alex, all of you guys, for getting her. Because Megan and I go back a ways, and, Jesus, she really gaslit me. It was shocking. I mean, I never thought I'd be manipulated to this extent the way that she did with me. It was manipulative. It was aggressive. My job became collateral because of it as well. I mean, I. You know, mentally, I was gone, and it killed me. Needless to say, she milked me for quite a bit of cash. And, you know, obviously, it is really good to know though, that she cannot do this to anybody anymore. Forget me. I mean, there are, you know, over 280 some odd people here who have been brought together by her. So, I mean, obviously the rabbit hole goes deep. So I don't want to put my case over anybody's, but it just somebody who struggles with disability, that's, you know, it was a low blow for her to do. And I guess before I get off the line here, I just have one thing to leave you all with. For all you White Sock fans, you'll know what I mean. That's what Megan gets. Na, na na na.

[Tiffany Reese]

Hey, hey, hey.

[Tom]

Stone soup. So, yeah, a big thank you to the entire Megan Stoner Chronicles team for what you guys have done for me and everybody else. We can have recovered without you. So just thanks for letting me share the story. Whatnot. More details will come available Netflix, give us a call. But thank you all so much just for everything you guys have done. That's all I got to say.

[Alyssa]

On behalf of a lot of us, I want to say to Justin and Amanda, thank you so much for orchestrating this operation.

[Megan Stoner]

It was clever.

[Alyssa]

Y'all deserve a medal. But to paraphrase that old Frank Sinatra victory song, when every time the Yankees play, start spreading the news we've won today.

[Tom]

Leaving today, you're bread and breakfast. Yeah.

[Alyssa]

You're going back to Hamco jail.

[Megan Stoner]

Oh, yeah.

[Alyssa]

Sweet.

[Justin]

Jail.

[Alyssa]

You know, there's too many people to think by name, but thank you, thank you, thank you, everyone who's been following.

[Megan Stoner]

Along, who's been helping with this.

[Alyssa]

Like, I'm just so glad she can't.

[Justin]

Scam anyone anymore or emotionally drain anyone anymore, which is arguably just as bad. My hope is that I never have to do another one of these again. But, you know, it's Megan. It's Megan. And, you know, we'll see. So thank you, everyone. It's been a pleasure. But that's all.

[Alyssa]

Have a good one.

[Megan Stoner]

Bye, everyone.

[Tiffany Reese]

Next time on Something was wrong.

[Justin]

I mean, did your daughter actually die?

[Megan Stoner]

Yes. It's a long story, and it has to do with a private adoption.

[Justin]

A private adoption.

[Megan Stoner]

I don't care that no one. Yeah, my kid was adopted out.

[Amanda]

Why is everyone saying that your child died?

[Megan Stoner]

Because I have a child that died.

[Amanda]

You have a child, Megan?

[Megan Stoner]

Yes, I did.

[Justin]

You gave birth to a child?

[Megan Stoner]

I did. Yes. That's normally how they come about.

[Amanda]

I think you are absolutely delusional at this point. This is the best thing I've heard yet.

[Tiffany Reese]

Do you have any pictures of your baby bump?

[Alyssa]

I don't know?

[Megan Stoner]

Did I have a warrant out of Anderson?

[Tiffany Reese]

Did you have a child out of your vagina?

[Megan Stoner]

Did you have a conversation with me?

[Justin]

Well, I have a conversation with you. No, I've had enough conversations with you. I've had enough conversations where you make up bullshit about having dead kids that don't exist. So no, I think we're done with that.

[Tiffany Reese]

Thank you so much for listening. Something Was Wrong is a broken Cycle Media Production created and produced by me, Tiffany Reese. Thank you so much to our associate producers Amy B. Chesler and Lily Rowe. Thank you to our audio engineer, Becca High and our Social Media Marketing Manager, Lauren Barkman of Luxury Media. Additional thanks to our partners Grant at Wondery, Marissa Travis and our team at wme, Jason and Jennifer at ksco, our cybersecurity team Darkbox Security and my lawyer Alan and to all of you who make our show possible with your support and listenership. Special Shout out to Neon Honey and Gabanez for covering our theme song gladrag's original song youg. Thank you this season. For more music from them, check out the Episode Notes or your favorite streaming app. In the Episode Notes you'll always find content, warnings, sources and resources with links to our websites and social media as well. Thank you so much to every survivor and ally who has trusted us to help share their stories. We are forever grateful. Until next time, stay safe friends. If you like something was wrong, you can listen early and ad free right now by joining Wondery plus in the Wondery app or on Apple Podcasts. Prime members can listen ad free on Amazon Music. Before you go, tell us about yourself by filling out a short [e-mail] slash survey.

[Justin]

They say Hollywood is where dreams are made, a seductive city where many flock to get rich, be adored and capture America's heart. But when the spotlight turns off, fame, fortune and lives can disappear in an instant. When TV producer Roy Raiden was found dead in a Canyon near LA in 1983, there were many questions surrounding his death. The last person seen with him was Lainey Jacobs, a seductive cocaine dealer who desperately wanted to be part of the Hollywood elite. Together, they were trying to break into the movie industry. But things took a dark turn when a million dollars worth of cocaine and cash went missing. From Wondery comes a new season of the hit show Hollywood and Crime, the Cotton Club Murder. Follow Hollywood and Crime the Cotton Club Murder on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts. You can binge all episodes of the Cotton Club Murder early and ad free right now by joining Wondery plus.