The Greatest Scam Ever Written | 8. The Last Letter

Summary

The Binge Cases: Denise Didn't Come Home - Episode Summary

---

Introduction

In the latest episode of The Binge Cases, titled "The Greatest Scam Ever Written | Episode 8: The Last Letter," host Rachel Brown delves deep into the high-stakes trial of Patrice Renner, a man accused of orchestrating a massive psychic mail fraud scheme spanning two decades. Produced by Sony Music Entertainment and ITN Productions, this episode intricately weaves courtroom drama with personal narratives, offering listeners a comprehensive view of the case and its profound impact on the victims.

---

Setting the Stage: The Trial Begins

The episode opens in the austere environment of the Eastern District Courthouse on Long Island during a sweltering June day in 2023. Rachel Brown sets the scene, describing the pristine, almost mausoleum-like lobby, which contrasts sharply with the intense emotions brewing inside courtroom number 1030 on the 10th floor.

Rachel Brown [00:30]: "The Bench... it feels a bit like a mausoleum."

Patrice Renner, facing 18 charges each carrying a potential 20-year prison sentence, stands trial after nearly five years since his initial arrest on Ibiza. Rachel highlights Renner's unwavering denial of any wrongdoing, emphasizing his confidence in his legal team's ability to prove his innocence.

Patrice Renner [03:04]: "Because since the first day I got arrested, I'm deeply convinced that there's no fraud in that case..."

---

The Prosecution's Case: Unraveling the Scam

Prosecutor John Burke takes the floor, presenting a damning case against Renner. He accuses Renner of running a $175 million psychic mail fraud scheme, wherein victims believed they were in personal correspondence with a fictitious psychic, Maria Duvall. Over 20 years, Renner's network exploited vulnerable individuals, extracting money through deceitful letters filled with lies and fraudulent promises.

John Burke [06:56]: "Patrice Renner was the boss of a $175 million psychic mail fraud scheme... He lied to them from the very first letter he sent them to the very last letter."

Burke meticulously outlines the three-step process of the scam:

1. Identifying Potential Victims: Renting lists of names to target susceptible individuals.
2. Deception: Convincing victims they were communicating with Maria Duvall.
3. Exploitation: Flooding victims with fraudulent letters to extract maximum funds.

The prosecution also recounts how Renner's lieutenants, Mary Thanos and Phil Lett, were brought down, further solidifying the case against him.

John Burke [08:28]: "Patrice Runner lied about Maria Duvall... I'm confident that you will find Patrice Runner guilty of all 18 counts at this point."

---

Defense Strategy: Distinguishing Deceit from Fraud

Renner's defense attorney, James Darrow, counters the prosecution's allegations by rebranding the operation as a legitimate business. Darrow argues that selling astrology services inherently involves a level of deception, similar to other entertainment industries where customers seek experiences they are aware may not be tangible.

James Darrow [12:21]: "We sold astrology, and it made false statements about the astrology. So, yeah, you've seen deception, but deception is not enough."

Darrow emphasizes that the 1.3 million customers willingly engaged with the service, suggesting that their satisfaction signifies a legitimate business operation. He attempts to draw parallels between the Maria Duvall letters and accepted practices like those of religious institutions or entertainment services, aiming to blur the lines between harmful fraud and benign deception.

---

Victims' Testimonies: The Human Toll

A pivotal aspect of the episode is the heart-wrenching testimonies of Renner's victims. Rachel Brown interviews Chrissy Robinson, Doreen Robinson's daughter, who grapples with her mother's loss and the realization that Patrice Renner was behind the scam that devastated her family.

Chrissy Robinson [05:37]: "I have never heard of Patrice Renner. I no clue who this man is."

Victims recount the emotional and financial turmoil caused by the fraudulent correspondence. Testimonies from individuals like Kathy Irvin, who believed she was communicating with Maria Duvall for three years, and Ingrid Wolf, an 84-year-old who financially suffered after following fraudulent lottery advice, paint a grim picture of the scam's reach.

Rachel Brown [10:03]: "Each one of these testimonies is full of desperation... They want justice. Will the verdict give them that?"

---

The Verdict: A Decisive Judgment

After two weeks of intense courtroom proceedings filled with dramatic exchanges and profound testimonies, the jury delivers a unanimous verdict. Patrice Renner is found guilty on eight counts of mail fraud, four counts of wire fraud, conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. He is acquitted on four other charges.

Rachel Brown [18:05]: "The jury finds Patrice guilty of eight counts of mail fraud, four counts of wire fraud..."

The sentence handed down is ten years in prison—a figure that Rachel and the victims perceive as insufficient, given the enormity of Renner's crimes. Rachel reflects on the emotional weight of the verdict, feeling a mixture of relief and lingering resentment on behalf of the victims.

Rachel Brown [37:07]: "10 years isn't a very long time, is it? Considering these victims were psychologically scammed into believing that they were getting something."

---

Patrice's Final Plea: The Last Letter

In a poignant turn of events, Renner submits a 17-page letter titled "The 10 Commandments of the Phoenix" addressed to Judge Joanna Seibert. Rachel Brown dissects the letter, highlighting Renner's attempt to portray himself as a remorseful individual seeking redemption. However, her analysis reveals a disconnect between his words and genuine contrition.

Rachel Brown [23:34]: "Personally, I find nothing about this letter convincing. It's overwritten and self-indulgent."

Throughout the letter, Renner intersperses literary quotes and emotional pleas, attempting to elicit sympathy. Yet, Rachel notes a continued lack of acknowledgment for his victims, undermining any semblance of sincerity.

Patrice Renner [29:54]: "I just realized to what level, to what point... how much hardship some of my customers had in their life."

---

Sentencing Hearing: Closure and Reflection

The sentencing hearing unfolds with Judge Seibert addressing Renner's final plea. Despite Renner's tearful display and expressions of remorse, the judge sentences him to ten years—a decision Rachel and many victims find inadequate.

Judge Joanna Seibert [33:19]: "No violence, necessarily, but a number of victims and millions and millions of dollars... warrant a sentence of 10 years."

Rachel contemplates the broader implications of the sentencing, questioning whether it provides true justice for the millions affected by Renner's scam. She interviews Chrissy Robinson, who voices her dissatisfaction with the verdict, emphasizing the lingering pain and lack of closure.

Chrissy Robinson [37:07]: "Patrice Runner... he just got sentenced to 10 years in prison... it just leaves a sour taste in my mouth."

---

Aftermath: The Legacy of Patrice Renner

In the concluding segments, Rachel Brown reflects on Renner's future post-sentencing, pondering whether he might reoffend or if his time in prison will lead to genuine introspection. Conversations with colleagues like Clayton suggest skepticism about Renner's capacity for change, fearing his inherent skills in deception might propel him toward future schemes.

Rachel Brown [35:56]: "I think Patrice is done with Maria Duvall. But when I catch up with Clayton... she's not so sure."

Rachel grapples with her own feelings of sympathy for Renner as a human being juxtaposed against his heinous actions. She acknowledges the complexity of her emotions, recognizing the necessity of his punishment while empathizing with his burdens.

Rachel Brown [36:07]: "He’s a convicted fraudster, sure. But he's also a human. He's a father."

The episode concludes with Rachel contemplating the unresolved feelings of the victims and the uncertain path forward for justice, underscoring the profound impact of Renner's actions on countless lives.

---

Conclusion

"The Greatest Scam Ever Written | Episode 8: The Last Letter" offers a gripping exploration of Patrice Renner's fraudulent empire, the human cost of his deceit, and the quest for justice that ultimately feels incomplete for many victims. Through meticulous storytelling and emotional depth, Rachel Brown provides listeners with a nuanced understanding of the complexities surrounding fraud cases and their enduring effects on individuals and communities.

---

For more thrilling true crime stories, subscribe to The Binge Cases on Apple Podcasts or visit GetTheBinge.com.

Transcript

[Indra Varma]

Indra. I'm Indra Varma. And in the latest season of the Spy who, we open the file on Daphne park, the spy who killed a prime minister.

[Rachel Brown]

As the Belgian Congo gains its independence.

[Indra Varma]

Officer park sets out to build a spy network. Together, they're about to go to new extremes to keep Congo free of Communists. Follow the spy who now wherever you listen to podcasts.

[Rachel Brown]

The Bench the Eastern District Courthouse on Long island is humming with activity on a sweltering June day in 2023. It's a huge, austere building, pristine and blindingly white. The lobby is mercifully cool, all marble floors and wood paneling. It feels a bit like a mausoleum. Up on the 10th floor, in courtroom number 1030, a trial is about to begin.

[Indra Varma]

All rise. Jurors entering.

[Rachel Brown]

12 men and women shuffle into the courtroom and take their places in the jury box. In a few days time, Patrice Renner will stand before these people as they decide his fate. It's been almost five years since his initial arrest on the Spanish island of Ibiza. Now Patrice is facing 18 charges, each with a maximum prison time of 20 years. The judge strides in and looks around the room.

[Indra Varma]

Good morning, everyone. Please be seated.

[Rachel Brown]

This master of persuasion and his legal team believe they can convince the jury that he is innocent. He's a man who has written millions of words throughout his career. But the ones that will be spoken in this courtroom are now the only ones that matter.

[Indra Varma]

We are ready to begin with the arguments of counsel.

[Rachel Brown]

I'm Rachel Brown, and this is the greatest scam ever written from Sony Music Entertainment and ITN Productions. Episode 8 the Last Letter in the run up to Patrice's trial in June 2023, I snatch anytime I can with him on the phone or over email. It gets harder and harder to speak, with even longer and more frequent lockdowns at the prison. But whenever I do talk to him about the case, he's like a broken record, flatly denying any hint of wrongdoing.

[Indra Varma]

Because since the first day I got arrested, I'm deeply convinced that there's no fraud in that case first and and she that I'm not involved in any fraud. There's no intention of fraud.

[Rachel Brown]

Even facing the full power of the doj, he remains defiant.

[Indra Varma]

Probably know that I'm going to fight my case.

[Rachel Brown]

You are. He's going to fight his case to the end, and he believes he's going to win. As the trial date approaches, I really have no idea what to expect of the jury. In American fraud trials, the outcome is often hard to predict. Even for the geekiest court watchers, take the case of the former Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes on trial for those fake blood tests. The verdict is in.

[Indra Varma]

The disgraced Theranos founder and CEO found.

[Rachel Brown]

Guilty on four of 11 counts in.

[Indra Varma]

Her landmark Silicon Valley fraud case.

[Rachel Brown]

The jury's decision split. Elizabeth Holmes was found guilty on four charges, including conspiracy to commit fraud against investors, but acquitted on three other counts against patients. The jury deadlocked on three other charges. It's just not possible to predict which way a jury could go in these sorts of complicated fraud cases. But it feels right that a jury of American citizens makes the last decision on Patrice. He always took care to keep his victims, or customers, as he likes to say, at arm's length. Now these 12 ordinary people will look him straight in the eye and their judgment will be final. It made me think of all those victims who won't get a chance to confront Patrice. I call Chrissy, Doreen Robinson's daughter. She was the first person I spoke to at the start of this story. How does she feel about being able to put a name to the scam? After a decade of seeking answers, I'm completely gobsmacked. I have never heard of Patrice Renner. I no clue who this man is. Is he the person that I need to be directing my anger at? She tells me she had presumed it was Maria Duvall herself at the top of the scam. Do you have anything that you would ask him? What would you wish you could say to him?

[Indra Varma]

Oh, boy.

[Rachel Brown]

I would say to him, I'm glad you made your money. Raping the money off of innocent victims. I don't know if we can say that, but how dare he try to make money off the backs of vulnerable people? I know Chrissy is thinking about her mom here, Doreen Robinson. So am I. I think he is an evil, wretched man. The impact of this trial will go far beyond Patrice. Millions of people received letters. Many of these people felt victimized. They want justice. Will the verdict give them that? Finally, the day of the trial arrives. June 5, 2023. A hush falls over the busy courtroom as prosecutor John Burke approaches the stand. He has a thick head of gray hair, clean cut suit and a somber expression. Eventually, he sets out his argument. This is from the trial transcript, voiced by an actor.

[Indra Varma]

Patrice Runner was the boss of $175 million psychic mail fraud scheme. He ran the scheme for 20 years. He convinced his victims that they were in personal correspondence with Maria Duvall. That Maria Duvall cared about them and that she would Use her abilities to help them. Mr. Runner took as much money as he possibly could from the victims through an endless stream of more lies and more fraud. He lied to them from the very first letter he sent them to the very last letter and every letter in between.

[Rachel Brown]

The prosecution is arguing not only that Patrice was aware of the scam and how it was run, but that he personally manipulated and exploited his victims. Burke spells out for the jury how these mail order scams work. The three stages we heard about when Clayton brought down Patrice's lieutenants, Mary Thanos and Phil Lett.

[Indra Varma]

First, find potential victims by renting lists of names. Second, lie to the victims to make them think that they're in personal correspondence with Maria Duvall. Third, bombard the victims who fall for the lie with dozens of additional fake letters, each filled with lies and fraud.

[Rachel Brown]

On day two of the trial, Mary and Phil take to the stand and testify against their former boss, Patrice Renner. They had already pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud. Patrice told me about the frustration he felt watching them.

[Indra Varma]

They had to admit that they were collaborating with the authorities and that they were hoping to have lenient convictions. The worse they present me, the better it is for them.

[Rachel Brown]

He says that Mary and Phil had to make him look bad to avoid potential jail time. But interestingly, Patrice doesn't feel any sense of betrayal. They were simply saving themselves. He probably would have done the same if the tables were turned. Betrayal or not, their testimony is extremely damaging for the defense, especially Mary's. I quickly realized that the promotions were not coming from the psychics. But I needed to work to support my family. By promotions, Mary means the letters sent to victims. I felt uncomfortable at different times when I'd be confronted with promotions, But I pushed it out of my mind. It's not something I would think about every day, and I deeply, deeply regret being part of this organization. Day four sees several victims speak about the devastating impact of the letters on their the money lost, the family relationships destroyed. Burke runs through each one.

[Indra Varma]

Kathy Irvin, who genuinely believes in psychics. She testified that she believed she was corresponding back and forth with Maria Duvall for three years. Ingrid Wolf, an 84 year old woman who took care of her sick husband for nine and a half years. She lost money playing the lottery with Maria Duvall's numbers. Keith Aldrich, who grew up here on Long Island. After a hit and run accident, Mr. Aldrich separated from his wife and was living with his parents. He even included his phone number. But she never wrote back and of.

[Rachel Brown]

Course, she never called Each one of these testimonies is full of desperation, all fueled in the prosecution's mind by Patrice's careful, persuasive copy. The prosecution wraps up. Burke's closing point is definitive.

[Indra Varma]

Patrice Runner lied about Maria Duvall, and he lied about the unique and valuable items supposedly coming from Maria Duvall. They were cheap, mass produced trinkets ordered in bulk. I'm confident that you will find Patrice Runner guilty of all 18 counts at this point.

[Rachel Brown]

It doesn't look good for Patrice from where I'm sitting. The prosecution has done their job in trying to prove Patrisse guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Now it's the defense's turn. James Darrow is a Stanford graduate in an assistant federal defender in Brooklyn. He looks a lot younger than Burke, but carries himself with confidence. Darrow opens by urging the jury to consider the Maria Duvall operation as a legitimate business like any other.

[Indra Varma]

None of what the prosecution just said is proof that Patrice Runner intended to defraud his customers. What it is as proof that he ran a business. It sold astrology, and it made false statements about the astrology. So, yeah, you've seen deception, but deception is not enough.

[Rachel Brown]

Interestingly, Darrow refers only to astrology and not to psychic services. Possibly he's hoping that astrology sounds a little bit more tangible for Darrow. There's a big difference between deception and fraud.

[Indra Varma]

Here's the difference. Okay? We pay a magician to experience magic. And that makes sense because just like someone who pays, a magician isn't defrauded out of his money by deception about magic powers. Someone who pays for astrology isn't defrauded by deception about astrological powers. That is why Patrice is not guilty.

[Rachel Brown]

This argument has been raised throughout our story by lots of people connected to the scam from Keitha Rocco, who claims people should be free to pay for the comfort psychics or astrology can bring. To Jacques Maillard, who argued that the Maria Duvall letters are no different to what churches do. The point here is that we all accept some level of deceit when we buy such things.

[Indra Varma]

1.3 million people chose to buy astrology. They came in wanting those products. Overwhelmingly, they came out satisfied with those products. So we're asking you to honor their choices, to respect their judgment that an astrological experience is what they wanted to get for their money. These are grownups who get to buy that astrological experience if they want it. It's not a crime to sell it to them. Right.

[Rachel Brown]

But his use of the word grownups here catches my attention. The victim's testimony and my reporting has shown that many of the people hit hardest by the scam are in a vulnerable state. When they fall under the spell of the letters, they end up controlled and even infantilized. Like Doreen Robinson, Darrow is trying to paint a different picture of independent adults who must be allowed to make their own decisions. To reinforce these ideas, the defense calls its sole witness, David Gall, a marketing professor from the University of Illinois. Gal points to the repeat customer rate as evidence of the legitimacy of Patrice's business. Patrice merely provided a service to willing customers. No foul play, no wrongdoing. The whole trial is circling around this question of fraud versus Deceit. The defense keeps trying to focus the jury on those customers who were satisfied with the product, but they don't want to interrogate the product itself. Darrow tries to draw similarities between the Maria Duvall letters and wwe, but audiences who pay to watch WWE get to see wwe. Patrice and his employees lied blatantly and repeatedly for more than 20 years and took people's money based on those lies. After hearing two weeks of heated testimony and cross examinations, the jury retires to deliberate. Now we wait for their decision.

[Indra Varma]

From the award winning creators of the hit podcast Father Wants Us Dead comes the stunning new true crime series in the Shadow of Princeton in 1989, a.

[Rachel Brown]

Prominent woman was found stabbed to death in her Princeton home with no clear motive. It's a chilling mystery that vexed investigators for years. Was the culprit a young outsider the.

[Indra Varma]

Police said was a serial attacker?

[Rachel Brown]

Or someone in her family? Or even well heeled students at the renowned Princeton University?

[Indra Varma]

He had a ski mask in his possession and a knife. She was familiar enough with them and trusted them enough that she turned her back on him. And that was her mistake. One investigator sees a concern conspiracy. Is he way off base or does.

[Rachel Brown]

Privilege help you get away with murder? In the Shadow of Princeton is available.

[Indra Varma]

Wherever you get your podcasts or you.

[Rachel Brown]

Can binge it ad free by joining Wondery plus in the Wondery app, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. I'm Afwah Hirsch. I'm Peter Frankopan and in our podcast Legacy we explore the lives of some of the biggest characters in history.

[Indra Varma]

This season we are looking at the life of the British Prime Minister Winston Churchill.

[Rachel Brown]

It's fair to say he's a complex.

[Indra Varma]

And controversial character almost 150 years since his birth. How does his legacy hold up today?

[Rachel Brown]

Follow Legacy now wherever you get your.

[Indra Varma]

Podcasts or binge entire seasons early and ad free on Wondery.

[Rachel Brown]

On June 16, 2023. Word spreads through the corridors of the Eastern District Courthouse. The jury in the Patrice Runner case is ready to give their verdict. Everyone rushes back to take their places in the courtroom. A heavy wooden door opens and the 12 jury members file in. They sit in two rows, their expressions unreadable.

[Indra Varma]

Have the jury reached their decision?

[Rachel Brown]

The jury finds Patrice guilty of eight counts of mail fraud, four counts of wire fraud, conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. He's acquitted of four other charges. Theoretically, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each guilty count, although actual sentences are normally way under the maximum. Given the sheer number of charges, I sort of always expected Patrice to be found guilty on at least one count. But 14. It's so decisive. I think of Patrice sitting back in his cell in New York after being found guilty. What might he be thinking? Has this verdict burst his bubble of self belief? Of course not. He writes to me straight after the trial.

[Indra Varma]

To my point of view. I've tried to look at it from various angles for the last four days. This verdict, at first glance, without having analyzed it deeper, makes absolutely no sense.

[Rachel Brown]

He's shocked to have been found guilty, but the verdict has clearly not prompted any soul searching or reflection. He's just as determined as ever to keep fighting.

[Indra Varma]

Even if we failed. For now, we have only partially failed and the game is far from over.

[Rachel Brown]

And in some respects, Patrice is right, because this isn't the end. His sentencing hearing is set for April 2024 in New York and could still provide a final twist in the tale. I know I have to be there when it happens and see Patrice in person. The night before I head down to New York, I notice that a couple of last minute court documents have been submitted to the judge by Patrice's legal team. There's one in particular that catches my eye. A letter from Patrice himself and addressed to the judge. A final bit of copy. His swan song. Oh my God. It's 17 pages, single space, pretty much. It's titled the 10 Commandments of the Phoenix. The grandiose religious framing makes me think again of how these scammers like to equate themselves to churches providing comfort. Patrisse also uses literary quotes to kick off each new paragraph. Quote, Pain and suffering are inevitable for a large intelligence and a deep heart. Truly, great men must, I think, experience sorrow on the earth. End quote. Crime and Punishment. It seems a little cliche to be quoting Dostoyevsky in a letter to a judge. We'll see in the coming days whether or not it works. The letter is bizarre, a random hodgepodge of inspirational quotes and deluded arguments about the case. I feel like I'm now fluent in Patrice's writing. I can immediately spot his persuasive techniques. So he opens the letter with this very emotional plea. With this dramatic scene of how he and the other inmates are locked up. He says, I thought it was important to share this fact with you before I started. The added stress I've had to deal with and the challenge it has been for me to write and finish this letter with such restricted access to computers that its last minute delivery was almost compromised. So very dramatic, like almost cinematic in the way he's describing his inability to write this letter and this kind of urgency that he's putting on it, too. So I think he's really trying to hook her in. He goes on talking vividly about his troubled childhood and the impact it had on him in his teenage years, always having to hustle. The letter then takes a strange turn when Patrice starts describing his cellmate, who he is less than fond of. This cacophonous flatulence factory obliges me to dress up as an embalmer with a hint of Bengay. Extra menthol on top of my mustache, below my nostrils. The latter covered with a gas mask during my Dear Summit's daily gastric storms. It's hard not to find this amusing. His choice of adjectives is surely intended to make the reader smirk, but I'm not sure what purpose it serves. Personally, I find nothing about this letter convincing. It's overwritten and self indulgent. Any spark of sympathy I might have felt for Patrice is snuffed out because there is still no recognition that he's done anything wrong in this letter. He's been found guilty and should be on his knees begging for mercy. But somehow he's still absolutely sure of himself and the potential he has to offer to the world.

[Indra Varma]

I know that my main life projects will improve the lives of thousands of people. Then I hope in a few years to improve the lives of millions of people. This will be my contribution to making our world better.

[Rachel Brown]

By this point, I'm wondering if Patrice has totally lost his mind. How could he possibly see his mail order scams as making the world a better place? There's no mention of the victims of the scam. The letter is basically 17 pages of Patrice's warped perspective. How his life has been impacted and what will become of him. I feel emotionally drained when I reach the final page.

[Indra Varma]

Only you have the power to release from the world of darkness and to let the phoenix, which has suffered so much and is more than ready to take flight towards its destiny, towards new horizons. May God bless you, Patrice Reuner.

[Rachel Brown]

I can't imagine how all this lunacy is going to play out in the sentencing hearing. I pack my bag and head for New York. So I landed at LaGuardia Airport this morning and jumped in an Uber. It's an hour drive to get here, and it's probably one of the most expensive, if not the most expensive, Uber ride I've ever taken. We're going to head over to the federal courthouse. It's the same grand courthouse where the trial took place. As I approach, I feel my body tense up. It's just been so long since I started covering this case and so long since I first started talking to Patrice that it really feels like everything's kind of built up to this moment and this day. Patrice's fate rests in the hands of Judge Joanna Seibert, who presided over both the trial and now the sentencing. Throughout the process, she's denied his every request, whether that was video calling his kids or getting the charges dismissed. Maybe it was because I'm so far into this, but when I first saw Judge Joanna Seibert, the person who came to mind was Maria Duvall. Both elegant women in their 70s, with bright blonde short hair, a confident posture and an all knowing expression. I wonder if Patrice sees the parallels too. Today, Judge Seibert is presiding over a very quiet courtroom. It's just Patrice, his guards, the lawyers, a few law students and me. This is me describing the scene to producer Millie. You know, the judge asked, is there anyone from Patrice's family here in the courtroom? They said no, they couldn't make it. They couldn't travel.

[Indra Varma]

And what does he look like today.

[Rachel Brown]

When you saw him? His hair was slicked back, kind of like gel or water. It was slicked back into a ponytail. And then he had his beard also, quite a heavy beard, which I've seen before, graying in certain parts. The transformation I've seen in him physically over just two years alone is pretty stark. He's always been so conscious of his image, but now he looks rake thin and run down. He sees me and waves. I expect the sentencing to be quick. Turns out it takes about an hour and a half of back and forth between the prosecution and Patrice's, lawyers trying to argue for what type of sentence he should face. The subject of Patrice's written plea to the judge comes up and she's ready with her assessment My concern is throughout.

[Indra Varma]

That letter there's not a whisper of remorse. Golly gee, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done this. And he doesn't think he did anything wrong. And you know what? That cries out to me. He's coming back again.

[Rachel Brown]

Darrow, the defense lawyer looks at his client. Patrice wants to speak. I watch him take a deep breath. Breath. What could he possibly have left to say?

[Indra Varma]

With HelloFresh you get farm fresh, pre portioned ingredients and seasonal recipes delivered right to your doorstep. Skip trips to the grocery store and count on HelloFresh to make home cooking easy, fun and affordable. That's why it's America's number one meal kit. HelloFresh delivers all the pre portioned ingredients you'll need to make easy homemade meals. All the proteins, vegetables, sauces, spices and more arrive in your box along with simple instructions that walk you through each step in the cooking process. Whip up tasty restaurant style meals in your own kitchen without the high price tag of takeout and in less time than it takes to get delivery. From hearty dinners to game day snacks, HelloFresh has a variety of recipes and flavors to perfectly accompany sweater weather. We're looking at you. Pumpkin Spice if you're the sort of person who likes a good healthy meal but doesn't have time to get it all together, well, HelloFresh is for you. Get 10 free [e-mail] Cases 10 Apply it across seven boxes. New subscribers only. Varies by plan. That's 10 free HelloFresh meals just by going to hellofresh.com Cases 10.

[Rachel Brown]

This episode is brought to you by SkinnyPopopcorn. Perfectly popped, endlessly delicious. Oh so light and crunchy. Skinny Pop Original Popcorn is the snack you've searching for. Made with just three simple ingredients popcorn kernel, sunflower oil and salt, Snacking never felt or tasted so good. Perfectly popped, endlessly delicious. Give yourself permission to snack and pick up Skinny Pop Original Popcorn today. The judge signals Patrice to stand. This is it. His final chance to convince her to go easy on him again. This is the transcript voiced up by actors.

[Indra Varma]

Yes, Mr. Runner, just if you would talk into the microphone so we get a clear record. The part that you mentioned was missing in my letter was because I wanted to tell it to you directly here.

[Rachel Brown]

Throughout the trial, Patrice has been composed, confident and convinced he has done nothing wrong. But now he crumbles, tears welling in his eyes.

[Indra Varma]

I just realized to what level, to what point how much hardship some of my customers had in their life. Some of them were desperate to improve their life. I realized, oh, I was disconnected from those people because I was too, I would say, too much involved in the data. So I just realized to which extent I really missed for those many years that human perspective.

[Rachel Brown]

Wait, so his justification is that he dehumanized people to such an extent that he couldn't see that what he was doing was wrong.

[Indra Varma]

When I came back to my cell, I was really full of remorse because I was really touched. I didn't realize that it was that some people had that hardship life that was so, so hard.

[Rachel Brown]

This is the first time I've heard him talk about the people who received the Maria Duvall letters with any compassion. He goes through each of the victims who had testified in the trial the previous year and shares his personal feelings now with the court.

[Indra Varma]

The first witness was Frida Barry, who came to the stand, and I listened very closely to what she was saying.

[Rachel Brown]

He name checks each one of them in turn. Ingrid Wolff, Keith Aldridge.

[Indra Varma]

I was very moved also by his testimony, the fact that he was disabled.

[Rachel Brown]

Lastly, he gets to Barbara Callahan.

[Indra Varma]

When I saw how bad in shape she was in her testimony, I really felt heartbroken. Yeah, real broken by that woman.

[Rachel Brown]

Barbara Callahan. Wait, I recognize this name. And not just because she testified at the trial. I also spoke to Patrice specifically about her story between the trial and the sentencing.

[Indra Varma]

Barbara Callahan. Okay. From Wyoming. Okay.

[Rachel Brown]

She came in the end.

[Indra Varma]

Yeah.

[Rachel Brown]

Barbara testified via a video link because she was too ill to attend.

[Indra Varma]

Was very fat on a bed in an hospital or, I don't know, maybe a place for senior people. Four arms with purple, green, like, bruises, and she could barely speak. And then. Yeah, so that was pretty bad. She was like the worst of the worst you can find, you know, that.

[Rachel Brown]

They beat the same Barbara Callahan. Patrice is now sorrowfully describing to the judge is the person he had previously dismissed and described to me as the Pit. So even in his final moments, pleading to the judge, he's just playing a role. A man full of remorse, a man ready for redemption. Looking Judge Seibert straight in the eye, he gets to his conclusion.

[Indra Varma]

Because if I were not as disconnected, if I had seen the human misery, all that human misery, much closer, I would certainly have reconsidered my involvement in the psychic business. To finish, I would like to read here a quote that was already in my letter from Dostoevsky, his novel Crime and Punishment.

[Rachel Brown]

As he quotes from Crime and Punishment yet again, I think about how disconnected Patrice is from this moment. He's broadcasting to us from an alternative universe. And Judge Seibert is not tuned into his signal.

[Indra Varma]

You created a situation that was of your own making, Mr. Runner. No violence, necessarily, but a number of victims and millions and millions of dollars warrant a sentence of 10 years.

[Rachel Brown]

Without any fanfare, the judge has delivered her verdict. Ten years. Patrice visibly crumples in his seat. That's ten years in prison. But given the number of serious charges he faced, it could have been a lot worse for him. I leave the courtroom and call producer Millie to tell her about Patrice's emotional plea. I did think there was some sincerity to it, but at the same time, if you're facing a prison sentence, you're probably gonna say whatever you want to the judge to try to get them to sympathize with you. Initially, what drew me to this story was not only the scale of the deception and fraud involved, but also the way the right words can sell an idea. Patrice was a creative and persuasive writer. But under the scrutiny of this court, something has changed in how I look at him. He kind of exposed himself as someone who relies on formulas of speech, certain phrases, certain ways of speaking that are repetitive and emotive, but, like, calculated as well. Do you think if he gets out, he might pursue something like this again? I think 10 years is more than enough time to convince him that this. This is a bad idea. This is a crime. I think Patrice is done with Marie Duvall. But when I catch up with Clayton right after the sentencing, he's not so sure.

[Indra Varma]

This is all that Mr. Renner knows, is how to defraud people. And she will now have many years in prison to dream up another fraud scheme that he can perpetrate when he gets out.

[Rachel Brown]

Millie has something else. She wants to ask me a simple question, but one that forces me to confront the moral gray areas of reporting on someone like Patrice. Do you feel sort of sympathetic to him? I do have a soft spot for Patrice. For better or worse. He's a convicted fraudster, sure. But he's also a human. He's a father. I've heard his hopes, his dreams for the future, and two thoughts can be true. I can have a touch of sympathy for this person, and I can also say, okay, he needed to atone for his actions. There's one final question for us to answer. What does the sentencing mean for the millions of victims of this scam? I think that the victims and their families will have to tell us if they think that this is justice. Do they feel like Patrice being sentenced to 10 years is enough?

[Indra Varma]

Hello?

[Rachel Brown]

Oh, hi. Is this. Is this Chrissy. Yeah. Oh, hi, Chrissy. It's Rachel Brown calling. I call Chrissy Robinson again to tell her the news. Patrice Runner, the man who was convicted of running the Marie Duvall scam, he just. He just got sentenced to 10 years in prison just now. Oh, my goodness. 10 years isn't a very long time, is it? Considering these victims were psychologically scammed into believing that they were getting something. And even though so many of these victims have passed away, there's no justice for them in the end. It just leaves a sour taste in my mouth.

[Indra Varma]

Yeah, it's kind of bittersweet.

[Rachel Brown]

It feels like no amount of years would have been enough for Chrissy. Enough for Doreen's memory. And a big part of me agrees. But a decade behind bars is no small sentence for a man used to the good life. It's a devastating fall from grace. From the beaches of Ibiza to the four walls of a cell, no one from Patrice's family attended the sentencing. I wonder whether they'll find the time to visit on the day. I was the only one present in the courtroom who knew him. In the weeks that follow, I try again and again to speak to Patrice. I want to know whether the sentence has finally forced him to accept the impact of his crimes. I want him to respond to Chrissy Robinson's anger. But I'm told he's in transit being moved to a new prison. Unreachable. Even if I could speak to him, I'd make any bet you like that he hasn't changed his views, that he still thinks he's done nothing wrong. But for the first time in his life, no amount of spin or grift can change the narrative. Patrice Renner is one of the most ruthless and successful scammers in history. Belief was his currency. He preyed on millions of people's desire for more from life. For bigger, better things or just a different ending for themselves and their loved ones. And he deeply understood the desires he was manipulating. They had driven him since he was a child, desperate to climb out of poverty. But he made his choices. And now he's facing a long stretch of time to sit and reckon with them. By the time he gets out, he'll be in his late 60s, worn down by his time inside without a penny to his name. And who knows, he might be a prime candidate for a suckers list himself.

[Indra Varma]

This. What is the sound of your ride.

[Rachel Brown]

Home with dad after he caught you vaping?

[Indra Varma]

Awkward, isn't it? Most vapes contain seriously addictive levels of nicotine and disappointment.

[Rachel Brown]

Know the real cost of vapes brought.

[Indra Varma]

To you by the fda.

[Rachel Brown]

The final episode of the Greatest Scam Ever Written was hosted by me, Rachel Brown. Our assistant sound designer is Sam Caseta. Our sound designer is Luca Evans. Our mixer is Jay Rothman. Our assistant producers are Luca Evans and Leo Schick. Our producer is Millie Chu. Our story editor is Dave Anderson. Voices by Bruce Kennedy, Catherine Bovee, Max Laramie, Robert Pearce and Vera Huff for ITN Productions. Our production manager is Emily Jarvis. Our executive producer is Rubina Pabani for Sony Music Entertainment. Our executive producer is Catherine St. Louis. Thanks to Bill Walker and Lucien Lauzon of MCS Studios. And a special thanks to the Walrus, whose article of the same name inspired this podcast.

[Indra Varma]

Cascade Natural Gas believes a warm home, hot water and natural gas energy should be available to everyone. That's why Cascade established the Oregon Low Income Bill Assistance and Energy Discount Programs.

[Rachel Brown]

These programs provide income qualified applicants a.

[Indra Varma]

Discount on their monthly bill and if.

[Rachel Brown]

Needed, help with past due balance.

[Indra Varma]

Qualifying for assistance is easy by calling Cascade or any of our partner community action agencies. Get complete bill assistance [e-mail] help.