Lady Mafia | 6. The Moment of Impact

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Binge Crimes - Lady Mafia | Episode 6: The Moment of Impact

Introduction

The Binge Crimes presents an in-depth exploration of true crime stories, and in Episode 6, titled “The Moment of Impact,” host Ronald Richards delves into the tumultuous rise and fall of Sara King, infamously known as “Lady Mafia.” This episode, produced by Sony Music Entertainment and Campside Media, offers a riveting behind-the-scenes look at Sara’s complex world of deception, financial manipulation, and personal struggles. Veteran reporter Michele McPhee guides listeners through the pivotal moments that led to Sara’s ultimate downfall.

Sara King: The Many Faces of Lady Mafia

Sara King, a.k.a. “Lady Mafia,” has garnered various monikers including the “Female Bernie Madoff” and the “Anna Delvey of the OC.” Her reputation as a glorified loan shark involved in dubious financial dealings in Orange County sets the stage for her dramatic narrative. Sara's operations allegedly involved false loans and the misappropriation of funds from high-profile investors, leading to accusations of defrauding over $10 million.

Threats and Tensions (02:07 - 05:01)

The episode begins with Sara addressing past threats she received. Initially denying any threats to her life, Sara later reveals (at [03:08]) that she has been menaced by mafia figures who feared her financial manipulations. She recounts receiving intimidating packages, including stuffed animals, from individuals with extensive criminal backgrounds. This revelation underscores the dangerous environment Sara navigated while orchestrating her schemes.

The Downfall Begins: Laurent Reese and Legal Challenges (03:30 - 10:10)

Sara’s entanglement with Laurent Reese, her largest investor who contributed over $10 million, marks the turning point in her operations. At [04:41], Sara confesses to using false loans to win back lost money, admitting, “I did false loans. I used the money to try and win back other money.” This acknowledgment signifies the collapse of her financial façade. Laurent Reese’s lawyer, Ronald Richards, steps in, launching legal actions and publicizing Sara's fraudulent activities, which forces Sara to confront the consequences of her actions.

Ejection from Wynn Las Vegas (05:40 - 10:19)

Sara’s gambling spree at Wynn Las Vegas culminates in her being forcibly removed from the premises. At [05:40], John McCabe, representing Laurent Reese, details how he alerted Wynn’s general counsel about Sara’s fraudulent activities, resulting in her immediate ejection (“86ed”) from the casino. Despite losing millions, Sara seeks refuge at Resorts World, where she manages to win $50,000 in a blackjack tournament in an attempt to salvage her finances ([11:06]).

Personal Struggles and Relationship Breakdown (10:19 - 18:07)

As Sara's financial situation deteriorates, her personal life unravels. Her marriage to Cameron disintegrates as he distances himself, eventually fleeing to Morocco to avoid association with Sara’s legal troubles ([12:07]). Sara’s isolation deepens, leading her to substance abuse and a stint in rehab. Her inability to confide in her family exacerbates her predicament, culminating in her seeking help from the FBI after a failed attempt to communicate her innocence ([26:15]).

Legal Consequences and Guilty Plea (27:33 - 30:20)

Sara’s interactions with the FBI culminate in her pleading guilty to wire fraud and money laundering charges ([29:21]). She acknowledges partial guilt, stating, “I am guilty in some respects,” and chooses to take responsibility to mitigate potential harsher penalties. Her sentencing, initially scheduled for July 2023, faces multiple postponements, raising suspicions about her possible cooperation with federal authorities ([34:07]).

Impact on Victims and Current Status (30:20 - 37:34)

The fallout from Sara’s schemes leaves numerous victims financially devastated. Attempts to interview some victims reveal reluctance to engage, highlighting the emotional and financial scars left in Sara’s wake. Legal actions against Wynn Las Vegas emerge, with victims seeking restitution for the casino’s alleged negligence in monitoring high-roller activities ([32:10]). Despite ongoing legal battles, Sara remains free pending her sentencing scheduled for May 5, 2025 ([34:07]), while struggling to reintegrate into society.

Sara’s Reflections and Redemption (38:36 - 41:50)

In a moment of introspection, Sara reflects on her actions, expressing a desire for acceptance and an acknowledgment of her flaws. She states, “I wish somebody would have told me one time in my life that it's okay to back down, it's okay to fail,” emphasizing a yearning for personal growth and redemption. Her transformation from seeking universal approval to a more self-centered approach underscores the complexities of her character and the challenges of overcoming deep-seated personal issues.

Conclusion: The Unfinished Story (42:38 - End)

Ronald Richards concludes the episode by contemplating Sara’s future, acknowledging her manipulative skills and the potential consequences she still faces. Sara’s journey from a successful lawyer to a convicted fraudster serves as a cautionary tale about the perils of greed and deception. The episode leaves listeners pondering the extent of Sara’s involvement and the full impact of her actions on her victims and herself.

Notable Quotes

• Sara King ([03:08]): “I have tons and tons of conversations with people who had threatened my life and said, I'll kill you. I'll kill your family.”
• Ronald Richards ([04:41]): “Sara hooked her biggest investor, Laurent Reese, it was the beginning of the end.”
• Sara King ([12:20]): “I thought about killing myself many times through this process. The only reason I didn't is because of Pula, my dog.”
• Ronald Richards ([16:53]): “I told her, your days of gambling in Vegas are over. I will make sure no casino allows you to ever wager a dollar.”
• Sara King ([40:06]): “I'm a lot more shrewd. I don't... I'm just worried about me winning. And that's the truth.”

Final Thoughts

The Binge Crimes expertly unpacks the intricate layers of Sara King’s illicit activities and personal demons, providing listeners with a comprehensive understanding of her rise and subsequent fall. Through meticulous reporting and candid conversations, the episode paints a nuanced portrait of a woman whose charisma and cunning led to both empowerment and ruin. As Sara awaits her sentencing, the story remains a testament to the enduring impact of deceit and the complexities of seeking redemption.

Transcript

[Michelle McPhee]

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[Ronald Richards]

To all episodes of Lady Mafia ad free right now by subscribing to the Binge. Visit the Binge channel on Apple Podcasts and hit subscribe at the top of the page or visit getthebinge.com to get access wherever you listen. The Binge Feed your true crime obsession. The Binge A heads up before we get started, I just wanted to let you know this episode has references to suicide and addiction. I never know what I'm gonna get when I talk with Sarah. Sometimes she'll be in the middle of telling me a story when she flubs the pronunciation of her own name and.

[Sarah King]

They go, are you Sarah King? And I said, excuse me, Sara King. I always say Sarah King. Hold on a minute.

[Ronald Richards]

I have struggled for months to make sure I say Sarah. You just called yourself Sarah. This is about the holy hell. This just feels like an alternative universe where there's two Sarah Kings, there's Sarah and there's Sara, and which one I'm gonna get, I never know. Other times she'll suddenly admit to something she's been denying for months. So you've never been threatened?

[Sarah King]

No.

[Ronald Richards]

Well, Ronald Richards also said that you told him in Zoom calls That people had threatened your life and that you were afraid.

[Sarah King]

Two different things. Not people I owed money to, people who owed me money.

[Ronald Richards]

You know, this is one of those nuances that drives me crazy. Just tell me the story.

[Sarah King]

No, I mean, it's not really a nuance.

[Ronald Richards]

I asked you specifically, did someone threaten you? You just said no, and now you're saying yes. So which is it?

[Sarah King]

I have tons and tons of conversations with people who had threatened my life and said, I'll kill you. I'll kill your family. Even after this whole thing went down, I would get weird. We sent to my address, my home address, like Batman, stuffed animals and all sorts of weird stuff. So I know they're out there. I know they can watch me. These guys have been in prison for 20 years. They're mafia. They're real Mafia.

[Ronald Richards]

She told me that she wasn't talking about McCabe or Quinn here. This is some new guy, and occasionally she'll just play stupid. Do you think now in hindsight, that once you started gambling, this became, you know, whether it was intentional or not, this did become a Ponzi scheme.

[Sarah King]

What's the definition of Ponzi scheme?

[Ronald Richards]

I'm telling you, there are times that I lost my shit. Anyone who lived through Bernie Madoff's hole unmasking knows that a Ponzi scheme is when someone uses a new investor to pay off old ones. By our last interview, you can hear it in my voice. I was tired of the runaround. I'm almost at the end of the story when I'll sit down with all the facts I've laid out for you and try to figure out what this all means. When Sarah hooked her biggest investor, Laurent Reese, it was the beginning of the end. Laurent had invested more than $10 million in King family lending money that Sara herself has finally admitted she wasn't actually lending to anyone.

[Sarah King]

So, yeah, they were false loans. Absolutely. That's true. I did false loans. I used the money to try and win back other money. Absolutely.

[Ronald Richards]

While Sarah might have pissed off some people in the oc, Laurent was the one that would take Sahra down. He called in an attack dog, that Beverly Hills lawyer, Ronald Richards.

[John McCabe]

So I told her, like, you don't understand. Like, once I'm on somebody, I become obsessed with them. I only have the most love for you, Sarah, and that is to prevent you from stealing from anybody else. So if you can't gamble, there'll be no more victims. You know, it's like the gambling creates your thievery.

[Ronald Richards]

Ronald called the Wynn Hotel and casino. He told them that their will was bleeding stolen cash all over the casino floor.

[John McCabe]

Within seconds of me telling the women general counsel, she's a fraudster, they cut her off. 86ed her.

[Ronald Richards]

We're back. Coming full circle. It was an evening in November 2022. Sara was in her villa at the Wind taking a bath.

[Sarah King]

I was literally up to my chin in bubbles. I was unwinding from a day of playing. It was like an infinity that would pour over, and you don't know where it's going, but it's beautiful.

[Ronald Richards]

Sara had a bad feeling, but she was going to enjoy this cocoon of safety and luxury for as long as she could. Somebody was pounding at the door. Sara's dog, Cooler, was barking and barking.

[Sarah King]

I didn't answer. And then they called, and I answered the phone, and they said, we're right outside your door. Can you open it?

[Ronald Richards]

Sarah put on her robe and opened the door. Hotel security was waiting for her.

[Sarah King]

I knew all the guys who came in my room, and they were mortified for me, and they just said. I said, you know what, guys? Sit tight. I have a lot to pack. They would pour me champagne while I was packing. And they were like, we'll do a discreet car for you.

[Ronald Richards]

We asked the Wynn for comment, and they told us that she's been barred from Wynn Las Vegas since November 22. They declined to comment on why exactly she was thrown out or how much exactly she lost. In fact, they wouldn't even say she'd been kicked out. They just said she'd trespassed like she wasn't living there at the time. She was 86. The win did say that Sarah losing 10 million is an inflated number but would not give an exact amount. You might be thinking that was it, the end. Maybe you're thinking that Sarah would be escorted out of the Wynn Hotel in handcuffs, that she'd end up sitting in a cop car for a trip downtown, blue and white competing with the glow of the Vegas strip. But no, it would take a lot more to stop. Lady Mafia. From Sony Music Entertainment, this is Lady Mafia. It's a story about going from lawyer to lawless living. I am blowing millions. I'm Michelle McPhee. This is episode six, the Moment of Impact.

[Josh Dean]

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[Ronald Richards]

Sarah said she was offered a private car to leave the Wynn, but that night she didn't know where to go.

[Sarah King]

I called John McCabe actually. I'm like what the fuck do I do? I'm just like what do I do? He's like my only person I have. Like at that point he's like, go to resort world.

[Ronald Richards]

At this key moment when it seemed like Sarah was finished, she headed right across the street to another casino.

[Sarah King]

I have all my luggage. I actually have to bring in my own luggage, which is very unusual. And I have my dog.

[Ronald Richards]

Sarah didn't know if this casino would even let her in.

[Sarah King]

I go to the front and I talk to a Host there who used to work at Wynn. And I was like, this is what. They kicked me out. I don't know why. And I was like, this is what's going on.

[Ronald Richards]

So would he buy her a line?

[Sarah King]

And he's like, that's okay. I've enrolled you in a blackjack tournament. I've got you a suite upstairs. Go put your stuff down.

[Ronald Richards]

Sara must have seemed like she could stand to lose a bit more money.

[Sarah King]

And he goes, I don't really care. You're fine, you're good. They put me in the room, huge, like, three bedroom suite. And I drop my dog off and I go straight down in 10 minutes to the blackjack tournament, and I win.

[Ronald Richards]

Resorts World did not immediately respond to our emails requesting comment. Sara said she won 50 grand that night. At this point, who knows what her real balance was and where that money ended up.

[Sarah King]

When it all came to a head in Las Vegas and I actually had no money left, it was very, very stressful. You know, I went to casinos and I said, you know, I'm a major player at the win. Can I have free play to try out your casino? That's kind of how I restarted everything. They gave me $10,000 free credit to play, and when I'd win, it would be great.

[Ronald Richards]

But Sarah was completely alone. There wasn't a soul she could really level with.

[Sarah King]

I couldn't call my family. You know, nobody knew what was going on. And I'll tell you, it was. It was a really tough time. It came down to, if it wasn't for Kula, I don't know if I would have survived.

[Ronald Richards]

What do you mean by that?

[Sarah King]

I mean, I really. I thought about killing myself many times through this process. The only reason I didn't is because of Pula, my dog.

[Ronald Richards]

At this point, Sahra was technically still married to her prince, Cameron, but their marriage was crumbling. Or maybe it's more accurate to say it was exploding. Cameron was in direct communication with Laurent's lawyer, sharing what he could about Sarah and her business. Sarah said that Cameron told her he'd stay with her if she made a recorded statement about his innocence.

[Sarah King]

Cameron was right next to me and said, I'll stay. We'll figure this out, as long as I don't get in trouble. I said, fine, I'll take the heat. I'll figure it out. I'm a lawyer. Like, I'll handle it.

[Ronald Richards]

By the way. We asked Cameron if he had asked her to make a recorded statement proclaiming his innocence. He said, of course not, but I do think it's worth hearing Sarah's version of events here. That's the whole thing with Sarah. She doesn't just tell a lie. She builds a whole story, a whole world, and then she goes and moves into that world. She seems to believe it and feel what she says, even if it never happened.

[Sarah King]

Basically, he said, I'm going to ask you a series of questions, and you act like I'm not involved. And so he recorded me saying certain things, and I said, if that's what it takes. He said he was coming back. He was at my house for like a week or two, and he's like, we're gonna work on all this. And then one night he's like, I'm going to cvs. And he never came back. It was really, really sad. He said he was gonna stay and he didn't. He just used me.

[Ronald Richards]

A friend of the podcast, reading an email from Cameron.

[Cameron]

I left because how could I even look in the eye? Someone I trusted with my friends and my life, who lied to me and chose her addiction over our relationship. It was a betrayal I couldn't accept. And I was scared because I thought to myself, if she could go that far in her lives, what else could she be capable of?

[Ronald Richards]

Cameron didn't just leave for cvs. He went to Morocco, a non extradition country, meaning they don't have an agreement with the US to hand over suspected criminals.

[Cameron]

At that point, the only instinct I had was survival. I needed to leave the environment that constantly reminded me of her and the trauma so I could begin to heal. I was also terrified that she might manipulate me again or use my name to rebuild trust around her.

[Ronald Richards]

Sara wasn't just facing rejection from Cameron. She was losing her place in Vegas too.

[John McCabe]

I'm calling every casino in Vegas. I have every general counsel's name. And I got her 86 from every casino. I had pictures of her gambling. Like, someone would send me a picture. I'd call the casino and I'd tell Sarah, you're not fucking gambling anywhere. Okay? I would tell her that we are cutting you off, as she'd get kicked out of each one. I'd call her. I'd say, you see? Or I'd text.

[Ronald Richards]

You'd call her every time she called me, of course.

[John McCabe]

I'd say, how was your escort today? To let her know that I was on top of her. Because it's not illegal to tell someone, you're not gonna be gambling, I'm gonna cut you off. That's a legal threat. It's not extortion. Saying I'm gonna prevent you from gambling the victim's money away.

[Ronald Richards]

And she took your calls every time.

[John McCabe]

Sometimes she was mad because she'd get embarrassed. She'd yell. She's like, do you think that's gonna get the money back if you get me kicked out? I go, we're not gonna lose any more money. I told her, I'm gonna cut off all the things you like to do. This was a series of, not threats, a series of actions. I told her, your days of gambling in Vegas are over. I will make sure no casino allows you to ever wager a dollar.

[Ronald Richards]

Sarah was working in overdrive. She was relentless. According to Sara, she was still trying to win the money back. She said that it wasn't all gambling. She was working on a new kind of deal.

[Sarah King]

I was actually making deals with casinos. So I was doing a live poker streams with Resort World, making poker cool again.

[Ronald Richards]

We checked with Resorts World to see if Sara had another kind of business deal in the works as she claims. We haven't immediately heard back.

[Sarah King]

Just kept making more contacts, more contacts in Las Vegas of these big people. And I'm trying to do deals with hotels. And it was all coming together. And I probably could have fixed everything if Ron Richards didn't fucking put the articles out there. But whatever he did.

[Ronald Richards]

On February 11, 2023, Ronald Richards filed a lawsuit against Sara on behalf Laurent Reese. And he got on social and he tipped off some folks in the media. By the end of the month, Sarah King started making headlines. Vegas swindler accused of stealing 10 million for Epic shopping spree Caviar and Chanel the Lux Vegas life and of accused scammer Newport beach attorney accused of stealing more than 10 million from friends business partners to live life lavish lifestyle in Las Vegas six month gambling spree at Wynn Las Vegas Accused Vegas con woman's assistant tells all it's a mind box the news would soon reach the powers that be at Resorts World.

[Sarah King]

They didn't even know I was staying with them. I was getting my makeup done at the salon there, as I did every day. And the security team comes in and goes, Ms. King, like you need to leave the property. And I was like, well, my shit's upstairs and so is my dog. And they said, what? You're staying with us? I said, yeah.

[Ronald Richards]

It wasn't until later that a friend showed Sara that her name and face were in the news.

[Sarah King]

I was like, oh my God. And so it was from that point on I was like, I had so many irons in the fire, like I got cut out of everything because of this article.

[Ronald Richards]

I asked Sara why she remained in Vegas even then.

[Sarah King]

Well, no, I stayed in Vegas because I had no more money. So that's real and that's true. All my cash was gone. I lost it. I lost that bad.

[Ronald Richards]

Eventually, Sahra found her way back to la.

[Sarah King]

It just was time to come back.

[Ronald Richards]

Sarah was in a dark place. She was addicted to Adderall, alcohol and gambling. And she wasn't the one to tell her parents what had happened. They found out watching the news.

[Sarah King]

I was, you know, hyped up on the Adderall and the alcohol and trying to crawl my way through this problem. They would text me and say, you know, what's this on the news? And I just ignored everybody.

[Ronald Richards]

She felt like she couldn't talk to her family until she sorted out this mess herself. Her husband had bounced her so called friends and business associates weren't about to help.

[Sarah King]

But I then I realized, so this is probably what march I think. And I'm like, I need to go to rehab. Like this is I'm not okay. Like I'm not okay. Something is very wrong if my mentality is where it is. So I went to rehab.

[Josh Dean]

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[Ronald Richards]

Streaming December 12th on Peacock. Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie are back.

[Sarah King]

That's hot.

[Ronald Richards]

Loves it. For a show stopping reunion that will prove putting on an opera is anything but simple.

[Michelle McPhee]

We're really good at this.

[Ronald Richards]

One thing's for sure, they won't be upstaged.

[Michelle McPhee]

Good to have you back.

[Ronald Richards]

Come on, we've got a show to do. Paris and Nicole, The Encore, a three part reunion special streaming December 12th, only on Peacock. Sara had checked herself into rehab.

[Sarah King]

I tell you what, actually, so it isn't horrible. It was really, it was a fancy one in la.

[Ronald Richards]

But the kinds of problems Sarah was facing didn't just stay at the door.

[John McCabe]

When the well started to go dry, she then hid and went into rehab. But I had people in the rehab send me pictures, so I knew she was there.

[Ronald Richards]

Ronald Richards is pretty cynical here.

[John McCabe]

I mean, they told me at the rehab it was medication and drinking that I don't know. I don't have her medical records and I don't know if that's real. People love to say I have a drug problem, I have a gambling problem. Criminals always think that's an out.

[Ronald Richards]

Knowing Sara for all these months, I think her problems were real. But people at the rehab tracking her, taking photos, giving Ronald Richards information was not a recipe to get better.

[Sarah King]

They were very rude to me, a lot of the people, and I'm just like, really, like, I, you know, it was a big fight. So I have my dog with me and somebody snapped at me and said something, one of the people who worked there. And I don't deal with that. Like, I'm not a bigger person by any means. I'm the snap back. And so I did, and I told the head of the, you know, the rehab, like, this guy shouldn't be making me feel unsafe and shouldn't be, you know, judging me based on certain things.

[Ronald Richards]

Here's the thing. If you go to a substance abuse treatment center, you have the right to confidentiality through hipaa.

[Sarah King]

And so I actually said, I'm leaving, I'm checking myself out. And when you check yourself out, they put all your stuff on the sidewalk and they don't give you a chance to call any. But they have nothing. You just have to shut. They shut the door. And you're like, I'm sitting in the canyon in Hollywood on my box of clothes with my dog, and my cell phone is. There's no, there's no service where, where we are. And I'm like, how am I going to. How the am I going to get out of here? And there's like coyotes howling. I'm. My poor little dog is in my lap.

[Ronald Richards]

I have my moments with Sara, but I have a lot of empathy for her, which means I like her. But as we say in Boston, you can't shit a shitter. So a lot of the time she infuriates me because I know I'm being fed half truce and bullshit subs, but she just won't admit it. At this moment when she can't even go to rehab without people trying to get a piece of her. I don't know, my heart kind of breaks for her.

[Sarah King]

And I texted a driver who I used to use and I said, I have no money, I'm stuck here in Hollywood, I have to get to my apartment. And he came and picked me up. He knows, everybody knows and I take care of everyone that they know. I'm good for it. Eventually I will get it done. And he picked me up and took me to my apartment. And that same night I went downstairs from my apartment to Tessie the restaurant and had bunch of wine because I was, you know, just over it. And yeah, it was like the next couple of days where I realized I gotta get the hell out of here. Like, this is not, this is not going to turn out okay. You know, this is not okay at all.

[Ronald Richards]

Her apartment door had eviction notices all over it.

[Sarah King]

I was just mortified. I thought I could be kicked out any minute. Are they going to kick me out? Like the wind kicked me out? I mean, after everything I went through, it was just really, really tough.

[Ronald Richards]

She knew she couldn't stay. By that time, Sara reached out to her parents. She hadn't spoken to them in six months.

[Sarah King]

I finally returned a text to my mom saying, you know what, there's a huge problem, there's a big misunderstanding for everything. Please don't believe the media, please talk to me. And so what happened is my mom got on the phone, we talked about it. Like I said, I explained everything from start to finish about, you know, the past three years of my life. She basically said, okay, I'm going to, you know, I'll get you an apartment in Irvine just to get you close to home. So my, it was actually my parents who found this studio apartment and had me move in. You know, my dad drove up to la, he paid for the movers to drive my stuff down to Irvine. And from then on I've just been with them.

[Ronald Richards]

But even though her parents were taking care of her, they didn't necessarily believe her.

[Sarah King]

It was traumatic for me because there's no trust right now. They don't know what to think if I'm saying the truth, if the media is true. And so basically it just became a day by day of me telling them the whole entire story of which I've told you, proving facts that I, you know, I allegedly.

[Ronald Richards]

That was around the time when I first met her not as a reporter, but as a sympathetic ear. It was then I gave her a piece of advice she wouldn't forget. Honey, you gotta turn yourself into the Feds. I didn't mean, like that day, but she did.

[Sarah King]

It all started with my mom saying, like, if you didn't do this, if you're not at fault 100%, then you go to the FBI. And I was like, take me. Drive me. Go now. So she drove me to the FBI offices in Orange County.

[Ronald Richards]

I thought she would call a lawyer and make a deal that way, but I later learned she was too broke to pay for one. She drove to the FBI headquarters, this giant, imposing behemoth on Wilshire Boulevard in Santa Monica, but they wouldn't let her in. Sarah just showed up at the FBI office like, hello, FBI, it's me, Sarah. I mean, who was this woman? There was no warrant for her arrest. She is a lawyer. Sure, the FBI had gotten a call or two from her victims, but the way I understand it, despite her lofty moniker, Lady Mafia, she was not high on their radar at the time.

[Sarah King]

There's. The elevator has to be. You know, you have to be called up by the elevator. There's nobody working. There's no, like, reception area. It's just like, you can't get up. So I went there twice.

[Ronald Richards]

Sara figured out another way in.

[Sarah King]

So I wrote a letter to the attorney General, and I said, here's my situation. Here's my case. I need help. Because this isn't true, and this isn't, you know, I started pinpointing my arguments.

[Ronald Richards]

Of the case, and she got a response.

[Sarah King]

The FBI reached out, like, three days later, four days later, and they said, come to our offices. Come meet with us, and so we can talk about your case.

[Ronald Richards]

Sara showed up at the FBI field office in Orange county and met with the suits on what cops call Mahogany Row.

[Sarah King]

I went in. I thought I was going to get arrested. I was terrified, terrified. And they're like, we have no intention of arresting you and tell the whole story, which is what I've told on this podcast. And they told me, you need an attorney. And I said, I can afford one. So they appointed a great attorney. I have the best attorney. I love him. And they said, you know, we'll get your attorney appointed and we'll go through this process. Because I said, I don't want your machine guns coming to my house. I don't need the whole hoorah. I just let me know. I'll show up when you need me to show up and that's what happened.

[Ronald Richards]

Sarah has told me that she's given them the same story that she's told us. We have no way of fact checking that. The FBI isn't about to confirm it. What I do know is when a federal prosecutor finally drew up a criminal complaint on wire fraud and money laundering charges, it was described by the government. This King lending purportedly provided short term high interest loans to celebrities, professional athletes and other high net worth individuals secured by the borrower's own assets, including designer handbags, watches, luxury automobiles, yachts and earnings from guaranteed professional sports contracts. In other words, the bogus loans, they.

[Sarah King]

Weren'T super friendly the whole time, but they are very smart people and they understand the situation and they understand what happened.

[Ronald Richards]

I think in the summer of 2023, Sara made her initial appearance in federal court. I saw her dressed in head to toe Dior with red bottom Louboutin shoes. That June she pled guilty to those wire fraud and money laundering charges.

[Sarah King]

So they. I pled guilty because I mean I am guilty in some respects, which I'm just owning the whole situation. But yeah, no, I took responsibility for a lot of it and I didn't trust a jury to come down the right way. So I would have faced probably a lot more charges had I taken to trial. So I just decided, you know what, let's just cut our losses. And I'm not 100% innocent. So let's go.

[Ronald Richards]

My dad works in B2B marketing.

[Sarah King]

He came by my school for career day and said he was a big roas man. Then he told everyone how much he loved calculating his return on ad spend. My friends still laugh at me to this day.

[Michelle McPhee]

Not everyone gets B2B, but with LinkedIn you'll be able to reach people who do. Get a $100 credit on your next ad campaign, go to LinkedIn.com campaign to claim your credit. That's LinkedIn.com campaign. Terms and conditions apply. LinkedIn the place to be, to be.

[Ronald Richards]

I reached out to a lot of Sara's victims during the months I was chasing this story. One woman said she was surprised I'd reached out because she said Sahra screwed her out of ten grand. She was ready to talk, but then she got cold feet and admitted, I really don't want to get involved with her anymore. It felt sincere, like she'd had enough of being on Sarah's roller coaster and even if she was ten grand poorer, she didn't have an inner to pursue exposing her former friend. On the other hand, another person Said she'd only talk if she got paid. She wanted to be repaid the thousands she said Sara had stolen from her. Needless to say, that interview didn't move forward. A few, like George Polo, sued, but not all of those folks wanted to talk either. It's painful and embarrassing to be swindled by a stranger, but I think the way Sarah befriends her marks makes it really hard to talk about. Sara got tight with a trauma surgeon and her husband, who told the Daily Mail that Sara conned them out of their life savings. When I asked Sara about this, she denied that it was their life savings. Then she said she tried to settle with the couple, but they couldn't agree on the amount Sarah owed. When we reached out for comment, the surgeon responded within hours, writing, we do not want to be part of any of that. We have moved on. I've been trying to get to the bottom of this story for months. I am still not sure how Sara got away with it. Why did it take so long for the Wind to figure out she was gambling with stolen funds? High rollers income is supposed to be monitored by the casinos. Any suspicious activity should be reported to the Financial Crimes Division of the Treasury. Some red flags should have been waving around, right? And actually, the Win is currently facing a lawsuit in a case that sounds eerily similar to Sara's. A quote, problem gambler lost millions in investor money on the casino floor. The victim's lawyer is going after the casino directly, alleging negligence and unjust enrichment against the company. Asked for comment, the Win said the complaint brought by Mr. Shefsky is entirely without merit, and we look forward to addressing it in court. When we spoke with Laurent's lawyer, Ronald Richards, he said he wasn't interested in going after the casinos.

[John McCabe]

My clients would love me to sue the Win. Everybody always blames the casino, but the casino's providing a service, okay? They're not providing daycare.

[Ronald Richards]

For the Win's part, they claim that Sauer provided various documents, but will not comment on what and when. Sauer maintains that they never asked her for anything until they were just about to kick her out. Ronald Richards told us that she did provide documents, but they were fakes.

[John McCabe]

The Wind did due diligence. Of course they did.

[Ronald Richards]

Ronald thinks after Sahra serves her time and she goes back to working, then he'll be able to collect money. She still owes Laurent.

[John McCabe]

Make no mistake, her life is. Unless she just really does nothing, which I think she's too young to do nothing. She's going to have to deal with this, like, I don't think she's going to work for somebody. If I'm hammering her check, she'll probably be self employed. And again, I don't know, she may get cute and try to put the business under someone's name and I'll sue that person. You know, I don't know what she's going to do. You know, she first has to go to prison and then get out of prison. We're still. This case is taking longer than I thought to get her sentenced.

[Ronald Richards]

Sara's first sentencing date was supposed to be back in July of 2023. It was then pushed to January of 24. The third date was just around. Now, as I'm recording this, October 21, 2024. I was planning to go with her that day to the Orange County Federal Courthouse in Santa Ana, ready to see her get taken away in handcuffs. She told me just in case she was watching Orange is the New Black. But that didn't happen before. I tell you what did, let me level with you. When Sahra's sentencing kept getting postponed, I started thinking about why she'd pled guilty more than a year ago. Why wasn't she already sentenced? There could be a bunch of reasons. She was still a free woman. But I kept circling back to one. Maybe, just maybe, Sara King had information that someone in law enforcement found useful and that was keeping her out of an orange jumpsuit. So I wasn't totally surprised when I got an alert on my phone that a document had been filed in her case. I was driving at the time. So I beelined at home and opened my computer. And there it was. A sign that Sara could be talking to the feds. They put it a little more officially. Defendant and the government are engaged in ongoing discussions regarding matters that may signify significantly impact defendants sentencing. Bottom line, it looked to me like the feds were saying they were still working out what information Sahra was giving them and how valuable it was. So they needed more time to figure out how her intel would impact her sentence. Ronald Richards told me he thought Sahra should get four years in prison. But there's always the chance that Sarah could get far less. That is, if my hunch is right and she's giving useful information to the feds, we won't find out until next year. The sentencing is now scheduled for the 5th of May, 2025. The wait continues for George Polos and other victims who got ripped off to see if Sahra gets a slap on the wrist or if she's behind bars until she's in her mid-40s, and for now, Sarah is free, kind of. She'll have another Christmas at home with her family. But in another way, she's trapped, unable to move on.

[Sarah King]

I'm just tired of waiting. I can't get a good job right now because of the situation. There's no way I'm trying to start some businesses with some people which, who love me to death, which is great, but I can't. I can't actually pull the trigger on anything until this is over. I just. I can't. So I just want to get on with life. And this is just stalling.

[Ronald Richards]

She got fired from her job on the sales floor at Nordstrom's. Even Ronald Richards felt bad about that.

[John McCabe]

Like a crappy job in retail, like for her compared to what she did before. And then she kind of made her feel better that she'd go to work every day and start earning some money. And then they fired her because they saw someone reported her on the story that you did and other reporters, and they said they don't want her working there. And I felt bad because I think everybody's entitled to redeem themselves.

[Ronald Richards]

So where does this leave us with Sara? I think we know all that is knowable here. Sara might think she can outsmart us all, but like I said, you can't shit a shitta. She clearly idolized the mafia, said she was going to make a living selling shady loans. She defrauded investors. I'm always left wondering how much of this was her plan. Sarah, of course, has an answer for that.

[Sarah King]

Okay, so essentially, like, this was never my intention. The outcome was not my intention. I didn't start this whole idea with this plan to do what happened. I actually had a legitimate company and I wanted to actually make money for everybody and support my lifestyle. It was because I lost on the first couple loans that I decided, let's use a different method to get the money back and the interest. And so I tried the method. It started working great. It was wonderful. I paid back Laurent several times. So I made a wrong decision because I was so desperate to fix a situation. Like, I never in a million years would think to hurt somebody that way.

[Ronald Richards]

Looking at it another way, Sarah was just not that good at running a business. She didn't do the accounting, didn't keep track of the loans or how much money she was spending or bringing in. It doesn't seem like she was really detail oriented in that way. But you want to know what Sarah was really, really good at? Gaining people's confidence. And once she had their trust, she also had their wallets. Whatever Sara might have intended, her skills at getting people to trust her, her willingness to lie, that makes Sarah a con artist. Whatever else she might want us to believe, Sarah told me this experience has changed her. But like everything with her, not in the way you might expect.

[Sarah King]

I would say that I'm a lot more shrewd. I don't. I'm not going to give in to anybody's pleasantness or, you know, being my friend. I don't care if you're a friend or whatnot. It's. Business is. Business is my new attitude. Before, I tried to make the whole world happy and everyone, you know, win, win. And now I'm just worried about me winning. And that's the truth.

[Ronald Richards]

Sahra still says that she plans to repay people, and she says she's not afraid of whatever might come next.

[Sarah King]

The best is the judge is going to say, you know what? Screw it, dismiss the case. And that's the best case. Unlikely. The worst case is going to be time federal, you know, prison time. And then, you know, just the. I'm going to lose everything, right? So I lose my licenses for everything I have for my whole life. Takes a huge change, a huge shift, and I don't have a plan yet for what. What I'm going to do. But I know I need to make a certain amount of money to take care of a lot of people. Only thing I'm worried about is being away from my dog, honest to God. So it would be my time away from her again. I'm not scared of it. I'm not. It doesn't. It doesn't worry me. It's probably going to be more of a vacation than what I live now. In all honesty, vacation is one way.

[Ronald Richards]

To look at it. Another way, it's kind of like going back to rehab, only this time, she won't be able to check herself out. One of the last times we spoke, I asked her what she wants people to take away from listening to her story. She, of course, wants you to know she's not a con artist, that a lot of men influenced her in the wrong ways, but she said something new, or at least that she hadn't said to me before.

[Sarah King]

I wish somebody would have told me one time in my life that it's okay to back down, it's okay to fail. It's okay to, you know, to stop. And I never, ever was told that in my life. So I kept going. And I wish. I wish I had found that in my life. Just the okay to fail and I want everyone to take away from this is. It's just. Yeah, it's okay to fail. It's okay not to be the best. It's okay not to be the breadwinner or to have all the money. And yeah, I guess. I guess that's kind of it when I'm not a con artist. Absolutely not.

[Ronald Richards]

Lady Mafia is an original production of Sony Music Entertainment. It was hosted and reported by me, Michelle McPhee. Odelia Rubin is our lead producer, producer and wrote this episode with a little help from me. Catherine St. Louis is our story editor. Shayra Morris and Jonathan Hirsch are our executive producers. Sound design and mixing by Scott Somerville. Theme and original music composed by Hans Dale. She we also use music from Epidemic Sound, Blue Dot Sessions and apm. Our associate producer is Zoe Culkin. Our fact checker is Fendel Fulton. Our production manager is Tameka Balance Kolasny. Special thanks to Steve Ackerman, Emily Rasek, Jamie Myers, Allie Kiltz and Corey Cesnik, who plays Cameron in this episode.