The Girlfriends S5/E6: The Gold Bracelet

Summary

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The Girlfriends: Trust Me Babe

S5/E6: The Gold Bracelet

Host: Anna Sinfield
Date: May 18, 2026
Produced by iHeartPodcasts & Novel

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Overview

In the emotional finale of "The Girlfriends: Trust Me Babe", host Anna Sinfield brings closure to the season's pursuit of justice. The episode follows the aftermath of romance scammer Derek Alldred's arrest, the collective reckoning of his many victims, and the meaning of victory—even when scars remain. At its core, it’s about determination, sisterhood, the resilience of women, and the critical importance of listening to one’s instincts and friends.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Breaking News & The Arrest

• Anna recaps how Derek Alldred is finally arrested, much to the relief of his victims, with the story breaking on local news.
• Laurie, Wendy’s sister, recounts the moment she saw Derek’s arrest on TV.
  "[I whip around and I'm thinking, surely I heard that wrong. Well, that looks like him. And that's his name. Derek Alldred.]" – Laurie (03:26)
• Derek is interrogated by Special Agent Mike, who confronts him about numerous false identities and military impersonations, but Derek denies everything even in the face of clear evidence.

2. Building the Case: Gathering Evidence and Victims

• Authorities and victims collect extensive proof: photos, documents, and accounts of fraudulent behavior spanning years and multiple states.
• The group chat of women victimized by Derek swells, and their stories reveal a disturbing, persistent pattern: "Every single one of them kept their records, kept documents, kept pictures." – Investigator (07:46)

3. The Prosecution’s Challenge & The Legal Tactic

• Derek’s plea covers only three charges (related to victim Dorrie), but prosecutors aim to use his full pattern of behavior to push for a harsh sentence via "relevant conduct."
• This could mean a sentence much longer than the standard. “It’s a legal concept known as relevant conduct. If the judge agrees...Derek could get a sentence of up to 20 years.” – Anna (10:23)

4. The Night Before: Women Unite

• As sentencing approaches, nearly a dozen of Derek’s victims bond in a shared house in Texas, forming an impromptu sisterhood.
  • They joke about Derek's quirks and talk openly about their trauma.
  • The episode explores the sense of loss yet fierce solidarity among the women.
    "There was an instant bonding. I felt like I would do anything for these women." – Laurie (12:18)
    "We bonded and we told stories...There were like eight different names that he used for each different girl." – Vanessa (21:28)

5. Vanessa’s Story: The Gold Bracelet

• Vanessa, Derek’s college sweetheart, recounts her own experience with Derek in the 1990s, including a mysterious incident with her family’s gold bracelet—crafted from her late mother’s jewelry—which Derek "borrowed" and never returned.
• Her tale illustrates Derek’s deceit even in his early years and the lasting emotional impacts: "I was so fond of him...I let it go, which was a mistake." – Vanessa (17:54)
  "I feel like Derek kept me from [falling in love, having a family]." – Vanessa (39:52)

6. The Sentencing Hearing (25:39–36:49)

• Tension fills the air as the victims enter the courtroom.
• Each woman delivers a powerful victim impact statement.
  • "It was the day that I uncovered that my boyfriend...had conned and manipulated me." – Wendy (28:49)
  • "I want my voice to represent those women...I believe that swindling for Derek is like a drug." – Vanessa (29:02)
  • "He’s a master manipulator. He will go to unimaginable lengths to steal money from women." – Laurie (29:21)
• Derek, shackled, reads a statement expressing “shame and embarrassment,” but Vanessa sees through the hollow apology:
  "I just wanted to laugh at him and, like, you know what, really?" – Vanessa (31:54)
• The verdict: 24 years (288 months), no parole; restitution of $254,892.41.

7. Aftermath & Reflection

• Relief and celebration ripple through the group—finally, justice feels tangible: "There was a collective sigh of relief...this judge got the memo." – Laurie (36:25, 36:38)
• Still, recovery is individual and incomplete. Some women have trusted again and rebuilt; others, like Vanessa, feel love’s door was closed by Derek’s betrayal.
• Anna seeks closure about the gold bracelet. Derek, contacted in prison, denies remembering it and also disputes other claims against him.
  "Maybe Derek really doesn't remember Vanessa's bracelet...it's obviously not the first time he's been accused of stealing or lying." – Anna (41:53)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On the Power of Sisterhood

• "There was an instant bonding. I felt like I would do anything for these women." – Laurie (12:18)
• "We women have to look out for each other." – Vanessa (48:32)

On Trauma & Recovery

• "May 17th, 2017, was the last day I would be the trusting, loving, giving person that I had been for 50-plus years." – Wendy (28:38)
• "I hope people learn, particularly girls that might be in a sticky situation. We women have to look out for each other." – Vanessa (48:32)
• "The number one lesson I learned from all of this is to trust my gut." – Laurie (48:41)
• "It’s not my life goal to meet Mr. Perfect and have the happily ever after...I love myself. I love who I am. I’m perfectly fine...me and my dogs. I really value my friendships." – Wendy (47:01)

On The Justice System

• "If you look over the years, he got a slap on the wrist for every single thing he did, and he never spent any significant time in jail." – Investigator (09:50)
• "The bottom line for the court is I have full belief that if you get out of jail, you’re going to commit these same crimes again." – Judge (36:49)

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Key Timestamps

• 03:26 – Laurie discovers Derek’s arrest on the news
• 05:01–07:36 – Interrogation: Special Agent Mike confronts Derek
• 11:28–14:08 – Victims unite, recall early Derek stories
• 17:54–21:17 – Vanessa recalls breakup and loss of her mother’s gold bracelet
• 25:39–36:49 – Courtroom: The sentencing hearing, impact statements, and verdict
• 39:52–47:01 – Reflections on trust, love lost, and new life paths
• 48:41 onwards – Lessons learned: gut instincts, self-worth, and the value of friendship

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Lessons & Final Thoughts

• Trust Your Gut: Women repeatedly emphasized the importance of listening to their instincts when something feels off.
• Power in Numbers: The collective action of the women made all the difference—bringing a notorious scammer to long-overdue justice.
• Sisterhood Heals: Solidarity, support, and humor among the victims were instrumental in their healing and in securing Derek’s conviction.
• Moving Forward: While the wounds may not completely heal, most of the women find strength in new friendships and self-acceptance—not in the hope of rectifying every loss.
  • “Really trusting yourself, not second guessing yourself... Always go with your gut feeling. It will never steer you wrong.” – Wendy & Laurie (48:46–48:55)
  • “Know your worth. You’re better off without any loser making you second-guess yourself. Trust me babe. So listen to your gut. But if for some reason you can’t hear it…trust your girlfriends.” – Anna Sinfield (49:07)

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The Gold Bracelet episode delivers not only justice for the victims but also wisdom for listeners: trust yourself, value your friends, and never underestimate the power of women coming together.

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For resources on romance scams and recovery:

• NO MORE (support resources)
• FightCybercrime.org (specialized support on online scams)

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Transcript

[Anna Sinfield]

This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.

[Kalpen (Cal Penn)]

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[Commercial Narrator]

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[Special Agent Mike]

All?

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[Commercial Narrator]

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[Vanessa]

novel.

[Anna Sinfield]

Last time on the Girlfriends. Trust me, babe, the group chat has grown by one member.

[Vanessa]

He got caught.

[Anna Sinfield]

And Derek Alldred is finally in custody.

[Vanessa]

He's going to get what he deserves.

[Anna Sinfield]

It's early summer 2017, and Laurie, Wendy's big sister detective from episode one, is at home in Texas.

[Laurie]

I am in my kitchen making dinner,

[Anna Sinfield]

Lori's barefoot hair up in a ponytail. Wooden spoon in hand,

[Wendy]

five o' clock

[Laurie]

news comes on on my little kitchen tv kind of in the background while I'm doing my thing.

[Anna Sinfield]

She's just stirring the orange chicken sauce into the wok when her ears perk up.

[Laurie]

I whip around and I'm thinking, surely I heard that wrong. Well, that looks like him. And that's his name. Derek Aldred.

[Anna Sinfield]

Wooden spoon still in one hand, Laurie turns the gas stove off and pivots towards the tv.

[Laurie]

I go over and I'm watching. And it shows pictures of him. Pictures of him in, like, some Navy uniform.

[Anna Sinfield]

She moves closer, leans her elbows on the kitchen counter to get a better look. It really is that loser her sister Wendy dated back in 2013 on the news. But you know the weirdest part? This whole takedown of Derek, it all happened just down the road from where Wendy's sister Lori lives.

[Laurie]

Literally about three miles from my house.

[Anna Sinfield]

Lori is immediately on the blower to Wendy.

[Laurie]

I'm like, are you sitting down? You're not gonna believe this. And she's like, he was arrested.

[Anna Sinfield]

And that's how Wendy hears the news.

[Laurie]

We are just going nuts.

[Anna Sinfield]

No way.

[Laurie]

I cannot believe all this is happening.

[Special Agent Mike]

Sure.

[Anna Sinfield]

Just a handful of miles from Laurie.

[Special Agent Mike]

Wanna get more comfortable? Take your coat off? Sure. Thanks.

[Anna Sinfield]

Derek Aldred has been marched to the county jailhouse in Fort Worth.

[Special Agent Mike]

How you doing, Derek? Good. How you doing? Good, good.

[Anna Sinfield]

Where he's now face to face with Special Agent Mike, whose plan to catch Derek at the hospital with Tracy's help has all fallen into place.

[Special Agent Mike]

I'm Mike.

[Investigator]

Anyway, we knew that we were never going to get him to admit that he was doing anything. The strategy was to confront him.

[Special Agent Mike]

And. Let me ask you, have you ever served in the military? Have you ever been in law enforcement before? No. No. Okay. Do you wear uniforms of military personnel? Don't. I don't. Never. I have in the past. But I mean, I. Yeah, I mean, last week, not last week, not last month, not last year.

[Investigator]

He had no idea that I had pictures of him on Dory's balcony wearing uniform, which was like literally a week prior. And I remember putting that picture down. And his response was, I. I can

[Special Agent Mike]

tell you this much, I never wore this in public anywhere. And that's. I don't even know how that was taken. That's. That's crazy.

[Investigator]

He's loosening his tie up. He's kind of sitting back. You can see his demeanor change.

[Special Agent Mike]

Military IDs? No. Even fake, counterfeit, anything like that? I don't think so. No.

[Investigator]

Every chance we confronted them on anything, it was a denial or a lie or some sort of story.

[Special Agent Mike]

You had these credentials here, and you had this Navy. Oh, yeah. Okay. And what were you going to do with these here? Nothing. I haven't done anything with him.

[Investigator]

Nowhere was he remorseful for anything. Nowhere did he take responsibility for anything in particular.

[Special Agent Mike]

The Rangers ticket. We were able to pull some footage. Clearly, you are showing ID and insisting that you're military and gaining something which is the equivalent of stolen valor. I. I didn't. Never should I be.

[Investigator]

This is a guy who's a professional liar. He's a professional con man.

[Special Agent Mike]

I think in the last 20 minutes, you have lied to our face about 50 times. Guys, I just told you. I told you the truth.

[Anna Sinfield]

Special Agent Mike is looking for the truth, the whole truth, but he's not going to find it in this interview room.

[Special Agent Mike]

Why would all of these people say this? Then? There is evidence of it happening. Then there's videos and pictures of you doing it. Guys, look at when I got that, that id look on eBay.

[Investigator]

There's nothing that we're going to do inside the interview room that's going to get him to have an aha moment and go, you're right, I did do it.

[Anna Sinfield]

But Mike's not going to give up that easily. He's about to discover there's a whole army of women who've been working on this case since long before he began.

[Investigator]

Every single one of them kept their records, kept documents, kept pictures.

[Anna Sinfield]

Oh, and one more thing. Derek.

[Laurie]

Dude, what are you thinking? They don't play in Texas.

[Anna Sinfield]

I'm Anna Sinfield, and from the teams At Novel and iHeart podcast, you're listening to the final episode of the Girlfriends. Trust me, babe. Episode 6, the gold bracelet. Derek is arrested on June 1, 2017. And over the months that follow, Special Agent Mike and his team continue their investigation. It takes them all over the country, spans years of Derek's life, and as the evidence grows, so does their charge list. Within a few months, the indictment is 10 charges long. Felon in possession of a firearm, access device, fraud, aggravated identity theft, mail fraud. And the evidence looks pretty damning. So damning, in fact, that Derek takes a plea deal. He pleads guilty to just three charges, and all three of them pertain to Dorrie. Two counts of aggravated identity theft and one count of mail fraud for using Dorry's address and claiming it was his. The question on everybody's mind now, will the punishment fit the crimes?

[Investigator]

Every reaction I got from almost everybody was he's gonna get out and he's gonna do it again. If you look over the years, he got a slap on the wrist for every single thing he did, and he never spent any significant amount of time in jail. I can't blame them for being skeptical.

[Anna Sinfield]

But this time, the prosecuting team have got a plan. Those three charges are only about Derek's crimes against Dori in the Colony. But when you look at all the evidence, you can see plainly there's a pattern. It's the same thing he did to so many women for years. The prosecution thinks they can make the case that when it comes time to decide on Derek's sentence, the judge should take all of that history and loss into consideration. It's a legal concept known as relevant conduct. If the judge agrees, instead of the typical three years in prison for mail fraud, Derek could get a sentence of up to 20. 20 years. But they won't know whether their plan has worked until Derek Alldred's sentencing hearing, the moment his sentence is handed down. So it's crucial that as many women as possible are able to make it to Texas in person for the victim

[Investigator]

to get up there and talk about some things that were excruciatingly painful for them. That really does sway what the judge thinks.

[Anna Sinfield]

It's midsummer, a year after Derrick's arrest in Fort Worth, the prosecution's plan is in full swing.

[Wendy]

It was wild because all of us girls were together.

[Anna Sinfield]

It's the evening before the sentencing hearing. Nearly a dozen women who'd been scammed by Derek are gathered together in person. Women who otherwise would have never met but for the deadbeat ex boyfriend they all have in common. They're now in a makeshift sorority house, preparing for the big reckoning. It was a huge, beautiful home. Tracy is there, the country girl who is wined and dined by Derek On Dorry's dime, Everybody could pick where they wanted to sleep. I think I slept down in the basement or something.

[Wendy]

And, God, that was a bizarre time.

[Anna Sinfield]

There's Wendy, our DIY detective from Hawaii, who sussed out Derek's scuba diving lie immediately.

[Laurie]

There was an instant bonding. I felt like I would do anything for these women.

[Anna Sinfield]

And there's other women you haven't met yet. A doctor from Hawaii, a nuclear scientist from Minnesota, a flight attendant.

[Laurie]

They were all delightful. Every woman I met, I just really liked.

[Anna Sinfield]

And though they bond, for some of the women, it's a shock.

[Laurie]

That was the first time I started hearing about the PTSD so many of them had.

[Anna Sinfield]

They all had a different story. Some had lost everything to Derek. Some hadn't. But they all had one thing in common. Every last one of them had been lied to. Before long, they're cracking jokes, swapping war stories.

[Laurie]

Didn't he wear those atrocious bike shorts? It leaves nothing to the imagination.

[Anna Sinfield]

And tearing their shared ex boyfriend a new one.

[Laurie]

The worst thing in his mind would be for a bunch of women talking about how bad he was in bed. There you go. There's some justice right there.

[Anna Sinfield]

And among them is Vanessa, a smiley Californian on her first visit to Texas.

[Vanessa]

I felt that it was really important for me to be involved.

[Anna Sinfield]

All the women gathered in that house will have wondered at one time or another whether anything Derek told them about himself was true. And how did he become the guy who ruined their lives?

[Vanessa]

He was more naive back then and maybe not so crafty.

[Anna Sinfield]

It's Vanessa who can give them some of those answers because she's Derek's college sweetheart.

[Vanessa]

I'm going to date myself, but we're going all the way back to the 90s. I couldn't believe I got into UCLA.

[Anna Sinfield]

It's 1989 and Vanessa is heading to college.

[Vanessa]

I was ecstatic when I found out.

[Anna Sinfield]

Vanessa's dad owns a Mexican restaurant in LA and he's protective of her. Her mum passed away from cancer when Vanessa was still just a kid and she'll be the first in her family to get a degree. So for that first year, she lives at home.

[Vanessa]

I was miserable. I had maybe made one or two friends. It's hard to meet people on campus. People don't just stop and talk to you.

[Anna Sinfield]

Except for people like Derek Aldred.

[Vanessa]

I think he said something. Have I seen you before? No, no. Oh, you go to school here.

[Anna Sinfield]

Derek has walked past Vanessa while she's waiting for a medical appointment on campus one day. He's young, handsome, presents himself as a medical student at the same college.

[Vanessa]

He's wearing a white lab coat, his name embroidered. He said he was studying cystic fibrosis. I didn't even know what that was and I still kind of don't.

[Anna Sinfield]

It's so strange to imagine Derek in his college years. But I can hear the same guy we've come to know in these anecdotes.

[Vanessa]

He really gave off a good impression. I really like this guy.

[Anna Sinfield]

They date for a year and as far as she's concerned, he's it nothing weird or of note to report until this one thing happened. About six months before she's due to graduate, Vanessa is walking up to Derek's apartment near Campus when she catches sight of him in the third floor window.

[Vanessa]

He was in his white lab coat with the French doors open, and he was throwing everything that was in his apartment out of the window.

[Anna Sinfield]

Vanessa watches from the street below, obscured from view behind a tree.

[Vanessa]

I see him throwing this Carrera marble top table out the window.

[Anna Sinfield]

Stuff her dad had lent him.

[Vanessa]

This table that my dad loved. He must have spent, like, I don't know, a thousand bucks on it. A lamp. I gave him this antique typewriter because I felt like he could use that for his studies.

[Anna Sinfield]

Out flies the vintage typewriter.

[Vanessa]

My mouth hits the floor. I'm frozen. I'm like, what is going on? I left because I didn't know what to do.

[Anna Sinfield]

Vanessa sits in her car, trying to make sense of what she's just seen.

[Vanessa]

I was like, what do I do? What do I do?

[Anna Sinfield]

Eventually, curiosity gets the better of her.

[Vanessa]

I come back to the front of his apartment, and I see him now, not in his apartment anymore, but he's out in the front on the street talking to these police officers. He said that someone broke in and did that. He was not taking responsibility for it. I was even more perplexed, like, what is going on?

[Anna Sinfield]

When Vanessa brings the subject up with Derek later, she remembers that he doesn't admit to being the guy standing on the ledge, and he still denies it was him throwing the furniture out the window. He claims he even went to court to testify against the man who broke into his apartment. But so far, we've been unable to locate court records of this. Standing on the street that day, Vanessa felt sure it was him.

[Vanessa]

I was so fond of him and so in love with him. And I was so attached to the idea of building a family with him that I let it go, which was a mistake.

[Anna Sinfield]

Vanessa finishes college, six months later, graduates, and afterward, it's Derek that she wants to celebrate with.

[Vanessa]

I blew off all my friends, all the sorority girls, even my dad, to be with him. Just him.

[Anna Sinfield]

It's after the graduation festivities are over that the other shoe drops. They're sitting in his car. Derek is about to leave Los Angeles to visit his parents.

[Vanessa]

I kiss him goodbye, and he's like, I'll see you soon. You know, when I get back. I never heard from him again. Literally. He fell off the face of the earth.

[Anna Sinfield]

They'd been dating for a year and a half, Vanessa's first serious relationship. The guy she was in love with. But one of the worst parts of all of this, Vanessa soon realized, wasn't just the loss of her boyfriend or the life she had been imagining with him, it was something else entirely.

[Vanessa]

On the night of my graduation, Derek said, oh, maybe I'll borrow that. You know, to go with my suit.

[Anna Sinfield]

A gold bracelet. When Vanessa's mum died, she was just nine years old. Her father gathered together all her mum's gold jewelry. Had it melted down and reformed into a bracelet? A thick Cuban style chain.

[Vanessa]

It was kind of masculine bracelet. A man or a woman could wear it.

[Anna Sinfield]

At first, Vanessa's dad intended to wear it, but in the end, he had gifted it to Vanessa and now Derek wondered if he could borrow it.

[Vanessa]

And I was happily just like, yes, borrow it, but don't forget to give it back. Of course he forgot to give it back.

[Anna Sinfield]

When he left, the bracelet disappeared with him. For years, she wondered what had happened. And then one day, about 20 years later, bored at work, I decided to Google his name.

[Vanessa]

You know, just out of sheer curiosity, what's he doing? Where is he? Is he married? You know, I'm expecting maybe a LinkedIn profile or Facebook link, but instead I see a news article. I was like, no wonder he just disappeared.

[Anna Sinfield]

Before she knows it, like every woman in that group chat, she's on the phone to Cindy.

[Vanessa]

Do I want to get on board with her and the rest of the girls to try to fight together? And at first I was like, no.

[Anna Sinfield]

There are a lot of reasons to leave this in the past. But as she learns more and more about Derek's trail of destruction, I said, you know what?

[Vanessa]

Yes, maybe I'll get my bracelet back.

[Anna Sinfield]

And now here she is in a house in Texas, surrounded by the women who came after her.

[Vanessa]

We bonded and we told stories. One girl was like, oh, he told me he was an attorney. And then another girl was like, no, no, no, he was a firefighter. He was wearing a white lab coat with me, and he was wearing a naval officer uniform with someone else. There were like eight different names that he used for each different girl.

[Anna Sinfield]

Derek Allred, Derek Alldred, Richard Aldridge, Stanley Steal, Aldrich, Richie Peterson, Richie Taylor.

[Vanessa]

And even though maybe he was a different Persona, it was so relatable. And being this Persona that we thought we were in love with, we had a lot of spirit in us. We had a lot to fight for.

[Anna Sinfield]

Tomorrow they'll learn whether it all pays off and Vanessa will get the chance to look Derek in the face.

[Vanessa]

That was my moment of truth. This person has been deceiving people since he was a young man and it needs to stop.

[Kalpen (Cal Penn)]

Hey, everyone, it's Cal Penn. I'm the host of Irsay The Audible and iHeart Audiobook Club. This week on the podcast, I am sitting down with Ray Porter, the narrator of Andy Weir's audiobook project, Hail Mary Massive Sci Fi adventure about survival and science and what happens when you wake up alone, very far from Earth.

[Ray Porter]

I really had to make a decision because I caught myself getting that frog in my throat and starting to get teary as I'm narrating some of these sections and it's like, okay, yo yo yo, is this intuitive, indulgent? And I really thought about it. I was like, no. At this point it would kind of be betraying the trust the author and the listener have in telling this story if I don't go through it. But there's places in this book that that deeply, emotionally affected me and I left it on the mic. That's great because it served the story. People will say like, oh my God, I cried at the end. It's like, yeah dude, me too.

[Kalpen (Cal Penn)]

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[Commercial Narrator]

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[Anna Sinfield]

It's the morning of August 22, 2018, in Sherman, Texas. The women arrive at the old, very pretty courthouse.

[Wendy]

We took a little bus together. I don't think anybody ate any breakfast or anything because we were all on pins and needles.

[Anna Sinfield]

They step out onto the stairs that lead up to the entrance, and inside

[Wendy]

you've got all the old woodwork, the old flooring, Church pews.

[Anna Sinfield]

That's all I saw was church pews. The women are sitting together in solidarity across two rows, waiting. And then the judge has arrived.

[Wendy]

When you hear those three loud bangs,

[Anna Sinfield]

it's like suddenly everything goes completely silent. William Tatum, the assistant United States Attorney in Texas, is the legal brain behind the big plan. You could hear a pin drop at that moment. He's sitting up front with his team as the proceedings get underway. Then out comes Derek.

[Wendy]

Just the sight of him. Oh. Oh, it just made me sick.

[Laurie]

He did not look our direction at all.

[Anna Sinfield]

He's not in a pilot's uniform, not dressed as a fireman or a doctor. This time, he's in a uniform he's qualified to wear.

[Vanessa]

Derek was shackled. His feet were shackled. His arms were shackled.

[Anna Sinfield]

An orange jumpsuit. Derek has already signed a plea agreement admitting to the three charges, but it's a judge who'll hand down a sentence. And so the lawyers duke it out over what should factor in and what shouldn't. They argue over whether Derek has really accepted responsibility for his actions. Despite his guilty plea, Derek is still claiming that he did in fact have authorization to use some of the credit cards. Not him personally, of course, but his alter ego, Ritchie. His defence lawyer even disputes the idea that Derek used sophisticated means to conduct his scams. He argues there was nothing particularly complex about any of it.

[Laurie]

No. Nope, nope, nope. He had to have spent hours and hours to have created those documents and details and contracts. I just wanted the judge to know this guy was incredibly calculated.

[Anna Sinfield]

Before long, Wendy and the others will be offered just that opportunity.

[Wendy]

They started calling us to read our victim impact statements.

[Anna Sinfield]

First up is Cindy, who's been leading the way for years. Then Dorie steps up.

[Wendy]

I was the second one to read my impact statement. May 17, 2017, was the last day I would be the trusting, loving, giving person that I had been for 50 plus years.

[Anna Sinfield]

Derek is forced to listen.

[Wendy]

It was the day that I uncovered that my boyfriend, Richie Taylor, who I now know as Derek Alldred, had conned and manipulated me.

[Anna Sinfield]

Statement after statement.

[Vanessa]

I want my voice to represent those women, victims whose lives have been turned upside down due to Derek the sociopath. I believe that swindling for Derek is like a drug. Every time he gets away with it, he has a deeper desire to do it again.

[Laurie]

He's a master manipulator. He will go to unimaginable lengths to steal money from women.

[Vanessa]

I don't think that Derek understands the fundamental difference between lies and the truth.

[Wendy]

I've seen in the history that over and over again, the justice system has let us down.

[Laurie]

As soon as he's free, he will just do this again.

[Vanessa]

He must be stopped from ruining other lives.

[Wendy]

No matter what sentence he's given, it's not going to compare to the one he's given me. I remember I felt real powerful when I said it. Like, listen to me, you know, you're not in charge anymore. I wanted him to look me in the face so I could just give him that, ugh, you disgust me look. He never even looked.

[Anna Sinfield]

When the women finish, the judge turns to Derek and asks if there's anything he'd like to say. There is. After a bit of waffle to his honor, Derek says to say, I'm mortified and I'm embarrassed and I'm shamed and I'm sorry. Doesn't begin to capture really how I feel, you know, the harm that I've caused some of the people behind me. I know that money is really inconsequential to a degree. I never wanted to hurt someone's trust like that to where they would leave me and move on about life and have that type of deficit. You know, that's the cross that I'm going to carry. And to those people, I'm very, very sorry. I hope at this point that the victims behind me can have some peace now, go back home and move on about their lives with a little more. A little more peace than they've had the past three, four, five years.

[Vanessa]

Then he brings up my name.

[Anna Sinfield]

Or even in someone like Vanessa's case, where it's been 25 years, hopefully this brings some closure to that. So I'm sorry. And that's all I have to say. There's something about that tone of surprise that's jarring to Vanessa.

[Vanessa]

I just wanted to laugh at him and, like, you know, be like, you know what, really?

[Anna Sinfield]

And then it's over. The women have said their piece. Even Derek, spoken up, apologized. Satisfyingly or not, it's finally time for this decades long saga to come to an end. The women are lined up in rows, knots in their stomachs.

[Wendy]

The judge was getting ready to give his sentence and you could hear a pin drop.

[Kalpen (Cal Penn)]

Hey everyone, it's Cal Penn. I'm the host of Irsay The Audible and iHeart Audiobook Club. This week on the podcast, I am sitting down with Ray Porter, the narrator of Andy Weir's audiobook project, Hail Mary Massive sci fi adventure about survival and science and what happens when you wake up alone, very far from Earth.

[Ray Porter]

I really had to make a decision because I caught myself getting that frog in my throat and starting to get teary as I'm narrating some of these sections and it's like, okay, yo yo yo, is this indulgent? And I really thought about it. I was like, no. At this point it would kind of be betraying the trust the author and the listener have in telling this story if I don't go through it. But there's places in this book that that deeply, emotionally affected me and I left it on the mic. That's great because it served the story. People will say like oh my God, I cried at the end. It's like yeah dude, me too.

[Kalpen (Cal Penn)]

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[Commercial Narrator]

audio streaming May 22nd on Paramount plus from executive producer Lena Waithe, the acclaimed series the Shy reaches its Final chapter. For seven seasons, these stories, these streets, this community have stayed with us. Now it all leads to this. Will Tiff uncover who killed Rob? Will Victor and Shad find their freedom? And can Keisha and Emmett survive? What's ahead? As friendships are tested, families evolve, and secrets refuse to stay buried, one thing is certain. The shot is more than just a series. It's a legacy. Say goodbye to the shy. Don't miss the final season. Streaming May 22nd on the Paramount Premium Plan.

[Anna Sinfield]

Derek sits in the courtroom in his orange jumpsuit, and a judge, cloaked up, is ready to deliver the moment they've all been waiting for.

[Wendy]

The judge said it I sentenced you to 288 months. We're all like, how many years is that? How many years is that? You can't have your phone in there. So we're all like, how many years is that? One of the ladies in front of us had a calculator and she held it up and it said 24. He got the maximum 24 years, no parole.

[Laurie]

There was a collective sigh of relief.

[Wendy]

All of us were just like silently high fiving and clapping and just like smiles so big you could just feel

[Laurie]

everybody's shoulders just lower a little bit, like we've been fighting to get somebody to pay attention. And this judge got the memo.

[Anna Sinfield]

Alongside the sentence, Derek is ordered to pay $254,892.41. The judge tells Derek if he could have given him a higher sentence, he would have. I can't get them their money back. I can't give them any other solace. But all I can do is protect society for as long as I can do so. So that's what I'm doing. The bottom line for the court is I have full belief that if you get out of jail, you're going to commit these same crimes again. That's what your history and your pattern has been. All the court can do is try to protect the society from your criminal acts, provide adequate punishment for the entirety of your conduct. You have assumed identities and personalities to defraud the individuals out of some of them large amounts of money. In all likelihood, the totality of your criminal conduct has yet to even be discovered. You have a pattern or it looks like the inability to ever tell the full truth. The courtroom empties. The news begins to spread to those who weren't there in person, like Lisa, our hockey loving nurse who decided not to go to Texas. I was so excited that I started

[Wendy]

like jumping for joy.

[Anna Sinfield]

Lisa can hear the girl celebrating in the Background of her phone call. Like, we did it, girls.

[Wendy]

We did it like, he's going to jail now.

[Anna Sinfield]

All the women we interviewed for the series were among those who gave statements to NCIS investigators. And most gave victim impact statements at Derek Alldred's sentencing hearing, too. In total, NCIS investigators were able to link Derek Alldred to at least 25 victims. Women from Hawaii, Minnesota, Texas, Nevada, California. Women who consider themselves hopeless romantics. Downright ball busters. They'd done it. Dorrie was elated by seeing all these

[Wendy]

girls and how good they were doing. And he had gotten through it and were talking about it without, you know, getting real upset. Really helped me see that there's a light at the end of the tunnel, and I'm not a fool. It can happen to anybody. Seeing this group of women who are very diverse, but, you know, all had one thing in common, and we just wanted to be loved.

[Anna Sinfield]

In the years since their various relationships with Derek, some of the women have found romantic love again, and some haven't. Like Vanessa, I'd say that Derek really

[Vanessa]

kind of, kind of screwed it up for me and made me not really want to trust people. I feel like being a part of his big lie really took away the potential opportunity for me to be with the right person. My sorority sisters, most of them are married, and they're married to people that they dated during the time that I dated Derek. And had I met someone else who was a real genuine person not faking to be someone else, you know, I could have actually fallen in love with someone and maybe had a family. And I feel like Derek kept me from that.

[Anna Sinfield]

But Vanessa and I also share a fundamental belief that love and joy is not something that you can only get from romantic relationships. Vanessa lives a beautiful life that's filled with love. She has so many friends, close family, a big garden which is often absolutely filled to the brim with dogs, her own and others.

[Vanessa]

I'm a pet sitter on the side. I've been doing that for about 10 years, and I love it.

[Anna Sinfield]

She's happy with the trajectory her life has taken since Derek. She's put the experience behind her, and I am in complete support of that, which is why I'm going to let her go back to her sweet pooches and sweet tea just after one question. What do you think he did with your bracelet, by the way?

[Vanessa]

I'm guessing he pawned it for money. I doubt he kept it.

[Anna Sinfield]

I'll ask him about the bracelet if I do manage to get through.

[Vanessa]

Omg. Please I would love that. Oh, my gosh.

[Anna Sinfield]

I agree with Vanessa. Derek is best put behind all of us. What a waste of energy. However, as a journalist, of course I will give him a right of reply to some of the allegations that have been made against him, which means getting in touch with him in prison. And if I'm going to email this guy, I might as well ask about that bracelet. And hey, who knows? He might have a sudden rush of conscience. Anna, I just got an email from the prison, from Derek. Oh, fuck. Each of the women we have spoken to for this series have told us about their individual experiences. So we asked Derek to respond to some of their allegations. Derek denies that he spiked any drink in Hawaii in 2015. He denies that he filed a false police report over furniture thrown out of his window in the mid-90s. Despite the plea agreement, the 24 year sentence, the unequivocal words of the judge, Derek also denies the idea that he stole money from all of these women. One thing Derek does admit is that he lied and cheated while dating some of these women. Deplorable behavior is how he describes it. Remember how Dorry's bank refused to refund the money Derek had stuck? Once his sentencing hearing was over, she sent them a long and feisty letter, and she tells us they promptly reversed their decision on that. Most of the women have made some kind of peace with the idea that they're unlikely to get their money back. But the bracelet, the one made from gold jewelry belonging to Vanessa's mother, who died of cancer when she was just a child. The one that went missing right around the time Derek disappeared from her life in the 90s without explanation. That's a bit harder to make peace with. Here's what Derek has to say about that. Hi, Leona. Vanessa seems to have a very different view of how we broke up and the relationship ended. Let me give you some very clear details of our breakup and this bracelet, which is in quotation marks. The only bracelet I am familiar with is the. Basically, Derek says he can't remember that bracelet. I sense that the foundation that's being established is that I took off with this bracelet, never to be seen again. This is just categorically not true. I mean, really, what man wears a woman's bracelet? For starters, maybe Derek really doesn't remember Vanessa's bracelet. I can tell you, though, I've read his case file. It's obviously not the first time he's been accused of stealing or lying. It's not even the first time he's been accused of Taking a beloved piece of family jewelry from a woman he was dating. And for what it's worth, the only time I've ever been able to find an example of Derek coughing to his behavior is when he's had absolutely no other choice. And sometimes not even men. Derek has said countless times that he's sorry for the pain he's caused. And maybe he really is. If that were true, one way he could have made amends, practically tangibly, would be to finally give a woman who's been waiting 30 years a few answers. But hey, because you never know your luck, and because I'm an unrelenting optimist, and because stranger things have happened, particularly on this show, I have a quick request. If you happened to hang out around UCLA in 1995, if you worked at a Gold Trader or a pawn shop in Los Angeles at that time and you have a particularly sharp memory, or if you knew Derek Alldred back then or you knew someone who did, do you have any idea what could have happened to Vanessa's bracelet? It was gold. It had a chain link and a Cuban style. Kind of masculine looking. Not to be a total true crime. Tragic. But someone must know something. So if you do get in touch, it belonged to someone who really treasured it. And it's missing. It's important we are honest about the damage these con artists cause, because only then will the victims be taken seriously by the law and by the rest of us. These kinds of experiences do leave scars.

[Wendy]

I think after going through all this, I'm no longer the hopeless romantic.

[Anna Sinfield]

As for Dorrie, she used to read Danielle Steele books. She watched the occasional Hallmark movie. Then she met Derek and brought his scamming spree to a screeching halt. She's changed a lot since then.

[Wendy]

It's not my life goal to meet Mr. Perfect and have the happily ever after. I'm really at peace with myself. I. I love myself. I love who I am. I'm perfectly fine. Me and my dogs. I really value my friendships. I have some really, really, really solid good friends in my life that really, really help me through this. And so I'm. I'm trying now to make up to my friends that were there for me, be there for them and whatever they may need, be the best friend that I can to people that stop their lives to help me, help me through it.

[Anna Sinfield]

While it's tough for her, still, eventually those scars harden.

[Wendy]

I'm definitely stronger now. It's like I'm steel. It's like you could say whatever you want. I know who I am. I'm happy with me.

[Anna Sinfield]

They remind you daily who was there all along. Sure, you got duped, hurt terribly, but you also mocked up the pieces. Survived it.

[Vanessa]

I just hope people learn, particularly girls, that might be in a sticky situation. We women have to look out for each other.

[Laurie]

The number one lesson I learned from all of this is to trust my gut.

[Wendy]

Really trusting yourself, not second guessing yourself like I did.

[Anna Sinfield]

Always go with your gut feeling.

[Wendy]

It will never steer you wrong.

[Laurie]

I think women are so good at having these instincts and being able to recognize them. We're not always good at listening to them.

[Anna Sinfield]

Girlfriends if I, your lesbian agony aunt, can leave you with one message from the series, it's this Know your worth. You're better off without any loser making you second guess yourself. Trust me babe. So listen to your gut. But if for some reason you can't hear it, here's some other advice for you. We always say that. Trust your girlfriends. There we go. Coming up in the next bonus episode of the Girlfriends. Trust Me babe.

[Wendy]

I can't describe the bashing that the public gave us.

[Anna Sinfield]

Oh, I'm smarter than this.

[Laurie]

I wouldn't fall for it.

[Wendy]

People are very powerful behind their computers.

[Anna Sinfield]

Truly, these techniques, they really work. They could work on any of us. The Girlfriend's Trust Me Babe is produced by Novel for iHeart Podcasts. For more from Novel, visit Novel Audio. The series is hosted by me, Anna Sinfield. It's produced by Leona Hamid. Our assistant producer is Valeria Rocker. Our editor is Jo Wheeler. Production management from Cherie Houston, Joe Savage and Charlotte Wolf. Fact checking by Dania Suleiman. Sound design, mixing and scoring by Daniel Kempson and Nicholas Alexander. The Girlfriend's theme was composed by Daniel Kempson and Louisa Gerstein and performed by Daniel Kempson with vocals by Louisa Gerstein. Music supervision from from Daniel Kempson and Anna Sinfield. The series artwork was designed by Christina Lemkul, story development by Susie Baker and Olivia Smart. Novel's director of development is Selena Mehta. Max o' Brien is the executive producer for Novel. Katrina Norvell and Nikki Etor are the executive producers for iHeart podcasts and the marketing lead is Alison Cantor. Special thanks to Carrie Lieberman and Will Pierce Pearson at iHeart Podcasts. Julie Sensulo, Ann Langston, Carolyn Shirlevin, Katie Gillis, Kelly Hunt, Rachel Munro, Tom Oldag and Tad Vesna.

[Kalpen (Cal Penn)]

Hey everyone, it's Cal Penn. I'm inviting you to join the best sounding book club you've ever heard with my podcast Hearsay the Only Audible and iHeart Audiobook Club every episode I nerd out with amazing guests and dive into the best new audiobooks available on Audible. It's the book club for your ears. Listen to earsay, the Audible and iheart Audiobook Club on the iheartradio app or wherever you get your podcasts.

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[Wendy]

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[Anna Sinfield]

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[Anna Sinfield]

What?

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[Laurie]

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[Anna Sinfield]

This is an I Heart podcast. Guaranteed human.