Behind The Scammer

We’re culturally obsessed with scammers, con artists and fraudsters. People like Elizabeth Holmes and Bernie Madoff dominate headlines and then get films made and books written documenting what they did and how they did it. But behind the scammers are the victims: individuals who are struggling to recover their sense of safety, their identity … and their money.

In July 2021, Isaiah Goodman was sentenced to 7 years in prison for defrauding clients out of more than $2.3 million dollars. He spent the money on a hot tub, a fancy house, two cars, a cruise … but it wasn’t his money.

That money belonged to -- among others -- Celisia Stanton and Rev. Michael Gonzales, two very real people whose lives were materially impacted by Goodman’s materialism.

Celisia’s podcast is called “Truer Crime,” and you can (and should!) listen to it here. She also set up a GoFundMe to help the Gonzales family recoup some of their financial losses. You can help them here.

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