Nightmare Success In and Out – Details, episodes & analysis

How does Wendy Lankton go from a wife working in her husbands law firm in Montreal to being arrested in a drug conspiracy in Omaha Nebraska? It is quite the Odessey to what she is doing today. In this episode of Nightmare Success, host Brent Cassity interviews Wendy Lankton, who shares her harrowing journey from addiction to incarceration and eventual recovery. Wendy discusses the impact of the Federal CARES Act on her life while she was serving a 15-year Federal prison sentence. She shares her complicated experiences growing up in Nebraska, and the choices that led her to prison. She reflects on her time in Danbury women's prison, the challenges of COVID-19, and her eventual release into home confinement to serve out the years of sentence that she has remaining. Wendy shares what it was like getting out and living in home confinement for years. Throughout the conversation, Wendy emphasizes the importance of gratitude and advocacy for others in similar situations, highlighting the need for reform in the legal and prison systems. She is currently working in a law firm and going to law school. She is hoping to be an attorney that can give a greater voice to the justice impacted community.

Show sponsors: Navigating the challenges of white-collar crime? The White Collar Support Group at Prisonist.org offers guidance, resources, and a community for those affected. Discover support today at Prisonist.org Protect your online reputation with Discoverability! Use code NIGHTMARE SUCCESS for an exclusive discount on services to boost your digital image and online repustation. Visit Discoverability.co and secure your online presence today. Skip the hassle of car shopping with Auto Plaza Direct. They’ll handle every detail to find your perfect vehicle. Visit AutoPlazaDirect.com "Your personal car concierge!"

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On this episode of Nightmare Success with Brent Cassity, we explore the shocking and deeply troubling story of Carlos Watson—a pioneering Silicon Valley entrepreneur who built OZY Media from the ground up, transforming it into a near-billion-dollar powerhouse. But in 2019, everything changed. When Watson refused to sell OZY to East Coast competitor Ben Smith (formerly of BuzzFeed)—not once, but five times—the trouble began. By 2021, as Watson prepared for a pre-IPO round, he was smeared in the press, and over the last two years, he faced a stunning indictment and conviction in Brooklyn—despite having no ties to the borough. Disturbingly, the judge in his case, Eric Komitee, had millions of dollars invested in entities tied to Watson’s adversaries but never disclosed these conflicts. Award-winning filmmakers Candice Conley and Brenae Perkins have captured this unsettling saga in “The Troubling Case of Carlos Watson: Whose Son Is Next?” Duke Professor David Robinson has also analyzed the case in “Conflict, Bias, and the Railroading of Carlos Watson.” Join us as Carlos Watson shares his incredible journey, the fight against a deeply conflicted judicial process, and what lies ahead in his battle for truth. This is a story of resilience, injustice, and the ongoing struggle for fairness that you won’t want to miss.

Was Carlos Watson the Mastermind or a Victim of Lies? How Cooperation Deals Shaped the VerdictPart 2: Whose Son Is Next? (Full Episode)Breaking News: Conflict of Interest Bombshell: Judge Invested in Ozy’s Victim Companies

Show sponsors: Navigating the challenges of white-collar crime? The White Collar Support Group at Prisonist.org offers guidance, resources, and a community for those affected. Discover support today at Prisonist.org Protect your online reputation with Discoverability! Use code NIGHTMARE SUCCESS for an exclusive discount on services to boost your digital image and online repustation. Visit Discoverability.co and secure your online presence today. Skip the hassle of car shopping with Auto Plaza Direct. They’ll handle every detail to find your perfect vehicle. Visit AutoPlazaDirect.com "Your personal car concierge!"

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In this episode of Nightmare Success, Brent Cassity interviews Portia Louder, author of the book Living Louder- A Compassionate Journey Through Federal Prison. Portia shares her incredible journey from a non-traditional upbringing to facing the challenges of teenage motherhood, addiction, and ultimately, a prison sentence for mortgage fraud. Portia's story is one of resilience, transformation, and the power of accountability as she navigates her way through life's obstacles and emerges stronger on the other side. In this conversation, Portia Louder shares her harrowing journey through the criminal justice system, detailing the immense pressure she faced leading up to her trial and sentencing. She discusses the emotional toll of incarceration, the challenges of adjusting to prison life, and the transformative experiences that ultimately led her to find purpose and resilience. Portia emphasizes the importance of personal growth and the power of choice, illustrating how her time in prison shaped her into a stronger individual. The conversation concludes with her reflections on reintegration into society and the newfound appreciation for life and connection with others. Show Sponsors: White Collar Support Group prisonist.org, register for the white collar conference October 19th at whitecollarconference.com, Autoplazadirect.com "Your Personal Car Concierge."

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The crash of the 2008 real estate market went from bad to worse to prison for Aaron Duncan. Aaron grew up with a strong knit family. The oldest of 3 sons. He bolted out of high school to be make it big in business. He had impressive early successes. He first started his own  travel company much like Expedia using his previous contacts working for TWA. He has a wickedly smart marketing mind that led him into creating his own real estate investment company, The Duncan Group. The real estate crash happened and Aaron went scrambling for solutions to get short term investors their money back. It didn't work and his in-house attorney turned him into the authorities. Aaron does an excellent job of walking us through his nightmare. His first day in a medium security prison will take your breath away. The worst possible way to to start prison. He took advantage of his library job and became an expert in criminal law. Aaron got out and hit the ground running. He now runs an international company Elevate Media. He represents athletes, CEO's, celebrities, and businesses with their crisis at hand. He is particularly helpful to the indicted/convicted individuals to help them through sentencing and tips for life in prison. Aaron has found a way to use his life experience to help others who have found themselves in the same position that he successfully survived.  --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/brent-cassity/support

How would you handle a life threatening situation? Kevin Donaldson is an ex-police officer whose life changed one night when he was shot at, and a bullet grazed his ear. His life after this event began spiraling down a dark black hole. It triggered post traumatic syndrome that led to thoughts of ending his life and trying to cope through heavy drinking. Kevin is a mesmerizing storyteller that leads us into his world of struggle and then finally finding a way to overcome. It is interesting to hear his story through the eyes of a police officer. He now has an incredibly popular nationally ranked podcast "The Suffering Podcast." As Kevin says, "Suffering is the way to sustainable success." Kevin helps people who are in a similar situation as his... find their way through the darkness to success.  Kevin Donaldson is a true Nightmare Success Story! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/brent-cassity/support

How do you flip the script on a really tough childhood? Shawn Medina had the type of childhood where both his parents were no help to his sister and him. They were shipped around in and out of foster care because his mom was strung out on drugs and his dad wasn't any better living 1000's of miles away with his own personal issues. Shawn is very open and honest about his own struggles that landed him in prison and then a return to prison on a violation of his probation. He leads us through his struggles and how he found his way.  He finally found his passion... met a woman that he loves, and operates Steel and Ink Tattoo Studio with his wife. This famed ink shop is not just doing award winning tattoos. Shawn and his wife have a passion for giving to the underserved communities and charities such as the Shriners, women's safe houses, Missouri Network and Opiate Reform, local school fundraisers, as well as, volunteering his time to help feed the homeless. Steel and Ink offers a financial scholarship program for graduating high school seniors from the area called, "Good Decisions." All the things that Shawn knew he needed growing up he tries to give back now using his success to elevate people in need.  --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/brent-cassity/support

Could you take a mess and make it into a powerful message? Travis Richey did exactly that! He is known as the Prison Education Czar in the United States. Travis is the man behind AccomplishED Ventures, the largest prison content provider in the U.S. Quite a journey that led him to his destiny. He had a tough childhood, his father struggled with drug addiction, and his mother worked hard to make ends meet. Travis got a scholarship and studied finance at the University of Miami. He became incredibly successful running an investment hedge fund. A knock on the door and life changed with Travis receiving a 2 year sentence due to a regulatory oversight in the State of Arizona. Those 2 years changed his mindset and purpose for life. AccomplishED Ventures is now on 750,000 inmate tablets in prison providing real hope for inmates to fix their lives and be a better part of society. His curriculum teaches life skills, job skills, entrepreneurial skills, and financial literacy. Travis is using his experience to change the narrative around incarceration and providing hope and opportunity for millions of incarcerated individuals who desire to change their lives. Wow! This is a feel good story. As Travis says, "You hold the pen to how you want to write your story!" --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/brent-cassity/support

Did you like the movie "Catch Me If You Can"? Well, you will find Matt Cox fascinating. The episode of American Greed titled the episode "The Modern Day Bonnie and Clyde of Mortgage Fraud." His story has been chronicled on DATELINE NBC, FORTUNE magazine, and several others. Cox was a fugitive for over 2 years and ended up on the Secret Service Most Wanted list. Interestingly, there were always girlfriends assisting him with his cross country scheme. He had a strained relationship with his Dad. Matt was diagnosed with a learning disability early on. I believe, he was always trying to prove to his Dad that he was smart (Insurance Test Story)...with an IQ over 140 he was smart. He was finally captured and sentenced to 26 years in prison. While he was in, he began writing books for several inmates that he was incarcerated with. One of those inmates was Efraim Diveroli. That manuscript was made into a very popular movie titled "War Dogs."  Matt began teaching a GED class in prison. He enjoyed sharing his knowledge about the business of real estate, and eventually began teaching a real estate class to inmates. Several of those inmates left prison and began successful real estate careers. I know Matt takes a lot of satisfaction with that. Matt now has a successful podcast titled "Inside True Crime with Matt Cox." He has several published books that can be found on Amazon. Matt is an entertaining storyteller and brutally honest about what he did and how he did it. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/brent-cassity/support

Can someone be sentenced to 10 years for selling marijuana? My guest, Stephanie Shepard, was.  She was a first time, non-violent offender from a two parent suburban household. Stephanie said, "I thought going to prison would never happen to me." Her story of being arrested is mindboggling. She was released after 9 years and 5 different prisons, in 2019. Her emotions about the experience are still gripping and raw with how she survived. She shares the things that she learned in prison, and how she uses it on the outside. She also discusses how she did specific things not to lose "herself" in prison.  Stephanie talks about the nervousness of getting back into society. How she had to fight for that first job opportunity. She is now a director of the Last Prison Project. LPP's mission is to set 1,000's of prisoners free that sit in prison for cannabis related convictions. President Biden, October 6th, pardoned 6500 with simple marijuana possession offenses. This is obviously a very current topic. The organization also helps with grants to help the ex-inmates get back into society who do not have a support system. Stephanie is using her experience to effect positive change and instill hope. She says, "It makes everyday worth it." This is a feel good story of overcoming! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/brent-cassity/support

Phillip "Uccikhan" Sample is a story of a complete life transformation. You will be immediately captured by the rawness and honesty of how Phillip describes his journey. In 1975, he was born into the toughest neighborhood in Detroit. He was raised between the slums of Detroit to the gang ridden streets of the Southside of Chicago. As a result of dysfunctional and unstable housing, ill-education and violence, Phillip became his environment. He joined a gang at 11 and became a leader of a gang at 14. He was eventually convicted of 3 counts of assault with intent to murder at 18 years old in a gang related war. He served 15 years in prison. He used the time to educate himself, studying psychology and what made him think the way he was thinking...undergoing a complete self-evaluation. Phillip was released after 15 years with a passion to amend past actions and rebuild the community he had helped to destroy. He established RAHAM Detroit (Response Able Hands and Minds). This organization is inspiring youth that there is an alternative to crime and incarceration. His organization is clearing and beautifying lots, building new homes, establishing areas of recreation, entertainment, and culture. Phillip's non-profit is teaching youth enduring life skills, that may continue the process of strengthening family and community bonds. Phillip has always had leadership skills...now he is using his experience to effect real change for the good. These young people admire and listen to him. He is the author of the book "The Passion Of The Life (Part 1) the life, death, and resurrection of Phillip A Sample." This is an inspiring story of hope, and hope never goes out of style! I would love to wave a magic wand and clone Phillip Sample nationwide! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/brent-cassity/support