Ep 11. Junk In A Box//been Caught Stealing

In this episode of American Greed season 11, titled "Junk in a Box//Been Caught Stealing," viewers are taken deep into the world of white-collar crime, as the show examines not one but two cases of individuals who were driven to swindle, deceive, and steal to become rich.

The first case featured in the episode involves Michael C. Mastro, a once-successful real estate developer who was known for his high-flying lifestyle and lavish spending habits. But behind closed doors, Mastro was struggling financially, and to cover up his mounting debts, he began borrowing money and using false financial statements to secure loans from a variety of banks.

Over the course of several years, Mastro stole millions of dollars from investors, lenders, and creditors, siphoning off funds from his businesses to pay for luxurious homes, cars, and boats. But eventually, his fraudulent scheme was uncovered, and he was forced into bankruptcy, leaving many of his victims struggling to recover their losses.

The second case featured in the episode revolves around Paul Wilson, a former professional skateboarder who turned his attention to high-end sneaker collecting. Wilson was known in the sneaker community for his extensive collection of rare and valuable kicks, which he amassed through a combination of trades, purchases, and steals.

But as Wilson's collection grew, so did his determination to acquire even more coveted sneakers. And soon, he began breaking into other collectors' homes to steal their shoes, often using his knowledge of the industry and its players to con his way into private sales and swaps.

Wilson's criminal exploits eventually caught up with him, and he was arrested and charged with burglary and grand larceny. But even after his arrest, his addiction to sneaker collecting persisted, and he continued to try to obtain rare kicks from behind bars, using smuggled cell phones and other illicit means.

Throughout "Junk in a Box//Been Caught Stealing," American Greed takes viewers inside the minds of these two very different criminals, revealing the complex motivations and twisted logic that drove them to deceive and defraud. With expert analysis and firsthand accounts from those affected by their crimes, the episode paints a vivid picture of the devastating impact of white-collar crime on both individuals and the wider community.