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PODCAST

Deep Cover Presents: Snowball

Pushkin Industries

Deep Cover is a show about people who lead double lives. Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Jake Halpern reveals webs of deception and dark underworlds, through interviews with federal agents and convicted criminals. Deep Cover Presents: Snowball. A special limited series from the Unravel Podcast team at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Ollie Wards" family lost everything after their brush with a charming Californian con woman. As he embarks on a quest to find out how she did it, why she did

true crime

All Episodes

52:33

The Truth About Sarah Revisited (LIVE at WBUR)

Deep Cover Presents: Snowball ·

2025/12/29

Jake sits down with his Season 6 co-host Jess McHugh at WBUR CitySpace for a live conversation. They discuss the value of trust, share some never-before-heard tape, and give an update on what’s happened with Sarah since our season ended. If you’d like to support Patrol Base Abbate (https://www.pbabbate.org), follow this link: https://donate.pbabbate.org/give/373840/#!/donation/checkout.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

44:28

Shame, Scams, and The Stories We Tell Ourselves (with...

Deep Cover Presents: Snowball ·

2025/12/22

Jake sits down with Snowball creator Ollie Wards to discuss how a family mystery became an international hit. They trace Ollie’s journey from the first recorded conversation with his dad – recorded under a hotel duvet – to the heart-pounding moment he found himself face-to-face with the con artist herself: Lezlie Manukian. Along the way, they touch on the challenges of reporting on family, the psychology of scammers and their victims, and the strange kind of closure that comes when

en-US

23:36

Snowball - Episode 7: The Morning After

Deep Cover Presents: Snowball ·

2025/12/15

After the confrontation in the supermarket carpark, Ollie is left feeling confused — has he beencharmed just like everyone else in this story? Lezlie left promising Ollie she would meet for a proper interview the next day. Will she turn up... orleave him and his family hanging? More details come to life about the consequences of Lezlie's reckless lifestyle and how little she hasprospered. Ollie asks himself if he should be feeling sorry for her. Listen to Deep Cover Presents: Snowball ad-free

en-US

42:14

Snowball - Episode 6: Stakeout

Deep Cover Presents: Snowball ·

2025/12/08

Ollie and Simon have criss-crossed California to find themselves parked in their American muscle carstaking out exits from a supermarket they think Lezlie works in. They may only have one shot to talk toher and finally get some answers. In preparation, Ollie speaks with psychologist and professional poker player Maria Konnikova, who tellshim the real meaning of the term "con artist". Her most potent tip is to beware the charm offensive...and be prepared to use it in return. Listen to Deep Cover

en-US

45:06

Snowball - Episode 5: Black Widow

Deep Cover Presents: Snowball ·

2025/12/01

Ollie and Simon follow the trail of broken dreams and failed restaurants to Paso Robles, California. Olliediscovers his former sister-in-law has manufactured an image of a successful restauranteur in Hawaii,Lake Tahoe and New Zealand. Her exotic CV and exciting stories pull a new family into her web... withdisastrous consequences. Finally, they get a tip-off that might lead them directly to Lezlie. Her lies may be about to catch up toher. Listen to Deep Cover Presents: Snowball ad-free with a

en-US

41:26

Snowball - Episode 4: Charmed

Deep Cover Presents: Snowball ·

2025/11/24

Ollie turns to Lezlie's emails for clues of her whereabouts. Here, he uncovers a bizarre story involving a book deal, a ghost writer and a famous actress. Could this web of lies reveal Lezlie's motivations as a scammer? Ollie and Simon then take a flight to California and hit the road. When the trail runs cold, they decide to chase down a lead at Lezlie's first restaurant in the resort town of Lake Tahoe. If you can’t wait to find out what happens, binge episodes of Deep Cover Presents:

en-US

42:04

Snowball - Episode 3: The Coconut Wireless

Deep Cover Presents: Snowball ·

2025/11/17

The stories Lezlie Manukian has told people about her time in Hawaii usually end with murderous local mobsters running her off the island. But this is also coming from the tall tale telling Californian trickster we've heard can even swindle a bank. When Lezlie left New Zealand, never to be seen again, it seemed like the only way for Greg Wards to understand who he really married was to ask the Hawaiian police what really happened. If you can’t wait to find out what happens, binge episodes of

en-US

44:19

Snowball - Episode 2: The Great Houdini

Deep Cover Presents: Snowball ·

2025/11/10

What looks like a dream marriage for Ollie Wards' brother Greg soon morphs into a nightmare. With thewhole family drawn into the mess, his parents go from a comfortable retirement to being homeless andsquatting in the basement at his Aunty's house. Even though she was on a tourist visa in New Zealand, Greg's American wife had secured a massive loanfrom the country's state-owned bank. After she flies off, never to be seen again, a box of documentsfrom the bank transaction surfaces.See

en-US

51:31

Snowball - Episode 1: The Girl With the Dragonfly Tattoo

Deep Cover Presents: Snowball ·

2025/11/03

Ollie Wards was MC at his brother's wedding. "It was a fun party," he recalls, "kind of rowdy. But inside Ihad a sense of unease. I couldn't explain it." He ignored the feeling.Greg met his bride while backpacking in London. He was in his twenties and partying hard. But he alwayshad his eye on America. He loved everything to do with the place. So, when he met a dark-haired, older,well-travelled, fast-talking Californian woman named Lezlie Manukian he says he was 'a sitting duck'. If you can’t

en-US

6:14

Deep Cover Presents: Snowball

Deep Cover Presents: Snowball ·

2025/10/27

In 2006, Greg Wards was your average Kiwi backpacker on an overseas adventure in the UK, working hard, playing harder — and falling head-over-heels in love. After a whirlwind international romance, Greg married Lezlie Manukian in New Zealand. Their new life started out by setting up a small business north of Auckland. But a snowball had started to roll the day Greg met Lezlie Manukian. It wasn't long before this ball of chaos gathered pace and crushed Greg and his family. Starting November 3,

en-US

23:21

Episode 5: Santos Released From Prison

Deep Cover Presents: Snowball ·

2025/10/24

Last week, President Trump commuted George Santos’ prison sentence — a decision that’s prompted both surprise and reflection. Producer Amy Gaines McQuade walks Jake Halpern through the news and checks back in with people who knew Santos to hear their reactions. For more on Mark’s reporting on George Santos, check out his book:The Fabulist - The Lying, Hustling, Grifting, Stealing and Very American Legend of George Santos.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy

en-US

0:43

Deep Cover Live in Boston on December 19

Deep Cover Presents: Snowball ·

2025/10/23

If you've ever wondered what goes into making an episode of Deep Cover, now's your chance. Join Jake Halpern and Jess McHugh for a live bonus taping of Deep Cover: The Truth About Sarah at WBUR's Boston CitySpace on December 19. Listen to never-before-heard recordings from interviews, go behind-the-scenes on Jake and Jess' reporting and storytelling process. Find more details and tickets here:https://www.wbur.org/events/1046207/deep-cover-the-truth-about-sarah-liveSee omnystudio.com/listener for

en-US

5:37

From Revisionist History: The Alabama Murders

Deep Cover Presents: Snowball ·

2025/10/02

Here's a preview from the new season of Malcolm Gladwell's Revisionist History podcast, The Alabama Murders. Florence, Alabama. 1988. A preacher has an affair. A woman is murdered. One death cascades into more, stretching across decades and leaving no one untouched — victims, bystanders, perpetrators, and those just trying to help. Eventually, the consequences lead to the center of a hot national debate on who should be allowed to live, who should die, and how the state should kill them. OnThe

en-US

39:53

Introducing The Chinatown Sting: Lucky Bird

Deep Cover Presents: Snowball ·

2025/09/23

Here’s a preview of a new Pushkin podcast, The Chinatown Sting, that I'm really excited about. In the late 1980s, a group of women connected through the mahjong parlors in Manhattan’s Chinatown were caught in a massive undercover drug bust. But this bust was just the beginning of an even bigger case. Host Lidia Jean Kott and co-reporter Shuyu Wang interview sources who’ve never spoken on record before, including witnesses, defendants, and federal prosecutors, to reconstruct a case

en-US

33:40

Introducing Charlie’s Place: Who Was Charlie Fitzgerald?

Deep Cover Presents: Snowball ·

2025/07/21

Today, we’re sharing an episode of Charlie’s Place, a new podcast that explores the unbelievable true story of Charlie Fitzgerald, a mysterious Black businessman whose nightclub became an unlikely site of integration in 1940s Myrtle Beach. Charlie broke down racial barriers through the power of music and dance, hosting some of the greatest musicians of our time. But who was Charlie? How did he rise to power? And what price did he pay for achieving the impossible—an integrated club

en-US

25:02

Rosemarie’s Story

Deep Cover Presents: Snowball ·

2025/06/23

Rosemarie Coffey helped Sarah Cavanaugh for years. As a community support specialist, her services were paid for by the Wounded Warrior Project. Rosemarie spent countless hours inside Sarah’s home. We wondered - what did Rosemarie see? And what did she learn when Sarah’s lies were exposed? Get early, ad-free access to more episodes of Deep Cover: The Truth About Sarah by subscribing to Pushkin+ on Apple Podcasts or Pushkin.fm. Access ad-free episodes, exclusive binges, full audiobooks,

en-US

28:34

Seth’s Story

Deep Cover Presents: Snowball ·

2025/06/16

Seth Cole believed Sarah Cavanaugh was a wounded veteran, seeking healing through creative outlets. He believed her, in part, because that was his reality. Get early, ad-free access to more episodes of Deep Cover: The Truth About Sarah by subscribing to Pushkin+ on Apple Podcasts or Pushkin.fm. Access ad-free episodes, exclusive binges, full audiobooks, and bonus content for all Pushkin shows with Pushkin+.Subscribe on Apple: apple.co/pushkinSubscribe on Pushkin: pushkin.com/plusSee

en-US

45:35

Episode 6: The Defendant

Deep Cover Presents: Snowball ·

2025/06/09

As the walls close in, Sarah finds herself alone—abandoned by friends, facing federal charges, and scrambling for a defense. She hires a lawyer, a fellow veteran, to make her case; but the evidence is overwhelming. In our series finale, Jake and Jess return to Sarah for a long, final conversation—seeking answers to the question that still haunts everyone: Why did she do it? Get early, ad-free access to more episodes of Deep Cover: The Truth About Sarah by subscribing to Pushkin+ on

en-US

40:17

Episode 5: The Wife

Deep Cover Presents: Snowball ·

2025/06/02

One overlooked detail in Sarah’s story: she was married. Her wife, Nicole, never spoke to the press or the feds. She remained a mystery—until now. Get early, ad-free access to more episodes of Deep Cover: The Truth About Sarah by subscribing to Pushkin+ on Apple Podcasts or Pushkin.fm. Access ad-free episodes, exclusive binges, full audiobooks, and bonus content for all Pushkin shows with Pushkin+.Subscribe on Apple: apple.co/pushkinSubscribe on Pushkin: pushkin.com/plusSee

en-US

33:36

Episode 4: The Suspect

Deep Cover Presents: Snowball ·

2025/05/26

A former Marine and media personality asks questions and publicly challenges Sarah Cavanaugh’s credentials. Behind the scenes, law enforcement is already investigating Sarah; but the surge of media attention forces their hand. Fearing she might destroy evidence, federal agents move quickly to search Sarah’s home. Get early, ad-free access to more episodes of Deep Cover: The Truth About Sarah by subscribing to Pushkin+ on Apple Podcasts or Pushkin.fm. Access ad-free episodes, exclusive

en-US

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