PRETEND

• 2009: The Gambler Revisited

  Episode Summary: While working on the new season of Pretend, I wanted to bring back an episode from 2018 that’s worth another listen. It’s the story of Art Schlichter, a former Ohio State football star whose gambling addiction wrecked his life—and the lives of others. One of those people was Anita Barney, the widow of a Wendy’s CEO, who lost everything after trusting the wrong person. This isn’t just a story about gambling. It’s about how someone can slowly gain control over another person’s life and bank account, one small ask at a time. Topics Covered: ✔ How Art Schlichter went from an NFL draft pick to a convicted con artist ✔ The way he pulled Anita Barney into his schemes ✔ How quickly financial fraud can spiral out of control Resources & Links: 📖 Quarterback Sneak – Anita Barney’s book about what happened 📌 Follow Pretend on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pretendpod/ 📌 Join our Facebook group Have a Story to Share? If someone you trusted took advantage of you, I’d like to hear your story. Send a voice memo to [email protected]. 💡 Rate & Review! If you liked this episode, leave a review and share Pretend with a friend. 🎧 Subscribe & Stay Tuned – More episodes coming soon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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• 2008: Licensed to Kill part 2

  n part two of Licensed to Kill, we continue the shocking investigation into doctors who exploit their patients for profit. This episode follows Patty Hester, a fitness instructor who was misdiagnosed with a rare blood cancer and nearly subjected to years of unnecessary chemotherapy—all at the hands of Dr. Farid Fata, a Michigan oncologist who built his fortune by treating healthy patients for diseases they never had. But Fata isn’t alone. Across the country, doctors like Thomas Weiner, Ian Paterson, and Javaid Perwaiz have betrayed their patients, mutilated bodies, and destroyed lives—all under the guise of medical care. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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• 2007: Licensed to Kill part 1

  What if your doctor wasn’t trying to save you, but trying to cash in on you? In this episode of Pretend, we uncover the shocking case of Dr. Thomas Weiner, an oncologist accused of prescribing years of brutal chemotherapy treatments to patients who may not have even had cancer. We follow the story of Scott Warwick, a man who was told he had stage 4 lung cancer and endured 11 years of toxic treatments—only to later learn there was no biopsy confirming his diagnosis. When Dr. Randy Sasich, a pulmonary critical care specialist, began questioning Weiner’s practices, he faced pushback, intimidation, and threats. But Weiner’s case isn’t unique. Across the country, doctors like Farid Fata, Jorge Zamora-Quezada, and Michael Swango have been caught exploiting patients for profit, exposing just how broken the U.S. healthcare system truly is. In this episode, we dive into: ✔️ How financial incentives reward doctors for prescribing unnecessary treatments ✔️ The loopholes in insurance billing that allow fraud to go undetected for years ✔️ The whistleblower who risked everything to expose the truth ✔️ The cult-like following that still defends Dr. Weiner 🔍 Sources & Additional Reading: ProPublica’s Investigative Report: "Eat What You Kill" : https://www.propublica.org/article/thomas-weiner-montana-st-peters-hospital-oncology 🎧 Next Time on Pretend: Meet a patient who underwent three years of cancer treatments—for cancer she never had. 🔔 Subscribe on Patreon or Pretend Plus for early access to Part 2: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/pretendradio PRETEND+ on Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/channel/pretend/id6443456985 📢 Follow us: @PretendPod on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook 💬 Have thoughts on this episode? Leave a review or send us a message—we’d love to hear from you! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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• 2006: Operation Cock Block

  A group of women, all with eerily similar stories, say they were deceived—emotionally and financially—by the same man: William Sullivan. But instead of staying silent, they took matters into their own hands. They formed Operation Cock Block, a coordinated effort to expose what they claim were Sullivan’s deceptive tactics and warn others before they fell victim. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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• 2005: The Telepathy Tapes B-side part 3

  Facilitated Communication is marketed as a miraculous tool for non-speaking autistic children. But what happens when this controversial method leads to devastating consequences? In this episode, we hear from Kevin Plantin, a father who was falsely accused of assault based solely on messages typed with the help of a facilitator. Despite the evidence, some courts and institutions still give FC credibility—with tragic consequences. In this episode, Kevin Plantan recounts how a letter typed via FC led to his wrongful imprisonment for 10 months on charges of sexual assault. We also revisit the story of Janyce Boynton, a former FC facilitator who now warns against the practice after witnessing its harmful effects firsthand. Featured guests in this episode: Kevin Plantin: Sharing his personal story of wrongful imprisonment. Janyce Boynton: Former FC facilitator and advocate against the practice. Additional Resources: Learn more about Facilitated Communication: https://www.facilitatedcommunication.org/ Read about Syracuse University's involvement with FC: https://dailyorange.com/2024/02/mixed-messages-how-facilitated-communication-persists-at-su/ Prisoners of Silence documentary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMn_sDCFAuI Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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