1 00:00:01,134 --> 00:00:05,405 By far, the most audacious con I have seen in my career. 2 00:00:05,405 --> 00:00:08,641 Holy cow. Who is this person? 3 00:00:08,641 --> 00:00:12,212 Goldberg: How can you live like a Saudi prince if you weren't born one? 4 00:00:12,212 --> 00:00:15,949 This scam had tentacles that stretched throughout the world. 5 00:00:15,949 --> 00:00:18,251 Goldberg: From mug shot to pretend millionaire 6 00:00:18,251 --> 00:00:20,854 scamming the rich and famous. 7 00:00:20,854 --> 00:00:22,756 It was just the tip of the iceberg. 8 00:00:22,756 --> 00:00:24,424 Mosley: He may have stepped into the skin 9 00:00:24,424 --> 00:00:26,226 of this character permanently. 10 00:00:26,226 --> 00:00:28,495 Spiegel: He took some pretty sophisticated people 11 00:00:28,495 --> 00:00:30,430 for some money. 12 00:00:30,430 --> 00:00:33,133 This must stop. 13 00:00:33,133 --> 00:00:37,170 Goldberg: Tonight, the jet‐setting Saudi prince who isn't. 14 00:00:37,170 --> 00:00:40,573 But then, who is he? 15 00:00:40,573 --> 00:00:42,675 Reporter: Do you honestly believe you are a Saudi Prince? 16 00:00:42,675 --> 00:00:45,678 Well, do you honestly believe you're a reporter? 17 00:00:45,678 --> 00:00:49,649 I'm Whoopi Goldberg, and this is "The Con." 18 00:00:49,649 --> 00:00:53,086 ‐‐ Captions by VITAC ‐‐ 19 00:00:53,086 --> 00:00:55,121 Let's go back to the beginning. 20 00:00:55,121 --> 00:00:57,457 Not to the deserts of Saudi Arabia, 21 00:00:57,457 --> 00:00:59,692 but to the sands of southern Florida, 22 00:00:59,692 --> 00:01:01,928 the playground of the very rich 23 00:01:01,928 --> 00:01:04,764 and, as you'll see, the very gullible. 24 00:01:04,764 --> 00:01:09,836 Miami has always attracted a lot of people with serious wealth. 25 00:01:09,836 --> 00:01:12,672 It believes in the bling, as they say. 26 00:01:12,672 --> 00:01:14,841 ♪♪ 27 00:01:14,841 --> 00:01:17,877 In Miami, money talks. Okay? 28 00:01:17,877 --> 00:01:20,079 And everybody's listening. 29 00:01:20,079 --> 00:01:23,883 A city like that breeds a culture of grandstanding. 30 00:01:23,883 --> 00:01:25,618 Everyone is peacocking. 31 00:01:25,618 --> 00:01:27,420 Goldberg: And the newest peacock in town 32 00:01:27,420 --> 00:01:30,523 is a flashy royal from Saudi Arabia ‐‐ 33 00:01:30,523 --> 00:01:33,526 Prince Khalid bin Al‐Saud. 34 00:01:33,526 --> 00:01:36,196 But this new prince has a secret. 35 00:01:36,196 --> 00:01:40,967 He's making his money by running an elaborate long con. 36 00:01:40,967 --> 00:01:44,537 Mosley: The prince is spending real cash, living large, 37 00:01:44,537 --> 00:01:46,306 doing it for the 'Gram. 38 00:01:46,306 --> 00:01:48,875 Every day, posts spending money, 39 00:01:48,875 --> 00:01:52,912 showing money, flashing money ‐‐ all on social media, 40 00:01:52,912 --> 00:01:57,684 creating the image and facade of this Saudi prince. 41 00:01:57,684 --> 00:01:59,219 Prince Khalid almost seemed 42 00:01:59,219 --> 00:02:01,654 literally like a figure out of a movie. 43 00:02:01,654 --> 00:02:04,824 You know, he's got this Chihuahua named Foxy. 44 00:02:04,824 --> 00:02:07,660 He has pictures of himself feeding Foxy 45 00:02:07,660 --> 00:02:10,196 with angel hair pasta, you know. 46 00:02:10,196 --> 00:02:13,032 Instagram posts, private flights. 47 00:02:13,032 --> 00:02:14,434 Al‐Saud: Getting ready to board. 48 00:02:14,434 --> 00:02:17,837 Posts out on yachts. Posts at fancy restaurants. 49 00:02:17,837 --> 00:02:19,339 Al‐Saud: It's real fresh. 50 00:02:19,339 --> 00:02:22,041 Goldberg: The prince is living the high life, the life of a ‐‐ 51 00:02:22,041 --> 00:02:23,443 well, a prince. 52 00:02:23,443 --> 00:02:27,013 But he's about to up his game big‐time, 53 00:02:27,013 --> 00:02:30,250 setting his sights on one of the most daring cons 54 00:02:30,250 --> 00:02:33,119 the Florida Gold Coast has ever seen. 55 00:02:33,119 --> 00:02:39,214 ♪♪ 56 00:02:39,214 --> 00:02:41,750 Spiegel: One day at Cheeca Lodge, 57 00:02:41,750 --> 00:02:43,818 one of my employees came to me 58 00:02:43,818 --> 00:02:47,589 telling me that there was a prince in the restaurant 59 00:02:47,589 --> 00:02:50,458 who wanted to buy the hotel. 60 00:02:50,458 --> 00:02:53,395 He looked like a Formula 1 race car, 61 00:02:53,395 --> 00:02:56,131 with branded goodies all over him ‐‐ 62 00:02:56,131 --> 00:03:00,669 huge rings and jewelry and watches and what have you. 63 00:03:00,669 --> 00:03:05,106 He obviously had a need to convince the world 64 00:03:05,106 --> 00:03:07,642 that he was a very rich guy. 65 00:03:07,642 --> 00:03:09,477 We made a lunch date. 66 00:03:09,477 --> 00:03:13,081 At the lunch, he enjoyed a sumptuous seafood platter. 67 00:03:13,081 --> 00:03:15,016 It was quite expensive. 68 00:03:15,016 --> 00:03:17,452 He ate everything that was in sight. 69 00:03:17,452 --> 00:03:19,754 And he explained to me that he really was interested 70 00:03:19,754 --> 00:03:23,325 in buying the hotel for $200 million. 71 00:03:23,325 --> 00:03:26,328 ♪♪ 72 00:03:26,328 --> 00:03:28,396 And I said, "$200 million? That's interesting, 73 00:03:28,396 --> 00:03:32,033 because we just traded the hotel for $110 million 74 00:03:32,033 --> 00:03:34,235 a couple of years ago." 75 00:03:34,235 --> 00:03:36,471 Goldberg: Almost double the last price. 76 00:03:36,471 --> 00:03:38,707 But this prince doesn't blink. 77 00:03:38,707 --> 00:03:41,543 And Herbert ‐‐ he's not quite buying it. 78 00:03:41,543 --> 00:03:43,778 ♪♪ 79 00:03:43,778 --> 00:03:46,348 I spent my life in the luxury hotel business 80 00:03:46,348 --> 00:03:50,619 dealing with lots of real Arabic princes. 81 00:03:50,619 --> 00:03:52,787 First thing, you will see the entourage. 82 00:03:52,787 --> 00:03:54,656 ♪♪ 83 00:03:54,656 --> 00:03:56,858 This guy is by himself. 84 00:03:56,858 --> 00:03:58,326 ♪♪ 85 00:03:58,326 --> 00:04:01,429 When you see them checking in ‐‐ fantastic luggage, 86 00:04:01,429 --> 00:04:03,431 as opposed to our friend. 87 00:04:03,431 --> 00:04:04,532 No one who comes from significant means, 88 00:04:04,532 --> 00:04:07,235 particularly if it's passed down over generations, 89 00:04:07,235 --> 00:04:09,604 travels with new Louis Vuitton. 90 00:04:09,604 --> 00:04:12,440 It may be a mixture and a blend of Louis Vuittons 91 00:04:12,440 --> 00:04:15,310 of old and new, but his looked like 92 00:04:15,310 --> 00:04:18,146 it just came out of Neiman Marcus somewhere. 93 00:04:18,146 --> 00:04:21,516 ♪♪ 94 00:04:21,516 --> 00:04:23,885 Most people who really are genuine 95 00:04:23,885 --> 00:04:25,620 in wanting to buy the hotel 96 00:04:25,620 --> 00:04:28,623 will go through their own financial people to do so. 97 00:04:28,623 --> 00:04:31,059 I said, "Look, I need some references on you." 98 00:04:31,059 --> 00:04:32,627 And he said, "Take me as a reference." 99 00:04:32,627 --> 00:04:34,596 I said, "Well, that's nice, and I appreciate that, 100 00:04:34,596 --> 00:04:36,431 but I need a third‐party reference ‐‐ 101 00:04:36,431 --> 00:04:39,334 from an investment broker, a foreign investment banker ‐‐ 102 00:04:39,334 --> 00:04:42,037 because this approach is very unorthodox." 103 00:04:42,037 --> 00:04:46,374 He couldn't pony up credible references. 104 00:04:46,374 --> 00:04:50,812 It became pretty apparent that it just wasn't real. 105 00:04:50,812 --> 00:04:52,414 ♪♪ 106 00:04:52,414 --> 00:04:54,649 Goldberg: A setback for sure, 107 00:04:54,649 --> 00:04:58,787 but all part of this con man's continuing education. 108 00:04:58,787 --> 00:05:02,557 The prince realizes he needs credibility and money ‐‐ 109 00:05:02,557 --> 00:05:07,228 enough to convince people he is who he says he is. 110 00:05:07,228 --> 00:05:10,765 So he forms a company called Marden Williamson 111 00:05:10,765 --> 00:05:13,368 and lures an unsuspecting broker 112 00:05:13,368 --> 00:05:16,271 looking for investment opportunities. 113 00:05:16,271 --> 00:05:20,008 Collado‐Hudak: When my client traveled to meet the prince for the first time, 114 00:05:20,008 --> 00:05:23,845 the first night was filled with parties on his yacht. 115 00:05:23,845 --> 00:05:28,583 She sees all of these prominent celebrities, VIPs. 116 00:05:28,583 --> 00:05:31,853 There is expensive champagne flowing, 117 00:05:31,853 --> 00:05:35,824 the most high‐end appetizers and food. 118 00:05:35,824 --> 00:05:41,730 And she is impressed, which reassured my client 119 00:05:41,730 --> 00:05:44,799 that this was a great opportunity for her. 120 00:05:44,799 --> 00:05:47,902 Goldberg: With an unwitting broker bringing in wealthy investors, 121 00:05:47,902 --> 00:05:50,605 more money starts to roll in, 122 00:05:50,605 --> 00:05:53,041 and the prince takes to social media 123 00:05:53,041 --> 00:05:55,410 to show off his new wealth. 124 00:05:55,410 --> 00:05:57,178 Al‐Saud: South Beach, Miami, Florida. 125 00:05:57,178 --> 00:06:00,448 Convincing people that he is royalty. 126 00:06:00,448 --> 00:06:02,050 Masterpiece. 127 00:06:02,050 --> 00:06:05,520 And his posts help to solidify his princely persona. 128 00:06:05,520 --> 00:06:06,855 ♪♪ 129 00:06:06,855 --> 00:06:09,491 So, where was all this money coming from? 130 00:06:09,491 --> 00:06:12,594 Well, I can't tell you yet. The show isn't over. 131 00:06:12,594 --> 00:06:16,197 But he adds an entourage complete with bodyguards 132 00:06:16,197 --> 00:06:19,501 and some swanky new digs to call home. 133 00:06:19,501 --> 00:06:22,537 So, as this member of the Saudi Royal Family, 134 00:06:22,537 --> 00:06:24,572 he rents an expensive condominium on Fisher Island. 135 00:06:24,572 --> 00:06:29,010 People of real serious wealth own property there. 136 00:06:29,010 --> 00:06:32,213 Goldberg: With his new neighbors, billionaires and millionaires, 137 00:06:32,213 --> 00:06:34,449 the prince feels right at home, 138 00:06:34,449 --> 00:06:37,819 and he is soon welcomed into their elite circle. 139 00:06:37,819 --> 00:06:39,554 ♪♪ 140 00:06:39,554 --> 00:06:42,690 Now the prince can put his big con in motion. 141 00:06:42,690 --> 00:06:47,562 His target ‐‐ just one of the richest men in all of Miami, 142 00:06:47,562 --> 00:06:50,131 Jeffrey Soffer, billionaire owner 143 00:06:50,131 --> 00:06:54,702 of the exclusive and legendary Fontainebleau Hotel. 144 00:06:54,702 --> 00:06:58,640 Mosley: It's beautiful. It's glamorous. It's expensive. 145 00:06:58,640 --> 00:07:02,510 It is the most iconic hotel in Miami. 146 00:07:02,510 --> 00:07:04,712 Goldberg: This is the place where Frank Sinatra welcomed 147 00:07:04,712 --> 00:07:07,015 Elvis Presley home from the Army. 148 00:07:07,015 --> 00:07:09,517 We're great, and I'm glad to see the Army hasn't changed you. 149 00:07:09,517 --> 00:07:12,854 It has been the crown jewel of Miami's social scene 150 00:07:12,854 --> 00:07:14,255 for decades. 151 00:07:14,255 --> 00:07:15,857 ♪♪ 152 00:07:15,857 --> 00:07:18,560 Weaver: Back during the real estate boom of 2008, 153 00:07:18,560 --> 00:07:20,762 Soffer redeveloped the Fontainebleau, 154 00:07:20,762 --> 00:07:22,764 and it cost him a billion dollars. 155 00:07:22,764 --> 00:07:26,201 Prince Khalid very shrewdly saw this as an opportunity 156 00:07:26,201 --> 00:07:28,736 simply because in the aftermath of the recession, 157 00:07:28,736 --> 00:07:32,207 Soffer was in desperate need of an infusion of capital. 158 00:07:32,207 --> 00:07:35,343 And here you have this international investment company 159 00:07:35,343 --> 00:07:37,445 backed by the Saudi prince. 160 00:07:37,445 --> 00:07:40,849 So he was more than happy to meet with him. 161 00:07:40,849 --> 00:07:44,219 The prince wanted to put in $440 million 162 00:07:44,219 --> 00:07:47,856 and buy about a 30% equity stake in the hotel. 163 00:07:47,856 --> 00:07:49,457 Things were going pretty well, 164 00:07:49,457 --> 00:07:54,495 and then it got to the point where there was some questions 165 00:07:54,495 --> 00:07:56,931 about Prince Khalid's background. 166 00:07:56,931 --> 00:07:59,200 The prince felt like his integrity was challenged 167 00:07:59,200 --> 00:08:02,503 by Soffer's group, and he took offense to it. 168 00:08:02,503 --> 00:08:04,572 Mosley: The prince took it so personally. 169 00:08:04,572 --> 00:08:06,341 He threw a fit. 170 00:08:06,341 --> 00:08:07,876 And then it was communicated to Jeffrey 171 00:08:07,876 --> 00:08:10,178 that if he wanted to get on his good side again, 172 00:08:10,178 --> 00:08:12,714 he was gonna have to give him a gift. 173 00:08:12,714 --> 00:08:16,751 Well, he asked him for a $50,000 Cartier bracelet. 174 00:08:16,751 --> 00:08:19,087 Can you imagine if someone tells you that, 175 00:08:19,087 --> 00:08:23,124 "You need to present me with a $50,000 bracelet, 176 00:08:23,124 --> 00:08:25,159 or I will not buy your business"? 177 00:08:25,159 --> 00:08:27,195 ♪♪ 178 00:08:27,195 --> 00:08:29,631 Weaver: Soffer was taking his team out to Aspen 179 00:08:29,631 --> 00:08:32,567 and invited Prince Khalid to come along 180 00:08:32,567 --> 00:08:35,870 to further discuss the Fontainebleau investment deal. 181 00:08:35,870 --> 00:08:38,006 Goldberg: And the prince doesn't miss the chance 182 00:08:38,006 --> 00:08:41,142 to post the whole trip on Instagram ‐‐ 183 00:08:41,142 --> 00:08:44,712 an opportunity to advertise that he's doing business 184 00:08:44,712 --> 00:08:47,815 with one of Miami's top investors. 185 00:08:47,815 --> 00:08:50,852 ♪♪ 186 00:08:50,852 --> 00:08:53,488 Weaver: After everybody settles in at the St. Regis, 187 00:08:53,488 --> 00:08:58,192 the most fancy hotel in Aspen, they decide to go out to dinner. 188 00:08:58,192 --> 00:09:00,662 At dinnertime, they were discussing the terms, 189 00:09:00,662 --> 00:09:02,030 and everything is going fine, until Prince Khalid 190 00:09:02,030 --> 00:09:04,065 ordered something that took everybody aback. 191 00:09:04,065 --> 00:09:09,437 ♪♪ 192 00:09:14,075 --> 00:09:15,176 ♪♪ 193 00:09:15,176 --> 00:09:17,378 Goldberg: The prince is in Aspen, Colorado, 194 00:09:17,378 --> 00:09:18,780 meeting with Jeffrey Soffer 195 00:09:18,780 --> 00:09:22,317 to discuss buying a share of Soffer's hotel. 196 00:09:22,317 --> 00:09:28,222 But then he does something that makes everybody drop their fork. 197 00:09:28,222 --> 00:09:31,659 He ordered prosciutto for the table, 198 00:09:31,659 --> 00:09:34,128 and then he ate some. 199 00:09:34,128 --> 00:09:38,199 Goldberg: Most people know pork is a no‐go for most Muslims. 200 00:09:38,199 --> 00:09:42,470 Privately, Jeffrey Soffer and his associates there 201 00:09:42,470 --> 00:09:45,406 were wondering, "Well, wait a minute. He's a Saudi prince. 202 00:09:45,406 --> 00:09:46,674 He's Muslim." 203 00:09:46,674 --> 00:09:48,576 And if you're familiar with being a Muslim, 204 00:09:48,576 --> 00:09:50,411 you don't eat pork! 205 00:09:50,411 --> 00:09:55,316 So this is a fatal misstep for the prince. 206 00:09:55,316 --> 00:09:59,921 Weaver: Soffer and his team didn't let on at that point. 207 00:09:59,921 --> 00:10:02,557 They kept things to themselves. 208 00:10:02,557 --> 00:10:04,392 But the suspicions lingered. 209 00:10:04,392 --> 00:10:06,694 ♪♪ 210 00:10:06,694 --> 00:10:10,565 Upon the return to Miami, Jeffrey Soffer decided, 211 00:10:10,565 --> 00:10:14,369 "You know what? I'm gonna look into this guy." 212 00:10:14,369 --> 00:10:18,639 Goldberg: So he hires a private investigator to do just that. 213 00:10:18,639 --> 00:10:20,308 ♪♪ 214 00:10:20,308 --> 00:10:22,443 Page: I'll never forget ‐‐ it was a Friday evening, 215 00:10:22,443 --> 00:10:25,346 and they started to tell me this story 216 00:10:25,346 --> 00:10:27,281 about a potential investor. 217 00:10:27,281 --> 00:10:31,052 Our job was to see if he was who he said he was. 218 00:10:31,052 --> 00:10:32,754 Was he a prince? 219 00:10:32,754 --> 00:10:35,556 Goldberg: So, identifying one particular prince 220 00:10:35,556 --> 00:10:37,892 is like finding a needle in a haystack, 221 00:10:37,892 --> 00:10:40,962 because there are over 15,000 members 222 00:10:40,962 --> 00:10:43,164 of the Saudi Royal Family. 223 00:10:43,164 --> 00:10:45,433 Many of the Saudi Royal Family 224 00:10:45,433 --> 00:10:47,802 are not that public in their profile. 225 00:10:47,802 --> 00:10:50,271 You have to somewhat understand where to go 226 00:10:50,271 --> 00:10:52,607 and then how to identify them. 227 00:10:52,607 --> 00:10:55,109 We started looking at the prince's name, 228 00:10:55,109 --> 00:10:58,546 and there is a Prince Khalid Al‐Saud. 229 00:10:58,546 --> 00:11:00,782 We located a picture. 230 00:11:00,782 --> 00:11:02,850 It certainly wasn't the supposed prince 231 00:11:02,850 --> 00:11:04,452 that we had here in Miami. 232 00:11:04,452 --> 00:11:07,055 ♪♪ 233 00:11:07,055 --> 00:11:09,123 Who is this person? 234 00:11:09,123 --> 00:11:11,793 And why would he want to buy a hotel? 235 00:11:11,793 --> 00:11:13,828 ♪♪ 236 00:11:13,828 --> 00:11:17,865 He doesn't look like he's Arab. 237 00:11:17,865 --> 00:11:20,334 He doesn't look like he's from the Middle East. 238 00:11:20,334 --> 00:11:23,171 And he has all these Americanisms. 239 00:11:23,171 --> 00:11:25,640 Page: Maybe he's a distant member 240 00:11:25,640 --> 00:11:27,608 that isn't part of that upper echelon. 241 00:11:27,608 --> 00:11:30,411 Maybe he's a bastard child of a member of the Royal Family, 242 00:11:30,411 --> 00:11:34,148 which could convey royalty but not necessarily a status. 243 00:11:34,148 --> 00:11:36,117 ♪♪ 244 00:11:36,117 --> 00:11:38,186 Goldberg: So, why all the lies? 245 00:11:38,186 --> 00:11:41,355 What is our pseudo Saudi up to? 246 00:11:41,355 --> 00:11:45,126 We did, for a period of time, watch him here in Miami. 247 00:11:45,126 --> 00:11:48,162 He was very difficult to follow 'cause he drove like a maniac. 248 00:11:48,162 --> 00:11:49,330 It was easier for us 249 00:11:49,330 --> 00:11:51,365 to have somebody at a different restaurant 250 00:11:51,365 --> 00:11:55,169 to tell us when he came in, and then we'd go watch him. 251 00:11:55,169 --> 00:11:57,205 But we learned that he had money. 252 00:11:57,205 --> 00:11:58,473 He was spending money, 253 00:11:58,473 --> 00:12:02,443 from Fisher Island to restaurants on South Beach. 254 00:12:02,443 --> 00:12:05,680 Goldberg: They learn that when the prince wines and dines his marks, 255 00:12:05,680 --> 00:12:09,951 he always pays for his own very expensive meals. 256 00:12:09,951 --> 00:12:11,919 Page: I've never seen a case like this. 257 00:12:11,919 --> 00:12:15,590 He was courting wealthy people, and it looked like 258 00:12:15,590 --> 00:12:19,160 he was doing it successfully in some areas. 259 00:12:19,160 --> 00:12:20,962 That was very, very difficult for us, 260 00:12:20,962 --> 00:12:23,898 trying to understand, "What was he up to?" 261 00:12:23,898 --> 00:12:27,602 Goldberg: DC Page decides to run the plates on the prince's Ferrari. 262 00:12:27,602 --> 00:12:32,106 Page: We sent some investigators out, and we found his car. 263 00:12:32,106 --> 00:12:33,941 ♪♪ 264 00:12:33,941 --> 00:12:35,743 We took a picture of the license plate, 265 00:12:35,743 --> 00:12:38,579 which was a diplomatic plate. 266 00:12:38,579 --> 00:12:41,115 Each diplomatic plate issued in the United States 267 00:12:41,115 --> 00:12:43,584 has lettered designators of the country 268 00:12:43,584 --> 00:12:45,286 that the diplomat is from. 269 00:12:45,286 --> 00:12:47,455 ♪♪ 270 00:12:47,455 --> 00:12:49,657 So, I was Googling the letter designators 271 00:12:49,657 --> 00:12:54,228 for diplomatic plates, and a pop‐up came on my screen, 272 00:12:54,228 --> 00:12:56,631 and it was his plate. 273 00:12:56,631 --> 00:12:59,267 The exact number, the exact plate 274 00:12:59,267 --> 00:13:01,502 for $79.99 from eBay. 275 00:13:01,502 --> 00:13:03,905 ♪♪ 276 00:13:03,905 --> 00:13:06,307 Goldberg: They know this fake prince is up to something, 277 00:13:06,307 --> 00:13:08,609 but they need to find out more. 278 00:13:08,609 --> 00:13:10,845 We needed to learn ‐‐ what was the con, 279 00:13:10,845 --> 00:13:13,347 and who is being exposed to it? 280 00:13:13,347 --> 00:13:15,750 Goldberg: After more digging, DC Page uncovers 281 00:13:15,750 --> 00:13:19,453 a criminal case file involving the prince. 282 00:13:19,453 --> 00:13:21,322 DC notices right away 283 00:13:21,322 --> 00:13:24,992 that an additional name is associated with the crime. 284 00:13:24,992 --> 00:13:27,428 Page: It had the prince's name and the name Anthony Gignac. 285 00:13:27,428 --> 00:13:31,499 Anthony Gignac is this small‐time grifter 286 00:13:31,499 --> 00:13:34,468 who lives outside of Detroit, in Michigan. 287 00:13:34,468 --> 00:13:38,506 At that point, I was shocked ‐‐ absolutely floored. 288 00:13:38,506 --> 00:13:39,840 ♪♪ 289 00:13:39,840 --> 00:13:43,144 Goldberg: Can this supposed Prince Khalid from Saudi Arabia 290 00:13:43,144 --> 00:13:46,280 really be Anthony Gignac from Michigan? 291 00:13:46,280 --> 00:13:50,918 ♪♪ 292 00:13:56,859 --> 00:14:00,596 Goldberg: The prince's attempt to buy a $440 million share 293 00:14:00,596 --> 00:14:05,267 of Miami's Fontainebleau Hotel has revealed him as a fraud. 294 00:14:05,267 --> 00:14:09,404 Now a criminal file pulled from Michigan court records 295 00:14:09,404 --> 00:14:12,641 has turned up the name Anthony Gignac. 296 00:14:12,641 --> 00:14:16,879 We have to learn everything we can about Anthony Gignac ‐‐ 297 00:14:16,879 --> 00:14:18,647 Social Security number, date of birth, 298 00:14:18,647 --> 00:14:21,583 what does he look like, and is he the prince? 299 00:14:21,583 --> 00:14:23,418 And as we're digging and digging, 300 00:14:23,418 --> 00:14:25,654 we find out he has a criminal record. 301 00:14:25,654 --> 00:14:28,924 In fact, he has quite an extensive criminal record ‐‐ 302 00:14:28,924 --> 00:14:34,963 credit card fraud, bank fraud, and defrauding hotels. 303 00:14:34,963 --> 00:14:37,065 We're still not 100% sure 304 00:14:37,065 --> 00:14:39,835 that's the person we're looking at here in Miami, 305 00:14:39,835 --> 00:14:42,571 so in order to confirm that, 306 00:14:42,571 --> 00:14:46,341 we wanted to get a picture of Anthony Gignac. 307 00:14:46,341 --> 00:14:49,578 The only photos we could find were arrest booking photos. 308 00:14:49,578 --> 00:14:51,580 ♪♪ 309 00:14:51,580 --> 00:14:53,715 And there was no doubt in anybody's mind, 310 00:14:53,715 --> 00:14:56,018 even as old as the pictures were, 311 00:14:56,018 --> 00:15:00,556 that Prince Khalid Al‐Saud is Anthony Gignac. 312 00:15:00,556 --> 00:15:03,625 ♪♪ 313 00:15:03,625 --> 00:15:04,893 Now we have, you know, 314 00:15:04,893 --> 00:15:08,830 a Midwesterner professing to be a Saudi prince. 315 00:15:08,830 --> 00:15:11,500 He's not going to invest in the hotel. That's clear. 316 00:15:11,500 --> 00:15:13,902 Our client wanted to see him behind bars 317 00:15:13,902 --> 00:15:16,471 for any fraud that he may have committed. 318 00:15:16,471 --> 00:15:18,674 He had violated some federal offenses, 319 00:15:18,674 --> 00:15:24,179 and impersonating a diplomat is a violation of federal law. 320 00:15:24,179 --> 00:15:26,181 That's the time that we thought we should bring in 321 00:15:26,181 --> 00:15:27,716 the federal authorities. 322 00:15:27,716 --> 00:15:30,018 So we went to various law enforcement agencies 323 00:15:30,018 --> 00:15:32,921 and we said, "This is what we have. 324 00:15:32,921 --> 00:15:34,590 We're not sure what he's up to." 325 00:15:34,590 --> 00:15:37,326 And some agencies, like the FBI and that, 326 00:15:37,326 --> 00:15:38,727 were not interested in him. 327 00:15:38,727 --> 00:15:39,861 They're very busy. 328 00:15:39,861 --> 00:15:42,331 Their resources are very, very limited. 329 00:15:42,331 --> 00:15:45,100 So that's when we took it to the DSS ‐‐ 330 00:15:45,100 --> 00:15:49,371 the investigative side of the State Department. 331 00:15:49,371 --> 00:15:51,773 McSeveney: At the time this investigation began, 332 00:15:51,773 --> 00:15:54,810 I was an acting supervisor in our Miami field office. 333 00:15:54,810 --> 00:15:57,346 We became aware of an individual 334 00:15:57,346 --> 00:16:00,382 claiming to be a prince from Saudi Arabia 335 00:16:00,382 --> 00:16:03,652 who was trying to induce investors 336 00:16:03,652 --> 00:16:06,255 to bankroll his projects. 337 00:16:06,255 --> 00:16:07,923 Weaver: The Diplomatic Security Service, 338 00:16:07,923 --> 00:16:09,958 a lot of people are not familiar with that agency, 339 00:16:09,958 --> 00:16:11,860 but they are highly trained. 340 00:16:11,860 --> 00:16:14,329 They're specialists in passport fraud 341 00:16:14,329 --> 00:16:17,499 and impersonating a foreign diplomat and all of that. 342 00:16:17,499 --> 00:16:20,068 That's the kind of work they can do fairly quickly, 343 00:16:20,068 --> 00:16:21,870 and that's what they did. 344 00:16:21,870 --> 00:16:24,406 McSeveney: We knew that he was misrepresenting himself 345 00:16:24,406 --> 00:16:25,707 as a prince 346 00:16:25,707 --> 00:16:28,877 to purchase a portion of the Fontainebleau Hotel, 347 00:16:28,877 --> 00:16:32,147 but trying to purchase the hotel would not be a crime, 348 00:16:32,147 --> 00:16:34,883 so we needed to determine what is truly taking place here. 349 00:16:34,883 --> 00:16:36,618 Goldberg: As the feds build their case, 350 00:16:36,618 --> 00:16:40,555 the Fontainebleau ownership team buys them some time. 351 00:16:40,555 --> 00:16:41,990 We didn't want to give up 352 00:16:41,990 --> 00:16:46,762 that we knew he wasn't Prince Khalid Al‐Saud. 353 00:16:46,762 --> 00:16:49,564 We continued the charade, and there were still conversations, 354 00:16:49,564 --> 00:16:51,533 text messages, things like that, 355 00:16:51,533 --> 00:16:54,536 while we're still keeping him engaged. 356 00:16:54,536 --> 00:16:56,905 Goldberg: But the feds just made a discovery 357 00:16:56,905 --> 00:17:00,375 that raises some serious questions. 358 00:17:00,375 --> 00:17:04,112 McSeveney: If you're going to make a pitch to buy a landmark hotel, 359 00:17:04,112 --> 00:17:06,948 at some point, there's going to have to be a wire transfer 360 00:17:06,948 --> 00:17:08,517 in order to do that. 361 00:17:08,517 --> 00:17:12,120 There was never any intention or capital 362 00:17:12,120 --> 00:17:14,323 to actually purchase the hotel. 363 00:17:14,323 --> 00:17:16,458 There was really no way that that transaction 364 00:17:16,458 --> 00:17:18,493 ever would have gone through. 365 00:17:18,493 --> 00:17:20,395 Mosley: If the prince had no intention 366 00:17:20,395 --> 00:17:23,131 of actually purchasing the Fontainebleau, 367 00:17:23,131 --> 00:17:25,701 why is he spending all this money, flashing all this cash? 368 00:17:25,701 --> 00:17:27,469 What is he after? 369 00:17:27,469 --> 00:17:29,137 This is about the connections 370 00:17:29,137 --> 00:17:31,506 that he was making with powerful people. 371 00:17:31,506 --> 00:17:34,242 Jeffrey Soffer is a powerful man. 372 00:17:34,242 --> 00:17:36,945 The prince wanted to get close to them 373 00:17:36,945 --> 00:17:39,281 so he could take people to the Fontainebleau 374 00:17:39,281 --> 00:17:42,484 and say hello to the manager on duty, 375 00:17:42,484 --> 00:17:45,120 or maybe the owner walks through, he could say hello. 376 00:17:45,120 --> 00:17:47,756 And that provided him legitimacy. 377 00:17:47,756 --> 00:17:49,825 ♪♪ 378 00:17:49,825 --> 00:17:54,696 That enabled him to further his other cons. 379 00:17:54,696 --> 00:17:56,631 Goldberg: Our prince has his sights set 380 00:17:56,631 --> 00:18:00,335 on something much bigger than buying a famous hotel. 381 00:18:00,335 --> 00:18:03,004 Whatever this artificial Arab is up to, 382 00:18:03,004 --> 00:18:05,440 the wheels are already in motion. 383 00:18:05,440 --> 00:18:07,776 And if the feds are gonna stop him, 384 00:18:07,776 --> 00:18:09,444 they'll have to move fast. 385 00:18:09,444 --> 00:18:11,113 We needed to go back 386 00:18:11,113 --> 00:18:14,049 and look at any and all available records. 387 00:18:14,049 --> 00:18:16,885 And like any cases, you're building a house ‐‐ 388 00:18:16,885 --> 00:18:18,653 you start with the foundation, 389 00:18:18,653 --> 00:18:20,956 you work up with the framing of the house, 390 00:18:20,956 --> 00:18:24,292 and you put everything together. 391 00:18:24,292 --> 00:18:26,661 And we quickly realized that he had used 392 00:18:26,661 --> 00:18:29,798 upwards of 30 different identities, 393 00:18:29,798 --> 00:18:32,401 various nationalities, from Saudi Arabia 394 00:18:32,401 --> 00:18:35,103 to the United Arab Emirates and elsewhere, 395 00:18:35,103 --> 00:18:38,473 to perpetrate crimes over a 30‐year period. 396 00:18:38,473 --> 00:18:41,143 I have worked on previous imposter cases 397 00:18:41,143 --> 00:18:43,478 for the Diplomatic Security Service, 398 00:18:43,478 --> 00:18:45,914 but none to this magnitude. 399 00:18:45,914 --> 00:18:49,117 But I'll tell you again ‐‐ it was just the tip of the iceberg. 400 00:18:49,117 --> 00:18:50,252 ♪♪ 401 00:18:54,723 --> 00:18:55,541 ♪♪ 402 00:18:55,541 --> 00:18:58,277 Goldberg: The feds now know that the man claiming 403 00:18:58,277 --> 00:19:01,013 to be Prince Khalid from Saudi Arabia 404 00:19:01,013 --> 00:19:04,449 is really Anthony Gignac from Michigan, 405 00:19:04,449 --> 00:19:07,619 but they still don't know what he's after. 406 00:19:07,619 --> 00:19:10,122 Although his adopted mother is deceased, 407 00:19:10,122 --> 00:19:13,926 they hit up some folks who knew Anthony way back when 408 00:19:13,926 --> 00:19:15,360 in Michigan. 409 00:19:15,360 --> 00:19:17,863 ♪♪ 410 00:19:17,863 --> 00:19:23,135 Lisa: As a child, Anthony seemed to always be focused on money 411 00:19:23,135 --> 00:19:27,739 and other material kinds of things. 412 00:19:27,739 --> 00:19:29,074 In elementary school, 413 00:19:29,074 --> 00:19:31,009 he was very bizarre 414 00:19:31,009 --> 00:19:35,147 in his need to stand out 415 00:19:35,147 --> 00:19:39,918 and appear to be better than and older than his peers. 416 00:19:39,918 --> 00:19:42,120 ♪♪ 417 00:19:42,120 --> 00:19:44,756 He would often go to school wearing sport coats 418 00:19:44,756 --> 00:19:46,959 and a dress shirt. 419 00:19:46,959 --> 00:19:50,262 He would tell stories to his teachers. 420 00:19:50,262 --> 00:19:54,299 He said that his mother had married Dom DeLuise 421 00:19:54,299 --> 00:19:56,835 and they together owned the Grand Hotel 422 00:19:56,835 --> 00:19:59,805 up in Mackinac Island in Michigan. 423 00:19:59,805 --> 00:20:03,942 Anthony was highly intelligent and highly daring. 424 00:20:03,942 --> 00:20:05,577 I think lots of kids sit around 425 00:20:05,577 --> 00:20:07,946 and wish they had things in their life, 426 00:20:07,946 --> 00:20:09,581 but they stop there. 427 00:20:09,581 --> 00:20:12,718 He actually went ahead and figured out a plan 428 00:20:12,718 --> 00:20:14,486 and made it actually happen. 429 00:20:14,486 --> 00:20:18,156 He would order a limo to come pick him up at school 430 00:20:18,156 --> 00:20:22,594 and drop him off at a local mall or a local hotel 431 00:20:22,594 --> 00:20:27,132 where he had managed to get them to let him have a room, 432 00:20:27,132 --> 00:20:30,202 using the idea that he was someone else's kid 433 00:20:30,202 --> 00:20:33,906 who had great prestige and money. 434 00:20:33,906 --> 00:20:38,810 Goldberg: And as little Anthony Gignac grew up, so did his schemes. 435 00:20:38,810 --> 00:20:40,679 He was forging checks, 436 00:20:40,679 --> 00:20:43,048 paying for things with fraudulent credit cards, 437 00:20:43,048 --> 00:20:45,717 and opening lines of credit with fake names. 438 00:20:45,717 --> 00:20:48,153 And one of those fake names happened to be 439 00:20:48,153 --> 00:20:51,590 Prince Khalid bin Al‐Saud. 440 00:20:51,590 --> 00:20:53,692 ♪♪ 441 00:20:53,692 --> 00:20:55,827 Goldberg: Lisa Whitehead's daughter, Jessica, 442 00:20:55,827 --> 00:21:01,833 saw firsthand some of Anthony's early exploits as the prince. 443 00:21:01,833 --> 00:21:04,269 People were really drawn to Anthony 444 00:21:04,269 --> 00:21:06,605 because of the way he carried himself. 445 00:21:06,605 --> 00:21:08,373 ♪♪ 446 00:21:08,373 --> 00:21:12,344 You could not ignore the loud laugh, 447 00:21:12,344 --> 00:21:16,181 the very thick, expensive fur coat, 448 00:21:16,181 --> 00:21:18,050 the way he kind of barked 449 00:21:18,050 --> 00:21:22,387 at people he believed should serve him. 450 00:21:22,387 --> 00:21:25,357 And he would just kind of wave his hand around 451 00:21:25,357 --> 00:21:29,094 with his jewelry on and demanded the respect. 452 00:21:29,094 --> 00:21:31,763 Anthony really did make you feel like 453 00:21:31,763 --> 00:21:34,700 you were on top of the world with him. 454 00:21:34,700 --> 00:21:37,002 When Anthony and I would go shopping, 455 00:21:37,002 --> 00:21:42,808 we would touch every tile of Neiman Marcus. 456 00:21:42,808 --> 00:21:44,176 People would give us water 457 00:21:44,176 --> 00:21:48,647 and offer to hold our bags or our jackets. 458 00:21:48,647 --> 00:21:51,850 We would have to make numerous trips to the car 459 00:21:51,850 --> 00:21:53,418 and filled up the trunk 460 00:21:53,418 --> 00:21:55,721 and then started stacking things 461 00:21:55,721 --> 00:21:58,357 on top of each other in the back seat. 462 00:21:58,357 --> 00:22:02,828 Anthony spent over $20,000. 463 00:22:02,828 --> 00:22:05,797 Anthony would just gesture that he has an account 464 00:22:05,797 --> 00:22:07,566 or he brought out a credit card and everything was paid for. 465 00:22:07,566 --> 00:22:11,570 If there was even a glimmer of any question, 466 00:22:11,570 --> 00:22:14,106 he would get loud 467 00:22:14,106 --> 00:22:15,307 and talk down to the person and say, 468 00:22:15,307 --> 00:22:18,677 "Who do you think you are? I am Khalid bin Al‐Saud," 469 00:22:18,677 --> 00:22:20,345 and he would shake his head at them, 470 00:22:20,345 --> 00:22:22,514 and he would get very, very frustrated 471 00:22:22,514 --> 00:22:25,584 and make such a huge scene 472 00:22:25,584 --> 00:22:28,920 that honestly, the person would just want it to end 473 00:22:28,920 --> 00:22:31,356 and would give in to what he wanted 474 00:22:31,356 --> 00:22:34,359 because it was such an ordeal. 475 00:22:34,359 --> 00:22:36,695 ♪♪ 476 00:22:36,695 --> 00:22:39,831 Goldberg: The more Anthony grew into his Saudi prince persona, 477 00:22:39,831 --> 00:22:43,101 the more success he had as a con man. 478 00:22:43,101 --> 00:22:46,671 But eventually, his luck ran out... 479 00:22:46,671 --> 00:22:49,374 and then ran out 10 more times. 480 00:22:49,374 --> 00:22:51,643 ♪♪ 481 00:22:51,643 --> 00:22:56,882 From 1988 up till when we found him in 2017, 482 00:22:56,882 --> 00:22:59,651 he had been arrested or convicted 11 different times 483 00:22:59,651 --> 00:23:03,088 for Saudi prince‐related scams. 484 00:23:03,088 --> 00:23:04,956 He's been doing this for years. 485 00:23:04,956 --> 00:23:07,526 They started very small‐scale ‐‐ 486 00:23:07,526 --> 00:23:10,796 getting a fake Saudi prince account at a Neiman Marcus. 487 00:23:10,796 --> 00:23:20,439 ♪♪ 488 00:23:20,439 --> 00:23:23,475 Goldberg: In 2003, Anthony was finally busted 489 00:23:23,475 --> 00:23:25,710 for his department store shopping scheme. 490 00:23:25,710 --> 00:23:30,582 ♪♪ 491 00:23:30,582 --> 00:23:35,554 Anthony had legally changed his name to Khalid bin Al‐Saud, 492 00:23:35,554 --> 00:23:38,623 making his fraud cases harder to prosecute. 493 00:23:38,623 --> 00:23:55,774 ♪♪ 494 00:23:55,774 --> 00:23:58,110 During the time that Khalid ‐‐ 495 00:23:58,110 --> 00:24:01,179 I'm sorry ‐‐ Anthony was around us, 496 00:24:01,179 --> 00:24:03,748 there was a lot of smoke and mirror 497 00:24:03,748 --> 00:24:06,384 and not real honesty. 498 00:24:06,384 --> 00:24:10,455 So I don't really honestly feel like I ever got to know 499 00:24:10,455 --> 00:24:13,325 who Anthony really was, 500 00:24:13,325 --> 00:24:16,795 because he was kind of like a chameleon, 501 00:24:16,795 --> 00:24:20,532 and he blended in when he needed to, 502 00:24:20,532 --> 00:24:22,501 and then when he needed to change his colors, 503 00:24:22,501 --> 00:24:24,536 he certainly did. 504 00:24:24,536 --> 00:24:26,938 [ Arabic accent ] They will not let me contact the embassy. 505 00:24:26,938 --> 00:24:29,608 Goldberg: Anthony continued to build his persona. 506 00:24:29,608 --> 00:24:32,744 In another arrest, he even added an accent. 507 00:24:32,744 --> 00:24:35,547 Current legal name is Khalid bin Al‐Saud. 508 00:24:35,547 --> 00:24:37,616 And he had an answer for everything, 509 00:24:37,616 --> 00:24:40,652 even when he was asked, "Who is Anthony Gignac?" 510 00:24:40,652 --> 00:24:44,289 That is a friend of mine that I had used his name 7 years ago. 511 00:24:44,289 --> 00:24:46,424 Reporter: Do you honestly believe you are a Saudi prince? 512 00:24:46,424 --> 00:24:48,393 Well, do you honestly believe you're a reporter? 513 00:24:48,393 --> 00:24:50,128 They have not charged me with any kinds of fraud. 514 00:24:50,128 --> 00:24:51,429 They have charged me only 515 00:24:51,429 --> 00:24:53,398 with grand theft of my own credit card. 516 00:24:53,398 --> 00:24:55,767 I'm done speaking to you. 517 00:24:55,767 --> 00:24:58,670 Goldberg: But commitment to character only goes so far. 518 00:24:58,670 --> 00:25:04,709 Soon after, he was busted trying to rip off a $3.9 million trust 519 00:25:04,709 --> 00:25:07,012 using the name of a real Saudi prince 520 00:25:07,012 --> 00:25:11,383 and did 6 years on the charge. 521 00:25:11,383 --> 00:25:17,222 But for Anthony, going to prison was like enrolling in Con Man U. 522 00:25:17,222 --> 00:25:20,091 Mosley: He was learning from other inmates and con men 523 00:25:20,091 --> 00:25:23,728 how to become a better criminal. 524 00:25:23,728 --> 00:25:27,499 He had a lot of time to read books, newspaper articles 525 00:25:27,499 --> 00:25:31,136 on how to perpetrate these types of scams. 526 00:25:31,136 --> 00:25:34,806 He took the time and effort to educate himself 527 00:25:34,806 --> 00:25:37,142 what he could do and what he could get away with. 528 00:25:37,142 --> 00:25:38,877 ♪♪ 529 00:25:38,877 --> 00:25:40,979 Mosley: He even went as far to reach out to his family 530 00:25:40,979 --> 00:25:43,481 to have them send him magazines 531 00:25:43,481 --> 00:25:46,952 so that he could study the culture of Saudi princes ‐‐ 532 00:25:46,952 --> 00:25:49,421 how they look and how they dress and how they live. 533 00:25:49,421 --> 00:25:52,190 He was only allowed to keep a certain amount of materials 534 00:25:52,190 --> 00:25:53,692 in his jail cell, 535 00:25:53,692 --> 00:25:57,929 so he would send these materials home after he'd peruse them. 536 00:25:57,929 --> 00:26:01,433 He would often have articles specifically torn out 537 00:26:01,433 --> 00:26:03,068 or marked on. 538 00:26:03,068 --> 00:26:05,337 Mosley: Anthony really spent his time studying ‐‐ 539 00:26:05,337 --> 00:26:07,572 celebrities, powerful people. 540 00:26:07,572 --> 00:26:10,108 Where do they go? How do they meet? 541 00:26:10,108 --> 00:26:14,212 How could he target these people? 542 00:26:14,212 --> 00:26:18,683 Goldberg: When he finally got sprung from the big house, 543 00:26:18,683 --> 00:26:21,319 Anthony was ready for the big time. 544 00:26:21,319 --> 00:26:25,790 And in 2017, he turns back up in Miami. 545 00:26:25,790 --> 00:26:31,129 ♪♪ 546 00:26:31,129 --> 00:26:34,766 McSeveney: He grew better at scams, 547 00:26:34,766 --> 00:26:38,470 and they grew in sophistication and complexity over the years. 548 00:26:38,470 --> 00:26:42,474 Goldberg: That was, of course, until the prosciutto incident. 549 00:26:42,474 --> 00:26:45,277 Now the feds know Anthony's real identity 550 00:26:45,277 --> 00:26:47,012 and his colorful history, 551 00:26:47,012 --> 00:26:51,116 but to stop him, they need to find out much more. 552 00:26:51,116 --> 00:26:54,452 We need to look at every financial transaction. 553 00:26:54,452 --> 00:26:57,656 We need to look at every potential coconspirator, 554 00:26:57,656 --> 00:26:59,224 every investor 555 00:26:59,224 --> 00:27:02,460 and truly determine what is taking place here. 556 00:27:02,460 --> 00:27:04,429 ♪♪ 557 00:27:04,429 --> 00:27:07,632 I told myself early on that this must stop. 558 00:27:07,632 --> 00:27:11,269 I did not want to see this turn into 559 00:27:11,269 --> 00:27:13,872 another 6‐ or 8‐year sentence 560 00:27:13,872 --> 00:27:16,541 where he would just serve a few years, 561 00:27:16,541 --> 00:27:17,909 get out, and do it again. 562 00:27:17,909 --> 00:27:19,944 We know he's acting like a fake prince, 563 00:27:19,944 --> 00:27:22,247 with the fake plates and the fake badges, 564 00:27:22,247 --> 00:27:24,449 but we don't know why. 565 00:27:24,449 --> 00:27:25,917 What's the con? What's the job? 566 00:27:25,917 --> 00:27:27,352 [ Camera shutter clicking ] 567 00:27:27,352 --> 00:27:29,487 McSeveney: It became very clear to me 568 00:27:29,487 --> 00:27:30,488 there was a much larger scam afoot. 569 00:27:30,488 --> 00:27:34,659 [ Camera shutter clicking ] 570 00:27:34,659 --> 00:27:36,094 ♪♪ 571 00:27:40,832 --> 00:27:42,267 ♪♪ 572 00:27:42,267 --> 00:27:45,645 McSeveney: Anthony is a prolific con man 573 00:27:45,645 --> 00:27:50,383 with a 30‐year track record of defrauding people 574 00:27:50,383 --> 00:27:55,121 and stealing from individuals of all different walks of life. 575 00:27:55,121 --> 00:27:57,924 Goldberg: If Anthony knows he's being pursued, 576 00:27:57,924 --> 00:28:00,393 he doesn't act like it. 577 00:28:00,393 --> 00:28:02,795 Al‐Saud: You know what it is. We're taking off. 578 00:28:02,795 --> 00:28:04,564 Goldberg: He's taking a trip overseas, 579 00:28:04,564 --> 00:28:07,300 and that gives the feds the break they need, 580 00:28:07,300 --> 00:28:11,771 because once again, Anthony just can't help himself 581 00:28:11,771 --> 00:28:15,842 from documenting his travels on social media. 582 00:28:15,842 --> 00:28:19,078 We knew Anthony was traveling abroad 583 00:28:19,078 --> 00:28:21,047 and that in doing so, 584 00:28:21,047 --> 00:28:23,249 he was committing a crime because he was traveling 585 00:28:23,249 --> 00:28:27,553 on another individual's passport and identity. 586 00:28:27,553 --> 00:28:29,355 ♪♪ 587 00:28:29,355 --> 00:28:31,391 We met with the assistant United States attorney 588 00:28:31,391 --> 00:28:33,126 on the case and his superiors. 589 00:28:33,126 --> 00:28:34,827 They said unequivocally, 590 00:28:34,827 --> 00:28:38,097 "Yes, we will accept this case for prosecution." 591 00:28:38,097 --> 00:28:41,267 We need to get him into custody and keep getting evidence 592 00:28:41,267 --> 00:28:43,503 so we can figure out what he's up to. 593 00:28:43,503 --> 00:28:45,204 We know it's got to be more than 594 00:28:45,204 --> 00:28:47,874 just acting like a diplomat for no reason 595 00:28:47,874 --> 00:28:50,443 or using a passport for no reason. 596 00:28:50,443 --> 00:28:52,578 But this is sort of the first step 597 00:28:52,578 --> 00:28:55,815 in getting to the bottom of what he's doing. 598 00:28:55,815 --> 00:28:57,683 Now we had to find him. 599 00:28:57,683 --> 00:28:59,852 Goldberg: Which Anthony is making easy 600 00:28:59,852 --> 00:29:04,290 by posting his every destination on social media. 601 00:29:04,290 --> 00:29:06,659 His posts were instrumental in us determining his location. 602 00:29:06,659 --> 00:29:07,894 [ Telephone rings ] 603 00:29:07,894 --> 00:29:09,362 Shadley: We received a notification 604 00:29:09,362 --> 00:29:12,432 that he's booked on a flight from Miami to Chicago 605 00:29:12,432 --> 00:29:14,467 and then from Chicago to Hong Kong. 606 00:29:14,467 --> 00:29:17,904 From Hong Kong, he went to Dubai, then to Paris. 607 00:29:17,904 --> 00:29:20,273 From there, the United Kingdom to London. 608 00:29:20,273 --> 00:29:24,410 McSeveney: My "aha" moment when I saw where he was traveling to, 609 00:29:24,410 --> 00:29:27,213 I knew right then and there 610 00:29:27,213 --> 00:29:31,250 he is trying to lure investors. 611 00:29:31,250 --> 00:29:33,219 Goldberg: But lure investors for what? 612 00:29:33,219 --> 00:29:35,421 The feds are still trying to figure out 613 00:29:35,421 --> 00:29:37,890 what exactly Anthony is up to. 614 00:29:37,890 --> 00:29:39,926 The agents see their chance to strike 615 00:29:39,926 --> 00:29:42,829 when Anthony posts that he is on a flight 616 00:29:42,829 --> 00:29:45,431 back to the United States. 617 00:29:45,431 --> 00:29:49,102 We knew that he was going to be landing in New York 618 00:29:49,102 --> 00:29:52,004 on a specific flight at a specific time. 619 00:29:52,004 --> 00:29:53,940 And we said, "Alright, let's move on this. 620 00:29:53,940 --> 00:29:55,108 Let's arrest him." 621 00:29:55,108 --> 00:30:02,115 ♪♪ 622 00:30:02,115 --> 00:30:04,584 Shadley: DSS agents from Miami had flown up to New York 623 00:30:04,584 --> 00:30:06,853 to arrest him when he comes into JFK. 624 00:30:06,853 --> 00:30:08,654 [ Police radio chatter ] 625 00:30:08,654 --> 00:30:10,957 ♪♪ 626 00:30:10,957 --> 00:30:12,492 He is relentless. 627 00:30:12,492 --> 00:30:14,760 Up until they handcuff him, 628 00:30:14,760 --> 00:30:19,065 he is vehemently declaring that he is the real prince 629 00:30:19,065 --> 00:30:22,635 and that Anthony Gignac was impersonating him. 630 00:30:22,635 --> 00:30:25,638 [ Siren wailing ] 631 00:30:25,638 --> 00:30:28,374 At the same time, a team of agents 632 00:30:28,374 --> 00:30:30,476 was executing a search warrant 633 00:30:30,476 --> 00:30:34,247 at his condominium on Fisher Island. 634 00:30:34,247 --> 00:30:37,183 McSeveney: It was a beautiful apartment. 635 00:30:37,183 --> 00:30:40,453 It had an ocean view, 636 00:30:40,453 --> 00:30:43,422 decorated with artwork 637 00:30:43,422 --> 00:30:45,791 that later on turned out to be fraudulent. 638 00:30:45,791 --> 00:30:47,927 ♪♪ 639 00:30:47,927 --> 00:30:52,532 He also had a very nice alcohol collection. 640 00:30:52,532 --> 00:30:55,268 Come across a bottle of a very high‐end whiskey 641 00:30:55,268 --> 00:30:56,469 filled with iced tea. 642 00:30:56,469 --> 00:30:58,437 It was not real. 643 00:30:58,437 --> 00:31:02,441 I had everything inventoried and appraised. 644 00:31:02,441 --> 00:31:04,310 For every one piece of real jewelry 645 00:31:04,310 --> 00:31:06,579 or real artifact or painting, 646 00:31:06,579 --> 00:31:09,015 there were a hundred frauds. 647 00:31:09,015 --> 00:31:11,984 Goldberg: The feds find plenty of incriminating items, 648 00:31:11,984 --> 00:31:16,689 but they aren't finding many clues about Anthony's big scam. 649 00:31:16,689 --> 00:31:18,591 But then their big break 650 00:31:18,591 --> 00:31:21,294 literally walks through the front door. 651 00:31:21,294 --> 00:31:22,995 [ Elevator bell dings ] 652 00:31:22,995 --> 00:31:24,564 ♪♪ 653 00:31:24,564 --> 00:31:28,568 McSeveney: While we were doing the search, we encountered this individual 654 00:31:28,568 --> 00:31:31,904 returning to the residence after doing some shopping. 655 00:31:31,904 --> 00:31:35,641 Goldberg: Anthony's bodyguard has picked this exact moment 656 00:31:35,641 --> 00:31:39,011 to restock his boss's fridge. 657 00:31:39,011 --> 00:31:43,282 McSeveney: And he decided to cooperate with law enforcement, 658 00:31:43,282 --> 00:31:46,986 and he led us to storage units on Miami Beach. 659 00:31:46,986 --> 00:31:48,688 [ Rattling ] 660 00:31:48,688 --> 00:31:52,258 Goldberg: The feds have no idea what might be in those storage units, 661 00:31:52,258 --> 00:31:58,064 but what they find blows the case wide open. 662 00:31:58,064 --> 00:31:59,465 McSeveney: There was cash, 663 00:31:59,465 --> 00:32:03,736 fake diplomatic license plates, fake badges, 664 00:32:03,736 --> 00:32:06,906 a treasure trove of falsified documents 665 00:32:06,906 --> 00:32:10,943 on letterhead bearing the title Marden Williamson International. 666 00:32:10,943 --> 00:32:13,079 Goldberg: As they dig through the documents, 667 00:32:13,079 --> 00:32:16,816 they find out exactly what Anthony's big con is ‐‐ 668 00:32:16,816 --> 00:32:20,219 a con so big, so outrageous, 669 00:32:20,219 --> 00:32:24,123 they have never seen anything like it before. 670 00:32:24,123 --> 00:32:27,059 This scam had tentacles that stretch throughout the world. 671 00:32:27,059 --> 00:32:29,629 ♪♪ 672 00:32:33,899 --> 00:32:34,900 ♪♪ 673 00:32:34,900 --> 00:32:35,935 Goldberg: The feds have finally arrested 674 00:32:35,935 --> 00:32:37,870 master con artist Anthony Gignac, 675 00:32:37,870 --> 00:32:40,506 and the raid of his secret storage units 676 00:32:40,506 --> 00:32:43,342 has given them the big break they need. 677 00:32:43,342 --> 00:32:47,413 Now they know the full scope of Anthony's grand plan, 678 00:32:47,413 --> 00:32:49,115 and it's a doozy. 679 00:32:49,115 --> 00:32:51,350 He is pitching these multimillion‐, 680 00:32:51,350 --> 00:32:53,319 multibillion‐dollar deals ‐‐ 681 00:32:53,319 --> 00:32:57,123 very complex, high‐level investment opportunities. 682 00:32:57,123 --> 00:32:58,391 There were deals for 683 00:32:58,391 --> 00:33:00,860 a pharmaceutical company in Ireland, 684 00:33:00,860 --> 00:33:05,364 a casino hotel in Canada, jet fuel trading platforms, 685 00:33:05,364 --> 00:33:07,099 and then, ultimately, a project 686 00:33:07,099 --> 00:33:09,001 called the Alaska‐Jersey Project, 687 00:33:09,001 --> 00:33:11,604 which goes from being "What's this prince up to?" 688 00:33:11,604 --> 00:33:13,572 to "Holy cow." 689 00:33:13,572 --> 00:33:15,708 Goldberg: So, what was the big scam? 690 00:33:15,708 --> 00:33:17,009 Well, get this ‐‐ 691 00:33:17,009 --> 00:33:21,080 Anthony was selling fake shares in Saudi Aramco, 692 00:33:21,080 --> 00:33:27,219 the state‐owned Saudi oil company worth $2 trillion. 693 00:33:27,219 --> 00:33:31,457 Shadley: He said, "Listen, I've got 10% stake in Saudi Aramco. 694 00:33:31,457 --> 00:33:34,994 It's not public yet, but if you invest with me, 695 00:33:34,994 --> 00:33:38,030 you could have some of my 10% stake." 696 00:33:38,030 --> 00:33:41,067 Goldberg: But pulling off a scam of this magnitude 697 00:33:41,067 --> 00:33:45,137 took more than just Anthony's usual con man charm. 698 00:33:45,137 --> 00:33:47,940 For this one, he had to get creative. 699 00:33:47,940 --> 00:33:52,645 Shadley: He had a fake letter from the Bank of Saudi Arabia. 700 00:33:52,645 --> 00:33:54,113 We went back through his computer 701 00:33:54,113 --> 00:33:56,148 and his Internet search history 702 00:33:56,148 --> 00:33:58,851 and saw him writing in Google Translate 703 00:33:58,851 --> 00:34:04,557 from English to Arabic these paragraph‐long phrases 704 00:34:04,557 --> 00:34:08,627 where he would have the head of the Bank of Saudi Arabia 705 00:34:08,627 --> 00:34:11,263 or prominent lawyers in Saudi Arabia 706 00:34:11,263 --> 00:34:13,065 "write these letters" saying 707 00:34:13,065 --> 00:34:17,670 "Prince Khalid bin Al‐Saud owns 10% of Saudi Aramco." 708 00:34:17,670 --> 00:34:20,639 And he found online Arabic letter stamps 709 00:34:20,639 --> 00:34:22,108 that he put on the letter, 710 00:34:22,108 --> 00:34:25,611 and he forged signatures of high‐ranking bank officials 711 00:34:25,611 --> 00:34:27,613 to make it seem legit. 712 00:34:27,613 --> 00:34:28,514 And he could sell that, and he did sell that in spades. 713 00:34:28,514 --> 00:34:30,583 ♪♪ 714 00:34:30,583 --> 00:34:33,285 Weaver: He used Marden Williamson International 715 00:34:33,285 --> 00:34:36,889 as a cover for luring in 716 00:34:36,889 --> 00:34:39,425 a lot of different investors. 717 00:34:39,425 --> 00:34:41,127 Some 20, 25 of them 718 00:34:41,127 --> 00:34:44,830 eventually ended up investing in this company. 719 00:34:44,830 --> 00:34:46,599 They came from various industries ‐‐ 720 00:34:46,599 --> 00:34:50,202 a lot of investment bankers, some government employees, 721 00:34:50,202 --> 00:34:53,839 some connections, some acquaintances. 722 00:34:53,839 --> 00:34:57,209 Goldberg: The documents also explain why Anthony faked interest 723 00:34:57,209 --> 00:35:00,312 in luxury hotels like the Fontainebleau. 724 00:35:00,312 --> 00:35:03,949 It was all part of the Saudi Aramco con. 725 00:35:03,949 --> 00:35:05,451 They would be chomping at the bit 726 00:35:05,451 --> 00:35:08,521 to have such a wealthy investor involved in their project, 727 00:35:08,521 --> 00:35:10,222 and he would sort of string them along 728 00:35:10,222 --> 00:35:12,057 and string them along and string them along 729 00:35:12,057 --> 00:35:14,360 and ultimately pull out of the deal. 730 00:35:14,360 --> 00:35:16,228 Later on, he'd come back and say, 731 00:35:16,228 --> 00:35:18,464 "How about this investment?" 732 00:35:18,464 --> 00:35:21,967 The con was to lure investors into thinking 733 00:35:21,967 --> 00:35:24,503 that they were going to be partners 734 00:35:24,503 --> 00:35:26,338 with the Saudi Royal Family 735 00:35:26,338 --> 00:35:30,209 and get discounted rates on Saudi Aramco shares. 736 00:35:30,209 --> 00:35:34,413 Goldberg: Anthony never did land his biggest fish, Jeffrey Soffer, 737 00:35:34,413 --> 00:35:36,882 but he still raked in some serious cash 738 00:35:36,882 --> 00:35:38,651 from his other marks. 739 00:35:38,651 --> 00:35:43,489 McSeveney: At the end, he stole approximately $8.1 million. 740 00:35:43,489 --> 00:35:46,459 ♪♪ 741 00:35:46,459 --> 00:35:49,328 I think if he had been a bit more discreet, 742 00:35:49,328 --> 00:35:53,032 he may have gotten away with this for a little while longer. 743 00:35:53,032 --> 00:35:55,034 Goldberg: Unfortunately for Anthony, 744 00:35:55,034 --> 00:35:57,870 discretion isn't exactly his strong suit, 745 00:35:57,870 --> 00:36:00,940 and neither is knowing when to quit. 746 00:36:00,940 --> 00:36:03,976 He was an extremely difficult defendant. 747 00:36:03,976 --> 00:36:07,146 He was difficult for his defense lawyers. 748 00:36:07,146 --> 00:36:09,048 He went through 4 of them. 749 00:36:09,048 --> 00:36:12,117 McSeveney: It was very interesting to see him boss around 750 00:36:12,117 --> 00:36:14,653 and belittle his Miami defense attorney, 751 00:36:14,653 --> 00:36:16,989 who was not an individual 752 00:36:16,989 --> 00:36:21,160 who was probably used to being talked to like that. 753 00:36:21,160 --> 00:36:22,995 Weaver: He entered a plea deal 754 00:36:22,995 --> 00:36:24,930 for something that was fairly reasonable, 755 00:36:24,930 --> 00:36:28,534 that would have sent him to prison for 5 to 7 years, 756 00:36:28,534 --> 00:36:31,737 and then he withdrew from his guilty plea. 757 00:36:31,737 --> 00:36:33,873 He clearly wanted to just play the system a little longer. 758 00:36:33,873 --> 00:36:38,811 But the feds regrouped, put together another indictment, 759 00:36:38,811 --> 00:36:41,413 and slammed him. 760 00:36:41,413 --> 00:36:42,848 He ultimately pled guilty 761 00:36:42,848 --> 00:36:46,785 to 4 counts conspiracy to commit wire fraud, 762 00:36:46,785 --> 00:36:50,556 wire fraud, impersonating a diplomat or foreign official, 763 00:36:50,556 --> 00:36:53,726 and aggravated identity theft. 764 00:36:53,726 --> 00:36:56,695 He was sentenced to a little more than 18 years in prison. 765 00:36:56,695 --> 00:37:00,199 ♪♪ 766 00:37:00,199 --> 00:37:01,500 [ Gavel bangs ] 767 00:37:01,500 --> 00:37:04,637 ♪♪ 768 00:37:04,637 --> 00:37:06,805 McSeveney: He would claim once he was incarcerated 769 00:37:06,805 --> 00:37:10,876 that his very expensive sunglasses were prescription 770 00:37:10,876 --> 00:37:14,647 and had asked us to return them to him 'cause he couldn't read. 771 00:37:14,647 --> 00:37:16,348 When I actually looked at the glasses, 772 00:37:16,348 --> 00:37:18,584 they were, in fact, sunglasses. 773 00:37:18,584 --> 00:37:20,886 They were not reading glasses. 774 00:37:20,886 --> 00:37:23,722 He wanted his glasses because it's a status symbol. 775 00:37:23,722 --> 00:37:26,559 Even when he was handcuffed and shackled 776 00:37:26,559 --> 00:37:28,394 and wearing an orange jumpsuit, 777 00:37:28,394 --> 00:37:29,995 whatever little bit he could get, 778 00:37:29,995 --> 00:37:33,332 whatever he could manipulate to get something 779 00:37:33,332 --> 00:37:38,070 gave him a very good sense of satisfaction. 780 00:37:38,070 --> 00:37:39,805 Goldberg: It's finally the end of the road 781 00:37:39,805 --> 00:37:41,941 for the kid who has been slinging scams 782 00:37:41,941 --> 00:37:44,977 since his grade school days back in Michigan. 783 00:37:44,977 --> 00:37:47,413 But it is not the end of this story. 784 00:37:47,413 --> 00:37:51,083 In fact, Anthony's true roots reveal a twist 785 00:37:51,083 --> 00:37:53,152 that may surprise you. 786 00:37:53,152 --> 00:37:57,690 Anthony did not grow up in Saudi Arabia. 787 00:37:57,690 --> 00:38:00,059 He was born in Bogotá, Colombia. 788 00:38:00,059 --> 00:38:01,393 Goldberg: You heard the lady ‐‐ 789 00:38:01,393 --> 00:38:06,031 Anthony from Michigan is actually Anthony from Colombia. 790 00:38:06,031 --> 00:38:10,669 Lisa: He was living in an orphanage. 791 00:38:10,669 --> 00:38:13,706 He had been picked up off the streets, 792 00:38:13,706 --> 00:38:15,541 where he was estimated 793 00:38:15,541 --> 00:38:18,377 to have been living for a couple of years. 794 00:38:18,377 --> 00:38:20,846 Goldberg: Anthony was adopted when he was 6, 795 00:38:20,846 --> 00:38:23,215 and he spent the rest of his childhood 796 00:38:23,215 --> 00:38:27,786 in a nice middle‐class home in Michigan. 797 00:38:27,786 --> 00:38:33,359 So, what drove him to reinvent himself as a lavish prince? 798 00:38:33,359 --> 00:38:35,160 Lisa: To me, it makes perfect sense 799 00:38:35,160 --> 00:38:39,598 when coming from such a deprived environment at an early age 800 00:38:39,598 --> 00:38:46,372 where you learn that if you have money, you have power. 801 00:38:46,372 --> 00:38:49,008 Weaver: It's preposterous, but he spent a lifetime 802 00:38:49,008 --> 00:38:53,545 pretending to be somebody else, somebody other than who he is, 803 00:38:53,545 --> 00:38:55,681 who he was, when he was born, 804 00:38:55,681 --> 00:38:57,783 and just wanted to forget it, 805 00:38:57,783 --> 00:39:01,020 even if it was all in his head. 806 00:39:01,020 --> 00:39:03,188 That's what I think he was chasing. 807 00:39:03,188 --> 00:39:05,858 That's the dream I think he was chasing. 808 00:39:05,858 --> 00:39:09,728 When you don't have a lot of attachment to your identity, 809 00:39:09,728 --> 00:39:11,096 you make one up, 810 00:39:11,096 --> 00:39:13,532 and that's what Anthony has done his entire life. 811 00:39:13,532 --> 00:39:15,134 And he was successful at it, 812 00:39:15,134 --> 00:39:17,603 so I get why it's so hard to stop. 813 00:39:17,603 --> 00:39:21,206 It's not just about the con. It's a lifestyle. 814 00:39:21,206 --> 00:39:23,709 Spiegel: I don't feel bad for him at all. He's a crook. 815 00:39:23,709 --> 00:39:25,577 He's taken a lot of people to the cleaners. 816 00:39:25,577 --> 00:39:28,514 I'm sure he cost a lot of people their jobs. 817 00:39:28,514 --> 00:39:33,318 I think he has had his day in justice, 818 00:39:33,318 --> 00:39:37,556 and he's serving it right now, and justifiably so. 819 00:39:37,556 --> 00:39:41,760 Lisa: I feel a lot of sadness for his mother's pain. 820 00:39:41,760 --> 00:39:45,998 There was nothing anyone was gonna be able to do 821 00:39:45,998 --> 00:39:48,400 to get him to change his ways 822 00:39:48,400 --> 00:39:50,869 and stop living the way he had been living. 823 00:39:50,869 --> 00:39:52,705 ♪♪ 824 00:39:52,705 --> 00:39:54,807 Shadley: He was a very sophisticated fraudster. 825 00:39:54,807 --> 00:39:57,176 He was very effective at what he did, 826 00:39:57,176 --> 00:39:59,578 had a very strong, outgoing personality, 827 00:39:59,578 --> 00:40:03,082 and was adept at controlling people and putting on a facade. 828 00:40:03,082 --> 00:40:05,417 And he used that to the best of his ability. 829 00:40:05,417 --> 00:40:07,086 Unfortunately, it was illegal, 830 00:40:07,086 --> 00:40:10,255 and he used it to commit crimes and to ruin people's lives. 831 00:40:10,255 --> 00:40:12,491 The 26 victims, many have had very difficult issues 832 00:40:12,491 --> 00:40:16,228 psychologically, emotionally, and financially 833 00:40:16,228 --> 00:40:18,364 as a result of this crime, 834 00:40:18,364 --> 00:40:23,870 and we did our best to make sure that this does not happen again. 835 00:40:23,870 --> 00:40:27,348 ♪♪ 836 00:40:27,348 --> 00:40:31,018 Lisa: I don't think the con is over for Anthony. 837 00:40:31,018 --> 00:40:35,389 I have heard that he is running the floor 838 00:40:35,389 --> 00:40:37,525 in the penitentiary that he's in now. 839 00:40:37,525 --> 00:40:39,494 He's got everybody running for him. 840 00:40:39,494 --> 00:40:41,295 He's got everybody sending him stuff. 841 00:40:41,295 --> 00:40:45,800 He has people working for him, and all because they believe 842 00:40:45,800 --> 00:40:50,638 that he's somebody he's cooked up for them to think he is. 843 00:40:50,638 --> 00:40:55,309 Goldberg: Anthony Gignac's journey has taken him from rags to riches 844 00:40:55,309 --> 00:40:57,111 and then back to rags again ‐‐ 845 00:40:57,111 --> 00:41:00,481 or, at least, an orange jumpsuit. 846 00:41:00,481 --> 00:41:03,918 Jessica: Anthony would absolutely be proud of what he's accomplished. 847 00:41:03,918 --> 00:41:08,656 He was this young orphan from Colombia, 848 00:41:08,656 --> 00:41:10,791 and he just got so wrapped up 849 00:41:10,791 --> 00:41:14,395 in all of the things that he could have 850 00:41:14,395 --> 00:41:16,597 and just took it too far.