Michelle McPhee
Appearances
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 3. Sell Fire to the Devil
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The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 4. “Cut up into Little Pieces”
So Sarah came up with a deal for $125,000. She told George a little about the person they'd be lending money to.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 4. “Cut up into Little Pieces”
While they were working through the deal terms, Sarah introduced George to John McCabe. Sarah and John, that is.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 4. “Cut up into Little Pieces”
Why would Sarah have needed protection? From who? Kind of strange, right? George insisted on doing his due diligence.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 4. “Cut up into Little Pieces”
First, they met at Starra's office and George asked to see the collateral for the loans.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 4. “Cut up into Little Pieces”
George took the pink slips so that they could drive around to the lots and verify that each of the signed slips corresponded to one of the cars in their possession. Honestly, I mean, a smart idea.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 4. “Cut up into Little Pieces”
Then he took George to the marina to see the collateral for his loan, an F-44 Tiare yacht.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 4. “Cut up into Little Pieces”
And next, they went back to Sarah's office.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 4. “Cut up into Little Pieces”
It seemed like loans were happening so fast and loose it was hard to keep track of who owed what to whom. It was like trying to play a shell game in the bottom of the ocean. And on the bottom of the ocean, there are, what else? A lot of hungry bottom feeders.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 4. “Cut up into Little Pieces”
So it seemed like all the collateral checked out. And what was more, Sarah seemed looted.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 4. “Cut up into Little Pieces”
She had a 2019 Rolls Royce Dawn. It's an almost $400,000 car. And she was having it wrapped white on white with a navy blue soft top. It was kind of trashy, but also kind of gangster. Her Rolls was an advertisement that if you worked with Lady Mafia, you'd be rich too.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 4. “Cut up into Little Pieces”
George just came off a day where he verified a half a dozen VINs on some supercars, toured a yacht, and eyeballed a bucketload of rocks and watches.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 4. “Cut up into Little Pieces”
The rate George was promised was 36% a year. put that another way, imagine if you could wave a magic wand and make 11 grand in three months, not lifting a finger. And George was confused too. Who's on the other end of these loans? What kind of person can afford that much interest but is that cash poor?
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 4. “Cut up into Little Pieces”
And this might not make sense to you and me, but George lived in the OC. He told me he knew somebody who said he was worth $100 million after doing a decade of hard money lending. Imagined. you took that 125,000 and invested it for a full year, by the end, you'd have almost 200 grand. In 10 years, by then you've made around $4 million. And why stop investing at 125K?
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 4. “Cut up into Little Pieces”
At that rate, which is better than almost anything else out there, why not pour in your whole savings account? What if you discovered the secret for getting not just comfortable, but filthy, stinking rich? George became more and more involved in Sarah's business. They were going out for lunch. Each time, Sarah was dropping a couple of hundos on the table for the bill.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 4. “Cut up into Little Pieces”
So George was doing his part, being an IT business guy and all.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 4. “Cut up into Little Pieces”
This online setup could take the whole operation to the next level, make their lone mafia legit. But George started hearing hints, just little whispers, that people were after Sarah.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 4. “Cut up into Little Pieces”
George got spooked, but not enough to quit. He was still on board with the idea of becoming the loan mafia of the OC. So he was still moving forward with his part of the operation, getting the business online.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 4. “Cut up into Little Pieces”
It's a fucking mess. He said she couldn't find the paperwork for a single loan.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 4. “Cut up into Little Pieces”
Sarah was living the dream she told me that she had wanted. Being the boss lady in charge, lady mafia. But it also looked to me like that territory came with a lot of riffraff. Pretenders, felons, and hucksters. Now that she was a hard money lender, desperate people would come to her for help. She'd negotiate hard. They'd have to kiss the fucking ring. She'd be a kingmaker. She'd be rich.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 4. “Cut up into Little Pieces”
So how did that little piece of chicken scratch turn into a Rolls Royce? How exactly was Sarah able to run a financial business with such sloppy accounting? One of the ideas that's come up is the possibility that Sarah was never actually a lender at all. She was just taking investments, taking money. I've heard this from several people we've interviewed.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 4. “Cut up into Little Pieces”
The idea is she was running a Ponzi scheme from the very beginning, using new investments to pay old ones.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 4. “Cut up into Little Pieces”
Here's our expert on hard money lending again, Derek Lewis. He's familiar with her story.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 4. “Cut up into Little Pieces”
That's certainly what it looks like to me. I asked her about it.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 4. “Cut up into Little Pieces”
I told her receipts would be helpful. Still waiting on them. Later on in a text message, she claimed all the paperwork was on a computer that had been stolen. We pushed for anything that would prove her business. She'd message back with a text-only list of supposed bank transactions or old photos with people she claimed to have loaned money to.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 4. “Cut up into Little Pieces”
Sara gave us the names of a few people she said she loaned money to. A global investor in culture. Another dude with a crazy long rap sheet. We reached out to the name she gave us, but never got a response. I feel for her and the mess she got herself into. I think she's fearless, funny, a total character.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 4. “Cut up into Little Pieces”
But at this point, I'm starting to think she's a compulsive liar, a loan shark with a license. George's filthy rich dream had turned into that massive pile of dog crap. And what was more, George realized it was highly unlikely he'd ever get his $125,000 investment back.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 4. “Cut up into Little Pieces”
George decided on a strategy at first, stick close to Sarah, in hopes that he'd be the first in line to get his money back. But he wasn't the only investor Sarah wasn't paying back. And these other guys were just about fed up. They weren't going to play nice.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 4. “Cut up into Little Pieces”
Her relationship with Dude John had begun to sour.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 4. “Cut up into Little Pieces”
And George says that all of these guys who did not mean her well were watching her from across the street.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 4. “Cut up into Little Pieces”
And what they saw was Sarah's life spiraling out of control.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 4. “Cut up into Little Pieces”
George saw this one video of Zara.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 4. “Cut up into Little Pieces”
But was she ready for it? From Sony Music Entertainment, this is Lady Mafia. It's a story about going from lawyer to lawless, living high and blowing millions. I'm Michelle McPhee. This is episode four, Cut Up Into Little Pieces.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 4. “Cut up into Little Pieces”
In this mix, George met another guy Sarah had fleeced.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 4. “Cut up into Little Pieces”
And these horrifically wealthy people, they had a different strategy with Sarah.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 4. “Cut up into Little Pieces”
Next time on Lady Mafia, with threats pounding on Sarah's door.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 4. “Cut up into Little Pieces”
Sarah chose a Shangri-La that many have fallen for.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 4. “Cut up into Little Pieces”
In the midst of a financial wreck, Sarah chose to follow the promise of easy money in Las Vegas.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 4. “Cut up into Little Pieces”
That's next time on Lady Mavio. Unlock all episodes of Lady Mafia ad-free right now by subscribing to the Binge Podcast channel. Not only will you immediately unlock all episodes of this show, but you'll get binge access to an entire network of other great true crime and investigative podcasts, all ad-free. Plus, on the first of every month, subscribers get a binge drop of a brand new series.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 4. “Cut up into Little Pieces”
That's all episodes all at once. Search for The Binge on Apple Podcasts and hit subscribe at the top of the page. Not on Apple? Head to getthebinge.com to get access wherever you listen. Lady Mafia is an original production of Sony Music Entertainment. It was hosted and reported by me, Michelle McPhee. Odelia Rubin is our lead producer and wrote this episode with a little help from me.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 4. “Cut up into Little Pieces”
Catherine St. Louis is our story editor. Shara Morris and Jonathan Hirsch are our executive producers. Sound design and mixing by Scott Somerville. Theme and original music composed by Hans Dale Shee. We also use music from Epidemic Sound, Blue Dot Sessions, and APM. Our associate producer is Zoe Culkin. Our fact checker is Fendel Fulton. Our production manager is Tamika Valens-Kolasny.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 4. “Cut up into Little Pieces”
Special thanks to Steve Ackerman, Emily Rosick, Jamie Myers, and Allie Kiltz.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 4. “Cut up into Little Pieces”
Here's what I know at this point. Sarah's life as Lady Mafia is off to a rocky start. To pin up some of that red string here, Sarah is in trouble because she couldn't repay the money she borrowed for the marijuana buildings. She secured an additional loan from a friend that she also couldn't pay back. She thinks the way to dig herself out of this hole is to become a hard money lender.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 4. “Cut up into Little Pieces”
She'd seen Brian Quinn make money giving loans to cash poor rich guys. If she charged high interest, she might be able to generate some money fast. But if King Family Lending is ever going to make bank, she has to sell those marijuana buildings and get out from under her own debt. That's when Sarah told me a new man entered into this mess with a solution.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 4. “Cut up into Little Pieces”
One more dude can solve all her problems, right?
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 4. “Cut up into Little Pieces”
Brian Quinn introduces John as someone who might be interested in buying Sarah's buildings. They drive down to a dock in Brian's white Rolls Royce. Sarah's wearing white jeans and a t-shirt. You know, all very laid back. except for Bryant, who was wearing a Gucci shirt with his hair slicked back. But that's the uniform of the Junior Mafia, so you can't blame him.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 4. “Cut up into Little Pieces”
The Binge. Feed your true crime obsession. Remember what I said at the beginning of this story? Sarah King seemed to be speeding towards a collision. She's bobbing and weaving, in and out of traffic, searching for daylight. Well, at this point, the marijuana empire was stalled. But Sarah's mortgage on those two industrial buildings wasn't going anywhere.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 4. “Cut up into Little Pieces”
Meanwhile, John McCabe is dressed like he's about to go paddle boarding.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 4. “Cut up into Little Pieces”
In my mind, John McCabe looks like the dude from the cult classic The Big Lebowski. Mid-50s. He's a tall, big guy and sometimes has a beard. Always lumbering around in shorts and slip-on shoes.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 4. “Cut up into Little Pieces”
At first, John and his assistant give Sarah a business presentation. Sarah brings up the buildings that she needed to sell. And it turns out John is also in the marijuana biz.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 4. “Cut up into Little Pieces”
Let me tell you, I have tried everything to find this guy, John McCabe. His name comes up in this story over and over again. You're probably sensing a pattern. A lot of the people around Sarah have made themselves scarce in recent years. Sara said he once told her he was a pilot for Hawaiian Airlines. And I found a guy on LinkedIn who listed his job as a corporate pilot and reached out. Nothing.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 4. “Cut up into Little Pieces”
My producers ran a LexisNexis search and I called all his numbers. Nothing again. He has no social media presence. Couldn't find any arrest records.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 4. “Cut up into Little Pieces”
John seems to see an opportunity in Sarah, someone he can use.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 4. “Cut up into Little Pieces”
As she's telling me about this McCabe guy, I'm thinking, the Sarah I know likes to be the one calling the shots. She wants to believe she's in charge. But to me, she sounds like she's out of her league. Like she's the prey, not the predator.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 4. “Cut up into Little Pieces”
And soon enough, Sarah said she and John started working together.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 4. “Cut up into Little Pieces”
Like Brian Quinn before him, John is good at making connections with the guys Sarah's trying to get in with.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 4. “Cut up into Little Pieces”
In short order, Sara said John's acting like King Family Lending is his too, trying to woo potential investors.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 4. “Cut up into Little Pieces”
And you know, it works having a man there to sell them on it.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 4. “Cut up into Little Pieces”
Maybe John is overstepping, but he also seems to be helping Sarah reel people in. There are two sides to a hard money lending business. Getting investors to give Sarah money so that they can make money. And the other side, giving out loans to men and women who needed money quick and don't want Citibank to ask a ton of questions.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 4. “Cut up into Little Pieces”
Sarah told me there was a special type who could and would pay 30% interest on a loan.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 4. “Cut up into Little Pieces”
Yeah, it was a little weird, but they had the hard assets to back it up.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 4. “Cut up into Little Pieces”
Because I can tell you, like, I don't know, I'm broke as shit, but I'm still not giving my credit card company 30%.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 4. “Cut up into Little Pieces”
If Sarah was actually getting 30% interest on these loans, it was an insanely good business proposition. A little too good.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 4. “Cut up into Little Pieces”
Sarah said she put all her trust in John McCabe.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 4. “Cut up into Little Pieces”
We later find out that John McCabe denies this. He says Sarah wasn't even a business associate of his. Sarah didn't seem to be taking careful note of where the money was coming from and where it was going. For someone who should have been dealing with hard facts, crunching numbers day in and day out, Sarah told countless stories about money and collateral just disappearing in a bad deal.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 4. “Cut up into Little Pieces”
I'm not stupid, by the way. I get that this likely isn't the whole truth, but this is part of what's so puzzling to me about Sarah. I can't tell when Sarah's lying to me or lying to herself. Things were not going well for Lady Mafia, and John seemed to be creating more problems.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 4. “Cut up into Little Pieces”
He hadn't even helped her sell the marijuana buildings, and it was looking like Sarah was on the verge of losing her parents' home. So when she was dead broke, Sarah told me she decided to make one last gamble.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 4. “Cut up into Little Pieces”
My jaw dropped when she told me this. So let me get this straight. She went from big money deals with fancy people to scraping her fake nails off a scratchy?
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 4. “Cut up into Little Pieces”
When a buyer eventually came through and purchased the buildings, Cyrus said John McCabe took the credit.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 4. “Cut up into Little Pieces”
So, as of January of 2021, the pot buildings were finally off her plate, no more desperately trying to sell gummy bears at the country club, and the lending business Sarah had been launching with John McCabe's help was finally getting off the ground.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 4. “Cut up into Little Pieces”
No LinkedIn, no Facebook. Our fact checker even tried a reverse image search for him with a photo Sarah sent, but nada. Deep into reporting this series, Sarah told us that she wasn't even sure that John McCabe was his real name. That was gutting. I had spent months looking for this guy. And now, only now, she was admitting that the name might be an alias. Then one Friday, my editor got a call.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 4. “Cut up into Little Pieces”
A man said, you've been trying to get in touch with me. We had. Even sent a certified letter to his last known address in Hawaii. At long last, John McCabe had called. The conversation was brief. That's when he denied even being an associate of Sarah King's. My editor wasn't deterred. She asked to send him a bunch of questions we had about his dealings with Sarah. He agreed.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 4. “Cut up into Little Pieces”
Only, we never heard from McCabe again. Instead, his criminal defense lawyer, a guy out of Irvine, California, called us to say that he had advised John McCabe to not comment at this time. It was frustrating, but I wasn't ready to throw in the towel. I needed to find someone else who'd met John McCabe, someone who'd worked with him.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 4. “Cut up into Little Pieces”
I needed to understand what was going on with Sarah's lending business. So I went hunting for one of the people who gave money to King Family Lending. If the story of King Family Lending sounds all over the place, yeah, you're not imagining things. Sarah told me time and time again that she was legit, that King Family Lending was legit, until John McCabe showed up.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 4. “Cut up into Little Pieces”
I finally got someone to talk with us, an investor of Sarah's, a man by the name of George Poulos.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 4. “Cut up into Little Pieces”
It feels like we need one of those walls with photos, pins, and string on it. You know, the ones in a detective TV show. A murder board. Except instead of a map of bodies and bloody crime scenes, we're going to track money. How it moves from a contract on a yacht to cash in a Chanel pocketbook to another contract in a glove box in a Ferrari.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 4. “Cut up into Little Pieces”
George wasn't pulling any punches.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 4. “Cut up into Little Pieces”
George is married, has two young kids, and used to run an IT business, but is now retired. Very comfortably, it seems. He lives in a wealthy, family-friendly neighborhood in the OC. He looks a little like Christian Bale in his wiry beard era. George first met Sarah in July 2021, around six months after the pot buildings were sold.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 4. “Cut up into Little Pieces”
They met at a restaurant in Laguna Beach overlooking the ocean.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 6. The Moment of Impact
Hi everyone, I'm investigative journalist and park enthusiast Delia D'Ambra, and every week on my podcast, Park Predators, I take you into the heart of our world's most stunning locations to uncover what sinister crimes have unfolded in these serene settings.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 6. The Moment of Impact
From unsolved murders to chilling disappearances, each Tuesday we dive deep into the details of cases that will leave you knowing sometimes the most beautiful places hide the darkest secrets. Listen to Park Predators now wherever you listen to podcasts.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 5. Losing at the Wynn
Hi everyone, I'm investigative journalist and park enthusiast Delia D'Ambra, and every week on my podcast, Park Predators, I take you into the heart of our world's most stunning locations to uncover what sinister crimes have unfolded in these serene settings.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 5. Losing at the Wynn
From unsolved murders to chilling disappearances, each Tuesday we dive deep into the details of cases that will leave you knowing sometimes the most beautiful places hide the darkest secrets. Listen to Park Predators now wherever you listen to podcasts.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 2. Luxury Asset
Seems to me Sarah did her fair share of day drinking too. She said most mornings they wouldn't talk. He'd head out to his office for a few hours and by lunchtime he'd be back in the villa. She'd prepare a charcuterie board with wine and tequila and beer for Brian, hang there for a bit, then hit the Pelican Hill bar.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 2. Luxury Asset
What seemed cute at first was now just messy. She'd apologize to everyone at the bar, tell them she was his sister. And she said that seemed to work most days. Her humiliation was a small price to pay for being on permanent vacations. At this point, she was still on the right side of legal. Soon she wouldn't be. She had a problem.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 2. Luxury Asset
She might be living high right now off the coattails of Brian's success, but she wasn't profiting from any of that. And she certainly didn't have enough dough to invest like the guys who showed up to their investor parties. She needed to find a way to make big money. That's when it hit her. There was a way for her to make a lot of money.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 2. Luxury Asset
Doing a job that requires two things Sarah most definitely had. A law degree and discretion.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 2. Luxury Asset
Remember Trump's lawyer, Michael Cohen, the man who tried to keep his affair with Stormy Daniels secret? That's a fixer.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 2. Luxury Asset
She told Brian that's what she wanted to do, and he helped her do it. He set Sarah up with clients at places like the Pelican Club and this ritzy yacht club called Balboa Bay.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 2. Luxury Asset
For the rich people who did hire Sarah, she did all kinds of jobs. Really weird requests sometimes, she said.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 2. Luxury Asset
It sounded like a cross between a personal assistant and an enforcer.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 2. Luxury Asset
And it takes someone coming into their life to activate them, to show them the way. Fasara, that man was the one who introduced her to the world of hard money lending. The guy they gave all that money to. A man by the name of Brian Quinn. From Sony Music Entertainment, this is Lady Mafia. It's a story about going from lawyer to lawless, living high and blowing millions. I'm Michelle McPhee.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 2. Luxury Asset
That work, she said, paid exceptionally well. She would have several clients at a time and would bill to the tune of $1,200 an hour. She said she was bringing in about 1.2 mil a year. she was finally bringing in the kind of money she wanted to be making.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 2. Luxury Asset
With fixing, Sarah had gone from making questionable investments to taking a full step off the straight and narrow path. And she knew it.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 2. Luxury Asset
The money was good, but it wasn't exactly glamorous work.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 2. Luxury Asset
Sometimes, she said, she'd pay one of the strippers a bit extra just to give her a shoulder massage while she waited for her client to be done.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 2. Luxury Asset
But she said these weren't just rich people paying her a lot of money. They were influential, too. Whatever Sarah did next, the business positioned her well for her next move, she thought.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 2. Luxury Asset
Sarah had 10 projects going on now at any one time. She was trying to build her own empire between learning about hard money lending to fixing to any other business opportunity that came her way. She was comfortable in chaotic situations and it proved to be quite useful. She was, you could say, her own luxury asset. But Sarah was hungry for more.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 2. Luxury Asset
There's a reason money and vice make great bedfellows. Something that fascinates me about Zara, she doesn't just want money and power. I realize how corny it is to say this, but she also wanted love. She was always one spinning plate too many. And while things were unraveling with Gerard, she met someone. Oh boy, did she meet someone. It was an afternoon in May 2018 when it all started.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 2. Luxury Asset
Sara was invited by Brian Quinn to a business meeting about a potential investment. It was at the Center Club in Costa Mesa, not far from Newport Beach. The place is now closed, but Yelp remembers it as a kind of spot that had white napkins, wood paneling, and thick cuts of steak. Like, you get a little slab of cake, and Chef decorates the plate with sauces like he's Jackson fucking Pollock.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 2. Luxury Asset
Let's go through this list because it's like felon, felon. I know. Felon, felon. Felon, felon, felon, felon.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 2. Luxury Asset
Okay, I got a little ahead of myself. Not everyone there was a felon, but the table was pretty stacked. Let me break this table down for you. Seat number one was Brian Quinn, Sarah's brother from another mother. At this point, he hadn't been indicted for anything yet. And seat number two was Joseph Medawar, who was already notorious in Hollywood.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 2. Luxury Asset
He defrauded people of millions to fund a fake television show that was supposedly about the Department of Homeland Security. He got actual senators to read his scripts. Then he pocketed the money that was supposed to be used to make the thing. By this lunch, Medawar was a convicted felon and had already served hard time.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 2. Luxury Asset
Then there's Sarah, who, well, for now, let's just say she's no angel. And her business partner and husband, Gerard, was there. So was a new guy, a man by the name of Cameron Pallavy, Prince Cameron Pallavy. He looks like a male model. Thick, dark hair, green eyes, chiseled, good looks. Look up the word smoldering and his picture's right there in the dictionary. And did you know he was royalty?
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 2. Luxury Asset
Did he talk about being a prince?
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 2. Luxury Asset
So Matawar was convincing Sarah that this prince was an investor in his real estate business.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 2. Luxury Asset
EBITDA, earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization. Basically, they're talking about how profitable a business could be.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 2. Luxury Asset
After the meeting, Sarah would go and crunch the numbers. They didn't add up. So Sarah called up the prince, asked him about the deal.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 2. Luxury Asset
He didn't invest? Sarah had seen her fair share of scammy business opportunities at this point. What she couldn't quite figure out was this man, Cameron Polovey, smoking hot. a prince to the former Shah of Iran. Sarah's dad is from Iran. To meet a descendant of the Shah is a big, big deal. The Shah was supported by the U.S., but overthrown in 1979 and replaced by the Islamic Republic.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 2. Luxury Asset
Cameron was the last Shah's grandnephew. The Pahlavi family has been living in exile from Iran since Cameron was five years old. So, what was the Shah's grandnephew doing at this country club pitch meeting? What he told Sarah was baffling. He said he was just lending the whole operation an air of credibility. Sarah was still married, but that didn't stop her from thinking about Cameron.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 2. Luxury Asset
Who was this mysterious, tortilla-chip-eating prince? As Sarah left her homeless drawer, she called Cameron crying. And the two ended up getting together at a hotel lobby bar in Beverly Hills.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 2. Luxury Asset
Was that the last dinner you ever paid for?
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 2. Luxury Asset
in the place which it seems to meet everybody, Fashion Island at the R&D Kitchen. It's very masculine, dark leather, old school Hollywood vibes, one of Sarah's favorites.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 2. Luxury Asset
But Sarah wasn't worried about the tab. Sparks were flying at Jean-Georges in Beverly Hills.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 2. Luxury Asset
And soon, Sarah, the daughter of an Iranian immigrant, and Cameron, a descendant of the Shah, were an item. Next time on Lady Mafia. Sarah was dead set on keeping her new man, his good looks and pedigree. She wanted to help him, support him, and prove that she was enough.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 2. Luxury Asset
Her desperation would cloud her judgment. And she ended up making a deal for Cameron that would jeopardize everything. Unlock all episodes of Lady Mafia ad-free right now by subscribing to the Binge Podcast channel. Not only will you immediately unlock all episodes of this show, but you'll get binge access to an entire network of other great true crime and investigative podcasts, all ad-free.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 2. Luxury Asset
Plus, on the first of every month, subscribers get a binge drop of a brand new series. That's all episodes all at once. Search for The Binge on Apple Podcasts and hit subscribe at the top of the page. Not on Apple? Head to getthebinge.com to get access wherever you listen. Lady Mafia is an original production of Sony Music Entertainment. It was hosted and reported by me, Michelle McPhee.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 2. Luxury Asset
Odelia Rubin is our lead producer. Jonathan Hirsch wrote this episode with a little help from me. Catherine St. Louis is our story editor. Shara Morris and Jonathan Hirsch are our executive producers. Sound design and mixing by Scott Somerville. Theme and original music composed by Hans Dale Shee. We also use music from Epidemic Sound and Blue Dot Sessions. Our associate producer is Zoe Culkin.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 2. Luxury Asset
Our fact checker is Fendall Fulton. Our production manager is Tamika Valens-Kolasny. Special thanks to Steve Ackerman, Emily Rosick, Jamie Myers, and Allie Kiltz.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 2. Luxury Asset
It's a circular bar at the center of the restaurant. That's when she saw him.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 2. Luxury Asset
The guy at the center of all the activity, a guy named Brian Quinn.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 2. Luxury Asset
So this bubblegum gangster was treating R&D like his own personal strip club. Sara was immediately drawn to him. His brashness, his confidence.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 2. Luxury Asset
The first year or so that Sarah and Brian knew each other, they weren't close, but they'd often run into each other.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 2. Luxury Asset
It's something I started to notice about Sarah. She's a girl who likes to live a few drinks deep. Brian Quinn, for his part, is one of those guys that no one really knows what he does. The kind of guy who seemed to have a lot of secrets, but everyone knows his name.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 2. Luxury Asset
Listen to all episodes of Lady Mafia ad-free right now by subscribing to The Binge. Visit The Binge channel on Apple Podcasts and hit subscribe at the top of the page or visit getthebinge.com to get access wherever you listen. The Binge, feed your true crime obsession. Don't get it twisted. I knew what I was walking into when I met Sarah. I wasn't about to take her story hook, line, and sinker.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 2. Luxury Asset
Pelican Hill is a resort in the O.C.,
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 2. Luxury Asset
I've actually been there myself. The rooms are exquisite, with private little yards and a sprawling golf course. Very classy. But the restaurant is where the action is. Sitting at the bar at its old-school steakhouse-y restaurant, I could definitely pick out the resort guests from the full-time residence by how the Italian bartender was pouring their wine.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 2. Luxury Asset
And yet, this was the place where Sarah said you could find Brian Quinn dancing shirtless on the bar. Who was this guy?
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 2. Luxury Asset
Sarah saw something in Brian, a freedom she envied, a swagger she wanted. He was like my brother. You know, we became fast friends. They started talking and found out that they had both lived in Rancho Santa Fe, a fancy town where Sarah's parents used to live on a golf course.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 2. Luxury Asset
Now, Sarah said she heard the rumors that Brian was a crook, allegedly. But that didn't stop her and Gerard from doing business with him.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 2. Luxury Asset
Sarah was looking for excitement and money. How she got there was less important. And something else about her. She can be taken in. By money for sure, but most definitely by personality. Brian's charisma overpowered doubts some people had about whether this guy was a legitimate businessman.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 2. Luxury Asset
It was party time 24-7 when you were around Brian for sure, but make no mistake, he was always wheeling and dealing. Brian was looking for investors, and Gerard and Sarah were the perfect candidates. She told Brian she was frustrated with being a lawyer.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 2. Luxury Asset
Brian ran a hard money lending business called Luxury Asset Lending. It's like he's a middleman. On the one side are pitiful folks who need to borrow cash quick and are supposed to repay it. On the other side are people who invest money with Brian and are looking to profit, like Sarah and Gerard.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 2. Luxury Asset
Money to burn, liquid cash, willing to take risks. Sarah and Gerard gave Brian cash no less than six times. When you look around at people in the OC, they look like they're living the life. But there are so many desperate people who need to keep up with the Joneses.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 2. Luxury Asset
I've been trying to track this guy Brian down for over a year now. The guy's a frigging ghost. When I searched for his business, this hilarious video came up. It reminded me of those cheesy beer ads for the most interesting man in the world. Listen to this rather dramatic video. A Lamborghini drives out some iron gates. Then text comes across the screen.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 2. Luxury Asset
As a yacht cascades past a city backdrop, the pitch continues.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 2. Luxury Asset
It goes on for another minute, showing pictures of diamonds, private jets, and of course, the Bellagio fountain. Not to mention, at one point, the video spells the word solely wrong. Sounds trustworthy to me. But what Sarah saw in Brian was a confident guy who could work a room and a chance to make massive returns on her money. I mean, if this kept up, she might be able to quit her day job.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 2. Luxury Asset
Sarah felt like her relationship with Gerard had run its course. After more than 10 years together, she was ready to move out. But before she did, she called up someone else. Her new friend and big brother, Brian Quinn.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 2. Luxury Asset
Sarah showed up at the bar before Brian did and ordered herself a drink. It was a nice place. One of the upscale spots at the mall.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 2. Luxury Asset
Sarah was pretty upset. She'd spent a decade with Javar and she wasn't really sure what the future would hold for her. She sipped her drink and waited for her friend Brian to show up. He finally did. She started telling him about what was going on with Gerard, that she might decide to leave him for good. She said she was shaking as she talked.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 2. Luxury Asset
I knew she sometimes, well, had trouble keeping her story straight. Sorting fact from fiction felt like sorting grains of rice. Sarah would have you believe that she went in search of love and wealth. And what the hell is wrong with that? But as I began to hear her story, even in the early days, it didn't seem to be quite that simple. I think she liked the thrill, too.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 2. Luxury Asset
Brian said, why don't you come live with me at my villa in Pelican Hill? Sarah was grateful. She'd found her soft landing. Sarah and Gerard officially broke up. They did continue to work together on investments and business opportunities, but in love, they went their separate ways.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 2. Luxury Asset
Sarah makes herself sound chill about the whole breakup here, but I know for a fact she was heartbroken, at least over the dogs, Dino and Louie. And maybe it was friendly at first, but Gerard would eventually request a restraining order against her that painted a different picture. He had a new girlfriend, and Sarah was ugly about it, according to court records.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 2. Luxury Asset
He describes a pattern of stalking and threats, and he had plenty of texts to make his case. But when Sarah moved into Brian Quinn's second bedroom at his villa in Pelican Hill, she was 34, had some cash, but not much else.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 2. Luxury Asset
Zara said she felt relieved and that Brian was the friend she needed to start her new life.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 2. Luxury Asset
She said they drank and ate snacks and charcuterie all day. On top of that, Brian had all this influence and money that Zara so clearly craved. And he needed her help.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 2. Luxury Asset
Brian started organizing these investor parties. He'd entertain big shots with deep pockets and everything was about appearances.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 2. Luxury Asset
Brother and sister showing up at meetings in their matching white Rolls Royces. Can't make this up.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 2. Luxury Asset
Sarah played the part of the conservative lawyer, making sure everything looked professional, under control.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 2. Luxury Asset
The party showed these guys that your life could be like this all the time if you toss Brian a few hundred thousand dollars. And so having a lawyer around while these parties were happening was very useful to him.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 2. Luxury Asset
she made the whole thing seem legitimate. In between the escorts and the bar buyouts and the free-flowing drinks, people started putting some serious money into Brian's business.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 2. Luxury Asset
She was raised to be competitive. And she didn't want to just win. She wanted to win big. You can have good intentions and find yourself in a hole. A hole that seems impossible to get out of. But I also think people are who they are. Sometimes they're just looking for permission to break bad, to be who they really want to be.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 2. Luxury Asset
In exchange for her help, Sarah got to live rent-free in a $30,000 a month villa and never paid for anything. Her food, her drinks, everything was always on Brian's tab. And meanwhile, she's also learning the ropes of the hard money lending business. She said she did have to cover for him quite a bit.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Lady Mafia | 2. Luxury Asset
His girlfriend lived in the villa with them, and frequently she would lie to her about where Brian was and what he was doing. She'd also have to do some cleanups after their daily visits to the bar.