Michelle McPhee

If Sarah was actually getting 30% interest on these loans, it was an insanely good business proposition. A little too good.

Sarah said she put all her trust in John McCabe.

Sarah said she put all her trust in John McCabe.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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?

When a buyer eventually came through and purchased the buildings, Cyrus said John McCabe took the credit.

When a buyer eventually came through and purchased the buildings, Cyrus said John McCabe took the credit.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.