Show Notes
What happens after the feds kick in your door?
In this special bonus episode of The Ponzi Playbook, we sit down with white-collar defense attorney Elliot Sol Abrams—partner at Cheshire Parker Schneider Abrams—for a raw, behind-the-scenes look at what it’s really like to defend clients facing federal fraud charges. You’ll hear:
What goes down in the hours and days after an FBI raid
How money—or the lack of it—affects your legal defense
What a “win” actually looks like for a defense attorney
Plus, we unpack a notable case—Chamberlain v. United States—that helped limit the government’s power to seize assets not directly tied to alleged crimes and explore the psychology behind Ponzi schemes, sociopathy, and second chances.
Guest: Elliot Sol Abrams is a partner at Cheshire Parker Schneider Abrams in Raleigh, NC. He defends individuals in high-stakes white-collar cases, asset forfeiture disputes, and professional discipline matters. 👉 Follow The Ponzi Playbook on LinkedIn for updates and deeper dives into white-collar crime. Connect with Neal McTighe and Javier Leiva to keep the conversation going. 👍 Like, rate, and leave a comment wherever you listen—your feedback helps others find the show! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
More from The Ponzi Playbook
This is an Interview with a man convicted of a Ponzi scheme. It originally aired on the PRETEND podcast.
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A guaranteed 10% return in just 90 days—sounds too good to be true, right? Well, it was. In this episode, we investigate Todd Burkhalter and Drive Planning, a Georgia-based financial firm that promised real estate-backed investments but instead ran a massive $372 million Ponzi scheme. Hosts Javier and Neal expose how Burkhalter and his team lured in over 2,000 investors, convinced them to hand over their life savings, and then used their cash to fuel an extravagant lifestyle—complete with private jets, luxury vacations, and a $3.1M yacht named Live More. We break down the tactics he used, the warning signs investors ignored, and how the SEC finally unraveled the scheme. Plus, we dig into exclusive testimony from Drive Planning’s executives—including some incredibly shady responses (or lack thereof) during questioning. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Hey everyone, it's Javier. Neal and I are working hard on season two of the Ponzi Playbook. In the meantime, I want to share an episode that I think you'll enjoy from my other podcast PRETEND.