Tax Crime Junkies

What if one of the largest, wealthiest sectors in America never had to file a tax return?

In this episode of The Fine Line Files, Dominique Molina takes listeners inside one of the oldest—and most controversial—features of the U.S. tax system: church tax exemption.

From its origins in the Roman Empire to a bombshell 2025 IRS decision allowing churches to endorse political candidates from the pulpit, this episode unpacks how religio...

In this episode, we dive into two of the most feared audits in American life: the IRS audit… and the Scientology audit. One asks for receipts. The other asks for your deepest spiritual secrets. And neither one thinks “I don’t remember” is an acceptable answer.

Join Dominique Molina and Tom Gorczynski as they unravel the decades-long war between the Church of Scientology and the Internal Revenue Service — a conflict that involved co...

How Scammers Borrow Credibility — and How to Spot It

In this episode of The Fine Line Files, Dominique Molina unpacks the unsettling case of Sherry Peel Jackson — a former IRS agent, CPA, and Certified Fraud Examiner whose professional authority became the perfect disguise for one of the most persistent financial fantasies in America: the tax defier movement.

But this isn’t just a story about tax law or conspiracy theories. It’s a ...

What happens when an IRS insider trades audits for anti-government conspiracies? In this week’s episode, we dive headfirst into the tangled world of the Tax Defier Movement a universe of pseudolegal theories, fringe seminars, cruise-ship conferences, and people who genuinely believe the income tax is optional.

Our case study? Sherry Peel Jackson, a former IRS agent, CPA, and Certified Fraud Examiner who went from enforcing the tax ...

What happens when a man who built a $200 million business on lies tries to warn you about someone else’s fraud?

In this Tax Crime Junkies Fine Line Files special edition, Dominique sits down with Barry Minkow—the teenage mastermind behind ZZZZ Best, the ex-con-turned-pastor-turned-SEC informant—for a one-of-a-kind interview.

But this isn’t the redemption arc you might expect.

Instead, Dom gets a front-row seat to monologue filled w...

He was a teenage millionaire. A carpet-cleaning king. A Wall Street darling. Then, a convict. Then, a pastor. Then… a convict again.

In this jaw-dropping episode of Tax Crime Junkies, Dom and Tom unravel the unbelievable story of Barry Minkow, a man whose life has more plot twists than a Hollywood thriller (ironically, there is a Hollywood movie about him—he starred in it as himself).

We begin in Reseda, California, where 16-year-o...

Episode Summary:

After the rise and fall of San Diego real estate mogul Gina Champion-Cain—and her infamous $400 million Ponzi scheme—Dom is back with a solo deep dive into how these schemes actually work and, more importantly, how you can protect yourself from becoming the next victim. From fake escrow officers (looking at you, Wendy Reynolds) to catfishing crypto investors with “pig butchering” scams, this episode is your surviva...

In this gripping episode of Tax Crime Junkies, we dive deep into the rise and fall of Gina Champion-Cain, a woman who once enjoyed the high life of San Diego’s real estate elite—until she became the mastermind behind one of the most infamous Ponzi schemes in history.

Gina Champion-Cain, self-proclaimed “nice Catholic girl from Michigan,” made a name for herself in the real estate world, taking on high-profile projects and even earn...

What happens when the person sworn to protect your paycheck is secretly shopping for a yacht on the company dime?

In this episode of The Fine Line Files, Dom dives solo into the murky waters of leadership corruption—from union bosses with designer tastes to corporate execs who think “transparency” is a four-letter word. Building off the Tax Crime Junkies episode Blue Betrayal: How a Union Boss Went Rogue, this epis...

In this week’s episode of Tax Crime Junkies, we take you behind the badge into one of the most shocking scandals to hit the Massachusetts State Police union. Meet Dana Pullman, the union boss who turned SPAM (State Police Association of Massachusetts) into his personal piggy bank. From backdoor kickbacks to romantic getaways funded by union dues, Pullman’s crimes weren’t just a betrayal of his organization—they were a masterclass i...

Life insurance is meant to provide financial security for loved ones after a loss. But what happens when a policy becomes a motive for crime? In this episode of The Fine Line Files, we explore the dark world of life insurance fraud—from suspicious claims to staged deaths, foreign death fraud, and the murky legal landscape that insurers mu...

Doug Grant: Vitamins and Visions

In this episode of Tax Crime Junkies, we unravel the case of Doug Grant—a once-prominent nutritionist and supplement mogul who built a thriving business advising top-tier athletes, including the Phoenix Suns and Arizona Diamondbacks. But beyond the world of vitamins and fitness, Grant’s life took a sinister turn when his wife, Faylene, died under mysterious circumstances. Was it a t...

Episode Summary: In this episode of The Fine Line Files, we pull back the curtain on the art of deception used by financial fraudsters to create the illusion of success. From lavish lifestyles to fake business ventures, scammers have long understood that the key to credibility is looking the part. But how do they pull it off? And more importantly—how can you spot the red flags before it's too late?

Join Dominique as she unpacks the...

💰 From “tiny classified ads” to a $52 million fraud, Don Lapre sold the American Dream—until it all came crashing down.

Don Lapre built an empire on late-night infomercials, promising ordinary Americans the secrets to financial freedom. With high-energy pitches and over-the-top claims, he became a household name in the ‘90s, convincing thousands of people that wealth was just a phone call away.

But behind the slic...

Tax Crime Junkies | Episode 48 - Inside the IRS with Pietro Canestrelli (Part 2)

Show Notes:

Welcome back to Tax Crime Junkies for part two of our conversation with Pietro Canestrelli, a seasoned tax attorney with an insider’s view of the IRS. If you missed part one, make sure to go back and listen to Pietro’s jaw-dropping stories about life inside the IRS, quirky characters, and the inefficiencies that make this massive organizati...

Tax Crime Junkies | Episode 47 - Inside the IRS with Pietro Canestrelli (Part 1)

Show Notes:

In this thrilling episode of Tax Crime Junkies, we dive into the mind of Pietro Canestrelli, a seasoned tax attorney who has spent years navigating both the world of tax law and the inside of the IRS. From battling audits to understanding the inner workings of the IRS, Pietro brings a wealth of experience and colorful stories that will keep...

Episode Summary: In this solo episode of The Fine Line Files, Dominique Molina delves into one of the most fascinating—and misunderstood—corners of tax law: what kind of income is taxable? Spoiler alert: it’s all of it. From selling lemonade to smuggling contraband, the IRS doesn’t discriminate. Every dollar earned leaves a paper trail, and Dom unpacks the legal and ethical dilemmas that arise for tax professionals navigating these...

In this episode of The Fine Line Files, Dom delves into a critical yet often overlooked aspect of tax planning—verifying client claims and spotting red flags. Drawing lessons from the Mike Miske case, we explore how unchecked assumptions can lead to massive consequences for both clients and tax professionals.

Join as she discusses:

• The importance of professional skepticism in tax planning.
• Real-life examples of red flags that ...

In this gripping episode of Tax Crime Junkies, we delve into the dark underworld of Hawaii, where paradise meets corruption. We unravel the chilling story of Michael Miske, a once-prominent businessman whose empire of pest control, nightclubs, and fireworks concealed a criminal enterprise of racketeering, drug trafficking, tax fraud, and violence.

From fraudulent financial schemes to acts of intimidation, and even allegations of mu...