The Paddlefish Caviar Heist

The Paddlefish Caviar Heist

"Best True Crime Podcast" Nominee, 2023 Ambies Warsaw, Missouri, is a small, rural town of just over 2,000 people in the American Midwest. Locally it’s known as the “quiet end of the Lake of the Ozarks.” Very few realize that it’s the paddlefish capital of the world. But when a new group arrived driving flashy, imported cars and dropping hundreds of dollars on bait and tackle, the town became the setting for an undercover federal sting operation tasked with bringing down a suspected international caviar poaching ring. The Paddlefish Caviar Heist is a production of Imperative Entertainment and Vespucci and is written and hosted by Helen Hollyman. For Imperative Entertainment, the Executive Producer is Jason Hoch. For Vespucci, the executive producers are Daniel Turcan and Johnny Galvin. David Gauvey Herbert is Executive Producer. Based on original script reporting by David Gauvey Herbert. The series producer is Aron Keller. The story editor is Matt Willis. Thomas Curry is the managing producer. Cover art and design by Jeana Sullivan. Audio recording by Austin Sisler at Eastside Studios. Audio mix and sound-design by Matt Peaty.

Episodes

October 7, 2022 6 mins
Warsaw, Missouri, is a small, rural town of just over 2,000 people in the American Midwest. Locally it’s known as the “quiet end of the Lake of the Ozarks.” Very few realize that it’s the paddlefish capital of the world. But when a new group arrived driving flashy, imported cars and dropping hundreds of dollars on bait and tackle, the town became the setting for an undercover federal sting operation tasked with bringing down a susp...
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Journalist Helen Hollyman arrives in Warsaw, Missouri determined to solve the mystery of how a suspected international caviar poaching ring infiltrated this small midwest town to steal its most prized possession. When fish guts start appearing on the roadside, it takes a daring undercover sting — Operation Roadhouse — to catch the criminals. Could it really be true? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoic...
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October 31, 2022 32 mins
Helen realizes that to get to the truth, she needs to start fishing where the fish are. Immersing herself in Warsaw’s ‘snagging’ culture, Helen discovers that this town has fallen prey to Paddlefish poachers before. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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November 7, 2022 29 mins
Why would criminals travel halfway across the world to the Ozarks in search of fish eggs? To answer that question, we need to travel back in time to Tsarist Russia and the Soviet Union, to understand how caviar became such a coveted and valuable delicacy.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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November 14, 2022 28 mins
Back in Missouri, Helen lands a meeting with a top conservation official. She gets the inside scoop on why Operation Roadhouse was launched and how it was executed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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November 21, 2022 29 mins
Who was pulling the paddlefish poachers’ strings? Helen zeroes in on some of Roadhouse’s biggest suspects, but is also forced to confront a troubling question from her own past.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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November 28, 2022 33 mins
An old friend helps Helen shed some light on the shady side of the caviar industry. Meanwhile, a visit to a lawyer in the Hampton’s causes Helen to question everything she’s been told about this case.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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December 5, 2022 32 mins
Making her final visit to Warsaw, Helen learns about the aftermath of Operation Roadhouse. She discovers an uncertain, but hopeful future for this vulnerable fish and the communities who care about it.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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Here’s your special preview episode of the new series Elizabeth the First – about the remarkable life of Elizabeth Taylor. In our preview, Elizabeth Taylor meets Richard Burton on the set of Cleopatra. And the rest is Hollywood History. Headline News says ‘I love Elizabeth the First’ and the Toronto Star says the podcast is ‘sumptuously produced’. Find out what all the buzz is about by listening to the full series right now: htt...
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December 12, 2022 28 mins
Helen interviews award-winning environmental journalist and author, Michelle Nijhuis about wildlife crime, protecting Paddlefish, and the history of the modern conservation movement. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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