Maple Syrup Heist! w/ Conspiracy Theories, Cults, and Crimes
Crime Salad
06/04/26
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We joined Vanessa Richardson for a special deep dive into the sweetest crime Canada has ever seen. Between 2011 and 2012, a small, organized crew systematically drained nearly $18 million worth of maple syrup from the world's only strategic reserve, replacing it with water, barrel by barrel, while nobody noticed. The ingredients? A government-sanctioned monopoly, a decade-long grudge, and a facility with almost no security. The method? Forklifts, burner phones, and a black market network running from Québec all the way to New England.
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Imagine being at the height of your career when the FBI knocks on your door to deliver a terrifying message: someone has paid a dark web hitman to end your life. This week, we dive into the chilling, rapidly unfolding case involving pop singer Jack Avery of the band Why Don't We and the mother of his child, TikTok influencer Gabbie Gonzalez.
In May 2026, Gabbie, her father (a wealthy Florida attorney), and her ex-boyfriend were all arrested in a coordinated takedown for allegedly orchestrating a $14,000 murder-for-hire plot. We break down the bitter custody battle that started it all, the undercover sting operation that intercepted the dark web hit, and the wild lengths a family allegedly went to in order to secure full custody.
Sources & Resources:
- unsealed affidavits
- Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office Press Release (May 19, 2026)
- If you or someone you know is navigating a high-conflict custody battle or experiencing domestic abuse, reach out to the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE or text "START" to 88788
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Next Episode
In February 1991, a relaxing family vacation to Puerto Peñasco (Rocky Point), Mexico, transformed into a horrific nightmare. Trish Willoughby, a highly successful business owner from Phoenix, Arizona, was found brutally attacked inside a rental condominium at Las Conchas Beach.
Her husband, Daniel Willoughby, painted the picture of an open-and-shut tragedy, claiming a random local robbery had occurred while he was visiting a nearby museum with their three young children. But back across the border, the ultimate family-man facade was already beginning to crack.
Investigators quickly uncovered a twisted web of intense greed, an unraveling multi-million-dollar empire, and Dan's secret affair with his mistress, Ysenia Patino Gonzalez. What followed was an incredibly rare cross-border investigation that pushed the boundaries of international law. When Arizona investigators finally stepped into the crime scene, forensic evidence completely dismantled Dan’s alibi.
Trish Willoughby, Patricia Willoughby, Daniel Hayden Willoughby, Dan Willoughby murder, Ysenia Patino Gonzalez, Rocky Point, Mexico, murder, Puerto Peñasco crime scene, Las Conchas beach condo, Arizona Supreme Court, true crime podcast, Crime Salad, insurance fraud murder, and cross-border investigation.
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