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The Shallow End

204: Counterfeit Chaos & Diamond Disasters

The Shallow End

John Elliott and Lindsay Schnebly

Society & Culture, Comedy, History

4.9 • 612 Ratings

🗓️ 15 April 2026

⏱️ 36 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

What do a counterfeit cash scheme, a Target return counter, and a doomed diamond heist have in common? Absolutely terrible decision-making—and that’s exactly what’s waiting for you in this episode of The Shallow End. JG and Lindsay dive headfirst into two wildly absurd true crime stories that prove sometimes the biggest threat to criminals… is themselves. First, a man in Augusta, Georgia attempts to return a printer—only to accidentally leave behind sheets of freshly printed counterfeit money inside. What follows is a slow-motion unraveling of one of the least thought-out crimes imaginable, all thanks to a diligent retail employee and one very talkative machine. Then, things somehow get even worse. Meet Leroy and Marcy, two aspiring jewel thieves whose meticulously unmeticulously planned heist ends with smashed glass, a panicked escape, and a fateful elevator ride straight into disaster. With stolen diamond rings, a broken getaway plan, and one unforgettable attempt to hide evidence (yes… inside a human body), this story spirals into one of the most spectacularly botched robberies you’ll ever hear. Along the way, the team shares outrageous customer service horror stories—including attempted double refunds, questionable return logic, and the kind of retail chaos that makes you wonder how humanity functions at all. This episode is packed with laugh-out-loud moments, unbelievable true stories, and a reminder that crime doesn’t pay… especially when you forget the evidence in the printer. In this episode: A counterfeit operation undone by a simple return A jewelry heist foiled by… an elevator Real-life retail stories that defy logic Dumb decisions, instant consequences, and comedy gold If you love hilarious true crime, ridiculous criminals, and stories that make you feel just a little bit smarter by comparison, this episode is for you. Listen now—and remember: make good choices… your life might depend on it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0

Hi everyone, this is Scott. If you want to learn about the world's oldest civilizations, find out how they were rediscovered.

0:09.2

Follow the story of Mark Antony and Cleopatra's descendants over 10 generations, or take a deep dive into the Iron Age or the Hellenistic era,

0:18.8

then check out the Ancient World Podcast.

0:22.4

Available on all podcasting platforms or go to ancient world podcast.com.

0:28.8

That's the Ancient World Podcast.

0:32.9

It began long ago.

0:35.4

Two young boys in an American town riding their bikes to school and

0:39.4

Little League practice. Over the years, the boys became fast friends, united in their love

0:45.7

for stories where things would go horribly wrong. Pour yourself a strong beverage and buckle

0:53.4

up. You're in the shallow end with Schnebly and Toff.

0:56.7

I have to apologize, not to the listeners, because to them, you and I are rot on time, but to Jethro, I am, well, I was four or five minutes late because, as I explained to J.G., I had to shave because you can't do a podcast

1:12.2

if you're not clean shaving.

1:14.4

Is that, I didn't see that in the training film.

1:17.9

I can tell, not all of us got that memo, Jethro.

1:20.8

I failed to watch the training video completely, I guess.

1:23.4

Yeah.

1:24.4

So I apologize.

1:25.4

You can expect a sternly worded email from HR, believe me. Well, it wouldn't be the first time. For sure. I know that you know what that's like. I sure do. And thanks for bringing that up. Opening up that old wound. It's what friends do. Yes, it is. Remember that time you got suspended because, da, da, da, da, da. Tell them the story, Jethro.

1:46.6

This is a good one, you guys. Yeah, I got in trouble one time because my morning show radio

1:53.0

partner and I had a contest to see who could lose the most weight in January. We wanted to go

2:00.1

on a diet and we kind of tracked.

2:02.0

And every Monday we would weigh in.

...

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