The Truth Behind McDonald's Monopoly Scam by Chris Graham

Summary

In this interview, former FBI squad supervisor Chris Graham discusses his involvement in high-profile cases, including the McDonald's Monopoly fraud and the Grand Nighthawk plot. Graham details the behind-the-scenes investigative work, the challenges faced, and the surprising outcomes of these cases. From the far-reaching scam that compromised McDonald's Monopoly game for years to the infiltration of a white supremacist group planning a murder, Graham's stories highlight the dedication and intricacies of law enforcement work.

Takeaways

• 👉 Chris Graham, a former FBI squad supervisor, discussed various cases he worked on, including the McDonald's Monopoly fraud and an infiltration of a white supremacist group.
• 🔨 The McDonald's Monopoly game was compromised for years, with high-value prizes being manipulated by an inside source.
• 🔥 Jerry Jacobson, who worked for Simon Marketing and was responsible for the game pieces, was identified as a key figure in the McDonald's Monopoly scam.
• 💎 The FBI used an undercover operation named Shamrock Productions to gather evidence against past winners involved in the scam.
• 🕞 The 9/11 attacks shifted the FBI's focus away from white-collar crimes like the McDonald's Monopoly fraud to terrorism-related cases.
• 🔺 Post-9/11, the McDonald's Monopoly case was significantly deprioritized, and resources were allocated to more urgent security matters.
• 🔧 Jerry Jacobson was sentenced to prison and ordered to pay restitution, but his repayment plan was quite lenient.
• 🔯 The case against white supremacist groups, including the Grand Nighthawk, showed deep infiltration by the FBI within such organizations.
• 🔮 The FBI prevented a murder planned by the Grand Nighthawk group by staging the victim's death and capturing the conspirators' reactions.
• 🔲 There was a notable difference in sentencing between the McDonald's Monopoly case and other financial crimes, possibly due to the timing and priorities of the justice system.
• 👍 Chris Graham highlighted the competitive nature and internal conflicts within white supremacist groups, which sometimes aids infiltration by law enforcement.

Q & A

What was the initial reaction of Chris Graham when he heard about the McDonald's Monopoly fraud allegation?

Chris Graham was initially skeptical about the McDonald's Monopoly fraud allegation because it seemed far-fetched. However, he was intrigued and decided to do some due diligence to verify the informant's claims.

How did the FBI agents, Doug Matthews and Rick Dent, become involved in the McDonald's Monopoly fraud case?

Doug Matthews and Rick Dent were working on healthcare fraud cases and had developed a source who informed them about the McDonald's Monopoly games being compromised. They brought this information to their supervisor, Chris Graham.

What role did Jerry Jacobson play in the McDonald's Monopoly fraud scheme?

Jerry Jacobson was the head of security for Simon Marketing, the company that contracted with McDonald's to run the Monopoly games. He was responsible for the pieces and allegedly orchestrated the fraud by giving high-value game pieces to co-conspirators.

How did the FBI confirm the McDonald's Monopoly fraud was real?

The FBI confirmed the fraud by analyzing phone records that showed common numbers called by both Jerry Jacobson and the winners, which was statistically improbable if there was no connection. This provided the evidence they needed to proceed with the case.

What was the strategy behind creating Shamrock Productions for the McDonald's Monopoly fraud case?

Shamrock Productions was a fake movie production company created by the FBI to lure past winners into retelling their stories on camera. This was a strategy to get them to incriminate themselves by lying about how they won, providing further evidence for the case.

How did the events of September 11th impact the McDonald's Monopoly fraud investigation?

After September 11th, the focus of the FBI shifted dramatically towards terrorism cases, and resources previously allocated to the McDonald's Monopoly fraud case were redirected. This left only a few agents and a prosecutor to continue working on the case.

What was the public's initial response to the news of the McDonald's Monopoly fraud?

The public's initial response was largely dismissive, mainly because the news was reported by tabloids and was overshadowed by more significant events like the 9/11 attacks. Many did not take the allegations seriously at first.

What was the outcome for Jerry Jacobson after the McDonald's Monopoly fraud case?

Jerry Jacobson pled guilty to the charges and was sentenced to prison, but due to the changing priorities post-9/11, his sentence was lighter than it might have been otherwise. He was released in 2006 and was paying restitution at a rate of $370 per month.

Can you provide an example of how the FBI used undercover operations to build the case against the Klan in the Grand Nighthawk case?

In the Grand Nighthawk case, the FBI used an informant who had gained the trust of the Klan members. This informant was tasked with planning and 'executing' a murder, which was staged with the victim's cooperation. The Klan members boasted about the 'murder' in front of staged photos, providing solid evidence for the FBI.

What was the significance of the Grand Nighthawk case in terms of law enforcement's approach to infiltrating hate groups?

The Grand Nighthawk case demonstrated the effectiveness of undercover operations in infiltrating and dismantling hate groups. It showed that even within these groups, there can be divisions and mistrust, which law enforcement can exploit to gain insight and evidence.

How did Chris Graham reflect on his FBI career after retirement when discussing his experiences?

Chris Graham expressed that being retired allowed him to share his stories, which otherwise might not be heard. He seemed to find enjoyment and fulfillment in discussing his past cases and the impact of his work.