Deep Cover
Deep Cover is a show about people who lead double lives. Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Jake Halpern reveals webs of deception and dark underworlds, through interviews with federal agents and convicted criminals.
Sarah Cavanaugh was many things: A decorated veteran. A Marine who saved her comrades. A young woman fighting cancer. She was stoic, humble, tough. In short: a hero. Sarah was everything people wanted her to be—until she wasn’t. Turns out, no one knew the real Sarah. Not her comrades. Not her wife. No one.
Lies tend to be fragile, temperamental things. Small ones may flourish, but the big ones die, wilting under their own weight—except in this case. The bigger it grew, the more real it became.
Jake Halpern and acclaimed investigative journalist Jess McHugh unravel an epic six-year deception that upended the lives of countless people.
To this day, much of this story is shrouded in mystery. There was never a trial and most of the people involved, including victims and investigators, have never spoken publicly in any depth.
In the sixth season of Deep Cover: The Truth About Sarah, Jake and Jess interview all of the key sources—including Sarah, herself—to tell this sprawling tale.
Season five covers the rise and fall of George Santos, the former Republican Congressman from New York, and the stories—many of which were not true—he told about his life and credentials.
Season four, The Nameless Man, tells the epic tale of two federal agents who investigate a rumor about a murder that supposedly took place 15 years prior. It is also the story of a family searching for answers about why their brother was killed. These two storylines collide in a courtroom in Philadelphia, where murder, memory, and morality go on trial.
Season three, Never Seen Again, tells the story of two women living on opposite sides of the country, who went missing in the summer of 1999. Seven years later, their stories collided when a small town detective got a tip and became convinced that if he could solve one mystery, he'd solve the other.
Season two, Mob Land, is about a high-rolling lawyer who joins forces with the feds to try to bring down one of the most powerful criminal syndicates in the country.
Season one, The Drug Wars, tells the story of an FBI agent who goes undercover with a biker gang, and follows a trail of clues that eventually leads to the US invasion of a foreign country.
Deep Cover drops on Mondays. To hear episodes early and ad-free, subscribe to Pushkin+ in Apple Podcasts or at pushkin.fm/plus.
iHeartMedia is the exclusive podcast partner of Pushkin Industries.
Latest episodes
Feb 20, 2023 • 28min
Episode 4: A Very Sophisticated Gal
When Esther flees New York, she inadvertently ignites a media firestorm. Reporters and TV producers rush to tell the story of the Ivy League imposter: the so-called “brazen brunette beauty” and “klepto brainiac.” Unaware of the media circus, Esther holes up in motels across the country – until the story catches up with her. Subscribe to Pushkin+ to hear all of Deep Cover Season 3 right now. Find Pushkin+ on the Deep Cover showpage in Apple Podcasts, or at pushkin.fm/plus using this link: bit.ly/3HeCERO. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Feb 13, 2023 • 39min
Episode 3: The Imposter
A woman named Esther Reed has been living in New York, but attending college under a different identity: Brooke Henson. When the NYPD tries to learn more, she flees. In this episode, Esther starts to tell her side of the story – and why she is on the run. Subscribe to Pushkin+ to hear all of Deep Cover Season 3 right now. Find Pushkin+ on the Deep Cover showpage in Apple Podcasts, or at pushkin.fm/plus using this link: bit.ly/3HeCERO. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Feb 6, 2023 • 36min
Episode 2: The Star Man
Detective Jon Campbell wants more information about the woman – at Columbia University – claiming to be Brooke Henson. He enlists the help of the Secret Service to get his hands on a treasure trove of documents. More leads, more aliases, more clues. Who is this mystery woman? Subscribe to Pushkin+ to hear all of Deep Cover Season 3 right now. Find Pushkin+ on the Deep Cover showpage in Apple Podcasts, or at pushkin.fm/plus using this link: bit.ly/3HeCERO. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jan 30, 2023 • 34min
Episode 1: The Dark Corner
Brooke Henson disappears from her home in Travelers Rest, South Carolina. No one can find her. She’s presumed dead. Then, seven years later, police receive a startling tip. Subscribe to Pushkin+ to hear all of Deep Cover Season 3 right now. Find Pushkin+ on the Deep Cover showpage in Apple Podcasts, or at pushkin.fm/plus using this link: bit.ly/3HeCERO. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jan 18, 2023 • 3min
Never Seen Again: Deep Cover Season 3
A small town detective gets a tip that leads him on an epic search. He believes he's uncovered an imposter. A fraud. A highly-trained chameleon. A foreign spy. The federal government gets involved. A nationwide manhunt commences. No one can find her. Now, she's telling her story to Jake Halpern for Deep Cover Season 3: Never Seen Again. Deep Cover Season 3: Never Seen Again, launches January 30th with new episodes weekly. Subscribe to Pushkin+ to hear the whole season at once. Find Pushkin+ on the Deep Cover showpage in Apple Podcasts, or at pushkin.fm./plus. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sep 19, 2022 • 27min
Camouflage Bias: Part 2
2022. After Ronnie Carrasquillo exhausts his appeals, he faces the Illinois Prisoner Review Board. But it seems each time Ronnie comes up for parole, he can’t escape the notoriety of his past. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sep 19, 2022 • 24min
Camouflage Bias: Part 1
1978. A few months after the Aleman trial wraps up, the presiding judge, Frank Wilson, sentences a young man named Ronnie Carrasquillo to 200-600 years in prison for murder. But Ronnie’s lawyer claims there's much more to the story. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mar 14, 2022 • 49min
Episode 10: The Witness
September 1997. Bob’s wiretap evidence culminates in two major trials and the downfall of a mafia kingpin. But was it all worth it for Bob? Tickets to my upcoming digital experience on true crime storytelling are on sale at momenthouse.com/dclh Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mar 7, 2022 • 38min
Episode 9: The Vanishing
November 1989. Bob’s undercover work has some serious consequences for an old friend. His days as an operative end suddenly when he flees Chicago.Tickets to my upcoming digital experience on true crime storytelling are on sale at momenthouse.com/dclh Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Feb 28, 2022 • 35min
Episode 8: The Big Fish
April 1989. Bob goes after his most important target: Pat Marcy. But as he works his way up the criminal ladder, he risks being discovered.Tickets to my upcoming digital experience on true crime storytelling are on sale at momenthouse.com/dclh Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
