July 14, 2025
SHARE
CANADALAND
#1192  How a Canadian Teenager Stole a Record Company
 “I'm scared shitless. I'm like, what? When is this gonna blow? Like, 'cause it's too good to be true.” Raphael Ghazarian.
Jesse Brown
Host & Publisher
Julian Abraham
Reporter
Bruce Thorson
Senior Producer
Caleb Thompson
Audio Editor
max collins
Director of Audio

Today we unmask the mastermind behind one of the most unlikely mysteries in hip hop history.

Digging through old FBI files to reveal the name of the arch villain who orchestrated a transnational scam that duped some of rap’s biggest players. And here’s a spoiler, the culprit was a teenager in Ottawa who juggled his international hip hop swindle with his high school math homework.

Further Reading:

Ben Westhoff Substack Article

FBI Files

More FBI Files

Credits

Host: Jesse Brown

Julian Abraham (Reporter and Composer), Caleb Thompson (Post Production), Bruce Thorson (Senior Producer), max collins (Director of Audio), Jesse Brown (Editor and Publisher)

Fact checking by Lucie Laumonier

Additional music by Audio Network & Julian Abraham

If you value this podcast, Support us! You’ll get premium access to all our shows ad free, including early releases and bonus content. You’ll also get our exclusive newsletter, discounts on merch at our store, tickets to our live and virtual events, and more than anything, you’ll be a part of the solution to Canada’s journalism crisis, you’ll be keeping our work free and accessible to everybody.

You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime.

Sponsors:

BetterHelp: Visit BetterHelp.com/canadaland today to get 10% off your first month.

SingleKey: Use the promo code CANADALAND to get your first tenant report free at singlekey.com.

Douglas: Douglas is giving our listeners a FREE Sleep Bundle with each mattress purchase. Get the sheets, pillows, mattress and pillow protectors FREE with your Douglas purchase today. Visit douglas.ca/canadaland to claim this offer

More from this series
“ It's not the time to turn your back and say, these are the wrong kind, these are not Canadians, or these are not our kind of people, or these are misinformed people.” -David Cayley
December 8, 2025
Someone thinks we should buy time on AM radio. Also, Alberta is Calling, quite literally, and they want a show.
December 4, 2025
“This idea of ‘gamblification,’ they're actually tracing features found in casino games that are being reproduced in games for little children.” - Sarah Grimes, professor in communication studies and the Wolf Chair in Scientific and Technological Literacy at McGill
December 1, 2025
“ Our concern is that we will see maternal or fetal death as a result of a lack of access to care in Kamloops.” -Alix Dolson
November 24, 2025
“This has been the most challenging couple years of my life as a broadcaster, maybe as a person too.” -Jesse Brown
November 17, 2025
We don't seem to question, at least not in the public discourse, what it means that the same investment firm is enmeshed with so many of our media companies. -Gemma Boothroyd
November 10, 2025
You’re an expert in something, so tell us what the media always gets wrong about your favourite thing.
November 6, 2025
“Just stop having this vibes based pump and dump hype economy and start paying attention to foundations and to human thriving.” -Cory Doctorow
November 3, 2025
all podcasts arrow All Podcasts
CANADALAND