TAMPA, Fla. — Matthew Cox spent years creating identities, forging documents and manipulating the mortgage industry. His crimes eventually made him a federal fugitive, cost financial institutions millions of dollars and resulted in a 26-year prison sentence. Today, Cox makes his living talking about crime rather than committing it. From a studio near the Florida State Fairgrounds, Cox hosts Inside True Crime, a long-form interview show built around conversations with former c

TAMPA, Fla. — On paper, retired FBI agent Tom Simon and former fraudster Matthew Cox probably shouldn't be friends. Simon spent 26 years with the FBI investigating criminals. Cox spent years committing sophisticated bank and mortgage fraud before becoming a federal fugitive and eventually serving 13 years in prison. Both men even appeared on CNBC's American Greed — Simon discussing criminals he investigated and Cox for the considerably less flattering reason of being one of t

How podcasts, YouTube and independent producers are turning crime stories into a growing entertainment business TAMPA, Fla. — True crime was once largely the territory of paperback writers, network television producers and programs such as Dateline and 48 Hours. Today, a microphone, cameras and a small production team can turn a criminal case into a podcast episode or YouTube documentary capable of reaching hundreds of thousands—or millions—of viewers. In Tampa Bay, that tran

True crime has become one of the most popular genres in podcasting and streaming, and researchers have long noticed a striking pattern in its audience: women make up the overwhelming majority of listeners and viewers. Psychologists have spent the past decade trying to understand why. Woman listening to a true crime podcast while traveling by bus. One leading theory centers on fear management. Studies suggest that women are drawn less to violence itself and more to the mechani