A Story of hidden, stolen, and reclaimed identity.

As a closeted gay teenager, lying was familiar to Mark Olmsted. Concealing parts of his identity was just part of the deal–and he was good at it. But when the AIDS crisis threatened his life and left him with little to lose, the lying would turn so grandiose that no one who knew him could quite believe it. 

In part two, Mark discusses his increased trajectory of deception in the immediate years after a death in the family. With his health hanging in the balance and hopes dashed after a dream screenplay project falls through, casual drug use and debauchery would eventually give rise to dealing methamphetamine in the Los Angeles gay scene–a desperate scenario that would lead to a dramatic encounter with law enforcement. With things escalating beyond his control, Mark would devise a plan to carry out the biggest act of fraud deception yet, but would it be enough to finally turn his life around for good?

Produced by Mike Martinez, Tyler Wray, and Grace Heerman. Music by Mike Etten. Sound design by George Drake, Jr.

Photos by Clarke Tolton

For more about Mark, you can purchase his book Ink From The Pen: A Prison Memoir HERE.

*This episode contains descriptions of sexual situations, listener discretion is advised.