Inside a Charleston Frat's Multimillion-Dollar Xanax Ring episode artwork

EPISODE · Jun 3, 2026 · 27 MIN

Inside a Charleston Frat's Multimillion-Dollar Xanax Ring

from Gone South · host Audacy Podcasts

In 2016, nine men tied to the College of Charleston's Kappa Alpha fraternity were arrested in what police initially described as a 40,000-pill Xanax bust. The real number was closer to three and a half million, along with cocaine, LSD, weed, luxury watches, a fleet of cars, and a grenade launcher. The crew had spent years pressing counterfeit pills in rented beach houses and shipping them across the country in Skittles bags, fueling an unregulated drug economy that ran straight through one of the most beautiful college campuses in America.Jed talks with journalist Max Marshall, author of the book "Among the Bros," about how he embedded himself in this world, his hundreds of hours of late-night phone calls with an imprisoned ringleader, and what the case reveals about American fraternities and the lives of the men inside them. Max Marshall's book is "Among the Bros: A Fraternity Crime Story" https://shorturl.at/ynPGOSubscribe to our newsletter: ⁠https://jedlipinski.substack.com/⁠ Connect with Jed Lipinski:⁠https://www.instagram.com/gonesouthpodcast/⁠https://www.facebook.com/groups/gonesouthpodcast/⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jed-lipinski/

In 2016, nine men tied to the College of Charleston's Kappa Alpha fraternity were arrested in what police initially described as a 40,000-pill Xanax bust. The real number was closer to three and a half million, along with cocaine, LSD, weed, luxury watches, a fleet of cars, and a grenade launcher. The crew had spent years pressing counterfeit pills in rented beach houses and shipping them across the country in Skittles bags, fueling an unregulated drug economy that ran straight through one of the most beautiful college campuses in America.Jed talks with journalist Max Marshall, author of the book "Among the Bros," about how he embedded himself in this world, his hundreds of hours of late-night phone calls with an imprisoned ringleader, and what the case reveals about American fraternities and the lives of the men inside them. Max Marshall's book is "Among the Bros: A Fraternity Crime Story" https://shorturl.at/ynPGOSubscribe to our newsletter: ⁠https://jedlipinski.substack.com/⁠ Connect with Jed Lipinski:⁠https://www.instagram.com/gonesouthpodcast/⁠https://www.facebook.com/groups/gonesouthpodcast/⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jed-lipinski/

NOW PLAYING

Inside a Charleston Frat's Multimillion-Dollar Xanax Ring

0:00 27:55

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

Girls Gone Wireless Girls Gone Wireless A uncensored podcast co-hosted by Kitty Li, Jadasaur, and guests- who provide raw, comedic insight on their own lives as content creators, dating advice, and sex. Explicit The Cocky Top Podcast Studio 66 THE Cocky Top Podcast is a sports podcast by a divided friendship. Brian, an avid South Carolina Gamecock and Tyler, an ’All Vol’ Tennesseean have been friends for over 10 years, but the thing that has always divided them was college football. On this show, they will discuss their individual teams throughout the football season, as well as, other high profile games around The SEC; with other high profile games, as a bonus.Tune into Cocky Top every Monday and Friday. Follow along and let us know who your favorite team is and how their season is going by emailing us at [email protected]. You can also find more by searching @studio_66tld on Instagram and Studio 66 on Facebook. Explicit Vista Da Great Vuyisile Mdutyulwa Based on raw and authentic life stories of ordinary and different people in all walks of the dusty streets of South Africa. Explicit Nabanoor Marse Tripura Mercy Tripura is a self-trained home cook, licensed/certified bartender and mixologist living in Canada. Her business venture started in Bangladesh with her fashion brand, Mercy’s, a Chittagong Hill Tracts-inspired modern clothing line. She is also the creator of the popular satire cooking series titled ”My Shada Bileti Gadha” on her YouTube channel Banglar Bartender. She is now the host of her brand new podcast Nabanoor, where she explores her culinary journey with her friends.Nabanoor aims to be the first Bangla language podcast for women across the planet. Get comfy dear Pookies as we dive into deep conversations along with delicious South Asian food.Connect with Mercy: https://www.youtube.com/@banglarbartender Explicit

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of Gone South?

This episode is 27 minutes long.

When was this Gone South episode published?

This episode was published on June 3, 2026.

What is this episode about?

In 2016, nine men tied to the College of Charleston's Kappa Alpha fraternity were arrested in what police initially described as a 40,000-pill Xanax bust. The real number was closer to three and a half million, along with cocaine, LSD, weed, luxury...

Can I download this Gone South episode?

Yes, you can download this episode by clicking the download button on the episode player, or subscribe to the podcast in your preferred podcast app for automatic downloads.
URL copied to clipboard!