Early life
Nygaard was born inLaw enforcement career
In 1985, after graduating from thePrivate investigator career
After retiring from police work, Nygaard moved toTransition to psychic fraud work
An incident in late 2008 at a neighborhood bar set Nygaard on the career path of investigatingTelevision appearances
ABC News and ''20/20''
In April 2014,''Dr. Oz: The Prevalence of Fake Psychics''
On May 7, 2018, Nygaard and one of his clients (Priti Mahalanobis) appeared on the Dr. Oz television show to discuss the way in which Ms. Mahalanobis had been scammed out of $136,000 by a fake psychic in Orlando named Peaches Stevens.{{R, DrOz{{R, SI1''Pink Collar Crimes''
On August 11, 2018,''The Con''
On March 17, 2021, ABC TV aired episode 6 of season 1 of '' The Con'', "The Psychic Con"{{R, DGE which interviews Nygaard and mentalistNotable psychic fraud cases
Priscilla Kelly Delmaro
In 2015, on behalf of his client fromGina Marie Marks
{{Main, Gina MarksMelissa Lee
In 2017, Melissa Lee ofLinda Marks
In 2017, a woman fromSherry Tina Uwanawich
On September 6, 2019, Sherry Tina Uwanawich (aka Jacklyn Miller), a self-proclaimed "Gypsy healer", was sentenced to 40 months of incarceration by a U.S. District Judge in Florida, and ordered to pay restitution to Nygaard's client.{{R, Banks{{R, USDOJ Uwanawich said she grew up in the "Roma culture", and the women in her family all made money in fortune-telling "at the behest of the men". She had worked at low-income locations until 17 years old, when she encountered Nygaard's client, who was then 27-year-old, at the Galleria inConcerns over inconsistent fraud prosecution
Nygaard says that when people report to law enforcement that they are victims of psychic fraud, they are often told that it is a civil matter, and are turned away. He says that he tries to bring the case to law enforcement "wrapped in a bow", saying, "Listen, when this person first came in, you told them it was a civil matter ... You know what? I know differently. It's a criminal matter".{{R, ABCNews1 But despite his success with high-profile convictions, Nygaard says he still often encounters resistance by law enforcement when he presents them with the evidence of psychic fraud.{{R, ABCNews1 "I would like to say that things have changed, but it's like every time I walk into a new place, you're talking to a new detective or prosecutor ... Some have learned about it; a lot haven't. You still see this attitude that, 'They did it on their own free will — there's no crime here.'"{{R, Broward1{{R, LATimes1 Nygaard says that while theComments on psychics and victims
As a result of his work, Nygaard has been an outspoken critic of psychics andSupport of organized skepticism
Beginning in 2018, Nygaard began interacting with theBeliefs
When asked his opinion on anyone actually having psychic powers, Nygaard said, "Listen, no one has ever proved that they have psychic abilities since the beginning of time. AndSee also
{{columns-list, colwidth=20em, *References
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