An Angus Cattle Ponzi Scheme

All Things Considered:

What do you get if you combine the Ponzi-scheme of Bernie Madoff with a wily Midwestern rancher?
While Madoff's mastermind plan was becoming clear in New York, out in tiny Howard County, Mo., there was another crook who was swindling dozens of farmers across the country.
For two years, mustachioed and smooth-talking Kevin Ray Asbury ran a racket that went a little something like this: He lured customers with top-shelf Angus cattle. They would buy into the herd, or sell their own for breeding.
The only problem was Asbury kept using the same cows, telling multiple investors they were theirs. With their money, he moved on up — built a million-dollar home and drove around in a Mercedes. Everyone in town just thought he was doing really well — until the scheme cracked.

What a mess.  Con men fascinate me.  I'm just not sure how they put these giant swindles together and sell them to people, knowing that they will eventually unravel, and dozens of people will want them dead.  It just doesn't make sense to me.  And why build a million-dollar home?  Stuff the money in an offhore bank, then disappear before the sceme unwinds.  Geez, why hang around.