FBI Case File Review

Retired agent Mark Sewell, a former Marine, reviews several stolen valor cases, including the investigation of Shane Ladner, a police officer accused of lying about receiving a Purple Heart and benefiting financially from the medal deception.  Check out episode show notes, photos, and related articles: https://jerriwilliams.com/episode-220-mark-sewell-stolen-valor-military-imposters/       Buy me...

Retired agent Terry Kerns and former agent Bryanna Fox review their investigation of Rick Van Thiel, accused of practicing medicine without a license. Terry and Bryanna and members of the Las Vegas Joint Terrorism Task Force gathered evidence and witness statements that "Dr. Rick" was performing surgical procedures, including abortions. A former porn actor, he preferred to be nude while treating h...

Retired agent Darren Mott reviews a software intellectual property theft case code named Operation Sudden Urge, at the time, one of the FBI's largest online takedowns. This internet piracy investigation, which used a well-placed informant, multiple clandestine computer servers, and undercover identities resulted in search warrants and arrests in over 20 US cities, and across 7 countries. Check out...

Retired agent Kevin Rust reviews his initial investigation of WorldCom, at the time, the USA's second largest long-distance telephone company. The company's senior executives orchestrated a scheme to inflate earnings in order to maintain WorldCom's stock price. It was a major corporate fraud accounting scandal.  Check out episode show notes, photos, and related articles. https://jerriwilliams.com/...

Retired agent Joe Robuck reviews his DUI ticket-fixing corruption and bribery case involving more than 6000 DUI (Driving Under the Influence) tickets never adjudicated over a 10-15-year period in the 1980s and 1990s. Joe's investigation proved that Assistant Traffic Court Solicitor, Walter "Ken" London, for bribes between $1500 and $6500 per case made them all disappear. His daughter, Jennifer Lon...

Reader Team Meetup - October 2020 Welcome to a bonus episode of FBI Retired Case File Review. This a recording of my live Zoom meetup with members of my FBI true crime - crime fiction Reader Team. On October 29, I had a blast hanging out with Reader Team members and discussing how the FBI is portrayed in books, TV, and movies. Also in attendance were several retired and former agents who have been...

How do you sit across from a person who has sexually abused a child and have a conversation with purpose? Retired agent Jim Kyle reviews several of his child predator cases and the conversation with purpose interview strategy. Using this innovative investigative technique, he successfully investigated several hundred Crime Against Children cases to include eight known Child Victim Identification P...

Retired agent Andrew Bringuel reviews his five-year-long Acmar Landfill case where evidence was gathered to prove illegally disposed of solid waste resulted in the discharged of leachate and other pollutants into Big Black Creek in St. Clair County, Alabama. The investigation also involved associates of the Genovese crime family and corrupt public officials. As a result of the case, Andy Bringuel...

Retired agent Tom O'Connor reviews investigations involving criminal activity and violence conducted by racially motivated and antigovernment violent extremists, to include neo-Nazi and other hate-based groups, as well as lone actors. He served as the WFO program coordinator for these matters. Tom has provided instruction on Domestic and International Terrorism issues across the United States and...

Former agent Melissa Osborne, a licensed pharmacist prior to her appointment, reviews the FBI major case code named Diluted Trust. The investigation involved Robert Courtney, a Kansas City pharmacist who diluted cancer drugs that he prepared for physicians. Robert Courtney pleaded guilty to intentionally diluting 98,000 prescriptions given to 4,200 patients. He was sentenced to 30 years in federal...

Retired agents Billy Ebersole and Ossie DeJesus review the Tratados Quimicos (Chemical Treatments) case, where a Colombian drug trafficking cell had a shipment of 1000 kilograms of cocaine with a street value of $25 million hidden inside big metal chlorine gas containers at Dundalk Terminal near Baltimore. Billy, the case agent, had his informant introduced Ossie, the undercover agent, to the traf...

Retired agent Victor E. Hartman served the FBI for 25 years with most of his time overseeing complex white-collar crime cases. He reflects on the mindset of the white-collar crime defendant. and takes us through the three types of fraud – misappropriation of assets, corruption, and financial statement fraud. Hartman makes the distinction of a predatory fraudster versus situational fraudster by com...

Retired agent Elaine Smith reviews her efforts to convince Ken "Tokyo Joe" Eto, the highest-ranking Asian-American mob associate, to cooperate against the Chicago mob, also known as "The Outfit." In an attempt to secure his cooperation, Elaine Smith successfully investigated Joe for interstate gambling violations. He turned her down until his mob associates attempted to kill him by shooting him in...

Retired agent Sterling Owen reviews the Butcher Bank failure case, his nearly four-year investigation of Jake and C.H. Butcher Jr., who operated a multi-billion dollar banking empire in Tennessee and Kentucky. The brothers, using a complex loan scam to steal millions of dollars from bank clients, led lives of wealth and the power, but were eventually convicted of fraud and conspiracy and sentenced...

Retired Special Agent in Charge (SAC) Wayne Davis served 25 years with the FBI and during his career ran the Detroit and Philadelphia Offices. SAC Davis was among the first group of fully qualified African-American agents hired by the FBI and allowed to attend the FBI Academy in 1962 and 1963. In this episode, he provides a fascinating personal and historical account of diversity in the FBI and hi...

Retired agent Sonja Nordstrom, a certified handler and trainer of Search & Rescue/Recovery K9s, reviews her journey with her dogs, the role the dog plays in a case, how they can best benefit a case, different uses in cases/capabilities of dogs, and highlights some of their successful cases. Since retiring from the FBI, Sonja is now the owner/operator of Heimdallr K9 Services, an international prov...

Retired agent Scott Lobb, who worked child sex crimes, juvenile prostitution and kidnappings cases in Oklahoma City, reviews his efforts to obtain a confession from convicted murderer and kidnapper Franklin Delano Floyd for the murder of six-year-old Michael Hughes. The investigation led to the shocking discovery of the true identity of Michael's mother, Suzanne Sevakis, also known as Sharon Marsh...

Retired agent Mark Safarik spent the last half of his career as a member of the elite Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU) where he established himself as an internationally recognized expert in the analysis and interpretation of violent criminal behavior. In this episode, Safarik discusses his analytical work on spree killings and the differences between spree, serial, and mass killings. He also talks...

Retired agent Jim Casey reviews a Group I undercover case from early in his career when he was in the Detroit Field Office and assigned to investigate a major auto-theft ring stealing Mercedes Benz luxury cars, and equipment and vehicles from the Ford Motor Company. Two of his fugitive subjects were caught after being featured on the TV show "America's Most Wanted." Check out episode show notes, p...

Supervisory Intelligence Analyst (IA) Sierra Stanczyk answers listeners questions about the Intelligence Analyst position, providing details on the qualifications, requirements, and duties of the job. Special Agent and Applicant Coordinator Cerena Coughlin provides updates on the FBI's current recruitment efforts, and, toward the end of the episode, (1:07:55) she discusses other non-agent position...

Retired agent Gina Osborn reviews an assignment from early in her career, when she worked on a Westminster Police Department Task Force targeting Asian Organized Crime in Little Saigon District of Orange County. Gina and her Westminster PD partner, Detective Tommy Rackleff, known by Vietnamese gangsters as "Old Guy and The Blonde," were successful in dismantling video gambling, extortion, prostitu...

Retired agent Chris Graham reviews the investigation of the long-term compromise of McDonald's Corporation's promotional games, which utilized wiretaps, undercover operations, and detailed financial analysis. At the time, he was the White Collar Crime and Healthcare Fraud squad supervisor in Jacksonville Field Office. The case, officially known as Operation Final Answer, is the subject of the HBO...

Retired agent John Iannarelli reviews safety tips for parents on how to keep teens safe online and on social media. He talks about predators, scams, identity theft, cyber bullying, and sextortion. Check out episode show notes, photos, and related articles. https://jerriwilliams.com/episode-199-john-iannarelli-keeping-teens-safe-online/     Buy me a coffee - https://www.buymeacoffee.com/JerriWillia...

Retired agent James "Jimmy" Gagliano reviews his early days in the FBI and his training and assignments as an undercover agent (UCA). He shares stories about those who inspired him, including FBI TV characters, mafia underboss, Sammy "The Bull" Gravano, who he "babysat" during a protection detail, and FBI UCA legends Joe Pistone and Joaquin "Big Jack" Garcia. Check out episode show notes, photos,...

Retired agent Nancy Savage reviews the life and career of retired FBI agent Robert Levinson and the 13-year fight to bring "Bob" home. He had not been publicly seen or heard from since March 9, 2007, when he was kidnapped while visiting Kish Island in Iran. In March 2020, the Levinson family announced that they had received information from U.S. officials that has led both to conclude that their w...