FBI Case File Review

Retired agent Phillip Partin and Lubbock Police Detective Derick Smith review an abduction case where the subject threatened to expose explicit photos of a 14-year-old missing girl and harm her family, to coerce her to leave Texas and travel to Michigan with him. The FBI's Cellular Analysis Survey Team (CAST) was called in to assist with the case. By tracking their phones, the unknown male abducto...

Retired agent Kelly Liberti-Gardner reviews her investigation to identify and apprehend the unknown male who abducted a six-year-old girl from her home and abused her before releasing her in a different neighborhood 17 hours later. Using historical cell phone analysis and familial DNA, also known as investigative genetic genealogy, the unknown male was identified. This case marked the first use of...

Retired agents Lou Calvarese and Melissa Fortunato review their undercover roles in Operation Royal Charm, an investigation that used an undercover wedding ruse to dismantle an international smuggling ring bringing into the U.S. illegal drugs, cigarettes, and counterfeit $100 bills, known as North Korean "super notes," and conspiring to smuggle in weapons from North Korea as well. Task force membe...

Retired agent Mike Campi reviews his investigation of the Genovese crime family based on the cooperation of Michael "Cookie" D'Urso, a mafia associate who became a confidential source after he was shot in the head and left for dead. D'Urso worked with Mike Campi, recording the crimes of his fellow gangsters on a scale never seen before. Mike served in the FBI for 24 years. Check out episode show n...

Retired agent Scott Payne reviews his undercover role in Operation Roadkill, an FBI Boston Division investigation targeting members and associates of the local Taunton and Brockton, Massachusetts chapters of the Outlaws Motorcycle Club. In this undercover role, Scott became Scott Callaway, a Harley-loving, whiskey-drinking, site survey specialist from Texas. His two-year-long role in the case cont...

Retired agents Elizabeth "Liz" Mireles and Edmundo "Ed" Mireles, Jr. review the 1983 kidnapping conspiracy case where the wife of a former Colombian Ambassador to the United States, was abducted at gunpoint from the driveway of her home near Miami. The investigation took place in Miami, Alexandria, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. Liz and Ed were among the hundreds of FBI agents working 24/7 to find...

Retired agent Michael di Pretoro reviews his case assignments overseas as a Legal Attaché representing the FBI in Asia (Manila and Hong Kong) and Russia. As a former Deputy Assistant Director (DAD) in charge of International Operations, he also reviews the evolution of the Legat program. Mike served in the FBI for 30 years. Check out episode show notes, photos, and related articles:  https://jerri...

Retired agent David Gates reviews the investigation of the November 2013 Terminal 3 active shooter incident at the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). The shooting rampage resulted in the line of duty murder of Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Officer Gerardo Hernandez. Two other TSA officers were wounded, along with a passenger. This episode is dedicated to TSA Officer Gerardo He...

In this episode, retired agent Tom Burg reviews his domestic terrorism case about a 1970s conspiracy to overthrow the U.S. government with laser weaponry. During the three-year-long case, a Wausau, Wisconsin scientist was recruited as a cooperating witness. He provided invaluable information about the activities of dangerous right-wing extremists, who included a chemist, a Wisconsin assemblyman, a...

In part two of this two-part episode, retired agents Kevin Constantine and Mike Carazza, along with retired Boston Police Department (BPD) superintendent Frank Mancini, review the conclusion of their joint public corruption investigation of corrupt BPD police officers involved in the protection of shipments of multi-kilogram loads of cocaine. The Miami Division SWAT team and legendary undercover a...

In part one of this two-part episode, retired agents Kevin Constantine and Mike Carazza, along with retired Boston Police Department (BPD) superintendent Frank Mancini, review their joint public corruption investigation of BPD police officers involved in criminal acts. The officers engaged in identity theft, drug distribution, prostitution, obstruction of justice, robbery, threats, assault and bat...

FBI Director Christopher Wray recently announced he will resign from his position in January 2025. Two highlights of my post-FBI retirement career producing and hosting FBI Retired Case File Review are speaking one on one with Director Wray for the celebration of the 300th episode of FBI Retired Case File Review and having the honor of sitting next to him at the 2021 FBIAA G-Man Honors awards dinn...

Retired agent Geoffrey Kelly reviews the FBI's elite Art Crime Team and his investigation of Robert Mardirosian for possession of stolen art and the recovery, over 30 years after the crime occurred, of a Cezanne painting valued at over $29 million and other artwork stolen during the nation's largest residential art burglary. Geoff was one of the original members of the Art Crime Team, which was fo...

Retired agent David Gates reviews two investigations involving sexual assaults committed on board airplanes. He also provides tips to identify and raise awareness of this safety issue on flights. David spent most of his Bureau career assigned to the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). When he retired, he was considered one of the FBI's experts in crimes on board aircraft. David Gates served i...

Retired agent George E. Graves, Jr. reviews his investigation of five Orange, New Jersey Police Officers for the wrongful death and violation of the civil rights of Earl Faison. On April 8, 1999, Orange Police Department Officer Joyce Carnegie (RIP) was shot and killed by an armed robbery suspect she had stopped for questioning. Several days later, Faison was arrested as a suspect. He died less th...

Retired legendary undercover agent Joaquin "Jack" Garcia shares his thoughts about being honored on November 21, 2024, by the FBI Agents Association (FBIAA) as their G-Man Honors – Salute to FBI Heroes, Distinguish Service Honoree. During a replay of his previous interview on the podcast, he reviews some of his early undercover roles and his last assignment infiltrating the New York mob as "Jack F...

Retired agent Francis "Frank" Gasper, reviews his investigation of Elizabeth Kolling for trust account and elder fraud. Kolling, head of the trust department at the Dickinson North Dakota branch of the Bank of the West, had been appointed as the trustee for elderly bank clients who had no close relatives to help them manage their finances. Granted power of attorney over their trust accounts, she t...

Retired agent Kurt McKenzie reviews his Russian "birth tourism" investigation targeting boutique companies in South Florida that specialized in helping pregnant Russian mothers circumvent visa requirements to give birth in the U.S. and secure American citizenship for their newborns. Kurt McKenzie served in the FBI for 24 years.   Check out episode show notes, photos, and related articles:  https:/...

Retired agent Colton Seale reviews his time on the FBI Fly Team and the High-Value Detainee Interrogation Group (HIG). During his many deployments around the world, Colton has had assignments few Bureau employees have experienced, including being the only FBI agent to have set foot in bin Laden's compound and house. The Fly Team is a small, highly trained cadre of counterterrorism investigators—in...

In part two of this two-part episode, retired agents Vince Pankoke, Jr. and Tom Myers continue their review of Operation Dilido, a Group I Colombian Cali Cartel undercover investigation targeting one of the most prolific drug subjects, Julio "The Gun" Correa and his Miami based lieutenant, Nando. The investigation relied on surveillance and wiretap coverage and resulted in the seizure of 12 metal...

Retired agents Vince Pankoke, Jr. and Tom Myers review Operation Dilido, a Group I Colombian Cali Cartel drug undercover investigation targeting one of the most prolific drug subjects, Julio "The Gun" Correa and his Miami based lieutenant, Nando. The case relied on surveillance and wiretap coverage of multiple cell phones, hard lines, pagers and was one of the first investigations where the  Depar...

Retired agent Bill Shute reviews the investigation of the murder of LaToyia Figueroa, a high-profile crime case where Figueroa, five-months pregnant, was killed by her boyfriend and her body disposed of in Chester, PA, in July 2005. Bill worked with detectives from the PPD's homicide unit and, by analyzing cell site tower data, tracked the whereabouts of LaToyia Figueroa's boyfriend throughout the...

Dr. Kirk Yeager, the FBI's Chief Explosives Scientist and FBI's top bomb expert, reviews his experiences working as a Physical Scientist and Forensic Examiner for the FBI Laboratory's Explosives Unit. He and his team are tasked with analyzing explosives made by terrorists and developing advanced techniques to detect and prevent the next bomb attack. Kirk has co-authored with his sister, Selene Yea...

Retired agent Todd Schliem reviews his investigation of violent gang members of the Harvey Hustlers and its enforcement arm, the Murder Squad. They were responsible for multiple killings associated with illegal drug sales in the New Orleans area, and ruled the streets of Harvey, Louisiana for nearly 30 years. As they got rid of their rivals, they eventually turned on each other. Most members ended...

Retired agent Frank Burton, Jr. reviews a hate crime investigation where an Arab-American woman received a threatening note made up of vacation brochure clippings that warned "Remember 9/11" and "kids tie to the fence." The victim feared that she and her two young children would be harmed. Frank conducted over 40 interviews to identify and arrest the surprising creator of the anonymous note. Durin...