Lurking in the Fog

Crime doesn’t always wear a mask — sometimes it hides behind policy, politics, and good intentions. In this episode of Lurking in the Fog, we step into the gray zone of bail reform with Ken W. Good, appellate attorney and leading voice in U.S. bail policy. What begins as a legal debate quickly turns into a brutal reality: repeat offenders released without accountability, victims left unprotected,...

In this episode of Lurking in the Fog, we are joined by Kelby Ballena, a seasoned paralegal specialist with a 20-year career that spans criminal defense, white-collar investigations, and international arbitration battles. Through a deceptively simple question—“What is a crime, really?”—Kelby peels back the legal labels and statistics that politicians manipulate and prosecutors negotiate. He shows...

In this episode of Lurking in the Fog, we are joined by Bryan Earl, a seasoned attorney, investigator, and former FBI Special Agent with over two decades of experience unraveling financial crime and corruption. From post-Soviet corruption to offshore laundering schemes, Earl walks us through one of the most consequential investigations of his career: the prosecution of a former Ukrainian Prime Min...

In this harrowing episode of Lurking in the Fog, we are joined by Adam Zarnowski, a former CIA officer and specialist in human trafficking, organized crime, and digital forensics. Drawing from his experience in intelligence and investigations, Zarnowski walks us through the darkest corridors of modern slavery, where victims are trafficked not only across borders but within families, institutions,...

In this episode of Lurking in the Fog, we are joined by Archana Bae, the CEO and founder of Porta Strategies. With nearly 25 years of experience spanning investigations, intelligence analysis, risk management, and consulting across public, private, and nonprofit sectors, Archana brings a rich perspective on national security and financial crime. Through a captivating anecdote, she recounts a caree...

In this gripping episode of Lurking in the Fog, we are joined by Detective Marc Evans, a seasoned financial crimes detective, certified fraud examiner, and co-founder of Fraud Hero. With over 12 years of law enforcement experience, Detective Evans takes us deep into the intricate world of fraud investigation. From identity theft and social engineering to high-stakes financial scams, he unpacks the...

"The Anatomy of Corruption in Mexico" In this fascinating episode of Lurking in the Mist, we are joined by Estefanía Medina, an accomplished attorney, co-founder of Tohil, and vice-president of the Anti-Corruption Commission of the International Chamber of Commerce of Mexico. With more than 12 years of experience, Estefania recounts her work investigating criminal networks within the government it...

This episode of Lurking in the Fog features Coleman Flaherty, who shares his gripping journey through the financial industry, marked by substance abuse, regulatory violations, and redemption. Flaherty recounts his early career struggles, starting at Dean Witter in 1989, where substance abuse quickly derailed his path. Over six tumultuous years, he moved between firms, committing unauthorized trade...

In the shadows of the U.S. visa system, a sinister world of human trafficking and organized crime thrives. Join us for this podcast as we talk with special guest John Freeman who spent 21 years as a special agent in the Diplomatic Security Service, the law enforcement and security arm of the U.S. State Department. He worked domestically and internationally protecting dignitaries, securing major ev...

Our guest David Cook, is a U.S. Army veteran with expertise in psychological operations and open source intelligence. The analysis focuses on influencing foreign audiences and countering recruitment by groups such as ISIS. It discusses how these tactics are evolving in today's information age, particularly concerning OSINT's role in national security. Cook also tells how misinformation, smokescree...

Join us on our seventeenth episode with Ícaro Avelar, a crypto lawyer who developed his career in the corporate environment, working as an in-house legal counsel for large, multinational Japanese and Austrian companies. He has significant experience in providing legal advice for Web3 projects, being responsible for regulatory enforcement in the companies he advises. Ícaro has made sure to stay on...

Join us on our sixteenth episode with Jim Crotty, a senior fellow at the Center for Advanced Defense Studies (C4ADS), where he supports their Organized Crime and Grand Corruption team on projects related to drug trafficking, money laundering, and transnational organized crime networks. He served as the Deputy Chief of Staff at the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), where he assisted with strat...

Join us on our fifteenth episode with Daren Firestone, former federal prosecutor and white house attorney. During his time in the United States Department of Justice Tax Division, Daren led scores of white collar criminal tax prosecutions and investigations involving healthcare fraud, government procurement fraud, bankruptcy, and identity theft. He handled criminal cases involving off-shore accoun...

Join us on our fourteenth episode with Meghana Vodela, a District XI Assistant Public Defender with the Maryland Office of the Public Defender. As a graduate of the American University Washington College of Law, Meghana is passionate about dismantling long-standing injustices within the U.S. criminal justice system. She was a student attorney for the university's Women and the Law Clinic (now rena...

Join us on our thirteenth episode with Dr. Louise I. Shelley, founder and director of the Terrorism, Transnational Crime and Corruption Center (TraCCC) at George Mason University. She is one of the foremost experts in money laundering, illicit trade, human trafficking, wildlife trafficking, and other forms of transnational organized crime. Her academic career started off with extensive study on Ru...

Join us on our twelfth episode with Vincent Scott, a U.S. Navy veteran with more than 30 years of cyber experience. His career in military operations centered around cyber warfare and information warfare, allowing him to conduct Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) activities at various levels. As a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, Vince served as a Naval Cryptologist in numerous...

Join us on our eleventh episode with Glenn Karabeika, a retired special agent with over 30 years of experience in the U.S. Customs Service Office of Investigations and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, working in the Homeland Security Investigations Counterproliferation Investigations Unit. In addition, Glenn also has over 30 years of experience as an electronic surveillance technical agen...

Join us on our tenth episode, a special cross-over episode with "Fraudish," a podcast hosted by Kelly Paxton. Our guest has over 20 years of experience as a Certified Fraud Examiner, Private Investigator, and Professional Speaker. Ms. Paxton was a Special Agent for the US Customs Office of Investigations from 1993-1998, and has investigative experience working for the Department of Homeland Securi...

Join us on our ninth episode with Sylvia Tidey, a cultural anthropologist and Associate Professor at the University of Virginia in the Anthropology Department and Global Studies Program. In her first research project, Tidey examined the continuation of civil service corruption in Indonesia in the aftermath of stringent anti–­corruption measures meant to promote “good governance.” In her book title...

Join us on our eighth episode with Dan Ramey, a distinguished financial fraud investigator and forensics accountant. Ramey is the Founder and President of Houston Financial Forensics, LLC, a past President of of the Houston Chapter of the Institute of Internal Auditors, and previously served as Chairman of the Houston CPA Society's Forensic and Valuation Committee. He is currently an adjunct profe...

Join us on our seventh episode with Carlos De la Espriella, a distinguished attorney, human rights advocate, and legal scholar from Colombia. Carlos earned his J.D. with a concentration in criminal law from Universidad de Los Andes, and later pursued further specialization. He received a Masters of Law in procedural law from Universidad Externado de Colombia and Queen Mary University of London. Ca...

Join us on our sixth episode with Colin Schmitt, who recently retired from the FBI after 25 years during which he investigated crimes involving frauds and swindles regarding cryptocurrency, money laundering, securities fraud, bank fraud, bankruptcy fraud, wire fraud, kidnappings, and more. He is a certified fraud examiner and anti-money laundering specialist. On this episode we will discuss variou...

Join us on our fifth episode with Bernardo Weaver, who is an international lawyer by trade and has more than 20 years of experience representing large multinational corporations, business executives and high-ranking government officials in different continents. On this episode we will explore how lawyers assist with financial crime investigations, and discuss cases ranging from fraud on the Intern...

Join us on our fourth episode with John Schwartz, who has over three decades of service for his country: nine years as an active duty Army officer and 24 years as a FBI Special Agent. John founded the Center for Combating Elder Financial Abuse in 2021, created with the vision of reducing elder financial abuse in the United States. On this episode we will discuss the illegal use of an elderly perso...

Join us on our third episode with Michael Fasanello, a crypto compliance officer and thought leader specializing in anti-money laundering, counter-terrorist financing, economic sanctions, and illicit finance with a current focus on digital assets and the Blockchain technology place. On this episode we will discuss how digital assets are used to facilitate illegal financial transactions for threat...