Episodes

  • I Was a CIA Officer for 18 Years — Here's What They Never Tell You About the Job | Charles Finfrock

    I Was a CIA Officer for 18 Years — Here's What They Never Tell You About the Job | Charles Finfrock
    Jun 17 2026
    Charles Finfrock grew up with one dream — to become a spy. In this episode of Locked In with Ian Bick, Charles takes us through the extraordinary journey it took to make that dream a reality — from the US Navy to the National Air Intelligence Center to 18 years as a Senior Operations Officer at the CIA living and working across Europe the Middle East and Asia. He pulls back the curtain on CIA interrogation tactics and how to spot when someone is lying — skills he used in some of the most sensitive operations conducted at the direction of the President. He opens up about what nobody talks about — leaving the CIA with no support no follow up and a wave of trauma that led to struggles with alcohol. He shares how he rebuilt — moving to Tesla where he built their Insider Threat Program before founding Vigilance his own intelligence and security firm in 2018. He also gets into the cyber security threats most people don't take seriously enough — what to actually worry about with AI the Nancy Guthrie case and accessing home video systems whether your phone is really listening to you and what corporations and individuals need to know to stay safe. _____________________________________________ #CIA #CyberSecurity #truecrimecommunity _____________________________________________ Connect with Charles Finfrock: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charles-finfrock-302021109 Website: https://vcci.io/charles-finfrock/ _____________________________________________ Hosted, Executive Produced & Edited By Ian Bick: https://www.instagram.com/ian_bick/?hl=en https://ianbick.com/ _____________________________________________ Timestamps: 00:00 Former CIA Officer Finally Tells the Truth About What the Job Really Looks Like 02:27 His All American Upbringing and the Early Aspirations That Set Everything in Motion 05:27 His Path to the Military and What That Journey Really Looked Like From the Beginning 09:00 Military Boot Camp SEAL Ambitions and the Realities Nobody Prepares You For 13:10 From SEAL Training to Navy Law Enforcement — the Unexpected Path That Changed Everything 16:18 His First Assignments in Bahrain and the Early Lessons That Defined His Career 19:40 Developing the Investigation and Interrogation Skills That Would Define His CIA Career 23:09 Moving Beyond the Navy — Education and Setting His Sights on the CIA 27:27 Getting Into Intelligence — the Student Years Mentors and Internships That Opened the Door 32:09 Joining the CIA — the Preparation the Culture and What Public Perception Gets Completely Wrong 38:00 The Impact of 9/11 on His Training and How That Moment Changed Everything About the Job 43:24 His First Field Assignments as a CIA Officer and What That World Really Looked Like 47:00 The Reality of the Job — the Early Excitement and the Daily Grind Nobody Talks About 51:40 Living Undercover — the Psychological Difficulty of Secrets and Hidden Identity 54:52 The Interagency Relationships and CIA Ethics That Defined How the Job Really Works 59:41 Career Longevity and What the Transition From CIA to Civilian Life Actually Required 01:03:40 The Mental Health Struggles and Bureaucratic Disconnect Nobody in Intelligence Talks About 01:09:01 Coping After CIA Service — the Reinvention and Finding New Purpose That Followed 01:14:11 Corporate Security and Insider Threats — What Life After the CIA Really Looks Like 01:20:31 The Tech Threat — Privacy Data and What Everyone Needs to Know About Everyday Security 01:32:00 Digital Forensics Data Deletion and What Your Car Knows About You That You Don't 01:36:07 The Life Lessons and Advice for Success He Learned From a CIA Career 01:38:53 His Final Reflections and What He Wants Everyone to Take Away From His Complete Story _____________________________________________ To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/LockedInWithIanBicka Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    1 hr and 45 mins
  • I Was a Soccer Mom — Then I Got 32 Felonies | Lara Love Hardin

    I Was a Soccer Mom — Then I Got 32 Felonies | Lara Love Hardin
    Jun 16 2026
    Lara Love Hardin had the perfect cul-de-sac life: a million-dollar home, kids, the soccer-mom routine. What no one knew was that she and her husband were funding a heroin addiction by stealing their neighbors' credit cards. When the police finally knocked, she was charged with dozens of felonies and became inmate S32179. In this conversation, Lara takes us inside her descent into opioid addiction, what her time in county jail was like and the unlikely path that took her from a jail cell to ghostwriting New York Times bestsellers and an Oprah's Book Club pick for her own memoir, The Many Lives of Mama Love. We talk addiction, shame, the criminal justice system, second chances, and how she rebuilt a life most people thought was over. _____________________________________________ #addictionrecovery #TrueCrime #secondchances _____________________________________________ Connect with Lara Love Hardin: Website: https://www.laralovehardin.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laralovehardin/?hl=en Book: https://www.amazon.com/Many-Lives-Mama-Love-Stealing-ebook/dp/B0BPDNW33W/ref=books_amazonstores_desktop_mfs_author_smart_catalog_1?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_w=NMLe6&content-id=amzn1.sym.aec507cb-142c-4f68-9ae5-803b8e7b33f1&pf_rd_p=aec507cb-142c-4f68-9ae5-803b8e7b33f1&pf_rd_r=136-6178201-4449817&pd_rd_wg=GRZoL&pd_rd_r=3432d7e9-c686-4577-8237-d731c18fd71a _____________________________________________ Hosted, Executive Produced & Edited By Ian Bick: https://www.instagram.com/ian_bick/?hl=en https://ianbick.com/ _____________________________________________ Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction: Laura Love Harden's Story 00:30 Her Childhood and Upbringing 01:45 Escaping Through Books and Education 03:42 Family Secrets No One Talked About 06:07 Trying to Fit In During High School 07:00 College and a Fresh Start 08:48 Marriage, Motherhood & Quiet Struggles 09:54 The First Painkillers 11:02 The Hidden Pattern of Family Addiction 13:45 Fighting Pill Addiction—and Denial 16:26 Sobriety, Remarriage & New Beginnings 17:41 The Day She Found Out: Heroin Relapse 20:08 The Rapid Downfall Into Crime 22:15 What Daily Life as an Addict Was Really Like 24:50 How She Justified the Crimes 27:02 The Arrest That Broke the Family Apart 31:15 First Days in Jail 36:33 A Mental Health Crisis Behind Bars 41:03 The Legal System and Family Fallout 47:00 The Plea Deal & Gender Disparities in Sentencing 53:13 Motherhood, Shame & the Community's Reaction 01:00:02 Life After Jail: Rebuilding From Zero 01:11:20 Starting Over: A Career in Literary Agency 01:20:28 Facing Stigma & Earning Redemption 01:26:20 Advocacy and Supporting Incarcerated Women 01:33:01 Writing the Modern Memoir 01:38:18 Regrets, Lessons & Parenting Reflections 01:41:45 What's Next: Fiction and TV _____________________________________________ To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/LockedInWithIanBicka Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    1 hr and 50 mins
  • I Was in Prison With Mackenzie Shirilla — Here's What She Was Really Like | Kat Crowder

    I Was in Prison With Mackenzie Shirilla — Here's What She Was Really Like | Kat Crowder
    Jun 15 2026
    Kat Crowder grew up in Alabama with an alcoholic father and started getting into trouble as a teenager — eventually getting sent to a troubled teen program that was supposed to help but couldn't prepare her for what came next. When she got out her father took his own life. That loss derailed everything. In this episode of Locked In with Ian Bick, Kat tells the complete story — from her teenage years spiraling into identity theft check fraud and in and out of Tennessee jails to eventually catching a case in Ohio and spending nearly a year inside an Ohio state prison. But what makes her story completely unique right now is who she was locked up with. Kat was in Ohio prison with Mackenzie Shirilla — the subject of the viral Netflix crash documentary — and she went viral for sharing what Mackenzie was really like inside. The Netflix documentary got it wrong. Kat was there. This is the complete unfiltered truth. _____________________________________________ #MackenzieShirilla #OhioPrison #truecrimecommunity _____________________________________________ Thank You To CASH APP For Sponsoring This Episode: Download Cash App Today: https://click.cash.app/ui6m/6pao71et #CashAppPod Cash App is a financial services platform, not a bank. Banking services provided by Cash App’s bank partner(s). Prepaid debit cards issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC. Cash App Visa® Debit Flex Cards issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC, and The Bancorp Bank, N.A., pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc. See terms and conditions for the Sutton prepaid card, Sutton debit flex card, and Bancorp debit flex card. Discounts and promotions provided by Cash App, a Block, Inc. brand. Visit cash.app/legal/podcast for full disclosures. _____________________________________________ Connect with Kat Crowder: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@boujeebehindbars Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/boujeebehindbars/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@boujeebehindbars _____________________________________________ Hosted, Executive Produced & Edited By Ian Bick: https://www.instagram.com/ian_bick/?hl=en https://ianbick.com/ _____________________________________________ Timestamps: 00:00 She Was Locked Up With Mackenzie Shirilla — Kat's Complete Story 02:30 Her Struggles at Home and the Teenage Turmoil That Started Everything 05:30 The Rebellion the Troubled Teen Program and the Family Tragedy That Changed Everything 09:30 What the Troubled Teen Program Was Really Like From the Inside 12:00 Coming Home to Find Her Dad Gone — Grief and the Coping Mechanisms That Followed 16:20 College Substance Abuse and the Escalating Behavior That Nobody Could Stop 19:30 The Legal Troubles That Started the Criminal Justice Cycle She Couldn't Break 24:30 Probation Drug Court and the Setbacks That Kept Setting Her Back 28:20 The Criminal Lifestyle and the Consequences That Finally Caught Up With Her 32:00 The High Speed Chase and What Jail Really Felt Like for the First Time 36:00 Getting Pregnant in Jail and the Turning Point That Changed How She Saw Everything 41:00 Sentencing Day and What Heading to Ohio State Prison Actually Felt Like 45:00 Her First Impressions of Ohio State Prison and What Nobody Prepares You For 47:40 What Women's Prison Is Really Like — The Truth Nobody Talks About Publicly 50:30 The Prison Programs That Kept Her Out of Trouble and What She Learned From Them 53:00 Being Locked Up With Mackenzie Shirilla — What She Was Really Like Inside 57:00 Prison Hierarchy Gossip and How Perceptions of Mackenzie Shifted Inside 01:00:00 Contraband Relationships and the Everyday Challenges of Ohio State Prison 01:05:00 Prison Hustles and Pen Pals — The Underground World Nobody On the Outside Sees 01:09:00 Ohio Prison Food Commissary Life and the Halfway House Transition 01:15:00 Coming Home — Reuniting With Family and What Moving Forward Really Looked Like 01:19:00 Why She Finally Decided to Share Her Story Online and What Happened Next 01:22:00 The Lessons She Learned and the Reflections That Changed How She Sees Everything 01:25:00 Rebuilding Family Bonds and Her Advice to Anyone Who Needs to Hear It 01:26:30 Her Final Words and the Message She Wants to Leave With Everyone Watching _____________________________________________ To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/LockedInWithIanBicka Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    1 hr and 33 mins
  • I Hunted America's Most Wanted Fugitives as a US Marshal — Then the Agency Destroyed Me | Robert Ledogar

    I Hunted America's Most Wanted Fugitives as a US Marshal — Then the Agency Destroyed Me | Robert Ledogar
    Jun 14 2026
    Robert Ledogar spent over 30 years serving his country — first in the Navy then as a Supervisory Deputy US Marshal for the Eastern District of New York. He spent decades hunting down and capturing some of America's most wanted fugitives, transporting federal prisoners including El Chapo during his trial, and running some of the most dangerous operations the US Marshals Service has ever seen. In this episode of Locked In with Ian Bick, Bob pulls back the curtain on what it really looks like to hunt fugitives in New York City — the process the stories and the cases he'll never forget. He opens up about transporting El Chapo on Con Air and what that experience was really like. And then he tells the story nobody inside the agency wants told — how after 30 years of unblemished service he stood up for a female deputy marshal being harassed and assaulted by her own colleagues — and how the agency spent the next four and a half years trying to destroy him for it. Fired two months before retirement eligibility. He fought back. And in August 2021 — he finally won. _____________________________________________ #USMarshal #ElChapo #truecrimecommunity _____________________________________________ Thank You To CASH APP For Sponsoring This Episode: Download Cash App Today: https://click.cash.app/ui6m/6pao71et #CashAppPod Cash App is a financial services platform, not a bank. Banking services provided by Cash App’s bank partner(s). Prepaid debit cards issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC. Cash App Visa® Debit Flex Cards issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC, and The Bancorp Bank, N.A., pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc. See terms and conditions for the Sutton prepaid card, Sutton debit flex card, and Bancorp debit flex card. Discounts and promotions provided by Cash App, a Block, Inc. brand. Visit cash.app/legal/podcast for full disclosures. _____________________________________________ Connect with Robert Ledogar: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-ledogar-276277146 _____________________________________________ Hosted, Executive Produced & Edited By Ian Bick: https://www.instagram.com/ian_bick/?hl=en https://ianbick.com/ _____________________________________________ Timestamps: 00:00 US Marshal Who Hunted Fugitives and Worked the El Chapo Case — Robert's Full Story 01:00 Growing Up in Queens and the Early Life That Led to Federal Law Enforcement 03:00 The Early Influences That Set Him on the Path to the Navy and Eventually the Marshals 06:00 Navy Service and What Desert Storm Really Looked Like From the Inside 08:00 The Investigative Work Overseas That Prepared Him for Everything That Followed 11:00 Transitioning Out of the Navy and What That Career Change Really Required 13:00 Joining the US Marshals Service and What That Process Actually Looked Like 15:00 Marshal Academy Training and the Early Days That Defined His Career 18:00 Learning to Track Fugitives and What That Education Really Looked Like 21:00 Task Forces and How His Responsibilities Expanded Into Major Operations 23:00 Working Big Cases and the Surveillance Tactics That Most People Never Hear About 26:00 The Most Memorable Fugitive Capture Stories From His Entire Career 29:00 The Challenges of Probation Violations and What That World Really Looks Like 32:00 Supervising Warrants and the Team Dynamics That Define the Job 35:00 The Realities and Risks of Arresting Fugitives That Nobody Talks About Publicly 38:00 Transporting Detainees and What the Court Logistics Process Really Involves 41:00 Bounty Hunters Escape Attempts and the Stories That Still Surprise Him 44:00 High Profile Cases and His Connection to the El Chapo Investigation 47:00 The Investigative Successes and Lessons That Defined His Career 50:00 Probation Halfway Houses and the Escape Attempts That Kept Him on His Toes 53:00 What Working With Different Agencies Actually Looks Like From the Inside 56:00 Serving Warrants in New York City and What Makes That Environment Unique 59:00 The Big Arrests That Required the Most Due Diligence and Preparation 01:02:00 Balancing Duty Family and Legacy After a Career Hunting America's Most Wanted 01:05:00 His Honest Reflections on the System and the Personal Lessons That Changed Everything _____________________________________________ To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/LockedInWithIanBicka Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    1 hr and 59 mins
  • I Was a Border Patrol Agent for 18 Years — Here's What They Never Show You | Frank Vallejo

    I Was a Border Patrol Agent for 18 Years — Here's What They Never Show You | Frank Vallejo
    Jun 11 2026
    Frank Vallejo grew up in Texas dreaming of serving his country. After six years as a police officer across two cities he was recruited to join the Border Patrol — and spent the next 18 years on the front lines of one of America's most complex and controversial assignments. In this episode of Locked In with Ian Bick, Frank pulls back the curtain on what border patrol work really looks like — from the human smuggling operations he dismantled to the major drug busts that defined his career. He breaks down exactly how smugglers operated and how agents spotted them, shares the heartbreaking stories from the job that never leave you, explains why the border wall actually increased security, and reveals how the catch and release policies of the early 2000s allowed millions of people into the country unchecked. This is the conversation about the border that nobody in the media is having. _____________________________________________ #BorderPatrol #TrueCrime #bordersecurity _____________________________________________ Thank you to RAYCON for sponsoring this episode: Upgrade your dad’s everyday routine. Go to https://buyraycon.com/IANBICKOPEN to get 15% off. _____________________________________________ Connect with Frank Vallejo: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/franciscovallejo544?igsh=MWU0ZzFzbzR3MTVzMA== Buy his book: https://www.amazon.com/Thin-Lines-Patrol-Betrayal-Enforcement-ebook/dp/B0GRPXBYP1 _____________________________________________ Hosted, Executive Produced & Edited By Ian Bick: https://www.instagram.com/ian_bick/?hl=en https://ianbick.com/ _____________________________________________ Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction - Border Patrol Agent Interview 03:54 Frank's Early Life and Background 07:31 How to Become a Police Officer: First Jobs & Academy 14:49 Why Police Officers Switch Departments 21:27 Border Patrol Training: Academy & What to Expect 28:17 What Does Border Patrol Actually Do? Duties Explained 36:08 Day in the Life of a Border Patrol Agent 44:00 How Drug Smuggling Works at the Border 51:46 Border Patrol Chase & Pursuit Stories 58:28 Border Patrol Catch Rates & Community Impact 01:07:28 Drug Smuggling, Tip-Offs & Police Corruption 01:13:13 Border Patrol Policy Changes & Supervisor Roles 01:20:17 Does the Border Wall Work? Wall vs Technology 01:27:27 Emotional Toll & Public Misconceptions About Border Patrol 01:33:35 Career Reflections & Writing a Book 01:36:19 Closing & Where to Buy the Book _____________________________________________ To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/LockedInWithIanBicka Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    1 hr and 42 mins
  • I Was an Arizona Crip — A Home Invasion Led to 12 Years in Prison | Rahja Rose

    I Was an Arizona Crip — A Home Invasion Led to 12 Years in Prison | Rahja Rose
    Jun 10 2026
    Rhaja Rose grew up in Arizona — raised by his mom and stepfather without his father in the picture. Despite a passion for football that could have taken him somewhere, he dropped out of high school and joined the Crips. A home invasion led to a murder charge that sent him to Arizona's prison system for 12 years. In this episode of Locked In with Ian Bick, Rhaja opens up about surviving some of Arizona's most violent prisons — the gangs the politics and the daily violence that defines life behind bars. But halfway through his sentence something shifted. He dialed in, earned a college degree from inside his cell, turned his life completely around and came home with a new purpose — becoming a tattoo artist and building a life nobody saw coming. _____________________________________________ #gang #TrueCrime #prison _____________________________________________ Thank You To CASH APP For Sponsoring This Episode: Download Cash App Today: https://click.cash.app/ui6m/6pao71et #CashAppPod Cash App is a financial services platform, not a bank. Banking services provided by Cash App’s bank partner(s). Prepaid debit cards issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC. Cash App Visa® Debit Flex Cards issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC, and The Bancorp Bank, N.A., pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc. See terms and conditions for the Sutton prepaid card, Sutton debit flex card, and Bancorp debit flex card. Discounts and promotions provided by Cash App, a Block, Inc. brand. Visit cash.app/legal/podcast for full disclosures. _____________________________________________ Connect with Rahja Rose: https://www.instagram.com/rahjarose/ _____________________________________________ Hosted, Executive Produced & Edited By Ian Bick: https://www.instagram.com/ian_bick/?hl=en https://ianbick.com/ _____________________________________________ Timestamps: 00:00 Growing Up Broke: Raja Rose's Story Begins 03:00 The Family Struggles That Shaped Him 06:00 Big Dreams as a Kid 08:00 How Football Fell Apart 11:00 Too Much Pressure, Too Young 13:00 First Signs of Trouble 15:00 High School, Drugs, and Growing Up Fast 17:00 Pulled Deeper Into the Streets 20:00 Gang Life and a Family Falling Apart 24:00 The Home Invasion That Changed Everything 28:00 Arrested: The Interrogation Room 34:00 On the Run Before Prison 38:00 Inside Juvenile Detention and Prison Politics 46:00 The Plea Deal and Facing the Sentence 01:00:00 Surviving Prison: Fights, Politics, Transformation 01:08:00 The Books That Changed His Mind 01:16:00 Learning to Tattoo Behind Bars 01:26:00 Grief, Loss, and College in Prison 01:31:00 Finally Free: Life After Release 01:40:00 Relationships and Advice for Young People 01:46:00 Why He Left the Gang Life Behind 01:50:00 How to Break the Cycle for Good _____________________________________________ To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/LockedInWithIanBicka Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    1 hr and 57 mins
  • I Spent 24 Years With the NYPD — Here's What Nobody Tells You | Keith O'Palick

    I Spent 24 Years With the NYPD — Here's What Nobody Tells You | Keith O'Palick
    Jun 9 2026
    Keith O'Palick spent 24 years with the NYPD — rising from beat cop to plain clothes officer in Chinatown to detective handling murder investigations and high profile cases. In this episode of Locked In with Ian Bick, Keith pulls back the curtain on what it really looks like inside the NYPD — from stopping robberies undercover in Chinatown to working homicide investigations in Midtown before transitioning to the DA's office where he worked protective detail during the Trump trial. He breaks down the truth about New York City safety, why cops do perp walks and whether that will ever change, how detectives manage massive caseloads, and why Rikers Island will never close no matter what politicians say. _____________________________________________ #NYPD #TrueCrime #newyorkcity _____________________________________________ Connect with Keith O'Palick: Website: https://www.kopinvestigations.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/keith.opalick/ Book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FLNM7RCG?ref=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cso_cp_apin_dp_2P37RZCM562NNWMBXTPZ&ref_=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cso_cp_apin_dp_2P37RZCM562NNWMBXTPZ&social_share=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cso_cp_apin_dp_2P37RZCM562NNWMBXTPZ&bestFormat=true&csmig=1&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQPOTM2NjE5NzQzMzkyNDU5AAGn63jIRsGPGC4zobZdkhXB-SHKDcjFTYKdqG3saWzaiQ25l7-mRZ5W9bxxfAo_aem_eQi9Wpvz6EQIYg2i5R6Wrw&utm_content=link_in_bio&utm_medium=social&utm_source=ig _____________________________________________ Hosted, Executive Produced & Edited By Ian Bick: https://www.instagram.com/ian_bick/?hl=en https://ianbick.com/ _____________________________________________ Timestamps: 00:00 Meet Keith Opalik: 20+ Years NYPD 00:24 Growing Up in NYC & The Road to Policing 01:21 Why He Chose the NYPD 03:20 Family, Roots & Early Influences 04:44 What Pulled Him Into Law Enforcement 07:12 How His Parents Reacted to "I'm Becoming a Cop" 08:55 Should Future Cops Go to College? 10:26 Day One: His First Assignment on the Force 12:48 Going Plainclothes 15:00 Undercover: The Taxi Cab Sting Tactics 19:13 Policing a City That Never Stops Changing 22:01 The Admin Battles Nobody Warns You About 26:13 Promotions, Politics & Internal Affairs 29:36 First Detective Case (And the Media Circus) 32:01 Working the Media as a Detective 34:38 Leaks, Pressure & High-Profile Cases 38:08 Why Some Cases Go Viral 42:22 Midtown vs. Every Other Precinct 45:57 The Crimes That Made Headlines 51:39 Perp Walks: The Truth Behind the Cameras 01:00:04 Caseloads, Staffing & Cop Burnout 01:09:43 Can a Cop Actually Have a Family Life? 01:14:54 Leaving for the DA's Office & Executive Protection 01:21:50 Inside Trump Trial Security 01:25:12 America's Political Divide From the Inside 01:28:57 Is NYC Still Safe? The Post-COVID Reality 01:36:39 Rikers Island & What's Broken in US Prisons 01:44:46 Retirement & Life After the Badge 01:49:37 Hard Lessons, Mental Health & Moving Forward _____________________________________________ To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/LockedInWithIanBicka Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    2 hrs and 4 mins
  • I Was A Bronx Shot Caller — I Got 17 Years In Prison & Never Snitched | Angel "Julito" Diaz

    I Was A Bronx Shot Caller — I Got 17 Years In Prison & Never Snitched | Angel "Julito" Diaz
    Jun 8 2026
    Angel "Julito" Diaz grew up on Creston Avenue in the North Bronx — the youngest of six kids, watching his mother run the block before he ever touched a drug. By the time he was 12 he was selling crack after school. By the time he was a young man he was running his own operation — hundreds of pounds of their signature Mango Piña weed a week — eventually becoming the shot caller of the infamous Creston Avenue Crew whose takedown became one of the most notorious drug cases in Bronx history. In this episode of Locked In with Ian Bick, Julito tells the complete story — the story that Reggaeton star De La Ghetto portrayed on Netflix's El Ganador. Nicky Jam and Daddy Yankee were part of his Bronx operation before they were famous. He opens up about the betrayal from his own childhood friend who put out a murder contract on his life, the robbery case that sent him to state prison, and the federal case that gave him 17 years total. When 22 people around him cooperated with the government — Angel kept his mouth shut. He served 11 years and never snitched on anyone. _____________________________________________ #prisonlife #BronxStory #TrueCrime _____________________________________________ Thank You To CASH APP & RAYCON For Sponsoring This Episode: Cash App: Download Cash App Today: https://click.cash.app/ui6m/6pao71et #CashAppPod Cash App is a financial services platform, not a bank. Banking services provided by Cash App’s bank partner(s). Prepaid debit cards issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC. Cash App Visa® Debit Flex Cards issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC, and The Bancorp Bank, N.A., pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc. See terms and conditions for the Sutton prepaid card, Sutton debit flex card, and Bancorp debit flex card. Discounts and promotions provided by Cash App, a Block, Inc. brand. Visit cash.app/legal/podcast for full disclosures. _____________________________________________ Raycon: Upgrade your dad’s everyday routine. Go to https://buyraycon.com/IANBICKOPEN to get 15% off. Thanks Raycon for sponsoring! _____________________________________________ Connect with Angel "Julito" Diaz: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bx_julito/ Buy His Book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D63JX8GX?ref=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cso_cp_mwn_dp_CQ6DFDAZ3FRHK8SBHY35&ref_=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cso_cp_mwn_dp_CQ6DFDAZ3FRHK8SBHY35&social_share=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cso_cp_mwn_dp_CQ6DFDAZ3FRHK8SBHY35&bestFormat=true _____________________________________________ Hosted, Executive Produced & Edited By Ian Bick: https://www.instagram.com/ian_bick/?hl=en https://ianbick.com/ _____________________________________________ Timestamps: 00:00 Bronx Shot Caller Who Never Snitched — Julito's Full Story 02:00 Growing Up in the Bronx and the Family Background That Started Everything 05:00 Watching His Family Run the Block — His First Exposure to Street Life 09:00 Growing Up Surrounded by Addiction and the Drug Trade From Day One 13:00 The Early Hustles and How He Built Trust on Creston Avenue 16:00 His First Real Steps Into the Drug Game and What That Felt Like 19:00 Balancing School and Street Life — The Choice That Defined Everything 22:00 His Mother's Influence and the Family Dynamics Nobody Talks About 25:00 The Block Loyalty and What Survival Really Looked Like on Creston Avenue 28:00 Moving Up — From Runner to Hustler and What That Transition Cost Him 31:00 Master Splinter and the Crew Dynamics That Would Later Destroy Everything 35:00 Learning the Unwritten Rules and Hierarchies of the Drug Game 38:00 How Daddy Yankee and Nicky Jam Came Up on His Block Before They Were Famous 42:00 The Power Shifts on the Block That Changed Who Was Running Everything 46:00 Becoming the Shot Caller of the Creston Avenue Crew 50:00 Block Rivalries Internal Conflicts and the Tensions Nobody Could Control 54:00 The Friendship Breakdowns and Betrayals That Changed His Life Forever 58:00 When It Escalated — Violence and the Murder Contract Taken Out on His Own Life 01:03:00 Block Wars Arrests and the Beginning of the End 01:07:00 The Robbery That Set Everything in Motion and What Came After 01:11:00 The Day the Feds Came for Him and What That Felt Like 01:17:00 Life in Federal Custody and the Legal Battle He Fought From Inside 01:23:00 Snitches Street Codes and What It Really Means to Do Your Time 01:29:00 Master Splinter's Betrayal and the Fallout That Defined Everything 01:34:00 The Aftermath — Who Betrayed Who and the Consequences That Followed 01:40:00 Route 35 Cooperation and How People Around Him Got Life Sentences 01:46:00 Surviving and Hustling Inside Federal Prison — How He Did His Time 01:53:00 The Brothers He Lost the Loyalty That Held and the Losses That Broke Him 01:59:00 Coming Home to a Different World — How the Street Game Changed 02:07:00 Family Forgiveness and the Healing Nobody Warned Him About 02:13:00 Finishing His Time and What Walking Out Actually Felt Like 02:19:00 The Sins of the Father and How He's Breaking the ...
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    2 hrs and 37 mins