Retired agent John Tamm reviews his tenure on the Boston Division’s Justice Task Force and the investigation and conviction of former agent John Connolly for racketeering, obstruction of justice, and bribery related to his handling of informant Whitey Bulger and Stephen Flemmi. Connolly was sentenced to ten years in federal prison. A Florida jury convicted Connolly of second-degree murder for the killing of businessman John Callahan by a mob associate of Bulger and Flemmi. Connolly was sentenced to 40 years in state prison, but granted a medical release in 2021. John Tamm served in the FBI for nearly 30 years. Check out episode show notes, photos, and related articles. https://jerriwilliams.com/288-john-tamm-john-connolly-fbi-boston-betrayal/ Buy me a coffee - https://www.buymeacoffee.com/JerriWilliams Join my Reader Team to get the FBI Reading Resource - Books about the FBI, written by FBI agents, the 20 clichés about the FBI Reality Checklist, and keep up to date on the FBI in books, TV, and movies via my monthly email. Join here. http://eepurl.com/dzCCmL  Check out my FBI books, non-fiction and crime fiction, available as audiobooks, ebooks and paperbacks wherever books are sold. https://jerriwilliams.com/books/

FBI Retired Case File Review

288: John Tamm – John Connolly, FBI Boston Betrayal

Former agent Chris Tarbell reviews his investigation and takedown of the billion-dollar, cryptocurrency-based drug underground marketplace “Silk Road” and the arrest of its founder. The investigation, code-named Operation Onion Peeler, resulted in the largest seizure of bitcoins to date. Chris was also the lead investigator on several of the Bureau’s most complex and cutting-edge cybercrime cases, including the investigation and arrest of the leadership of Anonymous and the LulzSec hacking crews. Chris Tarbell served in the FBI for nearly 10 years. Check out episode show notes, photos, and related articles.  https://jerriwilliams.com/287-chris-tarbell-silk-road-dark-web-marketplace/ Buy me a coffee - https://www.buymeacoffee.com/JerriWilliams Join my Reader Team to get the FBI Reading Resource - Books about the FBI, written by FBI agents, the 20 clichés about the FBI Reality Checklist, and keep up to date on the FBI in books, TV, and movies via my monthly email. Join here. http://eepurl.com/dzCCmL  Check out my FBI books, non-fiction and crime fiction, available as audiobooks, ebooks and paperbacks wherever books are sold. https://jerriwilliams.com/books/

287: Chris Tarbell – Silk Road, Dark Web Marketplace

Retired agent Cory McGookin reviews the investigation he led targeting the Latin Kings operating in the city of Aurora, IL and “Operation First Degree Burn,” a cold case multi-agency task force which resulted in the nation's largest ever cold case murder takedown. Thirty-one Latin Kings gang members were convicted of 22 murders going back two decades. Cory McGookin served in the FBI for 20 years. Check out episode show notes, photos, and related articles. https://jerriwilliams.com/286-cory-mcgookin-latin-kings-aurora-cold-case-murders/ Buy me a coffee - https://www.buymeacoffee.com/JerriWilliams Join my Reader Team to get the FBI Reading Resource - Books about the FBI, written by FBI agents, the 20 clichés about the FBI Reality Checklist, and keep up to date on the FBI in books, TV, and movies via my monthly email. Join here. http://eepurl.com/dzCCmL  Check out my FBI books, non-fiction and crime fiction, available as audiobooks, ebooks and paperbacks wherever books are sold. https://jerriwilliams.com/books/

286: Cory McGookin - Latin Kings, Aurora Cold Case Murders

Retired agent Tom Simon reviews his investigation of Las Vegas couple Perry and Rochelle Griggs for orchestrating a prison Ponzi scheme. While serving 8 years in federal prison for securities fraud, Perry Griggs started another scam, where fellow prisoners and their families were the victims. When Griggs was paroled, he and his wife disappeared. A national fugitive manhunt ensued. CNBC featured this prison Ponzi scheme case on American Greed. Tom Simon served in the FBI for 26 years.  Check out episode show notes, photos, and related articles.  https://jerriwilliams.com/285-tom-simon-prison-ponzi-scheme/   Buy me a coffee - https://www.buymeacoffee.com/JerriWilliams Join my Reader Team to get the FBI Reading Resource - Books about the FBI, written by FBI agents, the 20 clichés about the FBI Reality Checklist, and keep up to date on the FBI in books, TV, and movies via my monthly email. Join here. http://eepurl.com/dzCCmL  Check out my FBI books, non-fiction and crime fiction, available as audiobooks, ebooks and paperbacks wherever books are sold. https://jerriwilliams.com/books/

285: Tom Simon – Prison Ponzi Scheme

Retired agents Jim Lewis and Renae McDermott review their 1999 kidnapping case where a mother and her two children were kidnapped for ransom and held for four days before they were located and rescued by the Miami Division SWAT team. In addition to the safe return of the family, the spectacular work of the investigative team and detectives from the Sunny Isles Beach Police Department, with assistance from FBI polygraphers, SWAT, surveillance, ERT, technically agents and phone tracking, resulted in life sentences for three defendants and lengthy multiple-year sentences for two others. Jim Lewis served in the FBI for 25 years. Renae McDermott served in the FBI for 32 years, 27 as a special agent.   Check out episode show notes, photos, and related articles.   https://jerriwilliams.com/284-jim-lewis-and-renae-mcdermott-miami-abduction-of-mother-and-children/ Buy me a coffee - https://www.buymeacoffee.com/JerriWilliams Join my Reader Team to get the FBI Reading Resource - Books about the FBI, written by FBI agents, the 20 clichés about the FBI Reality Checklist, and keep up to date on the FBI in books, TV, and movies via my monthly email. Join here. http://eepurl.com/dzCCmL  Check out my FBI books, non-fiction and crime fiction, available as audiobooks, ebooks and paperbacks wherever books are sold. https://jerriwilliams.com/books/

284: Jim Lewis and Renae McDermott – Miami Abduction of Mother and Children

March is National Women’s history month and this year's theme is, "Celebrating Women Who Tell Our Stories." So I’m republishing Episode 264: History of Women in the FBI, which celebrated the 50th anniversary of the modern-day female agent.   In this encore episode, active and retired agents share personal stories from their FBI careers, historical details about Director Hoover's initial rejection, and the Bureau's eventual acceptance of women as agents. I hope you’ll listen or re-listen to the show, especially to understand the significance of the FBI’s recent pledge to advance women in policing. The national 30x30 pledge aims to bring more women into policing to improve public safety, community outcomes, and trust in law enforcement. I’ve updated the episode show notes to include a link to the press release about the pledge.  Check out episode show notes, photos, and related articles. https://jerriwilliams.com/264-history-of-women-fbi-agents/     Buy me a coffee - https://www.buymeacoffee.com/JerriWilliams Join my Reader Team to get the FBI Reading Resource - Books about the FBI, written by FBI agents, the 20 clichés about the FBI Reality Checklist, and keep up to date on the FBI in books, TV, and movies via my monthly email. Join here. http://eepurl.com/dzCCmL  Check out my FBI books, non-fiction and crime fiction, available as audiobooks, ebooks and paperbacks wherever books are sold. https://jerriwilliams.com/books/

Bonus: Women FBI Agents – Women's History Month

In part two of this two-part episode, retired agents Phil Torsney and Tommy MacDonald review how, during the unresolved fugitive investigation of James “Whitey” Bulger, they altered their investigative strategy by focusing a public media campaign, including a national 30-second Public Service Announcement, on photos they had acquired of Bulger's female companion, Catherine Greig. Bulger had served as an informant for the FBI for several years. His FBI agent handler, John Connelly, was charged and convicted for revealing to Bulger that he was about to be indicted for RICO by the Massachusetts State Police and the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA). Federal prosecutors later filed a superseding indictment and, in addition to the initial racketeering charges, tried and convicted Bulger for nineteen murders. Torsney and MacDonald gathered the evidence that finally led to the dramatic capture of Bulger and Greig by agent Scott Garriola in the LA Division. Phil Torsney served in the FBI for over 29 years. Tommy MacDonald served for twenty-five years. Check out episode show notes, photos, and related articles: https://jerriwilliams.com/283-phil-torsney-and-tommy-macdonald-whitey-bulger-fugitive-hunt-part-2/   Buy me a coffee - https://www.buymeacoffee.com/JerriWilliams Join my Reader Team to get the FBI Reading Resource - Books about the FBI, written by FBI agents, the 20 clichés about the FBI Reality Checklist, and keep up to date on the FBI in books, TV, and movies via my monthly email. Join here. http://eepurl.com/dzCCmL  Check out my FBI books, non-fiction and crime fiction, available as audiobooks, ebooks and paperbacks wherever books are sold. https://jerriwilliams.com/books/ 

283: Phil Torsney and Tommy MacDonald – Whitey Bulger Fugitive Hunt (Part 2)

Retired agents Phil Torsney and Tommy MacDonald review how they were selected for a special assignment in Boston to work the unresolved fugitive investigation for James “Whitey” Bulger, a long-time FBI Top Ten Fugitive and Boston organized crime boss who had been in hiding for sixteen years with his girlfriend Catherine Greig. Bulger had served as an informant for the FBI for several years. His FBI agent handler, John Connelly, was charged and convicted for revealing to Bulger that he was about to be indicted for RICO by the Massachusetts State Police and the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA). Torsney and MacDonald gathered the evidence that finally led to the captured of Bulger and Greig. Phil Torsney served in the FBI for over 29 years. Tommy MacDonald served for twenty-five years.   Check out episode show notes, photos, and related articles. https://jerriwilliams.com/282-phil-torsney-and-tommy-macdonald-whitey-bulger-fugitive-hunt-part-1/ Buy me a coffee - https://www.buymeacoffee.com/JerriWilliams Join my Reader Team to get the FBI Reading Resource - Books about the FBI, written by FBI agents, the 20 clichés about the FBI Reality Checklist, and keep up to date on the FBI in books, TV, and movies via my monthly email. Join here. http://eepurl.com/dzCCmL  Check out my FBI books, non-fiction and crime fiction, available as audiobooks, ebooks and paperbacks wherever books are sold. https://jerriwilliams.com/books/

282 - Phil Torsney and Tommy MacDonald – Whitey Bulger Fugitive Hunt (Part 1)

 Retired agent Debra LaPrevotte explains the difference between oligarchs and kleptocrats, breaks down the indictment of former FBI SAC Charles McGonigal, and reviews the Nigeria OPL 245 oilfield license bribery case. The investigation involves two major oil companies charged with paying government officials to license natural oil resources originally gifted by former Nigerian military ruler Sani Abacha to his son and to the country’s oil minister. Debra served in the FBI for 20 years. She is the co-host of A Nation for Thieves, a podcast exposing the world's most corrupt kleptocrats. Check out episode show notes, photos, and related articles. https://jerriwilliams.com/281-debra-laprevotte-oligarchs-kleptocrats-a-nation-for-thieves/ Buy me a coffee - https://www.buymeacoffee.com/JerriWilliams Join my Reader Team to get the FBI Reading Resource - Books about the FBI, written by FBI agents, the 20 clichés about the FBI Reality Checklist, and keep up to date on the FBI in books, TV, and movies via my monthly email. Join here. http://eepurl.com/dzCCmL  Check out my FBI books, non-fiction and crime fiction, available as audiobooks, ebooks and paperbacks wherever books are sold. https://jerriwilliams.com/books/  

281: Debra LaPrevotte – Oligarchs, Kleptocrats, A Nation For Thieves

Retired agent Kyle Vowinkel reviews the 2013 Alabama bunker child abduction case, known as the Boy in the Bunker, one of the FBI's greatest hostage recovery operations. January 2023 marks the 10th anniversary of the crisis event, which took place from January 29, through February 4, 2013 in Midland City, Alabama, when a man boarded a school bus, killed the driver, and took a five-year-old boy hostage.   Having served for eight years on the FBI's elite Hostage Rescue Team (HRT) and, at the time of the incident, the Crisis Negotiation Unit (CNU), Kyle acted as a bridge between tactical agents and negotiators' efforts to save the child. For his contribution to the successful resolution, he received the Attorney General's Award for Exceptional Heroism. Kyle Vowinkel served in the FBI for 24 years. Check out episode show notes, photos, and related articles.  https://jerriwilliams.com/280-kyle-vowinkel-2013-alabama-bunker-negotiations/   Buy me a coffee - https://www.buymeacoffee.com/JerriWilliams Join my Reader Team to get the FBI Reading Resource - Books about the FBI, written by FBI agents, the 20 clichés about the FBI Reality Checklist, and keep up to date on the FBI in books, TV, and movies via my monthly email. Join here. http://eepurl.com/dzCCmL  Check out my FBI books, non-fiction and crime fiction, available as audiobooks, ebooks and paperbacks wherever books are sold. https://jerriwilliams.com/books/

280: Kyle Vowinkel – 2013 Alabama Bunker Negotiations

Retired agent Rob Chadwick reviews Director Mueller’s Strategic Execution Team (SET) training initiative. SET spearheaded the transformation of the FBI from a law enforcement agency into an intelligence driven and threat focused national security service and was the largest training program in the history of the FBI. The generation of agents and analysts working in the Bureau, on or shortly after the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, took part in the training from about 2008-2010. Rob Chadwick served in the FBI for nearly 21 years. Check out episode show notes, photos, and related articles.  https://jerriwilliams.com/279-j-robert-chadwick-fbi-transformation-strategic-execution-team-set/ Buy me a coffee - https://www.buymeacoffee.com/JerriWilliams Join my Reader Team to get the FBI Reading Resource - Books about the FBI, written by FBI agents, the 20 clichés about the FBI Reality Checklist, and keep up to date on the FBI in books, TV, and movies via my monthly email. Join here. http://eepurl.com/dzCCmL  Check out my FBI books, non-fiction and crime fiction, available as audiobooks, ebooks and paperbacks wherever books are sold. https://jerriwilliams.com/books/

279: J Robert Chadwick – FBI Transformation, Strategic Execution Team, SET

Retired agent Neil Herman and retired NYPD Detective/Lt. Kevin Hallinan review the three-year crime spree in the New York metropolitan area that culminated on October 20, 1981, when 11 members of the Weather Underground, a radical domestic terrorist group, carried out a Brink's armored car robbery at the Nanuet Mall in Nyack, New York. Using high-powered weapons, the terrorist group stole 1.6 million dollars, and shot and killed bank security guard Peter Paige. During their getaway, they also shot and killed Nyack Police Department Sgt. Edward J. O'Grady, Jr. and Police Officer Waverly "Chipper" Brown. This case, code-named NYROB, was the first major investigation of the FBI-NYPD Joint Terrorism Task Force after it was formed in 1980 to investigate the growing number of terrorist acts targeting New York. Neil and Kevin also discuss modern terrorism and the early days of the multi-agency FBI-NYPD Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) partnership, the first in the county. Their messages to active agents and law enforcement are truly inspirational.  Check out episode show notes, photos, and related articles.  https://jerriwilliams.com/278-neil-herman-and-kevin-hallinan-1981-brinks-armored-car-robbery/   Buy me a coffee - https://www.buymeacoffee.com/JerriWilliams Join my Reader Team to get the FBI Reading Resource - Books about the FBI, written by FBI agents, the 20 clichés about the FBI Reality Checklist, and keep up to date on the FBI in books, TV, and movies via my monthly email. Join here. http://eepurl.com/dzCCmL  Check out my FBI books, non-fiction and crime fiction, available as audiobooks, ebooks and paperbacks wherever books are sold. https://jerriwilliams.com/books/

278: Neil Herman and Kevin Hallinan – 1981 Brink's Armored Car Robbery

Retired agent Michael Byrnes reviews the tragic 2017 quadruple murder of four young men in Solebury, PA, specifically the human remains search and recovery operation conducted by Philadelphia FBI ERT to assist local law enforcement officers. Mike oversaw team members from FBI, state, county, and local agencies as they identified and processed 6 separate excavation sites, ultimately recovering all four victims 5 days after commencing the operation. The murders were carried out by Cosmo DiNardo and Sean Michael Kratz who were convicted and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole by the state of Pennsylvania. Check out episode show notes, photos, and related articles.  https://jerriwilliams.com/277-michael-byrnes-quadruple-homicide-crime-scene-search/   Buy me a coffee - https://www.buymeacoffee.com/JerriWilliams Join my Reader Team to get the FBI Reading Resource - Books about the FBI, written by FBI agents, the 20 clichés about the FBI Reality Checklist, and keep up to date on the FBI in books, TV, and movies via my monthly email. Join here. http://eepurl.com/dzCCmL  Check out my FBI books, non-fiction and crime fiction, available as audiobooks, ebooks and paperbacks wherever books are sold. https://jerriwilliams.com/books/

277: Michael Byrnes - Quadruple Homicide Crime Scene Search

Retired agent Jonathan “Jonny” Grusing reviews his investigation of former FBI informant Scott Kimball, who has confessed to being a serial murderer. Grusing worked with the BAU, the FBI’s profiling unit, as a field coordinator and with numerous law enforcement agencies to bring homicide charges against Kimball and recover three of his victims from remote, mountainous areas. The details of Kimball's murders are horrific, revealing his deception, complete disregard for human life, including family members he claimed to love. Jonny Grusing served in the FBI for 25 years. Check out episode show notes, photos, and related articles.  https://jerriwilliams.com/276-jonny-grusing-serial-killer-con-man-scott-kimball/     Happy Holidays! Here's a link to a giveaway physical surveillance puzzle page for all you law enforcement members, private investigators, and armchair detectives to print and try out:  https://jerriwilliams.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Physical-Surveillance-Giveaway.pdf     Buy me a coffee - https://www.buymeacoffee.com/JerriWilliams Join my Reader Team to get the FBI Reading Resource - Books about the FBI, written by FBI agents, the 20 clichés about the FBI Reality Checklist, and keep up to date on the FBI in books, TV, and movies via my monthly email. Join here. http://eepurl.com/dzCCmL  Check out my FBI books, non-fiction and crime fiction, available as audiobooks, ebooks and paperbacks wherever books are sold. https://jerriwilliams.com/books/

276: Jonny Grusing – Serial Killer Con Man Scott Kimball

Retired agent Richard Stout and investigative journalist Bob Norman review the case against Scott Rothstein, who convinced hundreds of wealthy investors to pay millions of dollars for fake legal settlements in the fourth largest Ponzi scheme in US history. In addition to economic fraud, the case also covered other illegal activities, including bank fraud, public corruption, organized crime, illegal campaign contributions, and pay-to-play politics. The case resulted in the arrest and prosecution of 30 individuals. Stout and Norman are working together on A Great Fall, their upcoming true crime book and series about Scott Rothstein. Rich Stout served in the FBI for 22 years. Check out episode show notes, photos, and related articles.  https://jerriwilliams.com/275-richard-stout-billion-dollar-ponzi-schemer-scott-rothstein/ Buy me a coffee - https://www.buymeacoffee.com/JerriWilliams Join my Reader Team to get the FBI Reading Resource - Books about the FBI, written by FBI agents, the 20 clichés about the FBI Reality Checklist, and keep up to date on the FBI in books, TV, and movies via my monthly email. Join here. http://eepurl.com/dzCCmL  Check out my FBI books, non-fiction and crime fiction, available as audiobooks, ebooks and paperbacks wherever books are sold. https://jerriwilliams.com/books/

275: Richard Stout – Billion Dollar Ponzi Schemer Scott Rothstein

Host Jerri Williams is a retired FBI agent and author on a mission to show you who the FBI is and what the FBI does by interviewing retired agents, her former colleagues, about their most intriguing and high-profiled cases, as well as fascinating but not as well-known FBI investigations. She also reviews how the Bureau is portrayed in books, TV, and movies. Photos and links to articles about the cases and topics discussed can be found at https://jerriwilliams.com/

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FBI Retired Case File Review

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