The Connect- with Johnny Mitchell

At the height of Florida's opioid epidemic, Derik was helping run a massive pill mill operation that brought in as much as $300,000 a day, saw 500 patients daily, and generated an estimated $40 million before the feds shut it down.

With dozens of doctors, thousands of customers traveling from across America, and an endless demand for oxycodone, the business became a multimillion-dollar empire operating in plain sight. Derik reveals how doctors were recruited, how patients obtained hundreds of prescription pain pills at a time, and how he once moved 100,000 pills in a deal worth over $1 million.<...

Red Hat was born into a drug empire. His father was a millionaire drug kingpin who allegedly worked with corrupt cops, moved massive quantities of cocaine, and controlled the streets of Texarkana. But after serving time in prison, his father was brutally murdered over $1 million in hidden drug money.

Instead of walking away from the criminal underworld, he followed in his father's footsteps.

By just 15 years old, he was already selling drugs. By 17, he had his own house, multiple cars, and was making serious money in the streets. Eventually...

Floss Tha Boss was a notorious 52 Hoover Gangster Crip from Dallas, Texas, who started gangbanging at just 12 years old. By his mid-20s, he was calling the shots for a crew of 30 gang members, making serious money selling crack, robbing drug dealers, and getting into deadly shootouts.

But everything changed when a confrontation turned fatal, landing Floss a murder conviction and a 25-year prison sentence. To make matters worse, Floss claims his own defense lawyer was secretly trying to sleep with his wife while representing him in court.

In...

Both of Josh's parents were police officers. He grew up surrounded by law enforcement, riding in patrol cars and spending time at police stations. But instead of following in their footsteps, he became everything they were fighting against — a heroin addict and drug dealer.

In this episode, Josh, a former heroin dealer describes growing up in Maple Valley, Washington, an affluent suburban town hiding a deadly underground drug epidemic.

After undergoing spinal surgery at just 15 years old, he was prescribed powerful opioids that helped set him on a path to...

He worked with the ATF helping federal agents bust drug dealers. Then he became one of Philadelphia's most notorious illegal gun traffickers.

In this episode, Johnny sits down with Simon White, a former ATF informant who went on to supply firearms to dangerous drug organizations throughout North Philadelphia, Kensington, and the notorious Badlands.

Simon reveals how he went from working alongside federal agents to selling hundreds of illegal firearms to Philly drug gangs. He describes the massive profits, the dangerous criminals he dealt with, and how legitimate gun stores...

Nearly 30 years after Tupac Shakur was gunned down on the Las Vegas Strip, one of the most infamous murder cases in hip-hop history has finally reached a verdict. And the man convicted of orchestrating the killing may have sealed his own fate by refusing to keep his mouth shut.

On August 31, 2026, Duane "Keefe D" Davis, a former high-ranking Southside Compton Crip, was found guilty of first-degree murder in the 1996 killing of Tupac Shakur. But how did a street fight at the MGM Grand turn into the assassination of one of the biggest music stars...

Martin Munoz up in Anaheim, just minutes from Disneyland—but behind the scenes, his family was connected to a completely different world.

In this episode, Martin tells the story of growing up around a family involved in high-level drug trafficking between Mexico and Southern California. He describes an uncle who operated at a major level before mysteriously disappearing in Tijuana, a father who went on to become a major meth and cocaine distributor, and how he eventually found himself stepping into the same business.

After his father was arrested, he...

Diaz Aguilar went to prison at 23 years old and spent the next 22 years inside Mississippi’s notoriously violent prison system.

In this episode, Diaz sits down to tell the unbelievable story of how he survived decades behind bars while navigating gang politics, corrupt prison staff, brutal violence, and a massive underground contraband economy.

Diaz explains how inmates worked with guards to bring in marijuana, tobacco, liquor, smartphones, and other contraband worth enormous amounts of money inside the prison system. He describes guards cooperating with gangs, violent conflicts between prison fa...

Scott Anthony had already lived a life most people wouldn't believe.

He grew up in Chicago street gangs, robbed drug dealers, trafficked cocaine, fled the United States, lived under aliases, and eventually built a new life in Mexico.

Then he discovered another business: Cuban cigars.

While still on federal probation, Scott says he began traveling to Cuba, buying hundreds of boxes of cigars, moving them through Mexico, and smuggling them across the U.S. border. What started with 40 boxes eventually grew into loads of...

Former Hells Angel Joby Walters sits down to tell the unbelievable story of how he entered the outlaw motorcycle world at nearly 50 years old, rose through the ranks, survived one of the most infamous biker wars in American history, and eventually walked away from it all.

Joby recounts meeting legendary Hells Angel Sonny Barger, earning his patch, and becoming deeply involved in the Arizona club scene during escalating conflicts with the Mongols, Vagos, Bandidos, and other outlaw motorcycle clubs.

He gives a firsthand account of the deadly 2002 fight at...

Matthew Handy lived through 20 years of addiction, crime, prison, paranoia, and survival before finally turning his life around.

In this episode, Matt sits down to tell the wild story of how his life spiraled from early drug use in San Diego to heroin addiction, meth dealing, organized retail theft, credit card fraud, extortion, bank robbery, and cartel-adjacent chaos on both sides of the border.

Matt opens up about childhood trauma, prison, the criminal mindset, life in San Bernardino, the explosion of credit card fraud, smuggling drugs from Tijuana, and...

Former Bad Boy rapper G. Dep sits down to tell one of the most unbelievable stories in hip-hop history.

Growing up in Harlem during the height of the crack era, G. Dep went from hustling in the streets and battling drug addiction to landing a record deal with Bad Boy Entertainment and becoming one of the label’s rising stars. But behind the success, the music, and the fame was a secret that continued to haunt him.

In 1993, at just 18 years old, G. Dep was involved in a fatal sh...

Baltimore has always had a reputation as one of America’s toughest cities — a place shaped by poverty, violence, addiction, and survival. In this episode, Johnny travels through Baltimore to see how the city has changed since The Wire, how the drug trade has evolved from heroin to fentanyl, and why homicides have recently dropped despite open-air dealing still being visible across the city.

With help from Baltimore Carl of Baltimore Recovery Alliance, we visit Lexington Market, South Baltimore, East Baltimore, and O’Donnell Heights to hear directly from people who lived the streets, worked...

Black Label has one of the wildest stories we’ve ever heard on The Connect.

Growing up in extreme poverty in St. Petersburg, Florida, he was surrounded by crack, violence, and chaos from an early age. By 11 years old, he was already selling drugs. By his late teens, Black Label says he was helping run a multi-million-dollar drug operation, moving large quantities of crack and cocaine while leading a crew in one of the most dangerous environments imaginable.

But the money came with consequences. Kidnappings, robberies, violence, federal investigations, an...

Donald Trump once appeared unusually willing to confront the Jeffrey Epstein story. According to Julian Dorey, Trump reportedly cooperated with an attorney representing Epstein victims, publicly urged people to investigate Epstein and his powerful connections, and later campaigned alongside calls for greater transparency.

So what changed?

In this episode, Julian Dorey joins for a deep dive into Trump’s history with Epstein, the fight over the unreleased files, Elon Musk’s explosive claim that Trump appears in them, and reports suggesting Trump and Epstein were closer than casual acquaintances.

Jimmy “Easy” Saracco lived the kind of Mafia life most people only know from movies.

In this episode, the former DeCavalcante associate opens up about coming up in New York’s underworld, making serious money through bookmaking and loansharking, carrying out violent orders, and operating around the New Jersey crime family often associated with the real-life inspiration behind The Sopranos.

Jimmy also tells the story of his explosive feud with John Gotti Jr., including his claim that Gotti Jr. was involved in a plot to have him killed. After surviv...

Could a U.S. military intervention in Mexico actually happen—and what would it look like if it did?

Ed Calderon joins the show and we break down the growing tension between the United States and Mexico, the strategic importance of northern Mexico’s manufacturing base, and why a future conflict could extend far beyond the fight against cartels and fentanyl. The conversation explores the potential consequences of military intervention, including mass migration, border shutdowns, trade disruptions, economic shortages, and the possibility of cartel groups transforming into organized guerrilla forces using drones, IEDs, precision weap...

At just 18 years old, Jacob Diaz went from growing up in extreme poverty and foster care to helping manage a massive cocaine trafficking operation stretching from the Texas border to Florida.

In this episode, Jacob explains how he started as a driver and translator before eventually handling logistics, coordinating drivers, collecting money, managing stash houses, and helping oversee the U.S. side of an operation connected to the Beltrán Leyva organization.

At its peak, the network was moving dozens of kilos a week, with Jacob describing hundreds of k...

Former San Francisco undercover narcotics officer Britt Elmore exposes how the Tenderloin became one of America’s most notorious open-air drug markets — and how fentanyl, street dealers, weak prosecution, addiction, homelessness, and organized trafficking reshaped the city.

In this episode, Britt breaks down the San Francisco fentanyl crisis from the inside. After 25 years working narcotics, undercover buys, federal task force cases, wiretaps, gun deals, stolen car operations, cartel-linked investigations, and street-level drug markets, Britt explains how the fentanyl trade operates in the Bay Area and why San Francisco became a magnet for addiction, homelessness, and...

From a strict Mormon upbringing in Texas to the violent world of cartel-connected crime, Tyler’s story is one of the wildest we’ve heard.

In this episode, Tyler explains how he went from being a high school kid making money transporting drugs to working around human-smuggling networks along the Texas–Mexico border. He describes witnessing extreme cartel violence at a young age, moving migrants through border towns, becoming involved in violent contract work in Mexico, and later building a large drug business back home.

Tyler also opens up about...

Katarina Szulc returns to The Connect after reporting on the ground in Sinaloa, where the cartel war has pushed Culiacán deeper into violence and uncertainty.

In this episode, she breaks down what she witnessed firsthand, why the Chapitos are under enormous pressure, and how CJNG could emerge as one of the biggest winners if the Chapitos eventually collapse or surrender. With CJNG already providing manpower and resources to its Sinaloa allies, could the organization ultimately move in and absorb their territory?

We also get into the escalating war i...

Steven Dixon, a former Baltimore heroin kingpin, reveals how the city’s drug trade really worked during its most notorious era—from New York suppliers and mob connections to high-purity heroin, street corners generating staggering amounts of cash, and the operation that made him millions.

He breaks down how heroin moved from New York to Baltimore, how dealers controlled territory across West Baltimore, why trusted connections mattered, and how the drug economy seen in The Wire compared to what was actually happening on the streets.

But the money and powe...

Florida gubernatorial candidate James Fishback joins The Connect to explain why he believes it’s time for a political revolution at the state level—and why Florida must stand up to Washington, Wall Street, foreign influence, and the growing surveillance state.

In this wide-ranging conversation, Fishback lays out his plan to eliminate Flock license-plate cameras, oppose Palantir-style mass surveillance, protect First and Fourth Amendment rights, and repeal Florida laws he believes restrict criticism of foreign governments.

He also breaks down his opposition to the H-1B visa system, arguing that...

His mom was a queenpin. His dad was the muscle. By 16, he was selling meth and building his own operation in small-town Texas.

In this episode, Cory Simek, a former teenage meth dealer reveals what it was like growing up inside the drug game—and how his family’s criminal lifestyle shaped the path he followed. After starting with marijuana, he quickly moved into meth, made serious money before he was old enough to sign a lease, and became the target of a six-month police investigation.

He breaks down how...

A former sheriff’s deputy says one split-second police shooting turned him from a respected officer into a convicted murderer—and sent him to Texas prison for 20 years.

In this episode, Kent McGowen tells the full story of the night he served an arrest warrant on an armed woman, fired after she allegedly refused repeated commands to drop her weapon and later found himself charged with murder.

Kent explains why he believes he was railroaded by corrupt officials, how his conviction survived multiple trials and appeals, and what happened when...

The real-life Marlo Stanfield sits down for his first podcast interview.

In this exclusive episode, Marlo Bates — known across Baltimore as Marlo Stanfield — opens up about the story behind one of the most feared and iconic characters from HBO’s The Wire. From growing up in West Baltimore, building a powerful street organization with his twin brother Tamir, and surviving decades in prison, Marlo shares the truth behind the legend in his own words.

He talks about Baltimore in the 1970s and 1980s, the heroin trade, 24-hour shops, loyalty, violen...

Clark Frederick’s life changed forever after years of grooming and sexual abuse by Dennis Pegg, a Boy Scout leader and sheriff’s lieutenant trusted by his family and community.

Decades later, after struggling with addiction, gambling, broken relationships, PTSD, and silence, Clark encountered his abuser with another young boy. The sight triggered a devastating spiral that ended with Clark confronting and killing the man who abused him.

In this episode, Clark explains how he avoided a life sentence, why other alleged victims began coming forward, what happened during his...

Anthony Sanchez shares his raw journey from childhood trauma and Houston street life to serving more than 10 years in the Texas prison system—and ultimately rebuilding his life after release.

In this powerful interview, Anthony explains how poverty, abuse, addiction, gang culture, drug dealing, violence, and the prison environment shaped his early decisions. He opens up about losing his mother to a cocaine overdose, carrying a gun as a teenager, selling drugs, facing aggravated robbery charges, and receiving a 16-year prison sentence at only 17 years old.

Anthony also gives an...

Inside the growing U.S.–Israeli military partnership, AI surveillance technology, data centers, cybersecurity firms, and political lobbying are becoming increasingly connected.

In this episode, investigative journalist and YouTube creator Tommy G discusses the proposed expansion of U.S.–Israel defense integration, the role of artificial intelligence and cyber warfare, Israeli settlements in the West Bank, surveillance companies such as Palantir and Flock Safety, and concerns about privacy, censorship, and government overreach.

Tommy also explains why he expanded his reporting beyond crime and street documentaries to cover Gaza, Palestine, Isra...

Former drug trafficker Justin Campos reveals how he built a multi-million-dollar marijuana operation by shipping large quantities of weed from California to Texas through USPS, UPS, and FedEx.

In this episode, Justin explains how he entered the marijuana business, found suppliers connected to California’s Emerald Triangle, operated a medical weed delivery service in Los Angeles, and moved thousands of pounds across state lines.

He also breaks down how his custom jewelry business connected him with rappers and music-industry figures, including 50 Cent, Young Buck, G-Unit, Rick Ross, Ty Dolla $ig...

Aryan Brotherhood leader, Michael Thompson, reveals what life was really like inside California’s most violent prisons — from Old Folsom and San Quentin to the rise of The Brand, prison gang politics, violence, survival, and ultimately walking away.

In this explosive interview, he breaks down how the Aryan Brotherhood gained power behind the walls, how prison gangs controlled money, drugs, alcohol, protection, and violence, and why the California prison system of the 1970s was unlike anything seen today.

He also opens up about growing up on a Native reservation, bein...

K2 has changed the entire prison game.

In this fifth and final chapter of Tim Greishiemer's series, he breaks down what he saw inside Texas prisons during a new era of synthetic drugs, violence, contraband, and prison politics. He explains how K2 became one of the biggest hustles behind bars, how inmates made money through tattoos and underground businesses, and how the culture inside Texas prisons has changed over the years.

But Tim’s story does not end in prison.

After years of living in...

Former Mexican Mafia member René “Boxer” Enriquez tells the real story of La Eme — one of the most feared and powerful prison gangs in American history.

In this interview, René breaks down how the Mexican Mafia gained control inside California prisons, how La Eme influenced street gangs across Los Angeles, how prison politics really work, and what it means to become a “made” member of the organization. He also opens up about his childhood, gang life, violence, addiction, betrayal, debriefing, and the long road toward redemption after leaving the life behind.

This i...

After seven years in a Texas prison, Tim came home with prison politics, gang ties, and connections that would pull him straight into the meth game. In episode 4 of Tim's series, he breaks down how life behind bars shaped his mindset, how he adjusted after release, and how prison relationships eventually led to cartel-level meth connections.

Tim talks about working on death row, surviving the Texas prison system, coming home on parole, and entering a dangerous world of meth trafficking, cartel plugs, stash houses, and small-town drug markets. He also explains how rural Texas...

Former California game warden John Nores reveals the hidden war being fought deep inside America’s forests — where cartel-run marijuana farms have taken over remote public lands, poisoned wildlife, stolen water, and turned California’s mountains into dangerous territory.

In this episode, John breaks down how Mexican cartel growers set up massive hidden weed farms, how they camouflage camps and irrigation systems, why game wardens became involved in marijuana raids, and what happened when his team came face-to-face with armed growers in the woods.

We also discuss the environmental destru...

In Part 3 of Tim’s interview, he exposes the brutal reality of life inside the Texas prison system, including Texas death row, extreme heat with no air conditioning, alleged corruption, contraband cell phones, prison violence, and the inhumane conditions inmates face behind bars.

Tim shares firsthand stories from his time in Texas prisons, including what it was like working on death row, seeing inmates receive execution dates, witnessing the emotional impact of executions, and hearing about wrongful convictions. He also breaks down how contraband gets into prison, how inmates survive scorching heat, how prison hu...

Anthony Santana survived fentanyl addiction, homelessness, drug dealing, and nearly 100 overdoses — but what he saw inside the rehab industry shocked him almost as much as the streets.

In this episode of The Connect, Anthony exposes the dark world of rehab corruption, body brokering, and treatment centers allegedly profiting from fentanyl addicts through insurance payouts. He breaks down how addicts are recruited, paid, recycled through detox programs, and sometimes pushed back into relapse so the money keeps flowing.

Anthony also opens up about selling fentanyl and Xanax in California, living ho...

Former Mongols MC leader Mooch sits down to reveal the inside story of motorcycle club life, the Mongols’ war with the Hells Angels, ATF informants, RICO cases, and what really happened behind the scenes of major biker investigations.

In this episode, Mooch breaks down how federal informants allegedly infiltrated motorcycle clubs, how Operation Black Rain impacted the Mongols MC, and why he believes many members were pressured through RICO charges and plea deals. He also talks about club politics, being labeled “out bad,” the fight over the Mongols patch, the rise of biker club violen...

In episode 2 of the Tim G miniseries, Tim dives into a raw and intense firsthand account of life inside one of Texas’ most violent prison units. He breaks down what it was like arriving young, white, and unprotected in a heavily segregated environment where respect had to be earned fast.

He talks about the politics between prison gangs, corrupt officers, contraband hustles, riots, extortion, violence, and the daily survival mindset required to make it through. From guards being flipped for drops, to inmates running serious money operations behind the walls, this conversation exposes how ch...

The war inside the Sinaloa Cartel may be reaching a turning point.

In this episode, we break down the alleged collapse of the Chapitos faction, the fallout from El Mayo Zambada’s shocking kidnapping and arrest, and the reported U.S. indictment targeting powerful political figures in Sinaloa. As Chapo Guzmán’s sons lose allies, money, manpower, and political protection, the balance of power may be shifting toward Los Mayitos.

But this story goes far beyond cartel infighting.

We also explore the bigger pictu...