Locked In with Ian Bick

• I Ran A Bank Fraud Scheme — Then Ended Up in Federal Prison | Najla Arrington

  Najla Arrington was born in New York but grew up in North Carolina, where a turbulent and abusive childhood pushed her to survive by any means necessary. On her own at a young age, she turned to scamming and fraudulent checks to fund her lifestyle and escape the chaos at home. What started as small hustles quickly grew into a full-blown bank fraud scheme that eventually landed her in federal prison. Najla’s story is one of pain, survival, and transformation — from a broken childhood to facing the harsh reality of prison life, and ultimately finding strength through redemption. Her journey exposes the dark truth behind white-collar crime, fraud, and the system that punishes survival. #LockedInWithIanBick #TrueCrime #WhiteCollarCrime #FederalPrison #FraudStory #BankFraud #RealStories #RedemptionStory Thank you to BLUECHEW & DAWS for sponsoring this episode: BlueChew: Visit https://bluechew.com/ and use promo code LOCKEDIN at checkout to get your first month of BlueChew & pay five bucks for shipping. DAWS: Go to http://www.daws.org/ to donate, adopt or send items from their wishlist. Connect with Najla Arrington: https://www.instagram.com/iamnajlawakeela?igsh=MXgxbnY5dDZrOXNkNg== Hosted, Executive Produced & Edited By Ian Bick: https://www.instagram.com/ian_bick/?hl=en https://ianbick.com/ Shop Locked In Merch: http://www.ianbick.com/shop Timestamps: 00:00 – Intro: Who Is Naja & What Her Story Is About 00:32 – Naja’s Early Life, Family Background & Childhood 02:54 – Growing Up: Abuse, Isolation, Moving & Instability 09:24 – Moments of Happiness & Early Independence 10:31 – Orlando Teen Years & Becoming a Teen Mom 13:12 – Struggling for Survival: Money Issues & Social Security 14:53 – Turning to Crime: First Scams, Fraud & Hustles 19:39 – How Check Fraud Works: Naja’s Early Schemes 21:54 – Escalation: Leveling Up Into Bigger Scams 26:14 – The $900,000 Fraud Scheme & Getting Caught 31:43 – Arrest, Federal Charges, Prison Time & Testifying 33:58 – Life in Federal Prison: Daily Reality, Hustles & Survival 38:19 – Prison Fights, Conflict & How She Survived 42:32 – Prison Mentality, Family Issues & Preparing for Release 47:08 – Getting Out: Recidivism, Relapse & Second Chances 51:42 – Her Final Prison Stint & Choosing to Change Her Life 56:39 – Starting Over: Homeless Shelter, Struggle & Cosmetology School 01:01:26 – Moving to Atlanta & Fully Rebuilding Her Life 01:03:46 – Overcoming a Criminal Record & Finding Opportunity 01:05:04 – Owning Her Past: Disclosure, Stigma & Testimony 01:09:03 – Reflections: Lessons, Growth & Advice to Her Younger Self 01:11:54 – Family Estrangement, Healing & Forgiveness 01:14:07 – Closing Thoughts & Final Message Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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• I’ve Defended The Guilty & The Innocent for 30 Years — Here’s What I’ve Learned | Norm Pattis

  Norm Pattis is one of America’s most fearless and outspoken trial lawyers — a champion of the marginalized who has built his career defending clients in some of the highest-stakes criminal and civil rights cases in the country. With over 150 jury trials and admissions to federal courts including the U.S. Supreme Court, he’s earned a reputation as one of the fiercest defenders of the Constitution and free speech. Known for taking on controversial cases and clients that others refuse to touch, Norm has spent over 30 years fighting against government overreach and injustice. In this conversation, he opens up about the realities of the criminal justice system, what it truly means to defend the guilty and the innocent, and the personal toll of standing up for what’s right in a system built to break you. #LockedInWithIanBick #TrueCrime #CriminalJustice #DefenseAttorney #LawAndOrder #CourtroomStories #JusticeSystem #realstories Thank you to BLUECHEW & K9S.ORG for sponsoring this episode: BlueChew: Visit https://bluechew.com/ and use promo code LOCKEDIN at checkout to get your first month of BlueChew & pay five bucks for shipping. K9s.org: Donate anytime at https://k9s.org/ Connect with Norm Pattis: https://www.pattispazlaw.com/ Hosted, Executive Produced & Edited By Ian Bick: https://www.instagram.com/ian_bick/?hl=en https://ianbick.com/ Shop Locked In Merch: http://www.ianbick.com/shop Timestamps: 00:00 – Intro: Who Is Norm Pattis? What Makes a Trial Lawyer Great 03:10 – Norm Pattis: Early Life, Background & Career Start 07:11 – College to Law School: How Norm Found His Calling 11:25 – Discovering Criminal Defense & Why It Hooked Him 13:50 – How Trial Lawyers Choose Clients & Case Strategy 17:37 – Social Media, Jury Pools & Modern High-Profile Cases 21:09 – The Media, Public Opinion & How It Impacts Trials 25:01 – Going to Trial: Tough Cases, Strategy & Client Decisions 31:05 – Juries Explained: Psychology, Testimony & Mirroring 36:26 – Federal vs State Court: Public Defenders, CJA & Differences 42:00 – Losing Cases, The Justice System & Prison Sentences 47:00 – The “Trial Tax,” Plea Deals & Sentencing Realities 52:21 – Pro Bono Work, Crowdfunding & Taking the Right Cases 55:55 – AI in Law: Helpful Tools, Risks & Hallucinations 01:00:00 – Sentencing, Pre-Sentence Reports & What Judges Consider 01:05:00 – Norm Pattis: Biggest Lessons After 30 Years in the Courtroom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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• I Spent 25 Years In Prison — It Turned Me Into An Animal | Benjamin McChesney

  Ben McChesney spent 25 years behind bars, serving time in more than a dozen state and federal prisons across the country — from low-level facilities to some of the toughest penitentiaries in America. His story is one of chaos, survival, and defiance. After being accused of stealing several pallets of firearms in what became one of the largest gun heists in his state, Ben went on the run to Mexico for two years before being captured. Acting as his own attorney, he fought multiple cases, beat a federal kidnapping charge, and survived years of violence and transfers across 14 federal prisons. Inside, he ran underground poker tables, fought predators, and lived by his own code. Raw, unfiltered, and brutally honest, Ben’s story exposes the reality of long-term prison life, corruption, and what it truly takes to survive 25 years in the system. #LockedInWithIanBick #PrisonStories #TrueCrime #LifeInPrison #RedemptionStory #RealStories #PrisonLife #SurvivingPrison Thank you to BLUECHEW for sponsoring this episode: Visit https://bluechew.com/ and use promo code LOCKEDIN at checkout to get your first month of BlueChew & pay five bucks for shipping. Connect with Ben McChesney: Youtube: https://youtube.com/@allamericanconvict?si=DLcG3y85Yk9hbX3g Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/allamericanconvictofficial?igsh=MTc3bDNhb21qajdnag== Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@allamericanconvic?_r=1&_t=ZT-91HyOZ4qsWr Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5DoYIuib0HYU65WDZpoyLc Hosted, Executive Produced & Edited By Ian Bick: https://www.instagram.com/ian_bick/?hl=en https://ianbick.com/ Shop Locked In Merch: http://www.ianbick.com/shop Timestamps: 00:00 – Intro: From Wyoming State Prison to Federal Time 02:40 – Growing Up in Montana & Florida: Early Chaos Begins 06:00 – Family Life, Childhood Trauma & First Trouble 12:00 – Institutionalized Young: Juvenile Facilities & Reform Schools 19:00 – Early Criminal Mindset: Manipulation, Hustling & Survival 25:00 – Wild Behavior, Theft & the Road That Led to Prison 32:00 – First Adult Sentence: Inside Wyoming State Prison 39:00 – Maximum Security Life: Violence, Chaos & Prison Reality 46:00 – Solitary Confinement, Instigating & Survival Tactics 55:00 – Negotiating with the Warden & Gaining Prison Status 01:00:00 – Released from Wyoming: Back to the Streets 01:08:00 – Federal Case: Conspiracy Charges & Facing the Feds 01:15:00 – Federal Prison Journey: Medium Security to Camp 01:19:00 – Smuggling, Schemes & Controversy in Camp Life 01:25:00 – Fights, Transfers & Federal Prison Politics 01:32:00 – Sex Offenders, Prison Justice & Yard Rules 01:41:00 – Books, Mindset & Turning Life Around 01:46:00 – Beating a Case & Marriage Problems After Prison 01:54:00 – Financial Trouble & Planning a Major Gun Heist 02:03:00 – Gun Heist Fallout, Relationship Chaos & On the Run 02:13:00 – Life on the Run: Hiding in Mexico 02:27:00 – Captured in Mexico & Extradited Back to the U.S. 02:55:00 – Legal Battles: Kidnapping Charges & Polygraph Test 03:03:00 – Federal Trial, Sentencing & Wild Prison Stories 03:17:00 – Reentry, Parole & Learning to Live Free Again 03:24:00 – Staying Out for Good: Lessons, Redemption & Moving Forward Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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• I Was A DEA Agent Who Took Down The Cali Cartel | Chris Feistl

  Chris Feistl spent 26 years working for the DEA, including three years in Colombia during the 1990s, helping take down one of the most powerful drug empires in history — the Cali Cartel. His real-life work was portrayed in Narcos: Season 3, but the truth behind the show is even wilder. From undercover operations to high-stakes cartel takedowns, he witnessed firsthand the danger, corruption, and chaos of the war on drugs. Over his career, he earned the DEA Award of Honor, Award for Exceptional Service, and multiple Performance Awards for his role in international investigations. In this exclusive interview, he opens up about what really happened in Colombia, how Narcos got it right (and wrong), and what it was like to spend decades hunting some of the world’s most dangerous traffickers. #LockedInWithIanBick #DEAAgent #Narcos #CaliCartel #TrueCrime #DrugCartel #NarcosNetflix #realstories Thank you to BLUECHEW for sponsoring this episode: Visit https://bluechew.com/ and use promo code LOCKEDIN at checkout to get your first month of BlueChew & pay five bucks for shipping. Connect with Chris Feistl: Website: www.After.Escobar.com. After Escobar is available on Amazon (http://a.co/d/4U3kWXB), Barnes and Noble (https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/1146855946), www.AfterEscobar.com, and in select bookstores worldwide! Signed copies of After Escobar available only at www.AfterEscobar.com. Hosted, Executive Produced & Edited By Ian Bick: https://www.instagram.com/ian_bick/?hl=en https://ianbick.com/ Shop Locked In Merch: http://www.ianbick.com/shop Timestamps: 00:00 Becoming a DEA Agent & Taking Down Cartels 04:44 Early Life, Law Enforcement Dreams & First Arrests 13:11 From Small-Town Cop to Federal Agent 20:01 Joining the DEA: Training, Requirements & Reality 27:47 First Assignment in Miami — Cocaine Capital of the '80s 38:41 Inside the Miami Drug Wars: Chaos, Cartels & Corruption 45:42 Cartel Smuggling Tactics & DEA Challenges on the Ground 53:03 Dirty Cops, Corruption & How the DEA Adapted 01:01:12 Hunting the Cali Cartel Bosses in Colombia 01:12:40 Deep Undercover: The DEA’s Dangerous Life in Colombia 01:20:01 Surviving the Cartel Wars — Second & Third DEA Tours 01:31:00 Coming Home: DEA Retirement & Life After the Mission 01:36:02 How Netflix’s Narcos Got It Right (and Wrong) 01:40:02 Hard Lessons, Close Calls & Reflections from a DEA Agent Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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• I Was a Crip Inside New Jersey Prisons — The Truth I Never Told | Jahquan Allah

  Jahquan Allah grew up in the heart of New Jersey, surrounded by poverty, violence, and gang life. At just 16, he caught his first gun charge and spent most of his 20s in and out of jail, surviving the brutal reality of life as a Crip inside New Jersey prisons. After serving six years on another gun charge and being released in 2023, Jahquan made a decision to change everything. Now free, he’s the founder of a fitness brand focused on discipline, redemption, and second chances. His story is a raw and powerful look into gang culture, prison survival, and the mindset it takes to rebuild your life after incarceration. #LockedInWithIanBick #NewJerseyPrisons #CripGang #PrisonStories #TrueCrime #GangLife #RedemptionStory #realstories Thank you to BLUECHEW & DAWS for sponsoring this episode: BlueChew: Visit https://bluechew.com/ and use promo code LOCKEDIN at checkout to get your first month of BlueChew & pay five bucks for shipping. DAWS: Go to http://www.daws.org/ to donate, adopt or send items from their wishlist. Connect with Jahquan Allah: IG: @Frontstreet_flash & @flashfitnessco TIKTOK: @flashfitnessco YOUTUBE: Flashfitnessco Hosted, Executive Produced & Edited By Ian Bick: https://www.instagram.com/ian_bick/?hl=en https://ianbick.com/ Shop Locked In Merch: http://www.ianbick.com/shop Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction & Guest’s Powerful Story 02:06 Growing Up in New Jersey & Family Struggles 05:37 Early Influences & The Pull Toward Street Life 09:15 Violence, Guns & the Harsh Reality of the Streets 13:00 Gang Affiliation, Loyalty & Neighborhood Codes 16:40 First Arrest, Juvenile Detention & Lessons Learned 21:37 House Arrest, School Life & Staying Out of Trouble 25:03 Repeat Offenses, Jail Time & Survival Mindset 30:00 Fighting Charges & Navigating County Jail Life 34:41 What Daily Life in County Jail Is Really Like 37:48 Jail Gangs, Politics & The Absence of Real OGs 43:14 State Prison Life: Lockdowns, Structure & Survival 46:48 Getting Out, Relapsing & Landing Back Inside 52:15 Facing Serious Charges & Finding Strength in Adversity 58:00 Mindset Shift, Growth & The Road to Redemption 01:02:56 Leaving Gang Life Behind & Building a New Future 01:07:36 Final Reflections, Hard Truths & Life After Prison Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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