Locked In with Ian Bick

Sandeep "Sonny" Bharadia spent more than 22 years in prison for a crime he didn't commit. In 2003, he was convicted of a brutal home invasion and sexual assault in Georgia and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, despite maintaining his innocence and having an alibi placing him more than 250 miles away from the crime. Years later, DNA testing on a pair of gloves worn by the attacker excluded Sonny and matched the very man who had testified against him in court. But even with that evidence, Sonny remained behind bars, fighting a legal system that repeatedly denied him a new trial. After more than two decades of imprisonment, his conviction was finally overturned in 2024, and he was officially exonerated in May 2025.
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Thank you to TALKIATRY & CASH APP for sponsoring this episode:
Talkiatry: Head to https://www.talkiatry.com/lockedin to complete the short assessment and get matched with an in‑network psychiatrist in just a few minutes.
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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. Cash App Green features, Savings, Direct deposit, Round ups, Overdraft coverage and Discounts provided by Cash App, a Block, Inc. brand. Visit cash.app/legal/podcast for full disclosures.
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Connect with Sonny Bharadia:
https://www.instagram.com/sonb1944/
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Hosted, Executive Produced & Edited By Ian Bick:
https://ianbick.com/
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Timestamps:
00:00 Introducing Sunny Baradia
00:40 Sunny's Early Life and Career
02:44 The Crime and Arrest
07:36 Conviction and Sentencing
12:38 Bail and Legal Representation
14:49 Family Support
22:31 Sponsor Break: Talkiatry
24:38 Life in Prison
41:00 Sponsor Break: Cash App Green
42:58 Mental Struggles and Suicide Attempt
45:37 Appeals and Innocence Project
57:02 Relationships and Communication
01:01:04 Escape Thoughts
01:03:29 Final Appeal and Release
01:07:23 Fight for Exoneration
01:10:26 Reflecting on Prison Violence
01:12:11 Adjusting to Freedom
01:16:34 Advocacy and Purpose
01:21:39 Health and Trauma
01:24:20 Forgiveness and Moving Forward
01:30:44 Future Plans and Dreams
01:39:09 Closing and Gratitude
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Stephen McCreary was sentenced to life in prison for second-degree murder in 1977 after growing up in the dangerous streets of Detroit, surrounded by some of the city's most ruthless killers. While serving his sentence, he offered a deputy warden $10,000 to help lower his security classification, eventually escaping a Michigan prison in December 1987. He spent time on the run in New York and Hawaii before being caught trying to obtain a passport. After his escape, Stephen spent decades in maximum-security prisons, ultimately serving 41 years behind bars. Today, he takes us inside his life of crime, his daring prison escape, surviving some of Michigan's toughest prisons, and what it was like to finally walk free after more than four decades.
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Thank you to AG1 & GLD for sponsoring this episode:
AG1: Go to https://drinkag1.com/lockedin and for a limited time, get a free Immune Support Bundle, including a bottle of Omega-3 fish oil and a bottle of Vitamin D3K2, with your first subscription order of AG1 Next Gen or AG1 Pro.
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GLD: New customers get 40% Off with code LOCKEDIN at https://www.gld.com/
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Hosted, Executive Produced & Edited By Ian Bick:
https://ianbick.com/
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Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction: The Hitman Who Escaped
00:40 Growing Up in Detroit
02:29 Parents' Divorce and Father's Breakdown
04:06 Falling In With the Wrong Crowd
07:39 Lost Basketball Dreams
08:52 Stealing Guns at 16
13:00 The Robbery Plan
15:52 Shooting the Kingpin
19:53 Arrest and Life Sentence
24:54 Tried to Escape Day One
27:51 Mentored by the Most Feared Man
33:47 Entering Jackson Prison
39:30 Prison Yard Politics
44:52 The Deputy Warden Connection
47:35 The Escape Deal
51:05 The Shakedown
53:00 Paying Off the Warden
56:03 Escaping Over the Fence
01:05:38 Mother Picks Him Up
01:09:04 The Failed Getaway
01:11:22 Fleeing to New York
01:14:04 Hawaii and Final Plans
01:15:30 The Capture
01:18:42 Testifying Against the Warden
01:21:23 Federal Prison Life
01:24:48 Back to State Prison
01:26:04 14 Years in Level Five
01:28:07 Targeted by Hitmen
01:31:22 The Parole Board Hearings
01:34:44 Codefendant Saves His Life
01:42:22 A Knife Attack Over a Book
01:47:47 Growth Behind Bars
01:53:02 Finally Free After 41 Years
01:57:00 Life Lessons and Reflections
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To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/LockedInWithIanBicka

Richard Caruso is a former California correctional officer and Marine Corps veteran who helped expose one of the darkest scandals in American prison history. While working at Corcoran State Prison, he witnessed a system where rival inmates were allegedly deliberately placed together to fight, with guards sometimes using deadly force. After bringing evidence to the FBI, Caruso faced death threats, retaliation, and the destruction of his law enforcement career. He ultimately reached a $1.7 million settlement with California. Now he shares the disturbing reality of Corcoran's infamous "Gladiator Days," the price he paid for speaking out, and what happens when a prison guard turns against the system he once served. 
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Thank you to GLD & AG1 for sponsoring this episode:
GLD: New customers get 40% Off with code LOCKEDIN at https://www.gld.com/
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AG1: Go to https://drinkag1.com/lockedin and for a limited time, get a free Immune Support Bundle, including a bottle of Omega-3 fish oil and a bottle of Vitamin D3K2, with your first subscription order of AG1 Next Gen or AG1 Pro.
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Connect with Richard Caruso: 
https://www.facebook.com/share/1C9PuUb76u/?mibextid=wwXIfr
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Hosted, Executive Produced & Edited By Ian Bick:
https://ianbick.com/
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Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction: The Deadliest Prison
00:34 Richard Caruso's Early Life and Family
04:44 Joining the Marine Corps
09:00 Marine Corps Training and Graduation
11:49 Becoming a Correctional Officer
13:25 First Prison Job at Mule Creek
14:54 Transfer to Corcoran State Prison
17:00 Gladiator Fights at Corcoran
21:44 Sponsor Break: GLD Jewelry
23:12 Realization of Wrongdoing
26:42 Brother's Arrest and Change of Heart
29:20 Decision to Expose the Violence
35:54 Collecting Evidence and FBI Involvement
45:36 Sponsor Break: AG1
47:51 Meeting with the Warden
51:01 Protection from Inmates
52:56 Transfer to Vacaville and Lawsuit
56:09 Senate Hearings and Reforms
01:00:00 Governor's Involvement and Settlement
01:08:00 Federal Indictments and Trial
01:20:01 Video Evidence of Inmate Shooting
01:26:00 Reflections on Accountability
01:30:00 Prison Stories: Booty Bandit and Others
01:33:04 Making of the Movie 'Felon'
01:38:58 Charles Manson Stories
01:49:00 Philosophy on Hope and Redemption
01:54:00 Closing Thoughts and Legacy
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To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/LockedInWithIanBicka

Eric Balliet spent more than 25 years as a federal law enforcement agent investigating some of the world's most dangerous drug cartels and criminal organizations. From patrolling the U.S.-Mexico border to helping capture notorious cartel leader El Chapo twice, Eric takes us inside the hidden world of drug trafficking, human smuggling, underground tunnels, and corruption. He also served as a top law enforcement advisor to the Secretary of Homeland Security under both Obama and Trump, giving him a rare perspective on what really happens behind the scenes at ICE, the border, and the highest levels of government. Now retired, Eric reveals the realities of fighting organized crime and the stories behind his book, Kingpins & Coyotes.
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Thank you to AG1 & GLD for sponsoring this episode:
AG1: Go to https://drinkag1.com/lockedin and for a limited time, get a free Immune Support Bundle, including a bottle of Omega-3 fish oil and a bottle of Vitamin D3K2, with your first subscription order of AG1 Next Gen or AG1 Pro.
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GLD: New customers get 40% Off with code LOCKEDIN at https://www.gld.com/
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Connect with Eric Balliet: Website: https://www.kingpinsandcoyotes.com/bio
Book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H9JSVJT2?lv=shuf&bestFormat=true&channelId=704&ref_=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_C1GTVD3KQ35B9YVK5WES&plpRedirect=mhFallback
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-balliet/
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Hosted, Executive Produced & Edited By Ian Bick:
https://ianbick.com/
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Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction: 25 Years Chasing Cartels
00:00 Early Border Patrol Years
00:31 Growing Up in Syracuse
02:30 Finding Law Enforcement
05:40 College Years and Joining Border Patrol
28:00 Becoming an ICE Agent
31:30 Early ICE Career
34:20 The Main Drugs
39:20 Following a Vehicle
44:10 Playing Whack-a-Mole with Stash Houses
47:00 Life Inside a Cartel
50:00 Cartel Comms Evolution
51:20 Cartel Communication
55:00 Cartel's Desert Scouts
56:10 Cartel Counter-Intel and Comms
57:00 Why Interdiction Fails
59:00 How Cartels Absorb Losses
01:01:10 Inside Cartel Recruitment and Crews
01:02:40 Violence on the US Side
01:05:00 Cartel's Stance on Law Enforcement
01:06:00 Cartel Human Smuggling Networks
01:08:00 How Cartels Tax Human Smugglers
01:11:40 US Border Security Failures
01:13:40 The 'Carry Her' Intercept
01:16:20 Terrorists on the Border
01:19:40 ICE's Shift to Civil Enforcement
01:24:40 Kingpins vs. Kingdoms
01:26:40 Dismantling the Kingdom
01:28:30 Corruption and Convictions
01:30:50 Why Banks Turn a Blind Eye
01:32:50 Not a Winning Battle
01:35:50 Public Misconceptions
01:44:00 What Comes Now
01:46:50 The Book and the Next Chapter
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To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/LockedInWithIanBicka

Corvain Cooper grew up surrounded by the drug game before finding his own way into the streets, starting with fraud before eventually becoming a major player in marijuana trafficking. What began small grew into a massive operation shipping marijuana from California across state lines, until federal authorities took it down and prosecutors tied the conspiracy to more than 35 tons of weed. Corvain was ultimately sentenced to mandatory life in federal prison, where he faced the reality that he might never come home. He shares how the operation grew, what led to his downfall, surviving a life sentence, and the fight for freedom that eventually led to President Donald Trump commuting his sentence in 2021.
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Thank you to GLD & AG1 for sponsoring this episode:
GLD: New customers get 40% Off with code LOCKEDIN at https://www.gld.com/
_____________________________________________
AG1: Go to https://drinkag1.com/lockedin and for a limited time, get a free Immune Support Bundle, including a bottle of Omega-3 fish oil and a bottle of Vitamin D3K2, with your first subscription order of AG1 Next Gen or AG1 Pro.
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Connect with Corvain Cooper:
Website: https://linkin.bio/40tonsbrand/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/corvaincooper/?hl=en
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Hosted, Executive Produced & Edited By Ian Bick: 
https://ianbick.com/
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Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction: Corvain Cooper's Life Sentence
00:42 Growing Up in South Central LA
03:32 Childhood Influence and Parents' Addiction
05:34 Young Corvain's Hustle and White-Collar Crime
08:23 Getting Into the Streets
11:00 Juvenile Detention and Learning Discipline
13:34 Fake Rim Company and Fraud Schemes
16:03 Transition to Marijuana Trafficking
23:15 Partnerships and Risk in Drug Game
27:00 Legalization and Incarceration for Marijuana
33:34 Expansion to Charlotte and Things Heat Up
37:00 Betrayal and Losses in Charlotte
40:00 Arrest and Trial Preparation
44:00 Charges and Conspiracy Law
48:00 Trial and Conviction
54:00 Sentencing and Life in Prison
01:01:00 Clemency and Release
01:06:00 Life in USP Atwater and Pollock
01:11:00 Prison Survival and Discipline
01:16:00 Post-Release Life and Advocacy
01:25:00 Reflections and Lessons Learned
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To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/LockedInWithIanBicka