Locked In with Ian Bick

Joseph De Gregorio was raised in a good family and built a successful career on Wall Street, but the 2008 market crash derailed everything. After losing his footing, he started his own business, which eventually turned into a fraud scheme—a decision he ultimately took responsibility for by coming clean and turning himself in to authorities. At the same time, Joseph was battling a severe alcohol addiction, drinking himself to the point of needing a liver transplant. He was later sentenced to federal prison, where he faced harsh conditions and medical challenges while serving time in a federal medical center prison. After his release, Joseph reinvented his life, dedicating himself to helping others navigate the justice system through prison consulting and sentence mitigation work, turning his darkest chapter into a mission to help people avoid the same mistakes. _____________________________________________ #IAlmostDied #PrisonSurvival #AddictionRecovery #TrueCrimeStories #LifeAfterPrison #RedemptionStory #PrisonLife #survivorstory _____________________________________________ Thank you to FRONTLINE HEALING FOUNDATION for sponsoring this episode: Visit https://frontlinehealingfoundation.org/ to donate or share their mission. _____________________________________________ Connect with Joseph De Gregorio: Website: https://www.jnadvisor.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jnadvisor-joseph/ 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 From Wall Street Success to Federal Prison 02:40 Who He Was Before Everything Fell Apart 11:10 Childhood, Ambition & the Drive to Win 19:16 Inside Wall Street: Money, Power & Pressure 30:08 The 2008 Financial Crash That Changed Everything 39:47 Addiction, Burnout & Losing Control 47:32 Liver Failure, Transplant & Near-Death Hospital Battle 01:03:53 Getting Sober: AA, Accountability & Truth 01:11:20 Turning Himself In to Federal Authorities 01:22:13 Federal Prison While Medically Compromised 01:35:48 Release, Home Confinement & Supervised Release Reality 01:40:58 Life After Prison: Education, Purpose & Reinvention 01:52:00 Beating the System: Mitigation Strategy Explained 02:01:53 Legal Tech, Consulting & The Future of Defense 02:09:40 Final Lessons, Advice & How to Contact Him Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ernie Leon shares a story of survival, violence, and redemption. Growing up in Arizona, Ernie fell into addiction and gang life at a young age, which led to an armed robbery conviction and time in the Arizona prison system. After getting into trouble behind the walls, he was sent to maximum-security prison, where survival became a daily battle. Following his release, tragedy struck when Ernie witnessed his brother get shot and killed, and Ernie himself was shot and paralyzed. Despite everything, he was later sent back to Arizona max prison on another armed robbery case. In this conversation, Ernie breaks down the realities of Arizona maximum-security prisons, the consequences of street life, and what it takes to keep going after losing everything. _____________________________________________ #PrisonSurvival #TrueCrimeStories #MaximumSecurityPrison #ArizonaPrison #LifeAfterPrison #SurvivalStory #PrisonLife #RedemptionStory _____________________________________________ Connect with Ernie Leon: YouTube Channel: @ErnieLeon-vh9eu Facebook: Ernie Leon Instagram: erni.eleon1983 TikTok: @ernie.leon07 _____________________________________________ 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: Ernie’s Life, Crime & Consequences 03:34 Growing Up in South Phoenix: Violence, Poverty & Survival 06:00 Family Trauma, Addiction & Early Warning Signs 09:17 Gang Life, Street Loyalty & Losing Loved Ones 13:13 First Prison Sentence: Entering the System 17:38 Racial Politics & Survival Inside Prison 22:00 Prison Gangs, Violence & Daily Threats 25:45 Life in Special Management Units (SMU) 30:36 Release From Prison, Family Pressure & Relapse 35:35 Trying to Save His Brother & Returning to the Streets 40:44 The Night Everything Changed: The Shooting 45:39 Aftermath of the Shooting: Loss, Paralysis & Trauma 50:07 Arrested Again: Facing the System Once More 54:48 Going Back to Prison While Paralyzed 01:01:41 Identity, Loyalty & Reality Behind Bars 01:07:02 Hitting Rock Bottom & Finding Faith 01:11:20 Getting Sober & Choosing a Different Life 01:14:34 Life After Prison: Recovery, Setbacks & Struggles 01:16:43 Lessons Learned & Advice to His Younger Self 01:17:38 Final Thoughts, Redemption & Closing Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Paul Collette spent years working inside the criminal justice system as a New York probation officer before leaving to become a federal probation officer. In this episode, Paul pulls back the curtain on what probation really looks like, sharing real stories from the job while breaking down the biggest myths and truths the public gets wrong. He talks about supervising violent criminals and sex offenders, handling high-risk situations, and the daily pressure of balancing public safety with rehabilitation. From the differences between state and federal probation to the realities of working with dangerous individuals, this conversation offers an unfiltered, insider look at life behind the badge and what it truly means to work inside the probation system. _____________________________________________ #ProbationOfficer #CriminalJustice #TrueCrimePodcast #LawEnforcementStories #PrisonSystem #JusticeSystem #BehindTheBadge #realcrimestory _____________________________________________ Connect with Paul Collette: https://sapservicesct.com/about 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: Supervising High-Risk Offenders on Probation 02:00 Meet Paul Collette: Life After 20+ Years in Probation 05:00 Therapy, Family & Rebuilding After Law Enforcement 07:00 Growing Up in a Military Family & Constant Relocation 11:00 Early Influences That Shaped His Career Path 14:00 Social Work vs Law Enforcement: Choosing Probation 17:00 First Jobs & Breaking Into the Probation System 20:00 Becoming a New York Probation Officer 24:00 The Reality of Probation Work: Stress, Risk & Responsibility 29:00 Probation Officers vs Police: Power, Authority & Limits 33:00 Supervising Dangerous Offenders: Daily Risks on the Job 38:00 Empathy vs Enforcement: How the Job Changes You 40:00 Transitioning From State to Federal Probation 44:00 Inside Federal Probation: Reports, Caseloads & Pressure 48:00 Judges, Sentencing & the Flaws in the Justice System 53:00 How Much Power Does a Probation Officer Really Have? 58:00 Transfers, Burnout & Career Turning Points 01:02:00 Becoming a Federal Sex Offender Specialist 01:09:00 Supervising Sex Offenders: Monitoring, Limits & Reality 01:17:00 Recidivism: Why the System Struggles to Prevent Reoffending 01:23:00 Restitution, Supervision & Overlooked System Details 01:28:00 Cooperators, PSI Reports & Prison Outcomes 01:34:00 Mental Health, Trauma & the Hidden Cost of the Job 01:41:00 Why He Finally Left Probation After 20+ Years 01:48:00 Advice for Returning Citizens & People on Supervision 01:53:00 Life After Probation: Therapy, Teaching & Helping Others 01:57:00 Final Thoughts on the Justice System & Closing Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Max B sits down with Ian Bick for a raw, open & honest conversation about his life, music, and surviving more than 15 years behind bars. He opens up about growing up in Harlem, his first prison sentence at Rikers Island and in New York State prison, and how he initially got into music and rose to fame. Max B then breaks down his second arrest, being sentenced to 75 years in prison, and what it took to survive New Jersey State Prison while continuing to put out music from behind the walls. He also shares how his sentence was eventually reduced, the mindset that kept him going, and what it’s been like finally getting out of prison and moving forward with his life. _____________________________________________ #MaxB #PrisonStory #NewJerseyStatePrison #PrisonSurvival #HipHopStories #LifeAfterPrison #TrueCrimeStories #redemptionstory _____________________________________________ Connect with Max B: https://www.instagram.com/maxb140/?hl=en 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 Max B Speaks Out After Prison Release 03:10 Growing Up in Harlem, New York 05:10 Family Life, Values & Early Influences 08:00 School, Youth Trouble & Street Life 11:50 First Time in Prison: Jail Experience & Finding Music 17:40 Discovering Music as a Way Out 21:30 First Release & Breaking Into the Music Industry 25:00 Back on the Streets & Second Arrest 29:00 Facing a 75-Year Prison Sentence 32:00 Making Music While Incarcerated 34:40 Life Inside New Jersey Maximum Security Prison 39:00 Violence, Survival & Prison Hustles 44:20 Social Media, Fame & Cultural Impact 47:40 Family, Children & Time Lost Behind Bars 50:00 Sentence Reduction & Getting Released 54:30 Prison Food, Cookbooks & Hustling Inside 01:00:00 Life After Prison: Freedom & Reentry 01:06:00 Building New Memories & What’s Next 01:08:40 Advice for the Next Generation & Final Thoughts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Matt Crosby shares how getting caught selling drugs led him from a Rhode Island county jail to serving time in a state prison. In this episode, Matt breaks down the choices that put him on that path, what county jail was really like compared to state prison, and how incarceration forced him to confront the reality of his decisions. He speaks honestly about the mindset that comes with drug dealing, the shock of incarceration, and the long-lasting impact prison has on your life even after release. _____________________________________________ #PrisonStory #RhodeIslandPrison #TrueCrime #LifeInPrison #RealLifeStory #CrimeAndPunishment #ExConStory #prisonexperience _____________________________________________ Thank you to FRONTLINE HEALING FOUNDATION for sponsoring this episode: Visit https://frontlinehealingfoundation.org/ to donate or share their mission. _____________________________________________ Connect with Matt Crosby: Instagram: babershop_matt 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 Getting Raided at a Young Age & Early Criminal Trouble 02:20 Meet Matt: New Hustles, New Opportunities 03:30 Growing Up in Providence, Rhode Island 05:35 Family Life, Childhood Trauma & Home Environment 07:10 Getting in Trouble Young & Pushing Limits 09:00 First Arrest: My Introduction to the System 12:30 High School, Alternative Programs & Being Labeled 13:40 The Bag of Money That Changed Everything 16:00 Life as a Small-Time Dealer & Street Reality 20:15 The Raid That Ended It All: Arrest & Charges 22:28 Jail Intake: First Night Locked Up 24:18 Doing Time in Minimum Security Prison 27:07 Daily Prison Life: Group Showers & No Privacy 29:15 Prison Food, Fights, and Contraband 32:40 Prison Politics, Respect & Social Hierarchy 37:00 Release Day, Probation & Adjusting to Freedom 39:20 Life After Prison: New Struggles & Temptations 45:00 Parenting After Prison: Morals & Responsibility 51:15 Breaking the Cycle & Repairing Family Relationships 55:30 Final Reflections: Growth, Regret & Redemption Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices