Locked In with Ian Bick

Saigon sits down with Ian Bick to tell the full story of his upbringing, how getting pulled into the streets and gangs led him down a path that ultimately landed him in New York State Prison, and the crime that changed his life forever. Saigon opens up about what surviving prison really took, how incarceration reshaped his mindset, and why he refused to glorify crime after his release. He breaks down how music became his way out, eventually signing with Atlantic Records, and working with Mark Wahlberg on Entourage. This is an honest conversation about prison survival, accountability, hip-hop, and building a future that doesn’t lead back behind bars. _____________________________________________ #prisonstory #truecrime #prisonlife #statesprison #prisonsurvival #lockedin #realstories #rap _____________________________________________ Thank you to PRIZEPICKS for sponsoring this episode! Visit https://prizepicks.onelink.me/LME0/IANBICK and use code IANBICK and get $50 in lineups when you play your first $5 lineup! _____________________________________________ Connect with Saigon: https://www.instagram.com/saigontheicon/?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 Prison vs the Streets: The Mindset That Changes Everything 02:00 Growing Up in New York: Family, Pressure & Environment 09:00 Music, Identity & Early Dreams 16:00 Teen Years in the Streets: How It Starts 24:00 First Arrests & Real Consequences 32:00 Chasing Reputation: Violence, Gangs & Image 39:00 Life on the Run & Finally Getting Caught 44:00 Inside the System: Rikers, Rockland & Prison Notoriety 50:00 Prison Reality: Gangs, Politics & Survival 58:00 The Turning Point: Mentors, Books & Mental Shift 01:04:00 Life After Prison: Music, Temptation & the Industry 01:13:00 Rejecting Gangster Rap & Choosing a Different Message 01:18:00 Acting, Entourage & Breaking Into Hollywood 01:23:00 Modern Rap, Violence & Where the Industry Went Wrong 01:32:00 Building a New Life: Music, Tech & Purpose 01:39:00 Final Advice to the Next Generation Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Eric Van Buren grew up in Washington, DC in a stable home with hardworking parents and a strong family foundation, but his life took a turn after high school when fighting and drug dealing pulled him into the streets. After being arrested on a state murder charge and beating the case, Eric thought the worst was behind him — until the federal government indicted him on a major drug conspiracy. The feds sentenced Eric to life in prison, and he went on to serve 19 years inside some of the most dangerous federal prisons in the country, fighting to survive both mentally and physically. In this episode, Eric breaks down how a good kid ended up with a life sentence, what day-to-day survival in high-security federal prison is really like, and how he ultimately got his sentence reduced after nearly two decades behind bars. This is a raw, unfiltered story about choices, consequences, and redemption inside the federal prison system. _____________________________________________ #prisonstory #lifeinprison #truecrime #federalprison #survivestory #prisonlife #lockedin #realstories _____________________________________________ Thank you to PRIZEPICKS for sponsoring this episode! Visit https://prizepicks.onelink.me/LME0/IANBICK and use code IANBICK and get $50 in lineups when you play your first $5 lineup! _____________________________________________ Connect with Eric Van Buren: TikTok: @ericvanburen4senate Facebook: vanburenforwashingtoncounty Instagram: @vanburen_statesenate Website: https://believe-community.org/ _____________________________________________ 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 Sentenced to Life: Inside USP Lewisburg 00:42 Eric’s Early Life, Ambition & Missed Opportunities 03:53 Growing Up Between DC & Maryland’s Drug Culture 05:48 Family Support, Stability & Early Choices 09:30 School Fights, Identity & Anger 12:00 Gambling, Temptation & Entering the Streets 17:40 First Drug Deals & Learning the Game 23:34 Building Connections & Escalating the Operation 27:39 Life in the Drug Trade: Danger, Paranoia & Survival 33:01 Run-Ins with Law Enforcement & Family Fallout 36:46 County Jail Reality: Violence, Power & Fear 43:06 Release, Reentry Struggles & Going Back to the Streets 47:57 Federal Indictment: How the Feds Built the Case 56:09 Federal Trial, Conspiracy Charges & System Pressure 01:01:05 Hearing “Life in Prison” From the Judge 01:06:12 Surviving a Federal Penitentiary: USP Lewisburg 01:13:54 Prison Politics, Violence & Staying Alive 01:24:00 From Life Sentence to Freedom: What Changed 01:33:34 Adjusting to Life After Prison 01:41:41 Rebuilding Family Trust & Healing Trauma 01:52:06 Creating Purpose After Prison & Giving Back 02:03:31 Final Reflections, Second Chances & Advice Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Anthony Page grew up in West Virginia and was raised by his grandparents before getting involved in selling drugs, a path that eventually led to federal charges. In this episode, Anthony breaks down how the feds caught him, what it was like being sentenced, and serving five years in a Kentucky federal prison camp. He shares real insight into federal prison life in the 1990s, the mental shift that prison forced on him, and how that experience changed his outlook for good. After completing his sentence, Anthony rebuilt his life, stayed out of trouble, and today runs a merchandise company created to support and represent formerly incarcerated people, proving that you don’t have to go back to prison to move forward. _____________________________________________ #FederalPrison #PrisonStories #TrueCrime #PrisonLife #LifeAfterPrison #RedemptionStory #KentuckyPrison #90sPrison _____________________________________________ Connect with Anthony Page: Buy his merch: https://www.8at208.com/ AirBnB: https://thepalaceoncharles.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 Arrested: The Bust That Changed Everything 07:45 Raised by Grandparents & Meeting My Father 14:10 Teen Years, High School & Bad Decisions 18:10 Drugs, Crime & the 1990s Street Life 23:00 On the Run: Getting Caught & Arrested 29:00 Facing Trial & Federal Prison Sentencing 32:40 Inside Federal Prison: First Days & Survival 36:00 Prison Camp Life: Sports, Hustles & Commissary 44:20 Prison Food, Jobs & Contraband Culture 50:00 Getting Released: Halfway House & Reentry 53:40 Life After Prison: Kids, Stigma & Reality 57:00 Turning My Life Around: Building Felony Certified 01:03:00 Lessons Learned & Advice for the Next Generation 01:04:50 Final Thoughts, Gratitude & Redemption Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Leo Leonardo is a Rhode Island native who got caught up in the system at a young age, facing repeated arrests that pushed him out of school and into the workforce—before turning to selling drugs when legitimate options fell apart. His path led to a federal drug case, time in both state and federal prison, and some of the harshest consequences behind the walls, including segregation (SEG) and maximum-security prison after continued trouble inside. After his release, Leo struggled to stay straight and was hit with additional gun charges, showing how hard it is to break cycles once the system has its grip. In this raw true-crime interview, Leo breaks down how the feds built their case, what life is really like in max prison and SEG, and the long-term consequences of early choices—an unfiltered look at crime, punishment, and life after prison. _____________________________________________ #PrisonStory #DrugRing #TrueCrimePodcast #FederalPrison #LifeAfterPrison #CrimeStory #ExCon #redemptionstory _____________________________________________ Thank you to PRIZEPICKS for sponsoring this episode: Visit https://prizepicks.onelink.me/LME0/IANBICK and use code IANBICK and get $50 in lineups when you play your first $5 lineup! _____________________________________________ 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 Rhode Island Streets to Federal Prison 00:53 Growing Up in Rhode Island: Meet Splurge 02:42 Family, Childhood & the Environment That Shaped Him 05:16 Troubled Youth, Violence & Early Arrests 08:26 Juvenile Detention and Growing Up in the System 13:02 School Struggles, Dropping Out & Getting a GED 15:34 Trying to Go Straight: Trade School & Real Life 18:59 Back to the Streets: Drug Dealing & Survival 22:41 The Raid: Arrest, Indictment & Federal Charges 26:05 Facing the Judge: Court, Sentencing & Reality 28:08 State Jail vs Federal Prison: The Real Difference 31:57 Federal Transfer & Learning Prison Politics 37:20 Life Inside FCI Berlin: Isolation, Alliances & Trust 41:43 Prison Hooch, Contraband & Survival Tactics 43:00 Constant Transfers: Brooklyn, Oklahoma & More 47:08 Oxford Medium: Programs, Pressure & Prison Fights 51:12 Assaults, Box Time & Prison Discipline 56:41 COVID Lockdowns: Isolation & Mental Breakdown 01:03:04 Max Security at Kanan: Violence & Daily Routine 01:06:48 Prison Politics, Gangs & Loyalty Tests 01:13:00 Release, Relapse & Going Back to Prison 01:16:46 Education, Self-Improvement & a Decision to Change 01:18:39 Tattoos, Identity & Prison Regret 01:20:22 Making Amends & Breaking the Cycle 01:21:27 Final Advice & Hard Lessons Learned Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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