Freeway Ricky Ross has one of the most infamous drug dealer stories in the world. He is undoubtedly a part of American history and by far one of the most requested guests on The Connect. Rick joins the show to discuss his time as one of the lynchpins of the crack epidemic in the 1980s, his regrets and lessons learned, finding out he was a pawn in an illegal CIA operation and how he got out from under a life sentence in prison. He also discusses his new life after prison, how he’s helping others learn from his mistakes, and his new business ventures!

Go Support Rick!

Books and Merch: https://b7eab896-adc4-474a-9ab1-56ec7dd1576a.godaddysites.com/shop 
YouTube: @FreewayRickyRoss1
New Shop In LA: https://www.instagram.com/freewayrickys/ 
IG: https://www.instagram.com/freewayricky/ 
Website: https://freewayrickyross.com/ 

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Rick Ross Reveals Secrets Of His Crack Empire, Being USED By The CIA, & Beating A LIFE Sentence

Former drug trafficker and standup comedian Johnny Mitchell takes you inside the world of drugs, crime, prison, and the politics of the War on Drugs.

True crime

Ali Siddiq is a famous standup comedian that headlines and sells out comedy clubs and theaters around the world. But his path to success in comedy is not a common one. He grew up in Houston's Third Ward surrounded by drug use and crime. At a young age he began selling drugs and quickly built an illegal empire, reaching kingpin status. He was busted by law enforcement and served time in some of the worst prisons in Texas. It was in these prisons that he discovered his talent for speaking and making people laugh. He turned his life around, got out of prison and has created a wildly successful career for himself as a standup. Ali joins the show to talk about his experiences as well as his regrets and lessons learned from his earlier life as a criminal and how he's encouraging people now to live a more positive life.

Go Support Ali!

YouTube:  @AliSiddiqComedy  
Website: https://alisiddiq.com/ 
IG: https://www.instagram.com/alisiddiq/

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Crack Cocaine To Stand-Up Comedy: How Ali Siddiq Went From Teenage KINGPIN To Superstar Comedian

Chris George ran one of the most successful and notorious "pill mill" pharmacies in Florida at the height of the oxycontin opioid epidemic in the late 2000s. He began his criminal career as a teenager buying a selling illegal steroids and eventually ran it through a business front with his brother.  In his late 20s he entered the burgeoning pain management industry and quickly Chris and his brother were running the largest pain pill mill company in the state; South Florida Pain Clinic. His entire family entered the business with him and soon he caught the attention of the feds and was eventually served 10 years in prison. Today he runs a legitimate successful business and has been featured in numerous documentaries, television series', and news shows telling his story.
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Florida Oxycodone Kingpin Reveals Running MASSIVE Pill Empire & Fueling The American Opioid Crisis

Chris Curtis grew up in Orange County, California in area rife with addiction and crime. As a child he was not protected from this reality and in fact was encouraged to be a part of it. Struggling with addiction and turning to a life of crime, Chris ended up getting sentenced to life in prison as a result of California's Three Strikes law. There he found himself in some of the most dangerous institutions in the state. He's on the show to talk about how he ended up getting out of prison with a life sentence, cleaning up and overcoming his addiction, and becoming a mentor of hope for kids just like he was.

Go Support Chris!

Book: https://www.amazon.com/Orange-County-Dark-Christopher-Curtis/dp/1644565935 
IG: https://www.instagram.com/octhedarkside8083/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@octhedarkside8083 

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Former Peckerwood Gang Member Opens Up About Life Sentence Under California's 3 Strike Law

Barry Minkow is one of the most infamous financial scam artists in American History. By the age of 21 he was running a ponzi scheme worth a billion dollars. He made history by being the youngest person to take a company public with his carpet cleaning business. But what people didn't know was that Barry was using money from the mafia to help fund this business. He ran bank and wire fraud, embezzled money from investors, and much more. Barry was so committed to running scams that he's been convicted more than once- one of these convictions came down WHILE he was helping the feds in fraud cases. He ended serving time in federal prison and turned his life around. He works now with the federal government go after companies that are committing fraud just like he used to.

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Uncovering Wall Streets BIGGEST Scam: Notorious Ponzi Scheme Criminal Exposes His $1 Billion Fraud

Oscar Castro grew up in New Jersey to a loving family. When he dropped out of high school he immediately got a job and met someone that talked him into being a drug mule for a Colombian organization. As law enforcement began cracking down in Colombia the operations moved to Ecuador. One on pickup Oscar was arrested in Ecuador by Interpol and the DEA. From there he spent 7 years in some of the most horrific jails and prisons in Ecuador where death, drugs, and riots lasting for weeks were common occurrences. He's here to tell us all about his experiences and his journey to turning his life around and wanting to help others avoid going down the path he did as a young man.

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Rick Ross Reveals Secrets Of His Crack Empire, Being USED By The CIA, & Beating A LIFE Sentence

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