On today’s episode of the Cops and Writers Podcast, I have with me Author and Retired DEA Agent Wes Tabor.

There was so much to unpack about his incredible career in law enforcement and his accomplishments off duty that this is my first three-part interview. Part two of the interview that will go live next Sunday, and part three with be released the next day on Monday. Honestly, I could have talked to Wes all day. I will definitely have him back on the show in the future.

Here's a quick bio of just some of Wes’s accomplishments. Wes became a Hernando County Sheriff’s Deputy in 1988. As a deputy, Wes served as a S.W.A.T. lead, having completed the FBI S.W.A.T. school in 1995. Wes was a Defensive Tactics Instructor, anti-crime and property Detective, and earned the Florida Medal of Valor in 1996 for his heroism by disregarding his own safety, running into an apartment fire, saving multiple lives, and Mittens the cat. 

In 1998, he was hired by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Wes had a 23-year career with the DEA and has been stationed in Field Divisions such as: St. Louis, Miami, Chicago, D.C., Los Angeles, and internationally in cities such as Guatemala City, Guatemala, Caracas, Venezuela, Cartagena, Colombia, and Bogota, Colombia. During this time, he was representing the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in positions such as: supervisory special agent, country attaché, assistant country attaché, Deputy Section Chief, Assistant to the Global Deputy Chief of Operations, and Assistant Special Agent in Charge.

Wes was paralyzed in an auto accident where a drunk driver and career criminal had been at fault. Fortunately, he recovered from his spinal cord injury (C5/6) fracture and went back to being a DEA agent. The suspect later absconded and was on the run for 23 years, only to be captured in 2024.  He was given probation for 6 months by a local judge in Minnesota. 

From 2012-2015, Wes was assigned to the Central Intelligence Agency as an Assignee to various locations in the Western Hemisphere, conducting various classified activities on behalf of the DEA while embedded with the CIA.

He has worked with some of the most prestigious law enforcement and military agencies, conducting operations and training modules, with the FBI, Secret Service, Defense Intelligence Service, US Army Special Forces, and Navy Seals.

As a DEA agent, rising through the ranks to Assistant Special Agent in Charge in Los Angeles, he was the division's Strike Force Commander, where he oversaw global money-laundering investigations, High Value Mexican Cartel Investigation, and led his teams in pursuit of some of the largest cases on the globe.

I told you there’s a lot to Wes’s story! Today’s episode is more focused on his beginnings and his heroism. We will get to more incredible stuff in the next two episodes. 

In today’s episode, we discuss:

·      Thank you to Chris Feistl for the intro.

·      An unlikely role model growing up.

·      The positive influence of the police explorer program on him as a youth.

·      His time in Florida as a Sheriff’s Deputy, working in SWAT, the detective bureau, and as a D.A.A.T. instructor.

·      Running into a fire and saving multiple people, and Mittens the cat.

·   Receiving the Florida Medal of Valor for his heroic actions.

·      Social media and law enforcement today.

·      What he sees as the weaknesses or strengths in law enforcement training today.

All of this and more on today’s episode of the Cops and Writers podcast.

Check out Wes's newest book, Infiltrate America: Blood Routes and the Rise of Latin American Gangs

Check out the new Cops and Writers YouTube channel!

Check out my newest book, The Good Collar (Michael Quinn Vigilante Justice Series Book 1)!!!!!

Enjoy the Cops and Writers book series.

Please visit the Cops and Writers website.

Welcome back to the conclusion of my interview with Author and retired FBI Forensic Artist Lisa Bailey.

Just a heads up, today's interview consists of two separate interviews. The first part is more about her exciting career as an FBI forensic Artist. The second half of our interview will expose the dark side of the FBI and how Lisa, a woman who devoted her life to service to this great country, was harassed, bullied, and discriminated against. The FBI failed to take proper action against Lisa’s bosses, who were responsible, or simply turned a blind eye. Their conduct and the cover-up were inexcusable and were done to make sure not to ‘embarrass the bureau.’

I want to make it very clear I’m not an FBI smear campaign. Every day, the men and women of the FBI go out and do the right thing, whether they are arresting criminals or helping other agencies put criminals behind bars. But, upper management has to change the culture of don’t embarrass the bureau, even if that means admitting you or one of your subordinates did the wrong thing and fixing it. It’s very simple, do the right thing, even if it’s painful or embarrasses you, because it is the right thing to do.

In today’s episode, we discuss:

· Would Lisa donate her body to the Body Farm?

· Lisa walks us through the Lester Eubanks age progression case she spearheaded.

· What she says to those who see her work as not an exact science.

· How A.I. will change her previous job as a forensic artist.

· How she dealt with being surrounded by death.

· Her advice for someone who wants to be a forensic artist?

· FBI culture. Agents, and ‘everyone else.’

· Her being the victim of a hostile work environment, bullying, and discrimination while working at the FBI. “Don’t embarrass the bureau,” even when they are clearly in the wrong.

· My interview with former FBI Special Agent Zach Schoffstall.

· Lisa’s book, Clay and Bones: My Life as an FBI Forensic Artist

All of this and more on today’s episode of the Cops and Writers podcast.

On today’s episode of the Cops and Writers Podcast, I have with me Author and retired FBI Forensic Artist Lisa Bailey for this special two-part interview that will conclude next Sunday.

Lisa Bailey spent most of her adult life serving our country. She enlisted in the United States Navy after high school and served for six years as a linguist translating Russian during the Cold War. Armed with a top-secret security clearance, she later joined the FBI, working as a forensic artist helping solve complex felony and cold case crimes. Lisa’s casework included creating composite sketches of terror suspects, age progressions of wanted fugitives, and post-mortem images of unidentified victims.

Please enjoy this enlightening and entertaining conversation with forensic artist Lisa Bailey.

In today’s episode we discuss:

    Her mother being an artist and how that influenced her later in her professional life.

     Joining the navy, being in the intelligence field as a Russian linguist during the Cold War.

     What was the process to get a top-secret security clearance?

     How she leveraged her Navy experience into the civilian world.

     The FBI Special Agent Robert Hansen scandal.

     How her love of donuts led to joining the FBI.

     Her first impression of working for the FBI. Was it what she thought it would be?

     What is a forensic artist, and what did the training look like? What she was trying to accomplish in a case when an agent or other LE reached out to her with a case? How did she do that?

     Working at the FBI three months after the 9/11 terror attacks.

     Hollywood portrayals of what you did, especially “Bones.” Are there any movies or TV shows that are close to accurate?

     Lisa’s body farm study. What is the body farm, and what was she trying to accomplish?

All of this and more on today’s episode of the Cops and Writers podcast.

Visit Lisa's website to learn more about her and her book, Clay and Bones: My Life as an FBI Forensic Artist.

Check out the new Cops and Writers YouTube channel!

Check out my newest book, The Good Collar (Michael Quinn Vigilante Justice Series Book 1)!!!!!

Enjoy the Cops and Writers book series.

Please visit the Cops and Writers website.

Welcome back to the conclusion of my interview with Author and Retired DEA Special Agent Léo Silva.

Leo Silva spent over twenty-eight years on the frontlines of the global war on drugs as a special agent with the DEA. Leo’s journey took him from the alleyways of Fronton Street to some of the most dangerous corners of North America, leading high-impact investigations against the Zeta and Gulf Cartels.

He served as the Resident Agent in Charge of the DEA’s Monterrey office, overseeing complex, cross-border operations that resulted in hundreds of high-value arrests and multi-million-dollar asset seizures. Over the course of his decorated career, he also held leadership roles in McAllen, Texas, and Guadalajara, Mexico—pioneering collaborative missions with Mexican authorities and helping rewrite the playbook for modern narco enforcement.

Now, Leo has turned his attention to storytelling. His debut memoir, Reign of Terror, offers a powerful, unfiltered look at the reality behind the headlines—a world of corruption, courage, and the personal cost of justice. The book has gained traction internationally and has been translated into Spanish for a Latin American release.

Leo is truly the real deal. This is a guy who has worked undercover numerous times in America and went after some of the most dangerous Mexican drug cartels. Please enjoy my chat with Leo Silva.

In today’s episode we discuss:

·     Having no diplomatic immunity and not being allowed to have a firearm while working in Mexico hunting down drug cartels.

·     The different drug cartels in Mexico that were active while Silva was working there.

·     The Zeta drug cartel.

·     The horrifying Bengal Tiger incident.

·     How Silva navigated the corruption and the levels or tiers of Mexican police and how he worked with them?

·     Using shock and awe! Creative ways to get to the Cartel bosses.

·     The house of hell and torturing people.

·     The Casino Royale fire. What was the motive?

·     What was the endgame for the dismantling of the Zetas?

·     What happened to Acapulco?

·     What do you think is the future of Mexico? It seems like cartel violence is starting to hit tourist areas now.

·     How Mexican cartels started with bootlegging during Prohibition.

All of this and more on today’s episode of the Cops and Writers podcast.

Head on over to Leo's website to learn more about him and his work.

Check out the new Cops and Writers YouTube channel!

Check out my newest book, The Good Collar (Michael Quinn Vigilante Justice Series Book 1)!!!!!

Enjoy the Cops and Writers book series.

Please visit the Cops and Writers website.

On today’s episode of the Cops and Writers Podcast, I have with me, Author and Retired DEA Special Agent Léo Silva, for this special two-part interview that will conclude next Sunday.

Leo Silva spent over twenty-eight years on the frontline of the global war on drugs as a special agent with the DEA. Leo’s journey took him from the alleyways of Fronton Street to some of the most dangerous corners of North America, leading high-impact investigations against the Zeta and Gulf Cartels.

He served as the Resident Agent in Charge of the DEA’s Monterrey office, overseeing complex, cross-border operations that resulted in hundreds of high-value arrests and multi-million-dollar asset seizures. Over the course of his decorated career, he also held leadership roles in McAllen, Texas, and Guadalajara, Mexico—pioneering collaborative missions with Mexican authorities and helping rewrite the playbook for modern narco enforcement.

Now, Leo has turned his attention to storytelling. His debut memoir, Reign of Terror, offers a powerful, unfiltered look at the reality behind the headlines—a world of corruption, courage, and the personal cost of justice. The book has gained traction internationally and has been translated into Spanish for a Latin American release.

Leo is the real deal. This is a guy who has worked undercover numerous times in America and went after some of the most dangerous Mexican drug cartels. Please enjoy my chat with Leo Silva.

In today’s episode we discuss:

·     I would like to thank Chris Feistl for setting up this intro. If you'd like to check out my interview with Chris, a retired DEA agent with a compelling story to share, head over to episodes 217 and 218.

·     How he got interested in a career with the DEA.

·     How playing golf in high school helped his future career in the DEA.

·     Serving mobsters in a restaurant where he worked as a kid.

·     Being a full-time musician before joining the DEA.

·     You were one of the only Spanish speakers when you were an agent in Texas?

·     Being a new DEA agent and going undercover buying heroin.

·     How he kept his sanity and your identity while doing UC work.

·     Some of the scariest moments as an undercover agent?

·     Going to work in Mexico as a DEA agent attempting to shut down ruthless drug cartels.

·     His relationship with the often corrupt Mexican police and how difficult it was to extradite criminals.

All of this and more on today’s episode of the Cops and Writers podcast.

Head on over to Leo's website to learn more about him and his work.

Check out the new Cops and Writers YouTube channel!

Check out my newest book, The Good Collar (Michael Quinn Vigilante Justice Series Book 1)!!!!!

Enjoy the Cops and Writers book series.

Please visit the Cops and Writers website.

Send us a text

Have you ever known someone who is a bit off? It could be a boss, co-worker, or your significant other. It can start with someone too good to be true, filled with charm and fake empathy. Then, they begin to show their true colors by controlling, manipulating, and destroying your life, or worse, ending it. Well, today we are going to be talking about psychopaths and how we can hopefully identify the red flags and protect ourselves from these predators. My guest on the show, Kerrie Droban, is an expert in psychopathy, studying this phenomenon, being recognized as an expert consultant on criminal pathology, and writing her newest book, Surviving a Psychopath: In Court. In Life. In “Love.” 

Kerrie Droban is a bestselling author, lawyer, public speaker, true crime television host and journalist seen on Netflix, 20/20, and ID TV, and host of her own podcast, Crime Stands Still.

Kerrie draws on her personal experience being in relationships with partners who exhibited psychopathic traits and being a capitol defense attorney representing inmates on death row for years.

Please enjoy part one of my interview with Kerrie Droban that I guarantee will send chills up your spine and give you some diagnostic tools to help you recognize a psychopath before it’s too late.   

In today’s episode we discuss:

·      Kerrie Droban being the original ‘spy kid’ having both parents as CIA operatives and spending her youth living in Africa.

·      How she balances being a bestselling author, lawyer, public speaker, true crime television host seen on Netflix, 20/20, and ID TV, and host of her own podcast, Crime Stands Still.

·      How she suggests others break into show business.

·      What is the definition of a psychopath, and how many has she known? 

·      Are all psychopaths predators?

·      How do we spot the traits of a psychopath, and why do we sometimes choose to ignore them?

·      Why do humans choose to ignore their intuition?

·      Gavin de Becker’s book, The Gift of Fear.

 All of this and more on today’s episode of the Cops and Writers podcast.

Please visit Kerrie's website to learn more about her and her newest book, Surviving a Psychopath: In Court. In Life. In “Love.”

Check out the new Cops and Writers YouTube channel!
Check out my newest book, The Good Collar (Michael Quinn Vigilante Justice Series Book 1)!!!!!
Enjoy the Cops and Writers book series.
Please visit the Cops and Writers website.

What would you do if you lost the one you loved the most? How far would you go to quench your thirst for vengeance?

https://a.co/d/2UsJPba

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Welcome back everyone for the conclusion of my interview with former Ventura Chapter President of the Hells Angels, George Christie. But first a disclaimer. I do not and never have condoned criminal behavior. I was a cop for 25 years and my heart is with the men and women who enforce the law and bring criminals to justice. 

That being said, I wanted to bring you the listener/viewer a different kind of perspective. One from an unapologetic outlaw living out the last chapters of his life (who knows, maybe he will live to a 100). I think it’s good to see both sides of the coin. I may not agree with everything he says or stands for, but we can sit down and have a civilized conversation, something that is desperately missing in today’s society, I think.  

So, my guest on today’s show George Christie, has spent some time in prison and was the president of the Ventura Chapter of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club from 1978 to 2011. In 2011 he walked away from the Hells Angels and resigned his membership. A short time later the club turned their backs on him and considered him in ‘bad standing’ which is a kick in the gut for someone who dedicated his life to the outlaw club. It’s kind of like it never happened. 

George’s life is like something out of a movie. He has gone to war with rival bike gangs like the Outlaws and Mongols and has had at least two contracts out to kill him. He was in the hotseat on the news show 60 Minutes where he was grilled by Mike Wallace.  He spent a year in solitary confinement and also carried the Olympic torch for the 1984 games in Los Angeles and even had a blowup with the Kennedy’s. 

One thing is for sure, George is not boring. Please enjoy the conclusion of my interview with George Christie.

In today’s episode we discuss:

·      His 60 Minutes interview with Mike Wallace and Mike flirting with his wife.

·      FBI informant Anthony Tate. 

·      His time in jail / prison and the effects of being in solitary confinement for a year. 

·      The difference between the Hells Angels now and when he was leading a charter? 

·      The hit television show Sons of Anarchy. What he and other Angles thought of David Labrava (Happy Lowman), Rusty Coones (Rane Quinn), Sonny Barger (Lenny Janowitz), and Chuck Zito (Frankie Diamonds) being on the show?

·      His stormy relationship with Sonny Barger.

·      Everything, including your patch, motorcycle, and even jewelry is club property?

·      Is it still a straight, white male club? What are females’ roles in the club? Old Ladies?

·      What about fake Angels? If I get a counterfeit patch and decide to ride my bike in Hells Angels territory, what should I expect?

·      How he wound up quitting the Hells Angles. 

·      Being the spokesman for the Hells Angels.

·      Riding a motorcycle is moving Zen.

·      The book, Exile From Front Street.

All of this and more on today’s episode of the Cops and Writers podcast.

Ride over to George's website to learn more about him and his books!

Check out the new Cops and Writers YouTube channel!
Check out my newest book, The Good Collar (Michael Quinn Vigilante Justice

What would you do if you lost the one you loved the most? How far would you go to quench your thirst for vengeance?

https://a.co/d/2UsJPba

Support the show

Send us a text

I wanted to start the show today with a disclaimer. I do not and never have condoned criminal behavior. I was a cop for 25 years, and my heart is with the men and women who enforce the law and bring criminals to justice. 

That being said, I wanted to bring you, the listener/viewer, a different perspective. One from an unapologetic outlaw living out the last chapters of his life (who knows, maybe he will live to a 100). I think it’s good to see both sides of the coin. I may not agree with everything he says or stands for, but we can sit down and have a civilized conversation, something that is desperately missing in today’s society, I think.  

So, my guest on today’s show George Christie, has spent some time in prison and was the president of the Ventura Chapter of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club from 1978 to 2011. In 2011 he walked away from the Hells Angels and resigned his membership. A short time later, the club turned their backs on him and considered him in ‘bad standing,’ which is a kick in the gut for someone who dedicated his life to the outlaw club. It’s kind of like it never happened. 

George’s life is like something out of a movie. He has gone to war with rival bike gangs like the Outlaws and Mongols and has had at least two contracts out to kill him. He was in the hot seat on the news show 60 Minutes, where he was grilled by Mike Wallace.  He spent a year in solitary confinement and also carried the Olympic torch for the 1984 games in Los Angeles and had a blowup with the Kennedys. 

One thing is for sure: George is not boring! Please enjoy part one of my interview with George Christie.

In today’s episode we discuss:

·      Lessons learned from coming from an immigrant family.

·      Joining the Marines and later working for the Department of Defense. 

·      Deciding to devote his life to the Hells Angels. 

·      The process and initiation for becoming a Hells Angel.

·      How George was elected club president in a short amount of time. 

·      Being the spokesman for the Hells Angels.

·      There is nothing more important to a member of the Hells Angels than the club. Everything else takes a back seat. How did he function like that? There is work, spirituality, marriage, kids, and friends. They all play second fiddle if you’re an Angel.

·      Carrying the Olympic torch. Feuding with the Kennedys/Shriver’s and winning!

 All of this and more on today’s episode of the Cops and Writers podcast.

Ride over to George's website to learn more about him and his books!

Check out the new Cops and Writers YouTube channel!
Check out my newest book, The Good Collar (Michael Quinn Vigilante Justice Series Book 1)!!!!!
Enjoy the Cops and Writers book series.
Please visit the Cops and Writers website.

What would you do if you lost the one you loved the most? How far would you go to quench your thirst for vengeance?

https://a.co/d/2UsJPba

Support the show

Send us a text

Welcome back for the conclusion of my interview with Professor, bestselling Author, and Retired ATF Special Agent Jay Dobyns. If you're enjoying this episode, you'll love my interview with ATF Special Agent Ken Croke from episode 120, where he chats about his deep undercover mission taking down the outlaw motorcycle gang, The Pagans. I thought it would be interesting to get a different perspective on these clubs by interviewing the former president of the Ventura Hells Angels, George Christie. That interview will go live next Sunday!

Jay Dobyns spent over two decades as a federal agent embedded in the dark heart of America’s violent crime, participating in more than five hundred undercover missions targeting gun runners, narcotics traffickers, explosives manufacturers, murder-for-hire schemes, and vicious gangs.

Jay’s most infamous case—a landmark infiltration of the Hells Angels motorcycle gang—changed the face of undercover work forever, earning him international recognition.

Jay’s story is more than headlines and danger. It’s about the cost of service to others, the toll on identity, family, and mental health, and how to rise from it stronger. 

In today’s episode we discuss:

·      Attempting to be a good dad and father, while you were undercover. How did you and your family deal with all of that?  

·      Sunny Barger, who he was and Jay’s relationship with him.

·      What kind of bike the ATF gave Jay. Why only Harleys or maybe Indians?

·      Mafia on two wheels?. 

·      What is the filthy few?

·      What happened at Laughlin?

·      His informant, Pops, and Black Biscuit.

·      Deep undercover, the effects on him and his family. ATF help? Debrief after the case?.

·      How did you leave UC work??

·      A surfing Hells Angel?

·      How close he came to losing his own identity.

·      His advice for someone who wants to do deep UC work.

·      The book, No Angel: My Harrowing Undercover Journey to the Inner Circle of the Hells Angels. Why write it and how did the process of writing the book affect him?

Learn more about Jay Dobyns and his books on his website!

Check out the new Cops and Writers YouTube channel!
Check out my newest book, The Good Collar (Michael Quinn Vigilante Justice Series Book 1)!!!!!
Enjoy the Cops and Writers book series.
Please visit the Cops and Writers website.

What would you do if you lost the one you loved the most? How far would you go to quench your thirst for vengeance?

https://a.co/d/2UsJPba

Support the show