Veteran criminal defense attorney Martin Minnella has spent over 50 years inside Connecticut courtrooms, taking on some of the nation’s most high-profile murder trials—and winning. He was the defense attorney in the infamous “Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It” case, and now he’s pulling back the curtain on the dark side of the justice system. From federal agents abusing power to false accusations destroying lives, Martin shares shocking real-life stories, lessons from decades of experience, and why he believes evil is real. If you’re interested in true crime, courtroom drama, and behind-the-scenes stories from one of the most seasoned attorneys in America, this is an episode you don’t want to miss.

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Lee Morris’ life story is a raw and powerful journey from bank robbery and brutal prison time to redemption. Growing up in Duchess County, New York, Lee’s childhood was shaken by his parents’ divorce, leading him down a troubled path. After moving to Florida as a teenager, he fell in with the wrong crowd, began robbing houses, and eventually escalated to robbing a bank — a decision that landed him four years in one of Florida’s toughest youthful offender prisons. Even after his release, Lee continued down a destructive road and was sent back to prison 16 years later for drug charges. Today, he’s sharing his story of survival, the realities of prison life, and how he finally turned his life around after years of chaos and incarceration.

00:00 Intro: The Bank Robbery

00:18 Lee's Troubled Childhood

03:02 Family Background and Early Influences

06:00 Growing Up in Poverty

09:19 Early Delinquency and Moving to Florida

13:14 Getting Involved with Guns and Crime

15:36 From House Robberies to Robbing a Bank

18:16 The Bank Heist Unfolds

20:54 Aftermath: Getting Caught and Facing Court

25:00 Prison: Sentencing and First Days

27:00 Surviving Florida Youthful Offender Prison

33:36 Prison Violence and Racism

40:44 Learning Prison Rules and Inmate Justice

45:12 Family Support During Incarceration

47:51 Smuggling, Confinement, and Prison Life

52:52 Release: Getting Out and Reentering Society

55:40 Back to the Streets: Drugs, Probation, and Temptation

01:01:03 Drifting Back into Crime

01:04:49 Major Drug Case and Second Arrest

01:07:40 Second Prison Term: Adult System

01:13:33 Contrasts Between Youthful Offender and Adult Prison

01:15:54 Lessons Learned From Prison

01:20:27 Work Release and Returning to Society

01:24:12 Making a Fresh Start: Moving North

01:26:00 Finding Support and Unconditional Love

01:28:03 Life Today and Reflections

01:29:00 Advice for Young People & Final Thoughts

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Jaycee Reidhead’s journey from a traumatic incident in high school to working inside Arizona’s most dangerous prisons is nothing short of incredible. Instead of going straight to law school, she spent seven years as a correctional officer in high-security facilities, including housing units for severely mentally ill inmates. During her time behind prison walls, she faced daily violence, chaos, and even survived being stabbed by an inmate.

00:00 Intro

00:55 Welcome and First Impressions of New York

01:21 Childhood and Family Life

03:09 Family Struggles and Sibling Substance Abuse

04:24 Experiencing Trauma in High School

06:21 Coping Mechanisms and Academic Drive

07:36 Rethinking Law School and Next Steps

08:38 Choosing Corrections and Law Enforcement

09:16 Correctional Officer Academy: Training and Challenges

12:42 Physical Demands and Gender Dynamics at the Academy

15:14 First Impressions: Entering the Prison Environment

18:40 Early Work: Unexpected Realities in Prison

21:20 First Prison Assignments and SMI Units

26:28 Handling SMI Inmates and Unique Challenges

34:32 Rapport and Tensions in SMI Populations

41:11 Moments of Crisis: Suicidal Incidents on the Job

45:00 Heavy Toll of Suicide Watch and Mental Health

53:05 Becoming a Target: Assaults and Trauma

01:03:53 Dealing with Repeat Violence and Not Telling Family

01:15:25 Gender, Respect, and Boundaries as a Female CO

01:28:38 Prison Politics and SMI Population Dynamics

01:31:03 Personal Loss and Substance Abuse in and out of Prison

01:35:01 Compartmentalizing Trauma and Facing Challenges

01:41:15 Questioning the System and Leadership Changes

01:49:00 Looking Back: Lessons, Regrets, and Moving Forward

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Leroy Ebron is back for his 6th and final episode of Locked In with Ian Bick — and he’s saving the wildest Rikers Island stories for last. As a former correction officer on one of the most notorious jail complexes in America, Leroy has spent his career in the middle of chaos: riots, gang wars, and the day-to-day madness of life inside Rikers.

00:00 Introduction & Leroy Ebron's Return

01:21 Promoting Leroy's New Channel

02:45 Audience Feedback & Story Authenticity

03:55 Wild Stories from the Bing in the 80s

05:23 Mouse Pets and Prison Life Memories

06:51 Legendary Inmates & Prison Culture

09:07 Girls' Prison Fights & Shocking Incidents

15:55 Female Officers and Prisoner Reactions

18:34 Encounters with Giant COs & Inmates

24:03 The 500lb Inmate Saga

31:06 Mess Hall Madness & Standing Up to Brass

36:46 Fight Nights, Boxing Gloves & Discipline

43:05 Helping Inmates & Old Prison Stories

47:06 Full Circle Moments After Prison

48:21 The Russian Inmate & TV Room Drama

52:54 Lessons on Respect & Prison Justice

56:04 Grand Finale & Farewell

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Skyler Ray grew up in Vancouver, Washington, facing abandonment, foster homes, and homelessness by the age of 18. What followed was years of drinking, drug abuse, and a severe dope addiction that left him in and out of jail and prison throughout his 20s.

00:00 Skyler Ray’s Dark Years & Introduction

00:47 Locked In Podcast Beginnings

01:37 Road to Recovery Tour & Spreading Hope

04:07 Giving Back Through Music and Recovery

07:07 Skyler’s Difficult Childhood & Foster Care

14:09 Moving In With Dad & Early Teen Challenges

17:39 Abandonment, Attention Seeking, and School Life

22:05 Homelessness as a Teenager

25:48 Addiction, Street Life & Paranoia Park

29:45 Homeless Addicts: Myths & Realities

33:31 Doing Whatever It Takes for Drugs

36:26 The Harsh Cycle: Jail, Addiction & Recovery

42:09 Jail Psychosis, Paranoia & Dark Stories

46:00 Wild Tales from Behind Bars

50:55 Life on the Chain Gang & Dorm Drama

53:45 Jail, Prison, & the Desire for Change

56:33 Deciding to Get Sober for Music & New Perspective

01:00:23 Building a New Life: Boundaries and Accountability

01:02:44 Why Recovery is So Hard

01:03:28 Rebuilding Through Music After Sobriety

01:09:02 Meeting Kayla & Leveling Up Musically

01:12:00 Getting Hepatitis C & Overcoming Shame

01:14:39 Family Relationships & Setting Boundaries

01:17:31 Lessons to Younger Self & Final Reflections

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Louis Ruggiero grew up in New York City with privilege and connections — his mother, Rosanna Scotto, is a famous Fox News anchor, and his father is an attorney. But behind the perfect image, Louis was spiraling into addiction. College introduced him to Xanax, which quickly led to harder drugs, arrests, and trouble that was often swept away by his family’s influence. His life took a shocking turn when a close friend confessed a murder to him, forcing Louis to testify in a high-profile trial. In this interview, Louis reveals his struggles with drugs, what it was like to be caught up in a murder case, and how he’s working to turn his life around.

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Sarma Melngailis seemed destined for success. A brilliant student who started her career in finance, she later pursued her passion for food and co-founded Pure Food and Wine, one of New York City’s hottest vegan restaurants that attracted stars like Alec Baldwin. But Sarma’s life took a shocking turn when she fell under the influence of a controlling con man who manipulated her into a web of lies, fraud, and destruction. Once the celebrated “vegan queen” of NYC, she became a fugitive, was arrested for fraud, and ended up behind bars at Rikers Island. Sarma’s story of love, betrayal, and downfall captivated the world and was chronicled in Netflix’s hit documentary Bad Vegan. In this episode, she opens up about her childhood, career, and what really happened behind the scenes of one of the most infamous scandals in the restaurant world.

00:00 Arrest and Introduction

01:56 Sarma’s Background & Pure Food and Wine

10:08 Growing Up, Independence, and Early Influences

20:28 Career in Finance and Transition to Culinary

29:19 Opening Pure Food and Wine

36:46 The Rise of Pure Food and Wine & One Lucky Duck

42:00 Business Philosophy and Brand Growth

48:46 Personal Relationships & Vulnerability

54:46 First Encounters With the Conman

01:01:01 How the Manipulation Began

01:07:07 Financial Spiral and Isolation

01:16:16 Collapse and Confusion

01:25:01 The Arrest, Jail, and Coming to Terms

01:39:00 Prosecution, Sentencing, and Restitution

01:58:02 Reflection and the Future

02:00:33 Lessons Learned & Moving Forward

02:12:23 Ending and Book Discussion

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Luis Espinoza grew up in Waterbury, Connecticut, surrounded by crime, addiction, and chaos. With a mother in and out of jail, he dropped out of high school and started hanging around the wrong crowd. By 22, he was sentenced to 18 months in prison—but just three months in, Luis made a desperate move: he tried to escape. After being captured only hours later, he was forced to face the reality of life behind bars. In this episode, Luis opens up about his troubled childhood, his escape attempt, what prison was really like, and how he finally turned his life around after incarceration.

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Nick Gojcaj grew up in Queens dreaming of becoming an NYPD cop, but after that didn’t work out, he spent 20 years in the corporate world before making a drastic career change in his 40s—joining Rikers Island as a corrections officer. For three years he worked inside one of America’s most notorious jails, dealing with chaos, violence, and the daily dangers of being a prison guard, until a confrontation with inmates left him permanently disabled. Instead of protecting him, Rikers illegally terminated his job, sparking a legal battle that he’s still fighting today. In this episode, Nick opens up about his journey from the academy to life on the inside, the shocking realities of working at Rikers, and how he’s now exposing the system that betrayed him.

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Joseph Schultze’s life looked nothing like the path that would eventually lead him toward prison. Growing up in Binghamton, New York, he had a loving home — but also parents battling cocaine addiction. Forced to take care of them while still a teenager, Joseph dropped out of high school and developed crippling anxiety. A car accident became the turning point that pulled him into painkillers, harder drugs, and a spiral of crime that racked up multiple larceny charges. Facing years behind bars, Joseph took a chance on New York’s infamous shock program — a grueling alternative to prison designed to break inmates down physically and mentally.

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