Lurking in the Fog

In the shadows of the U.S. visa system, a sinister world of human trafficking and organized crime thrives. Join us for this podcast as we talk with special guest John Freeman who spent 21 years as a special agent in the Diplomatic Security Service, the law enforcement and security arm of the U.S. State Department. He worked domestically and internationally protecting dignitaries, securing major events, conducting criminal investigations and leading the creation of an anti-human trafficking portfolio for the agency.

In this analysis we travel to the dark side of global immigration, where desperation and deception converge. From the streets of Eastern Europe to the halls of power in Washington D.C., we expose the shocking truth behind the exploitation of vulnerable populations and the cunning tactics used by traffickers to manipulate the system. Listen as experts and survivors share their stories and insights, and discover the hidden dangers lurking in the world of visa fraud and human trafficking.

Our guest David Cook, is a U.S. Army veteran with expertise in psychological operations and open source intelligence. The analysis focuses on influencing foreign audiences and countering recruitment by groups such as ISIS. It discusses how these tactics are evolving in today's information age, particularly concerning OSINT's role in national security. Cook also tells how misinformation, smokescreens, and confirmation bias affect investigations in the digital world as in real-life intelligence work.

Join us on our seventeenth episode with Ícaro Avelar, a crypto lawyer who developed his career in the corporate environment, working as an in-house legal counsel for large, multinational Japanese and Austrian companies. He has significant experience in providing legal advice for Web3 projects, being responsible for regulatory enforcement in the companies he advises.

Ícaro has made sure to stay on top of all the latest trends in Web3, crypto, and blockchain. He is especially knowledgeable about the role of cryptocurrencies in facilitating illicit activities on the dark web, citing the Silk Road as a cautionary tale of how well-intentioned tech founders can become complicit in crimes such as drug trafficking and arms smuggling should they choose to ignore the illicit activities occurring on their platforms. Most notably, he stresses the importance of being well-versed in the regulatory differences between the U.S. and the EU regarding Web3, crypto, and blockchain.

Join us on our sixteenth episode with Jim Crotty, a senior fellow at the Center for Advanced Defense Studies (C4ADS), where he supports their Organized Crime and Grand Corruption team on projects related to drug trafficking, money laundering, and transnational organized crime networks.

He served as the Deputy Chief of Staff at the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), where he assisted with strategic planning and communications, policy development, and the execution of major DEA programs and initiatives.

Prior to joining DEA’s front office, Mr. Crotty served as a Group Supervisor in the agency’s Chicago Field Division, where he oversaw a team of intelligence analysts supporting significant drug trafficking and money laundering investigations. From 2013 to 2018, Mr. Crotty served as a liaison officer at the US Embassy in London, where he was a primary point of contact for all drug-related matters in the United Kingdom and Ireland, as well as the region’s Cyber Coordinator. Mr. Crotty started his career with DEA in Washington, DC, where he conducted all-source intelligence analysis on drug trafficking trends in South America. Notably, in 2010, Mr. Crotty deployed to Afghanistan with DEA’s Foreign Advisory and Support Team, where he coordinated and deconflicted counterdrug operations between US and allied partners.

Before joining DEA, Mr. Crotty was an associate at PRTM Management Consultants’ national security practice group. In this role, he provided strategic and operational advice to clients in the Intelligence Community, Department of Homeland Security, and Department of Defense.

He holds a JD from the University of Alabama School of Law, MA in Political Science from Boston College, and BA in Political Science from Auburn University, summa cum laude.

Join us on our fifteenth episode with Daren Firestone, former federal prosecutor and white house attorney.

During his time in the United States Department of Justice Tax Division, Daren led scores of white collar criminal tax prosecutions and investigations involving healthcare fraud, government procurement fraud, bankruptcy, and identity theft. He handled criminal cases involving off-shore accounts, tax shelters, Medicare coding, employment taxes, corporate and partnership taxes, and fraudulent tax preparation.

After graduating magna cum laude from Harvard College, Daren became an actor, appearing in Off-Broadway shows, national commercials, and the feature film “Scenes from a Mall,” in which he played Woody Allen and Bette Midler’s son. He then went on to graduate magna cum laude from Northwestern Law School.

Daren is the preeminent expert in keeping the identity of crypto whistleblowers confidential, even managing to hide them from the U.S. government during one of his cases.

Join us on our fourteenth episode with Meghana Vodela, a District XI Assistant Public Defender with the Maryland Office of the Public Defender.

As a graduate of the American University Washington College of Law, Meghana is passionate about dismantling long-standing injustices within the U.S. criminal justice system. She was a student attorney for the university's Women and the Law Clinic (now renamed the Gender Justice Clinic) where her work focused on advocating for disenfranchised clients in the greater Washington D.C. area.

Meghana's publication titled, "Restorative Justice: Uplifting Human Rights for the Marginalized, Vulnerable, Victimized, and the United States As a Whole" can be read via the link below.

https://digitalcommons.wcl.american.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2004&context=hrbrief

Join us on our thirteenth episode with Dr. Louise I. Shelley, founder and director of the Terrorism, Transnational Crime and Corruption Center (TraCCC) at George Mason University. She is one of the foremost experts in money laundering, illicit trade, human trafficking, wildlife trafficking, and other forms of transnational organized crime.

Her academic career started off with extensive study on Russian Literature at Cornell University, followed by a Master's in Criminology and a PhD in Sociology from the University of Pennsylvania. This research helped her conduct numerous money laundering investigations in Russia, Ukraine, and Georgia. As an Omer L. and Nancy Hirst Endowed Chair and a University Professor at George Mason University, Dr. Shelley has also authored books such as "Dark Commerce: How a New Illicit Economy is Threatening our Future" and "Dirty Entanglements: Corruption, Crime and Terrorism".

As Dr. Shelley would say...to catch criminals, see beyond your stereotypes.

Join us on our twelfth episode with Vincent Scott, a U.S. Navy veteran with more than 30 years of cyber experience. His career in military operations centered around cyber warfare and information warfare, allowing him to conduct Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) activities at various levels. As a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, Vince served as a Naval Cryptologist in numerous deployments and combat operations. Vince also served national intelligence agencies such as the National Security Agency. Following his military career, Vince held positions at major companies like P&G and PWC leading privacy, incident response, and threat intelligence teams. With his experience, Vince founded Defense Cybersecurity Group to support the Defense Industrial Base (DIB) by implementing the new Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC). Vince believes in the importance of telling companies the truths they do not want to know to confidently ensure their security.

Join us on our eleventh episode with Glenn Karabeika, a retired special agent with over 30 years of experience in the U.S. Customs Service Office of Investigations and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, working in the Homeland Security Investigations Counterproliferation Investigations Unit. In addition, Glenn also has over 30 years of experience as an electronic surveillance technical agent.

Using his vast experience, Glenn has established his own import/export consulting and private investigations service, dealing with legal issues related to national security, narcotics, counterfeiting, arms control, illegal immigration, intellectual property rights, child sexual abuse material, and financial crime. Glenn is particularly adept at obtaining evidence from witness interview subjects who deliberately try to obfuscate the full story. His plethora of experiences have allowed him to help defense attorneys provide sound, trustworthy client defenses.

Join us on our tenth episode, a special cross-over episode with "Fraudish," a podcast hosted by Kelly Paxton. Our guest has over 20 years of experience as a Certified Fraud Examiner, Private Investigator, and Professional Speaker. Ms. Paxton was a Special Agent for the US Customs Office of Investigations from 1993-1998, and has investigative experience working for the Department of Homeland Security, Washington County Sheriff's Office, and Nike. Ms. Paxton also supports www.pinkcollarcrime.com, which is devoted to information regarding embezzlement.

Fraudish is a podcast to help those working in fraud, providing origin stories, tips, and resources. Please join us on this special episode as we discuss Ms. Paxton's work on fraud cases and more!