Roll Call with Chappy

Peter “Chappy” Meyerhoff sits down with ex-con filmmaker Seth Ferranti.

A military brat, Seth was into drugs at the ripe young age of 13. At age 19 in high school, he had built an empire, supplying around 15 colleges across five states. In 1991, he became one of the first targets in the expanded war on drugs. He was initially arrested on the state level for “conspiracy to distribute LSD”. But upon discovering his extensive, nationwide network, he was reindicted at the federal level with a Continuing Criminal Enterprise (CCE) charge.

Seth decided to fake his suicide in order to avoid jail time and moved to L.A. to lay low until all was forgotten. However, y then, he was one of the U.S. Marshals’ 15 Most Wanted Fugitives and it was quickly discovered that his “suicide” was a hoax. He was incidentally arrested when a shop owner called the cops after finding Seth and a friend smoking a joint behind his property, and in three days, the police matched Seth’s prints.

At 23 years old, Seth was sentenced to 25 years.

Determined to move past this period in his life as fast as he could, Seth found refuge in education. His love for writing and studying brought him a surprising amount of success while in prison: Seth earned three college degrees, including a Master’s, wrote 22 books on gangsters, drug lords, and prison gangs, and, alongside his wife, founded a publishing house and website, Gorilla Convict, and started a career as a journalist writing for VICE, Penthouse, and others.

After being released he started making films. In 2017, Seth wrote and produced White Boy, which is currently on Netflix. He currently has numerous projects in production and development.

Topics Discussed: 

• [00:18] Seth’s story
• [07:12] Losing his empire and going to prison
• [12:15] Faking his own death
• [21:25] Getting sentenced to 25 years at 23 years old
• [25:28] Graduating with a Master’s and starting a writing career behind bars
• [40:37] Writing for VICE in prison and working with his wife to found Gorilla Convict
• [49:08] Making films after his release from prison
• [56:41] Seth’s current projects

Connect with Seth Ferranti: 

• Website: https://www.gorillaconvict.com/ 
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sethferranti/?hl=en 
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SethFerrantiOfficial/ 
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/sethferranti?lang=en 
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_PX5yFrMT-hm_xGQMyMU0w 
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/seth-ferranti-90a59440/ 

Connect with Peter Meyerhoff:

• Website: https://petermeyerhoff.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/peter_meyerhoff/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Peter-Meyerhoff/100008245219126/
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theoriginalchappy?lang=en
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/chann

Tommy Vext wouldn’t be alive today were it not for grace — and a phone call. The heavy metal singer and songwriter was poised to throw himself in front of a train when a young kid in the throes of addiction reached out for help. That one decision — to answer his phone and step up as a sober brother — saved Tommy’s life and kept the former lead vocalist for Bad Wolves on a path that today serves as an inspiration to everyone who comes into contact with him and his message. This episode of the Roll-Call with Chappy podcast unspools a career and life trajectory like none other — from unimaginably low lows to a life full of personal and professional highs; from multiple near-death experiences to transcendent peace and inspiration within his recovery.

Host Peter “Chappy” Meyerhoff takes Tommy through an amazing set of life milestones. You’ll hear about the traumatic childhood roots that shaped the life of Thomas Cummings, who grew up a biracial New York kid in a home dominated by addiction and mental illness. Their conversation touches on the emotional toll that violence took on Tommy’s family — and the powerful ways in which 12-step recovery ultimately transformed his life, as well as his loved ones’. He has gone from being a young boy powerless to protect his mom, to buying her the safe, comfortable home in which she lives her life today, supporting others through her work with AlAnon.

It’s all about breaking the cycle, showing up and doing the work. “We’re not in the results business. We’re in the work business. We try to show up and do what’s right and wonderful things happen,” says Tommy, who has 37 songs ready for release, a forthcoming biography and plans to tour internationally. You’ll appreciate Tommy’s brutal honesty about the fear, pain and loss he suffered repeatedly coming up — even as he somehow resisted relapse. Whether confronting his brother’s homicidal mania or working with musicians who don’t share his ethos, Tommy explains why nothing shakes his bedrock of 13 years’ sobriety: “There are no mistakes in God’s world.”

Connect with Tommy Vext:

• Website - https://www.tommyvextofficial.com/
• Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/freetommyvext/
• Facebook -
• Twitter - https://twitter.com/TVext?ref_src=twsrc^google|twcamp^serp|twgr^author
• YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/TheLoneWolfMusic
• Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/artist/2eaZxHkhdNugJwlaKQWewj?si=70CnalImQ_a0u0NH82NASw&nd=1
• Apple Music - https://music.apple.com/us/artist/tommy-vext/968802571

Connect with Peter Meyerhoff:

• Website: https://petermeyerhoff.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/peter_meyerhoff/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Peter-Meyerhoff/100008245219126/
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theoriginalchappy?lang=en
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpa6ABvtPcSSwM2LJvuLv0w

Peter “Chappy” Meyerhoff sits down with Carlos Vasquez. The two met not long after Carlos was released from prison six months prior to this conversation.

As a child, Carlos dreamed of becoming a baseball player, and he had a seemingly picture-perfect Catholic upbringing. Everything changed around the time he turned 13 when he discovered that his father had a secret family. Almost without warning, his dad abandoned his real family to be with them, forcing Carlos’s mom to take on three jobs to support her children. Not long after that, his 16-year-old sister became pregnant, and Carlos himself hit the streets.

He was quickly initiated into the gang life and committed his first crime—armed robbery—at the age of 15 and, at 18, he was faced with a 20-year sentence with two strikes. Now suicidal and thinking he would never leave that place, Carlos went to prison with the intention of “being the craziest person that anybody has ever seen.”

13 years into his sentence, however, his life took a dramatic turn. He recalls being in the hole, totally alone with his own thoughts, and asking himself the question, “I’ve made it this far and I’m still alive. Why am I not dead? Maybe I need to do it.”

He mulled over that thought for the next few days until he and a chaplain crossed paths. He offered Carlos a Bible, which he proceeded to read cover-to-cover. Around the same time, he received a letter from a friend who had just received a 110-year sentence. That friend was 15 years old, and it was partly due to Carlos’s influence that he went down a similarly dark path.

That was the final straw for Carlos. He committed—to God and to himself—that he was going to change. He decided to take back control of his life. At the same time, he believes that God led him to become a role model for men and boys who are currently going through the same dark phase he did.

In Carlos’s own words: “Something told me: ‘You’re not supposed to just walk away. You’re supposed to put yourself back in that place and help change the culture. Use your influence. Use your leadership and communication skills to help these guys find the inspiration to change.’”

Topics Discussed

• [01:41] Carlos’s story
• [05:29] How Carlos ended up in prison for the first time
• [07:32] Carlos’s mindset going into prison
• [11:22] Surviving prison life for 20 years
• [13:04] What led Carlos to give up the gang life
• [17:17] Carlos’s challenging path forward as a new man
• [26:17] How Carlos was feeling as he was released and his first days out of prison
• [31:29] About Carlos’s work with the Prep Foundation
• [36:31] Carlos’s message to his younger self
• [42:22] What’s next for Carlos?
• [46:26] Speaking to former fellow inmates 100 days after Carlos’s release
• [48:51] Carlos’s final message of hope

Connect with Carlos Vasquez:

• Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/carlos_s_vasquez/?hl=en
• Instagram partnershipforreentryprogram - https://www.instagram.com/partnershipforreentryprogram/?hl=en

Connect with Peter Meyerhoff:

• Website: https://petermeyerhoff.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/peter_meyerhoff/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Peter-Meyerhoff/100008245219126/
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theoriginalchappy?lang=en
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpa6ABvtPcSSwM2LJvuLv0w

Peter “Chappy” Meyerhoff sits down with DJ Cruse, who works for the Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry as a Program Project Specialist II.

Since he was a boy, DJ had an unquenchable fascination with the military and envisioned a career for himself in the Armed Forces, where he would become a Green Beret and, once he had accomplished all he could with the Army, join the police force and lead SWAT in a major city.

When he was a kid, DJ’s love for adventure first led him to join the Boy Scouts. To anyone from the outside looking in, the young DJ seemed to be on a bright and promising path. And he was—until his insatiable curiosity and openness to new experiences nudged him down a dark detour towards the dangerous world of drugs, alcohol, and gangs. He was only 12 years old when that downward spiral began.

DJ landed in prison for the first time as a ninth grader, where he spent the next six months getting into fights with his fellow inmates and essentially doing everything that didn’t involve learning from his mistakes. He picked up right where he left off once he was out, and would later find himself behind bars once again. That next sentence would last 170 months, or just over 14 years.

It was on December 14, 2017 when DJ regained his freedom. He was still a lost, scared, and unstable mess of a man, but he was determined to make a change. Sometime following his release, he was invited by a friend to a local church where he was quite literally floored by the presence of God. He also underwent rehab, which finally allowed him to come to terms with who he had become over the past three decades, and from there he would chart a new course.

Today, DJ’s life is defined by giving back, 24/7. Not only does he now work for the Department of Corrections, but he has also partnered with the ministry IdentiFreed, whose purpose is to “spread the gospel to the church, recovery, homeless and incarcerated community and to the nations on a global scale.”

Topics Discussed:

• [02:03] DJ’s story
• [06:18] Getting introduced to drugs in the sixth grade and his first time in prison
• [13:25] DJ’s odd jobs following his release from prison
• [17:51] DJ’s transformation
• [22:25] What DJ does for a living today
• [27:35] A life of giving back, 24/7
• [36:46] How Chappy and DJ’s stories have impacted their community
• [43:26] DJ’s parting message to moms and dads who need a piece of hope

Connect with DJ Cruse:

• Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/davidcruse139/?hl=en
• Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/david.cruse.39904

Connect with Peter Meyerhoff:

• Website: https://petermeyerhoff.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/peter_meyerhoff/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Peter-Meyerhoff/100008245219126/
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theoriginalchappy?lang=en
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpa6ABvtPcSSwM2LJvuLv0w

Key Quotes:

• [My transformation] was nothing short of a miracle and I give it all up to God. I say Jesus knocked me out and woke me up. ~DJ
• If you go to the Department of Corrections in any state, you have basically faced the worst thing that America has to throw at you. We were ostracized and kicked out of the community—for good reason—and bagged and tagged and cuffed and stuffed, and sent out to live in cages like some dogs. ~DJ
• Connect

Chappy kicks things off by offering a perspective shift by bringing up his wholehearted belief that “your worst day out on the street is a hundred times better than your best day in prison.”

“To get a different perspective,” he continues, “you’ve got to look at somebody who has a worse situation than you.”

Chappy goes on to share how he had to rewire his brain the second he was released from prison. He talks about all the people around him who had to remind him that, in the real world, threatening others, asserting your dominance, and everything else that was acceptable—expected, even—in the prison yard is completely off-limits outside those walls.

Taylor and Chappy close out the show with a discussion on making an impact. With a little faith, a focus on keeping things in perspective, and constantly reminding yourself that everyone has a purpose, seemingly insignificant decisions will result in a life full of blessings not only for you, but for everyone that you touch.

Topics Discussed: 

• Taylor’s background
• Lessons about bouncing back that Taylor learned from the podcast
• What Chappy told himself when he was sent to prison at the age of 18
• What Chappy would tell someone on their first and last day in prison
• Why Chappy was so calm when he was convicted
• Chappy’s ultimate goal in his life’s “third act”
• Getting through solitary confinement
• Chappy’s last year in prison
• Adjusting to life fresh out of prison
• How Chappy manages his anger
• How to raise your self-confidence
• Chappy’s prison workouts
• Making an impact after prison

Connect with Guest: 

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.brutefit/

Connect with Peter:

• Website: https://petermeyerhoff.com/ 
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/peter_meyerhoff/ 
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Peter-Meyerhoff/100008245219126/
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theoriginalchappy?lang=en
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpa6ABvtPcSSwM2LJvuLv0w

Key Quotes:

• Fitness can not only build your self-confidence, but also relieve stress and make you not do stupid things or say mean things because, by the time I’m done doing cardio, I’m ready for a nap. ~Chappy
• Your worst day out on the street is a hundred times better than your best day in prison. ~Chappy
• Whatever [your] situation is, that problem is miniscule compared to what you can accomplish if you literally just wake up and you’re thankful. ~Taylor
• To get a different perspective, you’ve got to look at somebody who has a worse situation than you. ~Chappy
• Everybody’s got a purpose in this world and everybody’s good at something. ~Chappy

Peter “Chappy” Meyerhoff sits down with country music superstar Josh Scott.

After losing his dad due to medical malpractice, Josh turned to meth, which “made everything in life that was important unimportant, and all the dumb shit that’s unimportant really important.” He proceeded to go “off the deep end” and ended up in prison in 2005 at the age of 27.

Josh went straight back to drugs after he was released and, soon after, he came across a string of opportunities that eventually led him to a breakthrough gig in Las Vegas. At that point, the majority of Josh’s life was a terrible combination of showbiz, and drug and gambling addiction. He lived a double life: performing three days, committing felonies and rubbing shoulders with the mob the other four days.

As fate would have it, Josh found himself in jail for another nine years and ended up missing out on countless milestones in the lives of his family, including his son’s graduation. His lengthy time behind bars was a transformative period in his life and taught him lessons he would never forget.

Today, not only is Josh a successful country music artist, but he also dedicates his time to doing good in the lives of others, from his various philanthropic initiatives to coaching her daughter’s high school basketball team.

“God gave me a second chance,” says Josh. “He gave me an angle to do some good, and that’s all I want to do.”

Topics Discussed: 

• [02:11] Josh’s upbringing and why he ended up in prison
• [12:05] Going back to drugs after a year-and-a-half in prison
• [14:52] Another nine years in prison
• [22:22] Why gratitude is the key to thriving in life
• [27:00] The profound meaning behind Josh’s song, This Time
• [31:24] Finding success after prison
• [44:48] How prison changed Chappy and Josh’s approach to life and career
• [58:25] Josh’s thoughts on money
• [1:03:16] Josh’s parting advice to listeners

Connect with Guest:

• Instagram @joshscottmusic  
• Spotify 
• iHeart Radio 

Connect with Peter Meyerhoff:

• Website
• Instagram
• Facebook
• TikTok
• YouTube

Key Quotes:

• I’m not proud of my past, but I’m also not ashamed of it because it molded me into the individual I am today. ~Josh
• The higher my gratitude level is, the better off I’m going to be and the more success I want to have and the more people I want to be able to help. ~Chappy
• God’s not going to get you out of it, but He’ll get you through it. ~Josh
• Anything is possible. There are no limitations to what you can do because you’ve been to prison. The people who have limitations are those who put the limitations on themselves. ~Josh

Peter “Chappy” Meyerhoff sits down with Sheriff Mark Lamb of Pinal County.

Listen in as Sheriff Lamb touches on his days as an entrepreneur years before his foray into law enforcement at the age of 34. He speaks in particular of his involvement in bringing the number of drive-by shootings in Arizona’s Navajo Reservation from 76 in 2009 down to 0 in 2011.

He was elected Sheriff of Pinal County, Arizona in 2017, initially inspired by a decision to make a big impact on his community due to his dissatisfaction with the Obama administration.

Asked about the keys to success and looking past money as the end-goal, Sheriff Lamb talks about the importance of deciding on a cause to fight for beyond one’s own personal gain.

He crucially defines the difference between believing that you’re “special” versus believing that you’re “unique”, and that the latter is fundamental to helping you discover your strengths and purpose while keeping your ego at bay.

Sheriff Lamb explains how he used the marketing concepts he learned as a business owner and applied them to his benefit while running for Sheriff, and then to improve upon the current Department after he was elected.

He goes on to share how he used his platform as Sheriff to promote God, family, and freedom, including establishing the subscription-based streaming service American Sheriff Network.

Topics Discussed: 

• [02:10] Mark’s life before becoming Sheriff
• [05:22] Dealing with gangs in Arizona’s Navajo Reservation
• [07:59] Moving to Pinal County and becoming Sheriff
• [10:20] Taking advantage of your strengths to achieve success and create a legacy
• [15:42] Innovating the Sheriff’s Department
• [18:54] Programs that Sheriff Lamb is most proud of
• [26:04] How American Sheriff Network came to be
• [31:22] Sheriff Mark’s plans for the future

Connect with Sheriff Lamb: 

• American Sheriff Network 
• Instagram
• Facebook
• YouTube

Connect with Peter Meyerhoff:

• Website
• Instagram 
• Facebook
• TikTok
• YouTube

Peter “Chappy” Meyerhoff sits down with his brother Matt Jr.. The younger Meyerhoff looks back on the horror of witnessing his older brother’s descent into drugs and thievery, while feeling powerless to help since Matt was only an 8th grader at the time.

Matt remembers endless nights filled with tears following Peter’s sentencing and enduring those 12 long years with nothing but hope in his heart.

He recalls Peter’s release and the grand welcome he prepared for his brother, including a festive gathering of family and friends and a brand new flatscreen TV.

This, of course, wasn’t the end of the darkest chapter of the Meyerhoffs’ lives. Matt then reflects on those first few moments after hearing the news that Peter overdosed on drugs and his initial doubts that Peter would ever become sober.

Finally, Matt assures Peter that giving up on his brother has never—and will never—become a possibility in his mind.

Soon after Peter’s decision to quit the car business right on the heels of his best month, Matt could see that there would be no limits to the amount of success and significance that would come Peter’s way in the coming years.

Topics Discussed: 

• [01:26] Growing up as Peter’s brother
• [03:07] What it was like to see Peter’s descent and going to jail for 12 years
• [07:46] The fear of extensions to Peter’s sentence
• [12:47] Matt reflects on the day Peter was finally released from prison
• [19:39] The day of Peter’s overdose
• [22:58] Why Matt knew he would never give up on Peter
• [26:27] Matt’s reaction to Peter’s decision to quit at the car business after his best month

Connect with Peter Meyerhoff: 

• Website 
• Instagram
• TikTok
• Facebook
• Email: [email protected]

Key Quotes:

• I knew when I didn’t die that day that I was saved for a much bigger purpose, and it’s to help people save lives. ~Chappy
• I know you were going to be successful doing whatever the fuck you want. Whatever you decide, literally anything, you’re just going to grind until it happens. If one thing doesn’t work out, you’ll find another thing. ~Matt
• One thing that prison taught me was hustle. When you don’t have too many options, you acquire a great knack to just figure shit out. ~Chappy

Peter “Chappy” Meyerhoff kicks off the podcast with three very special guests: his father Matt, mother Celeste, and stepmother Lynette.

Listen in as the Meyerhoffs reflect on the most trying chapters in their family’s lives beginning with the moments that led up to a false accusation of sexual assault thrown at a then-teenaged Peter, to the drug-fueled downward spiral and falling out with his family that immediately followed, to his finally getting arrested at the age of 18.

Peter was sentenced to jail for 12 years—an absolute shock to both him and his family who expected no more than six years after Peter took the plea bargain. They describe the horror of the moment when the judge read his sentencing and how they all coped in the days that immediately followed.

In spite of all this, the Meyerhoffs’ troubles had just begun. Peter, who was determined to garner respect among his inmates, got involved in prison politics and continued to abuse drugs while doing his time.

Even after being released from prison, Peter’s most life-changing experience was yet to come. He found comfort in drinking alcohol in this new life and, before he knew it, he woke up one morning in an ambulance and was informed that he had overdosed on drugs while intoxicated and was close to death when he was found.

As he lay on that hospital bed, the switch finally flipped. Peter recalls telling himself, over and over, that he would not let this latest chapter in his troubled life be his last. He knew that he had to make a real change.

This was the seed of an epiphany that would inspire Peter to become a role model to others. By sharing his story and the events that finally motivated him to turn his life around, Peter proves that redemption is a very real thing, and that there is life after prison.

Topics Discussed: 

• [01:51] Peter’s upbringing, according to his parents
• [06:04] The moment Peter started straying down the wrong path
• [12:12] Peter’s family’s reaction to his falsely being accused of sexual assault
• [24:40] Why Matt believed that prison was the only way to save Peter’s life
• [28:38] How Peter and his parents felt when he was sentenced to 12 years in prison
• [38:53] The days following the sentencing
• [46:22] Peter’s institutionalization
• [51:41] Peter’s involvement in prison politics
• [55:58] Why the halfway point of Peter’s sentence was the “easiest” part
• [1:06:23] The moment Peter was finally released from prison
• [1:11:51] Peter’s drug overdose
• [1:18:32] Did Peter’s parents believe he would ever achieve sobriety?
• [1:24:38] The reaction to Peter quitting his job to pursue his purpose
• [1:26:54] Do Peter’s parents have confidence in his new life plan?

Connect with Peter Meyerhoff: 

• Website 
• Instagram
• TikTok
• Facebook
• Email: [email protected]

Key Quotes:

• There are a lot of good guys in the prison system that just made bad choices under the influence of drugs and alcohol. ~Matt
• I just want to let the public know that this is a thing that happens to regular families. We were a regular family. We weren’t from the hood. I had no reason to go to fucking reason. I had no reason to get involved with drugs. I want to show that it happens to everybody. No matter what you fucking do to your life and how many times you ruin your life and how many times you fucked up shit—it’s never too late to change who you are as a person, and it’s never too late to become successful. ~Chappy