The Prosecution Playbook: What the Court Record Reveals

Welcome to The Prosecution Playbook, where we pull back the curtain on the federal criminal justice system. Moving beyond the headlines, this show examines white-collar cases using information drawn directly from actual public court documents and legal filings—from initial charges and motion battles to final judgments and restitution orders.

Using clear legal analysis and narrated breakdowns, we demystify complex procedural milestones so you can understand the pivotal strategy decisions that shape every case.

We show how prosecutors work, typical tricks of the trade. We expose these tricks prosecutors use to manipulate the system. We expose things you need to know if you have been arrested on a federal white collar crime. 

This podcast draws on court records, other public records, and scholarly articles. AI tools help compile and evaluate the material, and the voices you hear are AI-generated. The content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship. AI-generated content can contain errors or omit important context, so we cannot guarantee its accuracy or completeness. Please consult the original sources and a qualified attorney before relying on anything discussed here.

The Prosecution Playbook — Episode 2

Title: The Lifelong Trap: Refiled Charges, Excluded Evidence, and the Trial Penalty
Case Reference: United States v. Lynn Alisa Espejo, Case No. 4:14-cr-00201 KGB (Eastern District of Arkansas)
Target Length: 35–45 minutes

Highlights how prosecutors initially indicted Lynn in 2011, dropped the charges, and refiled in October 2014 with 25 felony counts.

Examines Lynn's Motion to Dismiss, showing how the government continually shifted its legal theory. Her case covers how discovery disappears, how courts don't allow juries to hear key information and how restitution can turn into a life long penalty. 

Lynn chose to go to trial and did get the "trial penalty" listen to see the prosecutor's playbook worked in her case.

Learn more about the deep details of this case directly from the defendant, Lynn has written a book about her experience available on Amazon titled: 'Inside The Walls & Beyond: My journey through the federal criminal "in"justice system'. It goes much deeper into the story and the realities of the federal system.

This podcast draws on court records, other public records, and scholarly articles. AI tools help compile and evaluate the material, and the voices you hear are AI-generated. The content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship. AI-generated content can contain errors or omit important context, so we cannot guarantee its accuracy or completeness. Please consult the original sources and a qualified attorney before relying on anything discussed here.

The Prosecution Playbook — Episode 1: Ghost Restitution

What happens when a court orders restitution without, in the defendant’s view, proving what the named recipients actually lost?

In the first episode of The Prosecution Playbook, I tell the story behind the $223,946.04 restitution order in my federal case. I call it “ghost restitution” because I have challenged whether the record established a measurable financial loss for the families listed in the judgment. At sentencing, the court acknowledged that it had no statements from the Kazakhstan families. Yet the restitution calculation relied heavily on fees paid for adoption services and ultimately named 44 payees.

I walk through the questions that still trouble me: Who was harmed, and by how much? Were services provided or refunds made? Why did the figures and the number of people identified as victims change across the case records? And where has the money collected from me actually gone?

Follow along as I file post conviction motions.

This podcast draws on court records, other public records, and scholarly articles. AI tools help compile and evaluate the material, and the voices you hear are AI-generated. The content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship. AI-generated content can contain errors or omit important context, so we cannot guarantee its accuracy or completeness. Please consult the original sources and a qualified attorney before relying on anything discussed here.