I'm the greatest bounty hun in the
world. I want a bounty hunt.
>> When I did Giuliani's Bond, they had
drones come down to our office outside
the doors trying to find us.
>> So after Beth passed away in 219, I got
far away from bounty hunting. I mean, I
would advise, but to get out there
physically, I didn't do it. Brans asked
me one day, uh,
what do you really want to do? Uh, and I
said, 'Well, I'm a the greatest bounty
hunter in the world. I want a bounty
hunt. So, our mutual friend Jeff
Kurpatre,
I said, "Do you know anybody that has a
bunch of jumps that would let me film
it?" And he said, "Uh, yeah, Daniel at
Second Chance Spellbonds." I go, "How
many?" He goes, "I don't know, like 60."
I go, "60." Right. So, then I finally
got a hold of Daniel on the phone and I,
you know, talked to him and said, "How
many jumps you got?" And he said, "Over
a thousand." I said, "Over a thousand?"
And I'm like, "Lot
>> of content?"
>> Yes.
>> Yeah. Oh, more we have more content than
we know what to do with.
>> Yes. And so then uh Francancy, I and you
met, right, for lunch or dinner
somewhere, right?
>> Yeah. For dinner. We went to Atlanta
Fish Market,
>> right?
>> In uh [clears throat] in Atlanta.
>> Oh, yeah. Atlanta fish market.
>> Yeah. And then we, you know, talked some
more, had fun, and then, uh, so
every county that he's licensed in,
which is a few, you have to have the
sheriff's permission. You know, I could
watch and say, "Get the guy, don't move,
buddy. Shut up, whatever,
>> right? Cuz you can't carry if dog can't
carry a firearm, [clears throat]
obviously, when he's out with us in the
field."
>> And so, uh,
>> so we don't want to break any laws.
We've got permission from a couple
sheriffs to that I can as long as a
licensed bounty hunter's holding the
guy's hands, I can cuff him.
>> Assist. So, which is fine with me for
now. Okay.
>> Because he's got a lot of jumps. So,
we're going to we're looking at to get a
film crew, which I told you Nick may
give us a good deal.
>> Yeah.
>> And we're going to start filming. We got
to come up. I think that Monica is our
social media girl right now. And I think
we're going to put up something. And my
manager also said, "Let's get let's make
a contest. What do you want to call the
next show, you know, a rainy night in
Georgia?
>> We're going to do it all over, you know,
the country." So, I have been in bail
since 80 19 plus I'm van, you know, a
few times in my life.
>> So, I understand it really good. My
former uh wife Beth was the president of
the bail association two times in
running, right? So going into different
city, states, explaining to Democrats
and Republicans what bail is, you know,
what it actually means and it's like we
make a nickel out of every hundred bucks
or we we make a nickel every out of
every dollar, but we put up the whole
buck,
>> right? So explaining that and getting
into it. So I started talking to Daniel
and I thought, man, he's, you know, for
so young, he's got so much knowledge
about Baal. And we all do it for the
money cuz above all the Bible says, uh,
above all things, I wish that you would
prosper and be in good health. So of
course, we do it for the money, right?
But his heart is like mine. Okay. Second
chance bail bonds, the name of the
company. I've had 997,000
second chances. So, and how he talks to
prisoners that we've been together with,
you know, he he makes them laugh and
tell promises them to do stuff and uh
his right-hand man, Jesse, uh they do
it. And then he's got a wife and two
children. They're fantastic. One of the
girls is a professional rider, a jumper.
>> No, not a professional.
Yeah, he's a dad. So, she I've
>> I've seen it somewhat on television, all
that, but she is incredible
>> and his wife is incredible. She see you
like to hear the story about her
sticking behind him. I finally found
someone that I could trust,
you know, completely that uh once in a
while he'll go out with us. So far so
good. And so far, I've been able to, you
know, mostly find them because I get
them on the phone and kind of threaten
and promise them if they don't come in,
they're going to have a problem.
And so, uh, we've got five or so in a
row, that's all turnins cuz they come
in. But,
uh, for them to throw down, you have to,
you know, shoot them with my non-lethal
all this and that, right? That's okay.
But the whole idea is to if you can uh
skilled enough
there's some people and not just uh
there's some snake handlers sooner or
later a lot get bit but sooner or later
they don't that can handle a poisonous
snake.
>> Okay.
>> So why why why do you want to be there
to cuff them? Like can't you just be go
along with them just
>> Yeah. But I I like the cuff, you know? I
like to hear those cuffs go cuz it takes
a minute to find them. Even if you talk
to
>> you like [clears throat] to hunt too,
right? You like
>> You could be there the whole time
without cuffing. I don't like you.
>> No, that's like having a gun
[clears throat] without shooting.
[laughter]
>> No,
>> he wants to finish the job. That's the
deal.
>> That's like having a gun with no bullet,
you don't
>> Right.
>> Uhuh. So, yeah.
>> He He wants to be able to finish the
whole process.
>> Yes. And then we're doing a lot.
>> I'd like to wait in the car. You guys
You guys He's in there. You all need to
go do that. Like
>> that's it. I'm just his driver. That's
it.
>> I don't need to be there.
>> Oh, your wife.
>> It's not important to me.
>> Your wife's here.
>> Uh [laughter]
so, uh
>> but anyway, so we're a good
get out of the car now.
>> I know. We're a terrific team, right?
>> Yeah.
>> So, uh so far we're batting 100. Well,
actually more cuz we're going after a
couple. The one guy had a doctor's
permit, but you found him. This guy took
his ankle bracelet to another state and
it kept tracking him, but he was in the
hospital. Smart guy.
>> And then uh the other guy was in prison
we were going after, right? They put him
straight in the joint or something.
>> We still got the other guy that the
$650,000 [clears throat] bond
>> out of Florida actually out of here in
Florida.
>> Yeah. So, we're I'm rocking and rolling
trying to impress him,
>> right? And I'm impressing myself of some
of the ST knowledge that I still have
>> and am growing because all those guys uh
well Jesse too, you two are a lot
younger and using different techniques,
right? But I am back to pass out the mug
shot, interview people. What area would
the guy be in?
>> The dog wants to go hang out in the
neighborhood where I'm like, let's stop
by the neighborhood and then we'll go
back later.
>> You want to wait? The dog wants to go
move into the neighborhood for the week
and he's like I'm going to I'm not
leaving until I drag this person out.
I'm like I don't know if that's best use
of time. But I guess I mean yeah but but
regardless it's it's the ultimate,
right?
>> We want the same ending, right?
>> Put a blink could always drop one of the
stick a blink camera up on a pole and
have it watch the house for you. You can
just it'll blink every
home.
>> We have we have that. It's we have the
bear cameras that you put in the woods
that are camouflaged,
>> but it's better. You know, I do not
stake out. A lot of bounty hunters will.
Those two guys, your guys.
>> Yeah.
>> You know how long they stuck they did a
stake out?
>> How long?
>> Oh my god. Four days or something.
>> Yeah.
>> But I think that would be fun. I I I get
it. I know it is boring.
>> It is. Some of it is. Yeah.
>> Some of it. But you think it's sort of
kind of
>> Oh, man. Yeah. When you have to take a
piss for 2 hours, you know. Oh my god.
To me, you could put a to me I you I'd
find a telephone two telephone poles and
stick the things up there or even even
get a You know what's funnier Dan Dan
told me he walked out into his garage
the other day at like in the
morning. He said, "I'm in my garage."
And I look up and uh
>> drone and there's a [ __ ] drone
hovering staring and he's like and he
was he was it was I'm telling man he was
it was that
>> a buddy named my buddy named Dan up in
this was up in like [ __ ] he's doing.
>> No
he's at in the morning. He's just
hanging. But he said it was silent. You
know usually it sounds like
he said I'm just looking up and it's
staring at me. He said, "I got up to
walk over and it it [ __ ] hovered up
and was sat there for a little bit and
then said he said just took
>> I don't know what the what is the deal
with the drones. When we when I when I
bonded out Giuliani when I did
Giuliani's bond, they had drones come
down to our office outside the doors
like trying to find us literally."
>> I mean, they're also kind of maybe
they're
>> I wonder
it it uh as long as it's the law where
they could do it and even now they break
the law.
>> Yeah. [clears throat] But but there's so
many of them that the FAA or whatever.
>> Well, that's what I'm saying. Keep track
of them.
>> Yeah.
>> They just send up like 10. They send up
10
>> and get caught with four. It's in
someone else's name and they're they're
good. But when you when it's a cop one,
it has a blue
>> or it uh I think no Alabama me and
Francancy were in. I think it has a blue
or a red light. Blue light.
>> There's one that's like FD the F um the
whatever it is for the for the um FA.
>> FAA. Thank you. Like they have certain
lights too
>> on July 4th the cops use theirs and it's
completely silent and black
>> and every time you know
>> Oh yeah. I mean I used to have no
regulation.
>> Oh dude, right when I my son I used to
get them for myself to play around and
then I ended up flying them into
neighbors houses and all that. So I
stopped once that happened and then but
but I mean they they were so much fun in
the beginning but now it's like a whole
different I mean it's it's different
right when they first came out. the cops
would [snorts] say you can't infringe on
their uh because the National Enquire
did this picture of some girl naked
through her thing and lost almost a
billion dollars. So the cops thought
that you can't film or look inside
someone's house with a drone. And so my
lawyer had to say, "Listen,
>> just cuz you guys don't do it,
[clears throat] yes, you can legally or
on the sidewalk." I can see. I can look.
If you're having sex with your wife in
your bedroom and you leave the blinds
open and I'm standing on the sidewalk
and I can see it, I can film it. Like,
what are you talking about? I can see
it. That's not my fault. You should
close the At least in [laughter]
Florida. Close the windows. That's your
You're an idiot, you know? I mean,
right. No, I mean, your wife's here, so
it's mine.
>> Yeah.
>> So, our wives are dog. Don't you I won't
tell her what you said.
>> No.
>> Daniel kids, so feel me.
>> Yeah. Listen, I love watching these
guys, these these auditors. Do you ever
see the auditors on where they're
they're videoing people or be like, "Uh,
I don't want my picture taken." You're
like, "Yeah, well, you're in public."
You're not allowed to. Legally, you're
No, I am. I'm calling the cops. Call the
cops.
>> Call the cops.
>> The cops show up. Yeah, he's perfectly
fine. He may be a dick, but he's
perfectly fine.
>> So, anyway, back to me.
>> So, [laughter]
God,
>> so now we're working together, filming
together. Uh all of our families get
along good. You know, we're the
outsiders, but the next new person is
that I work my way up to the top.
>> So, uh but I am, you know, I'm very
happy. My anniversary is September 2nd,
5 years to Francancy.
>> And since she married me, I haven't been
uh and I'm not kissing your ass. You
know that.
>> Oh, yeah. I know.
>> I'll put you in the headlock quick.
>> Oh, always.
I I am happy, you know, with the life
how it's going and all that. We still
financially need, you know, blessed and
God is doing it. And we've been I have
been up in the clouds and back to earth.
Okay? And there's an old saying, I think
a basketball guy said it. [snorts] The
harder you throw the basketball down on
[clears throat] the floor, the higher it
bounces up. So, we've had our bounces
really hard. So, we're ready and it's
happening. We're We're going up and up
and up. Right.
>> That's right. Yeah.
>> So, are So, you guys are are you're
shooting a
>> Oh, we've been Yeah, we've been We've
been
>> Is it out like Is it
>> We've been active. Um
>> is it with a production company or are
you
>> We're [clears throat] Yeah, we're
handling everything for it. You know
what I mean?
>> Yeah. Everything's been done in house
probably over the last six months and
we're all working together both. What's
funny is that
>> dogs dog and Francancy and their team.
Yeah.
>> I was gonna say what's funny is that the
the name is probably, you know, like you
can brand anything. You know what I'm
saying? You throw your name in there,
>> you know, as long as your name's in
there, the rest of it's really
irrelevant.
>> You just you'll brand it. You just brand
the [ __ ] out of it and it'll it'll it'll
>> it'll I think it's I think it's a bigger
thing too also, right? It's like a
bigger conversation in the sense of of
this chapter of kind of him coming back
out into this and and what Dog and
Francie want to set out to accomplish
and with the dog foundation and all the
different things [clears throat] which
is kind of why we've all kind of teamed
up right a little bit. But
>> our our wives
>> uh plus Monica,
our assistant, have all been through
trauma in their lives. Okay.
uh from President Vance's mom
to uh Monica who was like traded when
she was a kid, our assistant, all of
them have been through traumatic stuff.
So those all those women together going
somewhere, can you imagine what would it
do for rehabs or your women getting out
of prisons and stuff like that?
>> So
>> So I think the shift became bigger,
right? So it was bigger than bail bonds
and and bigger than ankle monitoring and
all those things. Although we we're
doing all of those things, right? And
and go ahead.
>> Well, I was going to say, are you trying
to are you trying to start uh like a
channel or are you trying to get to a a
network that will put it on as a show?
>> We're going to we're going to talk. Him
and I are going to talk, then we'll the
wives will approve it.
>> There's always that one thing in your
closet that you grab without even
thinking about it. The same jeans or the
same sweater that works no matter what.
Quinc has basically built their whole
brand around making more of those.
They're not messing around with
materials either. They use real
Mongolian cashmere, organic cotton,
marino wool, and more. It's the kind of
stuff that becomes your daily go-to
instead of something you wear twice and
forget about it. Their Kashmir sweaters
start around 60 bucks, which honestly
feels like a steal given how soft they
are. They've also got pants, tees,
polos, even active wear, actual basics
built to survive more than a few washes.
And on price, you're looking at 50 to
80% less than comparable brands because
they skip the middleman and go straight
to ethical factories. You're paying for
the product, not some brand tax. I
personally love their sweaters. They've
become one of those pieces I wear
constantly. The material feels great.
It's not just clothes either. They do
the same thing with bedding, bath stuff,
kitchen essentials, even furniture. Same
idea across the board. Well-made without
the markup. Find your next fall favorite
at Quint. Download the Quint app for app
exclusive offers. Or go to
quint.com/true.
Get free shipping on your order and
365day returns now available in Canada
and the UK. That's quinti
nce.com/true.
>> But we're he's going to uh with probably
I don't know some kind of Francancy and
you whatever
>> because the network we're we're going to
name that too. We need you need to come
up with the name of the network, right?
>> Because we're going to start our own
network. Okay?
>> Right? [clears throat]
>> So, you know, turn to this network to
see this show, that show. There's a lot
of reality shows that I've had good
ideas to and my big mouth A&E stole two
of them that are still working because I
shot my mouth off to them. But I have a
lot of good ideas. So, not only will he
be producing or the network that carries
the new show, but other shows also. And
that's where uh you get into like you
impress people and the price is what
matters. You keep it low enough where
you know so many times people panhandle
it on the street back in the day would,
oh dog, what's up? And you know, Beth
used to scream at him, say, "How come
you you're standing here panhandling,
but you got cable?"
So, and that's still how our fans are
from uh 18, well, from like 9 and 10 to
80 to 92 years old. I met this lady the
other day, hugged me and everything. So,
you know, God is blessed to do that. So,
this is another
step that I dreamed about. Uh, and
Daniel is agreeing to as again as long
as our wives give the final check.
>> So you're so you're trying to you're
coming up with your own network, but
what's the platform? Do you
>> not We don't I mean at this point Yeah.
There's no Yeah.
>> A lot of reality. You know how it really
is. Our show was the only real reality
show there was,
>> right?
>> All All every one of them was scripted.
>> Yeah.
>> So just how we are and just how you know
things happen. Well, I think he wants,
you know, I I think it will give him an
opportunity to kind of finish his story,
right? The his what how he want, you
know, what he does and how he wants to
do it and and I think there's just so
much more left to tell and and um kind
of
>> the uh the Kipling um is it Kipling? I
don't even know. Um
oh god, is uh the the poem uh rage, you
know, do not go into that good night. Um
you know, rage rage against the you've
never heard. Are you ins are you [ __ ]
kidding me? Are you kidding me?
>> I mean I mean I just don't know if it's
name
>> I don't know if it's Kipling. Um
basically the poem is about do not go
like
>> don't don't fade away you know go go out
fighting you know. Yeah. Don't
[clears throat] you know and it's about
old age and it's about like rage against
it like go out as hard as you [ __ ]
can.
Exactly. Exactly. That's like what
that's what we're doing right now.
>> Yeah. I was going to say like what you
don't know what platform what do you
guys what you so you don't have you
don't have a network you don't have
>> well well there there's there's
attraction so really really I mean yeah
there's been all kinds of conversations
right from all over the place
there's lots of motion and it's just a
question of where where and when
>> right lots of production
>> lots of production yeah we've been
filming for probably over six months
>> lots of production companies coming to
you saying we want to do this we want to
do this let's have a meeting. We got
Let's Let's get the team together. We're
going to pitch it to Netflix. We We've
got a our my friend Jimmy works at Hulu
and you have lights that right. There's
a lot of that activity
and all the things are going on. But I
mean, we there's a lot of great things
and and then like I said, it's bigger
than that, right? So there's there's
just more to this conversation which is
you know the foundation side and really
the community piece and able to really
just put get way more deeper into the
stuff which and work with the people
with whether it's speaking in the you
know Francie and and Ray speaking in the
prisons and you know dog and doing his
thing you know there's just there's a
lot of components that go into this that
make up really a really cool synergy.
>> Okay. No. Um, no. He says, he says no.
>> No, no. I I what I'm what I'm thinking
is I'm sorry. Uh, no. What I was
thinking is that to pitch this to a
production company that you would want
to get on a streaming network if that
was the case, then they would want a
very, very simplistic
series lined up for them. What you're
thinking about is you're saying, "No,
no, but we have this and we have this
and we have that." That would be more
like, you're right, you would need to
come up with your own network. So, your
network has to be on a platform, right?
It's got to be on something. You got to
put it on [clears throat]
>> either you have to say, "Our platform is
going to be predominantly YouTube."
>> Yeah. Well, I would I would say right
now it's a straight to to I would say
probably a YouTube
if it was YouTube.
>> We'll see where that falls, but
>> right. So if it was YouTube, you could
do like, hey, we put put out, you know,
whatever one 45 minute episode every
week or one hourong episode. And then
you could also
>> long form
>> in long form where you you're following
you're talking about how did we track
the guy down? You make a whole series
out of it and you're doing that. It's a
continuing thing, but you need a
full-time crew,
>> right,
>> to to be filming it and the whole and
and editing.
Um, that's not really It's funny too
because you know 20 years ago that would
be a that'd be a couple hundred thousand
per episode. Now it's a thousand.
>> Like even even in the beginning when
when we were a lot of this was just us.
It was us, me, Jesse, dog, you know,
just us. Oh well, of course. No, no, but
I'm just saying like when you talk about
some of the production stuff that goes
on out here and you go and I've been to
some of the stuff and you're like, "Holy
cow, dude. This must be costing a
fortune."
>> Yeah. you know, and it's like some of
this you can actually get done with
little to next to nothing,
>> right? Well, what I'm thinking is that
once you if you put that on a YouTube
channel and you advertised and you went
on a bunch of podcasts and talked about
it, then probably very quickly you'd get
you'd be at 100,000 200,000 subscribers
and then people it'd just blow up from
there.
>> Yeah.
>> But at some point you have to think
about the
>> Yeah. What do you think? Do you think
staying away from the major from the
major is a better idea in your opinion?
>> Yes. Because here's cuz they're not
going to be one, they're probably not
going to be interested unless you can
hit they can hit the ground running,
>> right?
>> And they would want a very s they
basically would want a re a recap of the
old show cuz the old old show was,
>> hey, we've got this, you know, this is
who we're looking for. Here's who he is.
And then they, well, we we tracked him
down here and we called so and so and
they get somebody on the phone. you
know, it'd be it'd be you playing out
the same old the same I don't want to
say the same old thing, but the the same
basic series.
>> Um, and they would want it done very
quickly because there's a shelf life.
>> Let's be honest,
>> there's a shelf life. So that how long
does it take for those story for for you
to get a series like that off the off
the ground? You know, you could do it
right away. a network is it's [snorts]
it's probably a year worth of meetings
>> before they're even ready to go
>> six months before they've finally got it
green lit another s you're two if if you
were right now had the meetings right
now and people were interested you're
two away from shooting two years away
from shooting your first episode and
then it's 6 months before those episodes
start coming out and then it's it's like
you know we're two to three years away I
mean who knows and and the problem is
for those types of executives they're
also thinking how long does this past
health, just age in general, like how
long?
>> Oh, yeah. Life, right? So, things go
wrong.
>> Oh, all things happen. So, but if you
started it by doing some kind of a
YouTube channel that where you were
putting the content up directly, it
could be also based on there could be
sidehows where it's also interviewing
people doing interviews with other
necessarily have to include um dog. It
could be you're interviewing a guy that
came in that you gave him bond and what
happened in the case and how did it
resolve and that's when we came in, you
know, oh well here's what happened. I
had this happen. You talk about that for
20 30 minutes and then that's when we
came in. Well, what happened with the
case? Well, finally I ended up getting
this this this and we ended up I ended
up getting three years probation. Well,
now it's just an hour and 20 minutes,
hour and 30 minutes. That's a whole
[ __ ] episode. And you'd be doing two
of those.
>> Well, and that's what a several a buddy
of mine who he has he has over a million
subscribers on YouTube on his channel as
well, right? And um and so he he does a
lot of filming and stuff for us and he
was saying the same thing. He's like,
"You just got to I mean it's a lot of
this a lot of the stuff that
>> How many hours is he put How much
content does he put out a week?"
>> Oh, I mean God I who know I mean I I
I'll give you stuff to show you, but
yeah. I mean it's a it's a lot of stuff,
man. I mean he's pumping out you're and
even we have tons. I mean when we're
filming it's like two terabytes of
storage. Two terabytes of storage. Two
terabytes of storage.
>> But you have to trim it down to it.
>> Well, of course. Right. Of course.
Right. Um, but I was going to say if
your buddy is doing two one-hour
episodes a week,
that's more than paying for itself. You
know, init very very quickly, probably
within 6 months, it's probably paying
for itself. A year now, you're making
some money. Two years, three years, he's
got a million subscribers or his videos
get if they're if they're getting a
couple hundred thousand. They're getting
a couple hundred thousand per video.
>> You see him? Big Bo Brown.
>> Big Bo Brown.
>> Yeah. on on his YouTube on he he he
doesn't have over a million on
Instagram, but on his YouTube he's
YouTube Instagram doesn't even it barely
even pays. There are people that make
money on you on Instagram, but
>> Oh, that's what every Yeah,
>> it's it's it's more of a a funnel to
your YouTube channel.
>> So, yeah.
>> Right. Just another platform, just
another gateway to send you, you know.
>> Yeah. So, I mean, that's definitely and
that happens right away. And not just
that happens right away, but you can
fill it with additional content. So if
anything ever happens, well, we've also
got this group of people that are
interested in the additional content
>> and then you can move, keep going on
>> because it's something Colby and I think
about talk about all the time. Like,
let's face it, I don't know what's going
to happen with me. You know what I'm
saying? I'm in great health, but I know
lots of guys that were in great health
that suddenly had a stroke at at 58
years old. Yeah. You know, or had a My
dad died at 38, right? [laughter]
Yeah. So, I like, you know, like, you
know, how do I have do I have two years
left or do I have seven? Yeah.
>> I don't know, you know. So,
>> but I almost feel like this could be
housed somewhere. Like I feel like this
could be like on one part of one big
conglomerate of like cuz I mean I I just
I I mean I know a lot of different
people in the space, some that play in
this space that you're in in the, you
know, in this and but I mean it's it's
it's
>> Listen, people love this stuff, dude. It
just needs
>> Kobe's working on it. I he's getting
he's he's renting a space downstairs.
He's got a bunch of other podcasts. He's
got But let's face it, you know, I'm I'm
already thinking, who knows?
>> And it's and it's and but and right
without you, right?
>> Yeah. Listen, every time I [laughter]
stand up and
>> [ __ ] we got a problem. Where's [ __ ]
>> We do on this, but if we're starting
additional channels,
>> that's what I was saying. That's my
point.
>> And we you can use this to help make
those do well, you know, to help get
those off the ground. We just started a
channel called the Murder Man.
>> It's immediately we're talking about
within 9 days, it's monetized already
making money immediately. So four months
later, it's already got 36 37,000
subscribers. It's already doing well.
And that's great because and it gets off
the ground, it go does well, right?
Because then in a couple years from now,
it's going
>> but it's with me and someone else.
>> And so if I step away at some point, he
can go on,
>> you know, right?
>> They don't need me.
>> They don't need Right. And it's passive.
It becomes passive for you.
>> Exactly. So then I can just walk away,
>> which is what you want.
>> Well, really, I want to work till the
day. I I want him to carry him out out
in a stretcher. But, you know, I'm in
the same boat. Trust me. I'm in the same
boat because every I know that really
kind of retires,
>> right? That's the thing. It's just
there's no retirement there. That that
doesn't exist for me. But, I'm with you.
I I mean, I agree with you.
>> I mean, it'd be nice to travel a little
bit more, but
>> and even if you got you if even if I
had, you know, whatever $50 million,
it's like, okay, so great. I can travel
for how long is that going to be okay?
Six months? Can I do it for six? Can I
do it for a year? Can I? But after it's
at some point, it's like, yeah, I'm done
with this. This is
>> right. Because if you're not happy,
you're you're not going to want to keep
doing it. That's the problem.
>> It's only exciting for a little bit,
>> right?
>> This is exciting every day.
>> I mean, that's the thing. I have I have
more fun doing the so the foundation
work that we do like and like the
givebacks and like going and working
with families and just do events and
just supporting all these different
things. That to me is way more fun than
like going to the office and having to
like sit in meetings all day and like
talk about like real like you know what
I'm saying? Like I'd rather be working
in the community.
>> So that's why I do it. So that way I can
have the passion.
>> I have to deal with a bunch of guys.
>> I can't.
>> So, but you could sit in here all day.
>> I could do this all day because
>> I mean, and I could too to an extent.
>> You like social interaction.
>> Well, to me, it's
>> I mean, you're getting it here, too.
>> Well, it's the first time. Look, it's
it's one of the very few occasions when
I genuinely take interest in someone
else is when they're telling me a story
and every once in a while they tell me
something or that somewhere in the story
that you're like, "What?" and they're
like, "Yeah, yeah, such and such." And
you're like, "Are you
>> what did you just do? What what hap, you
know, where it's like so left field
>> that to me it's it's better than fiction
because, you know, truth is better than
fiction because things happen that you
just have no clue. Like you're you know
what it reminds me of? Did you ever see
the movie To Live and Die in LA?"
>> To live and die in LA. Yeah.
>> So, the main character in that movie is
such a prick. He's a he's a prick social
uh secret service agent who at the very
end of the movie
>> you think he's the hero. There's a
sidekick guy that's with him. Right.
Right.
>> That's kind of he's not he's probably
20% of the movie. The other guy's let's
say 80%. Up until the very end and
suddenly boom
>> the main guy gets shot in the [ __ ]
head. He's dead. Can we talk about how
annoying it is that every single device
you have has a different charging cord?
Your phone's one thing. Your watch is
another. Your headphones need something
else entirely. It's absolutely
ridiculous. We've got AI running
halfhour lives and I still travel with
five tangle cords to keep my devices
alive. That's over though, thanks to
Ridge. The same way they reinvented the
wallet, they basically done it again
with charging. Their 5in-1 travel power
bank has the cables built right in. No
separate cords, no separate adapters. It
does MagSafe wireless, Apple Watch
charging, lightning, and USBC all from
one device. You're not digging through
your bag anymore for the right cord.
It's just there. It puts out 20 watts,
so it charges your phone about as fast
as it can go. And with 10,000 milliamp
hours packed in, you're getting up to
three full phone charges out of one
charge. It'll even stick to the back of
your iPhone if you just want it riding
along for extra juice. It comes in matte
olive, base camp orange, and matte
black. There's an LED indicator so you
can see your charge level at a glance.
And it's got a built-in kickstand if you
want to prop your phone up hands-free
while it charges. And like everything
Ridge makes, it has free shipping, a
99-day risk-free trial, and a lifetime
warranty. This is the last power bank
you'll ever need. One thing to pack,
five ways to power. You can find Ridg's
power bank at best buy, or our listeners
can get 10% off at ridge.com by using
code cox at checkout. Just head to
ridge.com and use code cox and you're
all set. After you purchase, they'll ask
you where you heard about them. Please
support our channel and tell them our
show sent you. It cames comes out of
nowhere
>> and you're just like
>> what? Like it was so and you realize at
that point that then the the secondary
character continues on and you realize
like
>> he was always the main character.
>> Yeah.
>> So and you realize too like you've Oh
yeah. Yeah. So, it was such a great
movie and it was so just bizarre and and
and it was so un such a unique movie and
that's how I feel about not all these
guys stories, but I'd say 20% of the
stories. So, it's worth sitting through
the 80% to get to the 20% that every
once in a while something happens that
you're just like,
>> "Wow, just comes out of nowhere." Those
are great stories.
>> Yeah.
>> Great. cuz otherwise most of my
interactions with other people are me
just tolerating listening to them.
>> But you're you're set up for like
amazing content. I mean, as far as just
the stories,
>> it's so hit or miss, guys. Some guys
will tell me a story or they'll they'll
send they'll
>> until you've heard the whole story, you
don't know if it is a great story. And
the problem is by that point, it's too
late, right? You've already you've
already got a you're invested. Yeah.
You're already invested. And it seems
like the worse the storyteller, it's
almost like the longer the story,
>> right?
>> It's like it's 4 hours long and you're
like Jesus God almighty.
>> Oh, trust me. And I cuz I always I'm
always fearful that I don't want to talk
too long because I'm like listen I
listen I get it. No one wants to listen
to this. So I'm like try to keep it as
you know. But then sometimes people will
just go forever.
>> Yeah. Well, and you know what's funny
too is the other problem is sometimes
you guys have amazing stories and
they'll go for three hours or three and
a four hours. And the problem with those
is that if it's a four hour story, it
gets a 100,000 views. But had that guy
trimmed it down to two hours or an hour
and 55 minutes, it's amazing the
difference between 2 hours and 5 minutes
and an hour and 55 minutes cuz people
see the two hours, they don't want to
commit. But an hour and 55, they will
cuz they're idiots. So, right, he's
like, you're telling me the extra the
extra 10 minutes.
>> Easier, softer way over here. And it's
got a one, not a two. So the hour and 55
minute one would have gotten half a
million views, but this guy talked for
three and a half hours and so it only
got a 100,000 views because people just
didn't want to commit. It was too long
even for guys that watch long form
content,
>> right?
>> So it's it's such a a it's and the
packaging, you know, packaging is like
the the thumbnail, the um uh the the the
title. Was it too long? Is it five is it
a fiveword title or is it a three-word
title? Because a fiveword title doesn't
get as many views as a three or four.
You and people are like, "Oh, it's
clickbait." Bro, if you had a if you had
a longer attention span, I wouldn't have
to clickbait you,
>> right?
>> You know what I mean? Like, it's
horrible. It's not my You're it's not my
fault that I have to say something. I
have to put a picture of a celebrity on
there
>> to make you to make you stand around,
>> right? And say, "We're giving you some
you secret or or you know, secret
information on the such and such case."
Like, you didn't have any secret
information. I know, but but I couldn't
get you to watch unless I lied to you.
You know, I had to lie to her. I had to
lie to her to get her to go on a date
with me. If I knew if I could get her on
a date with me, she loved me. I lied to
her, right?
>> You know, I I I lied. On the app, I said
I was 5'8. I'm sorry. I was wrong. I was
>> But I knew if you showed up and I was
sitting down and I had some heels in my
in my shoes and I shook your hand and
sat down the rest of the night, you'd
fall in love with me.
>> Right. And and now that you're in love,
what does it matter now?
>> It's really your fault. [laughter] You
made me like you. I didn't want to like
you.
>> That's right. I didn't want to have to
talk to you, but now I am. [laughter]
>> I don't mind looking silly. I'm all
right.
>> No, I Dude, I think it's phenomenal. I
watched some of your stuff. I watched
some of it last night. It's really good.
I mean, it's just it's good. It's it's
it's good entertainment. I I enjoy stuff
like and I I rarely watch anything on
social media just because it's like
>> there's just so much [ __ ] out there and
I have my own stuff that I've got to
deal with with all my people with. So,
I'm like I just don't have time for it
and and literally. But you're it's it's
cool. I I like I like what you're doing.
>> I appreciate it. Yeah.
>> The the the funniest thing and you'll is
knowing that whatever I guess now it's
like what seven years is like the 6
months before I was getting out of
prison laying in bed thinking how am I
going to make a living? How am I going
to make and I'm thinking literally
thinking to myself you're going to start
at McDonald's. You are going to be
thankful and appreciative
and you're going to live in a rooming
house and you're going to keep your
bills low. And as far as like ever being
married or having a girlfriend, that was
out. That was over cuz I'm 50. I was 50
when I got out. So that's over. That
part of your life, forget about that.
That's gone.
>> And you weren't married when you went
in.
>> Yeah. But 13 Well, no, I wasn't married
when I went in, but it wouldn't matter
anyway. Wouldn't matter. The only people
that keep a wife while they're in are
guys that are multi-millionaires that
can keep their wife
>> taken care of.
>> Taken care of while they're in or
they're in a super short time or their
wives are South American. Like American
wives are not going to and there's
always one, but American wives are not
going to hang out for 10 years. They're
just not. Unless you're like worth $20
million and you can keep them in a nice
house. And not that women aren't lovely,
but [laughter] that's not going to
happen. It's not the American women
aren't
>> Oh, no. You're spot on. I agree.
>> So, uh, no, I didn't. But I also was 50
years old, broke.
>> Yep.
>> You know, I'm I'm not 6' tall. I don't
know if you caught that.
>> Um, I'm not, you know, I'm not There's
all the things that make a guy um
attractive in their 50s. Like, I don't
possess. I don't have any of those
things. You know,
>> I'm not gay, but you're not bad looking.
>> Well, I understand, but but um you know
what I'm saying? I was just like, nah,
you're going to you're and I'm going to
be living in a rooming house. This is
not going to go well. So, put that out
of your mind. So, all of those things,
I'm laying in bed and I'm thinking, you
know what? You'll write and you'll paint
and you'll be you'll be happy that
you're out of prison and that's the rest
of your life. And there's nothing wrong
with that. You're going to start at
McDonald's and in a few years maybe
you'll be able to sell used cars and you
know, like I had a very reasonable
expectations of the rest of my life. And
so, I think as a result of that, that's
why I did very well. I wasn't thinking I
was going to take over the world. That's
not going to that's not my that's not in
your future. So it had humbled me to
such a degree that that I was able to
rebuild. But so that's what's comical
about being here when guys will walk
through the door and go,
>> "Bro, I love you. You're amazing. I love
you're like
>> I wonder cuz I'm reading about you." I'm
like, "Dude, how does this guy go from
mortgages then ends up in prison now
he's like doing this thing and I'm like
but I love it. I'm just saying like yeah
cuz you're right and now you just told
me. You're like I don't know what the
[ __ ] I'm talking about.
>> Well, here's what's funny. You you've
this of course for you this has been
going on for 40 years. But but walking
through an airport and getting stopped
by somebody going, "Oh my god, you're
Matt Cox. Holy [ __ ] BRO. OH, AND
another guy going, "Oh my god, you're M
bro. I watch Can I get a selfie?" And
they're impressed and excited to be
talking to me. And I'm thinking to
myself like like they're talking to me
like I'm somebody like oh my gosh. And
I'm thinking like I'm just some scumbag
that just got out of federal prison. I
just did 13 years. Like I'm like and
you're acting like you're meeting Brad
Pitt. You want a selfie. You're stopping
people you don't know to take a picture
of the two of us. And I'm like I'm like
I feel like it is imposttor syndrome. I
feel like I'm I'm like they don't know
that I'm just some douchebag.
>> Listen, [laughter] you know,
>> let me tell you this.
>> It's so true.
>> Of course you've asked God to forgive
you of your sins because you've been in
the joint, right?
>> Of course.
>> Next to hell is prison. So the Bible
says once you mean it and ask me I throw
that sin as far as the east is from the
west. How far is that?
>> Assuming he's pretty far
>> or he says I throw it in the sea of
forgetfulness. God forgives us. You know
what I mean? So so what you people were
in prison or went to prison and then got
out. There's so many actors a actors.
>> Yeah. you know, that went to the
penitentiary and especially federal, you
know, uh you should probably soon apply
for a pardon because I'm sure he's seen
your show also.
>> Well, I've thought I've thought about
it. I actually just talked to a a pardon
attorney. All right, so listen, how did
you even get into this whole world?
>> Honestly, [laughter]
it's it's it's just insane. I I honestly
I I mean, it really
accidental. I mean, I I I don't know,
but um All right. So, where were you
born?
>> Grew up in South Florida, and I guess
[clears throat] at a young age is when
my problems, I guess, kind of started.
My father passed away uh at the age I
was right before my 11th birthday, so in
in ' 93. Looking back on everything,
that's kind of where, you know, that's
that's where I started to kind of
probably make bad decisions, I would
say.
>> How old were you?
>> Uh I was 11 years old. I just it was 2
days before my 11th birthday. Yeah.
>> Um like what kind of bad decisions?
>> I started to get in trouble. So got
suspended from school. 7th grade. There
was incidents. It was uh you know
assault and battery. Um well no I so I
was not charged with assault. Well
actually we were all it was it was a
group of us that were were at a school
party and there was a girl who screamed
and then we went to help defend her and
then it got turned into this whole other
mess. as as many things to do in life.
Um, and then we got we got in some
pretty serious trouble. Had to get
lawyers and stuff for that whole
>> So, okay. So far, you haven't said
anything that's illegal. So, so I'm
saying what did you do? You got into a
fist fight? You got
>> um There was a group of us that were
were all in a fight um at the school
which which led to led to us getting
suspended from from the school.
>> Okay.
And then following that year, there were
some drug issues uh where I, you know,
we started to I that's when I started
probably the drug use was probably in
the probably in the middle school.
>> How long does this go on before you
started?
>> Well, so I got in trouble in in 8th
grade with when the drugs uh drug
situation happened. There was a a party,
offsite party that happened. There was
roof and all, you know, roofies
involved. Um, and basically
a girl got ended up having to go to the
hospital. Long story short, we ended up
getting in trouble. They connected back
to us. And so that that was kind of the
>> You guys gave her the
>> Well, we Yeah, we had all collectively
had it, right? It was kind of a
everybody was going to a party type of
deal.
>> And um but you know,
>> Yeah. And then so so then obviously they
connected back to us obviously. Well,
then now we're in trouble again. now I'm
in trouble again,
>> right?
>> And it's like that was kind of the straw
that broke the camel's back. And at the
time that's when um they told me that I
was going to be going to boarding school
in Connecticut.
>> Who Who told you [laughter] that?
>> My my family did. So So I
>> Good news. Guess what?
>> Yeah. [laughter] We're going to train
Miami for for uh Avon, Connecticut is is
where I ended up. So, [snorts] um, so
that was a very big culture shock, but
yeah, so I ended up going to boarding
school up in
>> Is this like a for bad kids or something
or it's just
>> No, no, no. It's a It's a all boys
boarding school uh preparatory school in
uh in New England. Um up in Avon,
Connecticut, right outside of Hartford.
>> Okay. So, how long what happens there?
Are are you
>> So, I go to boarding school. I mean, I
was uh Oh, no, no, no. drug use uh uh
elevates uh when I get there. Um you
know, [laughter]
it's you know, where I thought maybe it
wouldn't, you know, who knows? But I I
you know, I was always drawn to to that
circle, right, of of that um you know,
kind of behavioral type of stuff and you
know, so but but boarding school was
great, right? It was one of the best
things that ever happened to me and it
it it made me into kind of who I am
today, right? Or it had a part in it,
right?
But that none of that ever went away,
right? That still always was there in
the background, right? Even throughout
high school. Um, you know, and then it
and then it that just was always a
thing, you know.
>> How long Well, how long I mean, does it
affect you in
>> Well, I mean, so well, so the you know,
from then it goes from the marijuana,
then it, you know, then it starts into
the powder. Um, you know, and then you
start experimenting in some of the other
things. Um and you know but but
everything was perfectly kind of I would
I would say fine during high school but
yeah great you know great experience um
and and went on to ended up I ended up
going to college after that um or once I
started to make my way through through
that through that. So I spent four years
in in the northeast.
>> All right. [snorts] So uh how are you
paying for this drugs?
>> So
>> like how are you
>> you know it right. So I mean obviously
basically where I could get it right. I
mean growing up obviously we were not
some like insanely rich. We were a
workingass family. Yes. Came from a
family that were but all working
hardworking people that you know have
done well. But from that standpoint you
know there was no I didn't have buckets
of money that I could just go pile into
or anything like that. So um I could
just get it where I could get it. And at
first you know as a user it's like okay
it's it's not a big deal because it's
your it's just you getting high right?
But then when it starts to become you
know a habit and then you and then you
start becoming you know more and more
entrenched in that life you know then it
becomes a huge expense right and then
you start doing things and you know um
>> needing it more. Right.
>> Right. Right. So how are you getting it
if at this point if it's a drug habit
I'm saying then at that point I was
selling it. So, I was finding out other
people that needed it,
>> you know, around me. And to be to be to
be honest with you, I ended up addicted
on drugs,
>> not even knowing what they were because
somebody else wanted them. So, I I had
never even had that experience before,
but because I could get it as much as
they needed. Then he's like, "You've
never had this before?" And I'm like,
"No." And then that's what, you know,
that's what led to the first time when I
get addicted to opiates. And I had never
I had never taken a pain pill, nothing.
And that's when, you know, the yellow
oxy's that's that's when that all, you
know, starts all the the insanity of
that world. But
>> what was the street name for for yellow?
What? I don't even know what yellow oxy.
What does that mean?
>> The the yellow the yellow 40s.
>> Oh,
>> we would just call them yellow 40s. And
you would take the coating off the
>> Well, take the yellow coating off the
top. I wrote a a memoir for a guy and uh
when I was locked up and it was uh
you know they'd call them like uh you
know was it blueberries were like the
80s and then the 40s where they called
them like uh green apple or apples. Hey
man I need four apples or I need
>> do you have any like or the Yeah. Yeah.
I was going to say and they would say it
on the phone like I remember one time he
was talking to his buddies like you know
I need uh I need you know I need 12
>> [snorts]
>> uh uh green apples I need I I need you
know 30 blueberries he's like what are
we farmers he's like you're not fooling
anybody like you're thinking the DEA is
listing you're fooling them
>> right exactly like come on yeah
everybody knows what time it is
>> yeah come on like this isn't
>> I always love the uh explanation one
time I I saw a I saw a uh a docu a docu
documentary and they were like, "Well,
it's not that hard to figure out." And
they said what they're talking about.
They go, "Let me give you an example."
These guys aren't aren't brain surgeon.
You they're not these they're not um uh
you know, was it cryptologist or
something? And then he plays an example
where the guys are like, "You got the
canoli? No, I got the canoli. You got
the bullets for the canoli." You know,
[laughter]
>> yeah, I got the bullets for the Okay.
He's like, "I think they're talking
about guns here. [laughter] These aren't
rocket sc."
>> So anyway, go ahead. Sorry. Uh yeah. So
you you four years you go to college.
>> Yeah. So I so I get to the end of
boarding school and uh I get accepted
into Suffach University in Boston and um
and then I go to Boston, but I'm I'm
going to Boston
not living on campus. So I'm like a And
let me also tell you I applied to every
school. This was the only school I got
into. So I this was this is where I was
going. Okay. Um, so I end up at Suffach
University and um, I have an apartment
in Boston. Well, a lot of my friends
were all playing hockey, football, all
at D1 schools all around Boston and I
had the apartment. So, it was like
almost central location, right?
>> Um, buddies playing football nor
Eastern, you know, all around Boston.
>> So, needless to say, the Boston
experience was not uh not a success from
from the education side. So I lasted
that that just was I I was not able to
finish at Suffach University. So I ended
up leaving Suffach University after some
time of being there. Um
>> did you lost a semester too? No, I I it
was probably about
I became I was a full-time started as a
full-time student um and then decided I
didn't like that and then became my own
part I made my own decision to become a
part-time student which was not um a
good idea and then um and then shortly
after that the my grades were obviously
not good enough to to be at the school
but at that point I didn't need to be at
the school right I mean I was in no
place in my life where I should even be
at a at at a university at that point.
You know what I'm saying? At that point
in my life.
>> What are you doing for money if you have
a you have an apartment?
>> So, I had a job. I had a job um you know
on Landown Street. Um
>> on what?
>> In Boston. On Landown Street in Boston,
not far. I was living down by Fenway
Park in in the city.
>> You had a job on lands?
>> No, Landown Street in Boston. Okay. In
Boston, Massachusett.
>> What was the job?
>> Uh I was working at Jillian's the you
know the pool hall. So, they had uh
>> like entertainment. It's It's down by
the by Fenway Park by the Boston Red Sox
stadium.
>> Okay.
>> It's right right across from the
stadium.
>> All right. I I was thinking maybe you
were a full-time drug dealer at this
point.
>> Oh, no, no. I So I But I was I mean I
was using through this whole time and
then we connected up with, you know, the
Powder Connection in Boston, ends up
becoming these Russian guys, and then we
start getting involved with all that
kind of stuff. Needless to say, college
never gets completed, right? So that's
kind of the the studies went away to the
side and that's when I really kind of
just the unraveling probably starts um
when when I messed up the college deal,
right? You know that that was my first
screw up, I guess you could say.
>> So what what [snorts] happens? Um, so I
kind of break it to everybody slowly so
I'm able to buy my way through the end
of summer [laughter] in Boston so I can,
you know, enjoy the rest of my time
before now I'm moving back to Miami,
right? That's obviously the only place
to go. My mom's in Miami, so I go back
um go back to Miami and uh
enroll in community college. So I'm
like, "Okay, I'm going to go to
community college." Well, that that
lasted like literally maybe two days and
then [laughter] that that went by the
wayside. Um and then in between then
well so yeah at that point then I have
no I'm not working at all. I'm not doing
anything. I'm um living living with my
mom. Um and at that point that's kind of
when the the drug use kind of you know
picks up. Um, and then I go into my
first residential treatment center. It
was South Miami Hospital.
>> How does How does that happen to
someone? Does your parents do they come
to you and
>> somebody Do they find you?
>> Yeah. My Yeah, my Yeah, they had found
some stuff. I had fallen asleep. I think
they had found some Oxycottton and some
stuff, you know, some some of the bigger
pills and smaller pills in the um the
blues and the yellows in the uh in my
bedside table, I think. And kind of, you
know, it had reached a point where it
was just like I was, you know, sick
every day. I mean, way every every
morning was like Groundhog Day. You wake
up, you're dope sick. Every morning you
wake I mean it was just like this
revolving door. And I had gotten a
point, but I was so young. Um, but my
first stop was South Miami Hospital, but
at the end of the day, I was not
necessarily thinking like, oh my god,
I'm about to get sober for the rest of
my life at like age 20. Like that's just
not even I'm not even 21 yet, right?
Like I haven't even, you know,
celebrated my 21st birthday. So,
>> well, so your your mom finds these
drugs.
>> Mhm.
>> And she comes to you and sits you down,
I'm assuming.
>> I don't Yeah. I don't I don't remember
exactly how it went down, but I mean, it
wasn't pretty. I mean, none of it was
pretty.
>> So, she says, "You're I mean, does she
give you an ultimatum?" Because not a
lot of drug addicts go, "Wow, you're
right."
>> Well, I mean, I I I think I kind
>> that's the right thing to do,
>> right? No. And and you know, in
hindsight, looking back on it, I believe
I honestly did it for her, right, at the
time, right? because it was like, "Hey,
I can put this fire out right now. If I
just go do this,
>> then
>> this will just calm everything down, you
know. Um, which it did." And then,
>> how long is the program?
>> Oh, God. I think it was like a 30-day
program. But here's the problem. I get
So, I'm in this residential program and
then I I get I'm I go to uh to detox,
get off get off opiates. Now, I'm in the
residential program. So, I still feel
like hell. Like, I'm still sweating,
still pains in my bones, like all those
issues that you get from the the the
withdrawals from opiates. And so, I had
snuck a cell phone in and I had hidden
it in the ceiling tiles inside the uh
inside my residential thing. And then
was talking with a few people one day
and they're like, "Oh, we we would love
if we could get some stuff in here." And
of course, I'm young at the time and I'm
not taking anything serious. So, I'm
like, here's the deal. I'm I'm in a back
cabin and so we're at this treatment
center and I'm like, I can I can get
someone to to bring it here. And I said,
look, I'll just have them loaded into
tennis balls and they'll just throw the
tennis balls over the fence to the cabin
and we'll just pick up the tennis balls
and we'll have And at the time it was
they wanted powder and and oxycottton.
And um
>> now these people don't seem like they
have a problem at all.
>> Oh, right. Yeah. Right. And and here I
am. I'm like this this is like out of a
movie because I'm like this is so here I
am in treatment and now I'm someone's
paying for me to be here. I'm supposed
to be getting my life together now.
Meanwhile, I've got a crew inside here
that's ready to I I don't know why any
of them are there because really all of
us should just walk out the door, right?
>> Um so anyhow, that starts happening for
a little while, right? And then and then
I have to leave because then the whole
cover gets blown and I don't remember
exactly who did what but basically I
volunteer did a voluntary departure. Um
but the
>> after how long?
>> I think it was I don't know because I
mean they used to like I don't remember
I was there probably at least a few
weeks.
>> Okay. I would say at least a few weeks
in the residential program and then what
ended up happening was is someone got
drug tested because I mean look if you
don't make your bed if the corner is not
right on the you know there then it can
flag you right and then that's just an
automatic just random drug test. Well
all these people are now using inside
the treatment center. So clearly
>> some someone's showing up positive at
some point here
>> you know um which is which is what ended
up happening and then it was like all
right time to go. This is, you know, um,
so that was my first attempt of of
getting sober.
>> Do you go back, you go back to your
parent, your mom's house?
>> Um, yeah. Mhm.
>> Okay.
>> Yep.
>> And she's like totally okay with this.
>> Um, no. I mean, nobody's okay with it,
but I mean I was, you know, I I try to
block a lot of it out honestly because
it was such a just in in my and this is
just me myself. It was just such a bad
time for me, you know, during that time
in in my own head, you know, um which is
why I was out there doing all the crazy
stuff, you know, but um but yeah, that
that first attempt did not work. Um and
then from there there's there's just
detoxes and I mean I I've detoxed from
opiates I don't know how many times,
maybe 13 times, 14 times.
>> What does that mean? Like you're you're
you're staying in your
>> physically just being physically
addicted, right?
>> Yeah. and and having to completely come
off
>> and
>> you know over my lifetime and and it
takes days sometimes months. I mean,
yes, the the acute part in the beginning
is the first 72, you know, hours
afterwards or the first 5 days, but then
I mean, in some cases, if you've used
heavy in in that department, you this
stuff like literally it feels like it's
in your bones. Literally, that's the
pain that you get. And I mean, if you
know, then you know, right? [laughter]
>> Well, I've written I mean, I've written
enough stories to I wrote
>> Yeah. I wrote, like I said, I wrote a
story called um Generation Oxy. It was
about a bunch of wrestlers that had were
they were using in high school, but then
and they were all in like the kind of
the the wrestling team and they were
doctor start kind of doctor shopping,
but then a bunch of them get get uh
>> scholarships. So, they end up going to
other colleges. Well, the one kid stays
here and he continues to do the doctor
shopping, but he ends up getting a bunch
of other people to do it.
>> Yeah.
>> And so he's shipping the pills all over
the United States to these, you know, to
these other states. And in most of the
states, what you were getting them what
you could get the ox or when you could
get painkillers here for
>> Yeah.
>> and sell for, you know, you're getting
them for whatever 80 cents a piece and
then you're selling them for 15 bucks or
20 bucks. You know, they were going for
they're going up there. They're going
for like a dollar a milligram.
>> A dollar a mill. That's what it was. A
dollar milligram. But we were getting
40s in Miami if it was 15 bucks a pill.
>> And so if he's mailing them up here,
he's getting them for next to nothing.
He's saying, "Okay, well, I'll charge
you this much." They're they're almost
getting double triple.
>> It was insane the markup in those.
>> But these guys periodically things go
wrong or especially like when they got
all got arrested, they're all maxed out
on them. And and so they're they're
detoxing in prison on a prison on a
concrete prison floor, shaking, freezing
cold, you know, just just they're he's
like, "Bro, it's the worst pain you've
ever It's. It's 10 times worse than any
any uh flu you've ever had." He's like,
"And it goes on for days."
>> Days. And and even in some cases, in my
case, in the last time that I did go
through this, it it literally it took
months because I mean and I'm talking
exercising, working out, all the things,
doing all the right things. And I mean,
dude, it's just what you do to your
body, you know? But I I mean, and the
fear of not having it, right? I mean,
I'll never forget the day I was in Miami
and I'm driving to the to my guy's spot,
right, which is right in Coconut Grove
near off of Grand Avenue, which is which
used to be a pretty rough area in Miami.
He I literally pull around the corner,
they've got tape, yellow tape, escalate
on the on the tow trucks, the scenes
there, and and and obviously the he was
done. I mean, that was it. That that was
that chapter was was about to close.
>> And who was this?
>> He was the one that was supplying all
the all the oxyagons in Miami.
>> And so
>> so I'm talking about just the fear of
not having it and not you know, you you
go through all these. It's just it's
it's sick. It's the devil. I I literally
tell people I'm like, "Dude, all that
[ __ ] the devil." It's It's like just no.
>> Even if I'm in pain.
>> So So now at this point, you're you're
living in your you're you're living in
your old bedroom at your mom's house.
>> Yeah. Yeah. And then she's
>> uh Matt, do you want any coffee? We're
about to order some.
>> Um where are you ordering coffee?
>> Um [laughter]
sure. Yeah. of a a a
vanilla latte. I knew I was in trouble
when I was being interviewed by the um
by the Secret Service and the [snorts]
prosecutor showed up and said, "This is
a vinty vanilla latte with eight raw
sugars." She's I'm pretty sure that's
your favorite drink, right? I thought,
"Ah, [ __ ] I'm in trouble." Like,
there's nothing they don't already know.
You know what? You know what my coffee
order is?
>> I I'm going to go ahead. I need to go
[laughter] ahead and say tell them
everything like you can't hold anything
back if you know my coffee water.
>> Yeah, right. I go to detox
in North Miami
and uh
>> is this another detox?
>> Another detox. This place called I don't
even know it's still there. So it's
called Summerhouse. Okay.
>> In North Miami.
>> Um and I I went there multiple times
actually. Um really nice people
actually. But they um I started there
and then then I they sent me to Silver
Hill Hospital, New Canon, Connecticut.
The problem was
>> is on this
>> Connecticut. Yeah.
>> So from Miami, you go to Connecticut.
>> Yeah. Silver Hill Hospital, New Canon,
Connecticut. But the problem this time
was is I had literally had a stroke
while I was sleeping.
>> When? Where? Um I was I was I was in
Coconut Grove and and so I would always
come back to my mom. My my mom lived in
a condo um in in Coconut Grove um Grove
Towers right right there in the in the
heart of Coconut Grove.
>> And um I would always come back and stay
um at her place. And so
I go to sleep like normal maybe 3
in the morning. I don't know somewhere
in that in that range. And but I wake up
and I like can't like my my whole left
side feels like heavy like and I can't
like move my arm and I'm like this is
weird but I'm so messed up at this point
right in my in the disease of addiction
and all the craziness going on.
I don't even like think anything of it.
I I I so I do nothing. I do nothing. So,
I I'm literally walking around with my
hand literally like tucked in my pocket
because I can't I can't even pick up a
piece of paper with my fingers because I
have no use of my left left side, right?
And I'm like 20. I'm like early 20s. I'm
young.
>> And you don't think this is
>> I'm young. And now at the time at the
time at the time, you know, I'm using a
lot of oxycottton or a lot Yeah. a lot
of lot of oxycottton, a lot of powder.
So, it's a lot of speedballing, right?
That that was kind of my thing. That
that was really that was really what
ended up really getting me in trouble. I
I guess it all got me in trouble, but
that was where it went wrong.
>> I mean, [laughter] that's where it got
scary. I mean, yeah, I mean, I guess
that that part is where it definitely
got scary. But but so I I literally I I
didn't know what had happened, right?
But I knew something was wrong, right?
Well, they get me up to to Connecticut
or so I they they tell me that I'm my I
meet with my mom and and my whole family
and
>> do they do you
>> at this point I mean everybody's heard
this song and dance before, right? So
like you know
>> Wait a minute. Wait a second. You're
walking around with your hand in your
pocket.
>> Yeah. I mean I I remember buddies of
mine being like I remember buddies of
mine walking up to me and me being like,
"Are you serious right now?" And I'm
like, what's up?
Because I was so far gone that that you
know I because it didn't matter. Like
even even my health at that point didn't
matter. It was all about getting high.
It was how how could I get to the to the
to the dope next? That that's all that
mattered. It didn't matter.
>> Did someone suggest you go to the Did
you ever go to a doctor for this?
>> You're using your hand for what? Your
hand. You're you're using it now.
>> Oh, yeah. Well, no. So yeah, thank God
I'm using it now. But but but I there
was so basically so what happens is I
they we come up with a plan and the new
plan is so now we've already had failed
attempts, right? Right. This we've
already been through this and people are
really sick of talking about it by now.
It's like okay we we understand you have
a drug problem. Poor you blah blah blah.
Right now it's like okay we're going to
come up with a new plan. So we're going
to go to this silver hill hospital. It
was like expensive as hell. I mean, I
think it had to been I don't know,
$1,000 a day, whatever whatever they
charge. I mean, all those places are are
very expensive. But I I go up there and
um and that's where after I do meet with
doctors and they do the X-rays and they
figure everything out, that's when they
determined and they did the scans, they
re they recognized that I had had a
stroke in my sleep. And the doctor's
like, "Listen, had you'd been asleep a
little bit longer, you would have
stopped breathing. I mean, you you were
that close." And so at that point, then
they started treating me at Silver Hill
Hospital up in New Canyon, Connecticut.
I stayed up there for for quite some
time. I don't remember exactly how long
I was there, but it was probably about a
month somewhere. Somewhere in that time
time frame.
>> Who's paying for these?
>> My mom at the time on this round.
>> Okay. Um,
>> and what did your mom do for a living?
>> Uh, she was a flight attendant. Um, so
yeah, we we didn't have a bunch of
money. I mean, there wasn't like we were
like, "Yeah,
>> cuz I I did um
>> and she had had some money, you know,
when my father had passed away and
whatnot, but that, you know, there was
no nothing. We weren't Yeah.
>> I wrote a book for a guy named E from
Deol.
Um, and I remember when he was trying to
clean at one point he he went into he
went through probably three three or at
least three maybe four drug rehabs. It's
funny cuz he started off here.
>> Yeah.
>> And then the next one was here and then
the next like as far as top tier he's
talking about like they're getting you
they're getting you coffee. They're I
mean like they're getting you um uh
they're making specialty coffee for you
and you know right there.
>> Oh yeah. like Betty Ford and like when
you get Yeah. Yeah.
>> But he goes in I think one place he
lasted
>> 3 or 4 days and then the next one he
tells me about and then like 2 months
later he goes to another one and he
lasted like a day and the next one he
lasted four or five days and I went so
you're in this one place a day. I go but
that was like the really nice one. I
said yeah. He said what did that cost?
He goes oh it's like a thousand a day.
He said I had 30 days. I I gave him He
said you have to pay him for the 30 days
up front. So I gave him like 30 grand.
He said, "A little bit more than that,
but yeah, about 30 grand." I went,
"Okay." I said, "And you were there
for," he goes, "Yeah, two days." The day
I got there, the next day they kicked me
out. He [snorts] was two days. He really
not even 24 hours, but let's say two
days. And I said, "Okay." I said, "Would
you get your money back?" He goes, "No,
no, they keep the money." He said,
"That's that's gone. That's gone. You
walk out, you're gone." He goes, "They
keep all the money."
>> And he's doing it over and over again.
>> Yeah. I mean, and and look, that's
happening everywhere, right? I mean,
that's that's just the nature of the
beast. I I've been through it so many
times, I lost count. And literally at
the end of the day, you want to know
what it was. It's like until you're
ready to do something about it, that's
when it's going to happen. Until then,
you can you can do all the pony show you
want to do, you know? And so, but I was
still on the pony show. So, I'm still
doing the pony show. So, at Silver Hill
Hospital, New Canan, Connecticut, right?
>> Um, but
>> obviously I have no use of my left arm.
So, that's obviously a situation, right?
And so, but at this point now, I'm
getting atrophy in this arm, right? in
the left arm. So the my left arm is half
the size of my right arm. So I'm
literally standing there. Yeah. Like a
kid with my left arm half the size of my
right arm. So at that point when I'm in
Connecticut, I'm like, "Okay, this is
like a little concerning cuz I'm like
now it's like you can visibly see it,
right?" So now I'm like, "This is looks
a little weird."
I wake up, I show you not. I wake up one
morning at Silver Hill Hospital. Okay. I
roll over and all of a sudden
my hand my fingers I I can like I can do
like I can move my fingers and I'm like
this is insane.
And so I keep messing with my hand and
I'm like holy [ __ ] like I can I can feel
my hand again. And you know at when
meeting with the doctors they said they
said listen you're really young right?
So, there's a good chance you may get it
back much quicker than someone who's
older, you know, whatever, whatever. But
you've done damage clearly. I mean, and
there was no doubt about it. I knew I
had done damage. There was no question
about it, right? But I just didn't know
how bad it was.
Well, slowly but surely each day it it
all it all it came back.
>> Did it put you in like physical therapy?
Were they making
>> Yeah. I mean, by the end, I was able
like I remember playing on they had an
indoor basketball court um there that I
was able at the end and I was able to
use the basketball and and and dribble
with my left hand, you know, again, and
and do all those things. I remember I
cuz I do like to play basketball and so
the basketball was was a real big part
of getting my my wrist and my my arm and
getting the muscles kind of built back
up while I was there during that period
of time. Um, but talk about scary. But
you know what it was during during the
disease I you like I didn't it didn't
even matter like I had the stroke had it
didn't even care about it kept going
still continued to get high after I had
the stroke literally just like just just
pouring it down my throat like didn't
care. So you know it was that that was a
pretty scary time. Um but it was not the
end.
>> Okay. two. So, this is 2003
and I'm still living in Miami and I'm
like at the I mean I have like I people
family they've sent people to come talk
to me. It's like every last ditch ever.
Like I am pretty I mean I'm like hanging
out in like in the overtown area in
Miami like over like the pork and beans
area like I mean just in places that I
had zero business being right and I mean
life life had become I mean I'm living
on the street like random places you
know where I can get a spot like it just
it be it had become miserable like
literally like like I did not want to
wake up in the day. I was just like this
is cuz literally what what did you have
to do every day when you woke up? You
had to get high. I mean it was the first
order of business. Like you didn't even
get I didn't even get out of the bed
before before getting high,
>> right?
>> That was the first or you know what I'm
saying? So like it was just it was it
was insane.
>> Um yeah, I was thinking an an upper
middle class white kid in the in the in
the ghetto like what are you doing? And
and honestly, the whole time I knew I
was like, "What the [ __ ] are you? Like,
what are you doing?" Like, "Are you
actually being serious right now?" And
like, but it just carries you, right?
And then you're just like, "Oh, it's
okay." You know, no. And then, you know,
but I I remember even one time I was
with another buddy who was who who was
selling, you know, and it was his deal.
I just went with him and we're in
Coconut Grove. Next thing I know, we got
guns guns pulled on us and it was his
deal was for a bunch of roll. They had
rolls. They were getting some roller
skates, some octagons or something. I
don't know. They were buying, you know,
a couple hundred packs of rolls or
whatever it was. Next thing you know,
the guns come out. I'm [ __ ] getting
robbed. We're all We all get robbed in
Coconut Grove. And meanwhile, I've got
nothing. And And it's just because I'm
hanging out with these people. And I'm
like, you know, my day just went from
great to, you know, total [ __ ] in like
two seconds because I was choosing to
run with these people, you know? And
it's just like I'm like, why am I
staring down the mirrors of guns, real
guns, you know?
>> So, what happened? How do you end up in
the next rehab or is it something else?
>> Um, you know, there there was
there was a lot of discussion, you know,
with a lot of different people. There
was there was family, friends, there was
there was just different things and, you
know, each time I got sober, you know,
it does something different to you,
right? For or at least for me, it did.
And so, every time I would go back out,
it was different. The the experience was
different. Even when you, you know, the
way everything moved was different. and
and in your mind you always knew it's
like hey this ain't going to last
forever right and like each time and
then something really bad happens you're
like okay this is probably not going to
be a good idea but you keep
rationalizing it and you just keep going
and going that's where I I had reached
that point of just like you know what I
am sick and tired of living like this
>> and and at that point you know coupled
[snorts] with with obviously the
resources and the help with the people
around me I was able to get a second
chance and that's that's my second
chance, right? I I was able to go one
more time.
>> Which which what what facility?
>> So So it starts it actually starts at
Summerhouse again, I believe, in Miami.
>> And [snorts] then I the one with the
tennis balls.
>> Yes.
>> No, no, no. That was South Miami
Hospital. That was a different place.
That was a different
>> Yeah, that's another um That was down
inside. This is in North Miami. Oh,
yeah. South Miami probably wouldn't have
me if I had to guess. I guess once they
hear this they probably won't. So I go
to Summerhouse Detox,
right? And then now I'm like not driving
at all. So I'm like literally I'm like I
will do anything you tell me to do. Like
Daniel, the keys are gone. I handed them
over and and at this point I'm ready to
like do it. Like at this point I now I
am serious and and like I'm all in at
this point. So they say so I go through
the detox. They say, "Hey, we're going
to put send you to Holistic, which was a
treatment center." Uh, it was called
Holistic Treatment Center. It's up in
North Miami. And uh, so I go to Holistic
Treatment Center. And then I began we
began exploring other treatments, right?
So we we get in touch with some people
from the doctor at the time was working
with the University of Miami. It was a
uh, named Doc. Dr. Deborah Mash was her
name. Um, and there was another Dr.
Camel was another doctor that I was
working with or that we were working
with and they encouraged me to go do
this treatment in St. Kits called
Ibagane
and I don't know if you've ever heard of
it.
>> St. Kits. Yeah. St. Kits in Neves.
>> No, I I
>> Oh, okay.
>> So, it's a it's an
>> about buying an economic pass uh
citizenship there at one time.
>> Do you know do you know what it is
though?
>> What?
>> So, it's an African route. It's an
African route from West Africa. It's a
hallucinogen and it's an ibogga. It
comes from the ibogga plant. The nation
St. Kit. Oh yeah. No, that's where I
flew to go do this treatment. Okay. So I
they fly me. So I fly from Miami to St.
Kits to go and do this I gain treatment.
So that's how when I this last time
that's that's how that that happens.
>> Is that the her that's why it's called
herbal what what?
>> So you're under doctor care. You're
under medical care. you have a nurse and
the doctor's there and everything like
that and they they're monitoring you and
whatnot.
>> What is the root? What does it do?
>> Well, basically what it does is it takes
you on a journey, right? And so
essentially you you ingest this c in my
case it was capsules, right?
>> Peyote or something.
>> It's like a I guess I mean I've never
done peyote but I mean let me just put
it to you like this. You're like you're
gone for pretty much like a day. She's
like hallucinogenic.
>> Yeah, but you're like but you're like
but you're like kind of lucid. You're
definitely lucid through because you get
up and use the bathroom but I could not
physically use the restroom by myself.
So I had like so every time I had to get
up from the bed
>> cuz I was like in like kind of like a
like a in a hotel resort style setting
basically in this place called O's
Plantation is and they basically turn
these resort rooms into medical rooms
basically, right? And so basically you
go in and you do it and then you just go
on this this journey, but you you
basically hang out there. So yeah, every
time you had to go to the bathroom, I'd
have to like this woman would have to
like literally handwalk me to the
bathroom because I couldn't even like I
couldn't stand up by myself. I mean
that's how I'm just trying to give you
context on like how out of commission
you were, you know?
>> Um so which was probably one of the most
amazing experiences of my life. I mean,
it took me
right back to when my dad passed away,
right? And I lived through that, right?
Which which, you know, for so long I was
like, why am I out here doing all this
crazy stuff? And I'm not, you know,
look, obviously part of it, hey, hey,
maybe you just like to get high or maybe
you just like to do stupid stuff, you
know, who knows, right? But at the same
time, we're all, you know, there's
always a reason, right? There's always
something that we've got or something
that's driving us to do certain things
or whatever the case is. And and that
was the case with me, you know,
>> right? At the very least there's a a
contributing
>> but but it literally I I like you
literally I was like back at his funeral
like that's how the journey starts. So
you you go out and you're like boom and
you go into this world and like that's
what this this whole Ibagane thing was.
And so you go through this whole
spiritual experience clearly. Um but it
gave me clarity which then I go back. So
I we we do that treatment instituts and
you you take you do you spend several
days there right? So you kind of go
there, take it in and then actually
spend time with doing therapy
afterwards, right? So discussion and
writing and a lot of explaining and just
doing different things post, you know,
that day after, the few days after,
right?
>> Okay.
>> Um, and it basically what it does is it
like resets your opiate receptors.
That's really the best way I could like
explain it to you. It almost or at least
that's the way it was explained to me,
right? Is it's it's almost like a reset
on the opiate receptors. Probably works.
I would say more and and the reason why
I was doing this was is because I was a
chronic opiate abuser. I mean, that's
that's what led to this, right?
>> And at that point, we were willing to
do, you know, just about anything. So,
that um
>> that that's how we got down that path.
>> So, how long do you stay there?
>> So, I'm in St. Kits for like God, I
think we were probably there for like I
don't know, 5 days, maybe a week. No, it
wasn't even a full week. I don't even
think it was a full week. Maybe it was
like five five six days, but the whole
team of people whole team of there were
other people that were obviously there
as well. Um and uh but yeah, that kind
of got me focused. And then so once once
we complete that treatment or once I
completed the treatment, then I went
back to holistic in in Miami.
>> Oh, so you're not out of a treatment
center. You're back into another
>> I'm always in care. I I'm in care from
So I I don't leave care. I don't leave
care at all
>> during the whole thing. So, I get back
from St. Kits.
>> I go back to Miami. I go up to North
Miami. I go back to Holistic
Treatment Center and I stay there until
they figure out where they're going to
ex they're going to um we're just we're
talking about long-term care now. So,
now it's like and I knew this. I knew
like there was a good chance I was like
the 90 or you know people say 30 days. I
knew mine was like minimum 90. Didn't
know it was going to turn into like 10
months, but that's just I just knew that
I had to do whatever they told me at
that point, you know. Um, so the doctors
recommended I go to Talbet Recovery
Campus in Atlanta, which is how which is
how I end up in Atlanta, Georgia.
>> And what happened?
>> And that's that's in 2003.
>> What is that?
>> That's in the middle of 03. What what is
the procedure there? You're just hanging
out there. Do you take you're just
taking classes every day and just going
to groups and
>> Yeah. They have to keep you busy.
>> So like Right. Right. So it starts out
like you know you're frag you know when
you first get there it's like you got to
get acclimated get your feet wet you
know all that stuff. So really um but
it's it's more apartment housing or at
least when I was there it was it was
apartment housing like quad housing. So
we lived in these apartment like
basically it was a normal normal
people's apartment complex but then
basically they just had two buildings
that were basically sectioned off for
like people that were at the treatment
center you know. So basically you had
like four like roommates or two you know
depending on how many
>> two-bedroom apartments
two to each room
>> right
>> and then you each share a bathroom.
>> It's kind of what the setup was.
>> Um not not ideal but I mean whatever it
was I mean it was fine. It was no
different than boarding school. Well,
how do you how do you occupy your time?
How do do they just have like classes?
>> Oh, you get assigned. Oh, I had more. I
had a family therapist. I had a medical
therapist. I had a this the I mean, I
had a Yeah, you you have the the whole
gamut of of all the things and then you
just, you know, pile your issues
together and [laughter] and start
chipping away, you know. Um, but but
what was cool about this was and and in
all the places I've been, I've met a lot
of really interesting people and some
people I've stayed in touch with, some
people I haven't, but it it's it's been
it's been interesting to learn just the
people's journeys and kind of how
they've evolved through this whole thing
because it's it's just a, you know, but
so so that going there honestly was was
what helped probably save my life, you
know, at that at that point in time. Um
because I I was I mean I was I was at
the Z I mean I was just like so spent at
that point that like I had nothing left
in the tank. I mean I I was sick of
getting high. I was sick of I was just
sick of being sick and tired. I was just
sick of all of it, you know?
>> And um but I wanted to get better
because I did I mean I had ambition and
drive to to one day turn that around,
right? But I knew like, hey, I got to
get through this. And and I knew what
that was because I've done it so many
times, you know? It's like I've I've
crawled through this I've crawled
through this door so many times. It's
like, you know.
>> So you how you spend 10 months total in
this program?
>> I think it was right around probably
right at 10 if you combined it all. I
think it was right around 10 months, but
I I think I got to Atlanta in 2000. It
was like uh September of 03 or October
of 2003, I think.
Um and uh and yeah and then that's
that's when um I stay I stay in
treatment there
and then I move out. So how they move so
basically they have like a a program
that's like you know they call I think
they called it like extended mirror
image at the time. So basically it's
like you you basically transitioning
into society, you know, what's normal
life like when you go to the you know
when you walk into a store, you know,
the all the stuff.
>> Yeah.
>> That they want to you know make you
learn again,
>> right?
>> Type stuff.
So while I'm while I'm at Talbot, I'm I
become good friends with a with a good
with a buddy of mine
and uh he
He was younger than I was, but so him
and I were talking about maybe getting
an apartment together and living
together in Atlanta um after after we
get out and we were kind of somewhat on
the same schedule. He was from Texas, I
was from from Miami and and so he uh we
got along pretty well. So we ended up we
ended up as we started to kind of get
through the program at Talbet, I was
like, "Well, dude, I'm like I got to go
out and like live now." which honestly
to be honest with you was probably the
scariest part for me that that I would
say was probably
being away and I couldn't even imagine
being away for years or or that long you
know because this was only a 10 months
and really I wasn't completely secluded
from the world right
>> right
>> but in most cases you weren't living
like a normal person right you you had
all these boundaries and and you know
borders and around you so like it wasn't
real life and and I had a hard time. It
took me probably a year to really get
adjusted to where I was actually even
comfortable being around people
honestly.
>> During that time,
>> jobs you get,
>> oh my god, the worst jobs ever. I mean,
okay, so let's see. The first job, so I
had so I had a sponsor in the AA room.
Um, I had to do that whole ordeal. And
so I I had no work and no money. Um my
family did help me in the very beginning
for sure. Absolutely. Um with with some
of the expenses and and whatnot, but
very little. We're talking very very
little. And basically I get a job
working uh so the guy my the sponsor in
the a room turns me on to this
landscaping guy and he's like go call so
and so. He he'll he's got you. So I'm
now living over by the Lindberg like
martyr station. Um, and I'm like,
"Okay." So, I called a guy. He's like,
"Meet at the Home Depot
>> over off of like Sydney Marcus, right?"
Which is like right in the heart of And
I'm like,
>> "Cool. Truck will pull up,
>> right?" Yeah. Yeah. And you're going to
want you're going to get in and they'll
drop you off later later that night. And
I'm like, "Holy shit." I'm like, "This
is but I mean, dude, I got to do what I
got to do at this point." I mean, I'm
like, I don't even care. I'm like,
because you know what, like honestly, I
really don't care. I'm like, I'll go dig
holes. Cool. Sounds good. Well, let me
tell you something. They I mean the amp
bites like in my feet and I mean just
were I was like I you know I was like I
it got to a point where I was like
listen I love landscaping, love the
people, respect people that do it, but
it's just not my thing. But I mean it
was it was tough going for me in the
beginning. So that landscaping was was
how I got by in the beginning. And then
I I go back to my hotel, [laughter] my
my short hotel stay. I get another job
at the hotel which is like at this like
the like this it's called the Hawthorne
Suites and it's like
>> right it's on Peach Street in Atlanta
and I know there's a million Peach Tree
Streets but it is on Peach Tree Street
or it was on Peach Street in Atlanta. Um
right next to the Shepherd Center which
is the spine center in Atlanta right in
the heart of pretty much Buckhead. Yeah.
>> Um in Atlanta. So, but I the problem was
I had no car. I mean, I didn't have
anything. When I came to when I got to
Atlanta, I came with a duffel bag with
some clothes and that's it. I had a
watch that didn't have any batteries. I
didn't have a cell phone. I didn't have
any of that stuff. So, the first I mean,
the first stop on the deal was a phone,
which was the those AT&T Do you remember
those AT&T Go phones where you had to
like the flip Motorola Go phone where
you had to prepay it?
>> Yeah.
>> AT&Ts used to sell them. So that was
like my first cell phone when I got to
Atlanta. So I start I work in the hotel
business, get out of that, then I hop in
as a as a bondsman, right? So I meet I
meet this guy.
>> How do you hop in from to bondsman? How
did you become how did you get there?
>> So So I meet this guy um who's who ends
up becoming a business colleague, good
friend of mine now even to this day. But
I him and I meet each other and we
actually used to date the same girl or
something or at some point we him and I
become friends through through some
through somebody else, right? And he's
like, "Hey, do you have any interest in
be in do you want to come work at my
bonding company?" And I'm like, "Hm."
I'm like, "I'm up here from Miami
starting over." I'm like really trying
to do the right thing, honestly. Like my
head's totally screwed on now. So now
I'm like trying to crawl out, but I mean
I was on like way way under the ground,
you know, when I came into this. So like
it's the confidence. I mean everything's
gone, right? Everything that you had
built up is just gone.
>> Um so he's like, "Do you want to come
work with this bonding company?" I'm
like, "Sure." And I had known another
Bale Bondsman who was a family friend in
Miami in South Florida who literally
used to follow me home from like, you
know, we'd be out at the strip club and
he'd make sure I got home from, you
know, when, you know, we would be down
at the club and he would make sure I got
home because he was the bondsman. So it
was like I wouldn't get in trouble, you
know, stuff, stupid stuff like that. But
that was the only thing I knew about
like, you know, and I knew that
obviously he got people out of jail,
whatnot. So any I start I I go to work
for for Charles his Charles Shaw is his
name my buddy in Atlanta and um so him
and I so he's like do you want to come
work I'm like yeah sure so I go to work
for him this is like right in 2003 04
this is no this is in 2004
and I'm working for him and I'm like I
like start to pick up on this stuff like
very quickly and I'm like you know
training in his office and I'm like wait
a second I'm like I can do this, you
know, I'm like, but I I still continue
to learn. So, I I'm working like the day
shifts, the popular, you know, the the
hotter shifts, but all the shifts,
nighttime, I mean, he he had me working
every shift there was,
>> right?
>> Um, it didn't matter. And and I always
love to work, so it didn't matter. you
know, you could send me to work whenever
you wanted. But knowing that what I knew
and it was like, you know, it was one of
those things growing up in a family of
entrepreneurs and and of we have such a
huge family and there's people into all
different types of stuff, but I always
knew that I was going to get into
something, right? I never knew what it
was, but and and that was fine. I just
knew it was going to be something, but
that's that's kind of what sparked my
interest and I'm like, "Wait a second. I
could do this." And then I started to
kind of see the vision behind it, right?
And I'm like, "Wow, I could do this and
build it and really do this different
than anybody's ever done it before." And
and it's even in some of the same first
business plans that I wrote back in 2006
when I first started writing the
business plans for a second chance.
And so naturally, working for him was
was obviously what kind of what what
gave me the foundation. You know, that
was kind of the base of of kind of my
entry into into the bail world, I guess
you could say, was was was started in
2004.
>> And that's okay. Well, so when did you
open your own place?
>> So March of 2007. So a second chance is
born in March of 2007.
>> So So I'm So I'm working for this
bondsman for probably a couple years
obviously and then and then realize that
I want to obviously go out on my own and
and do this thing. So I put the business
plan together but the problem is I have
no money right so you need in Georgia
which is different than other states
Georgia are what's called professional
bondsman so a professional bondsman is
someone whose writes on actual cash a
shity bondsman which is corporate shity
which is through an insurance company
right so that's completely something
different then the bondsman's kind of
like the middleman right where I'm
writing on my own cash
>> right so that's how it is in Florida
>> right well Florida's has both I think
you can use both I think you can use
cash and you can use insurance in
Florida. It depends on what you do, but
I write on cash um in in Georgia.
>> What do you mean you write on cash? You
mean you have to put up all the cash
yourself?
>> Yeah. So, I have escrow accounts with
each jurisdiction. So, Fulton County, I
mean the whole metro, all these.
>> You get somebody out on 200,000. You've
got to give them 200 grand.
>> It's right. But it's a certain
percentage. So, I have there's a ratio
between us and the sheriff's department.
So, there's an actual cash escro account
and then they hold that cash so that
Yeah. that they have that money. So I
have up millions in cash pledged for
bail across the country right now.
That's what we do. Yeah.
>> So well where's that? So you have no
money when you start where come from?
>> So I'm like where the hell am I going to
get where the hell am I going to get
money? Who who's going to give uh this
kid from Miami who has just completely
just been a complete idiot for for how
how many years? Just knucklehead. Okay.
Who's going to give him a quarter a
million bucks? Would you give Would you
give someone a quarter million bucks
that was coming out of rehab looking
crazy as hell, skinny, you know, looking
like a
>> So, you find a fat chick with a good
credit. That That's what all the black
guys in prison. That's what their
business plan is always like. I'm going
to find a fat chick [laughter] with good
credit
>> and that's going to she's going to
finance my business.
>> I'm serious. That's hard like they would
all say the same say. Well, I got this
girl. She got good credit. What she look
like? She's she's a big [ __ ] She's the
biggest. She's the biggest. But she got
good credit. Okay. Okay. So, is that
what is that what you did? You said
>> So, I'm thankful that I did not have to
go that route. So, what I did was is I
reached out to my best friend, started
[laughter] swiping right on everything.
Yeah. Thankfully, there was no swiping
at that time. [snorts] Um, but yeah. No,
I I literally I was like, "Okay, so this
I got to find this money." So, I talk to
my family a little bit and I pitch it,
you know, soft pitch a little bit, but
like
>> there's just no takers and I'm kind of
like and I'm a little nervous.
>> You owe us 150,000 rehabs.
>> Yeah. It's like, yeah, your rehab bill
is kind of high and you haven't paid
that down yet. Yeah. And all the damage
that you've done. Uh, so I'm like, okay.
So,
>> can't find a Pontiac, [laughter]
>> right? Yeah. Yeah. All the the criminal
damage to property. Um, but yeah. No.
So, I'm like, who am I going to call?
So, I I reach out to my best friend,
Chris Ruer, who who we call Squeaky.
He's my still my best friend today.
>> I feel like a guy named Squeaky doesn't
have millions, but go but I could be
wrong. Hopefully, I'm wrong.
>> Well, I'm not I'm not going to speak on
what he has or what he doesn't have. But
>> maybe Squeaky's done very well. I don't
know.
>> Squeaky's a smart man. But but anyhow,
>> long story short, I'm like, "Listen,
bro. I got this deal."
I'm like, "Do you think your dad would
be in on it?"
>> Okay.
>> And he's like, "I don't know." He's
like, you know,
now, meanwhile, Chris has been through
every detox, every treatment, not not
himself with me, but he has lived
through all I mean, he has lived my life
with me. So, he knows all the insanity
and all the craziness. So, here I am now
like, "Bro, we got to go get a $250,000
bag of money like oh, and I need some
operating capital, too. So, if you could
throw another 50,000 on top, that'd be
great."
>> Right. Right. So, basically we're we're
300k.
Well, I call his dad. I call Josh.
>> Josh is like, "Okay." You know, and
[laughter] he's like, "This dude's
insane. Like, what? I'm not giving him
$300,000." Like, and this is 2004,
>> right?
>> So, he's like he's like, "I want you to
call this guy." And I'm like, "Call
who?" He's like, "This guy named Tim."
And I'm like, "Okay." He said, "His name
is Tim Fulton." And he said, "You're
going to call him and you're going to go
sit and you're going to meet with him,
right?"
>> I'm like, "Great."
>> I'm like, "One more like task here." And
meanwhile, all I want to do is just get
the damn business open so I don't have
to go to work from like, you know, 9 to5
or, you know, whatever shift. I, you
know, I'm literally just wanting to like
just get my own thing going,
>> right? Because if you open your own
business,
>> these guys, you got to put business.
>> You get to work you get to work a lot
less if you open your own business. You
can you can basically run your own
business part-time. Are you out of your
mind?
>> Right. [laughter] Yeah. And I'm like,
and I'm like, yeah. And I'm like, I
>> 80 hours a week,
>> right? No, but here I am. I was so young
and I'm just like, dude, I just want my
own business, blah, blah, blah. Well,
anyhow, I So, I I get the 250. So, I I
convinc Well, I I shouldn't say I
convince. Well, I guess I did convince
cuz they did give me the money, but they
loan me the money, I should say. And the
money has, right? They're not giving
They loan me the money.
>> So, you sit down with these guys. You
>> I sit down with them and we we lay out
the business plan. And I spend all these
days, I mean, like I'd be at the house
working and my wife's like, and I'm up
late on the computer trying to put
together this business plan, which
meanwhile, I have no idea what the hell
I'm doing. I have zero freaking clue. I
mean, none. I'm like, fake it till you
make it. Crawl through it, figure it
out. But at the end of the day, I knew
though the vision side of it because
like I knew where I wanted to go. I just
didn't know how to get there,
>> you know, cuz I just didn't have the
experience. Um, so anyhow, we get the
money [gasps]
and we launch in in March of 2007. Um,
and that's that's kind of, you know,
that's almost now 20 years ago. So, um,
and then it just, you know, it's crazy
because I had other businesses prior to
the bail business,
>> all very successful.
>> No, absolutely not. like failure, like
the biggest [ __ ] sandwich you've ever
seen. And and so I've had, you know,
Yeah, absolutely. I mean, I had I was in
the pawn shop business. Do not do that.
That was that did not go well for me. Um
there was uh
>> check.
>> Yeah, the title pawns. Those are just
Yeah, tidal ponds. I did that for a
while. No, that's But
>> but this this this was this was looking
good, you know?
>> Right. So, I mean, do you get a
storefront or you do it on online? What
year? For what? For what?
>> What year is it? The the
>> Oh, the bonding. So, the bonding. Yeah.
So, the bonding in March of 2007. So, I
So, okay. So, we get the license. So,
it's a it's a process, right? So, you
have to submit like I mean, literally
your blood. I mean, it felt like your
blood type your I mean, they literally
turn you upside down, but I guess for
right for the right reasons, right? It's
financial. I mean, we're dealing with
people's freedom. I mean, there's
there's obviously some big big boxes
that you're checking here right along
the way. So, it would make sense that
they want to, you know, vet you and make
sure. So, I go through, I get approved.
I'm like, "Oh, wow." Well, actually,
City of Marietta approves me first.
Actually, City of Marietta is the first
bond that I ever wrote was through City
of Marietta Police Department. And then
secondary, Cobb County approved me after
that. And that's in Marietta. And Cobb
County, that's the first bond that we
wrote um at Cobb County Jail. And we we
stayed in business there just servicing
those jails and the and the city jails
around Cobb County just in the
beginning, you know, obviously very
small in the beginning.
Um but that's that's really where
starting off the two
>> but at first but in the beginning I have
no office, right? So in the beginning
I'm like I don't even have an office.
So, I have Comcast come out to my house,
install a business line in my uh soon
tobe daughter's uh guest bedroom. This
is after we buy this this house. Right.
>> Right.
>> I plug a phone up to it that day, the
day they turned it on, forwarded it to
my cell phone, and that was the
business.
>> That was it. It was me and the cell
phone and a little shitty money bag from
uh you know the ones you get from like
Walgreens or CVS, you know the little
zipper, little cheap bag. Yeah, one of
those couldn't could took me forever to
fill it up in the beginning.
>> So, how how does how do you get clients?
>> So,
>> you go to the
>> Yeah, I mean you go to the waiting for
the phone. You get Yeah. Your name's up
on your name's up on inside the jail.
Um, and then you have, you know,
whatever marketing that you're doing.
And then it's a lot of word of mouth or
relationships. And then you, um, you
know, you go from there. And that's
that's pretty much, you know, how how
that all went. Any So all these guys are
are, you know, they're all good guys. So
you put up their bond, they get out,
they all do the right thing, and you've
never lost any money. What happens when
they take off?
>> Oh god. I mean, [sighs]
>> nobody takes off, right?
>> Oh god. All the time. I mean, right. I
mean, I probably have over a thousand
fugitives right now that I'm looking for
today.
>> Jeez.
>> At least at least a thousand. I would
say
>> we could we could we could spend the
next we could spend the rest of this
year finding people.
>> That's how many I have. But and I say
that only because it's the volume that
we do, right? So, I don't want you to
get to get this mistake in here that, oh
my god, this guy's writing terrible
bail. No, it's because the volume that
we do. And listen, when you write that
kind of volume, you're going to have
things are going to go wrong. Even if
people are doing the right even when you
do the right thing bad things happen.
>> Yeah.
>> You know so
>> so they so uh who's do you have a full
do you use private are there like
private bounty hunters that go after
them or
>> we have all I'm all in-house so
everything everything that we do at a
second chance. My model is definitely a
little bit different than most, but we
have our own way of doing it, right? But
but we have subscribed mostly to the
independent in-house people with us
directly. So that way I'm not getting
caught in in the fray of any, you know,
anything else that may may or may not
happen, you know, with other cases or
stuff like that. So they're in-house
solely with us.
>> Okay. Um
>> and then we also work cases for other
companies all over the country. So I
mean it just depends on if there's a
need or if they have, you know, someone
somewhere where we might be able to help
them or or vice versa. We we get help
from other people all the time.
>> So I mean all this started from the 250.
Does the 250 grow? Do do you get
additional money?
>> So basically so basically how it works
is it's like it's like a it's like a
live checking account, right? So
basically for every So let's just
for for conversation purposes for every
for every 10 So if you put up a h
100,000 you're getting a million on the
street.
>> Right.
>> Right. So if you put up a 100,000 cash
so it was at a times 10 ratio let's say.
Right.
>> Is is traditionally what it's been in
Georgia. I think like like Florida um
>> if you write on cash that's how it would
be. If it's insurance you wouldn't you
wouldn't do it that way,
>> right? Um but but essentially it's like
a live checking account. So we write
bail for the month. So let's say you
write a million dollars in bail that
month. Okay. Well, how many of your
cases close? So let's say one of your
big cases closed. Well, you just closed
$2 million worth of cases this month cuz
you had a ton of people go to court. So
you get back your 2 million that month
and then the 1 million goes onto your
plus, you know, that your your your
debits cuz now you've spent another
million
>> on the new the new new bill.
>> Okay? you know, so it's it's essentially
like a bank, man. I mean, that's
essentially what it is. But we're
guarantee all we're doing is
guaranteeing someone's appearance in
court. That's that's that is the that is
the main reason. That is the main
purpose, I should say.
>> Right. What if they
>> at no cost to anybody else, at no cost
to the taxpayer or anything like that,
>> right? But if they take off and you
can't you can't
>> Well, then I'm financially responsible
or the person who's co-signing, right?
Which is why we want good co-signers,
things like that. But at what point does
how long does the jail or the whatever
how long does a court system give you to
find these people before they say okay
you owe us the whole bond.
>> So right so in Georgia in Georgia you
you have within the first 90 days then
you can get up to 95% back and then then
you can get up to 50% back within the
first two years but once you get out
past two years you're out of gas bro. So
if you're if you stroke a check for 200
300,000 you ain't getting it back. And
so that's real. I mean, and that money
is going back into the courts. It's
going into whatever. I don't know how
exactly they distribute, you know. I'm
sure they do. I'm sure they do the right
thing.
>> I'm sure you'll do the right thing,
>> right? Would you would you think they
do?
>> No. [laughter] No. Yeah. How does uh Dog
the Bounty Hunter enter into the
equation? So, I met Dog back I guess
when when uh when Beth when Beth was the
president of PBus, which was a national
bail association, the professional bail
agents United States. That's about the
time when dog and I met for the first
time at a conference.
>> Um which nothing ever happened after
that, but that is the first time that we
actually met. And then um several years
ago, we also did a project on the on
another podcast that I had which was
Back Your Blue um podcast that we did in
Atlanta as well and then kind of have
been talking kind of on and off ever
since. Hey you guys, I appreciate you
watching. Do me a favor, hit the
subscribe button, hit the bell so you
get notified of videos just like this.
Also, please if you are interested in
following Daniel and checking out a
second chance bail bondsman, we're going
to have you go into the description.
There's going to be a YouTube link.
Click on that, go to his channel,
subscribe, check out the content. Once
again, it's a second chance bail
bondsman. Really do appreciate you
watching. Thank you very much. Please
share the video with anybody else you
think would be interested. See you.
More from Matthew Cox | Inside True Crime
BUSTING KEANU REEVES MILLION DOLLAR SCAM | FBI AGENT FRAUD STORIES
cash app & GB rayshawn
CATCHING THE FBI'S MOST WANTED WOMEN | FBI AGENT FRAUD STORIES
Cecilie Fjellhoy - need title, playlist, schedule
Dark Web Kingpin Makes Millions... Then One Fatal Mistake
Exposing Flock: Americas Mass Surveillance Company | James Fishback
FBI AGENT Reveals Bizarre Stories Behind Airplane Freakouts | Tom Simon
FBI's Most Wanted Con Man Steals $30M | The Condo King
Gay Patriot Becomes Political Prisoner & Exposes Corruption
GB arthur
GB chef
GB Cuzzo
GB dogs
gb Jaimee
GB jayson
GB jeremy