1 00:00:03,375 --> 00:00:08,542 ♪ 2 00:00:08,542 --> 00:00:14,333 ♪ 3 00:00:14,333 --> 00:00:17,417 -Few have what it takes to work undercover, 4 00:00:17,417 --> 00:00:19,875 living in secrecy and constant danger, 5 00:00:19,875 --> 00:00:22,750 unrecognized beyond their tightest circles. 6 00:00:22,750 --> 00:00:26,208 Undercovers put some of the worst criminals behind bars, 7 00:00:26,208 --> 00:00:28,542 but they never get to tell their stories... 8 00:00:28,542 --> 00:00:30,333 until now on... 9 00:00:32,333 --> 00:00:39,750 ♪ 10 00:01:16,750 --> 00:01:19,958 -On April 13, 2016, 11 00:01:19,958 --> 00:01:24,125 the FBI released this undercover footage of Patrick Cannon, 12 00:01:24,125 --> 00:01:26,833 the sitting mayor of Charlotte, North Carolina, 13 00:01:26,833 --> 00:01:29,417 taking a bribe. 14 00:01:48,500 --> 00:01:52,125 -This whole case started with the simplest of buys, 15 00:01:52,125 --> 00:01:54,583 a stripper and a very small amount of cocaine, 16 00:01:54,583 --> 00:01:57,625 and ended with the mayor of Charlotte, North Carolina 17 00:01:57,625 --> 00:01:59,417 being arrested. 18 00:02:02,125 --> 00:02:03,958 Charlotte as a city grew up fast. 19 00:02:03,958 --> 00:02:07,458 It went from a bunch of farmlands to a city like that. 20 00:02:07,458 --> 00:02:10,000 The nightlife in Charlotte grew as the city grew, 21 00:02:10,000 --> 00:02:12,208 and it grew fast, as well. 22 00:02:12,208 --> 00:02:14,542 You have everything from 10 plus strip clubs, 23 00:02:14,542 --> 00:02:19,042 to nightclubs that you got to pay $50 a night to get in, 24 00:02:19,042 --> 00:02:20,375 or you have to be a certain person 25 00:02:20,375 --> 00:02:23,667 to even get in the door, to everything in between. 26 00:02:23,667 --> 00:02:25,667 Obviously you're seeing a lot of drug use. 27 00:02:25,667 --> 00:02:27,167 That's constant. 28 00:02:27,167 --> 00:02:29,000 And you do have your organized crime elements, 29 00:02:29,000 --> 00:02:31,042 everything from mafia type individuals 30 00:02:31,042 --> 00:02:34,125 to politicians to you name it. 31 00:02:35,500 --> 00:02:38,125 My name is Matt Pitcher. I was a police officer with 32 00:02:38,125 --> 00:02:40,250 the Charlotte-Mecklenburg police department in 33 00:02:40,250 --> 00:02:42,208 Charlotte, North Carolina. 34 00:02:42,208 --> 00:02:45,875 -In the fall of 2009, detective Matt Pitcher 35 00:02:45,875 --> 00:02:49,167 is deep undercover doing cocaine buys in Charlotte's 36 00:02:49,167 --> 00:02:51,208 seedy nightclub scene. 37 00:02:51,208 --> 00:02:53,583 -I'd got introduced to a stripper. 38 00:02:53,583 --> 00:02:55,292 Summer. 39 00:02:55,292 --> 00:02:57,042 "Hey Summer, can I get an eight ball of cocaine?" 40 00:02:57,042 --> 00:02:58,875 And sure enough, "yeah, I can get you 41 00:02:58,875 --> 00:03:00,542 that eight ball of cocaine." 42 00:03:00,542 --> 00:03:03,208 The goal for me in this operation is to earn her trust 43 00:03:03,208 --> 00:03:05,167 so that I can get to her supplier, 44 00:03:05,167 --> 00:03:08,000 the one who's really dealing the cocaine. 45 00:03:08,000 --> 00:03:12,208 -Detective Pitcher continues doing cocaine buys for months, 46 00:03:12,208 --> 00:03:14,792 working his way closer to the main drug supplier 47 00:03:14,792 --> 00:03:17,875 with each new introduction. 48 00:03:17,875 --> 00:03:20,542 By January, 2010, 49 00:03:20,542 --> 00:03:24,333 he's on the verge of infiltrating the Greek mafia, 50 00:03:24,333 --> 00:03:27,917 and it's all thanks to his cover story. 51 00:03:27,917 --> 00:03:31,042 -My cover story, which I would not suggest to anybody, 52 00:03:31,042 --> 00:03:33,167 was that I'm a billionaire. 53 00:03:33,167 --> 00:03:34,750 Usually we would never say something like that. 54 00:03:34,750 --> 00:03:36,417 That is not a good tactic. 55 00:03:36,417 --> 00:03:38,417 This guy's supposed to be a billionaire. 56 00:03:38,417 --> 00:03:41,250 Where are the records, where are anything to prove this? 57 00:03:41,250 --> 00:03:43,083 Because I said I was a billionaire, 58 00:03:43,083 --> 00:03:46,000 now I'm getting to meet all kinds of people 59 00:03:46,000 --> 00:03:47,375 I would have never met. 60 00:03:47,375 --> 00:03:49,250 People with celebrity status to athletes. 61 00:03:49,250 --> 00:03:52,708 Even local politicians, your mafia type individuals. 62 00:03:52,708 --> 00:03:55,042 And one of the people that I meet mostly through 63 00:03:55,042 --> 00:03:58,250 Summer, is Marcos. 64 00:03:58,250 --> 00:04:00,375 Everybody calls Marcos "friend of the Greeks." 65 00:04:00,375 --> 00:04:02,250 When I say "Greeks", I'm referring to what, 66 00:04:02,250 --> 00:04:04,167 in Charlotte, was the Greek mafia. 67 00:04:04,167 --> 00:04:06,958 When you're dealing in that environment, 68 00:04:06,958 --> 00:04:08,708 your risk goes through the roof. 69 00:04:08,708 --> 00:04:11,500 People that you're hanging out with constantly 70 00:04:11,500 --> 00:04:13,833 are also the people that, if they find out who you are, 71 00:04:13,833 --> 00:04:16,542 you're dead. 72 00:04:16,542 --> 00:04:18,542 You can't make a mistake as to who you are, 73 00:04:18,542 --> 00:04:21,125 everything you sign, you better sign your UC name. 74 00:04:21,125 --> 00:04:22,708 Every kind of identification, 75 00:04:22,708 --> 00:04:25,292 everything you have on you better be able to be seen. 76 00:04:25,292 --> 00:04:28,417 One text message that you didn't clear, 77 00:04:28,417 --> 00:04:32,708 that's the real you, and you're done, it's over. 78 00:04:34,042 --> 00:04:37,125 When I say everybody, if they want to have anything to do with 79 00:04:37,125 --> 00:04:40,125 the Greeks, they have to go through Marcos to talk to them, 80 00:04:40,125 --> 00:04:42,500 that he's kind of their front man. 81 00:04:42,500 --> 00:04:45,542 Marcos realizing I'm a billionaire, he can use 82 00:04:45,542 --> 00:04:48,792 that money to open up clubs in Charlotte 83 00:04:48,792 --> 00:04:52,542 and get paid and make a lot of money. 84 00:04:52,542 --> 00:04:54,792 So, Marcos and I are out. 85 00:04:54,792 --> 00:04:56,417 We walk outside, 86 00:04:56,417 --> 00:04:58,750 and Marcos points across the street to a restaurant. 87 00:05:37,250 --> 00:05:39,292 I'm looking at starting a club in Charlotte, 88 00:05:39,292 --> 00:05:41,417 as far as Marcos is concerned. 89 00:05:41,417 --> 00:05:44,958 In order for me to start a club, I have to be sponsored. 90 00:05:50,792 --> 00:05:53,958 What Marcos is saying, unless you are a chain restaurant, 91 00:05:53,958 --> 00:05:56,625 where you have it all over the country or you're a celebrity 92 00:05:56,625 --> 00:05:58,458 and already has celebrity status, 93 00:05:58,458 --> 00:06:00,958 you cannot open up a club or restaurant 94 00:06:00,958 --> 00:06:02,875 in downtown Charlotte. 95 00:06:02,875 --> 00:06:05,625 Unless you are, sponsored by the Greeks, 96 00:06:05,625 --> 00:06:07,375 and he goes, "So we will pay the Greeks, 97 00:06:07,375 --> 00:06:09,042 and they will take care of us." 98 00:06:09,042 --> 00:06:12,292 And then he goes, "We're gonna have to pay politicians 99 00:06:12,292 --> 00:06:14,542 for these permits to get everything through 100 00:06:14,542 --> 00:06:18,250 and to get everything passed without any problems." 101 00:06:18,250 --> 00:06:19,917 -Undercover agent Matt Pitcher 102 00:06:19,917 --> 00:06:22,292 has just learned that local politicians 103 00:06:22,292 --> 00:06:27,417 may be involved in illegal activities with the Greek mafia. 104 00:06:27,417 --> 00:06:30,000 -I pay the Greeks, and they basically allow me 105 00:06:30,000 --> 00:06:31,667 to do business. 106 00:06:31,667 --> 00:06:34,542 They also have their hands in the political system, 107 00:06:34,542 --> 00:06:36,083 and basically the money that you're paying 108 00:06:36,083 --> 00:06:39,583 is going to the politicians or to the Greeks. 109 00:06:39,583 --> 00:06:42,042 The type of political corruption that we're seeing here 110 00:06:42,042 --> 00:06:44,375 is basically a pay to play. 111 00:06:44,375 --> 00:06:45,958 That any permit you want, 112 00:06:45,958 --> 00:06:47,708 if you can't quite meet the qualifications 113 00:06:47,708 --> 00:06:49,917 or especially if you want it done a little bit faster, 114 00:06:49,917 --> 00:06:54,125 you're gonna pay "X" amount of money to get the permits. 115 00:06:54,125 --> 00:06:57,333 Now that this has happened, our whole mission, 116 00:06:57,333 --> 00:06:59,375 our whole thing changes. 117 00:06:59,375 --> 00:07:01,583 So, drugs take a back seat. 118 00:07:01,583 --> 00:07:04,667 We've got a whole new focus now on the organized crime 119 00:07:04,667 --> 00:07:06,500 and political corruption. 120 00:07:09,583 --> 00:07:13,125 My goal from this point forward is to continue to build 121 00:07:13,125 --> 00:07:16,000 that relationship with Marcos and the Greeks. 122 00:07:16,000 --> 00:07:18,125 Because this case is now political corruption 123 00:07:18,125 --> 00:07:21,750 and organized crime, it becomes strictly an FBI case. 124 00:07:22,458 --> 00:07:24,042 So, while I'm maintaining status quo, 125 00:07:24,042 --> 00:07:25,583 keeping the relationship up, 126 00:07:25,583 --> 00:07:28,750 the FBI is looking for the undercover 127 00:07:28,750 --> 00:07:32,208 that's going to be my money man in the case. 128 00:07:32,208 --> 00:07:33,667 This money man will be the person 129 00:07:33,667 --> 00:07:35,208 who handles all my finances since I'm some 130 00:07:35,208 --> 00:07:38,042 playboy billionaire who runs around all the time. 131 00:07:38,042 --> 00:07:39,917 This will be the person that has all the money, 132 00:07:39,917 --> 00:07:44,375 that makes the decisions so that I can be weeded out of the case 133 00:07:44,375 --> 00:07:47,542 and this person can take over from here. 134 00:07:47,542 --> 00:07:49,458 So, one night, Marcos and I go out, 135 00:07:49,458 --> 00:07:51,167 and right out the gate, he's not himself. 136 00:07:51,167 --> 00:07:56,292 Acting very funny, very, you know, quiet, weird questions. 137 00:07:56,292 --> 00:07:57,875 Something's definitely wrong. 138 00:07:57,875 --> 00:07:59,917 We go to a couple of places. He's hardly drinking. 139 00:07:59,917 --> 00:08:03,583 And we even call it a night early and go back to his place. 140 00:08:05,042 --> 00:08:09,417 As soon as he opens up the door, more red flags are going off. 141 00:08:09,417 --> 00:08:11,833 I've been in his condo numerous times before, 142 00:08:11,833 --> 00:08:15,625 and certain things are always the way they are in his room. 143 00:08:15,625 --> 00:08:17,542 All the lights are always on. I swear he doesn't believe 144 00:08:17,542 --> 00:08:19,208 in turning lights off no matter what. 145 00:08:19,208 --> 00:08:21,083 And all doors are always open. 146 00:08:21,083 --> 00:08:22,625 Well, he opens the door, 147 00:08:22,625 --> 00:08:27,125 I walk in, it's pitch black, all lights are off. 148 00:08:27,833 --> 00:08:30,083 And he then turns the kitchen light on. 149 00:08:30,083 --> 00:08:32,083 All doors are shut. 150 00:08:32,083 --> 00:08:35,000 He says, "Go have a seat on the couch." 151 00:08:35,000 --> 00:08:40,042 We're talking, and Marcos, now he's asking me, 152 00:08:40,042 --> 00:08:41,542 where are you from again? 153 00:08:41,542 --> 00:08:43,042 How old are you? 154 00:08:43,042 --> 00:08:45,708 How much money is in your bank account? 155 00:08:45,708 --> 00:08:47,708 What have you invested in? 156 00:08:47,708 --> 00:08:50,083 Where have you been the last 10 years? 157 00:08:50,083 --> 00:08:54,125 All of these type questions over, asking them different ways 158 00:08:54,125 --> 00:08:56,750 over and over and over. 159 00:08:58,250 --> 00:09:02,292 Obviously, something's not right. 160 00:09:02,292 --> 00:09:05,583 Am I burned? Does he know who I am? 161 00:09:05,583 --> 00:09:09,083 Did I say something wrong that gave me away, 162 00:09:09,083 --> 00:09:10,792 and how bad is it? 163 00:09:10,792 --> 00:09:14,042 Is it recoverable, if something's wrong, 164 00:09:14,042 --> 00:09:19,000 or am I just buying time until something really bad happens? 165 00:09:20,042 --> 00:09:21,708 In undercover, you're taught from the very beginning 166 00:09:21,708 --> 00:09:24,042 you always are armed, always have your gun on you. 167 00:09:24,042 --> 00:09:26,708 Most drug deals, that's fine. They have one, I can have one. 168 00:09:26,708 --> 00:09:29,875 During this case, I was never able to be armed. 169 00:09:29,875 --> 00:09:32,542 I know Marcos is armed. I know he has a gun. 170 00:09:32,542 --> 00:09:34,167 I don't know if he has it on him, 171 00:09:34,167 --> 00:09:35,875 but I know he has a gun. 172 00:09:35,875 --> 00:09:37,875 I don't have any self-defense. 173 00:09:37,875 --> 00:09:40,500 Maybe I could try to run out to his kitchen to grab a knife. 174 00:09:40,500 --> 00:09:43,458 But I've got nothing. 175 00:09:43,458 --> 00:09:45,625 So, this conversation with Marcos is not 176 00:09:45,625 --> 00:09:47,208 a quick conversation. 177 00:09:47,208 --> 00:09:49,042 I've now been talking to him for four hours, 178 00:09:49,042 --> 00:09:52,875 and we're not talking four hours with 400 different questions. 179 00:09:52,875 --> 00:09:55,208 It's four hours with really maybe 180 00:09:55,208 --> 00:09:57,000 10 questions or 20 questions. 181 00:09:57,000 --> 00:09:59,708 It's now 2:30, 3:00 in the morning, 182 00:09:59,708 --> 00:10:02,125 and he's still asking me the same questions 183 00:10:02,125 --> 00:10:03,875 over and over again. 184 00:10:03,875 --> 00:10:05,708 The reason I'm here is because of the wild cover story 185 00:10:05,708 --> 00:10:07,375 I made about being a billionaire. 186 00:10:07,375 --> 00:10:10,917 And it worked well for me up until this very moment. 187 00:10:12,875 --> 00:10:15,417 And now this may be the same cover story that costs 188 00:10:15,417 --> 00:10:17,333 me my life and that you're going to read in a textbook later 189 00:10:17,333 --> 00:10:19,125 why you don't do it. 190 00:10:19,125 --> 00:10:21,583 Occasionally, he's getting texts on his phone, 191 00:10:21,583 --> 00:10:23,375 and he gets up and he goes -- 192 00:10:23,375 --> 00:10:24,458 Doesn't even really say anything. 193 00:10:24,458 --> 00:10:25,875 Just goes into the room, 194 00:10:25,875 --> 00:10:28,250 and shuts the bedroom door behind him, 195 00:10:28,250 --> 00:10:29,792 In there for a couple minutes, comes back out, 196 00:10:29,792 --> 00:10:32,042 shuts the door right behind him. 197 00:10:32,042 --> 00:10:35,458 So I know Marcos is going to visit people in that room. 198 00:10:36,333 --> 00:10:38,500 The question is, why are there people in that room, 199 00:10:38,500 --> 00:10:40,667 and what is their purpose? 200 00:10:40,667 --> 00:10:42,708 They're just there to listen, 201 00:10:42,708 --> 00:10:45,042 and if something goes wrong with what they're hearing, 202 00:10:45,042 --> 00:10:47,917 or if they already believe that I'm not who I say I am, 203 00:10:47,917 --> 00:10:50,667 I'm going off the balcony, it's over. 204 00:10:57,917 --> 00:10:59,583 -This is a bad moment. 205 00:10:59,583 --> 00:11:01,917 Lots of things could go wrong at this point. 206 00:11:01,917 --> 00:11:05,375 And this is a situation where if I'm caught here, 207 00:11:05,375 --> 00:11:06,542 I'm not getting out of here. 208 00:11:06,542 --> 00:11:08,583 That's a guarantee. 209 00:11:08,583 --> 00:11:11,417 -Detective Pitcher believes his cover may have been blown 210 00:11:11,417 --> 00:11:12,875 with the Greek mafia, 211 00:11:12,875 --> 00:11:15,708 but with no weapon and no cover team, 212 00:11:15,708 --> 00:11:18,458 he has little choice but to wait it out. 213 00:11:18,458 --> 00:11:22,792 It's now 7:00 in the morning. It's daylight out. 214 00:11:22,792 --> 00:11:26,667 Marcos finally says, "All right, I'll be in contact later." 215 00:11:26,667 --> 00:11:29,500 Why don't you head home." 216 00:11:29,500 --> 00:11:31,208 That's all he says. 217 00:11:31,208 --> 00:11:33,875 Nothing, no, "Hey, alright, well, this was a great night." 218 00:11:33,875 --> 00:11:38,542 Nothing like that, just, "I'll be in contact later." 219 00:11:38,542 --> 00:11:41,542 I leave Marcos, leaving his door, 220 00:11:41,542 --> 00:11:42,792 walking down into the basement, 221 00:11:42,792 --> 00:11:44,667 like to the parking deck basement, 222 00:11:44,667 --> 00:11:46,875 I didn't feel comfortable. 223 00:11:46,875 --> 00:11:51,042 For all I knew, I start the car, and boom, it blows up. 224 00:11:51,042 --> 00:11:54,542 You don't have a sense of freedom until that gate goes up 225 00:11:54,542 --> 00:11:56,958 and you're literally pulling out. 226 00:11:58,542 --> 00:12:01,417 [ Car beeps, engine starts ] 227 00:12:08,500 --> 00:12:12,333 And so, you know, get out there and just driving. 228 00:12:12,333 --> 00:12:16,250 The entire drive, I'm replaying over and over in my head, 229 00:12:16,250 --> 00:12:17,792 "Where did I mess up?" 230 00:12:17,792 --> 00:12:21,250 Like, I had no impression from leaving Marcos 231 00:12:21,250 --> 00:12:24,417 one way or another about where I stood. 232 00:12:26,792 --> 00:12:32,625 A couple of hours later, Marcos calls me, 233 00:12:32,625 --> 00:12:37,875 and Marcos is back to Marcos. 234 00:12:37,875 --> 00:12:40,042 He sounds very happy, 235 00:12:40,042 --> 00:12:42,000 and he's like, "We are good to go. 236 00:12:42,000 --> 00:12:45,083 We can start on these clubs and the mafia has got our back." 237 00:12:45,083 --> 00:12:47,958 When I had that conversation with him, it was one of those... 238 00:12:47,958 --> 00:12:49,958 [ Exhales deeply ] 239 00:12:49,958 --> 00:12:53,292 Like just a total deep breath and a sense of accomplishment, 240 00:12:53,292 --> 00:12:56,083 to be honest, that I think I did it. 241 00:12:57,833 --> 00:13:00,042 Now, the FBI has an undercover agent, Doug, 242 00:13:00,042 --> 00:13:03,500 and he is now my money guy moving forward. 243 00:13:03,500 --> 00:13:06,000 What the FBI is doing now is the same thing I did, 244 00:13:06,000 --> 00:13:07,708 only this time with political corruption. 245 00:13:07,708 --> 00:13:10,375 They are working it to get to the highest level they can get. 246 00:13:39,250 --> 00:13:42,583 In the video, you'll see Doug, my money guy, 247 00:13:42,583 --> 00:13:44,917 bribing the mayor to get the permits pushed through 248 00:13:44,917 --> 00:13:46,417 where they shouldn't have gone through. 249 00:13:53,917 --> 00:13:56,250 So, this whole case started with a stripper 250 00:13:56,250 --> 00:13:58,417 and a very small amount of cocaine, 251 00:13:58,417 --> 00:14:00,042 and over the five years, 252 00:14:00,042 --> 00:14:02,333 ended with the mayor of Charlotte, North Carolina, 253 00:14:02,333 --> 00:14:03,625 being arrested. 254 00:14:03,625 --> 00:14:06,375 -On March 26th, Cannon was arrested. 255 00:14:06,375 --> 00:14:08,333 Word of mayor Patrick Cannon's arrest 256 00:14:08,333 --> 00:14:11,250 for taking a bribe spread quickly across all news 257 00:14:11,250 --> 00:14:12,875 and media outlets. 258 00:14:12,875 --> 00:14:15,542 The most damaging video is of Cannon 259 00:14:15,542 --> 00:14:19,208 in the mayor's office taking a $20,000 bribe 260 00:14:19,208 --> 00:14:23,042 with the undercover operative promising there would be more. 261 00:14:23,042 --> 00:14:27,167 -And just a day later, Cannon resigned from his position. 262 00:14:27,167 --> 00:14:30,417 I'm meeting with my general supervisor, and my phone rings. 263 00:14:30,417 --> 00:14:33,042 I recognize the number. I pick it up. Hello? 264 00:14:33,042 --> 00:14:35,042 It's the case agent, and he says, 265 00:14:35,042 --> 00:14:36,458 "Hey, I just want to let you know, 266 00:14:36,458 --> 00:14:38,125 I got some really good news. 267 00:14:38,125 --> 00:14:40,000 We just arrested the mayor. 268 00:14:40,000 --> 00:14:41,875 We let your chief know what an outstanding job you did 269 00:14:41,875 --> 00:14:43,542 and that this was your case. 270 00:14:43,542 --> 00:14:47,833 The mayor was arrested for wire fraud, bribery, and theft. 271 00:14:47,833 --> 00:14:50,250 He pled guilty to the wire fraud 272 00:14:50,250 --> 00:14:54,458 and was sentenced to 44 months in federal prison. 273 00:14:54,458 --> 00:14:56,125 He served 22 months, 274 00:14:56,125 --> 00:14:59,208 and even upon getting out decided to run for office again. 275 00:14:59,208 --> 00:15:01,875 Unfortunately for him, he lost. 276 00:15:01,875 --> 00:15:03,167 So, now, when I think back about the case 277 00:15:03,167 --> 00:15:04,875 and I look at everything, 278 00:15:04,875 --> 00:15:06,667 there's a definite sense of pride and I'm glad. 279 00:15:06,667 --> 00:15:08,375 I would do it all over again. 280 00:15:08,375 --> 00:15:11,792 It was obviously very difficult, but the good that came out of it 281 00:15:11,792 --> 00:15:14,125 makes the hard times worth it. 282 00:15:16,833 --> 00:15:19,458 -Coming up... 283 00:15:30,792 --> 00:15:33,042 -Violence is always a part of it. 284 00:15:33,042 --> 00:15:35,042 You can get shot, you can get stabbed. 285 00:15:35,042 --> 00:15:37,042 You can end up dead immediately. 286 00:15:37,042 --> 00:15:39,292 You can end up in a really brutal fight, 287 00:15:39,292 --> 00:15:41,250 you need to find a way to escape. 288 00:15:49,583 --> 00:15:52,375 Ralph Colvard is a very dangerous, greedy man. 289 00:15:52,375 --> 00:15:56,167 He didn't have any regard for anyone else's safety. 290 00:15:56,167 --> 00:15:57,917 He just wanted to get rich quick. 291 00:15:57,917 --> 00:16:00,083 That was his ultimate plan. 292 00:16:00,083 --> 00:16:02,833 His idea is for me to kill somebody 293 00:16:02,833 --> 00:16:07,083 so he can marry a woman who has Alzheimers 294 00:16:07,083 --> 00:16:12,125 and then he controls her fate as to how long she lives. 295 00:16:12,125 --> 00:16:14,375 Kind of make the little hairs curl up on the back of 296 00:16:14,375 --> 00:16:16,542 your neck, because, you know, 297 00:16:16,542 --> 00:16:18,917 I'm sitting here with somebody who's evil. 298 00:16:25,417 --> 00:16:28,125 -First time I heard of Ralph Colvard 299 00:16:28,125 --> 00:16:32,083 was February 6, 1993, on a Saturday. 300 00:16:32,083 --> 00:16:34,458 It was a kind of cold and wintery day. 301 00:16:34,458 --> 00:16:37,417 I was working with my horse up at a barn I kept him at. 302 00:16:37,417 --> 00:16:38,542 And I get a page. 303 00:16:38,542 --> 00:16:39,750 [ Beeping ] 304 00:16:39,750 --> 00:16:41,292 I know it's a local phone number, 305 00:16:41,292 --> 00:16:43,750 but then at the end of it is 99. 306 00:16:43,750 --> 00:16:44,958 And I know that that's Gary Baker. 307 00:16:44,958 --> 00:16:47,542 He's my informant. 308 00:16:47,542 --> 00:16:49,125 Gary Baker wasn't like a lot of the informants 309 00:16:49,125 --> 00:16:50,792 that I worked with. 310 00:16:50,792 --> 00:16:53,292 He wasn't trying to work off any criminal charges. 311 00:16:53,292 --> 00:16:56,208 He was just doing it because he wanted to do it. 312 00:16:56,208 --> 00:16:59,083 When Gary called you, he had something. 313 00:16:59,083 --> 00:17:02,125 And so I used the barn phone to call him back. 314 00:17:02,125 --> 00:17:03,458 So I was like... 315 00:17:03,458 --> 00:17:04,917 "What's up Gary?" 316 00:17:04,917 --> 00:17:08,042 He says, "Hey, Jenn. I'm here with Ralph." 317 00:17:08,042 --> 00:17:11,083 -And he's looking for somebody to do him a favor, 318 00:17:11,083 --> 00:17:14,250 so I thought I'd talk to you about it. 319 00:17:14,250 --> 00:17:15,833 -"Okay. What do you need?" 320 00:17:15,833 --> 00:17:18,417 "Well, he's looking for somebody to do a hit for him. 321 00:17:18,417 --> 00:17:20,167 He's got to get rid of somebody." 322 00:17:20,167 --> 00:17:22,542 -There's some money in it if you're interested. 323 00:17:22,542 --> 00:17:25,125 -The first thoughts are, "This is serious. 324 00:17:25,125 --> 00:17:26,875 There's a life on the line some place, 325 00:17:26,875 --> 00:17:31,208 and we need to find out everything as fast as we can, 326 00:17:31,208 --> 00:17:32,958 but I need to do this by the book. 327 00:17:32,958 --> 00:17:36,042 I need to get this recorded." 328 00:17:36,042 --> 00:17:38,083 I'm like, "You know how those things go, Gary. 329 00:17:38,083 --> 00:17:39,708 We can work it out, but I don't want to talk 330 00:17:39,708 --> 00:17:42,583 on the telephone, but I would like to speak to him." 331 00:17:42,583 --> 00:17:44,250 -Well, that would be great 332 00:17:44,250 --> 00:17:48,500 because he wants to talk to you, as well. 333 00:17:48,917 --> 00:17:50,375 -He put Ralph on the phone with me, 334 00:17:50,375 --> 00:17:53,375 and we spoke for about 15 seconds, just talking. 335 00:17:53,375 --> 00:17:56,667 And I told him that I'd be glad to get up with him. 336 00:17:56,667 --> 00:17:58,250 He said, "Well, that would be really good. 337 00:17:58,250 --> 00:18:00,208 I really need you to help me with this favor 338 00:18:00,208 --> 00:18:02,458 and Gary recommends you highly." 339 00:18:02,458 --> 00:18:04,375 I said, "Okay." 340 00:18:04,375 --> 00:18:06,208 I said, "Well, we can talk, but let's not talk on the phone." 341 00:18:06,208 --> 00:18:08,625 Immediately after getting off the phone, 342 00:18:08,625 --> 00:18:11,042 I have to call my supervisor at the time 343 00:18:11,042 --> 00:18:12,917 and let him know what's happened, 344 00:18:12,917 --> 00:18:14,667 and we have to get on this right away. 345 00:18:14,667 --> 00:18:17,000 You can't delay it. 346 00:18:17,417 --> 00:18:20,458 Saturday, February the 13th, 1993, 347 00:18:20,458 --> 00:18:24,333 I'm to meet Ralph Colvard for the very first time. 348 00:18:24,333 --> 00:18:26,042 I needed to meet this person. 349 00:18:26,042 --> 00:18:27,750 I needed to make sure this was something 350 00:18:27,750 --> 00:18:29,708 he really wanted to do. 351 00:18:29,708 --> 00:18:32,042 When I got to the restaurant and walked in, 352 00:18:32,042 --> 00:18:36,917 there was Gary and there was Ralph Colvard. 353 00:18:36,917 --> 00:18:38,458 After we finished dinner, 354 00:18:38,458 --> 00:18:41,125 I noticed that they had a little alcove 355 00:18:41,125 --> 00:18:43,083 in the restaurant that nobody was in. 356 00:18:43,083 --> 00:18:45,042 We went back in that area because it was away 357 00:18:45,042 --> 00:18:47,708 from all the diners and it was quiet. 358 00:18:47,708 --> 00:18:50,375 -What you are about to hear is the actual audio 359 00:18:50,375 --> 00:18:52,708 recorded during this meeting. 360 00:19:30,542 --> 00:19:33,708 -The creepiest thing that Ralph Colvard ever said to me 361 00:19:33,708 --> 00:19:39,292 when we were talking, it was his talk about Virgil Adams' wife. 362 00:19:39,292 --> 00:19:42,833 He started telling me how Mrs. Adams, Nelly Adams, 363 00:19:42,833 --> 00:19:45,000 was the love of his life 364 00:19:45,000 --> 00:19:47,417 and she'd been his school teacher 365 00:19:47,417 --> 00:19:51,250 and that he needed me to get rid of Virgil Adams 366 00:19:51,250 --> 00:19:55,500 so that he could move in with her and marry her 367 00:19:55,500 --> 00:19:59,208 because she had Alzheimer's and he needed to look after her 368 00:19:59,208 --> 00:20:03,542 because she had land worth a million dollars. 369 00:20:03,542 --> 00:20:06,917 This had nothing to do with love. 370 00:20:06,917 --> 00:20:09,375 This is about greed. 371 00:20:09,375 --> 00:20:11,625 When he told me he was in love with that woman, 372 00:20:11,625 --> 00:20:14,375 I wanted to puke. 373 00:20:14,375 --> 00:20:17,375 His idea is for me to kill somebody 374 00:20:17,375 --> 00:20:21,375 so he can marry a woman who has Alzheimer's 375 00:20:21,375 --> 00:20:25,125 that can't make her own decisions anymore. 376 00:20:25,125 --> 00:20:27,333 And then once he pulls that off, 377 00:20:27,333 --> 00:20:31,583 he has advantage of all of her wealth, 378 00:20:31,583 --> 00:20:36,375 and then he controls her fate as to how long she lives. 379 00:20:36,375 --> 00:20:37,833 That's how you know 380 00:20:37,833 --> 00:20:40,708 Ralph Colvard is a very dangerous criminal 381 00:20:40,708 --> 00:20:46,208 and very scary, because he smiled through all of that. 382 00:20:47,708 --> 00:20:50,250 Just kind of make the little hairs 383 00:20:50,250 --> 00:20:52,875 crawl up on the back of your neck. 384 00:20:55,833 --> 00:20:58,125 He hands me a magazine 385 00:20:58,125 --> 00:21:01,542 that's got a heart on it for Valentine's 386 00:21:01,542 --> 00:21:04,125 'cause this is February 13th, a Saturday. 387 00:21:04,125 --> 00:21:05,917 I happen to notice on it 388 00:21:05,917 --> 00:21:10,000 that it's got Ralph Colvard's name and his address on it. 389 00:21:10,000 --> 00:21:12,042 So I thought, "Well, that'd be a good piece of evidence 390 00:21:12,042 --> 00:21:14,500 to hold on to if he lets me keep it." 391 00:21:16,292 --> 00:21:22,708 He's got a hand-drawn map inside the magazine. 392 00:21:22,708 --> 00:21:26,375 It's on white paper, but he's drawn where things are located. 393 00:21:39,917 --> 00:21:45,625 And it is a map to the home of Virgil and Nelly Adams. 394 00:21:45,625 --> 00:21:49,667 So I was like, "Okay, Ralph, you've got plans." 395 00:22:12,792 --> 00:22:15,708 I'm looking for him to see if he's going to change his mind. 396 00:22:15,708 --> 00:22:18,375 At some point here, this guy is going to say, 397 00:22:18,375 --> 00:22:20,500 "You know what? This is a bad idea. 398 00:22:20,500 --> 00:22:22,208 I've made a foolish mistake here. 399 00:22:22,208 --> 00:22:23,667 I don't want to do this." 400 00:22:23,667 --> 00:22:25,292 He doesn't. 401 00:22:44,000 --> 00:22:45,708 $200 cash. 402 00:22:45,708 --> 00:22:48,000 That's a down payment towards what he owes. 403 00:22:48,000 --> 00:22:50,833 Then we start talking about what he wants done. 404 00:22:50,833 --> 00:22:53,083 He just wants him gone. He wants him killed. 405 00:22:59,375 --> 00:23:02,458 "I'm not physically strong enough for that. No." 406 00:23:06,375 --> 00:23:10,375 And then he's asking me about using a needle 407 00:23:10,375 --> 00:23:13,458 to inject this person with, to kill him. 408 00:23:43,708 --> 00:23:47,667 I want to know if he's willing to supply me with a firearm, 409 00:23:47,667 --> 00:23:50,792 and, uh, he agrees that he will supply a firearm. 410 00:24:05,792 --> 00:24:07,750 Ralph agreed that the next time 411 00:24:07,750 --> 00:24:11,792 he saw me, he would bring to me, the gun, the silencer, 412 00:24:11,792 --> 00:24:14,708 and the $1,300 that he owed on the down payment. 413 00:24:14,708 --> 00:24:17,417 He gave me the map, he gave me the money. 414 00:24:17,417 --> 00:24:20,042 I had a name of a victim. 415 00:24:20,042 --> 00:24:21,458 There's elements of a crime, 416 00:24:21,458 --> 00:24:24,417 and he was completing all the elements. 417 00:24:24,417 --> 00:24:26,333 We have to get moving quickly. 418 00:24:26,333 --> 00:24:28,542 It has to be done fast. 419 00:24:36,083 --> 00:24:38,042 -Ralph and I agreed to meet on March 2, 1993. 420 00:24:38,042 --> 00:24:40,250 We meet up at a restaurant parking lot 421 00:24:40,250 --> 00:24:42,042 in Abingdon, Virginia. 422 00:24:42,042 --> 00:24:44,917 We have decided that this is the day we're going to arrest 423 00:24:44,917 --> 00:24:46,583 and take him down. 424 00:24:50,708 --> 00:24:53,333 -Although Jenn knew she had enough evidence to convict 425 00:24:53,333 --> 00:24:54,875 on the murder-for-hire, 426 00:24:54,875 --> 00:24:58,750 she wanted to meet with Ralph one last time to see 427 00:24:58,750 --> 00:25:03,375 if he would provide the gun, silencer, and remaining cash. 428 00:25:04,083 --> 00:25:06,708 -I told him I was coming from my horse barn. 429 00:25:06,708 --> 00:25:09,208 What I did was I had put on coveralls 430 00:25:09,208 --> 00:25:10,708 like I'd been at the horse barn, 431 00:25:10,708 --> 00:25:13,333 but underneath that, I had a ballistic vest. 432 00:25:13,333 --> 00:25:15,375 I have a cover team that's ready to do 433 00:25:15,375 --> 00:25:17,833 the take down of his arrest. 434 00:25:19,542 --> 00:25:22,042 Ralph drives in, he parks in front. 435 00:25:22,042 --> 00:25:26,250 He's probably about 30 or 40 feet, and I see Ralph, 436 00:25:26,250 --> 00:25:27,750 and I go up to talk to him. 437 00:25:32,042 --> 00:25:34,708 He wanted me to get inside and sit down. 438 00:25:34,708 --> 00:25:38,375 I'm sitting in Ralph's car, and I'm looking around, 439 00:25:38,375 --> 00:25:40,458 and I see down next to his right hand, 440 00:25:40,458 --> 00:25:44,875 there's a Bowie knife, a sickle blade. 441 00:25:44,875 --> 00:25:47,792 And there's a -- Then he's got a hatchet. 442 00:25:47,792 --> 00:25:51,542 And I'm just thinking, "Oh, this is -- this is not good." 443 00:25:51,542 --> 00:25:53,917 If Ralph reaches for one of those blades, 444 00:25:53,917 --> 00:25:56,833 I have got to get distance between me and him. 445 00:25:56,833 --> 00:25:58,625 I don't have time to shoot him, 446 00:25:58,625 --> 00:26:01,583 and my team doesn't have time to react. 447 00:26:01,583 --> 00:26:04,875 I got to have an escape route, I got to survive this. 448 00:26:04,875 --> 00:26:07,708 I'm kind of watching his hands and watching what he's doing, 449 00:26:07,708 --> 00:26:10,875 but he doesn't make any move towards those items. 450 00:26:20,292 --> 00:26:23,042 He could easily have the gun. He could just be testing me. 451 00:26:23,042 --> 00:26:26,708 The next thing I want to ask him is about the rest of my money. 452 00:26:26,708 --> 00:26:30,042 He still owes me $1,300 on the $1,500 down payment. 453 00:26:30,042 --> 00:26:31,958 And Ralph said he didn't have it right then, 454 00:26:31,958 --> 00:26:35,042 but that he expected to have it in the next couple of days. 455 00:26:35,042 --> 00:26:37,958 It also gave Ralph that chance if he wanted to say, 456 00:26:37,958 --> 00:26:40,667 "I changed my mind, I don't want to do this." 457 00:26:40,667 --> 00:26:42,875 He didn't. 458 00:26:42,875 --> 00:26:44,625 Ralph wants to know if we can go to lunch, 459 00:26:44,625 --> 00:26:46,292 but he wants to go down to Bristol. 460 00:26:46,292 --> 00:26:48,792 He says he doesn't want to eat at the restaurant we're at. 461 00:26:54,417 --> 00:26:56,750 I was like, "Yes, sure. We can go down to Bristol, Ralph. 462 00:26:56,750 --> 00:26:59,125 I just need to go out and change my coveralls." 463 00:27:07,125 --> 00:27:10,375 -Unable to collect the gun Ralph was to provide, 464 00:27:10,375 --> 00:27:11,958 Jenn just needs to get herself 465 00:27:11,958 --> 00:27:14,708 out of harm's way as soon as possible. 466 00:27:14,708 --> 00:27:17,542 -All I really want to do is get out of the vehicle. 467 00:27:17,542 --> 00:27:19,875 You have no idea what's in his head. 468 00:27:19,875 --> 00:27:23,333 We know he has a plan for somebody to be dead. 469 00:27:23,333 --> 00:27:26,250 Would he have a problem with killing anybody else? 470 00:27:28,042 --> 00:27:30,375 So I start to get out of the car. 471 00:27:30,375 --> 00:27:32,375 The adrenaline is pumping. 472 00:27:32,375 --> 00:27:33,833 For that last little second, 473 00:27:33,833 --> 00:27:35,750 when you're turning to get out of the car, 474 00:27:35,750 --> 00:27:38,292 "I really hope he doesn't stab me in the back 475 00:27:38,292 --> 00:27:40,125 as I get out of here." 476 00:27:44,292 --> 00:27:45,667 I get to my car. 477 00:27:45,667 --> 00:27:47,000 As I open the door... 478 00:27:47,000 --> 00:27:48,583 -Go, go, go, go! -...the takedown team, 479 00:27:48,583 --> 00:27:51,417 those guys are doing what they should. 480 00:27:51,417 --> 00:27:54,458 They try to get him to open the door to his car, 481 00:27:54,458 --> 00:27:56,833 and he wouldn't get out, 482 00:27:56,833 --> 00:27:59,583 and they used a baseball bat to break the back window 483 00:27:59,583 --> 00:28:02,167 so they could reach in and get his car unlocked 484 00:28:02,167 --> 00:28:03,917 and get him out. 485 00:28:05,375 --> 00:28:07,542 Next thing you know, Ralph is out on the ground 486 00:28:07,542 --> 00:28:11,292 and being handcuffed and told that he's being arrested 487 00:28:11,292 --> 00:28:15,375 for the federal charges of solicitation to commit homicide. 488 00:28:15,750 --> 00:28:20,625 The trial took place in late July of 1993. 489 00:28:20,625 --> 00:28:25,125 The jury ended up meeting for about 4 hours and 20 minutes. 490 00:28:25,125 --> 00:28:28,375 When they came back, they had found him guilty on both counts. 491 00:28:28,375 --> 00:28:30,042 -Ralph Colvard was charged 492 00:28:30,042 --> 00:28:32,750 and convicted of use of interstate commerce facilities 493 00:28:32,750 --> 00:28:34,833 in the commission of murder-for-hire 494 00:28:34,833 --> 00:28:37,875 and racketeering with intent to murder. 495 00:28:37,875 --> 00:28:40,792 He was sentenced to 11 years in prison. 496 00:28:40,792 --> 00:28:43,625 -I thought the sentencing was very appropriate. 497 00:28:43,625 --> 00:28:46,333 He was 64 years old at that point. 498 00:28:46,333 --> 00:28:49,792 very close to being the rest of his life. 499 00:28:49,792 --> 00:28:52,667 After we made the arrest of Ralph Colvard, 500 00:28:52,667 --> 00:28:54,333 fellows over in North Carolina went over 501 00:28:54,333 --> 00:28:58,875 and visited with Virgil Adams in his home 502 00:28:58,875 --> 00:29:03,292 and told him about what had taken place and about me. 503 00:29:03,292 --> 00:29:06,292 And Virgil sent me some Polaroid pictures 504 00:29:06,292 --> 00:29:09,375 so that I could see what he looked like and know who he was. 505 00:29:09,375 --> 00:29:12,000 And also his pet bird. 506 00:29:12,000 --> 00:29:16,792 He's got a very big, colorful, beautiful parrot named Fred. 507 00:29:16,792 --> 00:29:20,333 And thanked me for doing what I did, 508 00:29:20,333 --> 00:29:22,375 for taking care of him. 509 00:29:22,375 --> 00:29:24,375 I was in law enforcement for almost 33 years, 510 00:29:24,375 --> 00:29:29,000 and this is probably one of the better thank yous I ever got. 511 00:29:29,792 --> 00:29:31,125 -Coming up... 512 00:30:03,292 --> 00:30:06,208 -I went in that day thinking this is just going 513 00:30:06,208 --> 00:30:08,042 to be a gun deal. 514 00:30:16,042 --> 00:30:18,125 I had no idea it would turn into my worst nightmare. 515 00:30:22,458 --> 00:30:23,792 [ Siren wailing ] 516 00:30:29,375 --> 00:30:30,958 -People live in fear because of the violence 517 00:30:30,958 --> 00:30:32,583 associated with gangs. 518 00:30:32,583 --> 00:30:35,500 Murders, assaults, robberies. 519 00:30:35,500 --> 00:30:39,083 For these gangs, the most violent of them, 520 00:30:39,083 --> 00:30:42,375 they peddled with guns because that was 521 00:30:42,375 --> 00:30:44,208 their means of protection. 522 00:30:44,208 --> 00:30:48,583 That was their means of exerting authority to civilians 523 00:30:48,583 --> 00:30:52,208 and to other gang members. 524 00:30:52,208 --> 00:30:56,750 It's common for gangs to set up shop in housing projects 525 00:30:56,750 --> 00:30:59,333 because they keep the people in fear. 526 00:31:01,042 --> 00:31:04,500 It provides a level of protection and cover. 527 00:31:04,500 --> 00:31:09,875 It's hard to visibly observe the crimes being committed. 528 00:31:09,875 --> 00:31:12,083 And they use the structure of the building 529 00:31:12,083 --> 00:31:16,208 to shield themselves from law enforcement. 530 00:31:16,208 --> 00:31:20,292 The undercover is sent into those blind areas 531 00:31:20,292 --> 00:31:23,208 because one, we blend in, and two, 532 00:31:23,208 --> 00:31:25,667 we're trained enough to engage these people 533 00:31:25,667 --> 00:31:28,917 in some type of transaction one way or the other. 534 00:31:31,375 --> 00:31:33,000 My name is Carlos James. 535 00:31:33,000 --> 00:31:34,333 I'm a lieutenant with 536 00:31:34,333 --> 00:31:36,292 the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office. 537 00:31:36,292 --> 00:31:39,958 I worked as an undercover total for approximately 16 years, 538 00:31:39,958 --> 00:31:43,667 and I spent one year in NYPD as an undercover. 539 00:31:44,208 --> 00:31:48,417 You know going into it, these people are violent. 540 00:31:48,417 --> 00:31:49,792 They have weapons. 541 00:31:49,792 --> 00:31:53,042 They are not interested in anything 542 00:31:53,042 --> 00:31:56,250 but preserving the integrity of their gang. 543 00:31:56,250 --> 00:31:58,375 At that time, there was one particular gang 544 00:31:58,375 --> 00:32:02,083 that took over Marlboro Houses in Brooklyn, New York, 545 00:32:02,083 --> 00:32:06,000 and made life difficult for the citizens there. 546 00:32:06,000 --> 00:32:08,458 When I got involved in the Marlboro Houses case, 547 00:32:08,458 --> 00:32:12,042 there was an undercover already assigned. 548 00:32:12,042 --> 00:32:17,167 I was there as his muscle and to watch my partner's back. 549 00:32:17,875 --> 00:32:22,375 Our story was that we were hustlers from the New York area. 550 00:32:22,375 --> 00:32:25,125 We bought things from Brooklyn, and then we took that 551 00:32:25,125 --> 00:32:28,042 to Connecticut and made more money off of it. 552 00:32:28,042 --> 00:32:29,708 We looked flashy. 553 00:32:29,708 --> 00:32:32,375 We had custom jewelry, we had the flyest sneakers, 554 00:32:32,375 --> 00:32:35,583 we had the best looking clothes, we had nice haircuts. 555 00:32:35,583 --> 00:32:38,208 You name it, we had it. 556 00:32:38,208 --> 00:32:41,292 We would do gun deals and other deals in Marlboro, 557 00:32:41,292 --> 00:32:45,042 but every time we went there, it wasn't always about buying. 558 00:32:45,042 --> 00:32:48,417 We wanted to just develop this rapport with the people 559 00:32:48,417 --> 00:32:51,708 so sometimes we would just go there just to hang out. 560 00:32:51,708 --> 00:32:54,167 -But Carlos never felt at ease, 561 00:32:54,167 --> 00:32:56,875 no matter how often they showed up. 562 00:32:56,875 --> 00:32:58,708 We knew we were being watched. 563 00:32:58,708 --> 00:33:01,875 First and foremost, even though we may have been dealing 564 00:33:01,875 --> 00:33:04,875 with two or three people at a time, 565 00:33:04,875 --> 00:33:08,000 there were at least 10 to 15 other people 566 00:33:08,000 --> 00:33:11,417 surrounding us in the area, watching us. 567 00:33:12,417 --> 00:33:16,292 Also, they were constant with trying to separate us. 568 00:33:16,292 --> 00:33:19,375 There were multiple times when they wanted my partner 569 00:33:19,375 --> 00:33:22,458 to just get up and leave, come deal with them. 570 00:33:22,458 --> 00:33:24,708 "Let's take a walk. I just want to talk to you." 571 00:33:24,708 --> 00:33:27,667 And the best way to rob two people is to separate, 572 00:33:27,667 --> 00:33:30,875 make them stand alone and isolate them, 573 00:33:30,875 --> 00:33:33,333 and then take advantage of that isolation. 574 00:33:35,000 --> 00:33:36,792 Looking back on it, 575 00:33:36,792 --> 00:33:40,083 they were just looking for an opportunity to take him out. 576 00:33:41,125 --> 00:33:42,958 When I started doing undercover work, 577 00:33:42,958 --> 00:33:45,333 I was married with two kids, two sons. 578 00:33:45,333 --> 00:33:47,667 My wife knew what I was doing at the time. 579 00:33:47,667 --> 00:33:50,708 She worried about me because of how I would get 580 00:33:50,708 --> 00:33:52,167 so involved in my character. 581 00:33:52,167 --> 00:33:54,042 That was something that she worried about. 582 00:33:54,042 --> 00:33:56,167 I think everybody thought it was too dangerous. 583 00:33:56,167 --> 00:33:58,542 -With two young children at home, 584 00:33:58,542 --> 00:34:03,083 Carlos' family and friends urged him to leave NYPD entirely 585 00:34:03,083 --> 00:34:06,292 and take a job that was offered to him in the gang unit 586 00:34:06,292 --> 00:34:08,375 in Bergen County, New Jersey. 587 00:34:08,375 --> 00:34:12,042 -I decided to go to Bergen County. 588 00:34:12,042 --> 00:34:15,042 It was like November when it became official. 589 00:34:15,042 --> 00:34:20,333 I knew my last day in NYPD was December 7th. 590 00:34:20,333 --> 00:34:22,958 I had personal days that I was supposed to use. 591 00:34:22,958 --> 00:34:25,500 I could've taken off December 7th, 592 00:34:25,500 --> 00:34:27,000 but they set up a gun buy on that day, 593 00:34:27,000 --> 00:34:28,250 and I was like, "I'm not taking off. 594 00:34:28,250 --> 00:34:30,792 I'm going to work." 595 00:34:30,792 --> 00:34:34,375 -Carlos and his partner had already made nearly 35 596 00:34:34,375 --> 00:34:37,917 drug and gun buys at the Marlboro Houses. 597 00:34:37,917 --> 00:34:40,708 This was to be their last buy together. 598 00:34:42,250 --> 00:34:44,750 -We drove up to the Marlboro Houses. 599 00:34:44,750 --> 00:34:47,500 It was still daylight out. 600 00:34:47,500 --> 00:34:53,375 I remember having my hooded coat, gray hooded coat. 601 00:34:53,375 --> 00:34:56,417 I exited my seat and went into the back seat, 602 00:34:56,417 --> 00:34:59,292 allowing for whoever was going to come out from the group 603 00:34:59,292 --> 00:35:00,875 to just jump into the front seat 604 00:35:00,875 --> 00:35:03,792 and deal with my partner, and boom, boom we're going to be 605 00:35:03,792 --> 00:35:06,000 out of there and done, 606 00:35:06,000 --> 00:35:09,375 which was the normal way that we operated. 607 00:35:09,375 --> 00:35:13,292 When we first pull up, the person walked up to the car 608 00:35:13,292 --> 00:35:17,208 and put his head in the window, looked in the back seat at me, 609 00:35:17,208 --> 00:35:20,208 said hello to me, and then said, "I'll be right back," 610 00:35:20,208 --> 00:35:22,625 and then left. 611 00:35:22,625 --> 00:35:26,458 His assignment was to deliver it to us, take the money, 612 00:35:26,458 --> 00:35:31,000 and give it to the person that he dealt with previously. 613 00:35:31,000 --> 00:35:34,417 This time, he didn't do that. 614 00:35:34,417 --> 00:35:36,083 We looked at each other, 615 00:35:36,083 --> 00:35:38,750 and we said, "Something's not right about this." 616 00:35:38,750 --> 00:35:41,542 We definitely let the team know. 617 00:35:41,542 --> 00:35:43,708 The field team are in unmarked cars. 618 00:35:43,708 --> 00:35:46,833 Everybody's within two blocks to three blocks away. 619 00:35:47,708 --> 00:35:51,375 Now the person in the building is telling, 620 00:35:51,375 --> 00:35:52,958 "Come into the building." 621 00:35:52,958 --> 00:35:55,583 At this point, we were not going to agree to this. 622 00:35:57,208 --> 00:35:58,750 So we wait a while, 623 00:35:58,750 --> 00:36:00,833 and it's still back and forth on the phone. 624 00:36:00,833 --> 00:36:04,000 The sergeant lets us know that time is wasting. 625 00:36:04,000 --> 00:36:05,750 They don't feel comfortable about it, 626 00:36:05,750 --> 00:36:07,375 but if we feel comfortable, 627 00:36:07,375 --> 00:36:09,542 we'll stick it through for a little while longer. 628 00:36:09,542 --> 00:36:13,542 The person who had the gun wanted to meet around the back 629 00:36:13,542 --> 00:36:15,917 to give the gun. 630 00:36:15,917 --> 00:36:20,458 We, of course, didn't feel comfortable with this, 631 00:36:20,458 --> 00:36:25,042 but we had to convince the sarge that we were okay doing it. 632 00:36:25,042 --> 00:36:26,625 Now it's dark. 633 00:36:26,625 --> 00:36:29,917 We agreed to go around to the back of the building. 634 00:36:29,917 --> 00:36:32,375 It is the back of a large building, 635 00:36:32,375 --> 00:36:37,750 with one door and a small grassy area. 636 00:36:37,750 --> 00:36:39,375 Light was terrible. 637 00:36:39,375 --> 00:36:43,708 There's literally nothing else behind there. 638 00:36:43,708 --> 00:36:47,208 That visual alone made us feel not safe. 639 00:36:47,208 --> 00:36:49,750 It really was uncomfortable. 640 00:36:49,750 --> 00:36:52,958 We knew something was not going right. 641 00:36:52,958 --> 00:36:54,917 But we also were there to make sure 642 00:36:54,917 --> 00:36:57,708 that we could finish this job. 643 00:36:57,708 --> 00:36:59,542 The one gun that you take off the street 644 00:36:59,542 --> 00:37:03,958 is one less gun that a civilian has to deal with. 645 00:37:05,417 --> 00:37:07,125 If it's in the four corners of the earth, 646 00:37:07,125 --> 00:37:10,375 we're going to go get that gun. 647 00:37:10,375 --> 00:37:14,542 The rear door at that time was open, 648 00:37:14,542 --> 00:37:16,875 and the light was on in the hallway 649 00:37:16,875 --> 00:37:23,208 so you could see the silhouette of a person back there waving, 650 00:37:23,208 --> 00:37:26,875 yelling to come from the car to the rear door. 651 00:37:26,875 --> 00:37:29,792 I told him, "Do not go into that building!" 652 00:37:36,542 --> 00:37:38,833 -He's yelling back at the guy, 653 00:37:38,833 --> 00:37:40,458 "Yo, I'm not going to go in the building. 654 00:37:40,458 --> 00:37:42,708 Come on out, let's go, I got to go." 655 00:37:42,708 --> 00:37:46,875 Eventually, they decide to meet half way. 656 00:37:46,875 --> 00:37:49,250 [ Car beeping ] 657 00:37:49,250 --> 00:37:52,333 I immediately took both guns out of my waistband. 658 00:37:52,333 --> 00:37:55,917 I carried two guns in my waistband. 659 00:37:55,917 --> 00:38:00,708 He's got the money in his hand, and he's counting the money 660 00:38:00,708 --> 00:38:04,542 but paying attention to this guy, 661 00:38:04,542 --> 00:38:08,042 and immediately puts the gun to his temple. 662 00:38:09,083 --> 00:38:11,500 As he's doing that, he throws the money up in the air, 663 00:38:11,500 --> 00:38:15,958 which is our distress signal for the field team. 664 00:38:16,542 --> 00:38:18,875 He started to wrestle the gun from the guy's hands. 665 00:38:18,875 --> 00:38:20,875 Couldn't get the gun away. 666 00:38:22,167 --> 00:38:25,458 The only way he could get out of the way was to go down. 667 00:38:25,458 --> 00:38:29,000 When he did that, I knew he knew I was there. 668 00:38:29,000 --> 00:38:31,542 So he gave me that look like, "Okay, go get him." 669 00:38:31,542 --> 00:38:34,375 Just that look on his face was telling me that, you know, 670 00:38:34,375 --> 00:38:37,625 "You got to do something now to get me out of this," 671 00:38:37,625 --> 00:38:41,750 And so I started to shoot at this person. 672 00:38:58,333 --> 00:38:59,708 We're talking about a shoot out 673 00:38:59,708 --> 00:39:03,208 in a very densely populated area of Brooklyn, 674 00:39:03,208 --> 00:39:05,542 and the residents of that area care, 675 00:39:05,542 --> 00:39:09,625 they care about the crime that affects them and their children. 676 00:39:09,625 --> 00:39:12,458 I'm pretty sure there were a lot of 911 calls going. 677 00:40:29,792 --> 00:40:34,292 We were the only description that got put over 911 radio. 678 00:40:34,292 --> 00:40:36,958 They just didn't know anything about us. 679 00:40:36,958 --> 00:40:38,708 Anything about us. 680 00:40:38,708 --> 00:40:41,042 We're just two guys with guns running in Brooklyn. 681 00:40:41,042 --> 00:40:42,125 [ Siren wailing ] 682 00:41:17,042 --> 00:41:18,667 [ Sirens wailing ] 683 00:41:18,667 --> 00:41:20,250 Thank goodness that our entire team 684 00:41:20,250 --> 00:41:22,042 knew we were back there. 685 00:41:22,042 --> 00:41:26,708 They got us, they made sure that we went to a place of safety. 686 00:41:26,708 --> 00:41:30,125 They made sure that we weren't hit with anything. 687 00:41:33,250 --> 00:41:35,625 All undercovers are accounted for. 688 00:41:35,625 --> 00:41:38,458 -Then the team pursued the shooter. 689 00:42:05,250 --> 00:42:07,042 They caught him that night. 690 00:42:07,042 --> 00:42:09,625 It just worked out that nobody was going to get hit that day 691 00:42:09,625 --> 00:42:11,083 because there were other things in place 692 00:42:11,083 --> 00:42:13,750 and the universe was moving the way it was. 693 00:42:17,750 --> 00:42:21,167 -Shamik Mitchell pled guilty to attempted murder, 694 00:42:21,167 --> 00:42:25,083 attempted robbery, and weapons possession. 695 00:42:25,083 --> 00:42:28,542 He was sentenced to eight years in prison. 696 00:42:28,542 --> 00:42:30,125 -If I had to do it all over again, 697 00:42:30,125 --> 00:42:32,500 I would do it exactly the same way. 698 00:42:34,250 --> 00:42:37,375 I do get emotional about it. 699 00:42:37,375 --> 00:42:39,208 Especially after the fact. 700 00:42:39,208 --> 00:42:42,125 We volunteered for this, and we know what it meant, 701 00:42:42,125 --> 00:42:43,750 and we're part of the team. 702 00:42:43,750 --> 00:42:46,167 That was our job on the team, was to be the ones 703 00:42:46,167 --> 00:42:48,958 on the front line going into these buildings, 704 00:42:48,958 --> 00:42:50,958 going into the basements and the rooftops 705 00:42:50,958 --> 00:42:54,958 and the back of the buildings to go get guns and go buy drugs 706 00:42:54,958 --> 00:42:59,125 and go deal with known hardened violent criminals. 707 00:42:59,125 --> 00:43:01,583 My job is to be there and have his back. 708 00:43:01,583 --> 00:43:03,708 I would give my life for my partner. 709 00:43:03,708 --> 00:43:06,292 It was okay then, and it's okay now. 710 00:43:06,292 --> 00:43:09,167 I wouldn't change anything. I really wouldn't.