Locked In with Ian Bick - I Was Shot & Paralyzed — Then Survived Arizona’s Most Dangerous Prisons | Ernie Leon

Episode Date: January 1, 2026

Ernie Leon shares a story of survival, violence, and redemption. Growing up in Arizona, Ernie fell into addiction and gang life at a young age, which led to an armed robbery conviction and time in the Arizona prison system. After getting into trouble behind the walls, he was sent to maximum-security prison, where survival became a daily battle. Following his release, tragedy struck when Ernie witnessed his brother get shot and killed, and Ernie himself was shot and paralyzed. Despite everything, he was later sent back to Arizona max prison on another armed robbery case. In this conversation, Ernie breaks down the realities of Arizona maximum-security prisons, the consequences of street life, and what it takes to keep going after losing everything. _____________________________________________ #PrisonSurvival #TrueCrimeStories #MaximumSecurityPrison #ArizonaPrison #LifeAfterPrison #SurvivalStory #PrisonLife #RedemptionStory _____________________________________________ Connect with Ernie Leon: YouTube Channel: @ErnieLeon-vh9eu Facebook: Ernie Leon Instagram: erni.eleon1983 TikTok: @ernie.leon07 _____________________________________________ Hosted, Executive Produced & Edited By Ian Bick: https://www.instagram.com/ian_bick/?hl=en https://ianbick.com/ Shop Locked In Merch: http://www.ianbick.com/shop _____________________________________________ Timestamps: 00:00 Intro: Ernie’s Life, Crime & Consequences 03:34 Growing Up in South Phoenix: Violence, Poverty & Survival 06:00 Family Trauma, Addiction & Early Warning Signs 09:17 Gang Life, Street Loyalty & Losing Loved Ones 13:13 First Prison Sentence: Entering the System 17:38 Racial Politics & Survival Inside Prison 22:00 Prison Gangs, Violence & Daily Threats 25:45 Life in Special Management Units (SMU) 30:36 Release From Prison, Family Pressure & Relapse 35:35 Trying to Save His Brother & Returning to the Streets 40:44 The Night Everything Changed: The Shooting 45:39 Aftermath of the Shooting: Loss, Paralysis & Trauma 50:07 Arrested Again: Facing the System Once More 54:48 Going Back to Prison While Paralyzed 01:01:41 Identity, Loyalty & Reality Behind Bars 01:07:02 Hitting Rock Bottom & Finding Faith 01:11:20 Getting Sober & Choosing a Different Life 01:14:34 Life After Prison: Recovery, Setbacks & Struggles 01:16:43 Lessons Learned & Advice to His Younger Self 01:17:38 Final Thoughts, Redemption & Closing Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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They kill my brother, shot him in the head, and then I get hit. How do you feel in that moment doing that? And I pulled it to his dome, you know, and I pelt him for all his goals. What's it like going in there paralyzed? I smashed dude in the bunks once they cut the light off. Ernie Leon grew up in Arizona, fell into gang life and addiction, and was sent to maximum security prison. Then everything got worse when he was shot, paralyzed, and sent back to an Arizona max security prison. Ernie, welcome to Lockton, man.

Thanks so much for coming out here. I thank you for having me in a man I really appreciate it man I love the name Ernie man man I don't know if I ever liked it but that was my dad's name man we just had an Ernie I think on the show a couple weeks ago man not this Ernie no no no no definitely a different Ernie but we appreciate you and your friends out there making the trip out here today actually those are my sons oh those are your sons oh I had no idea those are your sons yeah and they're pretty bigger to me oh that's so cool a little family trip very excited you know what I mean that's awesome yeah it's their first time I'm Yeah, the first time I ever really, you know, I miss a lot of their life, you know,

in and out of streets, you know, and out of prison. So it's a good time to actually do something with them. And I'm glad I bring them over here to meet you and all that because, you know, I'm actually spending more time with them, you know. That's awesome. Where are you from? I'm from South Phoenix originally born in Maricopa County. And, yeah, I'm from all over Phoenix, actually, because I lived all over the east, west, south.

You know. What was your upbringing like? Well, bringing, um, my mom and dad were, uh, pretty much heroin addicts. You know what I'm saying? And, uh, I believe there were good people before the drugs, but by the, by the time I was like growing up, you know, I grew up, um, with my grandmother at first. That's where I, I believe my dad had my mom at. But when my dad went back, went to prison when I was a little, little kid, you know,

she ended up moving into West Side CoFeld Projects, and that's on the west side of Phoenix. But, you know, she was already hooked on drugs because she was never at the house, you know what I'm saying? So early on, you know, I don't want to dive, like, so far into my whole life. But so we were at the CoFeld Projects, and then they call it CPS, Child Protection Services, came and got us, you know what I'm saying? because my sisters and then would always be asking the neighbors like,

hey, you guys got any food and stuff like that, you know what I mean? So one day they just came, the cops came and got us, took us. My aunt came and picked us up from Tucson. I'm actually from Phoenix, and then Tucson is like another part of Arizona. I'm pretty sure you know that. But I'm saying that's where I end up going for a little bit, you know, and then we end up leaving there going back to Phoenix. So my grandmother really raised me.

She raised all my cousins, you know, so. How many siblings were there? I want to say about like 13. There was 13 of you? Yeah, it was my uncle Pete, his three kids. My Tony's kids was three also, and then my dad's kids were five, so. So there were six in your family, direct. It was me.

Well, yeah, because my little brother Frankie died when he was born, yeah. So there was six. solo but um yeah it was a it was kind of it was a good upbringing but we were also poor you know I'm saying so like and then it was it was heavily gang infested in South Phoenix in the 90s you know I was a little kid I was only like 10 years old you know so in the beginning I just had to like learn while I was going that's just how I went like like when I was going to high school or in the hood I was getting junk and keep in mind I used to just be around with the breakdown and all that, because my homies were break dancers, so I started breakdancing, you know,

and to us, we weren't the tough kids right away, you know, so I had to learn to either adapt to that after breakdancing, because that didn't last that long, you know what I'm saying? So I kind of went, dropped out of high school, and then I went to a trade school. That's where I met their mother, my kids, you know what I'm saying? And I was just getting heavily involved in methamphetamines and drugs and all that. And, you know, after I graduated, you know, I did graduate, but. But I was still one foot in the street and trying to one foot trying to do the right thing, which didn't work. Were you getting into trouble at all in your teenage years before you left school?

Not like my brother and my sisters, you know. See, like my brother and my cousin Anthony, which they call him chops, he's doing a 25 sentence right now. He's already got 20 in. He's about to come home in two years. My cousin chops. But him and my sister were from my dad's gang. You know what I'm saying? They're from South Side 9th Street.

And, you know, my sister's about to get out in February. But, you know, they were the ones doing all the crazy stuff. Like, me, I was always in my room reading books. I was an avid reader, you know what I'm saying? I read a lot. You know what I mean? I used to read a lot of biographies and stuff. And, you know, I was real introvert.

You know what I mean? I wasn't really, like, out there. Like, I was cool with all the gangsters. You know what I'm saying? But I wasn't trying to be from a gang. I was like, man, what I want to be from somewhere where I got to listen to this dude and tell me, this dude got to tell me what to do, you know what I'm saying? So I was kind of like that, you know, so.

What were your aspirations? What do you want to be when you grew up? Did you want to go to college? Was that an option? Honestly, to tell you truth, I just wanted to have kids and move out the hood. You know what I mean? I thought like me, if I had a family, then, you know what I'm saying, that life would change. You know what I'm saying?

Because you got to understand. My grandma, she used to work at a hacienda right down the street, and she used to take care of disabled kids, you know what I'm saying? And it was hard for her because she was always in pain. You know what I mean? She got ran over by a drunk driver when I was real little, probably before I was born, maybe. And her, my aunt Alice got dragged for like 100 feet, you know what I mean, my grandma Martha. And basically, you know, she had no shins. But by the time I knew her, as my grandma, I knew her as a strong woman because she didn't,

She didn't cry or, like, throw a pity party or nothing like that. You know what I mean? She was real, real strong. She hated drugs because my dad didn't know were on drugs, you know. But she was very against that. And, you know, she loved, she was the type of person that she'll take care of other people's kids around the neighborhood. You know what I'm saying? So my grandma was, I was like my mom's.

You know what I mean? Since my mom was a heroin addict and left us hanging, you know, my grandma's was my mom's. That's how I looked at it. And then when my real moms would try to come around, you know, I mean, I mean, I was a heroin addict. try to come around. I'll kind of treat her bad when I was young, you know what I mean? Because I would tell her, man, you left this and all this and now. I ain't trying to hear all that. You know, I mean, I was real mean, but later on it changed, you know? Did you ever envision yourself going down that path like your siblings did or following your

father's footsteps? No. Because I didn't, man, and I really didn't really think about it, to be honest. You know what I'm same but when I was in high school you know uh my my dad had got out a prison you know what I mean from a long sentence and uh he was doing good for a first couple months and then I didn't really start to notice it you know um but he had my brother which uh he used to have him like knocking on doors and asking people didn't want to buy tamales just to see if people were home to rob their house you know that's the type of person uh he was and some people would say oh that's bad, you know what I mean?

But I think when you're, he only did it when he was addicted. So when I say when he was addicted, I mean like when he was actually getting high again, you know, so I think any addict changes. You know what I mean? Anytime you put anything in your body, I believe we all have a spirit and, you know, that spirit is tainted, you know what I mean? Because you start getting high or something, you know, and then you don't act yourself, you know?

Tell us about how you fell into addiction. my cousin Isaac me and him used to share rooms man in my grandma's house that was my uncle Pete he also raised me too because he actually got divorced because my aunt went on him I don't know if that was the main reason why she left but she left either way me and him should share that was his son we used to share a room at my grandmas because there was so many of us

and this was about like by the time I was about to be a freshman right We go to a house party and it was a big old gang fight, you know what I mean? It was like in a coda sack and, you know what I mean? Everybody was already drunk, typical gang stuff. They started shooting. My little cousin was the only one that got hit in the heart and he was in a car, you know what I'm saying? And that affected me very heavily, you know? That affected me like strong because, you know, it's wake up with somebody in your room every day

and ain't there no more, you know what I mean? So I grew real angry, you know what I mean? And at that time, that's when I started cocaine. Because I was already heavily drinking, you know what I mean? And then my cousin's so dope. So at the same time, I ain't going to name what cousin, but, you know, I don't know, he don't do that anymore. But so basically, I'll get my coke for free most of the time if we were just chilling. But if I had my homeboys with me, he would still hook it up.

You know what I mean? So then I was becoming just a fiend, you know what I mean? but not a real super fiend that I didn't realize I was progressing into a fiend. You know what I mean? I don't think a fiend becomes a fiend like right away, you know what I'm saying? But after that, it became an everyday thing, you know what I mean? But I got away from the coke easier than I got away from methamphetamine, you know? And you were still under your grandmother's roof at that point?

When you first started drugs? Yeah, but we weren't always like getting high on my grandmas in the beginning. You know, we weren't, I wouldn't disrespect my grandma. I had a lot of respect for my grandma and my uncle Pete. And, you know, I would dip. I would leave out the house, you know what I mean, hit the block. And I never bring drama to my grandma's house. There's been a couple incidents, but I didn't bring it towards me, you know what I mean?

So, like. Now, were you involved in the streets at that point, or were you just strictly an addict doing drugs? Yeah, I was an addict, more of an addict. You know what I mean? Like, I knew people that were heavily involved. See, like, it was crazy. because in the beginning when I was younger, I didn't, all my homeboys were gangbangers, but, like, and I would chill with them.

It's like, but I never, like, I grew up in a section, in a certain section in South Phoenix called Hilltop on South Mountain, you know what I'm saying? And it was mostly genuinely black, but the whole neighborhoods were black and Mexican. But the section I actually grew up in was, it was Hilltop. So, you know, at the same time, I had a couple of homies that I would beef with, but later on down the line, and they became my friends and I also did time with them too, you know. So, yeah, I wasn't heavily.

We'll get to that part right now because that was a little later on down the road. And when I say gang bang and I really named gang bang like as in the hoods like that. Like my brother was from a hood, but my neighborhood is, I just, where I grew up at, I think people get the misconception because they're flying colors in some areas,

but to me, like, for instance, if you grew up in my neighborhood, you know, I'll consider you from the hood, you know what I'm saying? So at the same time, it was like some people look at it like you're born in that hood, you know what I mean? Why do you think you stayed away from it when your family members were a part of it during your upbringing? Because you could have usually been pulled into that as a child. Well, at the end of the day, like my uncle that raised me, man, he was real smart, man,

and he showed us a lot of love. And at the end of the day, Ian, like, he was real smart to the point, like, he told me it was all BS. You know what I'm saying? So at the end of the day, I kind of stood away from it. And then I learned from him, and he would always tell me, you know, kind of like the dude from the Bronx tell, you know what I mean? You know what I mean? The working man is the real man. You know what I'm saying?

So I always looked up to do the right things, but I always still trickled down. Like, anytime I thought, you know what I mean, I could step in that and that. realm right there you know i mean it will go bad you know what i'm saying and then i end up catching a a case after uh i met their mom and isaiah my oldest boy right there um was about this was in uh oh nine my first case yeah and how old are you at that point 26 i was 26 didn't know where i was walking in you know i mean like i'll hear this and that but until you actually hit a hit a real yard hit a real unit you know i mean and even the you unit I hit, it was actually a three yard butt. It was cracking, you know what I mean? And

keep in mind, Arizona, like, they, uh, they transfer certain yards. Like, some of yards are shift over, you know what I mean? Sometimes they'll have, uh, regular GPMates, and then they'll have, like, SOs, we call them SOs, sex offenders, you know what I'm saying? Um, and then, uh, they'll have the mental health units that they got now. They got mental health units now, too. Like, and, um, so I hit a level three. And I'm not knowing what's going. I remember I hit it early in the morning, too. It's like, you know how you get up early in the morning and they let us all off the bus.

And I'm like, cool. So that's what I had my first experience with that. If you want me to dig deeper into that, I can. Tell us about your case first. What landed you in prison? Armed robbery, man. My first one was armed robbery. I had robbed some people on the street, you know.

And I was a real heavy drinker at that time, you know, already around gangsters and all that. You know, and I was coming home, and I was like, man. So I decided to try and rob these dudes with a knife, you know what I'm saying? But that didn't go so well, you know what I mean? And because I think the good in me didn't really want to do that to them, you know what I'm saying? So I got busted down the street, though. I was like one of the dumbest that time. the second time I was already heavily involved in some other stuff,

organized crime and all that. A little more sophisticated. Yeah, a little more like, you know, you better give it to me. I'm going to, I was willing to do that to you if I really had to do that to you, you know. And I say, what I mean by that is I was really ready to shoot you for your, whatever. This episode is brought to you by Redfin. You're listening to a podcast, which means you're probably multitasking, maybe even scrolling home listings on Redfin,

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You had, you know what I mean? What propelled you to do this first robbery? Was it money for drugs or was it something more? No, I think I just wanted some more liquor to tell you the truth. because I wasn't high that day, you know what I mean? But I think God set up everything for me the way it was supposed to be set up. Like, I look at it like, it just all came back to me like in a story in the end, you know,

because when I started, I guess when you start to reflect on your life and then you see how lucky you were, was it really luck? I don't know. See, me, I'm not a religious man. I believe more in an intimacy with relationship with God. So we'll get into, a little later to that. But at that time, I just looked back and I was just like, man, I was just lucky, you know? So, but, you know, just robbing. And how much time do they give you for that case?

That was an attempt of robbery. Like I said, I felt like the good of me was, didn't really want to do that to them. So I just left, you know, I ran, you know what I mean? Get busted with the weapon and all that down the street, like a dummy, you know, but they gave me four. actually three and a half i end up doing four because i ended up getting sent to max that's when i found out how prison life was like you know how it is it goes like uh pretty much see in erzona prison uh it's kind of like i don't want to like compare it to cali but it has they uh it's real similar to california but the racial super racial you know what i mean like pretty much your best

friends are your race you know what i'm saying and then pretty much your best enemies are your race too Tell us how you first learned about that and discovered that as someone that's never been to prison before and is there on day one. For one, it's, you know, it's a lot of indoctrination because on day one, you know, it's already, it's already routine how it is. Like, okay, so you get, you land in a certain pod or a certain unit, you know what I mean, whoever's running that pot or that unit, they're going to, they're going to send their people to come first one check your paperwork. You know what I mean? You're going to check all your legal work to see if you if you even can stay on that unit. And you know what I mean? You know what I mean?

So that usually happens. Then after that, you know what I mean? They run down the rules and da-da-da-da-da-da. And then you just got to pretty much follow in line with it or you cannot follow in line with it. And then something to happen to you, you know? And that's the honest facts. And it's just what it is. So who do you have to click up with when you get there?

Who approaches you? Well, you only really clicked up, I mean, you ride with your race no matter what, you know what I mean, but you're only really clicked up if you choose to take that route. If you choose to take that route and that's once you make that decision. But still, I mean, how it is, it sees it's real organized to the point where, how should I say this, like, pretty much if you choose, if you choose to go that route, you know, and register. At that time, it was registry. So that means if there was a big dog, then you was under that big dog. You know what I mean?

And so many of them had so many. At the time when I was there, you know, it was a Mexican mafia. You know what I'm saying? That's who ran all the yards in Arizona, just like in Cali. You know what I'm saying? Like, it is what it is, you know? Like, everybody knows it, but nobody wants to speak about it. You know what I mean?

So basically on the yards, that's what it is. If you click up, then that means you ride that flag. You know what I mean? Were you scared? In the beginning, I seen what it was. But you got to use your mentality in every situation. And you put yourself in, you know what I mean? But some of them situations just automatically happen.

It's prison. You know what I mean? It can pop up right there from the child hall. Just on the way to the child hall, it could pop off. You know what I mean? I've seen people get the head split, like, right in front of me. But it ain't my business. If it ain't my race,

in my business, even if it is my race, if that ain't got nothing to do with me, I'm going, I'm going. You know what I mean? That's just what it is. That's how my mentality was, you know, and I had to see a lot of the indoctrination that was going on. But I recognized it, and that's what made me a little different, you know what I mean? And that's what makes a lot of the charismatic that are big dogs become because they're charismatic, you know what I mean? So people flock to them, you know what I'm saying? And I started to see that. And then in Arizona, in the Arizona prisons, they were using the Aztec culture as some type of religious. And they're feeding it to my people, you know what I'm saying?

And like it was a religion. You know what I mean? Some to this day were still trying to act like that's a religion. It ain't a religion. That's paganism. So I had to realize what it was. You know what I'm saying? And that's a debate probably that I got coming.

You know what I mean? But I ain't really worried about that, man. And my thing is like, I know the truth from the fake, you know what I'm saying? And I think the smarter ones pick that up quicker, you know what I'm saying? And those are the ones that last because it's just like, if you're getting chasing your neighborhood, you could outsmart the cops because you know every, you know the lay of the land. So you can hit every avenue and get away from them, you know what I'm saying? But that's just kind of how it is.

Like, you got to be smarter than average, man. So did you ride with anyone that was really or associated with your dad or your siblings? Or did you not encounter any of those people in prison? Man. Well, my dad ended up dying in prison from cancer in 2019. But he wasn't clicked up. So you don't necessarily got to be clicked up in Arizona prison. You know what I mean?

Not with the Mexicans anyway. What I'm saying is you still got to ride with your race, though. That's just how that that's... But that's not considered clicked up? No. Clicked up. it's like, um,

when you really put, they call it push you for yours or push you for the stars, you know what I'm saying? So like, if you're going that route, you know what I'm saying? And you choose to go that route.

Then, uh, it is what it is. Like, you get under one until you become one. When an opportunity presents itself, you know what I mean? It pretty much, it's either you're going,

you're going to get it or you're not. And sometimes it can land your whole other life sentence. You can, You can be getting out five years down the road, you know what I'm saying? And then you have to go poke somebody. And then you get caught even though you poked them. Yeah, you're going to be that boss. But now you're doing a natural license.

Yeah, it's like in Shotcaller, the movie where the normal guy goes in. It's similar. The shoe that was in Shotcaller, that's Pelican Bay, you know. And the whole setup is pretty much the same in Arizona. But they call it Special Management Unit. And in Special Management Unit, that's why. I did a lot of time. I did six years in there out of the 14 that I did.

I did two of them six years on my first bid. You know, that's when I kind of, and that's when it was cracking off with a lot of our own internal stuff, with our own race, you know what I mean, beefing these people, you know, going this way, these people going that way, you know, and whoever's the strongest and the smartest going to win, you know what I mean? So when I bring that up,

because like in the shoe or SMU where I was at, you know, you got you handcuffed and you're going into a cell just like on shot caller you know what I'm saying and say there's another dude and and he's running with the other side you know what I'm saying pretty much you better get them handcuffs off before he do you know what I'm saying before he tries to get you you know so what did you do to get there um my first time I was in uh they just had to open up a whole new unit it's in uh Yuma Yuma Arizona and it's like a bunch of warehouses, right? And he used to go from A to F, and I think they house like at least, I want to say,

1,300 on that yard, you know what I'm saying? And it came down to some guy, you know, he was pushing for his, but he wasn't, he wasn't that yet, you know what I mean? And I knew he wasn't that, you know what I'm saying? But I ain't going to name. There ain't no names or nothing like that. But the thing about it is, is he was a little higher. just a foot soldier, you know what I mean, at the same time.

But he comes and tells me there's the other, to check this dude's paperwork. He sees me reading the paperwork. Then 30 minutes later, he come back and he's like, oh, that dude's a rat. You know what I'm saying? How are you going to tell me to read the paperwork? But then you're going to call this dude the rat. So there's a lot of a lot of that going on, you know what I'm saying? So like, so basically he tells me, you know what I mean, to handle it.

You know what I mean? So, all right. So I smashed dude in the bunks once they cut the light off. You know what I mean? me and my homie smile we dipped over there and uh it was so funny because my homie smiley he just grabs that dude he's holding him and i'm like what are you doing so i'm mashing him out i break dude's jaw and i know i broke his jaw because i end up getting caught for it you know i mean i didn't get caught right in that moment but so they they find out what's going on but i would

already had left because it was so big and dark i already had dipped out but they did knuckle checks and all that afterwards, and they see my hand on swollen, and they took me. Plus, I think dude told on me, but I see him in the hole. You know what I mean? We're in the hole, and pretty much he was getting fed through a straw. So I know I broke his jaw, you know what I'm saying? And my hand ain't been right the same, but, you know, I don't really tell too many people these stories. But, you know what I'm saying?

I'm letting you know, like pretty much that's what happened. That's what sent me to S&U the first time. How do you feel in that moment doing that? at that time, like I said, the thing about it is is when you first come in and you're Mexican and you hood in the street, right? But you enter a whole different world.

You know what I mean? When the ones up here are pulling the strings, but they might not even be on the yard. You know what I'm saying? You know how it is. You get cell phones. You get all that in there. So people are calling shots from far, from a distance.

So at the end of the day, you know, that's basically what happened, you know. That's what happened. So your son to the smoo, that's about two years into your first sentence? Yeah, that's exactly about around that time, yeah. I did, I did, uh... What are you, 28? I was about, I think it might have been a year and a half.

I did it right before I got out, so I did a little more time on the yard. And then that happened like, yeah, a year and a half before I went home. And what are you 28 years old about? Yeah, about 28. I mean, you're pretty sharp. So, yeah, man, I'm walking in SMU. So first they transport us all the way to Florence. And Florence is kind of like Pelican Bay.

You know what I mean? It's locked down. They got SMU1 and SMU2. Browning unit, which is now, they call the Browning unit now. But, yeah, I went to SMU1. SMU1 is where they held most of the soldiers at. You know what I mean? And then SMU2 is where they held most of the generals.

at, you feel me? And, um, but sometimes it got mixed up, you know, and sometimes they would shoot, shoot you over there, like, and see, back then, it's a trip because back then everything was real, real tight-lipped, you know what I'm saying? It was like, nobody do, like, if you're really pushing for yours and you put up on the yard and you was a somebody and, like, some of your people might not even know, you know what I'm saying, but the ones that needed to know, needed to know, and that's how it got operated.

Nowadays, man, you'll catch some of them cats chilling in there with the gang task force. And it's a trip. And it's just like, and I can't speak on like that for every race. I'm not saying, I'm not paying everybody with that brush. But I know it is what it is. And they know what it is. And I'm not afraid to say that's what it is. You know what I mean?

Now, is it less dangerous at the SMU unit because everyone, it's so strict with the lockdown and everything. It was popping. It was popping. Well, yeah, it was popping because you never knew who they could put in your cell. You know what I'm saying? So they put a certain somebody in your cell, you know, then it might be all bad, you know. And you have people from different gangs, races, everything, all kind of in one population

because it's like the worst inmates. Well, see, Arizona, they don't, now they do, but like before they didn't, no, they wouldn't put a black in myself. But on the yard, they would mix you guys. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. We'd go to child together. We'd go to the rec yard together. That's how it would pop off, you know.

It was real racial. Like, you know, the whites would sit with the whites, the blacks. And, you know, it was crazy because I grew up right next. My neighbors were black. Some of my best friends were black. I grew up around black and Mexicans like that, pretty much. You know what I mean? I didn't grow up with too many white people at the time.

You know what I mean? A lot of my homies that I met later on that were white were later on in my life. You know what I'm saying? And that was just how it was, you know. I didn't, I think it was just at the time. And it's crazy because down my neighborhood, I go back to it. And it's like half white people that they took over. But there's a lot of Mexican, too.

Some of them originally stayed. But a lot of people I grew up, they moved out of my neighborhood. Now, could you talk to different races? Could you associate? Like, not. Yeah, you can, man. Like, I hear that. It might be that for some other states.

But, like, you could talk to them and socialize. Like, but, you know, at the, like, I'll go have a conversation with somebody. Might have been about dope. Might have been about something else. You know what I mean? I don't know. But the thing is right after that conversation,

I'll be back older with my people. What about doing business with other races? Can you do that in prison? Yeah, to a certain extent. Like, as far as business, like, buying off them, you're only race to get mad because you should be buying off them. Like, if we're hitting dope, even if you're dope,

better you should be buy my dope not not they're dope you know what I mean but there was always that under the you know I mean and at the same time like you know I was in I windowed in every window you know what I'm saying so it is what it is it was and what it was and are you doing drugs in prison and drinking in prison man moonshine homemade moonshine man uh man I remember when it was like $40 for one bottle of moonshine and then by the time I left it was like a hundred just for like a little, like one of these, a little bottle of that. And it looked just like that. But it was gas, you know what I mean?

But see, they started, a lot of them, a lot of people ruin it, man. They started, you know, putting water in it. You know what I mean? And then sometimes, then you got your regular hooch, you know what I mean? Your regular alcohol, you know what I'm saying? But you got to drink about six of those just to fill it, right? But this, though, the moonshine, it was gas. And everybody watched moonshine on the television, you know what I mean?

So, you know what I mean? Then some people make you good, some people don't. You know what I mean? Some people get caught. Some people don't. So you get out of prison after four years on that first sentence? Yeah. And what happens?

Where do you go? I go to my ex-wives, my kids. You know, I had somewhere to go the first time. You know what I mean? I was with Sandra for like 20 years. we're real cool down you know what I mean that's the mother of my kids

and um at that time I ain't a lie I can't say I was trying I tried for very minimal you know what I mean that's not trying

so I easily uh then my brother gets out you know I mean at the time my brother was already you know he was a Mexican mafia boss

you know what I mean I ain't no denying that I mean by the time I got shot you know what I mean it's already it's already been all exposed so I'm not scared to say that. You know what I mean? It's not like letting everybody know.

You know what I mean? It was what it was. You know what I mean? Because it was already exposed. I ain't going to say who went and told detectives that because once they do that, then they validate you. You know what I'm saying?

But it ain't nothing. It was my real brother. So I feel like I can say that it is what it is. Was your brother a boss when you were in prison the first time? No. He was on it. He was putting in work to become that. If he was a boss,

would your prison sentence have been different that first time? I mean, a lot of people, see, me, I'm my own man. You know what I mean? So even when he was out, you know what I mean? I was still my own man in front of him in front of the other ones I was around. You know, it's called earning your own bones, you know what I'm saying? Like, so basically, you know, I could have made it better. I've seen people do that.

You know what I mean? Oh, my brother's this, my brother's that. I would never tell anybody at the time when I'm in prison, like who my brother was. but let something happen to me or something like that or like something happened to somebody else's and there were somebody else's brother, whoever did that would easily get touched, you know what I'm saying? So what are you doing for yourself

that first time when you get home from prison? Are you back on the streets? I'm actually, I was working. I came home and my ex-wife's brother, Richard, he actually got me a job, bro, at this. It was like one of those solar, solar panel places it was like installation yeah it was big

bro and um I was doing all the the ground work after they laid the wires pretty much I was putting the dirt on there compacting and all that I mean at the time I was fell in I didn't the time they weren't hiring fell in like as much as they're hiring them now or you can't use that excuse no more at least you know what I mean so um yeah it was cool man he showed me love it I didn't even know who um

my lady's uncle was at the time you know and he showed me nothing of love you know and it's crazy because later on down the line it happened this year I seen him he was doing too good and I actually got a chance to pray over him and pray for him and I was praying he would he would come out of that you know

but he's he's going If you're chasing data down instead of seeing it in one place you need the Intuit ERP Intuit Enterprise Suite all your data in one place with built-in AI for real-time insights. Learn more at Intuit.com slash ERP.

Amazon presents Jeff versus Taco Truck Salsa, whether it's Verde, Roja, or the orange one. For Jeff, trying any salsa is like playing Russian roulette with a flamethrower. Luckily, Jeff saved with Amazon and stocked up on antacids, ginger tea, and milk. Habaniero? More like habanier, yes.

Save the Everyday with Amazon I wrote a little song to remind you Choice Hotels gets you more of the experiences you value the can be a hotels got it all A rooftop bar have a ball Bring a date your squad or even your mom Book direct at choiceotails.com He's finding a little battle you know

So what goes wrong if you're working for him Trying to turn your life around what happens Working for who? With your, when you got out of prison that first time. I get out, man, and I'm working, but that job, it's like those solar ones, and like, you got to follow the work with some of that, like the electricians and all that. You got to follow the work or so that, that, that place was already done.

You know what I mean? So I caught like the last four months, but it was good because I got to save up for a car. You know what I mean? He showed me love and all that. And I was cool with it. And I was so happy just for that. And then I actually get a job. doing um basically like crack fill and all that like in the streets over there man uh

they're always doing that in the summer so i had a job with sunlight asphalt you know what i mean and um i still had that job and too i got shot you know what i mean but this time when i'm out my brother's out you know what i mean and um he did certain things you know what i mean and he became who he was legitimately, like, validated, like, fully what he was, you know? And, um, that didn't last long, though, you know, um, there's always, uh, he was real young when, when he became who he was, you know what I mean? Toward a point, um, hey, it's part of what happens, like, we were doing, I wasn't, in the mornings I'll go to work in and then in the night I'd be a whole different person, you know,

because of whom my brother was, because that was really my little brother. brother, you know what I mean? But I was helping him because he didn't have... See, it's not like California. California's real... It was real organized. And I'm not downplaying and saying nothing bad about A-Z. I'm just saying they weren't as organized as the California.

You know what I mean? Card was, you know what I'm saying, in the streets. So, which I'm kind of like... I was kind of like, it kind of hurt to see my brother like that. So I had to... I felt like I was obligated to go help him. You know what I mean? Because I not only was split apart from my ex-wife, you know, at the time.

So I got my own place at the time. Well, I'm renting it, you know. And he didn't have nowhere to go. He just got out so he came and lived with me, you know. Why did you get shot? Well, we had got into it with some people from his neighborhood. I'll put it like that, you know. And, you know, at the time when we get into it,

they don't want none. Honestly, they didn't, it wasn't, they didn't really want none. No, no, no, no. They didn't really want it. I'm gonna keep it real, you know, but, you know, later on, two weeks later, we get shot by multiple people, you know?

So it's, sometimes it's not all about being hard and what you can do right there and then. Sometimes it's always, it might be the guy, the snake behind you that's willing that not fight you, but willing to shoot you, you know? So what happens the day you got shot? Man, I get.

Actually, that day we went to watch the Mayweather fight with some of his OGs at third, at one of their parties, you know. And, you know, we go back to by my grandma's house, my homie Dre's house, and me and him were smoking weed at the time because I still smoked, but at that time, you know, I was on heavily drugs on,

I wasn't saying I was on them fully, but I would drink a lot, you know what I mean? And I was smoked bud, and I was, so I was going to work at Sunland. And then at nighttime, I was mobbing around with my brother and the homies, you know, and doing things of craziness in the hoods, tax another hoods. But when I say taxing other hoods, it's not like glorifying it to be like, I can go do that, you know. Most of the time, it was, it was another boss telling another boss, hey, can you go to my neighborhood, tell them to give me this money it wasn't like i was going they were going over and like checking them like you know it wasn't nothing like that you know i mean it was something in that aspect but it was just

more of like you know what it is break it off you know because they're letting them operate right there and do all this and that you know what i'm saying but um so all it really happened was i'm at my grandma's house and then my brother gets a call you know and then um it's almost almost um about like 12 bro And I only know this because I went back on the police reports and looked at the time, you know what I mean? But, you know, when you're in the midst of drinking and all that, you're just filling the air, you know?

So basically, we go to his hood. He's on, let's go to the hood. And so I leave my homie Dre. My homie Dre, he got hitting the head. And so that's one of my best friends. And I'd always go back to go see him in the neighborhood. I always still. So, you know, at that time and I, I would go smoke,

bowl with my dog, you know. So I tell my brother, like, let's go, let's go to your hood. I mean, he tells me, let's go to the hood. So we end up going, really, I wanted to just go home, you know. So I was already so faded. Keep in mind, I was at that party watching the Mayweather fight with him, you know. But before that, I end up taking his lady home. Maybe he fell some.

I end up taking his lady home. And, you know, I end up, we stop at a store. This is how I call my second case. We stop at the Circle K, you know, over there. and basically, you know, she goes, just take me over there because she didn't want to get out the car. She even grabbed her, I even grabbed her S-K-S and put it in front of her, in front of her door, right, just so she'd get off.

She was like, I don't care about that gun, you know what I mean? And she was like telling me, you know, I know your brother's effing with some girls and this and that, right? Well, anyway, so I take her to go get a black mom. She goes, just tell me to get a black mom. I was like, all right, cool, you know, we could do that. drop her back off finally but before that in the midst of that when she's coming out the store you know she tries to snatch some dues chains you know what I'm saying I'm already drunk I'm just bumping

in the car seeing somebody at the red box you know what I mean he he has some big chains on you know what I'm saying and they're all gold like real thick gold two and diamonds in it you know at the time so you know um dude gets mad and I can tell he's about to piece her up, you know what I'm saying? So I'm like, I hop off the car. Keep in mind, we all, I had, we had two of my straps and I had two of my brother's straps, and then we had an AK and all that in the back. You know, I mean, that's all we rode.

That's just, when you're living that life for real or any real buddy that's heavily involved in the game and you're really serious about the game and you don't care about nothing else but that game, you're going to have straps. That's just what it was. You know what I mean? So I hopped off with my brother's all four or five. And I was a desert eagle and I pulled it to his dome, you know, and I pelt him for all his gold. You know, that's the mentality I was living.

As I'm speaking to you like that, that's how I was. You know what I mean? But that's not how I am today. You know, so I take that. And then we go back, drop her off. And then I go back to the party, pick up my brother. Then we went to my grandmas. Then we're back at his hood, right?

my car was so loud in that you know i mean they could hear be coming down the street my cousin my cousin drew he buys my brother a whole brand new system for my car because i'm letting my brother drive around like it was on he was my brother so i show him that love like what's mine is is is yours too you know that's my brother and i ain't seen him in in so long he he been gone almost 10 years you know what i'm saying so um he gets out and and all this happens so we're driving down this street, you know what I mean, bumping. So they already know we're coming. Keep in mind, I told you that we got into it with these younger cats, you know, so, and they're from his neighborhood, too, but see, he got put in around the time before he first went. He hit the main line, um, right,

right after he was 18, you know, and my brother, he had a, he had a, he had a bad up growing, you know, so, um, you know, he became, he became a beast, man. He learned the game in there, you know, he was, he was schooled under the, a lot of the big homies, you know what I'm saying? The real big homies. I'm talking about the ones that didn't bend and fold, the ones that they'll go sit and max for six, seven, ten years, you know what I mean? And wouldn't care nothing about the police.

To them, that was the real lifestyle. And then later on down it trickled on and got watered down. You know what I'm saying? But so that's what happened. You get back to your neighborhood. We get back to his neighborhood. And then he gets out the car. He says, hey, bro, I'm just going to go.

go talk to him real quick, you know? And I'm like, all right, but I'm all right. But I'm also drunk. Usually I get off everywhere he goes, you know what I'm saying? But I'm drunk. And I'm already, I already don't smoke a bunch of weeds. And I'm just sitting there just like, but then, oh, something told me like, I started looking around, right?

You know what I mean? I started looking around. Like, who is he talking to? You know what I mean? So I'm thinking he's, we're back at his OG's house, but we're on the street that we got into it with these other little cats. You know what I mean? And so I was like, all right, I don't want to.

to spook them. So, you know, like if you open the door, usually the light turns on, right. So I hit the light and then I hopped out. And I only have one of my straps with me. So I go to the back, but I don't like bend all the way over it. So they see me right. You know, this is all in my testimony too. So basically, like, I can hear him talking and them talking. And my brother, the only thing I catch is like, all right, I'll get at you later. But later on, I found out, you know what I mean, that they're, they're, they're trying to act like there were some somebody else, you know what I mean? There was a lot of things that was messed up with that case, man,

because when I actually did get my hands on the police reports and all that, I really seen what it was, you know what I mean? And I'm not, the feds were involved with it in some manner. I'm not saying with him getting killed, but to the point where the ones that even shot me started trying to work their way out of them not killing my brother. you know, and I didn't turn state on them either. I wasn't built like that.

I wasn't raised like that. You know what I'm saying? So basically, I ate that at the time because I was still living at, I'm a G-code and I'm going to get at these cats. You know what I mean? Either they're going to hit the yard because I went back, right when I got out the hospital, because when we ended up getting shot, right, they started lighting up my brother as he's going back to the car. And you're sitting in the car. Yeah, and I know he, I knew he, it wasn't him shooting because he didn't get out.

I looked at the seat before I got off and he didn't get off of his guns. And he usually gets off of his guns every time. But he didn't fear or nothing either. You know what I mean? That was my brother's cycle. So he really lived up to that name. He really, they didn't call him that for no reason. So, you know, I know he's trying to make it back to the car because I hear him yell.

You know, I heard him yell like my name, like basically. I think he was saying it to like, So, like, I can leave, you know what I mean? Like, I can get away without getting killed. You know what I'm saying? When you see something like that, like, say we're in the midst of, like, me and you, and I see they're about to shoot me and you, I'm going to try and help you get away. I'm being like, Ian, you know what I'm saying?

So basically that, that's what happens, man. And by that time, I already went back to my seat to get my other gun because I noticed I only had one gun when I'm at the edge of the car before they started shooting them. So I'm sitting at the edge of my car with the door cracked. And as they're shooting, I can see the gun spark. So I start shooting in my window, you know. I started shooting in my window.

Long story short, man, they kill my brother, shot him in the head, you know. And then I get hit in my torso, you know, and shattered my ribs. My spleen was so damaged, you know. I ain't going to show you right here, but, you know, my spleen was so damaged. I had to have emergency surgery. but when I got in the ambulance, before I got an ambulance, you know, I was on the floor and I was like, man, is this when I'm going to die, you know? So that's what happened with me, man. And I end up in the emergency room, I in a coma, come out of that through the grace of God, man.

And later on as I look back on it, you know, God had me all the way from that to overdosing and all that, you know. Who shot at you guys? Did you ever find out? personally did I know them? Yes, I didn't know who they were. I knew who some of their family was, you know? And as far as like, it was just rival gangs within that same gang, you know what I mean? Because they all turned on each other.

Like, when I say turn on each other, like, they weren't getting along, you know what I mean? But, you know, I chose not to tell on them, you know? Because I could have. Because basically when I get shot right, they find a phone in the house that they, because they had a house party there that night for one of the little kids. You know what I'm saying? And basically they ping the towers because, you know, cell phones, that's what the cops do. They ping the towers.

And this is all in the police report as I was on reading it later on. You know what I mean? So this or actually when I'm going to court. So they pinged the towers. and then they give me, they're like, you know this dude, this dude, we know who was there, and not at all you got to do

is tell us who did it. You know, at the time when you hear somebody tell you like that, you know what I mean? I'm not thinking of my brother of getting these dudes caught. I'm thinking about, like, how we lived, how my brother would react

if I did something like that, you know what I'm saying? So I didn't bend over for, not just because that, it was embedded in me. That's just what we don't do. We don't go tell on people. So if something happens or whatever, if I can get at you or get you back, I'm going to do that, you know what I mean?

Because that's what comes with the lay of the land. That's how I grew up like if it were to go down, you know. So later on down the line, though, one of them got hit by a car that killed my brother that I know and he died. You know, so I left it in God's hands. I'm not saying that God did that. What I'm saying is that I ain't the judge, you know what I'm saying, that I ain't the one that's supposed to be going to. and trying to seek revenge, you know what I mean? And I had to learn that while sitting in a cell for a long time, you know?

Why did you get arrested for that situation, or was it from the robbery itself? Well, for that situation, remember the armed robbery I told you about? Well, they hit me when I went to court for that, the prosecutor, I had to pay lawyer for the armed robbery. I already knew I was caught because my sister-in-law, she was telling on me pretty much, you know what I mean? So she already had told on me So I was looking for the best deal I already knew You know that I'm basically paying

15 racks just so I can get the lowest term Sentence you know what I mean That's that's my whole mentality is to just Pay so I can get But so when I hit the courtroom though The prosecutor's like nah We're gonna charge him with all them guns that were in his car Because he just got out for doing a robbery

So I wasn't even supposed to be around any weapons Oh, from the shooting. Yeah, so that was already misconduct involving weapons. In Arizona, that's mandatory five years. You know what I mean? So he was trying to stack it with armed robbery charges with the misconduct. And the armed robberies for the gold chains. Right.

Okay, so she snitched, she got caught. Yeah, she dropped dime and, you know. And then you got shot. I ain't going to name her name. It is what it is, though, you know, but she know what she did? You know what I mean? I don't really care. I just ate it.

You know what I mean? It was what it was, you know what I mean? Now, did you get paralyzed from that shooting? Yes, I did. I get hit him. Yeah, I got paralyzed. And at the time, you know, after I come out of my coma, I find out my brother's dead, you know. I think that helped me with, like, really honestly, I think that helped me in by blocking that I was paralyzed.

Like dealing with, like, most people I think that get paralyzed, say somebody falls out the roof or gets in the car accident, they freak out that. They can't use their legs or nothing like that no more, you know. But my focus was more of my brother at the time, you know what I mean? Because, like, he was one of my best friends. You know, I mean, that's my little bro. Like, I know him fought people in the hood for him just because he was little starting stuff, little stuff like that. Like, he was always, my brother was always, he was a good hard to do later on down the road.

Like, I'm not saying in the younger youth, he was just, wow. You know what I mean? My brother was always in the county or in, uh, Dobby Mountain and all that. Bro, just wilding. That's why they called him cycle. you know um but um later on he became more calculated he became more reserved you know what i'm saying and um he had a good heart for the ones that it sounds kind of messed up but he had a good heart but to the ones that did the people he cared about wrong you know what i mean uh you don't get at you

know that's how my little bro was that's just what it was you know i mean but i loved him to death man And that's what kind of blocked me from all that, that pain of me being paralyzed. How long were you in the hospital for? Man, one that long because I actually quit that job because the season got slow. And in the wintertime, it gets slow, so you can't really lay no asphalt, right? So my boss, he tells me, hey, man, let me just lay you off. I'm going to hire you right back on. That way you don't have to come to work for an hour a day.

You know what I mean? An hour of day. And it's just like prolonging. You can go get some other money. money some other work. At the time, we hustling everything, all them. My brother had so much methamphetamine. It was just like, you know, just bokes of it, you know, so it's kind of hard for me to stay sober anyways. I was, you know, he didn't like me to do that, but I mean, from time to time, I was on it, you know. But how long were you in the hospital after the shooting?

The hospital, I want to say about six months because they kicked me off of that, you know what I mean? And they are indicting you on the state level for the charges. during your hospital stay? No, no, no, no. See, they didn't even, they didn't come back. I guess the detectives, see, they tried to interview me when I was coming around in my coma, right out of my coma. That's how cut through to this.

Like, they was trying to interview me literally as I'm waking up, you know what I'm saying? And I literally read back in the police report where I'm telling them I don't talk to cops and all this and that, and I'm tripping out as I'm reading this because I'm like, I don't remember this interview. You know what I'm saying? I'm tripping out.

like this is crazy so after that the hospital kicks me out early because i ain't got no assurance they're probably planning on going back and indicting me on that you know what i'm saying for the armed robbery but that never happened so anyways you know um i go home to my baby mammas and this is how i get busted by the u.s marshals like i don't know what told me hey go get another ID like why did I need ID. I don't know why that came up in my mind. So I go get an ID. And at the time, we move into a new place, me and my ex-wife.

And after I get that ID, not even less than a week later, you know what I'm saying, U.S. Marshal's, see, I'm laying on the bed because I'm paralyzed already. But I got the window drapes open. And there's people just pointing at me like in like regular clothes. But at the time, like, who are these fools? You know what I'm saying? And they're banging on the door. And then my ex-wife answers the door.

with the screen right there, and they're like, um, this is U.S. Marshals, we got a, we got a warrant for Ernie Leon, you know what I'm saying? And she goes, just hold on her quick. She closed the door and she goes to tell me, what I think about my ex-wife, man, she was a G all the way to it. You know what I mean? And on certain other occasions I'm not going to speak about with the law. People are full of surprises, especially when you travel together. Thankfully, Verbo is not. When you book a Verbo, you get Verbo care and 24-7 live support, so your house doesn't surprise you like your friends might. If something's not as described or doesn't work, Verbo's there.

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So you're trying to get a fake idea, like a new identity? No, it was a real estate idea. I don't know why I needed it. I just... Oh, so that triggered the new where that you were? Yeah, I was like, I'm going to give me an ID one day. And that had to tell me that was like, I don't know, there was so many other instances that I haven't even even got to the part like, you know, where I'm already fully persuaded

in God. And this is right before I get out. But I go get that ID in and the U.S. Marshals, they call it the violent crime bureau out there, but it's really the U.S. Marshals. I don't know if it still called that to this day, but that's what it was back then. And so they arrest you for that, for the guns and for the robbery? For the gun? Well, yeah, for the both, but I didn't know, like I said it, until I get to court. And then they're just like, so Paula, Paula was, I'm just going to, I'm not going to say the last thing, but she was my lawyer. And she had degrees from ASU and Oregon. She was a good lawyer, man. And so she goes, I talked them down to basically give me a gang tale for the misconduct, which I got out and did. You know what I mean? I had to get out and do that on gang probation. You know, And, but I served the rest of the sentence.

You know what I mean? So I basically served nine and a half for the armed robbery. And then that was at 85% too. And basically I got out with a tail, which is the three and a half years for the misconduct involving weapons. So they basically gave you nine years in prison? Yeah, nine and a half, actually. So what did you disappear off their radar, which is why they needed to send marshals and the ID triggered it? Well, yeah, because any violent crime that's done in the state,

and like they're looking they're looking for you you know the marshals and the violent crime barrel is that's what they call themselves is a violent crime borough they're hunting you down pretty much you know what I mean or they're not hunting you down as to where it's a mass search but I'm telling you're pretty much looking for you so if you pop up anywhere and they get that opportunity to get you they'll get you you you know what I'm saying but how they not know where you are because when I got out the hospital me and my my ex-wife booth two and new house. You know what I mean? Her lease was already up, so they didn't have the old address. They, they actually, the sheriff's actually went to my grandma's house where I was raised

and went over there. My uncle told me, but they didn't know where I was at because the hospital kicks me out early, right? And pretty much, you know what I mean? I'm nowhere to be found. So you got nine years in Arizona prison again. What's it like going in there paralyzed? That was a hard one because, for one, I know my people's, and I'm not painting my people with a brush, like, as to, like, where they're super, like, they treat people bad. Like, pretty much, we all get along and we're cool, you know what I'm saying? But we also know what it is, too, like when you're under that flag, you know what I'm saying? But, and it is what it is, you mess up, you mess up, or you got a kind of work or whatever. whatever, you got to handle it.

So I'm going in and paralyzed this time. My brother's dead. At the time, man, I just didn't really care about life no more. You know what I mean? And that's the honest truth. You know what I mean? I'm getting out the hospital. Now I'm going back and, you know, and pretty much I didn't really even care.

You know what I mean? I didn't want to go back like this. It felt bad. Like, I don't want to tell my ex-wife, like, I don't know, like show them that I'm scared to go back. Because I know what it is, man. I didn't know how they were going to treat me. But I also knew, I mean, they knew my brother. They knew I was giving him a lot of, a lot of, what they say skiing on in Arizona,

but that's just backup. You know what I'm saying? Like when he had to go do something or he had to go do this and that, I was there right with him. And a lot of the guys that were shooting for to become somebody that were out there, weren't even helping them. I was helping them, you know what I mean? But I was helping them because for a whole other reason, I'm his brother. You know what I mean?

so I wasn't really helping it to get their love and respect, you know what I'm saying? But so yeah, I ended up going back, bro. And this time, they shoot me straight to Max because they already know what I'm involved in because I got busted and all that and what people were saying. You know what I'm saying,

who my brother was, but they didn't, it never came out of my mouth. What I told you earlier, that he was a big homie, a Mexican mafia boss, you know what I'm saying? But, you know, now that it was already out there and people already know it, and, you know, it is what it was. And even if it ain't, that's my bro.

You're like, I know what it was. You know what I mean? I know who was there from, and that was me. Why would they send you to a max if you're paralyzed? Because I got out from Max. And they used that excuse. Really, I should have went to a four. See, you hit Alhambra first before you go to NER.

That's what it's called in Arizona, Alhambra. And so you hit there first in the gang unit is already on me. They already know my name. They pull up on me. You know what I'm saying? They don't, they talk to me as if they know me like they met me, but I didn't even know them cats like that. You know what I mean?

They're foreign to me when I, the lifestyle I lived, right? So, well, anyways, you know, they pull up on me, hey, Leone. They tried, they did it to me in the county. And when I was in the county, they pulled up on me too. Like, they knew me, you know what I'm saying? And they started naming, like, like friends that I knew and this, guy said, what's up? And this time, I'm looking at it.

I'm like, and I just go back to reading my book, you know? That's just what it was. And I was actually in the infirmary and see when, before I got, they tried to actually charge me with a bunch of other charges, you know, some wild charges, you know. And I think that was just a tactic because a judge came to myself like a six in the morning in the robe. Keep in mind, judges don't come to the infirmary in the robe, you know?

and I woke up early because I had nerve damage from the waist down, so I'd always get up, wait for my meds, and at that time my nerve damage was bad from the very beginning, you know. And so I'm sitting there and waiting for my meds, and the judge pulls up, and then at the time, I didn't know the lingo of law or anything. So she's like, hey, wow, these charges, I'm going to read off to you. They're going to be inadmissible to court,

and at the time I didn't know what the intermissible meant, you know what I'm saying? So I'm like tripping, you know what I mean? So I'm calling my baby mama and I'm like, hey man, telling her what's happening this and that. And this is what I mean at the time. She was more of not saying that I was going to fall because I wasn't going to fault. I was more trying to, in my mind, I'm trying to figure out what's really going on. You know what I mean? Because they try to hit me with managing, like managing, all kind of different charges, managing finance and like first degree murder and stuff like that.

But I know what I do in the streets and I know what I didn't do. You know what I'm saying? but, you know, that's how they play. If you play a certain way, so does the law. You know what I'm saying? And you can't do them but respect for that. That's just what it is. They got certain teams on the street to be against that.

You know what I mean? Just like the SSUs or the gang task force in prisons, you know what I mean? That's why they got those four. So were they under the assumption that you were with the Mexican mafia? Yeah. Well, yeah, because who my brother was. And pretty much they just tag you like that too. That's another thing.

Guilty by association. Yeah, well, here's my brother. So at the same time, I mean, I was all the way with it to do whatever for my brother and for my people's. But at the same time, like, I didn't register to be under to be that. You know what I'm saying? You have to go that route. I was offered that in the street, you know what I'm saying, because of how I was putting it down on my bro. But I never chose to go that route.

You know what I'm saying? I really care for it. For one, I always do that. even though I wasn't around in my kids' life and all that, like, I wanted to be, you know what I'm saying? Like, I always knew that I would never love them more than my kids. You know what I'm saying? On my ex-wife, you know what I'm saying, at the time? And that's just how I felt about it.

And, like, always, too, like, I knew it was a losing game. You know what I mean? I walked in. I seen what it was. It was a foreign indoctrination. And see, like I told you, when I was little, I used to read a lot of books. So I used to read, like, Ho Chi Men, Shagabera, guerrilla Warfare books. So I knew how they trained them cats and how they used their mind and how they,

they train them in indoctrination. And that's kind of what I seen in there. It was kind of like communism. Like, is either you get with this way with your people or you're going to get messed up off the yard pretty much, you know. And it was different for the whites. They had their own thing too going to Aaron Brotherhood. You know what I'm saying?

And, you know, I'm not going to speak on them because I'm just saying like it was the whites and then it was the browns and then it was the browns. And then there was the blacks, but the blacks, they had the south side card and the west side card, you know what I'm saying? And they operated in different matters, you know what I'm saying? Now the second bid, do you stay away from politics and whatnot because of your situation? I mean, you can't really be getting into too much trouble, right? Honestly, nah, I was, well, I didn't, I felt at the time when I went back, all I had to do was get on the phone and I could have had any of the yards just because of the work I was putting on my bro,

just the loyalty that I showed them. You know, I really felt, and I knew that all I had to do. But at the time, I was in so much pain, I didn't care. And on top of that, I was in pain more inside. You know what I mean? I see my brother get killed, shot in the head, you know what I'm saying? Like, point blank, like, so, like, my whole life, my whole perception of life just, I didn't care.

You know what I mean? I didn't care about none of that. Like, they pulled up on me on the yard and just threw me a bunch of ground, a dope, you know what I'm saying, just off the rip, just because of who I was at the time. And I wasn't nobody, but I was somebody because of the loyalty I gave to my brother and what we did in them streets, which I'm not going to talk about that. But, you know what I mean? It only goes so far as to what you want to be on the yard, and I didn't want to be that.

So the Mexican mafia kind of looked after you in prison? I think, yeah, by the love. You know what I mean? Like they had love like oh they called me shorty you know what I'm saying and some call me shy But the ones that I was with on the streets like the women out there and all that That were connected with with people in there you know they call me shy but the other ones um you know they just knew me at shorty But off the rip so on like i actually pulled up and max like i told you again and um they had us in a cluster A cluster is a circle where it looks just 24 hour lockdown you know

You know what I'm saying? And so when somebody pulls up, they're already yelling numbers. And they speak in a language with numbers to where they're really speaking. You know this. You know what I'm saying? So they're telling this other guy who pulls up, you know what I mean? And then I go to the shower and I happen to land where all the big homies are at where all the they're at at the time, you know. And you could speak to each other right there, you know.

And they're like, who are you? Where are you from? I run it down to them and then they just start shooting the cross all the big homies start shooting the cross sending me love, you know, and they bought me a TV and all this and that. But I had to really understand

that wasn't really love, you know what I'm saying? I had to learn that that wasn't love, you know, and I had to choose my own path, bro. And that's what I did, and I gave my life to God. You know what I'm saying? And it happened in the very end when I was fully broken.

My wife left me, but at the time my ex-wife, talked to her to this day. She's a good woman and I got to give it to her. You know what I mean? She raised my kids right. But at the end of the day, you know, I lost her in that moment, you know? You know, and that was my own doing because every man becomes their own problem.

You know what I'm saying? At one point in time in their life. And that was my time. You know what I mean? And I couldn't blame her. It's like any good woman that works hard and she's basically raising the kids out there on their own. My heroes and the ones I look up to is what. when I trip out on my sons and them and how they interact because, you know,

at the end of the day, they had to survive, you know what I mean, without me. They had to become the men's of the house. And that's what they were. And I respect that because she raised them right like that, you know. So what was that breakthrough moment for you? Man, when she left me and I knew she wouldn't come back. And then my dad dies too, you know, at that time. And I had got snatched off a level four year, a more unit.

because I was at pretty much some of the most cutthroat units, which was more unit. Mori unit, they used to call it murder unit, you know what I'm saying? And then murder Mori. And then across the way was Steiner. I touched down on Steiner. They used to call him stick. They used to call it Stickum Steiner.

You know what I mean? Because they were just sticking each other left and right over there. And, you know, I just didn't care no more. I had all the dope on the yard. And then there was times I didn't have no dope on the yard. You know what I'm saying? But it came to a point. point where I just was, I got strung out, you know what I'm saying? And I lost my way and I just didn't

care about living no more. And then one day, uh, as I was fully broken, bro, and I'm in that cell, you know what I mean, I decided to pick up the Bible. And I picked up the Bible, man, and it was something different, man, like, then, uh, when I first read it many times ago, because I read it, and it was just like, it didn't make sense to me. You know what I mean? But I started off in Matthew, man, and I just kept going, bro. And, and I just kept going, bro. And, I, and I just kept going, And I felt the real joy that I never had before. And, you know, I still to this day, I could tell people that. But, like, at the end of the day, like, you have to go through that.

And then I had to know that God loved the brokenhearted. You know, in the book of Isaiah, you know, I used to read it because my son is named Isaiah, you know what I mean? And me and my ex-wife picked that name out of a baby's book. So I would read that, bro. And, you know, I just felt the joy like I ain't never felt, bro. And then I would go out that cell, bro, and it would just be like, man, it was just craziness. But I always knew I could go back to the cell and read the Word of God.

And that's when I started praying and I got to you the God of the Word, not just the Word of God. You know what I'm saying? And I had to know there was a difference. And that's when that prayer closet became my war room. But it was really his war room, bro, because I had to learn to give it all to him and let him fight all them battles, you know, and that's what I try to show some of my clients and stuff today because I do work for Axiom Care.

I work for reentry. It's the intensive outpatient program. Man, axiom care has been so good to me, man. Shout out to Stephen Greyhouse and Josh Hamilton and everybody that I work with, you know what I mean? They're real good people, bro. They took me in. They gave me a chance being paralyzed.

It's hard to get a job being paralyzed out there, bro. And they gave me to work with people that are coming out of prison that I went through summer mental health and some ain't, you know, but at the end of the day, you know, and some are still changing that transitions in where, like, they're still high, you know what I'm saying? They're still high, or they'll leave, and, and I can tell that it's not that they really want to choose that. I think it's like they're fighting with their addiction and they're trying to, they're trying to do right,

and then, plus the parole offices on them because they all come there to see them, you know, it's a losing battle out there for a lot of people out there in Arizona and California and all these other places, man. Probably out here too. I don't really know. But they're heavily strung out on fentanyl, man. Fedno, man. Fedno is a big old epidemic, bro. Was that moment you were just describing in prison also the moment that helped get you sober? Yeah. Well, I go to the hole because this was right before I'm like, I want to say like eight months to a year. It might have been a year before I get out. I was like, man, I can't get out like this. You know what I?

I can't get out like this. Like, so I hit the hole, bro. I hit the hole and I knew it. That was the stopping point. You know what I mean? That was a stopping point. And that's when I digged in my box and I had Bibles in there. You know what I mean?

And so I'm in there and that's when I started reading. It was a little one at first that I was a little book. And it was just the gospel. So that's what I started. started reading was Mark, Matthew, John, you know what I mean? Luke, you know what I mean? And it just started doing something to me, bro, that I knew was different, man. And I knew I was really changed because I got out, man.

And I got out to a recovery center. It was New Life Wellness at the time. And that was like one of the very first recovery centers, them, and new freedom at the time. And I get out and I just go start reading the word more. in my room when I get on my spare time, you know, I had to go to classes and do all that. And then my P.O. was actually my counselor from the yard. So that helped out. You know what I mean? She let me fly back up in Florida. I met up with a shout out to Renee. You know, he did my testimony to when I sent you, Renee Levin Martinez. And, you know, I got baptized out there in the ocean,

out there in South Beach, you know, and I preached out there in the street with him. I tried to help the people out there, talk to them about Christ, prayed over them, you know. did as much as I can. And then I've been trying to do it out there in Phoenix, man. But I've just been working so much lately. But I need to find time more to link up with some people that already got their hands in the prisons because I really want to go minister back inside the prison.

And it's been so hard because I barely got off parole in the last three months, bro. It's been hard to get in there. Like, I don't got, like, you know, E.I. the King and Brian T. and other Christians that got their hand in there already, you know, I don't rap, you know, for one, I'm a intercessor at best, you know what I mean, and a good person that speaks on the word. I wouldn't say I'm a well-rounded preacher, but I do go out there and preach the word,

you know, when I was doing it. But the thing is, is I want to do it in there, and there's a lot of people that call me in Arizona prison and reach out to me and want me to get back up in there to talk to them. because they've seen my, my testimony on PANDA. They got a PandoWAP in so many states. I was just asking your friend out there if, if, you guys had seen that. You know what I mean?

Because I was going to ask Boston about that. Boston, 2% the one that linked me up with you. I got his book too, man. So, you know, I'm kind of everywhere right now, but I'm just excited. So the thing is, is that I really want to get in there. Then I've seen this that locked in. I was like, man. And I've seen that you did time.

And I was like, man. but you know everybody's walk and as long as I feel as long as you really get out and you're about change that's awesome like I was telling your dad I said man for him to come out here and do the things he's doing man that's a beautiful thing and that's what I want to do whether my whether my journey is about Christ and yours is just about reentry or just helping the people to show them and they can do better bro that's that's the best thing you can do because they got to know that they can make it you know what I mean If they can't see through somebody else that made it, that they can do it, then I guess we're all lost.

You know what I'm saying? But there's so many of us now. People that are doing good, they got a lot of whether you're into A, A, N, or if you're just in the Christ, or if you're just. Save now at Whole Foods Market. It's the summer splash event with great everyday prices on 365 brand ground beef for the grill and ice cream for dessert. They have yellow sales signs on ready to cook beef or chicken kebabs too. Level up with savory marinate, spices and rubs, and complete your cookout with a crowd-pleasing cherry pie

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And celebrate with news. Music, culture, and flavors from around the world. Join us June 11th through 14th opening weekend as the tournament kicks off in Los Angeles. Tickets are just $10 and kids under 12 are free. Get yours now at Los Angeles FWC26.com. It's about helping people in general, you know, then I think that's an awesome thing. Were you afraid to get out of prison that last time, given the fact that, you know, you were disabled, you were there for nine?

Yeah, I was probably easier in prison having, you know, structure. no responsibilities and then to get out and kind of figure things out. Man, I'm getting out from Yuma, bro. And that's like by the border of Mexico, you know. And I had to ride a shuttle home. But I was, I was like happy, but I wasn't like, oh, I'm about to get out. I was more happy that I was just done with it. But I knew I still had a battle with parole, I'm probation.

But did I fear no more? No. Like, I didn't, like, I learned what God really did in me, dog. Like, and then he showed me that he was always there with me just by me saving me through my, when my brother got murdered, when I got paralyzed, saving me from my overdose, you know. And then I found a Bible right after I overdose, you know, just certain things like that showed me he was, he had his hand on me this whole time, you know what I'm saying? And, um, it sucks like when you lose your friends.

family, you know, it really does, man. And, uh, you know, but you just got to keep pushing, you know, I lost my sister on, uh, I just got a call from my niece when I was here. Um, and I lost my sister on the 21st. But for me to, uh, give up, man, I just, I can't, you know what I mean? I can't do that. Because for one, like, I really want to go tell more people about Christ. I really got to get back on it like I was. Because sometimes you do get caught up in the world. Sometimes you do get caught up in work. You know what I'm saying?

And then you get, you don't, you start telling yourself, I don't got enough time to do the goals that I want or you get new goals in your life. But one thing I'm thankful for is my relationship with him, you know. I talk to him everywhere I go, you know. I know everybody ain't a believer, but, you know, I know I am because I believe you really have to go through something for him to show you that. You know what I mean? Or I think if he sees that you're all right, then he leaves you not alone because he's still right there.

But I think he helps the ones that are fully broken, man. I'm sorry for your loss, Ernie. Man, I appreciate that, man. What advice would you give your teenage self? What would you say to him if you were sitting across from him today? Um, like if I knew I was going to go through everything I went through. Not even that. Just, I guess, knowing everything you know now.

just don't give up man that uh you're gonna have some good kids and and and you got that to look forward to and hopefully just don't give up man to keep pushing because my grandma used to tell me man and the advice i'll give her give give me would be uh what my grandma used to tell me every day walking out that door take care of yourself because nobody's going to take care of you man so you always got to want to take care of yourself and just keep pushing bro and that that helped me a lot what she told me. Not that like all people were bad. Like, ain't nobody going to want to help you, but you got to do it for yourself than anything. And I know that.

Well, Ernie, I appreciate you coming on the show today. Man, thank you so much, Ian. Thanks for sharing your testimony with us. I appreciate it, man. I appreciate you. I enjoy the rest of your time in New York. Man, thank you. I'm going ahead home pretty soon, though.

Get back to the warm weather. Yeah. Bro, it's cold. That's an understatement. Yeah, man. I know it was that cold. My friend, Eddie, I work with two guys from. New York. Actually, my friend Eddie and my friend Mike Regan, you know what I mean?

They're from, ones from the Bronx. And I don't know if the other ones from Brooklyn or yonkers or what, but I don't want to say the wrong one. And you'd be mad at me. You know what I mean? But yeah, they told me it was going to be cold. They kind of helped navigate me the other night to Times Square, but my son's figured it out. Yeah, were you guys here for the snowstorm? Yep. Was that your first snowstorm? Yeah, that was. Yeah, it was like five, six inches already. There's a lot, yeah.

Yeah, I was like, man. I'm turning to the hotel like, for real. Well, I appreciate you. Yeah, I appreciate you, though, man. I'm excited to meet you and I'm thankful to meet you. Awesome. All right, man.