Matthew Cox | Inside True Crime Podcast - Corrupt Cops Set Up Innocent Kid (Wrongful Arrest)

Episode Date: December 23, 2024

Jacob Smith shares his story about being set up by the DEA. Get 50% sitewide for a limited time. Just visit https://GhostBed.com/cox and use code COX at checkout. Do you want to be a guest? Fill out the form https://forms.gle/5H7FnhvMHKtUnq7k7 Send me an email here: [e-mail] Do you extra clips and behind the scenes content? Subscribe to my Patreon: https://patreon.com/InsideTrueCrime 📧Sign up to my newsletter to learn about Real Estate, Credit, and Growing a Youtube Channel: https://mattcoxcourses.com/news   🏦Raising & Building Credit Course: https://mattcoxcourses.com/credit 📸Growing a YouTube Channel Course: https://mattcoxcourses.com/yt 🏠Make money with Real Estate Course: https://mattcoxcourses.com/re Follow me on all socials! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/insidetruecrime/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@matthewcoxtruecrime Do you want a custom painting done by me? Check out my Etsy Store: https://www.etsy.com/shop/coxpopart Listen to my True Crime Podcasts anywhere: https://anchor.fm/mattcox Check out my true crime books! Shark in the Housing Pool: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0851KBYCF Bent: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BV4GC7TM It's Insanity: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08KFYXKK8 Devil Exposed: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08TH1WT5G Devil Exposed (The Abridgment): https://www.amazon.com/dp/1070682438 The Program: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0858W4G3K Bailout: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/bailout-matthew-cox/1142275402 Dude, Where's My Hand-Grenade?: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BXNFHBDF/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1678623676&sr=1-1 Checkout my disturbingly twisted satiric novel! Stranger Danger: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BSWQP3WX If you would like to support me directly, I accept donations here: Paypal: https://www.paypal.me/MattCox69 Cashapp: $coxcon69

The train tops in Albuquerque, New Mexico. They open the bag, and there's these two big bundles of grass. Turn around you're under arrest where DEA. The bag wasn't yours. No, I'm not guilty, and I'm going to fight this till the end. Growing up, I was a straight-A student. I only ever missed two weeks of school, and that's because I got in a horrible accident.

Went to college, mother youngest of nine. Dad had two brothers. I was the first one to get a college degree in the family. Not only that, I set the bar even higher and got a master's degree. And my girlfriend and I, we were just taking a trip on a train going on vacation. The train takes off and it stops in Albuquerque, New Mexico. They're like, all right, we're taking the 30-minute pit stop. They had like a bunch of little shops right there, people selling artifacts, necklaces, bracelets, you know.

And I was looking around in our cart. There's a bunch of carts. And in our car, they're all old people, like, except for the staff. The staff was young. But we were old. I mean, everyone else was old. My girl and I were like combined age, the youngest. 10 years for the next person.

You know, like everyone was old. I just remember that. All right, babe, let's go. So we get off the train and we're looking around. And I'll never forget, I look and I see these two bald Caucasian dudes walk up and they're wearing flannel shirts and they're wearing jeans and tennis shoes and they're in civilian clothes. And I'm interesting.

So I just look at them and, you know, the military always got attention to detail. And I noticed they go to the bags. I don't know if you've been on a Greyhound bus or whatever. They have them underneath. Exactly. Same thing with the trains. All the bags are together. Makes sense, right? And they're checking through all the bags or checking through all the bags or checking through all the bags. And everyone starts to get back on the train and they pulled out a black bag. I'll never forget. And they're like, whose bag is this? Whose bag is this? And no one's saying anything. They're like, well, there's no tag on it. So we can open it. And I was walking by, they opened the bag. And there's these two, I just see these two big bundles of, uh, grass and I walked by and I was like dang my girl and I walked to our cabin and I heard an old lady say that's not mine you know and everyone laughed or whatever and um I look over and I see the two guys they beeline it to us and they pull out their they put the head of training like and they pull

it out and they had badges and they turn around you're under arrest we're D-E-A and I was like what the fuck and I look at the badge and I was like oh shit it's a cool badge you know and he's like turn around and I was like dude I'm on your side I'm a veteran and he's like no you're not you're a piece of shit. I was like, he just cuffs me. They cuff my girl. And I'll never forget, like, some people were staring. Some people were looking away. And it was just scary that two guys in civilian clothes can just go and snatch you off a train and no one do nothing. Right. So I get put in a black escalade. She gets put in a black escalade. And we drive. And we didn't drive that far. And mind you, this was 14 years ago. So Steve's my memory. But we didn't drive that

far and I remember going in a tunnel and they parked the vehicles and there was like I don't like 10 spots I don't know but we were underground yeah and then we going through this door and it was like a big square and there was like two cells two cells two cells two cells their little air interrogation area and then we go on there they take our pictures like their their mugshot version I guess it was just like a little camera and uh they put me in a room they put her in a room But I could, they interrogated her first, and they weren't cells with, like, the bar. It was like a door, but it wasn't like the heavy door. I can't really explain it.

And then there was just a cot and like a rug for a blanket. That's all, you know what I mean? No windows. Yeah. It was like a little cell. And they were so nice to her. They're like, do you want water? Do you want soda?

And I was like, I'll take soap. They're like, shut the fuck up. Like, they were just. So, yeah, well, they're hoping she's going to say, oh, my God, he had a, but he, it was the dope was his. And, you know, like, that's what they're hoping is that she'll do. do that and then you have to buckle because I got this shit to tell it on me. Yeah, yeah. But so a couple questions real question.

One, the bag wasn't yours. No. You hadn't even seen the bag. You didn't know. Okay. Did you guys have bags? Yes, I'm going to get to that a second. Yeah, yeah.

Because they actually, I'll get to that a second. I'm curious what, like, what are you thinking during this, what is it 30 minutes, hour, whatever this, from them pulling you for the bag to where you are now? Like, what are you freaking out? Like, dude, like what, like, why are you pulling me or like what's? Yeah, yeah. So again, they're two DEA agents, and they literally did the whole good cop, bad cop thing, right? And I picked up on that pretty fast. And again, I'm 21. I think my girl was like 19, 18. And so yeah, I was freaking out because like one minute I'm on a train, the next minute I'm underground somewhere, just like that. So they put me, they put me, and I'll get to those questions in a minute. They put me in the cell. And then they both go in my cell and they're like, get naked, right? now um and i was scared i've never done this before and i'm like are you guys gonna me and they're like no what they're like no what the fuck's wrong with you they're like we want to

make sure you got nothing up there and i'm like you can just ask me you know and they're like turn around so i turn around they bend over a cough and i go and they're like all right get dress so it's fast so i get dressed and like cut too it's like the singing in the movies you know like after something happens everyone's seen at the table awkwardly quiet right they're both looking at me and i'm looking at them and we're looking and i'm like i understand the cat gravity search. But did you both have to be in there? And they look at each other like, he's got a point. Why were we fucking both in there? Looking at this naked guy. And then they start grilling me and I'm like, it's not mine. You got the wrong guy. I think it's, I'm brown.

Everyone else in there was, you know, I think it was racial injustice, racial profile. I don't mean to play that guy. Why? I was like the only brown person on that damn train. You're, you're not brown. You're a white guy. I appreciate that by the way. I think it's supposed to be delighted. Your name is Jacob Smith. I hear it all the time. You can't, you can't go with that. Like, you need to alter that part of your story.

It's not, like, if you were Manwell, you know, something, you know, whatever. Yeah, but they don't know your name when they, they're, they don't know your name when they see you. I get it all the time. People think I speak Spanish. No, I am using the whole dual-lingal thing, but I don't, I barely know Spanish. So, like. Are you Spanish at all? My, I'm Hispanic.

Really? My dad's as white as him. And my mom. You're not saying Smith. Exactly. okay anyway i'm just not yeah you don't you don't look spanish to me at all i've never heard that before by the way really yeah they will say i act white and i'm like no i'm i'm i'm Hispanic you know i'm both i'm both amazing you know i got both i got everything in me you know but um anyways

and then compared compared to like all the old people on the train you you i think it was more like you were just you were just young yeah you were young you were young probably they looked they thought it's none of these people that are in their 70s and 80s. None of these old folks. It's that guy. It's that couple right there. Then you asked. The truth is, it was probably some fucking 75-year-old guy who's been doing this on and off. I know who was. It was the

old lady that said it wasn't mine. It was Scarface. Yeah. Remember? Oh, yeah. He was doing that in Phoenix. Yeah, yeah. We interviewed a guy Ian, and he would take trains and put the package underneath the train and take the train back and forth. That's how he was

moving product at one point. Interesting. From Phoenix. Yeah. Are you serious? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Holy shit. Might have been his. We should get him here.

He'd be like, wait, was this in April? That's crazy. Yeah. That's crazy. Yeah. So,

where was that? Yeah, so I'm like, you got the wrong guy. You got the wrong couple, right? And remember I told you that was smart mouth. Right. Because they had said that,

oh, we have the guy playing bad cop. The de agent playing bad cop was like, oh, there's a witness that said they saw you put the bag under there. Yeah. So I'm like, all right. After a while, I'm like, let me say something to sir, please. you found a bag with the other bags

with no tag on it saying that it belongs to us you checked us we had nothing on us your one witness right now is on a train headed out of state I was like clearly you guys got the wrong people yeah he's like you watch too much fucking TV we got you right now and this and that and right

so they put me back in the cell again or no that guy ends up saying the guy playing bad cop was like because I had been there for a while you know how it feels like an eternity you know And he was like, well, the feds, they don't want you. He's like, well, we're giving you to the state. So he gets up and storms out.

I never see him again. I go back to the cell. And again, I've never been in the situation. Now, in college, when I went to ASU, I did a bunch of stupid stuff. And I would have like a couple run-ins with the law. And I would go to court, represent myself, and win, get it dismissed. You know, there's a lot of gray area in the law. A lot of people are intimidated, but I'm not intimidated.

Right. At least when you're young, arrogant, and cocky, you know. So you live in London, though. But I would win a bunch of small. all cases, you know, and so I wasn't like, but this was next level, right? So I just went to my little cell. I got on my knees and I prayed. And then I was, all right, well, I guess I'm not going to make it a class, you know, you know, I'm going to prison. I didn't know what to, I didn't know what was next. My, I thought it was prison because I thought if this is DEA and they got you and they're, they're going to pin it on you, then you're done, you know? So I just lay down.

I took a nap. Right. And, uh, time goes by and then the door opens or the gate, it. It's it opens and it's the D-Age and the good guy that's playing good he's like come with me so we leave and he's like follow me and he's not talking as much he used you usually talked a lot before and um oh I missed one part I'm sorry at one point I did try to say I was like well they're not believing me so I said it wasn't her she had nothing to do with it it was mine I said that the fuck are you doing and because I I I want they tell you like you know do this, get this done, you could go home, whatever. They say shit like that. This is what I forgot to rewind before I got to where I was at. And he was like, so you're telling me, you took it

and you were headed to Pittsburgh and what was your plan? I was like, I was going to go to a club and try to find someone and sell out wholesale. He's like, you were going to get on a train, take it over there, try to find someone and sell it wholesale. I was like, yeah, he's like, that makes no sense. I'm like, exactly. I was like, it isn't mine, you know? And then I was, I was, I was like, I'm just trying to tell you what you want to know. And that's when they had put me back in the cell. So fast forward, he's like, follow me. That kind of shit was the kind of shit that comes back on you.

You end up, they both get on the stand and say he admitted it was his. Yeah. And you're like, it was a joke. When you're, they were, they were pressuring you. What kind of, what were they saying? I'm curious. I have, um, it's your, the bad guy playing bad cop. It's yours.

It's yours. But I want to say this real quick. When people watch crime shows, they're like, oh, I do this. I do that. Or you watch you, when you're actually there in a fucking basement with guys that just pulled you off a train and you, and you can't do nothing. all you want to do is do what you want to get home you want to go home right so they're i watch enough crime shows i'm 21 at the time i listened to enough podcast sitting in this chair

okay first of all podcast didn't exist at the time yeah yeah so i'm 21 and i was barely so i was scared am i going to lie but when i got on he heard it himself when i told him he's like so you did this this this that sounds ridiculous i'm like exactly so he he heard it himself right and then that's He's like, well, the feds don't want you, blah, blah, because they knew it was bullshit. So fast forward, but yes, in hindsight, yes, I would never. But after just interrogation, interrogation, it's yours, it's yours, just say it, come on. And they were, they were, they fucking lie, the bad guy, the guy playing bad cop was trying to say that your girl was saying that. Yeah.

I later find out she didn't say that. No, no. And I was like, no, that's a lie. She wanted to do that because it's not true. The Supreme Court, the United States says they're allowed to just blatantly lie. They're allowed to threaten you with the electric chair. Like, you understand if you don't, you're better off admitting it. At least you'll get life in prison.

Maybe you'll get out on parole. But if you don't, you're going to get the electric chair. Like you just threatened to have me killed. And so people will admit, oh, my God. And they start thinking, oh, my God. Just like you said, these guys just came and grabbed me. I'm in the basement. And now they're telling me that I'm going to be in a fucking in the electric chair within a year or two.

Yeah. So I better admit it. And then they admit it. And then later you find out that then, of course, they get the lawyer. And the lawyer's like, why'd you admit it? You're like, well, he said this. You're like, but now you did fuck up. Yeah, you are looking at fucking doing 20 or 30 years because you just owned up to something.

But there are a lot. And you think, well, I didn't think, you know, he could lie to me. You're wrong. They are absolutely allowed to lie to you. 100%. 100%. If you sleep hot at night, you know how disruptive that can be. Whether you're having trouble falling asleep, you're waking up sweating in the middle

of the night or all of the above. That's where ghost bed can help. As the makers of the coolest beds in the world, ghost bed, is your go-to for cooling mattresses, cooling pillows, and cooling bedding. From their signature ghost ice fabric to patented technology that adjusts to your body's temperature, every ghost bed mattress is designed with cooling in mind. So whether you want a plusher mattress that cushions your shoulders and hips or a firm option with exceptional support, your ghost bed will keep you cool and comfortable all night

long. When you purchase a ghost bed mattress, your comfort is guaranteed. You can try out your mattress for 101 nights, risk-free, to make sure it's the right fit for you. Plus, they offer free shipping, and most items are shipped within 24 hours. If you're not sure which ghost bed is right for you, check out their mattress quiz. You'll answer a few questions and get a personalized recommendation. Even better, our listeners can get 50% off site-wide for a limited time. Just visit ghostbed.com slash Cox, and use the code Cox at checkout.

Again, that's ghostbed.com slash Cox with the code Cox at the checkout to save a whopping 50% off site wide. Before we get to like what happens down the line, Matt, what do you think at this point? Like, is he screwed because he gave that statement? Like, is there a way to get out of it? He, it sounds like he covered it right away. Right away, he, luckily the guy was like, it doesn't make sense to it. Exactly. So it's kind of like it would be better if it was on film.

Because a lot of, a lot of these guys, if he's a real. shit you know real fucking shitball then that cop could have said could have been like oh you just admitted it and just walk out and then from then on basically said that you've already admitted and you're like no it was a joke I was just fucking with you I didn't no no you admitted it and then

now he's going to get on the stand and say this is what the guy said and then when the when his lawyer says wait a minute he was a joke it was a joke he was clearly joking no no he wasn't joking he admitted here's what he said I heard it my partner heard it

Well, yeah, but then he turned around and said that, no, no. He did because he realized he fucked up. But trust me, he was serious. And then you've got the jury here, and he just admitted it. He realized he fucked up and he tried to take it back, but he did admit it. Now you got two fucking, what are the DEA? DEA agents telling 12 jurors he just. For a limited time at McDonald's, enjoy the tasty breakfast trio.

Your choice of chicken or sausage McMuffin or McGrittles with a hash brown and a small iced coffee for five bucks plus tax. Available until 11 a.m. at participating McDonald's restaurant. Price excludes flavord iced coffee and delivery. We had his fucking drugs. This is what his plan was, and he's going to fucking jail. Because as a juror, you think the judge is infallible. You think that the officer certainly wouldn't lie. And this guy's in on orange jumpsuit with handcuffs on,

and he got pulled off the train with a duffel bag full of fucking dope. Of course he did it. You see what I'm saying? It's like, even now right now you're going to be. prison. I know fucking how it is. I guess.

Sounds like he did it to me. So, yeah, well, wait until you see how it all plays out. So,

again, he, after all that, he was like, the feds don't want you, the state's taking and he walks off and the other guy comes and gets me

and we go to an elevator and we get in the elevator and he's just looking at me, just arms crossed, just looking at me. And I'm like, what the fuck? I was like,

I think we're getting transported, right? And I never got dressed out or anything. I was still in my civies and I had no constant or anything.

and then the door's open and I see for the first time in hours I see my girlfriend and she walks in and I was like oh my god and I'm like can I hug her you know and he just nods I'm like oh come here baby I love you it's okay and she's like I'm scared I was like it's okay and she's like they were asking me all these questions and she's like I told them you don't even smoke cigarettes and this is that you know I was like it's fine it's gonna be okay and the elevator goes up and the door's open and for the first time in hours I see light and I'm like what the fuck and he's like like walk out so her and I walk out of the elevator and I just looked and I'll never forget again this was like 14 years ago it looked like it was an office there was like two chairs a fikis

three chairs a receptionist desk with no receptionist and I don't think there was a computer and I'm like holy this is a I think they're using this as a front like you would never sit windows doors and glass doors and windows like you would never guess that underneath underneath ourselves in an interrogation room which if you think about it makes sense because we were like on foot we were five minutes from the train station so I'm pretty sure like in every major city they have these right for smugglers so when you think about it like I guess they're like okay I guess that makes sense so we turn the corner and I see our stuff in chairs and he's like I'm gonna do something I've never done he's like I'm gonna let you guys go he's like here's your

money I had a thousand cash on me he's like here go here's your stuff just asking where my duffel bag is no because it wasn't my he was like now the state's going to contact you in three months he's like they're going to go after you he's like so check your mail and um you know make sure you respond appropriately because you don't want to get fucked didn't miss your date or whatever yeah get arrested driving get pulled over for a stop sign violation and get have to go to prison exactly and I was like can we get our tickets back so I get reimbursed he's like no we've confiscated those for evidence I was like, all right, he's like, here's her money.

How do I get back on the fucking train? You got to just pay for it? Yeah, and at that point, from thinking prison to going home, he was like, walk out that door, take it right, I think. And he was like, just keep walking about five minutes. He'll be at the train station. I'm like, she's like, can I go to the bathroom? I'm like, fuck, no, let's get out of here, you know?

So we get our shit, put it on. I'm like later, walk out, and we just, and then when you walk outside, there's like other store, there's like antique shops and stuff. And you're like, damn, they don't even know who they're next to. You know what I mean? So it was kind of crazy. that was trippy.

It actually makes me think like what other stuff that government? It makes me Men in Black. Yeah. I've never really seen it. You've never seen Men in Black?

I mean, I know what it is, but... You kind of go into a nondescript building and you get into an elevator and it goes way down to... There's this entire labyrinth of offices and it's a huge department. I can tell you first... I can tell you firsthand.

From that little spot, they exist. I hope I'll get snagged up for that. Anyways, so we book it back to the trades. I was like, I just want to go home. So we go and we're like, fuck it. We buy, excuse me, we, we're like, let's just go all out. So we buy another cabin.

We're like, we're going to go out and get a cabin. You know, we're not going to just sit in regular seats. So we get the tickets. And we're headed back to Phoenix. And I'll never forget. I was just so happy because I was going home. I thought, you know, I thought I was going to prison and now I'm going home. And what they did is part of your package is you got a free meal.

Well, it's not free because you technically pay for it, I guess, you know. But they would parry. you up with other people and you would have to end it together and we got paired up with this old couple and i'll never forget i'm like i'm eating asparagus steak loaded baked potato i'm just like happy you know and the lady's like well we uh took pictures today and bought artifacts and went sightseeing she's like how was your day and i'm like well gladys let me tell you we were interrogated by the dea close i was like uh we were taking a train to pittsburgh uh we got wrongfully accused of smuggling 45 pounds of the grass. I got a finger in my ass. Then they let us go and they're letting me

go back home. And she's like, excuse me? I was like Gladys and my girl's like, shut up, shut up. She's like, we had a long day. And I was like what she said. She never talked to us the rest of the bill. And we finished the meal and we get home. And I just remember having like this big party. Hey, we're home, you know, I made it. And so time, life goes on. You know, we're going to school again. She went to ASU as well. and I'm going to school and then life like it kind of like almost like forgot about it

like was that a bad dream like did that really happen did I get pulled up a train you know brought underground and then three about three months past just like he said and I get a letter in the mail and it says state of New Mexico

versus Jacob Smith and they went after me they didn't went after her right and I don't remember but I just remember seeing like four big bolded points and I got it was being charged with four felonies um it was 45 pounds of marijuana that's what it came out to um I think it was like going across state lines distribution and I think obstruction

or something I don't remember but I know how ridiculous is or any of those like the most you can get me for is being in possession of 45 like you know the rest of those are all yeah distribution whatever I did dispute it where did I did it yeah well I guess it's in a bag you know they just throw shit, see what sticks to the wall. That way they can go and say, well, we'll drop these three. You plead to this one. Yeah. So 100%.

So I end up, this time I'm like, yeah, I'm not going to represent myself. I think I need a low hair on this. So I call Albuquerque. Are you going to say so? No. So I get a lawyer. Because I can't see, I can't think of Albuquerque without thinking of the Looney Tunes comic strip. But you don't know.

This was an old, old one. I don't know what you're talking about. Like the roadrunner. Roadrunner. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know. He'd run through like, you know, I ran here and here. I stop in Albuquerque.

You know, they was always, they always talked through that in there. Anyway. I know the looted too. I didn't know that part. I'm glad he didn't get, you know, taken off a train and snatched up front of me. Maybe the Wiley worked for the, I don't know. But, uh, so I get a lawyer. Her name was, I'll never forget.

Her name was Amanda. I don't know her last name. And she was Hispanic. And she's like, oh, Oh, this is racial profiling at its finest and this and that and blah, blah, blah. And she's like, she's a stretch. I'm going to help you. We're going to win this.

This is going to, and she's like, this is going to help my career. And I don't know. She was pumping me up. I'm like, yeah, I got me a good lawyer. Let's go. So I had an arraignment. So my girl and I, we had a- And then you gave her $15,000 and she said, you should really just plead guilty.

No, no. Because that's typically the way it goes. You know what? Honestly, I was thinking about this. that was coming. I don't even remember. She didn't do a pro bono, but I think she gave me like a discount or something. What'd you pay? I don't remember. I don't remember. Was it five? I don't. I don't. I can You would remember if it was 50,000. You know, it wasn't nothing like that. No, I usually have a great memory, but I don't know. She didn't do it free, but it was something low because I remember she wanted

to take it on because she heard the story. And I thought she thought it would, you know, would help her. I don't know. I don't know. But this is the thing, though. So I show up, we, my girl and I go back to Albuquerque. Now, luckily, her friend had just moved there, so we had a place to stay. We definitely weren't taking the train back, so we ended up driving there. And I show up to my arraignment, and people would probably say, well, when weren't you texting her? Back then, I don't know if you'd know this or not, because you used to have to pay for text messages if you went over. Are you aware of that? You know, so now you... What year was this? This was 2010, I think. Yeah, 2010. Okay. So before our unlimited messaging,

came, you would get like 200 text messages a month. And if you went over, it was like $0.25 a message. I once had like $1,100 phone bill. And I paid it. I was like, I don't want to deal with that again. And then shortly after they came up with the limited texting. So it's not like I could have just been blowing her up, right, during this time. So I'm calling her and she's not answering. And then finally, you know how they call your name out, Jacob, whatever? And it's this young guy. I'll call him Chad. I don't know. And he's like, you're Jacob Smith. I'm like, yeah. He's like, hey, I'm here for Amanda. she can't make it i'm like what if he was like she's have a bit she has a big case right now i'm

like i am the big case like what you know our priority what he's like don't worry we got you um i just remember him saying something like we've already kind of worked out a deal this is first appearance anyway so yeah yeah that's not a big deal exactly but i for me though yeah yeah you're yeah i understand your your state of mind is like i've been talking to her you don't know anything and he was like he was like i'm her junior associate like and this guy look like he just got the law his law degree like yesterday like I just was like on foot but yeah you're right it was like first appearance

but he was like oh we already talked to the prosecutor he's like he's like we got something for you he's like three and out and I'm like three and out what he's like three and a half years prison and then you're out I'm like what I'm like no man I got a class next week I go to A and C I was like this isn't happening he's like you completed I'm like no no yeah and he was like this is it's like three

baseball seasons I'm like this ain't a few good man Like, don't be playing with my life here. And I was like, no, especially not with Amanda here, you know. So I said, I'm not guilty. So I'll never forget. His name is Judge Whitaker. He was like a strong, stern black judge, like, didn't play, you know. And he, like, demolished the guy before me.

And I was like, oh, shit. So I go up there and I'm all standing, like, at a parade arrest, you know, military and everything. Yes, sir, and, I don't know how he, I don't know how he knew this stuff about me. But he's like, I understand you're a veteran. Thank you for your service. I also understand you're attending Arizona State University. He's like, I am going to allow you to go back and stay in Arizona. I didn't even know they were going to try to keep me in New Mexico.

He's like, I'm going to allow you to go back to Arizona, go to school, just, you know, stay in touch with your lawyer, and don't miss any court dates. I was like, yes, sir, I'm like, yes, sir, you know. And he was like, by the way, before I leave, you know, and he's like, I'm like, yes, sir. He was like, I need you to do a book and release down at the county jail. I'm like, yes, sir. And I'm sure you know what book releases, right? It's like... Yeah, they're going to process you and take your photograph, take your fingerprints,

maybe make you do a piss test, and they'll... So they got you all on file and give DNA. So I'm thinking like, oh, in and out. Wrong. So I tell my girl, we had to go to the county jail before we go. And I remember driving opposite of her friend's house. So we were like on the other side of town, I guess. And I remember it being kind of remote.

And we pull up to the county jail. And I'll never forget this experience. I walk in, I have my paperwork, and luckily for me, I remember going through it, the CEO, I think that you want to call him, he ended up being private prior service too. A lot of thing about like, you know, prison guards and cops, a lot of them are like prior service. So like we kind of have that connection. And he was really cool with me. He was like, oh, you're going back home. He's like, don't worry, I'm going to get you in and out of here.

You know, you look really young. You shouldn't be in this place anyways. And he looks at my paperwork. he's like oh shit you really you really about that i'm like no i'm in it's like yeah we all are and he puts me and then i go to the cell and this was crazy i sat in the center of my back against the cell so i could see everything the corners were like dark i didn't want to go to the corners they had like the little brick wall over there with the toilet you know he kind of like half see whatever and i'll never forget i'm just sitting there and a guy walks in and like

vines it to the toilet and he's like sweating and he's defecating i find out drugs all right another guy comes in goes over there he's like did you get it out he's like yeah he pulls he I don't know he pulled out of syringe I'm like I thought they checked you when he came in you know and right

he's like all right let's get ready and he's about to go down for some time I guess they wanted to get high you know and I'm watching this and I'll never forget he's like oh man you broke it you broke it he's like what are we gonna do and out of like the crevices of the darkness shadows in the corner a little cracket walks out

and he's like oh I can fix that for you just let me let me see that just give me some he's like all right so that they he fixes it and they and i just watched them again now i just came from court so i'm wearing dress sues jeans a sweater vest tie in a shirt you know i'm just like i'm standing out like a sword though i'm like i don't blog here and i'm just watching this guy they're they're getting high over there and then eventually they come and they're like smith i'm like right here and uh i got out of there and they got they got me in and out in like four hours by the way in new mexico i was there for

about four hours too in underground right so it was about four hours so they got me out and I'll never forget I was leaving when I walked out of the jail there was like one or two cars left

and one car was leaving it was my girl I'm not lying I was like way I'm here I'm trying to turn my phone on you know and it was getting dark and she turned around got me and she was about to go back to so-and-so's house

I was like no I'm done let's go home so we go back home and this is where it starts to get interesting is because as time starts to progress I get a call from my lawyer.

I'm like, hey, they want to offer you two and a half years. And I'm like, two and a half years? I'm like, no. You know, more time goes by. And I don't remember. But I just remember time was going by. And she's like, hey, they want to offer you a year and a half. I'm like, no.

And then finally that she's like, hey, they want to offer you, time goes by 12 months. No, they offered me a year. And she's like, it's just one year. One year, that's it. And I was like, no. And then they offered me 12 months. supervised probation and I'm like what's going on Amanda like yeah you're not understanding that this is not my my this is not my dope yeah I'm not going to plead

guilty I'd rather go to fucking trial there's no way you can connect me to that to that bag my girl's gonna say it wasn't my bag she hasn't been charged yep like you just don't want to what you want to spend a day convincing 12 people that this wasn't me they have no they have nothing that ties me to this and I'll get to the sake you're 100% right but you know you never know what happens and so she's like well a interesting chain of events has been happening all the prosecutors have been passing on their case no one wanted to take it and i was like what what's going on she's like well the camera that took your guys's picture malfunctioned so they don't have your pictures anymore

the tickets that placed you on the train that they confiscated have gone missing so they can't legally place us on the train and she said and my favorite one is um half of the 45 pounds of marijuana has gone missing from the evidence room and you you can't make this up i'm like what i was like i'm more if i'm more ready to go to trial now than i've ever was ever yeah yeah so i was like oh my god amanda i was like we got to put in emotions for dismissal you know and she's like yeah 100% you know and i had a i had a date coming up and everything and um i have to go back to new Mexico finally I get a date and we showed up and I was feeling confident and she was like oh we got this we put in four motions for a dismissal one was for the tickets because they can't place this on

the train half of the weed is missing so there's no way they can even they they'd I guess they would have to bring new charges right well they have to bring all the evidence has to appear in court you have to be able to bring everything in and put it on the fucking put it on the unless it's unless it's a, you know, unless it's an entire, you know, whatever, you know, cargo or truckload or something where they can't physically bring it in, they still have to bring in some of it. They still have to show we still have it in the whatever. But that yours is just, it's half of it's even gone. Yeah, 100%. First of all, real quick. Yeah. I mean, we get back to the motions is first of all, like that, it sounds to me like it's either corruption, pure corruption in that department or in

competency in either way i should walk so sorry go ahead no you're fine and um i'll get the motions yeah the motions so that we put in a motion for uh the tickets being missing half the weed being missing the bag um not having a tag on it saying it's even ours they found it with the other bags and then i think the last one was like their witness one thing they said that at any time the agents and their witness could show up to testify to any of the and they never did yeah so And I felt like those were strong. Especially the first three. First of all, their witness may be an 85-year-old man with cataracts.

And really, if we just push this, if we just push this off long enough, he'll die. Yeah, yeah. He's not going to show up at all. He's going to die. You can wheel them in in a wheelchair. And he's probably, I think that was him, you know, because this was, of course, I'll get to a second, like three years. But so, and it's Judge Whitaker still. And he was actually being cool at first.

He was like, hey, hey, Smith. And I was, oh, okay, we had a good report, I thought, you know. And just denied, denied, denied, denied. denied. He denied all four of the motions and I was just like like what? No way like I looked at Amanda and he looks at the prosecutor

and he goes and she was like some young female prosecutor and he was like the trial will start next week as as scheduled or whatever or that's what he was going to set it out for a week he's like but prosecutor you better

come with something new or I'm going to dismiss it and I was like that felt good to hear you know Yeah. And she was like, oh, don't worry, Your Honor. We'll have something. And I'm like, oh, you. So we storm out of there. I storm out of there because I'm P-Oed, you know, and I go in my lawyer, Amanda stays back. And I get in the, I'm in the corridor with my girl and I'm just like pacing and she comes out. I'm like, Amanda, I was like, I'm tired of driving back and forth here. You said we were going to win and this or that. She's like, I just talked to the prosecutor. She's like, they're going to offer, they want to offer you 12 months

unsupervised probation she's like you can stay in Arizona she's like this can end today you call in once but you're still pleading guilty to a felony exactly so she was like and you call in once a month and you know it's unsupervised

and I look at her and she's like and think about this Jacob if you go when you go to trial next week if you don't win she's like the three and a half years was a plea deal if you lose you're going to get you know more time

you know like yeah you're probably gonna look at you're probably looking at four or five years in in jail possibly yeah so i thought about that i looked at amanda and i was like what have i been saying since day one amanda like i'm not guilty and i'm gonna fight this till the end and i was like you go tell her no no deal she looked at me and she's like all right you know i wanted to tell like you're the best lawyer ever we got this you know but no so she she goes in there and tells them whatever and my girl and i leave we go back i'll never forget i saw the prosecutor's story about she looked kind of bad so that kind of made me happy and um my girl and i drive back home and i'm like contemplating the whole time like should i call change my mind i'm thinking about my

future i'm thinking of my son like why why risk it isn't i like you know stand your ground you know you know it's true and you know stand your ground and um we get home and a week passes by and i'll never forget i was loading up the car you know cliche putting stuff in the trunk and my girl's walking out and I get a call. My phone's going off. And I look, it's Amanda. And she's like, Jacob? And I'm like, yeah? And I, she sounded like, and I was like, kind of startled me, you know? And she's like, did you leave yet? And I'm like, no. And she's like, don't come. She's like, Judge Whitaker just dismissed her case without prejudice. And I think I dropped on my knees and like, oh, thank you God, you know. And I was like, well, what does that mean,

actually? And she's like, well, they legally have five years to bring back charges or, you know, put a case together if they if they wanted to and she's like but the prosecutor already assured me that they have enough on their plate yeah it sounds like they got to me it's not like they had nothing but i was like oh all right thank you man well they probably was doing that because they're thinking if they catch somebody else in six months and he says yeah you matter of fact i had a mule that was working for him you even you even arrested him his name was jacob smith and you you dropped the charges against they'd be like boom charge jacob smith again bring him back we got a witness this guy's going to tie him in with his hole you see him saying like i can i never i never

even thought of that. Yeah, like they don't want to just say, you know, they don't want to say with prejudice, which means you're not allowed to bring the charges back. They want to leave that open just in case. What if we grabbed somebody else that he says, man, I've been shipping people. I can give you a guy right now. You guys had nothing on if you dropped it. But yeah, you could have been somebody to get out of jail free ticket, but, you know, 100%. I mean, you couldn't because you're not guilty. But I'm saying in their mind, they're thinking we could get, we could, we may be able to wrap him up still. Yeah. Yeah. I never even thought of that. how long the statute of limitations is probably only five years anyway well they told me at three they

told well they told me five years from that date right so so this was uh january 2013 so i was happy but like i didn't know if they were going to pull any shenanigans but five years came and went january 2018 came the statute statute of limitations was up and um yeah that would have haunted you bro you would have every job you would have gone to everybody you know if you wanted to be a lawyer you're not being a lawyer yeah if you wanted you know it would it would have been a major problem it would have been a thorn in your side for the rest of your life that charge thinking to yourself oh fuck it i'll just sign and i'll call in for the next 12 months it'll be over no no yeah yeah that would have haunted you there i know guys that have stuff this 10 15 years old 20 years old

they pled guilty to a felony that was a joke and they only pled because they brought them the offer and if they they probably could have gotten it thrown out completely And I thought, oh, well, it didn't matter. Just six months. It's not six months. It's your, now you're. It's a future. Yeah.

Yeah. So what were all the costs associated with this whole, that whole process? Like, I only had to pay the lawyer. I didn't have to pay. Which apparently was so little, you don't even know. Yeah, I don't know what it was. Yeah. And like how much time?

Like, you think. Eight hours. Yeah. You know, a total of eight hours in custody or waiting to be in custody. Yeah, eight hours. And I found, I found that was, you know, In the grand scheme, I think it's not a lot, right? But when you're in the moment, and over time, though,

and you have that over your head. Once it's going to end? When's this going to end? In my future, like you said, I mean, this process was so long. Remember, I started college, like January, 2010. I graduated December 21st, 2012, the day the Mayans predicted the world would end. Also, let me get my degree first. Because remember, I went to summer.

I got it in three years. And then the case ended in January 2013. So I literally started and finished college during this whole process. that's all you know and the whole time it's just hanging over me you know and so all the costs associated with driving there staying in hotel staying with friends doing all the gas whatever my so would you say what under about five this costs you about five grand under 10 what under five for sure yeah for sure yeah the stress the stress the stress is you know any everything yeah um one thing though about the agents though i found out because they never even showed up too and i think that's what pissed

them off one like retired and like one got relocated so like they never even showed up again ever again so i never seen them again and they were originally pushing for you to do three years no the deal that my lawyer offered me was three and a half the deal the plea deal the first initial plea deal is three and a half years and he was like just yeah just sign it three and you're out he's like three and out that's what he said i was like get the out here i was like you know people that have done time i you know These lawyers, they're not incentivized. Like, if you, like, they're not incentivized to try to win for you, really. Like, once you.

Matter of fact, it works to there. The least, the less time they put into your case, the more money they make. They're incentivized to try and convince you to plead guilty as quickly as possible. That is a very quick, fast process. Yeah. They go to trial. They have to dump a ton of time into research, into spending several days in front of the courtroom, going to multiple different hearings plus all the research that they have to go through

that's why a lot of these guys who do go to trial they'll tell you like my lawyer went to trial like bro this guy was he didn't know anything he got up there he's talking about stuff he doesn't know he's saying so like he's a complete he was a complete clown I pay this guy 20 grand because there's no incentive for him to really be prepared yeah what so it let's just say someone gets tied up in something like this like what's a and they need to win this case like is there a certain pay structure that they can do to help incentivize a lawyer?

You would think that you would think you would go in and be able to say, look, I'll give you 10 grand and if you win at trial I'll give you another 10 grand because luckily in the state the lawyers don't cost an arm in the leg.

You said if you had to go to a federal lawyer they'd be like, okay, I need 50,000 up front if we go to trial you'd be like fuck! Are you joking? And they'd be like, no. Unless maybe they were new and desperate it, they might have wanted 25,000. When I was looking at lawyers for my first federal case, my first federal case,

because the second one, they took all my money. But the first one, I still had some of that money. So in the first one, I interviewed three different lawyers. The first lawyer wanted $15,000. She had just retired, well, sorry, retired, whatever. She just left the U.S. attorney's office. She had been a U.S. attorney for 10 years, and she wanted 15 grand. because she had just started her practice.

But I sat down with her and we talked and I felt so uncomfortable with her. She was so serious and so like she's not joking around. She had no personality at all. And I remember when we walked out of there, I was like, I don't feel good about that lady. And my brother-in-law went with me. He's a lawyer. So he went with me and he was like, yeah, the guy that, you know, she. But apparently she was a good U.S. attorney.

I feel like she's still a U.S. attorney. Like that's how she was like looking at the whole time. She's like, and you did what? And you did what? Well, it sounds to me like you're guilty. Like I think your best bet is to, and I'm sitting there thinking to myself like, and I was guilty, but I don't need the judgment asshole. You know what I'm saying?

Yeah, yeah. She was a jerk the whole time. She's like, well, this could happen. This could happen. And it was just like, just bad vibes. The next person was like, well, if I took you on as a client, it'd be 50 grand. if it went to trial, it'd probably be another couple hundred thousand. And I was

like, and that guy didn't want to take the case because he knew my brother-in-law. And he said, if I plead you guilty and you do get jail time, I'm always going to be the guy that sent his brother-in-law to prison because I didn't get you a good enough deal because I couldn't keep you out of prison. Because I honestly don't even want that. I don't want the case. He's like, you know, plus he was at the end of his bandwidth. He's like, I got a bunch of people. He'd give it to one of my, you know, my guys that works for me.

supervised, but honestly, and it was like, the next guy I went to actually was raised with his daughter. He lived across the street for me. His name was Gary Trombly. And that was $75,000. And as soon as we paid the $75,000, it was, well, I was always going to take a plea. I just basically wanted somebody to give me a plea that I didn't have to go to prison. But initially, he was like, I'm going to do everything I can to keep you out of prison. But yeah, $75,000, just to plead guilty in the federal system. So I could have gone

but here's a thing the $15,000 woman honestly was the better bet I probably should have gone with her and I probably could have she just wasn't personable

now if it had been the state case you can pay a lawyer five grand 10 grand you can tell you want to go to trial for a week 20 25

a good lawyer 25 grand that's crazy but you have to think too, people don't understand that they get so overwhelmed and terrified and scared and that they plead guilty to something that they didn't do. Luckily, 99% of the people that are pleading guilty to something that maybe they feel like they didn't do, and I'm not saying that tons of people are pleading guilty to what they did do, but let's say the people that pled guilty

to something they didn't do. 99% of those people are criminals to begin with. You know what I'm saying? Like, yeah, I didn't do that, but I've been arrested four times. I'm currently selling this i currently running a lab making you know whatever ice or something you know you caught me for this that those drugs weren't mine but i'll plead guilty to it because i'm also doing this and i don't want to have to pay you a bunch of money and you see i'm saying like they're already involved in the drug game in some way or another maybe they're pleading guilty to to your drugs yeah i got pulled over and your drugs were in my car and you won't admit to it and then you're now testifying against me i'm going to plead guilty but the truth is i'm already in the game you see

Zane, you're just some guy who made the mistake of stepping off of an Amtrak. Yeah, the funny thing is... To get a slurpy or something with your girlfriend. Next thing, you know, you're in cops. The funny thing is, we were talking about, like, this story before you come here. And, like, a lot of times, guys who get arrested, like, they're doing bad things, and they're all, they're like, and they got me for this, and I wasn't even doing that. And then Matt always goes, like, well, yeah, you were doing this, though.

Like, you were, you are a criminal. Like, you are doing these things. And, uh, they're always so indignant. Like, they're just, they're, yeah, they're just like, they're like, yeah, but that cop lied. He, yeah, but you're breaking into people's houses. Like, I get into a scumbag and he should play by the rules, but you're acting like they fucking yanked you. They pulled your car over and you were, you were on your way to church and they threw you.

You're still guilty of stuff there, right? That's what we say, too. It's like, and I tell people, be mindful of your surroundings because you could be going on vacation. And like, you're just saying, get snagged up by the law, you know, get snatched up by the law. It should just be careful of your surroundings. I mean, you never know. So I tell people, you know, now that I'm older and like, no longer in my 20s, finish college, finish all that, have another baby boy, he turns two next month,

just starting to settle down. You know, like, just stay out of trouble, you know, like, don't stay out past head. I was going to say you weren't in trouble. You were traveling on an Amtrak. Like, how is that trouble with what sounds like 95% of the passengers are in their 70s? Yeah, yeah, I get. And that's another thing, too. I always thought because the staff was, there was a lot of, I don't know, I thought it was probably

someone on the staff. Oh, you thought was somebody on the staff. And it'd be easy for them, you know, I don't know. That's what I always thought, but. When they grabbed you, what you should have done was that, listen, I know how it looks, but honestly, it was that guy right there. We saw him put the bag in the, because somebody apparently did that to you. Oh, I saw him throw the bag in.

That was his baggers. Was there really a witness? No, I guess. I mean, that's what they were saying. Did they ever see a witness statement? No, no. That's what I was saying. Remember, I said that they said at any time they could show up and give a statement, but that never happened.

I kind of assumed that maybe somebody did say that because a lot of people want to help the authorities. Well, remember, they were trying to have her lie too, so they could have been to making it up. I mean, I don't know. I would have thought Amanda would have gotten a hold of any statements that had been made because he had already said there was somebody. If there was somebody, then you have him somewhere. and Amanda should have gotten a copy of that statement. Yeah. Not that they're going to go and research.

And now a month before trial, we're going to go, we're going to go and interview everybody that was on there. We're going to find somebody. No, they would have already had somebody. Yeah, I think they probably would have, because remember part of my initial thing was like, and your only witness is on a train leaving the state right now. I think they would have got a statement then. Yeah, no, they're going to.

I think they lie. Yeah, I think they obviously lie. They're just trying to intimidate you into saying something. Listen, first of all, the DEA. And if there's anybody from the DEA, any agents listening, I'd like to let you know. We'd love to have you on. Well, one, we'd love to have you on. But the honest truth is, like, in the list of law enforcement agencies, you're like the red-headed stepchild.

Like, they're horrible. Like, it's the bottom of the barrel. DEA is the bottom of the barrel. You know, that and maybe, they may be tied with ATF. Like, they're really just beat cops that are just little thugs. that run around and Jay's just you know they they're just it's just like the worst of the agencies not that the FBI's the FBI and Secret Service and Homeland Security is better they're filled with more people that are more professional yeah but ATF and DEA like they're basically like

drug drug cops that are like they got a degree and I'll never I'll never forget Amanda told me because I was interested like well how does half a 45 pounds go missing from the evidence room and she said that wasn't uncommon in stuff like that yeah so I guess they just take you know and I was like that's how they get away with that you know and they're just fucking up their own case I guess I don't know well they don't care if they're doing that that's their gig like I'm working cases people get people to plead guilty but we also sell stuff out the back door too and we're we're offsetting our $110,000 a year our government job with an extra $40,000 in and stuff we sell out the back of the evidence locker

it's like they're selling it legally so has your has your opinion of the justice system changed. Yeah, what did you end up getting your degree? I got, I got my undergrad in criminal justice. Interesting enough. So I was more well-versed by the time I was, you know what I mean? What are you going to do now? Well, at the time, I was going to go to law school and then I was like, lawyers are a dime a dozen and then I went to get my MBA because I, as a young kid, I would, I started, my dad never bought me anything name brand. Right. I wouldn't do that. So I started doing yard work. I started selling candy. I was selling so much candy. I had a little work. And I'm like in the seventh grade. You know, I had like my friends working for me. So I always had that

entrepreneur mindset. And then I went and got my MBA. So I went got my MBA and set up my law degree. And then we had, my buddy and I ended up starting a photo booth business, you know, the weddings and everything. And as business started to pick up and the calendar was getting full, COVID happened and everything just went out the door. So to bring everything full circle, Arizona has now legalized recreational marijuana. So I'm actually... No. You're just like Ian.

Yeah, yeah. It's a gold rush out there. So, but yeah. So you got a business doing that? I'm working with my buddy on trying to get the licensing out there. Honestly, honestly, listen, if I was going to do something, I would get my my uh I'd become a lawyer and be a criminal criminal like a

a criminal lawyer because honestly you know it's so funny once you kind of learn the system it's such a joke like the lawyers are so incompetent that if you just were even as honestly it's more about marketing yourself than anything like you can you can make a ton of money as a lawyer and honestly you don't even have to do anything because 99% of these people are pleading guilty and they are guilty and so you're really just walking in and saying, hey, I'm representing Pablo here, Your Honor. Yeah, yeah.

He's convicted or he's been, you know, convicted of, or caught with this much drugs, plus such, you know, you go, they, you realize when you watch him, you're like, I was going to say, oh, you're just going through the fucking motions. It's a conveyor belt. It is. It is. And then you go to the guy and you say, look, it's $10,000 that you can give me a $3,000. Oh, I don't have $3,000.

Okay, well, I don't work for free. I can give you a letter. I can give you the phone number to the public defender. And they'll be like, oh, no, no, no, no. But they'll start paying you. they'll get you to three grand they'll start making payments to you and so you know that you've constantly got people paying you money every once while you get some dope dealer who walks in and gives you 20 grand down or 15 grand down or yeah and you as a lawyer once you've been in that

environment long enough you know how everything works and it's just wheeling and dealing it's very little to do with the law as much as wheeling and dealing so you end up just kind of being a broker for time for these guys and you can as a criminal defense attorney you're in the state you can easily make a couple hundred thousand dollars a hundred percent yeah a year yeah and you have two years you have a two year law degree and you're basically like a used car salesman just kind of like here's where i can get you i talked to so-and-so and did you know these guys make a ton it's it's a it's a license to print money it's ridiculous yeah so i didn't i thought about him but like the paperwork and stuff i was like i don't know i hate i hate that

You see him walk in a court with all that paperwork. Oh, that's all from somebody. That's nothing to do with you. You know what I'm saying? Like, they're such liars. It's all blank. Yeah. I was going to tell you was the photo booth thing.

Listen to this. I don't know. Where did I hear this? There was, and I thought about doing this. I thought, oh, you had to make sure mind. Like, if you had a, let's say someday we actually rent us, we actually get out of my living room. We actually do a studio. Yeah.

Like we actually said, fuck it. Let's just go rent a place for 500 bucks a month. You know, or a thousand, whatever, and had, you know what, there was a guy that built the inside of a, like a, the inside of like, and it's only half of like a Lear jet. Yeah. The inside of a jet for people to come. And for like an hour, you can rent it for like a hundred bucks. You can come take tons of photos of you inside the jet.

You know what they do, right? They just, they stick the camera, the lap, or whatever they're using in there. That's what we had to. Oh, yeah. Oh, okay. So it looks like you're inside of. of some lear jet and you're like what a fucking racket like that's awesome yeah oh they got they got creative we went to i mean we have like ours ours was ten thousand dollars like it was top of the

line um big mistake it's you know now that you learn you know it's marketing is where it's at right right um but anyways i mean you would go to events and like people would have like the hippie vans and you'd go in there and they'd have like the chairs and the pillows and they'd have like the camera all set up and everything and that's how they had their setup i mean it was like ridiculous And they were, I mean, it was lucrative because once you buy the booth and everything, like, you're, you're just getting, you're paying for film and, you know. You just have to advertise it. Or digital. I mean, yeah, you're advertising.

Yeah, not film. I'm sorry, because it's digital. You can literally, like, put in their number and it'll send it directly to your phone. You can put in your Instagram. It'll send it directly to your Instagram. I mean, it was crazy what you could do with that stuff. Yeah, there's no cost other than just showing up and letting him use the facility. It's funny.

It's funny you say that because I was sitting here thinking, I was sitting here thinking while you guys are talking like, yeah, you can build a box. Because I just seen something on Facebook the other day A colored box And you know They just take photos in it It's like They get creative too Because with ours I was like man this is cool

And then like when we found out how to use it Oh it's just a camera A Canon camera up there They placed inside it You know that's all it is really You can put it anything I was gonna say you know the So you know James

My buddy James from Las Vegas Yes So he rents a studio Right But the studio the guy has he has like six different sets so he has one that looks like you're it's kind of like you're in like a really fru-frew

girls bedroom like I mean like you know it's got little pillows everywhere and it's pinkish and beige and it's got little so it's for women the girls that want to do like the makeup videos and stuff cameras all set up but you know of course it's just one corner of the room

that's built out with all this different furniture and stuff he's got another one that's more of a business type upsetting he's got another one that's like the Joe Rogan kind of podcast thing he's got this is all he does and he gives his packages for like 400 bucks you get this many videos this much editing this much time and he does the whole thing for you for you know whatever $500 a month you get this much and if it goes over you get this much and it gets you know that sort thing that's james's business no no he goes there james goes goes with is with this guy and he runs it

and it's funny because when i went there i was walking through the place i said I said, bro, I said, I've thought about this exact. I've always wondered, why doesn't anybody do this? And he's, listen, it's doing great. He said, what we're mostly churning out. I said, how many people are doing it? I guess the way I look at it is this. People are going to come in.

They're going to do, because everyone wants to be a start of YouTube channel, right? They all think they're going to blow up. I have a great idea. Okay. I'm amazing. It's going to be amazing. Okay. And then what they do is they come in and they do it for three months.

So you're like, look, you don't have the cameras. We have low-end cameras. And they're 700 bucks. We got, how many, we got four of them. Like, this setup is five grand, right? Just for the junk, just for the, all the equipment. Just the equipment. So to see if it's going to do okay, do I pay for three months with this guy and give him

$1,500 or $2,000 and get myself every week I get a one-hour podcast that I can put up. And if I'm amazing, then most people think in three months, you know, three months you don't know shit. Yeah. Nobody's still watching in three months. So you've got to go years. Yeah. But it's always telling.

him like I was thinking that I said and I figured okay well you get him sign a contract for 90 days and then they come in they do it and then if it that we can continue or you can just buy your own equipment and set your thing up in your spare room so but I and I had never seen it though and this guy had the whole thing and honestly it was a great setup here and he was telling me I'm he's I'm doing great I've thought about doing something similar but it's like Vegas is such a big market you have to do in Tampa you know what I mean yeah yeah have to be in Tampa because that's where all it's the closest thing we got the base yeah yeah he doesn't do

in Tampa or Orlando but yeah you have that and then you have you have it set you have it set up-up they pay the standard fee and then it's like you can do the you can upcharge for editing oh course charge for like hey like look we've we know how to run a successful podcast like we've done all this like this we'll do everything for you for the premium yeah well he and you know who does that kind of uh Ian kind of uh Ian's big Ian Bick has built yeah built out an entire studio of sets and everything. And he does all the editing. When I was there, like a year or so ago, he was doing the, he was giving packages to local

business owners where it's like they come in and he interviews them. And then he cuts it up where he cuts himself out. And they just, so they're just telling, they're like little TikToks and stuff, you know. But it was a whole thing. And this guy's doing the same thing. He has the same thing as the upgraded packages or special packages for your business. If you're a lawyer, if you're this, if you're that. so yeah

I always thought that would be a good so well it just made me think of it when you mentioned that you had the photo thing yeah yeah yeah that would have been an extension of that yeah and um

but um I just lost my train off but but now you're doing yeah go ahead yeah so I'm trying to get to bring it full circle yeah I have to go through going through all that

um Arizona finally a couple years ago rec uh became oh the recreation Reconnaational drugs. Oh, yeah. You want to hear something, I think it's... There are channels that do that too.

Say it. There are channels that do that too. They talk about, like, they do a whole channel based on just different types of bud, different types of powder, the products, everything. Yeah. Yeah.

But you said there's YouTube channels? Yeah. Did I do that? There is, yeah. But there's also, there's a... Who knows with the... It's still marketing, too. Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. You know what the, like the... Not that you'd be going viral for that anyways, but the monetization side of it is a little iffy because that like I'm like when I'm searching up stuff for like ads like it's a safer ads I've seen those type of channels and like those people are talking about it

because it's like all they talk about so they're like you can can't talk about certain things yeah I'm not sure how they get monetized yeah it's like it might just like they may make money from selling their product and stuff like that they may not make money from their ads which is yeah the problem with that the business is it's marketing it's still just you're going to have to just be an amazing marketer to get good good make money because there's so many people that are it's there's so many people that are making that are in that business well that's the good thing about dispensaries is like people everyone smokes weed right so like they'll just map a shop and go to the nearest shop because like what i was what i was

getting at is there's so many dispensaries out there it's it's ridiculous like there's enough for everybody to eat you know and i'll never forget when they had brought it up i think it was $25,000 because they had to to enter the raffle to get a license I believe it was 25K. It was 25K. And that was to enter the raffle. So if you lose, then you lose your 25 grandmats?

Yeah, you get zilch. Well, check this out. I went to, I don't know if it was a board meeting or whatever. I went to one. It was on a, it was on a webcam. And I put in,

I was like, you know, I propose that we have at least one for $5,000 to give like the little guy a shot. And it got passed. so whoever got their license for five grand you're welcome because I proposed that and it got passed so someone got a license out there like the golden ticket right that's what it was

and know what you got to do is put five you get five of your buddies to sign up so you skew the odds and give each one of them five grand you got a much better chance now yeah yeah five entries I'm sure that I'm you know well there now like so my buddy that I'm getting with he's worked away from the office up there now and I guess they're buying other place like they're literally just buying everybody out like um dispensers they're they're buying all like the they're not i mean everyone's making money but like they're buying the little ones so they have like so many stores now and it's just we're just blowing it's blowing out buying out the competition i'm just like that or you got to set fire to their buildings i'm sorry um sorry yeah so to bring

a full circle of my story and then to get into the marijuana industry legally i think it's kind of ironic but um yeah so and this time i don't have to worry about being wrongfully accused or anything because it's legal so because this time the marijuana in the bag will be yours yeah yeah i actually have uh one more quick marijuana story if you guys want to hear yeah yeah yeah yeah okay i know right you think i would stay away from it so again this is back in asu or no this was after college my but i went to i went through so that girl i was with we actually broke up and I messed up I was really at the time I was just really really a bad person but what do you do when you break up and you're in Arizona you go to Tijuana so my buddy my buddy

my partner to the guy I'm talking about with him and I went to Tijuana I had the time of my life okay and this and this don't believe the media because this is when they were saying um don't go down there um they're chopping heads off and this and that we went down there they were like oh come on VIP you know it was I had the time of my life come back we went again and then as I was going to Tijuana the second time with the group of people

we stopped at a gas station and the clerk was like oh you should go to Mejkelly she's like it's closer it's fun it's better and this and that don't ever listen to the gas clerk you know I'm young and naive and I was like all right I'll keep that

we keep that in mind so I go to we go to Tijuana and then we come back and then next week my buddy and I we go to mehkelly and we take my buddy's car who was a pot head and we take his car he had his medical card and we drive to mechale and as soon as we pull up to the hotel the car dies and him and i get out his name was dominique and you know you can imagine what he looked like you know but he's like my best friend

one of my best buddies and um we go in the hotel we were kind of like bummed i was like listen we're gonna be bummed because this car's dead or we can go party and worry about this in the morning it's like dark outside you can't really see nothing he's like let's go party And obviously, you know, I was putting the bill. So we went, partied, go to bed, wake up the next day. The sun comes out and just so happened. Right across the street was a mechanic. It's like, oh, sweet.

So we took the car over there. They rigged, I don't know what they did, but they got it running. So the car starts. We go to the border. And when we get to the border, we went to the wrong lane. That was my fault. I went to the passport lane. And we pull through and they're like, pull over it.

We're doing an inspection. so we get out of the car my buddy and I he's all wearing a wife beater you know he has like you know his hair up and I was like Dominie I don't know what's going on and they checked the car and again it was my buddy's car and he had he was a huge pie yet he still is I think

and he would just throw like I guess his seeds on the floor right so they came and they're like oh they're pushing away by the way the Mexicans were cool when we went into Mexico they saw the seed they saw weed in their too like the seeds you know They're like, man, mota, mota. And I'm like, no, it's not, why? All right, go.

And they let us go. U.S., they're like, they're pushing drugs. They're trying to bring it back, this and that. And I'm like, again, young and naive. And I'm like, no, you got the wrong person. I was like, I just got my degree of criminal justice and this is that. They're like, we're going to search the car. So they put us in this little cage with other people and they're searching these cars.

It's on my Instagram, too. And I'm like, they got us in the cage. They'll make, they got us. and this was my fault because they were like because I was kind of talking back to them what you should have do and I'll never forget

she was like they take me they take me in and they make him sit down I'm like why doesn't he have to go so they take me to the cell and this is after everything had happened already

with the whole DA and everything so they put me in a cell I was like I already know the process just please use one finger and I start pulling my pants down he's like well what do you do put your pants up He was like, I'm just doing a pat.

And I was like, you can't, you know, so I was going to do it out there. So they pat me down. And then they bring me back out. And the sergeant comes, like the main guy in charge. Because I was like, oh, you can't do this, blah, blah, blah, blah. And he was like, oh, you got your degree in criminal justice. He's like, well, then you should know I could keep you for 48 hours. So I advise to keep him out shut.

And I was like, yes, sir. You know? And the female came in, comes in. And she's like, she has a little bag. She's like, we found it. 0.5 grab marijuana and she was like, is that enough to push it? And he looks, he's like, yeah, let's push it. Write up the paperwork. And I was like, you got to be kidding me. I should kid my mouth shit. So they then take me to a little office and there's another guy. And I was like,

they're like, if you sign this paper right now, you know, we'll let you go and everything. And I was like, I'm not signing nothing. He's like, if you don't sign it. Or no, he said, if you sign it right now, Um, you're getting charged for five grand. You're going to be fined $5,000. I was like, $5,000 for 0.5 grams. He's like, but if you sign this paper, you only have to pay 500, it'll get mitigated to 500. I was like, I'm not signing nothing.

And he was like, fine, then we'll confiscate the car. I was like, all right, where do I sign? So, but I wasn't getting charged or anything. It was just a fee, right, you know what I mean? Right. So I signed it, I signed it. I just had to pay 500 bucks. So I read everything.

I signed it. He's like, all right, here's your keys. Get out of here. Was that yours or Dominix? The what? You said it was a little bit of week. So remember, it was my buddy's car. Not Dominic.

It was my buddy, Justin. I'm sorry, to be confusing. He wasn't on the trip with us. We took my roommate's car, Dominique and I. And he, I was like, he has his marijuana card. So he would just throw, like, seeds on the floor. And it's got a savage? Like, I don't understand the seeds thing.

Why you throw them outside? Like, what? Yeah, that's another story. But, and the reason why I got hit with it is because Arizona is a driver's state. who's ever behind the wheel no matter what is that fault so and i'll never forget so then i signed in oh yeah you're just getting with a pounder or fine that's it you just pay it and that's it and i was like all right okay cool it's not like i haven't been here before so we drive off they gave us the keys i get out here so we drive off it was only like an hour and a half probably and we start driving and

i'll never forget before we had went to the border um dominique said hey let's switch i was like no the switch after the border. I swear to God. And he had said that he's like, and he was like, you should let me drive. I was like, Tom, if you were driving, you're going to be in Gitmo right now. You're like, yeah, I drove, okay? And we drove home and the car died when we got home as soon as it, and it never started again. My buddy, it never started again. I'll tell you, I think God'd be watching after me. And then when I filed my taxes, they took the 500 out of there. And that was it. So, yeah. I feel like the comments will say, like, oh, this guy's doing medical now he got tripped up in Mexico like it probably was his but that would

probably be at the very yeah they'd watch a whole video yeah yeah yeah yeah there might be some comments saying that it's always interesting but I didn't specifically ask I said so the bag wasn't yours you were like no it wasn't mine yeah so what would you say to the people that in the comments if they are and they and they don't believe you yeah what if people think it's your what's like another phrase like and you know how they say life imitating art something like that like the irony of it all right right being wrongfully accused this hanging over my head for so many years and then to beat the case and then fast forward years later marijuana we've come we've moved a lot forward in time within in our in our country

about you know legalizing drugs and now that it's fully legal legal recreational at least in my state the irony thing the irony thing is after being in trouble for it for it now I get to do it legally and make money off of it you know but the irony is that you've had been you were almost convicted of it and you hadn't done anything 100% right and now i'm actually doing something but when doing it it's legal so 100% yeah hey you guys i appreciate you watching do me favor if you like the video hit the subscribe button hit the bell so you get notified of videos like this also we're going to leave jacob's links in the description box so you can go straight to his instagram jacob smith MBA and it'll be in the link so go there

hit the follow once again i really appreciate you watching please consider joining our patreon it's $10 a month and it helps it helps Colby and I make these videos we put Patreon exclusive content on Patreon every single week so that's super cool and we also do the un-unedited or sorry

I would say un what do you call it uncensored uncensored video full uncensored videos go on Patreon too so once again thank you very much see you