1284 episodes
I Became a Shot Caller in Federal Prison — Here's What That Life Really Looks Like | Danny Walsh
13/08/2026 | 3h 29 mins.Danny Walsh grew up in Texas with a mother consumed by addiction and a father who was never in the picture — and when he and his brother essentially raised each other as teenagers on their own the path toward trouble found them both before anyone was old enough to stop it. In this episode of Locked In with Ian Bick, he shares how an early sentence in the Texas Department of Corrections led him to become a peckerwood and join one of the most notorious prison gangs in the Texas system before a federal conviction in his early 20s handed him 25 years and sent him into the most brutal maximum security federal penitentiaries in the United States. He opens up about becoming a shot caller — the power, the rules, the violence and the politics that position actually involves — what spending years in solitary confinement did to him mentally and what the PTSD that prison produced has made reacclimating into society nearly impossible in ways that the system that put him there has done almost nothing to address.
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#shotcaller #federalprison #truecrimestories
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Thank you to HIMS & FACTOR for sponsoring this episode:
Hims: Visit https://hims.com/lockedin to get a personalized, affordable plan that gets you.
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Factor: Head to https://factormeals.com/lockedin50off and use code lockedin50off to get 50 percent off and 1 free breakfast item per box for 1 year, while supplies last until!
_____________________________________________
Hosted, Executive Produced & Edited By Ian Bick:
https://www.instagram.com/ian_bick/?hl=en
https://ianbick.com/
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Timestamps:
00:00 Growing up in a rough Houston neighborhood
04:08 Early drinking and harmful experiences
06:06 Normalizing poverty and abuse
06:55 Time in isolation and breaking down demons
08:15 Fighting to stay un-institutionalized
09:59 The dangers of accepting prison as home
10:40 A bus station lesson in institutionalization
11:40 Refusing to accept a prisoner's life
12:52 Youthful dreams of the military and football
13:48 Arrested and learning the code
15:15 Brother's tough lessons on loyalty
16:32 Drug use and the cycle of incarceration
17:42 Facing federal charges and refusing to snitch
19:43 The deal is a lie: 25-year sentence
22:20 Betrayed by a lawyer and becoming hardened
24:39 Why the excessive sentence?
25:45 Rejecting the state's offer on principle
28:01 Adapting from state to federal politics
29:49 TDC initiation: riots and lockdown
34:05 Surviving lockdown and a cell fire
36:15 Joining a Texas prison gang
38:08 Your gang arrives in the feds
39:37 Taking control and building respect
41:07 The lie of gang philosophy
44:32 The failure of the prison system
46:40 Fighting for resentencing and 11 years over time
48:42 Release: 23 years later and a new world
52:35 Initial struggles with a changed society
54:55 Getting a job and building a new life
58:02 Fired by the state for tattoos
01:00:49 The struggle for identity and self-love
01:02:55 Jail habits that persist
01:04:24 Why not join another white gang?
01:05:43 Misconceptions about white inmates
01:08:12 A fight for respect over a TV
01:13:40 Relationships with other races and gangs
01:18:00 Prison economy and cross-racial business
01:20:18 How did you become a shot caller?
01:23:56 Dispensing justice and avoiding trouble
01:27:10 Sex cases and the white racial code
01:30:40 The meaning behind prison tattoos
01:34:38 Regretting gang involvement and ink
01:36:43 The origins of the Woods and Texas gangs
01:40:22 Are all white guys 'peckerwoods'?
01:41:06 Why did you stay in the gang in the feds?
01:42:08 Treachery within your own ranks
01:45:39 Can the BOP eliminate gangs?
01:49:10 Why the feds keep you divided
01:55:20 The burden of being a shot caller
01:59:40 Becoming an animal and losing yourself
02:02:50 The mental toll and nightmares of prison
02:05:28 Learning to keep your word and integrity
02:08:48 Feeling compelled to violence
02:11:10 Coping with the trauma of solitary
02:14:24 The need for prison reform and support
02:18:15 Released with no help or programs
02:23:52 Job struggles and endless punishment
02:29:36 The ongoing stigma of a felony
02:32:26 Corrupt guards and a lack of control
02:36:10 The chaos of maximum-security life
02:39:20 Debunking the 'sit to pee' myth
02:43:04 You were left alone and the system failed you
02:45:40 Learning to navigate prison safely
02:48:00 Proving yourself and survival instincts
02:50:07 Good guys in bad gangs
02:53:35 A close call with a conspiracy to kill you
03:00:52 Saved from a plot and changing your ways
03:03:39 Why are you here and how did you survive?
03:04:48 The struggle to find a job after power
03:06:48 Women and bad company send men back
03:08:23 Finding peace in a wine bar
03:10:12 Learning to love yourself and move on
03:12:42 Cherishing freedom and family
03:16:32 Advice to your younger self
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To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/LockedInWithIanBickaI Killed Someone in Self Defense — Then Spent 10 Years in Prison Proving It | Erico Montalvo
12/08/2026 | 2h 18 mins.Erico Montalvo grew up in Rhode Island without a father in the picture and a mother too consumed by the streets to be present — and by the time the system found him he had already cycled through juvenile detention multiple times and built an identity that the streets had shaped long before he was old enough to understand where that path was going. In this episode of Locked In with Ian Bick, he shares what happened just days after he turned 18 — an accidental altercation with a veteran that turned into a self-defense situation that ended in the veteran's death — and what being charged with murder instead of recognized as a victim of circumstance actually produced over the ten years he spent fighting his case from inside a Rhode Island county jail before finally taking a manslaughter plea deal and accepting a 13 year sentence.
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#prison #selfdefense #truecrimestories
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Thank you to FACTOR & HIMS for sponsoring this episode:
Factor: Head to https://factormeals.com/lockedin50off and use code lockedin50off to get 50 percent off and 1 free breakfast item per box for 1 year, while supplies last until!
_____________________________________________
Hims: Visit https://hims.com/lockedin to get a personalized, affordable plan that gets you.
_____________________________________________
Connect with Erico Montalvo:
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RicoStillMadeit
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ricostillmadeit/
Website: https://linktr.ee/Ricostillmadeit
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Hosted, Executive Produced & Edited By Ian Bick:
https://www.instagram.com/ian_bick/?hl=en
https://ianbick.com/
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Timestamps: 00:00
Guest Introduction
00:22 Early Life in Providence
02:00 Mother's Mental Health & Upbringing
03:13 Father's Deportation
05:00 Feeling Like an Outsider as a Kid
07:36 First Wrong Turns & Finding Identity
10:31 Gang Culture in Providence
16:00 Homelessness & Juvenile Detention
19:27 Getting His GED in Juvenile
21:00 Sponsor Segment: Factor Meals
23:07 Turning 18 & a Spiritual Warning
28:00 Close Calls on the Streets
30:40 The Night of the Incident
37:22 Fight, Stabbing, and Escape
43:03 Learning the Victim Died
43:50 Realizing the Victim Was a Veteran
47:00 Hiding Out and Seeking Help
50:03 Getting Arrested
52:54 Interrogation & Initially Charged with Murder
01:00:00 First Lawyer & a Broken System
01:05:59 Meeting Dawn Huntley, a New Lawyer
01:09:32 Adapting to Prison Life
01:13:00 Finding Faith in Prison
01:21:00 Starting to Turn His Life Around
01:30:00 Facing a 60-Year Offer
01:37:00 COVID Stalls the Case
01:41:00 Considering Trial
01:49:00 A Shocking Plea Deal: 25 Years with 3 to Serve
01:55:50 Walking Through the Sentence
02:03:11 Release and Adjusting to Freedom
02:08:00 Finding Purpose and New Community
02:14:20 No Regrets and a Mission
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To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/LockedInWithIanBicka- Rich Morgan graduated from the New York College of Osteopathic Medicine in 1998, completed his residency at NYU Rusk Medical Center in 2002, and had everything a decade of medical school and training was supposed to produce — until a common dental procedure exposed him to opioids and changed the direction of everything he had spent his career building. In this episode of Locked In with Ian Bick, he shares what the ten year opioid addiction that followed that dental procedure actually looked like, what writing fraudulent prescriptions to pharmacies to fuel his addiction and eventually selling prescriptions to drug dealers actually involved, what getting caught after a customer cooperated with the government actually felt like, and what being sentenced to 168 months in federal prison as a doctor — and navigating the federal system as a Jewish inmate — actually required of him before he was finally ready to rebuild what the addiction and the federal system had taken.
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#doctor #prison #truecrimestories
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Thank you to HIMS & FACTOR for sponsoring this episode:
Hims: Visit https://hims.com/lockedin to get a personalized, affordable plan that gets you.
_____________________________________________
Factor: Head to https://factormeals.com/lockedin50off and use code lockedin50off to get 50 percent off and 1 free breakfast item per box for 1 year, while supplies last until!
_____________________________________________
Connect with Rich Morgan:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/richmorgan8761/?hl=en
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-morgan-b45366143
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Hosted, Executive Produced & Edited By Ian Bick:
https://www.instagram.com/ian_bick/?hl=en
https://ianbick.com/
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Timestamps:
00:00 Introducing Rich Morgan
00:16 Growing Up on Long Island
01:04 Parents and Early Life
01:51 Dreaming of Medicine
02:17 The Incident That Inspired Him
03:33 Fascination with Fixing
04:33 Medical Shows and College
05:31 College and Med School
06:18 What is a DO?
08:46 DO vs MD Schooling
09:57 The Growing Prevalence of DOs
11:05 Salary and Residency
12:15 The First Pill
14:09 The Spiral Begins
15:12 The First Pill Experience
17:19 Dentists and Overprescription
19:30 Writing Himself Prescriptions
21:39 Life at the Height of Addiction
23:12 9/11 and Its Impact
26:10 Sponsor Break: Weight Loss by HIMS
27:33 No Oversight in Hospitals
28:56 Pharmaceutical Wild West
31:16 Self-Image and Dope Sickness
33:16 Patients and Slipping Up
38:53 The Deal with a Dangerous Patient
40:49 Arrest and the Fallout
44:00 Sponsor Break: Factor Meals
46:01 Released on Bail
49:01 Sentenced to 14 Years
52:32 Why No Manslaughter Charge?
56:56 The Real Reason for Selling
58:05 Wife's Reaction and Family Drama
01:01:50 Comparing Sentences: Jared Fogle
01:02:39 Meeting Mobsters in Prison
01:04:33 Father's Support
01:06:06 First Stop: Transfer to Prison
01:07:40 Life at Morgantown
01:12:44 Pedophiles in Prison
01:16:51 Respect as the Doctor
01:20:05 Medical Care in Prison
01:23:24 Jewish Power in the Federal System
01:27:00 Power of the Jewish Community
01:28:25 Money and Influence Behind the Scenes
01:31:03 Taking Advantage of Religious Rights
01:33:52 Smuggling and Prison Life
01:37:08 What Happened to His Medical License
01:43:13 A New Career at His Med School
01:48:49 A Bad First Date
01:51:15 Inmate Dating and Visiting Lists
01:56:40 Final Thoughts and Thanks
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To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/LockedInWithIanBicka I Was a Tango Blast for 10 Years in Federal Prison — Here's What That World Really Looks Like | Eli44
11/08/2026 | 2h 10 mins.Eli44 grew up in Texas, took to the streets at a young age, did his first bid in the Texas Department of Corrections where he joined the Tango Blasts, and then caught a nearly 15 year federal sentence that sent him into federal medium security facilities and federal penitentiaries where he spent nearly a decade navigating the gang politics, the violence, and the disciplinary transfers that define life as a Tango Blast inside the federal system. In this episode of Locked In with Ian Bick, he shares what being a Tango Blast inside the federal system actually looks like — the rules, the politics, the violence, and the specific survival mindset that nearly 10 years inside some of the most brutal federal facilities in the country required of him — and what finally getting out and turning his life completely around actually took after everything those years produced.
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#crimestory #prison #truecrimestories
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Thank you to FACTOR & HIMS for sponsoring this episode:
Factor: Head to https://factormeals.com/lockedin50off and use code lockedin50off to get 50 percent off and 1 free breakfast item per box for 1 year, while supplies last until!
_____________________________________________
Hims: Visit https://hims.com/lockedin to get a personalized, affordable plan that gets you.
_____________________________________________
Connect with Eli44:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thereal_eli44/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCd1XjhE0mMb34j-FwQsez3A/feed
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thereal_eli44
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Hosted, Executive Produced & Edited By Ian Bick:
https://www.instagram.com/ian_bick/?hl=en
https://ianbick.com/
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Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
00:20 Growing Up in Austin
01:47 Finding the Streets and Music
04:21 Early Hustle and First Arrests
05:59 The Katrina Clash and Carrying a Weapon
08:00 The Music Scene and Getting Deeper
10:10 Jack Boys and Robberies
13:29 Caught with Drugs and a Gun
15:31 Going to TDC and Getting Initiated
18:00 Life in the State Prison
20:00 The Music Blows Up
22:00 Returning to the Drug Game
24:04 The Setup and Getting Caught
34:00 The Arrest and Aftermath
36:48 The Feds Get Involved
40:35 Cartel Pressure and Family Threats
44:00 Federal Sentence and Time in County
47:59 Life in the Federal Pen
54:00 The Politics of the Yard
01:04:00 A Standoff and Stealing an Amp
01:09:00 The Theft and Its Consequences
01:13:00 A Show of Force and Diplomacy
01:20:00 A Fight and a Stabbing
01:29:00 Spiritual Awakening at Atwater
01:36:00 The SMU Program
01:44:00 Meeting Kodak Black
01:50:00 The Horrors of the SMU
01:55:00 Texas Syndicate Rivalry
02:00:00 Life After the SMU
02:00:04 The SMU Experience
02:02:30 Coming Home and New Beginnings
02:04:55 Current Life and Outreach
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To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/LockedInWithIanBickThe FBI Set Me Up While I Was Running for Mayor — Then I Got Sent To Prison | PG Sittenfeld
09/08/2026 | 1h 30 mins.PG Sittenfeld grew up in Ohio in a good family, went to Princeton, worked in nonprofits, and eventually built a three term career on Cincinnati City Council before an unexpected FBI indictment for bribery and extortion — built around an undercover operation he argues never should have produced charges — derailed everything he had spent his career building at the exact moment he was running for mayor. In this episode of Locked In with Ian Bick, he shares what the FBI indictment actually looked like, what going to trial and losing some counts actually felt like, what the 16 month sentence and the four months he served inside federal prison actually required of him, and what eventually getting out for appeal, losing that appeal, receiving a pardon from Donald Trump, and then having the Supreme Court rule in his favor actually produced in terms of what he now understands about the federal justice system and the people who run it.
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#fbi #truecrimestories #ohio #prison
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Connect with PG Sittenfeld:
https://pgsittenfeld.com/
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Hosted, Executive Produced & Edited By Ian Bick:
https://www.instagram.com/ian_bick/?hl=en
https://ianbick.com/
Timestamps:
00:00 Introducing PG Sittenfeld
00:18 Upbringing and family life
04:20 Going to Princeton
07:20 Moving to England
09:07 Returning to Cincinnati
10:40 Running for city council
14:34 Life as an elected official
18:26 The FBI investigation begins
24:50 The cooperating witness
25:44 The prosecutorial Truman Show
31:36 The day of the arrest
44:32 A year and a half to trial
47:45 The trial and the verdict
52:00 The inconsistent verdict
56:20 Jury selection and deliberation
57:31 Sentencing to prison
01:01:42 Reporting to prison camp
01:05:25 Life inside the camp
01:13:43 The Sixth Circuit ruling
01:15:31 Shocking early release
01:19:41 The Supreme Court petition
01:21:52 Receiving a presidential pardon
01:26:18 Lessons learned and moving forward
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To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/LockedInWithIanBicka
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About Locked In with Ian Bick
Real stories from the people everyone else judges first. Locked In with Ian Bick is a podcast hosted by Ian Bick, a former federal inmate turned podcaster. The show features raw conversations with former inmates, recovering addicts, bikers, law enforcement officers, attorneys, investigators, and people who have lived through crime, prison, addiction, trauma, and redemption. Each episode dives deep into real prison stories, life inside prison, the criminal justice system, street life, addiction recovery, mental health, and what it takes to rebuild after incarceration. Guests share what really happens behind bars, how people survive prison, and the difficult road to second chances after hitting rock bottom. If you're interested in prison stories, criminal justice experiences, life after prison, and honest conversations with people who have lived through the darkest chapters of their lives, you'll feel at home here.
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