How criminal enterprises really work, from counterfeit money to arms smuggling
Jeff Turner counterfeited over 1 million US dollars. He counterfeited the 1996 series 100 dollar bill and later the 2013 “Blue Note.” He was indicted on federal conspiracy charges in 2019 and worked with the Secret Service, eventually serving a 10-month prison sentence. Turner talks to Business Insider about how to spot a counterfeit U.S. banknote and how the cartels in Colombia and Peru counterfeit dollars. He now runs a YouTube channel and works as a professional printer.
Robert Mazur is a former government agent who investigated drug money laundering for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the Internal Revenue Service’s Intelligence Division, and the Customs Service. He discusses how cartels launder their drug smuggling proceeds. Mazur is the author of The Infiltrator and The Betrayal and consults on money laundering worldwide through his company KYC Solutions.
Ed Calderon was a police officer in Baja California, Mexico, for 12 years, working in units that combat drug trafficking and organized crime in the northern border region. Calderon talks to BI about smuggling methods and how the weapons end up in the hands of the cartels. Today he works as a security consultant for members of the U.S. Army and agents of the Mexican and American secret services.
Bryan Sobolewski was a jewel thief who committed a series of armed robberies and diamond thefts in New England in the early 1990s. Sobolewski talks to BI about scams in the diamond industry, the scarcity and value of diamonds and rough gemstones, and how thieves value sets and engravings. He is the author of Family Jewels and launched the Family Jewels Podcast in 2021, telling his life story.
Jim Browning is a software developer and expert on fraudulent call centers. He talks to BI about the structure of the offices, recruitment and payroll of fraudulent call centers. He also talks about money laundering, the role of police and law enforcement, and data security solutions. Browning runs a YouTube channel where he lures fraudsters, observes them through video surveillance and hacks into their networks. He then passes this information on to law enforcement.
Rob Holmes is a private investigator. He works with major luxury watch brands to track down counterfeits and prevent them from reaching the market. He talks to BI about how counterfeits are made in factories overseas. He describes in detail how counterfeit luxury goods are smuggled into the United States and distributed to consumers and how the counterfeiting industry has evolved. Holmes runs a private investigation company, MI:33.
Learn more:
Jeff Turner
@jeffreypatrickturner
Robert Mazur
https://www.robertmazur.com/
Ed Calderon
https://patreon.com/edsmanifesto
Bryan Sobolewski
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/family-jewels-podcast-true-crime-from-a-criminals/id1558693050
Jim Browning
https://www.youtube.com/@JimBrowning
Rob Holmes
https://linktr.ee/holmespi
