White Collar Advice

White Collar Advice

I was asked by a journalist to weigh in on claims that James Comey and Letitia James were victims of a two-tiered system. My answer surprised her. In 16 years, I’ve seen thousands of federal cases. Even with the best lawyers money can buy, I’ve seen one case dismissed. One. Dismissals are almost nonexistent. When high-profile defendants get their cases tossed, that’s the exception—not the rule. A sympathetic judge and a compelling narrative matter more than outrage. Don’t plan your future around rare outcomes. Prepare for what usually happens. Join our every Tuesday at 11AM Pacific...

White Collar Advice

After 16 years in this space, patterns repeat. I describe a former U.S. Attorney—now a defense lawyer—calling a false-statements case “ridiculous.” The irony? He once brought the same kind of case as a prosecutor. Not because it was justice, but because he could. False-statement cases are easy to charge and hard to undo. DOJ data shows they’re often stacked to increase leverage, not clarity. Assuming a case will “get dropped” is how people misjudge risk and lose control. Understand incentives, not excuses. Prepare accordingly. Join our every Tuesday at 11AM Pacific / 2PM Eastern...

White Collar Advice

Walking the track at a minimum-security camp isn’t what defines your future. What comes after release does. People who assume prison is the finish line usually struggle most when the structure disappears. Literature matters in prison because it puts suffering in context. Reading about people who endured war, poverty, or decades of confinement—and still rebuilt—changes how you see your own situation. Justin’s example is blunt: compared to people with no family support or education, many white-collar defendants start with advantages they ignore. Prison doesn’t have to define you. What...

White Collar Advice

Small choices carry consequences inside federal prison. Gambling tied to recreational sports leads to injuries, debts, and disciplinary shots. Gossip and constant complaining create enemies fast. One common mistake is venting about a short sentence—off-putting when bunkmates may be serving ten years or more. Time alone matters. It reduces exposure to conflict and bad decisions. Keep distance from staff. They aren’t confidants, and casual comments can become reports. In federal prisons, many incident reports start with unnecessary conversation, not violence. Keep your head down. Control...

White Collar Advice

When people panic, they talk. They explain inconsistencies, justify decisions, and try to “clear things up.” That usually backfires. In one real case, a defendant already under indictment took a call from a former colleague—unaware that the caller was cooperating with the government. The cooperator was coached to call, ask questions, and even lie if needed. The defendant opened up. Weeks later, prosecutors filed a superseding indictment. That single call made his situation worse. Assume everyone has an agenda. Silence protects you. Join our every Tuesday at 11AM Pacific / 2PM Eastern....

White Collar Advice

Most White Collar Advice clients serve time in minimum-security camps, often with sentences under five years. That matters. You’re entering a place where others have lived for decades. The smart move is humility—lay low, don’t manipulate, and drop the TV-driven myths about prison life. Real problems often start at night in TV rooms—gambling, noise, and tension. One practical fix: remove yourself. Waking up before the dorm creates a quiet two-to-three-hour window for thinking, planning, and staying out of trouble. Join our every Tuesday at 11AM Pacific / 2PM Eastern. Justin Paperny

White Collar Advice

After a talk in Los Angeles last week, I realized how much people still misunderstand about prison. The questions I got weren’t academic—they were based on assumptions that can actually hurt someone once they’re inside. That’s why I recorded this episode. I walk through five prison myths I hear all the time. One is that minimum-security prison is just boring. Boredom is real, but that’s also the danger. Idle time is where people waste years. If you use it right, prison can be a reset, not a holding pattern. Another myth is thinking you “have time.” With good time, earned time...

White Collar Advice

This episode comes from a rough week—the kind where you know exactly what to do and still don’t do it. I record this after getting a call no one wants. Months earlier, someone in the community said he was cooperating and his lawyer told him that was enough. Probation. No prison. I pushed back and pointed him to an interview with Paul Bertrand, the FBI agent who arrested me. Bertrand said something that stuck: in his entire career, only one person avoided prison because of cooperation alone. I urged this person to prepare anyway. Build a record. Make amends. Don’t treat cooperation...

White Collar Advice

This episode starts mid-run, right after I get a text that simply says, “You were right.” I explain what led up to it. Two weeks earlier, a member of the community read his sentencing statement out loud during a webinar. I had already reviewed the letter I planned to give the judge and told him plainly: if you want less time, you need to rewrite this. The judge he was facing wouldn’t give credit for paying restitution, even if the amount was large. Paying taxes and making victims whole is expected, not rewarded. I warned him to remove that argument. He didn’t. At sentencing, the judge...

White Collar Advice

This episode was recorded on the way into sentencing, after a long night and with real life still moving in the background. The government is asking for three years in prison. There’s no dramatic speech here and no last-minute plea for mercy. I talk through what actually matters at this stage. Not promises. Not saying you’ll never do it again. Judges hear that every day. What stands out is a record. I reflect on someone in the community who didn’t ask for forgiveness. I just did the work. Daily meetings. Volunteering hundreds of hours and documenting it. Working, saving, and paying money...