379: James Gaylord - China's Family of Spies (Part 1) Chasing Chi
Release Date: 12/04/2025
395: Michael De La Pena – Santa Claus Armored Car Robbery and Murder
FBI Case File Review
Retired agent Michael De La Pena reviews a case where he, as a rookie agent, was assigned to investigate two armored car robberies in West Hartford, Connecticut, where a total of $1.8 million was stolen. During one of the robberies, one of the subjects wore a full Santa Claus costume as a disguise and later had one of the robbers killed to stop him from talking about the crime. Check out the episode show notes, photos, and related articles: Join my Reader Team to get the FBI Reading Resource - Books about the FBI, written by FBI agents, the 20 clichés about the FBI...
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394: Ed Mireles - Undercover Tales of Money, Drugs and Lies
FBI Case File Review
Retired agent Ed Mireles reviews several true stories from his 15-plus years of undercover work using the alias Lalo. He recounts his assignments posing as a notorious drug trafficker, transporter, and money launderer in Miami, El Paso, Tucson, and other areas along the Southwest border between Mexico and the United States. Ed, aka Lalo, managed several warehouses in Miami, Florida, and he expanded to operate a transportation business and later a trucking company. The quantity of drugs he reportedly moved made him highly sought-after by the cartels and law enforcement. Ed and his wife,...
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393: George Olivo – Polygraph Exams, Interrogations, and Confessions
FBI Case File Review
In part two of this two-part episode, retired agent and FBI certified polygraph examiner George Olivo continues his review of the FBI's polygraph program, interview skills he's developed over his more than a decade as an FBI certified polygraph examiner, and of two of the cases he worked. The first case review covers his examination of Fernando Vazquez Garcia, suspected of possessing child sexual images, and a man claiming to be a Russian spy double agent. George is also interviewed about the truths and untruths surrounding polygraphs, and his latest season of Lie Detector: Truth or...
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392: Larry Wansley – Early Days of Undercover Program, Corrupt Texas Sheriff
FBI Case File Review
Former agent Larry Wansley, one of the FBI’s first long-term deep undercover agents, reviews the early years of the FBI’s undercover program when, starting in1973 he and a handful of agents, including the equally legendary Joe Pistone, began using the investigative technique forbidden by FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover. They were part of a behavioral sciences study to establish standards for UC Agent selection qualifications and operations. Larry also reviews his most life-threatening assignment, which took place in rural Texas. He went undercover to prove Tom Welch, the elected Sheriff of...
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391: Gerry Bianchi – Tales from a Tech Agent, Mob Wars and More
FBI Case File Review
Retired agent 4erry Bianchi reviews several investigations he worked as a technically trained agent in the Philadelphia Division, including surreptitious entries into a mob attorney’s law office, Philly mob boss John Stanfa’s luncheonette, Philly mob boss Ralph Natale’s penthouse apartment and the former Garden State racetrack to install court-authorized electronic surveillance recording devices. Gerry appears in the Netflix documentary Mob War: Philadelphia vs. The Mafia, a three-part series where he discusses how the tech squad contributed to the successful prosecution of...
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390: Geoff Kelly – Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum Heist, Thirteen Perfect Fugitives
FBI Case File Review
Retired agent Geoffrey Kelly reviews his 22-year investigation of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum heist where 13 masterpieces worth over $500 million were stolen and have never been recovered. He shares his insights and theories about the infamous theft, and his thoughts about armchair detectives and journalists with their own speculations involving international culprits and government conspiracies. Geoff is the author of Thirteen Perfect Fugitives: The True Story of the Mob, Murder, and the World's Largest Art Heist, the behind-the-scenes true story about the case. Geoffrey Kelly served...
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389: George Olivo – Polygraph Exam of Female Murderer, A&E Lie Detector Series
FBI Case File Review
Retired agent and FBI-certified polygraph examiner George Olivo reviews his polygraph examination of Korina Flores Sanchez, who was suspected of murdering her live-in boyfriend. It was one of the first high-stakes examinations George conducted as a brand-new polygrapher. George is also interviewed about the truths and untruths surrounding polygraphs, what true crime media often gets wrong about polygraphs, and his TV appearance on another season of Lie Detector: Truth or Deception, which premieres on A&E and Hulu on March 12 and 19. George served in the FBI for 22 years. Check out...
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388: Jerry Spurgers – Disappearance and Murder of Federal Witness, Death Crime Scenes
FBI Case File Review
Retired agent Jerry Spurgers reviews his investigation of the mysterious disappearance of federal witness Susan Cooper from Malvern, Arkansas. The case involved drug conspiracy, witness intimidation, and murder. Jerry investigated the case with a team of local officers, sheriff's deputies, and an intelligence analyst by using traditional police skills and new technologies. As a former member of the Little Rock Division’s Evidence Response Team and an experienced death investigator, he also reviews the steps taken to collect evidence at a murder or accidental death. Jerry is the author of...
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387: Phil Andrew – NY Times Reporter Kidnapped By Taliban, Hostage Negotiation
FBI Case File Review
Retired agent Phil Andrew shares how his experience surviving one of the nation’s first school shootings when he was a twenty-year-old college student impacted his FBI career as a hostage negotiator. Phil reviews a kidnapping case where he negotiated with a member of the terrorist organization behind the Mumbai attacks and a case where he attempted to broker the release of New York Times reporter David Rohde, who was being held captive for ransom by the Taliban in Afghanistan. These case reviews are examples of how Phil turned tragedy into purpose, dedicating his life to keeping communities...
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386: Barry Black – Hazardous Devices, FBI Special Agent Bomb Tech
FBI Case File Review
Retired agent Barry Black reviews two bombing cases he worked as a special agent bomb tech (SABT) assigned to the Oklahoma City Division. The first case covers the detonation of a bomb at a University of Oklahoma football game in 2005, where the subject used a type of homemade explosive that had only been used by international terrorists. The second is an undercover investigation code-named Operation Mischief Mayhem Barry worked just before he retired, where he thwarted the subject’s plan to build and deploy a 1000-pound device similar to the one Timothy McVeigh used to bomb the Alfred P....
info_outlineIn part one of this two-part episode, retired agent Jim Gaylord reviews his espionage investigation and the prosecution of Chi Mak and his family members as spies for the People's Republic of China. Chi was an engineer who had immigrated from Kwang-Tung, China, and was employed with a U.S. company designing sensitive U.S. military and commercial technologies. Jim was assigned to investigate whether Chi was stealing U.S. Navy secrets from his employer. Jim is the author of Chasing Chi: The FBI’s Groundbreaking Pursuit of China’s Most Prolific Spy Family. He served in the FBI for 31 years.
Check out episode show notes, photos, and related articles: https://jerriwilliams.com/379-james-gaylord-chasing-chi-chinas-family-of-spies-part-1/
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