Episode Transcript
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(00:00):
The doors open, so you know where, like, the cart returns
are. Yeah.
All right. So my great idea was like, I'm a
park next to this. No one can block me in, you
know. I got it all mapped out.
Sounds logical, yeah? Criminal or whatever.
And the cops like, listen man, it's over.
I'm going to get out. You're going to climb out the
passenger side. I'm going to take you into
custody. Sure.
(00:21):
Fair enough, Sir, Absolutely. Yes, Sir, that's.
Exactly what I'm going to do, man.
So he lets go of the gear shift.I put the and car in reverse,
hit the gas and at the same timeit like happened so fast I
turned the wheel right and the car door got ripped off by the
car on the. Car.
And I backed up and I hit 3 vehicles in the parking lot.
(00:43):
Just surrounding cars parked around you.
You. Know I put it in drive and the
cop is hanging onto the car. Oh boy.
Right. And he sprayed me with Mace.
I pull off and I hit two more vehicles through a stop sign.
So I hit 5 vehicles, yeah. OK.
(01:17):
Oh man. All right.
Yes. We have Brent King with us
today. Well, I actually have met him
before because he was incarcerated at the facility I
worked at. So I've spent a good amount of
time with Brent, actually more than most inmates.
(01:39):
Not in a weird way. No, I'm not thinking that at
all. That's exactly.
What, you were thinking that at all?
That's. Exactly what you were just going
through your head at that. Moment I was just like eager to
hear stories about how you two met and maybe any interactions
you had since that this is freshfor me so.
How we met. Yeah, just like you know, any
odd jobs or anything exploit exploitation of like your state
(02:02):
of drug addiction for money. I don't anything.
I'm thinking randomly. No, I knew him when he was in
jail. Did you ever talk outside of
jail? No, I don't think so.
No, I didn't know you before yougot there.
No, I'm talking about after after jail.
Oh yeah, we would talk. OK.
Any like business deals or anything?
Yeah, there was a few business deals.
You know, I was an active addiction.
(02:22):
What? I decided one day it was a good
idea to text Louis. OK, you thought that was going
to be your gold mine for gettinghigh that day, Louis.
Yeah, I can. I can manicure around.
Yeah. Jesus Christ.
Nice car. I was like, you know, he
probably has a couple of. Dollars.
Oh, God. Manipulate.
Rents me for. Yeah.
Good to see you, dude. I'm happy.
(02:43):
I'm happy you're here. You look great, by the way.
Thank you. Like, since then?
Yeah, you are very healthy. So that's good to see.
I wish I could like say the samebut I just you are stay the same
weight. Yeah, my nickname is Big Body
Brent. Big body.
Brent, they call me. I don't think they know my real
name. When they start calling you
that. You know, back when I was in
(03:03):
treatment at the House of Hope, a few of my brothers started
calling me that. Big body, big.
Body. So now I have some clients I
work with that as a peer supportthat I don't think they know my
name, they just call me Big Body.
She get that on the office door like your name badge.
Just big body good. My name badge.
(03:24):
Good. It's a good idea, yeah.
I love that. Tell us because I know you are
another Ohio boy, but you grew up in the sticks, right?
So I grew up kind of or no? Yeah, I grew up in east eastern
Ohio on the Ohio River. The the the biggest city in my
area is Steubenville, OH, OK, but I grew up in like a suburb
(03:47):
of that named Toronto, Ohio. Toronto, yes, 6 miles north of
Steubenville. So usually when people ask where
I'm from, where I was born and raised, I say Steubenville.
Biggest. Yeah, do.
You know that Steubenville has areally, really good educational
program. I think I may.
Like, really good. Like in the country, like best.
(04:09):
Yeah, yeah. How do you know?
That, yeah. Why do you know?
That because we're working on another podcast with somebody
else and I found that out you. Brought that up.
And I was like, floored. Steubenville's.
Reading. Program is apparently amazing.
That's awesome. Yeah, it's.
Good to hear. I didn't know that.
Unfortunately for me, when I wasin school, you know, playing
(04:31):
sports and stuff, I didn't take my education very serious, you
know, and at the time when I wasa kid, I thought that was the
coolest thing ever. And I was an adult.
I sometimes need to ask for helpto do things, basic math and
things, you know? And that's OK, though.
So that's good to hear that, Stephenville.
But yeah, I grew up in Toronto. OH, I graduated with, I think it
(04:54):
was like 54 people in my class. It's a small class.
Half of mine. Mine was small.
I just, I just went back there last weekend to celebrate my 20
year high school reunion. Oh boy, was that awkward.
Yes and no. It was.
It was awkward for me a little bit because I'm in recovery.
(05:16):
Today. But they were very supportive of
that and I haven't laughed that hard and months.
So I needed that. It was good to see everybody.
They're very supportive of my journey recovery today and it
was good to get some good hugs and.
Laughs. You put the you get in the old
like, well, what have you been doing with your life since then?
I'm like jails. Drugs that.
(05:37):
Shit, Yeah, yeah. Yeah, 10 felonies, you know,
Yeah, they're like, really. I'm like dying to go to my next
one I like can't fucking wait. I was stayed away from those
things like the plague for years.
Like no way I'm showing my face fucking.
It's a good experience I think you would enjoy.
It it's not it's pretty yet for I.
No, I'm saying I was fucking strung out and like going to
(05:58):
jail and in and out and in and out.
So of course I'm not going to goto Yeah, now I'm ready.
Now it's hot shit. Now I'm ready to go.
I have arrived. No, it's.
Fucking gone for the girl that rejected him at the high school
dance. He's going back.
That's usually how it works. Right, I'm a podcaster now.
Bitch, I'm a podcaster. Get a grip.
Successful. Yeah, get a grip.
(06:20):
Fuck these guys. Yes, I just grew up Toronto,
small community, my parents werefriends with my friends parents,
they went to school together, police officers, all that, you
know, that whole deal. My dad grew up with them.
So you know, on my rampage of drinking and stuff like that
(06:42):
when I was younger, I never really had severe consequences.
It just was the thing to do, youknow, like I said, you know,
growing up, small community, thething to do was get a six pack
off your friend's dad and go outin the woods and have a bonfire
and smoke cigarettes and drink, drink, share beers with your
(07:06):
friends, you know. So we grew up doing that and it
was fun and I played a lot of sports growing up.
My dad was a football coach. He's still involved with
football down there. He's like the commissioner of
the Football League down there. So I was known as a the coach's
son. My dad always was my sports
coach. And, you know, I enjoyed it.
(07:27):
I enjoyed it until I took drinking and drugs to a new
extreme in my youth. When I was roughly about 1415, I
started using drugs and alcohol.Like I said, at the time, I
didn't know it was going to turninto prison and.
Jail. They didn't tell you that when
they were passing. The time I didn't, they didn't
(07:48):
tell me that when I signed the form.
So yeah, just turned into a a big thing as I got older, around
the age of 19, I started, you know, getting some consequence.
Did you do dare? I did do dare in 5th.
Grade they never talked about like consequences, did they?
Other than they. Tried to scare you, I just.
(08:09):
Like, did they ever bring up jail or prison or like.
I. Don't think I don't think so.
Dare Bear. So I feel like I would remember
that they brought up like prisonor something, but I don't, I
don't think they did. I can't remember either.
I know they brought like a mascot, a mascot and a big board
full of like drugs on it, mushrooms and stuff like that.
(08:32):
And the bear didn't. It was like, interesting.
I was just curious if if you remembered that.
I don't know. I don't remember it.
I I do remember, but I don't remember ever anything about
jail ring. Like anything like educational
or anything like, yeah, important.
No. Just say no.
And I wonder if anybody's ever, like, offered drugs after DARE
like, you know what? No, the DARE bear said.
(08:53):
No, I'm good, Sir. Probably or or.
It works for me for a second. Did it?
Yeah, for my freshman year, I didn't I.
Didn't what they say is like, I had 11 years clean and then I
turned 12? Yeah.
It was fucking turn my faves. I made it to 16.
I smoked crack once for 15 years.
Years. Yeah, you know, Yeah.
(09:18):
So. What's it look like when you
start at 14? So for me, when it's, what does
it look like? I have an older sister, you
know, she had older friends. She is four years older than me.
So when she is 18, you know thatthere's older boys around.
(09:41):
And, you know, I just was alwaysinvited to their parties because
everybody knew my family and my dad and I was their coach and my
sister was older than me, like Isaid.
And it wasn't like a a big deal to get invited to other kids
parties and drink and use drugs.I didn't really experiment too
(10:02):
much with drugs at that age. I think I've tried smoking weed
a couple times and never liked the experience of it.
So it was mostly alcohol at thattime for me.
But it helped me get all get ridof all my anxiety, my
insecurities. It helped me be the be the life
of the party and get the girls. And, you know, that was my goal
(10:25):
at the end of the night, to be the most liked, you know?
Are you bagging older girls too because you're at older parties?
I can't confirm it tonight, bro.Yeah.
Most of the time. That was probably my goal, you
know, try to. Age up.
I think that was all of our goals in high school partying.
Yeah. That was to be fair.
Yeah. So I enjoyed myself very much
(10:48):
so. And like in my area, there's
like 6 or 7 different school districts there with different
schools. And the, the bad kids were like
went to like Steubenville High School and stuff like that.
And that's, that's kind of the crowd crowd I gravitated towards
(11:08):
when I was young, 1415. And I knew them through other
sports and baseball and basketball and stuff like that.
And they were like ahead of the game when it came to like the
street life and drugs and alcohol and getting into
trouble. And it, it, it was like an odd
(11:29):
thing for me because I didn't, Igrew up, I had a good family.
I didn't want for anything. And I don't know, I think just
just the thrill of getting in trouble and hanging out with
with the bad kids was, was like,I thought it was a good idea for
me at the time. And when I turned 19 years old,
(11:54):
I was involved with some drugs. At the time it was a heroin.
So you've so you've moved on to heroin by 19?
Yeah, I think in those days, youknow, Oxycontin was prevalent
and I would dibble and dabble with those because, like I said,
I was always around older kids and that was like the thing to
(12:15):
do back then. And I didn't see that affecting
them negatively in any way, at least from what I've seen from
the surface or whatever. And, you know, people just
passed around narcotics like it was nothing.
So I didn't think too much of it.
And, you know, it just became more frequent in my life.
(12:41):
And you know, now I'm hanging out with the older, older crowd
that's already deeply involved with drugs and heroin at the
time. And then, like, doesn't heroin
have like a taboo? How do you become like?
Yeah, I might try that. So how it happened was I'm
riding with a a group of individuals and they're going to
(13:02):
go cop some dope and. And you know this.
I know this. My objective was not to do
heroin, it was to do Oxycontin. And you know, I had the money
for it and we get there and I think now back at it, they
wanted heroin. So when I give my money up,
their goal was to get as much. Heroin.
(13:23):
Yeah, yeah, yeah. You know as possible and then
tell me. Oh yeah, they didn't have any
but but they do have. Exactly what happened and I'm I,
I, I refused at first, but you know, addiction kicks in and
takes over and. What choice do you got?
(13:44):
What? Choice do you got?
And they told me it was the sameexact thing that I was doing
anyway, opiates. And my first experience with
powder heroin was now that I think that probably was an
overdose, they bring the the drugs out.
(14:06):
They give me 3 stamp bags full of heroin.
I think I did two of them not knowing you snort them, snorted
them on the back seat of a, a Grand Prix core.
And I just remember waking up onthe side of the highway and
we're we're pulled over and everyone's in the front seat
(14:26):
looking back at me like with these wide eyes like, Oh my God,
like are you OK? But I, I kind of blacked out or
slightly overdosed and I just remember being like, man, I am
fucked up. But it followed quickly,
followed by probably the best feeling I ever felt in my life
(14:49):
that that warm hot chocolate comfort.
Feeling. At grandma's house when she
gives you a warm blanket or something and we, we drive back
to, to the house we're at and I just remember having like super
energy from this drug. It made me feel really
comfortable with my surroundings, the people I was
(15:10):
around and I, I just started cleaning everything.
Damn. It makes so much sense thinking
back on it, and that does make alot of sense because you,
because you said it, you're comfortable with your
surroundings and the people and everything and time to clean.
Time to clean. So I didn't really think much of
(15:33):
it, You know, why not do this every day?
It's cheaper, it's readily available to me.
These guys already do it and if I need it, all I got to do is
make a phone call and they'll get it for me.
Of course they're going to take advantage of me.
You know, I'm younger than them.I have money.
Of course, probably my parents are giving me or whatever
because I didn't, I didn't work or nothing.
(15:55):
Like I said, I came from a pretty good family.
So my, my family's not thinking I'm buying heroin, you know, so
I'm getting enabled and they're giving me money.
And, and then I did that for a couple months and I was always
(16:15):
like a nosy kid too, always in people's business.
And at this time, I, my parents were going through a divorce.
My mother moved to Columbus, my dad moved back in with his
mother and father, and I lived with my mom's mom and dad and
they're clueless to what's goingon.
(16:36):
So I have family. I had family at the time in
Pittsburgh, my cousins and stuff.
And my grandfather would go to Pittsburgh and take care of
things up there. So I, I was alone a lot.
So I had no accountability or anything like that.
I could come and go as I pleased.
I was, I was being nosy one day at my grandfather's house and he
(16:57):
had this like old Victoria Victrola, like record player
where it was like a, his like prized possession in his living
room. And now I think back of it like
my, my like criminal mindset waslike elevated even then because
I open this, this, these doors to this thing.
(17:17):
And I see, OK, this record players probably from the 1900s
or whatever, but there's two brand new screws put into the
speaker area, right? So what could be?
Why could those be there, right?So I get the old butter knife
and unscrew it and there is a wallet in there with tons of
money. Wow.
Wow, you caught the screws. Yeah, like I'm like new
(17:45):
immediately. Like something has to be in
there. What the fuck?
So this is rainy day fund or something or like.
I mean, you know how older people are, they keep cash and
stuff at the time. I don't.
Know go bag. How much you think was in there?
There was there was at least $10,000 in there, all hundreds,
so I figured. He ain't going to miss this.
Stuff. No.
(18:05):
No. Knowing the type of person my
grandfather was, he was going toknow.
So you take out. Probably a couple $100 at 1st
and then. Just kept diving back.
Never said anything so a couple more hundred couple more 100
and. Isn't it funny that you just
can't stop when you know it's there?
It's free money, man, and. Then you tell yourself to like,
(18:25):
oh, he didn't notice. So like you just talk yourself
into like how he doesn't know what's going on knowing God damn
well. You're going to get caught.
It's. Going to happen you're going to
run out of money we're. Going to get caught but I'll
deal with the consequences at that time later.
They don't matter to me right now.
All that mattered to me at the time was getting the next one,
and it's a. Hell of a find.
(18:46):
Yeah, it really is. So I made like a big purchase of
heroin because these people talked me into this.
Obviously what's what's showing off that I have this money now
and they're like, well, we got agreat idea for you.
How much you buy? That's at the time I bought it
was called a brick, right? So a brick back then was 500
(19:07):
bags, stamp bags of heroin. All.
Right. And so, so we have these divvy
out the bags, the people, you know, have this this brick of
heroin in my pocket. And I started to want to make
some of that money back all right, in case I did get caught.
(19:27):
And so I'm selling two or three bags here and there to different
people over the city, not thinking too much of it.
I think I was like 18 or 19 at the time and it ended up being
that these, this group of guys Iwas hanging out with was already
involved with drugs and, and thetask force and, and, and, and
(19:51):
Toronto and Steubenville. So they have been being watched
and stuff for a drug activity. And so I'm selling these 2-3
bags to these people and I guessthey ended up just tell them the
police where they got it from so.
Like I know this now, but at thetime I have, I have no knowledge
(20:14):
of SWAT teams or task force. You know, I don't know any of
that. I'm oblivious to those things.
And one day we're we're at the trailer park behind hometown
video and I got I got high on two or three stamp bags and I
wanted to cut the grass. You know, I told you I got
(20:35):
energy from this. You know, I want to be helpful
to these guys that are helping me so much.
You're a St. I'm the man, you know, and it
comes down to I just wanted to fit in and be a part of
something. And so I go to my grandfather's
house and I steal his weed eaterand his lawnmower because I
(20:56):
don't have one, you know? And we pull back up and to go to
the hometown video to this a trailer, and there's SWAT trucks
in there. At the video place at the video
store. And police and dogs and I'm
like, oh shit, that sucks. Somebody's about to have a bad
day. Someone's going to jail, right?
(21:17):
So I'm like looking around, rubber necking, trying to like
get out of their way so I can benosy and they run up to me with
big guns and dogs and tell me ifI move they're going to blow my
fucking head off. Damn, buddy.
Yeah, so I'm like, man, I'm justa kid, man, I'm.
Just trying to mow some. Grass.
Trying to mow some grass, right?So I put the car in park and
(21:41):
they opened the door and they start searching me and stuff
like that. Anything on you?
I had 50 bags of heroin in my pocket.
Separately bagged. We're talking about like $10
bags. $10 stamp bags, wax paper.Bags.
And bundles. And I had fifty of them on me.
And so at the moment I thought of the quickest thing I could
think of. I was like, these aren't my
(22:01):
jeans, man. The Cops special.
The Cops TV show special. Yeah, that's what that is.
These are my jeans, man. And the cops are like, really?
Like, are you really going to tell us that I'm like, you just
found a pair of jeans with all this heroin?
And put them on. Like, yeah, that's exactly what
the fuck I did, man. Well, they obviously didn't
believe that. They put me in handcuffs across
(22:24):
the street. There's like a Derry Out ice
cream place. Friends and family, everybody,
everyone's over there and. Then not one point did it cross
your mind these guys might be here for you.
No, never. Never.
Yeah, you know, I'm just little old me.
I'm nobody. I'm not.
Not big weight guy. I'm not in the cartel or
(22:46):
anything at the time. Later on, I thought I was a part
of the. Cartel because I imagine like in
a small town like SWAT team shows up like yeah, people are
going to be watching and then. I was just pretty naive to that
and. And getting arrested in front of
the whole town. That sucks.
Yeah, I was embarrassed. Like that sucks.
Salt in the moon kind of thing. Yeah, the news came and they
(23:09):
didn't really show my face, but everybody knew it was me.
And I end up going to jail for and, and, and a kid I hung out
with. At the time he was 16 years old,
so my charges were. Like a minor charge.
Yeah, like furnishing drugs to aminor, attempted drug abuse,
(23:30):
possession and probably some other little minor things and.
And they took. That was my first experience
going to the Jefferson County Justice Center, Steubenville, OH
and. How's that?
Yeah, what's that like? I.
Was scared to death. It's a small jail, but at the
(23:50):
time, you know, I'm, I'm hearingstories of those gang members
from Chicago down here, New York, New Jersey.
They they call them the Jersey Boys.
And at the time it was known as Little Chicago down there.
Yeah. So a lot of different
communities from Chicago and NewJersey.
Why? Yeah, they're in Jefferson City.
Bum fucked USA. Yeah, so they just because of
(24:16):
the heroin trade down there was was pretty extensive because
Pittsburgh is close by there andthat's where the heroin was
coming. They were calling it Heroin
Highway. Oh yeah.
And these cultures would come from Chicago and Jersey and New
York and bring their gang culture down there and sell
drugs to make a huge profit. So the guys I were with were
(24:42):
already wrapped up and all that.And I'm just oblivious to all
this, you know? And so I go to the jail and
they're segregating people by gangs and golly, yeah.
And I'm just like a. Where the hell am I?
In there, Yeah. And I never had any bad
experiences in there as far as like violence or anything, but
I've seen a lot of violence in there and I just kind of stayed
(25:05):
in my own lane. Kept Are you dope sick?
I know I got I got bonded out. I went to arraignment.
First time ever getting in trouble, my dad bonded me.
Out I did have a bond. It was $7500 to Get Me Out.
Fox SO 75,000. 75,000 So 7500. And what do you tell Dad when
(25:27):
you ask him to? What's your reason?
Me. Just wrong place, wrong power on
the. Car, You know, he didn't really
say too much to me, asking me questions about it.
He got me an attorney, Stephen Lammetries.
Now he's the prosecuting attorney down there by the time
he was a defense. Attempt.
Ironic. And my dad put me on like
(25:48):
fucking house arrest. Like if you leave the house, I'm
going to you're, it's done, you're done.
So I respected that for the mostpart.
And then like I said, my dad grew up with like cops,
prosecutors, judges and stuff. A small town, small area.
Everybody knows my family. They know my dad.
They know my dad is about doing good in the community.
(26:11):
So my dad just kind of like bullies his way into the judges
chambers and like, hey, this is my son.
There's got to be another optionfor them than prison for him,
right? I'll take care of the rest,
whatever I need to do. How can we help him, right?
(26:32):
So the judge decided on sending me to a treatment center in
Newark. OH, it's called Shepherd Hill
and I went to Shepherd Hill at 19 years old for drugs and.
So it's pretty lucky given. Yeah, you got to get out.
What? You had on you and the way it
went down, yeah. I would say super lucky, you
(26:53):
know today it probably wouldn't be be the same circumstances
with all the drugs. And stuff.
No, it's different time back then, yeah.
This is like 2008, 2017, there wasn't, you know, drugs been
around, but it wasn't like it istoday, so.
(27:13):
It's not like Grace back then like there might be today.
Like, you know. Sure, yes, I went to this
treatment center and I think I was just trying to do the best I
could to get out of trouble. Like I said, my brain I have
(27:34):
have not a normal brain so I know how to manipulate my way
through things and check boxes off and do what you asked me to
do, talk to talk, talk to talk and so I can ultimately do what
what I want to do. How long is that treatment
center? It was a six month treatment
center. Damn.
Big boy. Yeah, yeah.
I didn't have any knowledge of like 12 step programs or
(27:56):
anything back then, or the disease of addiction or
anything. I just kind of thought when you
stop, you stop. For some people that's true, but
for me that's not true. I stayed there a couple extra
months, eight or nine months, make myself look good for the
judge and stuff like that. And now I was ready to get out
(28:19):
of there. So at this time we could we
could have like home visits and stuff, but my family live far
from Newark. Were you hearing anything in
there that was like resonating with you at the time, or were
you kind of doing the whole, I'mlooking for the differences, not
the similarities thing? Yeah, differences.
I was in denial. I don't, I don't remember a
(28:41):
whole lot. From.
It I know I had groups and things and and there there was
more. It was more like a CBT,
cognitive, cognitive behavioral therapy things.
And I do remember that part and I know I hated it and I was 19,
(29:06):
man. I thought, OK, I just won't do
it, no. More.
Yeah, stop. Yeah, all right.
I got caught. I won't do this shit no more.
Sounds good, yeah. And that sounded good enough to
me to to do whatever I needed todo to get out of there.
But slowly my addiction was creeping in.
At that time, I'm not recognizing anything behaviors
(29:29):
from, from my addiction and I had a relapse while I was in
that treatment center. We got to go on like home visits
and stuff. I'm at the time my, my aunt
lived in, in I think Zanesville or something.
And she had a friend and I introduced me to her friend and
they would let me go visit their, their apartment and stuff
(29:51):
like that. And I'm at their apartment and
no one's there. They're at work.
And I told you I was nosy, right?
So I start looking through drawers and stuff and I came
across a powdery substance knownas cocaine.
Oh man, they said. Some cocaine laying around.
Cocaine laying around man, just for a little of me to.
(30:12):
Try out Wow on a home pass. On a home.
Pass. Have you ever done coke prior to
this? I've never done cocaine prior to
this but I just know I wanted todo something to get out of self.
You know what? That's it.
What it is? At the time, yeah, yeah, I know
what it is. I have knowledge of it, but I
don't. I mean like they're that bag
specifically was cocaine and it's just like whatever, it
tastes like drugs, I'm going to do it.
(30:32):
Yeah, it just looked like drugs and I wanted to do it.
So I at the time I probably didn't know it was cocaine.
It was a white powdery. Substance.
Yeah, yeah, and a baggy. Thought that it was cocaine and
and then it ended up being that substance and you know, I
divvied out my share, you know, did me a couple little lines and
(30:52):
didn't think anything much more about it.
But that like fueled something in my, my brain that I, I know I
wanted more of it. And I end up leaving that
treatment center shortly after that.
Kept that all to myself. It's a big secret.
Kept it to myself. I go back home.
I think I did well for like maybe a week or two.
(31:16):
And then I wanted to go back to what what I know best.
What brought you to the dance? And I people placing some
things, I surround myself with the same people, places and
things at this time. And the cycle just started all
over again. And I got introduced to cocaine
and that that fueled an addiction and that that drug
(31:40):
made me do things that I never thought I would ever do.
And you know, I just, I'm still like not thinking that I'm like
a struggling addict out here at 20 years old, 19 years old.
And I got introduced to a different set of people, like a
(32:01):
more, I don't know what the wordis, but like a like, there's the
lower level people I was with and then I get introduced to
like the mid grade people. And so I'm still doing the
cocaine and stuff, but ultimately my addiction revolved
around opiates. And that's what I wanted to go
(32:22):
back to, right? Because that's what's my comfort
space and what made me feel likeme I guess.
So I start selling cocaine to fuel my opiate addiction.
And now ego comes in. These people are trusting me
(32:44):
with thirty, $40,000 at a time to transport large, large
amounts of cocaine. You know, opiates I'm dealing
with with mid grade dealers and stuff.
And today I know that I was justlike, they're flunky, you know,
I'm just a dope fiend that they can tell what to do because I'll
(33:06):
do it for 40 bucks. Yeah.
And that's a sad situation to betrapped in.
And some I'm, I'm selling cocaine to support my opiate
addiction and I'm running aroundthis kid and he's selling weed.
And we lived, we lived together in this apartment and he got
(33:29):
caught up in like a, a police where they where they just like
pull people over and search the car for.
Drugs and. Alcohol.
I don't know what you want to call it.
They had like a phase of it going on like a.
Task force to they name it something and operation
(33:49):
whatever. Operation, you're busted.
Operation Icebreaker. So unbeknownst to me, he gets
wrapped up in that and he's scared and he gives him this
information about this operationthat's going on in these certain
set of he. Just got caught for some weed.
Yeah, he got caught for some weed and he got caught for some
crack cocaine, and he pointed inour direction.
(34:16):
And so this apartment complex that I'm selling these drugs out
the back door is within 1000 feet of a school.
Oh. Brand so they give him they give
him the the money the wire, the video, the audio video
surveillance on me and they do control buys out of the back of
(34:36):
this apartment and I end up getting 3 controlled buys within
1000 feet of a school. I got 3 controlled buys in the
presence of a juvenile in apartment complex selling drugs
and these people's house. I was using the seller drugs.
They have their kids in there and.
(34:58):
Was it your buddy? The one doing the buys?
The one that got caught from theIT.
Was my buddy that was doing the buys.
As he typically bought from you like bought products so it's not
an out of the normal. Situation for him to buy
something all the norm for him to purchase things from me.
We got hot together and like I said, like I'm just like so
blind at the time. The things going on around me
(35:20):
that I'm just like, who am I? I'm nobody.
I'm just a crackhead. Just hustling a.
Little bit yeah. And now I think back about it,
there was like whispers that this this guy was like an
informant or ACI or whatever youcall it.
(35:41):
But but the time I'm like, he's not going to tell me, man,
that's my boy, that's my buddy. But the whole time he.
Was telling me. And trying to get to to the to
the bigger guy. Yeah even bigger fish.
Yeah. So he did they got 3 controlled
bodies on me in the school zone.The presence of a juvenile I but
(36:05):
how it how it got set up was it was weird because I'm pretty
aware of my surroundings. I'm pretty St. knowledgeable at
the time. And he, he calls me and he's
like, Hey, I want, he wanted to order a, a large amount of crack
cocaine. And this at this time, he was
not buying half ounces of crack cocaine.
(36:28):
He was buying grams, 8 balls, things like that.
And that, that was pretty commonfor him until, you know, they
did that ice breaker whatever caught him up with some drugs,
He flips points them in our direction.
So now they put him on the payroll, boom, he and that's how
he gets the control buys off of me.
(36:49):
So he's ordering up like half ounces of crack and I'm, I'm
refusing to sell it to him at first, right?
Just seems it, it started seem alittle odd to me.
Plus I'm hearing whispers of police talk and and informants
and stuff like that. I just, I just didn't want to
believe it. So he ends up ordering up.
(37:12):
I'm like, I give him amount of money that I want for these
drugs, all right, because I knowhe's going to say no, it's too
much, but he agrees to pay for this all right.
And in my head I'm like this can't, this can't be legit, but
I'm a I'm a heroin addict, man. I'm.
Going to find out. It might be legit.
(37:33):
It might be, and I might be richfor a day and be able to get
high for a few more days, and that's all that mattered.
All right, That's all that mattered.
I didn't care about any consequences or who I hurt or if
I hurt myself. It didn't matter.
All that mattered to me was getting some.
It's like a fucking black hole in your brain that when you're
(37:54):
fucking getting high like that, all you're thinking about is if
I get that money, I'm set, right?
You don't think about anything else.
Locked in on it, yeah, the mental obsession of it, it's.
Crazy. And, and I always compare this
to like if, if, if you don't know anything about the disease
of addiction, right? And you want to judge people and
(38:15):
put stereotypes on people that struggle with that and put them
down. I ask them, let me take your
cell phone from you for 48 hours, right?
All you're going to be thinking about is your cell phone.
That's how addicts and Alcoholics brains.
Take alcohol. All day long until you know you
have the willingness to live a different life and work some
(38:35):
steps and stuff or whatever you believe in.
So they always don't like hearing that, but going back to
it. It's a great example.
Yeah, it's a great example. It's a great example.
Yeah. I had to use that on a few
family members before, like, hey, this is what I deal with.
This is a lifelong thing, right?And there's a mental obsession I
(38:58):
deal with at times. And if you want to judge me, let
me take your cell phone for 48 hours, and all you're going to
think about is your cell phone. And that's how addicts and
Alcoholics need to deal with life.
I usually have not too much to say after that.
So I give it to anybody that is live decided to change your life
(39:22):
and work, work a recovery program and is doing well at it.
So yes. What's the bus look like?
How do they get you? So the bus for me looks like
this, he said. He sends me a text message.
He's ordering up this amount. I I ultimately agree to that
because like I said, all I care about is this heroin that I
(39:44):
want. And this is the first time you
did it like you agreed to one deal.
This is probably about the thirdtime this happened, 3rd or 4th,
and I tell him to pick me up. We're going to have a
conversation. This isn't like a $2030 dope
deal we're doing here. Not that it's like major money
or anything, but. At the time where I'm from it
(40:07):
was pretty significant for the amount of drugs that I was
around at the low level I'm at. 1/2 ounces.
Into a heroin addict that needs that money, that's like, yeah.
It's a big deal. So he picks me up, we're going
on a ride and he's immediately trying to hand me this money.
And I'm like kind of thinking it's weird.
(40:29):
But like like I said, all I'm thinking about is what I'm going
to make so I can get high and wepull up this Yummies ice cream
store and. How's the money look?
So it was like 50s, fifties, 20s, and there was like 110.
Right. Were they crisp?
Like pretty. Crisp I I can't.
(40:49):
Remember, I'm just curious. Like I think I even remember,
like remember in the midst of texting doing the stope deal,
I'm like looking at my buddy, like he, he's probably setting
me up, you know, and saying thatout loud to him and him even
saying like, he better not be like, my, my fucking kids are in
(41:10):
here, you know, and he was, he was, and there's a, there was a
lead detective back home that everybody knew who he was.
I won't say his name or anything, but I'm texting him
like, Hey, you're probably like in the same room with this guy
right now, like jokingly textinghim because I think I, well,
(41:30):
this guy know enough that I can fuck around with him a little
bit. And he's texting me back things
like, oh, you would say that. Why would you say that?
You're tripping and stuff like that.
But the whole time he really is with this person and they're
giving him the money to come make the buy.
He gives me the money at the yummies.
I'm seeing like unmarked vehicles there, but I'm not like
(41:52):
connecting the dots because like, all that's on my mind is
getting us over with so I can ultimately go home.
Do some dope. And yeah, so I give them the
drugs. I go back to the, to the
apartment, I'm walking in the back and there's like SWAT
trucks pulling in this apartmentcomplex.
I'm like, Oh my God, fuck. So not again, not again, right?
(42:19):
And this time it was like a, a bigger, yeah ordeal, right?
Because in in this apartment, right, this guy from Columbus
would come down. He got this girlfriend, right?
Bought her an apartment, paid her cell phone bill, paid her
rent, took care of her kids so he could use her house as a
(42:42):
stash bot. And in the house, there's almost
300 grams of cocaine. And this is where you're going
into, Yeah. Oh boy, and I'm selling.
I'm making buys out the back door.
Boy oh boy, this guy. Too for the other previous
controlled buys. So they had like audio and video
surveillance on this house, and there's my goofy ass walking out
(43:03):
the back door every time sellingthe informant a crack.
Damn. Yeah, so, so like, SWAT pulls up
and the sheriff is there. And the sheriff had grew up and
my grandfather played sports with him and they know each
other real well. And he was like, man, I used to
come watch you play football on Friday and I'm taking you to
jail for selling drugs. Made me feel like real small and
(43:26):
the truth hurts sometimes and I was like man this is real and
and I'm I'm fucked. I'm in trouble.
So you know immediately you're done for.
Yeah, just the amount of like, it was like a parade of police
and video cameras. From the News.
And the headlines were like, youknow, like major drug bust in
(43:49):
this apartment complex in Toronto and had my name.
And the amount of drugs they seized was almost 300 grams of
cocaine, some pounds of weed, three stolen firearms.
There was a a, a, a stolen car involved that I had been using.
There was the female that the, the, the, I don't know what you
(44:12):
want to call them like the, the dealer was using and she got
caught up in it and her friend got caught up in it.
So US 3, ultimately, we're wrapped up in this major drug
bust. Damn.
Right. And that's what shit started
getting real for me. I went back to the Jefferson
(44:33):
County Justice Center. Now I have like major drug
charges, aggravated drug trafficking, aggravated
possession, aggravated controlled substance, whatever
it is and 3-4 felonies and F twos and all aggravated, all
(44:54):
aggravated charges, controlled buys.
You call dad and tell him how I got the wrong guy again.
I did call Dad and I was like, you know what?
It wasn't me. No, at this point I think he was
pretty frustrated with what was going on with me.
You know, he told me once and I didn't listen.
(45:14):
So I went back and I think he, he left me in there for this,
this, this amount of time. And I think I sat in there like
9 months fighting this case and ultimately I got sentenced to 76
months and Correctional Facilityfor these charges.
What's that for? Six years?
(45:35):
How long is that? That's 5/5 and 1/2.
I've got. I did 5.
I did my last six months and a halfway house in Akron, OH.
Damn, where'd you go at prison? I went to Marion Correctional
Facility. Man, six years or five and a
half here. First number.
It's a long time bro. And for the nine months I'm in
(45:56):
in the Steubenville County jail or whatever, you know, I've
never been to prison. And, and I'm in there and
they're telling me like all these horse.
Yeah, they always do. Of, you know, when you get off
the bus, you better put them hands up.
Somebody, somebody going to try you, you know, So I just
thinking about that and obsess about that every day, every day,
every day, man, someone's going to kill me in prison.
(46:20):
I end up going to getting sentenced or whatever.
I went to Lorraine, that's near Cleveland.
That's like their CRC, right? Yeah, I don't.
I don't think it's a reception center anymore.
I think they just use CRC down here in Oregon.
Now. At the time it was a reception
center up north and in JeffersonCounty.
That's the last county that goesto Lorraine.
(46:43):
So they sent me to Lorraine and I'm in Lorraine.
I'm with a bunch of guys from Cleveland, Sandusky, Mansfield,
very few from where I'm from. And I was scared.
I was scared, if I'm to be honest, but I stayed to myself.
I drank a lot of coffee and I stayed out the gambling and I
(47:06):
stayed. I just got into working out and
trying to get my weight up so I can learn how to throw my hands
if I needed to, you know? Or at least look big enough so
nobody wants to throw a. Hand I think that ended up
working out for me I think like once I got to my parent
institution in Marion, I was like 247 yeah so I never really
(47:29):
had any issues in prison, you know, for the for the for my
whole stay there except for one time and Marion there's a lot of
programs and stuff in in there. I think it was like Oasis
program and thinking for a change and there's 12 step
programs they facilitated in there and I know I wanted to be
involved in stuff like that so Ican get the hell up out of there
(47:51):
right get good days and stuff and I had my little Porter job
I'll slap a mop around and I stuck to myself but I had AI had
AI had a good bunkie in there that that taught me the the land
of the the ways of the land, youknow and how to conduct myself
in there and you know excuse me and step out the way when
(48:12):
somebody's walking down the aisle and stuff so I never I
never had any issues in there plus, you know there was there
was a lot. I don't want to, I don't want to
say like I couldn't get tried oranything, but but they just, I,
I knew how to be a chameleon andfit in and speak to lingo and
(48:33):
keep my head down when it was time to keep my head down.
And I got involved in sports andflag football and stuff in there
and I was in the gym and I got involved in 12 step programs in
there. And one time, the only time I
had an altercation in there in prison was I'm at a 12 step
program. I come back and when you're in
(48:53):
prison and you walk in on the block or the dorm, you can you
can feel the atmosphere change. Feel the tension, man.
Feel the tension in the air, right?
You know, I have been on this block for I think 3 1/2 years at
this time. You know, I, I never really had
any issues. I had, like I said, I had a good
bunkie and my bunkie was a, a known individual in there.
(49:15):
And he always told me if somebody comes over here, I'm
going to Lucasville, which meansif somebody comes in our area,
I'm probably going to put some violence on them or whatever.
People just respected him. So therefore they, I guess,
respected me out of respect for him.
And the whole dorm is drunk and drinking and I feel the tension
(49:38):
in there. And I'm like, damn, what's going
on, You know? And I walk up to my bunk area
and I kind of like put my hands on the top rack and I kind of
kick my box a little bit and it sounds kind of light.
And I'm like, I'm like, damn, did they steal my stuff?
(49:59):
And they did. People were drunk and they stole
my commissary. And I kind of went out through
the block to a few people I talked to and try to get
information on who did it. But we're in prison, man.
Ain't nobody going to open theirmouth whether they know or not.
They don't want to be involved. And I don't blame them for that.
You know, they can get violent in there.
(50:19):
It is prison. You know, there's people doing
life sentences in there. Ain't got nothing to lose,
right? And in this prison, there's a
there was a gang in there from Cleveland called the Heartless
Fellas. And they're they're like MO was
to steal and jump people. And you know, they got
organization to them, but they're younger crowd and they
(50:44):
just don't give a fuck. So, yeah, so they stole my
things and then this, this one of one of their members have
moved into block and he happenedto move right next to my bunk
area, right? So I try to put two and two
together. And whether it was him or not,
(51:05):
I'm blaming him. 'Cause you got to have like you
got to take it up with somebody.Right.
Take it up with somebody, right?And I, I forgot to mention this.
When I was in Marion, there was a, there was a gentleman in
there that I grew up with, right?
He's doing an 18 a life sentencefor murder.
And I got lucky and he happened to be there with me and so he
(51:28):
kind of took me under his wing alittle bit and he's an enforcer
for a gang in there and I wasn'ta part of that or anything but
I'm around them. People see I'm around him.
So I'm sure that had a lot to dowith why my stay wasn't eventful
either. But you know, I, I kind of went
to him and asked him for help, like what do I do in this
(51:48):
situation? And he was like, you ain't did
nothing yet. I'm like, no, man, I'm scared,
I'm scared. I don't, I don't know what to
do. And he's, he pretty much told me
like you, you have like 24 hoursto, to, to make an example out
of somebody, man, or you're, you're, you're going to get it.
It's going to be worse for you here.
So, you know, once you, if you get taken advantage of or
(52:10):
whatever, and you don't make an example out of somebody or show
that you'll at least try to makean example out of somebody,
we're going to have a pretty rough stay in prison, right?
So I, I took heat to that and went back.
It was count time. It's 9:00.
I'm sitting on my bunk waiting for count, waiting for the CE OS
(52:32):
to come by. I look over this gentleman.
I had just moved in there who was a member of this this
organization that likes to stealand and do a bunch of fuck shit.
I pretty much told a man like I don't know what's going on, but
I know you stole my shit and andthere's going I'm going to set
an example. How do you So I don't even know
(52:54):
if that was the right thing to say.
I just it just kind of came out like that and he kind of just
looked at me, laughed it off like I didn't do nothing right.
I wasn't going to do shit basically.
So what happened was what happened was I went to bed that
night and I was probably not theright thing to do in that moment
(53:15):
and in the penitentiary, right? You're supposed to do things
immediately, you know, So we went to bed and the next day I
got up and, and I was all in my head about it, like I really
need to do something about this.All right.
So I see the gentleman walking to the the bathroom area and I
(53:39):
put my at the time you could wear Timberland boots there.
Boots on, I don't think. You can do this, wear those
anymore, but he's brushing his teeth in the bird bath.
It was like a big round bird bath in the middle of the
bathroom area and he's brushing his teeth and not just ran in
there and just punched him in the throat, knocked him down.
(54:00):
Get all we have a little scuffleor whatever.
And that was it. It was over with.
So, you know, now the dorms all hooping, the hover and, you
know, and I go back by the time I got out of there, the people
that I dealt with already had the stuff out of his box put
back in my box, right? So I was, I respected that, you
(54:20):
know, they just were trying to see if I was going to make a
move, right? And like I said, there was a
little scuffle and other people started getting involved that I
was around. They they got the things back
off of him, put it back in my area, took some other things and
he checked in. Really.
Yeah, wow, Yeah. Damn I was going to ask if
(54:42):
you're worried about retaliationbut like dude.
Checked in, Yeah, he checked in.So he he went off the block and
went into another block and got caught stealing somebody's
shoes. So he did like a check and move
without. That's just, that's just what he
does. That's just what he does.
It could be what he does. Yeah, wow.
But yeah, he. And at the time, like I said,
there were, there was heartless felons in this prison, but they
(55:04):
weren't, their numbers weren't up yet until like that when I
was at the end of my stay there,their numbers were really high,
right? And the situation probably been
different, different, right? There was really nothing he
could do. He didn't have, he didn't have
none of his homeboys there with him.
So the remainder of my stay there was pretty, it was not
(55:29):
eventful at all after that, you know, a whole lot of playing
football and working out and watching Ohio State games.
Yeah. And then I, I got a judicial
release. Yeah.
You're Judy. Yeah.
Damn. I got a judicial release and
they sent me to, it's called TMRC Oriental House in Akron,
OH. And you do a six month stay
(55:50):
there in a halfway house. And I hated that fucking place.
A lot of the same things that make you go to groups and bully
you around all day. And the people that work there
like didn't give a shit about nothing.
And there was, I seen more overdoses in there than I did on
the street. And there was a lot of drugs in,
in that place. And what do I, what I want to
(56:14):
do? Drugs, obviously.
Obviously I've been arrested. You know, it was my type of
people. So I started using again in the
halfway house and and this time it got pretty severe.
That's so fucked up that you getout of prison, you're clean,
whatever, you go to a halfway house to try and get better and
(56:36):
it's worse. It was worse.
Man, that's fucking terrible. Yeah, it was a sad situation.
You know, I'm, I'm I'm with people that I think are my
friends, you know, they're from all over the country or state,
not the country of the state. And we're all getting hot
together. And then they would just like
(56:56):
bail out and leave and then likeput, put, put the money on me
and it just turned into like a real shitty situation in there.
But, but like I said, I went back to using and then I got out
of that facility and I moved to Columbus, OH.
You successfully got out, I successfully.
Got out. Sounds like the standards were
(57:17):
pretty low, right? You just.
Yeah. Basically just in bed there
every night. And that's kind of it.
It's all like no drug testing, none of that.
They well, yeah, there was drug testing in there, but I was
manipulating the drug test. I was I was paying Louis $5 to
pee 5. Hour Energy drug for.
Me and you know the CE OS that worked there they didn't they.
(57:39):
Didn't care that much, yeah. They didn't, they didn't care as
long as you weren't like fighting or doing some crazy
shit. They, they didn't really care,
you know, the overdoses, you know, they didn't even care.
They just called the ambulance. They'd wheel them out.
You'd never see them again. They'd send them back to prison
or whatever. I was more scared in there than
I was in prison, you know, just like, because like you're so
(58:04):
close to freedom in there, but you're not.
And and, and the things that aregoing out on outside of this
facility are happening on the inside.
And you can come and go, right? Like you can have a job there.
You can have a job and you gave you gave them like 10% of your
paycheck. But the job I had when I was in
there was with a buddy I went toI was in prison with and we went
(58:28):
to the same halfway house and his parents owned like a
trucking company or something. So we would leave for the day go
to his parents shop and our job was to get scrap off of 18
Wheeler trailers and take it to the scrap because his
grandfather just passed away andthey're trying to get rid of all
(58:48):
his trucking company stuff. And all me and him did was steal
scrap, take it to the scrap yard, call a dope man and get
dope delivered and go back to the facility and.
Just do it again the next day. It was, it was bad news.
And eventually his family found out, obviously, because like
money's coming up missing from the job, the scrap that we're
(59:12):
we, we would like take a legit load, get the money and then we
would like steal a load and go keep the money.
And. Eventually his his mom got hit
to us and she like fired us or whatever, but I had like a week
left at this time and they put me on like a dorm restriction
where I wasn't like allowed to leave the dorm for seven.
(59:34):
I was like, I don't care. I'm.
Leaving I'm going on a week it doesn't.
Even matter, I end up getting out of there in February of 2413
and I came to Columbus and movedto Columbus and just started the
journey all over again. I didn't learn anything, you
know, I, I wanted to learn things and I wanted to stop
(59:56):
getting in trouble and I didn't want to do drugs and alcohol,
but I didn't want to put the work in to.
I wanted to do what the fuck I wanted to do, but just not get
in trouble and. No consequences?
No. Consequences right When I moved
to Columbus, my consequences just went through the roof.
What are you? What are you doing down?
Like, how'd you get down here? You know somebody down here?
(01:00:17):
Well, my mother came and got me my my family lives in Columbus.
Like I said earlier, my cousins had previously been Pittsburgh,
but they moved to the Worthington area.
They're going to school in Worthington and I, I moved here
with my grandmother and my mom and I just got introduced to
lifestyle here in Columbus, which was like the worst part of
(01:00:44):
my life. Actually.
It's not the best part, but now it's the worst part.
I get introduced to stuff in Columbus that like got dark and
scary and at the time I, my sister is using at the time,
she's, she's got a year clean now.
Congratulations to her, but prostitution rings in and out of
(01:01:07):
hotels, you know, a lot of abusenow they would call it human
trafficking, things of that nature.
And I'm still trying to play this role.
Like I'm not a part of it, but Ireally am.
You know, if that's what, if that's what I have to do to get
(01:01:30):
drugs, I'll do it. All right.
So I didn't care about valuing my life, let alone somebody
else's. And I got put in some situations
here in Columbus that almost lost my life over a few times.
They don't thinking I knew what was best and not not keeping my
(01:01:51):
mouth shut. And it almost cost my life a few
times here. So I continued on on that cycle
and I can't remember what it was, but I got caught like
stealing or something and they put me on probation.
Oh, I got a forgery. I got AI got a forgery uttering
a forgery charge or some shit. Bad check or.
(01:02:13):
Bad checks, they put me on felony probation and that's what
started my journey on probation and, and here in Columbus.
And I got stuck in that cycle for years and years and years
and years. You know, I'm an addict.
I'm not in recovery of any, any sort.
(01:02:33):
I don't know anything about recovery.
They put me on probation. I would get out of jail,
relapse, go back to jail, get reinstated here.
We'll put three more years on your probation and we'll let you
free. And there was no, there was no
like me accepting any type of help that they were trying to
(01:02:55):
offer me, which which was kind of limited at the time.
Today probation, I believe is myopinion is a lot different for
people that are struggling with substance abuse.
My experience with it in the last couple years since getting
off probation is totally different.
I had a great probation officer towards the end of my probation
(01:03:18):
that extended his hand out to memore times than he should have.
And ultimately he got me put into a facility where I'm at
Lewis at. And that was like my last straw
then. And the judge I was dealing
with, I don't know, I think he just, he just seen something in
(01:03:39):
me that he's seen my potential or something.
Probably by the way I was talking in court, trying to
trying to manipulate my way out of jail, you know.
So he sent me to a facility where I'm at Lewis at.
And when I got to that facility,I, I was pretty much tired of
going to jail. You know, I, I would go to jail
(01:04:00):
about every six months. And, and then I'm on felony
probation. So they would keep me in there
like 5 to 6 months, you know, and then send me somewhere for
nine months or six months. And it, and like there was a
point in time where like in fiveyears I had been out of a jail
or institution for like, maybe like a year total.
(01:04:21):
And it was like, it was exhausting.
Yeah, I finally got to the pointwhere I wanted to surrender to
something, but I just didn't know what that was.
And when I got to his facility where Lewis worked, I started
Cesar being planted for me. They were.
They were. Lewis extended his hand to a
couple. What were we inmates, Lewis?
(01:04:44):
I suppose at the time it was more like, it really was more
like that you can't leave, there's no more nothing.
Yeah, I think it was like, yeah,so it was.
A prison, basically. It was locked down and I was on
a full facility restriction at the time I was there.
So like if they did go outside, I wasn't going you.
Couldn't even go out to like wreck no wasn't allowed.
(01:05:06):
Why is that? I had a warrant in Delaware
County. We couldn't let them go out if
they had warrant. And then what do you, how does
the warrant get dealt with? Well, they they transported me
too. So they come and get you after
you're done with CBC or the. I was fighting the the case when
I had like an open case when I was in there.
So I don't know if it shows as awarrant or whatever, but they
(01:05:28):
would transport me to Delaware County and back to these days.
And in Delaware County, when I was in this facility, it's a
lockdown facility. I'm there for six months.
I can't go anywhere. There's barbed wire here.
And I'd go to Delaware and they'd be like, we want you to
go to jail. And they were like, he's already
in jail. He's already in jail and look
(01:05:53):
though, it was like a misdemeanor trespassing or
something. Out there, yeah.
And you're doing fucking six months.
I think it holds like 30 days orsomething.
And like the the probation officer was like, well, we want
him to be locked up in Delaware County Jail, but the judge
ultimately seen past that was like, we're just going to
(01:06:14):
terminate your probation. He's in a facility he can't
leave, right? So I just ended up going back to
that facility and I stayed therefor I think it was like 135 days
in this facility. But here I started to learn
things about like 12 step programs and learning new
behaviors in life and recognizing behaviors that will
(01:06:34):
lead me to drugs and alcohol. I was around a bunch of
knuckleheads in there and most of them didn't give a shit one
way or another whether they was in prison, jail or dead.
That's how it goes. But there was a few of us in
there that that like didn't likethe cycle we were stuck in.
And Lewis introduced us to a different way of life.
(01:06:56):
He would talk to us and tell us about his, how he was stuck in
his cycle and how he got out right?
And how he was a inmate in facilities and then he was ends
up running the facility, right? So I I seen things in him like I
was like, man, I want to, I wantto, I want to do that.
You know this. Dude's A and what's crazy is
(01:07:19):
you're doing, you're literally doing that right now.
You're walking your way up the food chain as we speak at a
recovery facility. Yeah, I I'm literally doing that
right now. And that all started with you
though, so. I mean, I didn't do shit.
I just, I just talked to you, that's all.
Well, you spent time. With I just took to, yeah, I
just took time to well, that that was my favorite thing.
That was why I was there. So like it was nothing.
(01:07:41):
So I appreciate that. I'm grateful for that for you,
man. And, and I went through this
facility and I did 12 step programs in there.
And then like when I got out of that facility, I did, I did end
up having a relapse, but it was,it was very short.
And I did go back to jail and myprobation officer was like, man,
(01:08:06):
I, I don't think there's anything I can do for.
You this dude? It's dude I'm thinking of with
the glasses, right? Can I say the name?
Yeah. Jason Conrad.
Yeah, Conrad, That's right. He was there.
He worked there when we were there, locked up in 2016.
Yeah. Yeah, yeah, he did work.
There we have dealt with him that Mary Haven actually.
But he get he. Well, I mean like he was my
(01:08:28):
client's P OS and I have to talkto him regularly.
Yeah, he's good. Yeah.
So I was named yeah, Jason Conrad.
So he. Boy, he gave you some chances,
dog. God damn.
I yeah, like I went, I went backto jail.
Oh yeah, I know why I went back to jail.
I know why I went back to jail. I did get out of that facility
(01:08:52):
and I caught 2 robberies. Oh, let's talk about that.
I forgot. About this the Walmart, the
fucking Walmart, this is the. Walmart stores, yeah, Walmart
stores. My, my buddies, I, I work with
in recovery now, they're like what they say, what they say.
On the motion of discovery, Brett, the victim was rewarded
with punches to the face. And then I don't want to, like,
(01:09:14):
I don't want it. But yeah, this is an interesting
story, right? All right, so I got out of the
facility where I met Lewis at and I had a relapse, right?
And it was a very short relapse,but it was long enough to end up
catching 2 felony robbery. 2 felony robbery.
I remember I'm I'm at my mom's, I'm with my girl that I'm
(01:09:35):
currently with now and she's they're just like holding on for
dear life to try to keep me out of trouble.
You know, it's not their responsibility, but they love
me, so they they're trying. I remember having Xanax.
Oh boy. And.
Starting off good already. I tell her I'm like, can you
hold these for me so I don't overdo it, you know?
So she does. And then I'm just like waiting
(01:09:56):
for her to get up and go to the bathroom.
So I can go in there and. Pinch them so I can steal some
of my own. Yeah.
And I pop a couple more, right, 30-40 minutes past now I'm
feeling it. When I was on Xanax, I don't
know about anybody else, but when I was on Xanax, I felt like
Superman and I didn't care what the consequences were.
(01:10:18):
It didn't matter. I was going to do what I wanted
to do. And that is like a very
dangerous drug to be on. So I don't recommend that at
all. So I'm, I had this Panera gift
card and I'm like, now I'm on benzos.
I got a little, I'm a little hungry now.
So I got this Panera gift card and I'm like, babe, what you
(01:10:40):
want from Panera? I'm I'm going to go to Panera.
And she's like looking at me like please don't, please don't
fucking leave. Oh, I'm going, I'm going.
So I get in the car, I'm going to Panera.
I pull up a Panera. This is during like still coving
and stuff. They're shutting down
restaurants. There's you can't.
This is like when you can't go into restaurants.
(01:11:00):
Yeah. I pulled up the Panera.
I'm like, shit, they're closed. I'm going to Walmart.
I'm going to rob Walmart. Because clearly that's what you
do when. Yeah, when when you.
Panera's close. Panera yeah and there's more to
it because like I'm I have drugsin my pocket and money OK right
and I'm and I'm already high yeah right Why I.
(01:11:26):
Don't know? You fucking tell us.
So because the Walmart was rightacross the street, that's the.
Street man, that's why. Fuck it.
And I think I don't know what itwas I wanted.
I wanted an Ohio State hoodie. You know, everybody knows me.
I'm a big Buckeyes fan. Go Bucks, let's go over a couple
more weeks when we play. But I wanted this Walmart Ohio
State hoodie, man. I was going to fucking have it.
(01:11:48):
So I go into Walmart and when I walk into Walmart, they know I
walk into Walmart because I'm not allowed at Walmart.
You know, for the numerous thefts I have and cops that has
already fucking kicked me out ofthere.
So I go in there and I lost prevention.
You know, they're on to me and shit, I put on this sweatshirt
(01:12:12):
now I peep the scene, I know they're on to me.
I'm like, I'm getting the fuck up out of here, right?
So I'm in my mother's vehicle that she just got like 2 weeks
prior to this. It's got it's brand new.
She works her ass off, you know,for this and little, you know,
little old dumb ass me, he's going to take her car to
Walmart, all right. All zanied up.
All zanied up and I'm walking out of Walmart and lost.
(01:12:34):
Prevention tries to stop me at the door and they're like Mr.
King and they say by name. Know you by name.
And I, and I, like give them this look like, oh, shit.
But at the same time this fear set in, right?
So I'm going to use these intimidation tactics to like get
my way out of this or whatever. I don't fucking know.
(01:12:55):
And Mr. King, CPD is out there waiting on you.
I was like, no, I don't give a fuck, right?
And I just punched this. Damn got the Walmart.
And if I will see, I will make amess to you man.
But I don't know man. So do you think he's bluffing?
Like they're not really out there.
He just didn't give a fuck at that point.
I just didn't. Care.
Well, they they can't touch you technically, right?
(01:13:17):
No. He didn't even touch me, man.
Oh, you just fucking. I just took off on him.
Just took off on him. And like I said, if I ever see
you brother, I'm going to make amess to you, I promise.
But if I quit the game after. That and the cops are out there
and I'm like, oh fuck, I take off running, right?
(01:13:38):
You know me, I'm all doped up. And low as hell, yeah.
Like they're not going to catch me.
They've been doing this shit for20 years.
Trained. And so what's the goal?
To get to Mom's car. The goal is to get to my mom's
car. So ultimately, to get to my
mom's car, I open the door, I hop in, the Columbus police
officer opens the passenger door, hops in with me.
So now we're both in this car and my brain goes to how am I
(01:13:59):
going to talk my way out of thisone?
OK. I can do this.
You can you got this right I. Got this.
Yeah. So my hand is on the gear shift
and his hand is on top of me. My hand.
Like it. It's over, brother.
You. You're done.
You're fucked. You're.
Literally in his hand. I.
Throw my hands up and the guy that I punched comes around the
(01:14:23):
driver's side. Oh.
Man. Puts me in a headlock.
The Walmart guy. Walmart guy.
But he needs to be arrested. He needs to be arrested.
Charges on that fucking guy. So like I was saying earlier,
like they put in the motion because like he puts me in a
headlock and I just start punching him.
Boom. And the motion discovery says
that the victim was rewarded with punches.
(01:14:43):
That's how they it's really sweet and.
Clowns. Rewarded.
Rewarded. Yeah.
That's sick. Wow.
But so I'm trying to like talk my way out of this and.
As the guy's choking. You as the guy's choking me, I'm
punching him in. The cops are.
Like wait guys, there's an explanation for all cops yelling
at him though. Stop being a hero.
(01:15:03):
Let him go. You know, like yelling at him.
Fuck yeah, he's fucking everything up.
He's. Really cock walking.
The whole thing up, they're pissed.
And the doors open so you know where like the cart returns are.
Yeah, right. So my great idea was like, I'm a
park next to this. No one can block me in, you
know. I got it all mapped out.
Sounds logical, yeah? Fucking criminal or whatever.
(01:15:25):
And the cops like, listen, man, it's over.
I'm going to get out. You're going to climb out the
passenger side. I'm going to take you into
custody. Sure.
Fair enough, Sir, Absolutely. Yes, Sir, that's.
Exactly what I'm going to do man.
So he lets go of the gear shift,I put the fucking car in
reverse, hit the gas and at the same time it like happened so
(01:15:46):
fast I turn the wheel right and the fucking car door got ripped
off by the car on. The.
Car yeah, and I backed up and I hit 3 vehicles in the parking
lot. Just surrounding cars parked
around you. You.
Know I put it in drive and the cop is hanging on to the car.
(01:16:07):
Oh boy. Right.
And he sprayed me with Mace. I pull off and I hit two more
vehicles through a stop sign. So I hit 5 vehicles.
Yeah, I put a bunch of lives at risk and my own and.
The fact that you're not in prison right now still is
unbelievable. Walmart's most.
I know it's 2025 and this is a 5year five years ago but I mean
(01:16:31):
fuck dog. Yeah, you should be sitting
pretty up there in the joint right now at least. 10 balls.
Yeah, like some. 887 attempted murder on a cop.
I mean, yeah, they could have hit you with.
I already got a number. I'm already a felon.
Yeah, you're what happens if youhit the five car.
Do you finally decide? Like maybe they do have me after
all. What I thought was my mom's
(01:16:52):
going to fucking kill me. Because you fucking just tore
her car. A new car.
Brand new car. The cops or anything, I was like
my mom is going to fucking kill me bloody Long story short.
So they they Mace me or whateverI can't see.
They pull me out. Cops, I'd like come to and I
look and there's like 60 cops inthis parking lot and I'm like
(01:17:12):
screaming and yelling like just kill me, fuck it, just kill me,
you know, 'cause I know. You're done once you're.
Not going back. To jail.
I'm not. Getting out they find the drugs
on me. I had like 9 grams of crack on
me. Yeah, how are you at?
Least in his worries right now, I.
(01:17:34):
Don't know man, and. That's still.
Xanax, brother. Yeah, Xanax.
I mean, yeah, for sure. For sure you should put that in
the Xanax commercial. Yeah, he's a Xanax brother.
Xanax. That's how the commercial ends,
yeah. Yeah, so.
Wow. Yeah, they rest me and as they
should and. Are they like brutally beating
the shit out of you as they're resting you?
(01:17:54):
Because that's what I'd be. Really.
But I want them to, Yeah. You know, I'm trying to like,
who knows? Yeah.
Still figure out a way. So it benefits me somehow,
right? You know, maybe they'll beat the
shit out of me and I'll get all this money and I can do all the
drugs I want. Yeah.
Yeah, I'm sick. I'm sick.
(01:18:15):
I did it. So they take me to jail and I
get booked in and they're all like, oh, you're the guy that
oh, that you had a fun night tonight like the police are
saying. This to yeah.
So it had gotten around, yeah. So I'm like.
Here, I'm done, yeah. At the time I had like long
hair. I really long scraggly hair and
(01:18:35):
I'm probably like $1.75 and you know, it's just it was bad news
and I get into the to to jail and it was like probably 4 days
and my PO comes and see me. I'm like, yes, Jason Conrad
comes and. Sees me said yes like
something's about to happen. He's my reason, my day.
Yeah, he's going to reinstate myprobation.
(01:18:57):
Good. Man, and I was like.
You got there. He came quick though.
For real, he came quick as fuck.He probably like.
I can't wait to go see this. Yeah, I had to.
Hear it for myself. Usually I was in there like 2
months. At least.
Yeah, it. Was like 3 or 4 days.
I'm like, something's got to be happening.
They're going to let me out. Previously they'd done things
(01:19:19):
like that, right? Let me out.
I'm sitting in the little booth where they have you and he's
just looking at me. Like disappointed dad.
Just disgusted look like, man, he and, and I'm, I start crying
and, and he's like, you know, man, I'm just waiting for an
(01:19:41):
alert from the Columbus Police Department that says that you
were killed or that you died from a drug overdose, man.
And like he's telling me this. I'm like, I never heard someone
like a probation officer say that to me before.
And it kind of hit a little different.
And I was like, he's probably right, man.
(01:20:04):
He's going to be at work one dayand get an alert that I died,
all right. And yeah, kind of hit a little
different. And I I asked him for help, but
he was like, man, there's not. What the fuck you want me to do?
We're beyond that. He's like I pretty you pretty
much exhausted all resources foreverything I can do for you.
You've been in front of this judge five times in four years.
(01:20:26):
You got robberies now like you're going to prison, man and
I. Was that's what he said.
Yeah, to me. What about the assaulting the
officer? Oh, oh, oh, yeah.
So we'll rewind a little bit. I went to my arraignment.
Listen to this one. You ready for this?
One hell yeah. I go to my arraignment, Mr.
King, Brandy King versus State of Ohio.
(01:20:47):
What are the charges? What are the facts in this case?
What are the findings? We have no facts on this case.
Boom, I don't. Know they have no.
Facts on the case, they didn't charge me with anything.
Walmart press charges on me for the assault and the robbery and
they charged me with 2F2 robberies and assault and F3
robbery that I ended up getting indicted on right?
(01:21:07):
And that was all due to Walmart pressing charges on me for the
theft of the hoodie, the assault, and then.
Because you hit dude. Robbery.
Because I hit dude. So if you don't hit dude and you
just take the whole. It's like a petty theft.
It's yeah, you're nothing. It's a misdemeanor.
But the cops? Nothing.
They didn't. No drugs, no assault, no cars
bro so. How?
(01:21:28):
What do you do when you hear it?Like, are you guys sure?
What does that mean? I was, I didn't know.
I was like, what the what does that even mean?
And people are looking at me like what the fuck?
Who? Who is this dude you know?
How do you make this disappear? And in a place like that, you
almost want your charges. Yeah, yeah.
Yeah, because now people are looking at you funny.
(01:21:49):
Right. You know.
Like, man, I'm in here for nothing or I'm in, you know,
he's in here for almost killing people.
And a cop at that. And I don't, I don't know what
happened or how it played out orwhat kind of higher power was at
play there bro. But they never charged me with
anything like that. That's why.
What about the other cars that you damaged along the way?
(01:22:11):
Nothing, nothing, nothing. So.
If. Anybody sees this, that I damage
your car, I will owe you a man. So you got a four leaf Clover up
your ass, right? No, you didn't get no cop, no
assaulting cop charges. That's that's why itself.
It's somehow like, yeah, So whatdo you what?
Yeah, So what? What's the totality of it all?
(01:22:32):
So you get robbery. Yeah, I got I got indicted on
AF2 robbery, F3 robbery so I cancop out to the.
F What's the robbery about? Because I took the hoodie and
punched the. OK, that makes suspicion the
robbery. Make it a robbery, OK?
So I got a court. I'm in court from the same
(01:22:53):
judge, so I'm sure he's sick of me, you know, And I was in, but
I was in jail and I was like, asking Lewis to write me letters
of recommendation. Yeah, like his mom hit me up.
Yeah, I'm. Like, begging you for help.
Yeah. Like, please do this for me.
Right. They have to listen to him.
(01:23:15):
He's he's. Somebody, well, I don't know
your judge, though, if it was. If it was a judge I knew, maybe.
So I'm. Worth a shot It's.
Worth a shot. I'll do anything.
Yeah, anything. So I go to court and the judge,
you know, is a judge and tells me about myself.
(01:23:35):
And I just take responsibility for it.
And he looks at me and he says, you know, I noticed people in
the community aren't giving up on you.
Your family hasn't given up on you.
And I don't think I want to giveup on you either.
And I was like, yes, Sir. So they had a recommendation to
(01:23:56):
go to a treatment facility called the House of Hope.
It's a six month intensive behavior therapy place where you
know, there's a lot of accountability there.
I can start to learn about my behaviors that lead me to drugs
and alcohol and more new coping skills to deal with things in
(01:24:16):
life rather than go run to drugsand alcohol.
So I'm in there, I'm getting told about myself and my
behaviors and it took me a whileto accept.
Yeah, don't they dig into you pretty hard?
Yeah, it's pretty intense. Including the people you're in
there with. Yeah, right.
You guys call each other out andshit.
(01:24:38):
Including the people I'm in there with.
It's, it's all about accountability.
Hold your brother accountable. And so you have groups that
you're in and they're pretty intense.
And it's easy for me for you to hold me accountable one-on-one,
and I can manipulate it into it,manipulates into thinking I'll
never. Do it again.
Yeah, sure, of course. Full of people and they're all
(01:25:00):
just like me and there's two counselors in there that got
degrees and they're just like meand been through this program as
well. And it's hard for me to
manipulate a room full of other addicts and Alcoholics that are
trying to benefit benefit from their life in this program.
So yeah, it took a while for me to accept that.
And I always had an answer for everything.
(01:25:22):
And I got told that a lot. I got told to shut the fuck up a
lot. And I had to learn how to shut
the fuck up man and take suggestions from others and
start practicing some of these new behaviors.
And once I accepted it and fullysurrendered and started working
(01:25:42):
a 12 step program, taking it serious, I got, I got a sponsor
and in the 12 step program worked, worked through some
inventories myself and started admitting to some of these
things. I started getting some freedom
of self, right? I had to get out of my own way
first though, and my life drastically started becoming
(01:26:04):
better, right? It's funny that I have I haven't
used drugs or alcohol and going on three years and I haven't
been to jail since it's. Weird right?
How that just stops they coming?Up on three?
Yeah, we'll be when's. 33 will be next May, so not quite 3.
But still, it's the next big mile.
And a half 2 1/2 for. Me.
(01:26:25):
Fuck, that's crazy. Damn right.
Three years ago, I couldn't wipemy own ass, man, you know, so so
I, I took the program serious. I started surrounding myself
with other people in recovery, reaching out to them.
And today I'm not afraid to admit to things and ask for
(01:26:46):
help, right? I and an acceptance is the
answer to all my problems today,right?
I don't have to like what you'resaying to me, but I have to
accept it, right? And today my life is just a
complete 180. Is that right one?
80 yeah 360. You'd be right.
Back in square one, Yeah, you got it right.
(01:27:09):
I took suggestions in there and some of the suggestions were
work a 12 step program, get a sponsor, start accepting my
behaviors, start lending new behaviors, take responsibility
for things. I also took a suggestion to move
into a recovery house, which they offered.
There I took a suggestion. That's that's a big one too.
That's a big one people do not do all the time and it fucks
(01:27:32):
them over. Yeah, I I agree with that
because that's what I always did.
They think they're ready. Right, I'm ready, I can go back
home. But that's what I always did and
it never, it never worked out for me, right?
Because that was my plan. And when I, when I put my plans
in the play, I burned my life tothe fucking ground.
(01:27:53):
So I have to follow simple suggestions from others that
been doing it longer than me. All right.
And they suggested I go into a recovery house.
I finally was like, all right, I'll do that.
I'll give you 30 days in this recovery house.
I still want to take some kind of control back.
And I promised them I'd give them 30 days.
I'm going to recover house. I I'm doing, I'm following the
(01:28:16):
program rules, taking suggestions, I'm start to extend
my hand out to other newcomers in recovery and the promises
start coming true like they talkabout for me and opportunities
started happening for me. I ended up living that recovery
house for almost a year, became a house manager there, and it
(01:28:37):
was very close to the facility where I work now.
I was Outback cutting grass. I love cutting grass, right?
I'm all back cutting grass. And the program director comes
out and he's like, hey man, I want to talk to you.
And I'm in my head like, oh shit, what the what the fuck?
What? I do now all.
Right. He comes in, he takes me to his
office and he's like, I really like who you are today and I
(01:29:00):
want to offer you a job here. So that was like a goal of mine
too, when I got to the House of Hope.
That's what I'm saying. You fucking did it, dude.
You fucking did it. We talked about it.
Talk about it. When I walked in those doors, I
was, I was like, I'm going to work here and I'm going to be
good at it and I'm going to loveit.
And they offered me a job there.And at first I worked Friday
(01:29:23):
night, third shift there, right?And I got to see guys that were
walking in the door and at the lowest of the low didn't have a
pair of socks, pair of underwear.
All they had was a T-shirt that we offered to them.
And family hated them, their kids hated them.
(01:29:44):
And I could extend my hand and be like, you know what, I can
relate with you. All right, let me, if you don't
think you can do this, let me tell you a little bit about my
story. You know, I get to tell them
some of the stories that I've been through in my addiction,
and they just give me this look like, really?
And I'm like, yeah, I would havenever known.
Well, that's the point of it today, right?
(01:30:05):
So, you know, at my job, I actually got an opportunity to
get license in the state of Ohio, become a peer support,
right? I wrote an e-mail to that
probation officer, Jason Conrad.And the e-mail wasn't for me.
It was for him. The e-mail was to tell him your
(01:30:26):
job sometimes does help people, right?
The goal of his job is to ultimately get people on track
and get them back into the society, to be productive
members of society. And I'm sure probation officers,
they see it, but probably not a whole lot.
And with a case like mine, I'm sure they didn't believe a whole
(01:30:48):
lot of it. But I sent him a picture of my
licensure through state of Ohio for peer support.
And he was like late, it was beyond, he was so proud of me
and told me to keep continuing my journey and recovery and
helping others. And, you know, I told him if
there was anything I could do for him, I'd be glad to do that.
So and I got those inspirations from Lewis.
(01:31:11):
All right. He's Lewis used to take me and a
friend of ours to the Correctional Facility that I was
an inmate at where he was a correctional officer at and give
back to that program like they gave back to me.
And that was like a huge goal ofmine too.
I want to go back to these facilities and let these guys
(01:31:33):
know that is possible. I was in B hall saying fuck
Lewis, right? Heard his keys come in.
We get to hide and shit, but that that really wasn't the
case. He just wanted to come in there
and help people, right. So that's what I like to do
today and I work at household short term stabilization
(01:31:54):
program, some Parsons Ave. So if anybody's struggling with
addiction or alcoholism, we got a bed for you.
But this is like a big family there, you know, it's like a
brotherhood. Our CEO is like our mom, you
know, and people, people that there's no like for me, I try to
portray this to the guys I work with, like there's no like
(01:32:19):
hierarchy with me. I'm the same as you, all right?
I walked through these doors just like you walked through
this door. It wasn't too long ago I was
sitting in that seat that you'resitting in, right?
It wasn't too long ago I was in the back of this druggie buggy.
Now I'm driving this motherfucker, all right?
I'm entrusted with those things.The people I work with, the
directors and the and the and the program managers and the CE
(01:32:40):
OS and stuff, they all are just like me and I can relate to
them. And that's kind of what I try to
tell the newcomer that comes in there, like it's possible.
If I can do it, anybody can do it.
All right. And that's how I get back in.
I today I sponsor people in 12 step programs.
I speak at prisons, I speak at institutions, I speak at
(01:33:02):
treatment centers, and I just try to share a little bit about
my story so people can relate toit and look at me like, damn, I
want what he has. So those are just things I'm
working on today. I'm going to be working on.
Ultimately my goal is to do likeoutreach and becoming a position
at the house. I hope to where I can go into
(01:33:22):
jails and institutions, tell them about our program or how we
can help them. Yeah, that'd be.
And maybe get them to become members of the treatment
facility and show them a new wayof living.
I. Freaking love that man.
Because like we were talking about earlier, like if guys like
us can do it, literally anybody can.
We are not special. We there's no magic trick to it.
(01:33:46):
We just like shut the fuck up for a minute and then like
realize the problem is US and worked on that and like so it
can be done. Look, you're never too bad off.
Like there's no such thing like if.
Yeah, I always. There's never.
There's no. Such dude we had a guy in here
that fucking had a battery powered heart.
Yeah, and is. He's sober and fucking alive,
and his heart apparently is starting to work again.
(01:34:08):
Yeah, it was great. Like it's just crazy dude, like.
You're never too far gone to recover.
Yeah, none of us are unique. No.
You know, because I was discouraged at first because of
my, my background on my criminalhistory and my job history.
I was like, I never had shit. It sucks how?
Am I going to? How am I going to be a
(01:34:30):
productive member of society andrecovery?
But now you're building a resume.
Now it's your asset, you know. Now it's your.
Fucking resume. So weird.
Yeah, they. Got me on.
They got me on a bill you did inColumbus, OH, which says I have
a purpose in life today, which my purpose is to help others.
And I truly believe that and I love it.
It's it's a great thing. That outreach job would be
(01:34:51):
perfect for you. When you see guys at their worst
and then you see them thriving in life, that's their kids back.
They're going to football games,you know, they're there for
their mom and dad today, aunts and uncles, people want them
around. And it's like that was a part
of. That.
That's the payoff, man. It's the greatest feeling ever
and it cannot be replaced. And then I just want to keep
(01:35:12):
growing in the feeling I'm in and like outreach.
I really want to do the outreachand get a degree and stuff and,
you know, see if I can get a LSWor something.
But that's in the future. I'm just going to take it one
moment at a time. But my ultimate goal is to do
outreach and help others like they help me and, and I never
want to give up on anybody and recover because nobody gave up
(01:35:35):
on me. And I just want to be there to
help support that journey with you guys.
So man, that's cool. I love that for you man.
You're killing it, dude. I love that for you.
You're I'm so fucking proud of you.
I can't believe it. Like, I mean, I can believe it
because obviously there was a reason that I was drawn to you
because I felt you could do it. But to see everything you've
(01:35:58):
done and then there's still goals and aspirations and you're
not like allowing yourself to just settle down and be like,
oh, this is good enough. OK, I'm cool here.
And that's one thing Lewis taught me, right?
They'll never settle. Never.
Settle when you get too comfortable for me.
For me, when I get too comfortable it gets dangerous so
I want to always look outside the box and try to elevate any
(01:36:20):
way I can. I just feel like people in some
some people in recovery like if they got a job at I'll I'll use
me. For instance, that first job I
had at Donatos I've it was 7 bucks an hour.
I was so fucking happy to have the job and then they told me
that I couldn't be a manager because my record and I was
(01:36:42):
infuriated. I had two paths to take.
Quit and go find a place that will pay me more money or settle
and say, yeah, well, you're lucky you have this anyway, so
I'll just stay here and make pizzas forever.
No, I quit. I'm not good enough to be a
manager at a pizza shop later. I don't want to be here anyway.
(01:37:04):
If you look at me like that, that's what you think of me.
Like, I don't know. I just, I, I think that we can
do anything. If we can get off fucking the
shit we were on, we can do anything.
Yeah, I, I, I, I love that because you know where I work,
it's been around since 1959, right?
(01:37:26):
Damn, I didn't know that it's. Been around 66 years.
It's helped a lot of people, right?
And the, and the people I work with that are directors and
bosses and stuff I have, I have like a say in things, right?
And I, they asked me for my opinion on how we can help the
program grow and, and, and stufflike that.
(01:37:46):
It's like, sometimes it's like, I don't believe it.
Like, yeah, right. Doesn't feel real.
These are board members on, you know, big boards and stuff like
that for recovery and, and it's like, man, I got a purpose,
right? And I can't, I can put my put my
say out there and it's somebody takes it serious today.
(01:38:08):
So yeah, it's cool. Keep doing what you're doing,
man, in the. Voice for the voiceless brother.
Thanks for thanks for coming on.Appreciate you got it.
Go. Bucks.