The Connect- with Johnny Mitchell

What happens when a young Frenchman living the dream in Thailand makes one stupid mistake—and ends up sentenced to 14 YEARS in one of the most brutal prison systems on Earth?

In this episode, Johnny sits down with Léo Maruin, a Frenchman whose life took a horrifying turn after he and a friend started printing counterfeit €50 bills in Thailand. What began as a short-lived scheme to make extra money quickly turned into a nightmare when Thai authorities arrested him and sentenced him to 14 years behind bars.

Léo takes us inside the terrifying reality of Thailand's prisons, where nearly 300 inmates were crammed into a single cell, prisoners slept shoulder-to-shoulder, toilets overflowed with human waste, and disease, violence, and corruption were part of everyday life.

He describes witnessing horrific abuse, watching inmates die from untreated infections, paying guards for basic necessities, and struggling to survive in conditions that pushed him to the brink of insanity.

With little hope of getting out, Léo spent years fighting to survive, relying on support from family and friends while desperately hoping for a royal pardon or a transfer back to France.

After nearly five years inside Thailand's prison system, Léo finally made it home—but the experience changed him forever.

In this interview, Léo reveals the shocking realities of Thai prison life, the psychological toll of losing his freedom, and how he managed to survive a living hell.

Léo is also the author of 14 Years a Prisoner, a book detailing his extraordinary survival story. You can get it here: https://a.co/d/00ESADUi

Join The Patreon For Bonus Content!

https://www.patreon.com/theconnectshow

0:00 The Counterfeit Money Scheme That Led to Thai Prison

5:23 The Police Raid and Arrest in Thailand

12:25 Welcome to Hell: Inside Pattaya Prison

18:55 Deadly Infections and Horrific Prison Conditions

25:21 How He Got Sentenced to 14 Years

30:21 Surviving a 14-Year Prison Sentence

36:23 Filthy Toilets, Overcrowding, and VIP Cells

43:00 Attacked With a Shovel by Another Inmate

49:20 Transferring to Bangkok's Notorious Prison

56:27 Solitary Confinement and Brutal Punishments

63:37 Royal Pardons and Surviving Prison Floods

69:12 The Fight to Get Transferred Back to France

74:22 French Prison vs. Thai Prison and Getting Released

80:00 Life After Prison and the Meaning of Freedom
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

See if your SSN is for sale right now. My sponsor Cloaked will tell you for free in 2 seconds at https://cloaked.com/connect

Did O.J. Simpson have an accomplice in the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman? Did prosecutors and the LAPD ignore crucial evidence that could have changed the outcome of the trial?

In this episode, Johnny sits down with investigator Alex Tomé to discuss a shocking new theory surrounding one of the most infamous murder cases in American history.

At the center of the investigation is Joey Ippolito Jr., a convicted drug smuggler with alleged connections to the Mafia, Colombian cartels, Hollywood celebrities, and federal law enforcement. According to the investigation, Ippolito wasn't just connected to O.J. Simpson — he may have been at the crime scene on the night of the murders.

Alex reveals previously overlooked eyewitness accounts, FBI disclosures about O.J.'s cocaine connections, and claims that prosecutors were given information about a potential accomplice but chose not to present it to the jury.

The conversation also explores a wild new theory about the infamous Bronco chase: What if O.J. wasn't planning to harm himself, but was actually trying to flee the country with help from organized crime?

From alleged deathbed confessions and missing murder evidence to new claims about Al Cowlings and the LAPD's refusal to conduct additional forensic testing, this interview challenges the official narrative of the O.J. Simpson case.

Was there a second person involved in the murders? And if so, why was that evidence never presented at trial?

Watch the full interview to hear the investigation and decide for yourself.

Check out O.J.'s Accomplice streaming now on Peacock

Get Alex's book here: https://orenthalsaccomplice.com/

This Episode Is #Sponsored By The Following:

Cloaked! See if your SSN is for sale right now. My sponsor Cloaked will tell you for free in 2 seconds at https://cloaked.com/connect

Superpower! Head to https://superpower.com and use code CONNECT at checkout for $20 off your membership. Get 100+ biomarkers tested every year, plus a personalized health plan and on-demand care team. Detect early signs of 1,000+ conditions. #superpowerpod

Join The Patreon For Bonus Content!

https://www.patreon.com/theconnectshow

0:00 - The O.J. Simpson Accomplice Theory

7:26 - Who Was Joey Ippolito?

15:43 - Eyewitnesses at the Murder Scene

22:55 - Untested Blood and Missing Evidence

25:42 - This Episode Is Sponsored By Cloaked

27:11 - The Mafia Connection

30:12 - Was Charlie Ehrlich O.J.'s Accomplice?

36:26 - Joey's Brother Reveals What Happened

42:09 - O.J.'s Connections to the Cocaine Trade

49:21 - What Joey Allegedly Told the FBI

55:48 - Why Did Prosecutors Ignore the Evidence?

1:03:44 - This Episode Is Sponsored By Superpower

1:05:18 - The Possible Motive Behind the Murders

1:12:12 - Was Joey a Government Informant?

1:17:26 - Al Cowlings and Joey's Criminal Connections

1:22:28 - O.J., Nicole and the Money Problems

1:28:29 - Reconstructing the Night of the Murders

1:35:52 - How Did the Murders Turn So Violent?

1:42:16 - A New Witness and Al Cowlings' Involvement

1:49:11 - What Happened Immediately After the Murders?

1:55:25 - The Bloody Glove and Mark Fuhrman

2:00:45 - Disposing of Evidence and Joey's Arrest

2:07:03 - Why Didn't the FBI and LAPD Act?

2:12:42 - Could Joey Have Testified Against O.J.?

2:19:47 - The Families' Reactions and Prosecutors' Silence

2:25:44 - Final Thoughts and the O.J.'s Accomplice Documentary
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Growing up just blocks from John Gotti's social club in New York City's Little Italy, Frank Parisi was raised in a world of Mafia figures, drug dealers, violence, and organized crime. His family owned a famous Italian bakery that secretly operated as a major marijuana distribution hub, moving hundreds of pounds of drugs through the streets of New York.

Johnny sits down with Frank Parisi to reveal what it was really like growing up surrounded by the New York Mafia during the 1980s and 1990s. From witnessing brutal beatings outside his family's bakery as a young child to rubbing shoulders with powerful mob figures, Frank was exposed to the criminal underworld before he was old enough to understand it.

His father was one of New York's biggest marijuana dealers, supplying everyone from street crews to well-connected organized crime figures. By age 12, Frank was selling drugs himself, and as he got older, he became involved in violent Staten Island street crews, drug trafficking, and an increasingly destructive opioid addiction. Despite countless arrests and dangerous encounters, he somehow managed to avoid a lengthy prison sentence.

After years of addiction, violence, and brushes with death, Frank finally walked away from the streets and rebuilt his life in Texas. But in 2023, his incredible story took another shocking turn when he suffered sudden heart failure, experienced what he describes as dying on the operating table, and received a life-saving heart transplant from a 19-year-old girl.

Frank reveals the untold stories of growing up in New York's Mafia underworld, the reality of life inside a criminal family, his descent into addiction, and the near-death experience that changed everything.

Go Support Frank!

Website and Book: https://frank-parisi.com/

Join The Patreon For Bonus Content!

https://www.patreon.com/theconnectshow

00:00 Growing Up Around the New York Mafia

04:45 Life in Little Italy During the 1980s and 90s

11:18 My Father's Bakery and Secret Drug Empire

17:22 Following My Father's Footsteps Into Street Life

24:55 How My Father Made Millions Selling Marijuana

31:10 My Addiction Spiraled Out of Control

38:54 Leaving New York and Fighting to Get Sober

46:15 Fighting for My Life and Needing a Heart Transplant

53:26 Getting a Second Chance at Life

1:00:36 What My Near-Death Experience Taught Me

1:07:05 Overcoming Addiction, Breaking the Cycle, and Living Fully
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

At the height of Florida's opioid epidemic, Derik was helping run a massive pill mill operation that brought in as much as $300,000 a day, saw 500 patients daily, and generated an estimated $40 million before the feds shut it down.

With dozens of doctors, thousands of customers traveling from across America, and an endless demand for oxycodone, the business became a multimillion-dollar empire operating in plain sight. Derik reveals how doctors were recruited, how patients obtained hundreds of prescription pain pills at a time, and how he once moved 100,000 pills in a deal worth over $1 million.

But the money came with consequences. As the FBI closed in, Derik found himself facing federal racketeering charges and a 20-year prison sentence.

Derik takes us inside the rise and fall of Florida's notorious pill mill industry, revealing the unbelievable profits, corruption, violence, and chaos behind one of the darkest chapters of America's opioid crisis. He also opens up about his deeply traumatic childhood, the family tragedies that shaped him, and what it took to rebuild his life after prison.

From making millions selling prescription opioids to losing everything in federal prison, this is a firsthand account of the American opioid epidemic from someone who helped fuel it.

This Episode Is #Sponsored By The Following:

Hims! Ready to be him? Visit https://hims.com/connect to get personalized, affordable care for weight loss, hair loss, sex, testosterone, and more.

Prescription products require an online consultation with a licensed healthcare provider who will determine if a prescription is appropriate. Restrictions apply. Individual results may vary. *Based on a survey of Hims customers. See https://hims.com for full details.

PrizePicks! Visit https://prizepicks.onelink.me/LME0/CONNECT and use code CONNECT and get $150 if you win your first $5 lineup!

Join The Patreon For Bonus Content!

https://www.patreon.com/theconnectshow

0:00 - Inside the $40 Million Florida Pill Mill Empire

5:16 - Where Did the Missing $15 Million Go?

12:26 - Running Clinics With 27,000 Patients

19:57 - 45-Second Doctor Visits and Roxy 30s

26:07 - MRI Kickbacks and the Business Behind the Pills

30:06 - This Episode Is Sponsored By Hims

31:39 - Derek's Childhood and Troubled Family History

38:20 - Childhood Violence and His Father's Arrest

44:52 - Growing Up Around the Mafia

52:32 - A Second Devastating Family Tragedy

59:50 - How Tragedy Tore His Family Apart

1:06:07 - Meeting the George Brothers and Building Houses

1:12:18 - The Steroid Business That Started It All

1:16:24 - This Episode Is Sponsored By PrizePicks

1:18:37 - How Derek Got Into the Pain Clinic Business

1:25:26 - Inside Florida's Wild West of Prescriptions

1:32:47 - Why Florida Became the Pill Mill Capital

1:40:59 - How the FBI First Discovered the Operation

1:47:42 - Recruiting Doctors and Growing the Empire

1:54:53 - Violence, Trouble, and Expanding the Clinic

2:01:24 - The Chaotic Clinic Gets a Police Visit

2:08:30 - Greedy Doctors and Stolen Patients

2:15:17 - Hiring a Doctor Who Sold Drugs From His Trunk

2:22:06 - Big-Time Pill Buyers and Million-Dollar Deals

2:29:05 - The Drug Laws and Who Really Profited

2:36:21 - Why the Federal Government Went After Them

2:42:05 - The Rival Jacksonville Pill Clinic

2:49:04 - A Gunpoint Confrontation Ends in Arrests

2:56:09 - How the Feds Built Their Case

3:03:19 - Cooperating Witnesses and Allegations Against Derek

3:09:31 - The Plea Deal, Prison Sentence, and Life After
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Red Hat was born into a drug empire. His father was a millionaire drug kingpin who allegedly worked with corrupt cops, moved massive quantities of cocaine, and controlled the streets of Texarkana. But after serving time in prison, his father was brutally murdered over $1 million in hidden drug money.

Instead of walking away from the criminal underworld, he followed in his father's footsteps.

By just 15 years old, he was already selling drugs. By 17, he had his own house, multiple cars, and was making serious money in the streets. Eventually, he built his own drug trafficking operation, moving massive quantities of cocaine and marijuana across Texas and the surrounding states.

Red Hat reveals what it was like growing up as the son of a powerful drug kingpin, his father's connections to corrupt police and organized crime, the shocking circumstances surrounding his murder, and how he went on to build a drug empire of his own.

From childhood surrounded by drug money and violence to becoming a major trafficker himself, this is a firsthand account of generational crime, betrayal, unimaginable wealth, and the devastating consequences of the drug game.

Go Support Red Hat!

IG: https://www.instagram.com/on_da_spot725

YouTube: @OnDaSpotInterview

Join The Patreon For Bonus Content!

https://www.patreon.com/theconnectshow

0:00 - The Midnight Call That Changed Everything

5:06 - Becoming a Major Weed Supplier

10:16 - Growing Up in a Drug Kingpin's Family

15:22 - My Dad's Secret Partnership With Corrupt Cops

21:22 - Jamaican Drug Dealers Kidnapped My Father

29:34 - From Stealing Rolexes to Federal Prison

34:36 - Getting Into the Drug Game at 15

40:03 - The Money Dispute That Got My Father Killed

46:02 - How I Started Selling Crack

52:13 - My Father's Gambling Addiction and Our Final Goodbye

58:30 - Making Connections in the Drug Business

1:04:20 - Running Multiple Crack Houses and Making Serious Money

1:11:33 - Escaping Police Raids on My Drug Houses

1:18:37 - How I Got a Corrupt Cop on My Side

1:25:49 - The Police Start Closing In on My Operation

1:32:02 - Leaving Crack Behind for the Weed Business

1:38:24 - Meeting My California Drug Connection

1:45:08 - Moving Hundreds of Pounds Across State Lines

1:53:12 - The Traffic Stop That Almost Ended Everything

2:00:37 - The Scare That Made Me Leave the Drug Game

2:06:04 - Lessons From the Streets and Breaking the Cycle
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices