Alphabet Boys reveals the secret investigations of the FBI, DEA, ATF, and other alphabet agencies. Hosted by journalist Trevor Aaronson, Alphabet Boys exposes secret undercover recordings that the government never wanted the public to hear. We explore cases that are both dangerous and absurd in order to ask this question: Are America’s top cops catching criminals -- or creating them?
Season two is “Up In Arms.” An international weapons deal to arm rebels in Colombia tangles up the DEA, the CIA, and the FBI in the same case. But who’s the good guy? And who’s the bad guy? This spy story is not at all what it seems.
Alphabet Boys is a production of Western Sound.
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Introducing - The Burden: Get the Money and Run (00:04:25)
“Trying to murder my father, this was the thing that put me on the path.” That’s Joe Loya and his path was bank robbery. Joe was one of California’s most daring bank robbers. He used disguises, body doubles, speeding getaway cars…and stole hundreds of thousands of dollars, even as the FBI was closing in. Joe was also a soul searcher, driven by a dark rage he set out to understand. To do that, he must understand why trying to murder his father felt so good. Listen to The Burden wherever you get your podcasts. Just search up “The Burden” Season 5: Get the Money and Run immerses you, the listener, into Joe Loya’s world. This podcast is a fast-moving and entertaining listen that keeps you locked in from start to finish. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Introducing: Into the Madness, new from Trevor Aaronson (00:38:26)
Into the Madness is a new Audible Original from Trevor Aaronson and Western Sound. On July 4, 2022, a shooter climbed onto a rooftop in Highland Park, Illinois, and opened fire on a Fourth of July parade below, killing seven people and wounding dozens more. Prosecutors charged Robert “Bobby” Crimo III with the mass shooting. But this attack was part of something even more insidious. Bobby had created an elaborate game—complete with cryptic videos, a book of numbers, and an eerie online presence—designed to seed a conspiracy theory about the massacre. Into the Madness is a deep dive into the events leading up to the mass shooting and the story of a woman who became a confidant to Crimo and the final player in his game. Drawing from dozens of interviews and more than 48 hours of recorded calls with Bobby, investigative journalist Trevor Aaronson tells a story that will challenge everything you think you know about mass shootings, conspiracy theories, and the fragile boundary between reality and illusion. The series explores the rise of nihilistic violence, the role of technology in fostering extremism, and America’s collective descent into conspiracy thinking. Into the Madness will leave you questioning where the truth ends—and the madness begins. Into the Madness is an Audible Original, produced by Trevor Aaronson and Western Sound. Search for Into the Madness on the Audible app or go to audible.com/intothemadness. Start listening today when you sign up for a free 30-day trial.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Introducing Pulse: The Untold Story (00:38:59)
Pulse: The Untold Story is a new Audible podcast from Western Sound. The Pulse nightclub attack in 2016 is among the deadliest mass shootings in American history. Forty-nine people lost their lives and another 53 were injured. In the aftermath, the FBI and the media embraced a story — that the attacker was a secretly gay Islamist extremist who targeted the LGBTQ+ community. But most of what you know about the shooting is wrong. This false narrative has obscured the truth and concealed the FBI’s failures to prevent the attack. Search for Pulse: The Untold Story on the Audible app or go to audible.com/pulsetheuntoldstory. Start listening today when you sign up for a free 30-day trial.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Alphabet Boys, One Year Later (00:02:32)
The ACLU is suing the FBI. Zebb Hall has a recording to share. And I found Mickey Windecker. Lots more information coming on Trevor's substack: https://trevoraaronson.substack.com/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10. See Something, Say Nothing (00:37:02)
Flaviu says he tried to be a good American. He wanted to help the United States. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9. Tomorrow I'm Going to Rob the Bank (00:36:23)
After their arrests, Flaviu, Cristian, and Massimo are extradited to New York. Flaviu soon finds that everyone has an agenda.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8. Welcome to the Sh*tshow (00:32:39)
The arms deal is taking shape. But Flaviu and Cristian need one more person to bring everything together: a flamboyant Italian politician named Massimo Romagnoli.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7. Let's Make This Happen, Bro (00:32:02)
Flaviu recruits Cristian Vintila, a Romanian government official, to help him facilitate the arms deal for Juan. But Cristian has some concerns.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6. The Ramp Rat (00:36:21)
Juan isn’t who he says is. He’s made millions pretending to be someone he’s not.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5. You Guys Are Not Serious (00:30:20)
Flaviu is talking to a wide-bellied Colombian named Juan about a deal to sell weapons to the FARC, a paramilitary group. But the arms deal hits a snag in Italy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4. Something We Might Look Into (00:34:10)
With Flaviu’s help, the FBI busts an organized crime ring in Las Vegas. But a death threat causes him to flee to Europe.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3. Codename Cardmember (00:32:33)
Is Flaviu a trusted source for the U.S. government? In 2001, while living in Las Vegas, Flaviu became a longtime “friend” to the FBI.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2. The Calls (00:33:16)
After being approached to procure weapons for Colombian rebels, Flaviu calls the CIA. “I have information for you,” Flaviu tells the agent.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1. I Work for the CIA (00:35:59)
Flaviu Georgescu is arrested by DEA agents in Montenegro for brokering an illegal weapons deal on behalf of rebels in Colombia. But there’s a wrinkle the arresting agents didn’t consider: Flaviu claims he’s working for the CIA.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Introducing: Alphabet Boys: Season 2, Up in Arms (00:03:22)
Alphabet Boys, Season 2 is “Up In Arms.” An international weapons deal to arm rebels in Colombia tangles up the DEA, the CIA, and the FBI in the same case. But who’s the good guy? And who’s the bad guy? This spy story is not at all what it seems. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Introducing Lost Hills: The Dark Prince (00:10:46)
Lost Hills investigates the dark side of Malibu, California. Beneath a seductive facade, this city of billionaires, celebrities, and surf bums is hiding something menacing. Season 3 takes a deep dive into the surf world to explore the legacy of Malibu’s Dark Prince: Miki Dora. A surfer known for his style, grace and aggression, he ruled Malibu from the 1950s to the 1970s. Celebrated for his rebellious spirit, he was also a conman who led the FBI on a 7-year manhunt around the world. To many he’s a hero, but there’s an evil undercurrent that runs through the surf world. And it all leads back to Miki Dora. Hosted by Dana Goodyear (The New Yorker) and produced by Western Sound and Pushkin Industries.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10. America Didn't Send Its Best (00:40:03)
When the FBI closes its net, several activists are arrested. And Zebb enters a criminal justice system that’s stacked against him. But has the FBI ignored a much bigger, much more real threat to America? And finally, Trevor tracks down the man in the silver hearse. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9. I Ain't A Snitch (00:30:31)
Mickey takes Zebb to a Bass Pro Shop to buy a gun. Everything seems to be going to plan. But then, Mickey is exposed as an informant by a group in Colorado Springs. With Zebb’s help, Mickey creates a bizarre video railing against the group. Zebb begins to question what’s going on with his friend. But is it too late? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8. The Springs (00:34:25)
The FBI’s investigation into activists spreads beyond Denver. In Colorado Springs, a provocatively dressed woman with pink hair shows up to volunteer at a left-wing nonprofit organization. And just like Mickey, she’s taking orders from the FBI. But after several activists are arrested, the pink-haired woman’s cover is blown. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7. They Call Me Juice (00:31:10)
Another mystery man, nicknamed Red, comes to town. He’s Mickey’s so-called “outlaw biker buddy.” Red takes activist Bryce Shelby for a drive to scope out the home of Colorado’s attorney general as part of a budding assassination plot. But Red lets something slip that makes Bryce suspicious.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6. Dumpster Fire (00:30:00)
Mickey now has two targets: activist Zebb Hall and a verbal bomb-thrower named Bryce Shelby. Mickey takes Zebb and Bryce out to lunch and tells them both that he’s got a guy who can help them do something big. Really big. Will Zebb and Bryce take the bait? https://alphabetboys.xyz/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5. Give 'Em Hell (00:31:54)
Alongside a couple of activists with the Young Democratic Socialists of America, Mickey infiltrates the Denver protest scene. He also starts spreading rumors that a leader of the demonstrations is a snitch. Meanwhile, the protests in Denver are becoming increasingly violent as Mickey leads the way in his silver hearse. https://alphabetboys.xyz/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4. The Punisher (00:39:13)
Mickey is obsessed with The Punisher, the Marvel Comics antihero who delivers his own brand of arbitrary, violent justice. In this episode, we talk to Casandra Windecker, Mickey’s ex-wife. Cassie met Mickey through the Denver Hearse Association, a community where Mickey was well known for his participation in zombie apocalypse cosplay events and a bit part in a locally produced grindhouse movie. But their relationship quickly turned toxic, and Cassie began to wonder where Mickey was getting thousands of dollars in cash that he’d spread out on the bed. https://alphabetboys.xyz/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3. Black Identity Extremism (00:32:23)
Today, the FBI has more than 15,000 registered informants, and in the summer of 2020, Mickey is one of them. He’s getting paid a lot of money to expose crimes committed by activists. But his official motivation? “To fight terrorists.” The FBI thinks the same way — that racial justice activists are “anti-government extremists.” https://alphabetboys.xyz/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2. All the Way Uptown (00:33:49)
Michael Adam Windecker II, or Mickey, returns to Denver after fighting ISIS in the Middle East. Mickey claims he trained real antifa warriors, that he represents the Kurdish government, and that he has diplomatic immunity. He puts himself right in the middle of the Denver protests. Activist Zebb Hall is enthralled with Mickey’s message — that the fight against racism needs to escalate. “If that's what you want,” Mickey tells Zebb, “I can make it happen.” https://alphabetboys.xyz/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
