Undercover Files

“The guys around here are looking for trashy. I wear old, worn-out pants—I’ll even rub them around in the dirt. I’ll smudge my makeup, or maybe ruin my manicure. The idea is to look hard-luck, not sexy.”

“Offenders know there’s a stigma. When they’re arrested, some are ashamed; others are relieved. I’ve actually had men tell me that they were glad to be caught. I think they take solace in having someone they can talk to about this secret they’ve been keeping.”

“Usually, we just follow the trail of money. Offenders will open 15 bank accounts and keep the money moving from one to the next. Eventually, it always comes out of one of those accounts into a mortgage, or a car, or a boat.”

“I was introduced to an Outlaws biker once when I was buying meth. The guy pulled out a .44 black powder pistol that was almost a foot long and set it on the table to intimidate me.”