J.J.: The Undercover FBI Agent Who Took Down Len Davis and New Orleans' Dirtiest Cops
Summary
Host Jed Lapinski tracks down Juan "JJ" Jackson, the legendary FBI undercover agent who infiltrated corrupt New Orleans police during Operation Shattered Shield. Jackson recounts his rigorous training under Donnie Brasco and his strategy for building trust with targets like Len Davis, including a famous scene where they stripped to check for wires. The episode details Jackson’s high-stakes work against Jamaican drug gangs and his pivotal role in convicting Davis, who ordered a murder in retaliation for a brutality complaint.
Topics discussed
Intro: Alma EHR and practice management
Len Davis, Operation Shattered Shield, and the FBI agent
The undercover search for 'JJ' and the wire check
Meeting Juan Jackson and his path to the FBI
FBI training and Donnie Brasco's undercover school
Brasco's teaching style and Juan's undercover philosophy
Infiltrating diverse groups and the origin of 'JJ'
Juan's three rules for undercover work
Studying targets and the Sammy Gravano detail
The hitman sting and posing as a drug dealer
The Waterbury, CT Jamaican gang operation
Infiltrating the club and meeting McIver
The Waterbury bust and returning to New Orleans
The warehouse setup and the strip search test
Gaining Len's trust and the plot to kill JJ
The trial, testimony, and courtroom dynamics
Aftermath, fame, and concluding thoughts
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