Matthew Cox | Inside True Crime Podcast Matthew Cox | Inside True Crime Podcast

He Was in Prison And Still Made $260K Scamming Starbucks

Oct 16, 2026 · 1h 31m

Summary

Matthew Cox recounts his criminal history, from teenage drug dealing in Atlanta to owning a nightclub in Birmingham. He details his federal imprisonment, where he bonded with veteran inmate Boston Larry and served as Whitey Bulger’s cellmate. Cox shares intimate anecdotes about Bulger’s life, including his time at Alcatraz and his refusal to cooperate with the FBI, while reflecting on the lessons learned from these unique prison experiences.

Topics discussed

Sponsor: Progressive Insurance Name Your Price Introduction: Scams and early life in prison Driving to Atlanta for the rave scene Learning the drug trade from a club plug Sponsor: Aura identity theft protection Reselling pills and losing the supplier Club LaVelle jobs and moving to Panama City Arrested for hitting someone with a brick Building a party following and negotiating with the club Launching Club Red and hosting major artists Sponsor: Progressive Insurance (continued) Federal warrant and AT&T billing dispute Terroristic threats charge and federal transfer Prison life in Oklahoma City and meeting an old inmate Story: Larry and the 'Missile Tits' incident Larry's defiance and TV in the cell Whitey Bulger arrives and respects Larry Paid to be Whitey's cellmate and caregiver Whitey's history: Alcatraz and the Westies escape Sponsor: Progressive Insurance (continued) FBI Operation Upper Echelon and informant issues Wrongful deaths and the Black Mass movie accuracy FBI lies and the role of Judge O'Sullivan Whitey's trial and Catherine Gregg's role Identifying Catherine Gregg via plastic surgery Whitey's shorts and cell humor Navigating federal prison and the poker table Alcatraz artifacts and the Joe Carnes story Whitey's commentary and refusal to meet Johnny Depp Alcatraz inmates' unity and radio channels Sponsor: Progressive Insurance (continued) Auctioning Alcatraz art and Whitey's tailor Learning from the old mob stories Release, probation, and a tragic engagement Wife's death and return to prison Chaos and corruption in Alabama prison Sponsor: Ghostbed mattresses Introduction to skit running and phone scams Deals with guards and initial Home Depot scam Scamming Dollar General and memorizing POS screens Using Paxful and Bitcoin to cash out gift cards Targeting Starbucks and fast food restaurants The pregnant Hardee's employee story Rebuilding the Starbucks phone tree with Grasshopper Mention of Kevin White and Starbucks memos Refining the corporate call script and disconnects The count process and sending employees to the bank Depositing into wrong accounts via Local Bitcoin Dealing with the prison lieutenant Media exposure of the $260k Starbucks theft Recruiting white boys and prison hierarchy The golden goose and threats to life Gang dynamics and corruption in housing units Attempted murder and fake teeth Pepper spray and nightstick beating by guards Hospital recovery and meeting Agent Ranson Cloning the agent's phone and data theft Framing the agent for terrorism support Governor's release and federal transfer Cancer diagnosis and bullet scar Waiting for treatment and time in prison Reflections on prison experiences Talladega incident and legit scams State police investigation and release Post-release: Lead generation business Starting an AI solutions company Paint business and North American distribution The AI revolution and starting over Conclusion: Acceptance of current self
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