In this episode of the Nightmare Success in and Out podcast, Brent Cassity interviews Jeff Martinovich, CEO of a Wealth Management Company, who shares his experience of going through a trial and being sentenced to 14 years in federal prison. He rejected 3 different plea deals standing up for what he believed to be the truth. He lost everything: his career, reputation, family, homes, assets, and liberty. Jeff served our country in the first Gulf War. He grew a wealth management company from...

How did this normal Surburban mom survive this horrific nightmarish journey through the criminal justice system? In this episode, Brent Cassity interviews Lynn Espejo. Lynn grew up in a normal middle-class family and had a successful career in accounting. However, she ended up working for a group of doctors who engaged in unethical practices. Lynn was groomed by one of the doctors to participate in fraudulent activities, which eventually led to her indictment. Despite facing challenges and...

Is it possible to be a 20-year accomplished actor, Specialist for the FBI, and a leader of the reentry community? Yes, Charlie Grady does all those things and very well. Charlie Grady shares his experiences of living two lives as a law enforcement officer and an actor. Charlie discusses his childhood and family background, growing up with a parent in law enforcement, and his journey into acting. The conversation also highlights Charlie's role as a pioneer in the justice impacted world,...

How do you escape the odds from a bad neighborhood and a long prison sentence? Aaron Smith runs the organization Escape the Odds and he is teaching people a new hustle to escape. The news media has recognized his good work. In this episode of the Nightmare Success podcast, host Brent Cassity interviews Aaron Smith, a former drug dealer who spent 12 years in prison. Aaron grew up in a tough neighborhood in Chicago and got involved in the drug business at a young age while going to college...

In this episode, Brent Cassity interviews Bill Baroni, a former politician who survived the nightmare National Media story of the Bridgegate scandal and served time in federal prison. His case went all the way to the United States Supreme Court, and he won. Bill was appointed by New Jersey Governor Chris Christie as Deputy Executive Director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. The national story originated with lane closures on the George Washington Bridge. They discuss Bill's...

I lost my mind but found myself. That is what Jay Jordan said about spending 2 years in solitary confinement. He asked the question "Who am I?" The Nightmare Success In and Out podcast explores the journey of Jay Jordan, who went from being in prison to becoming a successful entrepreneur and community advocate. Jay's story highlights the flaws in the criminal justice system and the challenges faced by individuals reentering society after incarceration. He shares his experiences of starting a...

What would you do in 2 years of solitary confinement? Jay Jordan did a 180 and changed his life. Jay Jordan is the founder of Time done. He is responsible for passing 50 laws in the last 10 years in California that have benefited the justice impacted community. In this part 1 interview, he shares his journey from a troubled childhood to his arrest and sentencing, leading to his time in prison. He discusses the challenges he faced, including a debilitating stutter, peer influence, and a lack...

How does someone go from foster care to Forbes Magazine?Ryan Stream shares his incredible journey from foster care homes to Forbes Magazine. He overcame a difficult childhood, struggled with mental health, PTSD from two tours of duty in Afghanistan, addiction, incarceration, and eventually found success as a motivational speaker and entrepreneur. Ryan's story is a testament to resilience, determination, and the power of self-belief. He emphasizes the importance of taking accountability for...

How many times can you get knocked down when you know you are good enough to make it. Meet master barber Lowell Newsome. Lowell grew up as an only child. He lived two different worlds. He was a responsible student with perfect attendance. His high school counselor continued to visit him in prison because he saw promise in Lowell. Lowell was drawn to the street life out of curiosity and acceptance by the older kids who were living on the wrong side of the law. Lowell goes to college and is...

Would you lose hope if you were sentenced to life in prison without parole at 16 years old? In this episode of the Nightmare Success In and Out podcast, host Brent Cassity interviews Jessica Hicklin, a transgender woman who spent 26 years in prison for taking a life. Jessica shares her childhood experiences of abuse, her struggles with drugs and alcohol, and the tragic incident that led to her imprisonment. Despite the challenges she faced, Jessica never lost hope and embarked on a journey of...

In this episode, host Brent Cassity interviews Drew Chapin, a tech entrepreneur who faced legal troubles and imprisonment. Drew shares his journey from childhood to becoming a tech CEO and the challenges he faced in the startup world. He discusses the pressure to succeed, fundraising struggles, and the ethical dilemmas he encountered. Drew also opens up about his arrest, the plea deal he took, and the waiting period before reporting to prison. The episode highlights the emotional and mental...

How does a teenager having epic house parties, and grows with a investors, owning a nightclub by 17...end up in prison? This episode features Ian Bick, who shares his journey from being an ambitious and entrepreneurial teenager to facing legal troubles and serving time in prison. Ian's story begins with his early childhood and his knack for organizing events and parties. He quickly scales his business and takes on investors, but financial troubles and lies lead to his downfall. Ian faces the...

How does a guy with a promising pro baseball career with the Atlanta Braves end up in prison. Danny Collins survived his journey, and it is one heck of a story. He had a complicated childhood with not knowing his mom. He was the kid trying to fit in and sports was his escape for recognition, but he couldn't escape his demons even when he had thought he had finally made it by being signed with the Atlanta Braves. Danny's life spiraled out of control to the point where he is lucky to be alive...

What type of mindset would you have if you were sentenced to 25 years to life? In this episode of the Nightmare Success podcast, host Brent Cassity interviews Joe Robinson, the founder of Mindful Money. Joe shares his personal journey from growing up in the rough neighborhood of East New York, Brooklyn, to getting involved in a life of crime and eventually being sentenced to 25 years to life in prison. Despite the challenges he faced, Joe's passion for helping others and improving financial...

Have you ever got a hot flash just because you are going through customs? Scott Carper had a nightmare scenario coming back in from the Mexico border. He was addicted to pain pills and made a trip across the Mexico border to save some money. When he went through United States Customs his world was forever changed. He knew he has the pills and declared them what he didn't know was what else was in the car. Like a scene from a movie, Scott's life was forever changed. Scott was the prom king and...

Imagine being addicted to heroin and needing $2,000 for rehab. A guy comes to you and says he works for a Columbian Drug Cartel as a courier. His bosses stole money from him. If you help him get it back by robbing their stash house...you will never need to work again. It was all a setup and the Columbian Courier was an undercover federal agent with a fake stash house. This episode features an interview with Josh Boyer, who shares his experience of being involved in a stash house sting...

What would you do if you were responsible for collecting over a billion dollars of receivables for MCI at the age of 32 years old. Meet Walt Pavlo who was a young MBA rising quickly through the finance ranks at the nations second largest telecom company, MCI. With a beautiful wife, two kids and a promising career, he epitomized the American dream. Pavlo's life took a dark turn when he became a willing participant in the company's efforts to hide from investors and potential acquirers a...

If you were born and raised in politics and policy, could you make it back if you went to prison? Yes, Kandia Milton did, and he is now the Policy Director for Dream.org Justice. Kandia was born and raised in Detroit. He says he doesn't remember a life that did not involve politics. Kandia rose through the ranks in Detroit politics, being Deputy Chief of Staff, Chief of Staff to the Mayor, and Deputy Mayor of Detroit. Kandia's nightmare was getting involved in a land deal that involved...

What would your life look like after 14 years in prison? For Louis L Reed it has been nothing but action becoming a Rock Star in the Justice Reform Movement. His leadership has led to the passage of more than 30 state and federal bills, including creating the biggest grassroots national advocacy group for the First Step Act signed into law in 2018. He has consulted with the White House, Department of Justice, Fortune 100 Corporations, State, and Federal Agencies. You might have just seen...

If you got knocked down could you get back up and earn back something that you really wanted? Charlie Naselsky did. Charlie was a successful attorney. He took pride in being an attorney. It was something he loved to do that he had a passion for. Charlie took his case to trial for tax evasion, and he lost. Charlie was sentenced to 70 months, and the judge immediately remanded him into Federal custody. Charlie's story is about vulnerability and grit. Listening to Charlie's story I found myself...

Could robbing a jewelry store set you on the path to being one of the biggest names in criminal justice reform? You may have seen Glenn as a media guest on NPR, MSNBC, Fox News, or CSPAN. Glenn Martin has had two decades creating impactful change in the arena of criminal justice reform. Growing up as the son of a Police Chief, Glenn took a different path with the wrong crowd that eventually had him serving a 6 year prison sentence. He got out and hit the ground running. He began his career...

What would be your mindset if your sentencing guideline was 8 years, and you receive a 213 year sentence? Meet Adam Clausen who had the "never give up" mindset to keep believing he was going to get out. He finally did after 20 years and it is one heck of a story! He transformed his life while in prison compiling an extensive list of "extraordinary and compelling" achievements that eventually earned him a "second chance" at life. None of this would have been possible without the help of his...

Could a guy who has been a Warden with 5 prisons be the change agent that impacts the system for the good? Meet my guest Brian Koehn. He is the founder and CEO of Social Purpose Corrections. Through his tenure as warden of 5 separate prisons, Brian experienced firsthand the existing gaps and opportunities within the criminal justice system. His personal mission is to reform corrections. Brain has 28 years in the corrections world. He is a security expert which includes 14 years as warden of 5...

Imagine driving home from work one night on a dark road, and you wake up in the hospital finding out you have been in head on collision. Hours later you find out someone died. This was the beginning of Lark Hodge's nightmare. This story has so many twist and turns. It is revealed that the driver who died had a .15% blood alcohol content with a history of DUI's, and Lark's was under the legal limit. The fireman that saved her life at the scene of the accident is now her husband. The prosecutor...

Farmer Melvin from bad soil to good soil. Melvin Parson had spent his life going in and out of prison for 13 years homeless and addicted to drugs. What happened next in his life was not planned. Melvin was living at a place that had a community vegetable garden. The man tending to the garden passed away. People living there encouraged Melvin to take care of the garden. He said, "I don't know anything about farming." He began paying close attention to the soil. He instinctively added good...