#165 - Matt Melvin - Author
In this conversation, Matt Melvin shares his compelling journey through the criminal justice system, detailing his experiences in both state and federal prisons. He discusses the factors that led to his initial offenses, the challenges he faced during his time in prison, including mental health issues and the stigma of being labeled a sex offender. Matt also highlights the systemic issues within the prison system, including the lack of support for mental health and the challenges of navigating life after incarceration.
In this conversation, Matt Melvin shares his experiences of life in prison and a halfway house, reflecting on the challenges he faced, including victimhood and the treatment of sex offenders. He discusses the thrill of committing crimes, the importance of forgiveness, and his journey of writing his memoir, 'Bully Behind Bars.' The conversation delves into the complexities of navigating life after incarceration, the impact of federal convictions, and the adrenaline rush associated with criminal activities.
Subscribe and Comment at all our links below.
https://www.chrisandmikeshow.com
https://www.youtube.com/@chrisandmikeshow
00:01:03,130 --> 00:01:06,810
Yeah, except the boys and girls.
This is the Chris and Mike.
2
00:01:06,810 --> 00:01:09,810
So I'm Chris, he's Mike.
And Jose with us is Matt Melvin.
3
00:01:10,570 --> 00:01:13,250
Should we call you Eminem for
short, or is that just you get
4
00:01:13,250 --> 00:01:16,000
that all the time?
I don't get it all the time, but
5
00:01:16,280 --> 00:01:20,480
you can identify me as that.
We'll just call you Matt man
6
00:01:20,520 --> 00:01:22,040
too, buddy.
Oh, that's right.
7
00:01:22,040 --> 00:01:25,480
MM Michaels and Matt Melvin.
I'm I'm, I'm the oddball here.
8
00:01:25,840 --> 00:01:28,320
Just the CD man.
What's up with that?
9
00:01:31,320 --> 00:01:33,640
So welcome to the show, Matt.
How are you today?
10
00:01:34,040 --> 00:01:35,440
I'm well, how are.
You welcome.
11
00:01:35,560 --> 00:01:38,160
Matt, man, we're good now.
Better now.
12
00:01:38,960 --> 00:01:40,720
Your, your story's an
interesting 1.
13
00:01:40,720 --> 00:01:43,880
So we're just going to let you
kind of, you know, lay some
14
00:01:43,880 --> 00:01:46,320
background.
You were, you were in prison for
15
00:01:46,320 --> 00:01:49,120
a while.
I did 2 stints in prison.
16
00:01:49,120 --> 00:01:52,960
Two stints in prison. 1004 and
the second was in 2016.
17
00:01:53,240 --> 00:01:55,160
So walk us up.
What led to the?
18
00:01:55,280 --> 00:01:57,280
First one, yeah.
What led to the first one?
19
00:01:57,680 --> 00:02:00,640
I worked at a car dealership,
Freedom Nissan on Shelburne Rd.
20
00:02:00,640 --> 00:02:02,800
in South Burlington, Vt.
What year?
21
00:02:03,720 --> 00:02:05,600
2004.
Yeah, we, we're going to, we're
22
00:02:05,600 --> 00:02:08,160
going to make you kind of kind
of want to, we want you to lead
23
00:02:08,160 --> 00:02:09,880
us up into it like how life was
going.
24
00:02:09,880 --> 00:02:12,240
If you were involved in any
chaos, if you're, you know,
25
00:02:12,240 --> 00:02:15,560
involved with, you know, drugs,
all that kind of stuff, you know
26
00:02:15,560 --> 00:02:17,840
what, what, what we want the
whole picture.
27
00:02:17,840 --> 00:02:20,960
Comfortable with the back.
Sure, we are true, true because
28
00:02:20,960 --> 00:02:24,000
not everybody, not everybody's
going to understand certain
29
00:02:24,000 --> 00:02:25,600
things that you talk about.
So we want to make sure we, we
30
00:02:25,600 --> 00:02:28,000
cover all the bases with your
story because we actually, you
31
00:02:28,000 --> 00:02:30,120
know, obviously we want to share
and get your point across and
32
00:02:30,120 --> 00:02:32,280
there's a message I'm sure at
some point in time here that
33
00:02:32,680 --> 00:02:34,200
that you're going to want to
convey.
34
00:02:34,200 --> 00:02:38,760
So, so like Mike said, OK, so
back in 2004.
35
00:02:38,760 --> 00:02:40,320
Chris Dunham.
What's that, Mike?
36
00:02:40,640 --> 00:02:42,240
Do me a favor.
Sure.
37
00:02:42,960 --> 00:02:44,720
Oh, it just stopped.
I was going to have you tilt
38
00:02:44,720 --> 00:02:47,040
your camera down a hair.
My camera.
39
00:02:47,200 --> 00:02:48,880
The ghost was at it again.
I was going.
40
00:02:48,880 --> 00:02:49,480
To have.
Oh, really?
41
00:02:50,040 --> 00:02:50,760
Oh, weird.
OK.
42
00:02:51,560 --> 00:02:54,960
I'm sorry.
Yeah.
43
00:02:54,960 --> 00:02:57,680
So if you want to start there,
Matt, just lead us up into how
44
00:02:57,720 --> 00:02:59,480
you ended up in prison the first
time.
45
00:03:00,040 --> 00:03:04,040
Absolutely.
I was just going to backtrack a
46
00:03:04,040 --> 00:03:06,480
little bit.
Yeah, that's cool.
47
00:03:06,480 --> 00:03:12,600
The stealing the car wasn't my
first brush with the law.
48
00:03:13,640 --> 00:03:16,080
There were other instances
walking out of restaurants
49
00:03:16,080 --> 00:03:19,040
without paying, driving off
without paying for gas.
50
00:03:19,640 --> 00:03:23,720
Those were speeding, driving 130
on the highway.
51
00:03:24,840 --> 00:03:31,000
Wow.
I don't believe that most people
52
00:03:31,000 --> 00:03:37,680
just one day commit a higher
level crime.
53
00:03:38,040 --> 00:03:44,360
It's, it starts with smaller
level crime and the person for
54
00:03:44,360 --> 00:03:49,000
me, like it's a, it's a, it's a
threat like driving 130, it's a
55
00:03:49,000 --> 00:03:51,120
rush.
Driving off without paying for
56
00:03:51,120 --> 00:03:55,240
gas, it's a rush, you know, not
rocking out of a restaurant
57
00:03:55,240 --> 00:03:57,080
without paying.
They're all rushes.
58
00:03:57,080 --> 00:04:00,680
Get it?
So as a man, we, we like that
59
00:04:00,680 --> 00:04:03,480
adrenaline rush.
Much like when you guys are
60
00:04:03,480 --> 00:04:06,480
playing that heavy music, I'm
sure you get out of a rush too.
61
00:04:06,640 --> 00:04:12,040
100% Yeah, yeah, yeah.
I had gotten away with it.
62
00:04:12,440 --> 00:04:15,280
So, you know, go bigger off, go
home.
63
00:04:15,320 --> 00:04:25,320
I guess the frame of mind and I
really had anger issues, hatred
64
00:04:25,320 --> 00:04:29,360
issues, frustration issues that
hadn't been addressed properly.
65
00:04:29,640 --> 00:04:34,280
I was being bullied, feeling
like an outcast.
66
00:04:36,280 --> 00:04:38,720
And then I come to work at this
car dealership.
67
00:04:40,640 --> 00:04:43,240
They mistreat me.
Oh, you were working at the
68
00:04:43,240 --> 00:04:45,040
dealership?
Yeah, OK.
69
00:04:45,200 --> 00:04:46,840
I missed that part, I'm sorry.
So how?
70
00:04:46,840 --> 00:04:49,160
How are they mistreating you?
What were they doing?
71
00:04:49,320 --> 00:04:51,640
Other guys were jumping in in
front of me.
72
00:04:51,640 --> 00:04:55,040
You know, it's round Robin where
everybody gets their chance.
73
00:04:55,040 --> 00:04:57,200
Other guys were jumping up in
front, you know it's.
74
00:04:57,520 --> 00:05:01,280
OK.
The the car dealership is a very
75
00:05:01,280 --> 00:05:05,320
passive aggressive type of
mentality and if you're.
76
00:05:05,320 --> 00:05:08,280
Not sold instruments.
So I know that the Commission
77
00:05:08,280 --> 00:05:10,960
business can be rough when
you're committing with competing
78
00:05:10,960 --> 00:05:13,120
with other people.
For sure it gets quick and I
79
00:05:13,120 --> 00:05:14,480
know exactly what you're
talking.
80
00:05:14,480 --> 00:05:18,320
About 10 other people at A at a
dealership here.
81
00:05:18,600 --> 00:05:21,840
Some of the dealerships you
might be competing against 2025
82
00:05:21,840 --> 00:05:23,880
other men and women.
Sure.
83
00:05:23,880 --> 00:05:31,680
Yeah, yeah.
So I, I, you know, jumped in the
84
00:05:31,680 --> 00:05:34,040
gauntlet and tried to sell one
of their cars because they
85
00:05:34,040 --> 00:05:37,000
didn't pay me my commissions.
That was in 2004.
86
00:05:38,200 --> 00:05:41,560
I got caught.
Oh, how soon after?
87
00:05:43,600 --> 00:05:47,040
Hours.
Literally it was, I mean, they
88
00:05:47,040 --> 00:05:50,200
were tracking me that they knew
what was going on.
89
00:05:51,320 --> 00:05:57,320
It was not.
I mean, the vehicles are tracked
90
00:05:57,320 --> 00:05:58,600
heavily.
I mean it.
91
00:05:58,600 --> 00:06:02,600
They're even tracked much more
heavily today than they were 21
92
00:06:02,600 --> 00:06:05,080
years ago.
That's how GPS knows how to tell
93
00:06:05,080 --> 00:06:06,720
you where to go.
Right.
94
00:06:06,800 --> 00:06:08,520
Oh yeah.
They know where you're at too.
95
00:06:09,360 --> 00:06:11,880
Right at all given times.
OK, so so the vehicle that you
96
00:06:11,880 --> 00:06:14,160
stole, do you just drive it off
a lot and sell it?
97
00:06:14,160 --> 00:06:17,280
You were selling to a a second
party like 1/3.
98
00:06:17,280 --> 00:06:18,880
Party sell it to another car
dealership.
99
00:06:19,600 --> 00:06:22,960
Oh no.
That wasn't very smart, man.
100
00:06:23,000 --> 00:06:26,720
OK, real, real quick.
Where was your mindset in that?
101
00:06:26,840 --> 00:06:29,760
Because instantly I'm like I
would not have done that.
102
00:06:30,240 --> 00:06:32,600
Yeah, right, right.
Walk me through that.
103
00:06:33,040 --> 00:06:36,360
Yeah.
I thought I could get away with
104
00:06:36,360 --> 00:06:37,680
it.
I had gotten away with.
105
00:06:37,960 --> 00:06:39,400
How old were you when this
happened?
106
00:06:40,080 --> 00:06:43,960
I was 23.
OK, that's how old are you now?
107
00:06:44,920 --> 00:06:47,840
I am 44.
OK, OK, that explains a lot
108
00:06:47,840 --> 00:06:50,680
because your frontal cortex is
not fully formed until you're
109
00:06:50,680 --> 00:06:52,640
25, so I can forgive some of
this.
110
00:06:53,240 --> 00:06:54,680
Yeah.
I get it now.
111
00:06:54,720 --> 00:07:01,000
And just so you know it, it
isn't ironic that in the current
112
00:07:01,000 --> 00:07:02,920
judicial system.
OK.
113
00:07:03,680 --> 00:07:08,800
Folks that commit crimes before
25 a lot of times are granted
114
00:07:08,800 --> 00:07:13,600
the ability to have their crimes
committed up until the age of 25
115
00:07:13,600 --> 00:07:19,200
expunged after that there and
and I should preface that that
116
00:07:19,200 --> 00:07:22,800
is for nonviolent offenders.
OK, OK.
117
00:07:22,800 --> 00:07:26,480
It's not, you know, if you
commit murder at 23, they don't
118
00:07:26,480 --> 00:07:30,880
excuse it.
So I I just want not.
119
00:07:31,000 --> 00:07:33,520
It's not by coincidence that
this stuff happens.
120
00:07:33,640 --> 00:07:34,480
OK.
OK.
121
00:07:34,480 --> 00:07:35,680
That's good to know.
That's interesting.
122
00:07:35,680 --> 00:07:37,960
I didn't know that.
So they sent you to prison on
123
00:07:37,960 --> 00:07:40,920
your first offence?
Or had you been in jail before,
124
00:07:40,920 --> 00:07:42,480
so to speak?
Jail.
125
00:07:42,800 --> 00:07:46,680
OK, never.
And they sent you to prison for
126
00:07:46,680 --> 00:07:47,800
your first offence.
Yeah.
127
00:07:47,800 --> 00:07:50,480
So you get arrested that night.
What happens from that point
128
00:07:50,480 --> 00:07:53,240
forward?
I did 18 months.
129
00:07:54,040 --> 00:07:55,600
Wow.
So you went in front of the
130
00:07:55,600 --> 00:07:58,000
judge and he just gave me a year
and a half just straight up,
131
00:07:58,000 --> 00:07:59,160
this is going to be your
sentence.
132
00:07:59,160 --> 00:08:02,160
It's Jeffrey.
Crawford, Judge in the federal
133
00:08:02,440 --> 00:08:04,160
federal case.
Thanks, Jeffrey.
134
00:08:04,280 --> 00:08:05,160
Wow.
Right.
135
00:08:05,400 --> 00:08:09,480
And at that time, the state had
a mental health corps.
136
00:08:10,160 --> 00:08:12,600
But OK.
Jeffrey Crawford, the judge, and
137
00:08:12,600 --> 00:08:16,480
Bob Wolford both decided I
didn't meet the criteria to go
138
00:08:16,480 --> 00:08:19,920
through the mental health court,
even though I'd seen about 2530
139
00:08:19,920 --> 00:08:23,400
therapists.
Oh my, so I read some of your
140
00:08:23,400 --> 00:08:26,120
back story when you submitted.
I love that now.
141
00:08:26,240 --> 00:08:29,640
Yeah, that was cool, Yeah.
I agree with you and I know
142
00:08:29,640 --> 00:08:33,520
you're going to get to this, but
instantly I got rage because
143
00:08:33,520 --> 00:08:36,240
you're 23 years old, you'd never
been in trouble with the law.
144
00:08:37,000 --> 00:08:41,400
Granted you Grand Theft, you
stole a car, but nobody died.
145
00:08:41,919 --> 00:08:45,840
There's murderers, serial
killers, rapists, there's all
146
00:08:45,840 --> 00:08:48,320
kinds of violent criminals,
which we just discussed.
147
00:08:50,440 --> 00:08:55,760
So explain the mental health
option that your state had that
148
00:08:55,760 --> 00:09:01,160
they chose not to use.
In Vermont, they have a mental
149
00:09:01,160 --> 00:09:06,320
health court where a defendant
like myself can go through.
150
00:09:07,840 --> 00:09:11,600
It's similar to drug court,
except there's not the testing,
151
00:09:11,600 --> 00:09:16,320
you know, there's not the drug
testing, but there is the mental
152
00:09:16,520 --> 00:09:21,600
health therapy component to.
That is it outpatient or is it
153
00:09:21,600 --> 00:09:24,360
someplace you'd go to serve a
sentence like you would in a
154
00:09:24,360 --> 00:09:26,480
prison?
That's a good question.
155
00:09:26,480 --> 00:09:31,600
No, all of, I mean, you come to
court on a weekly basis to, to
156
00:09:31,600 --> 00:09:36,720
check in, make sure that the
offender myself or who, whomever
157
00:09:36,920 --> 00:09:42,080
has not committed another crime.
And provided that you don't pick
158
00:09:42,080 --> 00:09:46,120
up any other crimes and you're
doing what you're supposed to be
159
00:09:46,120 --> 00:09:54,720
doing, mental health counseling,
then as soon as it's done, as
160
00:09:54,720 --> 00:09:57,600
soon as then your record is
expunged.
161
00:09:58,240 --> 00:10:00,960
So you're being heavily
monitored and you probably have
162
00:10:00,960 --> 00:10:04,280
to go through X amount of
classes and if you miss one deal
163
00:10:04,280 --> 00:10:09,040
you're in prison, right?
I I don't want to speculate on
164
00:10:09,040 --> 00:10:12,400
something that I don't know.
I'm guessing that's probably how
165
00:10:12,400 --> 00:10:15,520
it works.
I would guess because in drug if
166
00:10:15,520 --> 00:10:19,480
you test positive once you're
done.
167
00:10:19,640 --> 00:10:20,520
Yep.
Yeah.
168
00:10:23,440 --> 00:10:26,840
So what kind of prison did they
send you to in lieu of this
169
00:10:27,400 --> 00:10:32,560
better option?
2 Vermont prisons Which Vermont
170
00:10:32,560 --> 00:10:37,440
prison is not what federal
prison is like?
171
00:10:38,000 --> 00:10:43,680
So you need a.
Little bit of a go ahead.
172
00:10:43,720 --> 00:10:46,880
I don't know if I'd say Country
Club, but somewhere in between.
173
00:10:46,880 --> 00:10:49,280
It's certainly not a.
The Vermont one.
174
00:10:49,720 --> 00:10:51,120
Yes.
OK, it's.
175
00:10:51,280 --> 00:10:56,520
It's a lot better than some of
the other prisons in other
176
00:10:56,520 --> 00:11:00,680
states that I've seen in my when
I did my 18 months the second
177
00:11:00,680 --> 00:11:07,280
time in in federal prison.
OK, we had a we had a guy on a
178
00:11:07,920 --> 00:11:09,880
couple weeks ago that was in
prison a couple times.
179
00:11:10,240 --> 00:11:16,080
We had some fun with him.
As far as as far as the the into
180
00:11:16,200 --> 00:11:18,120
what?
I don't know what the what's the
181
00:11:18,120 --> 00:11:19,120
word?
I'm looking for Mike.
182
00:11:19,480 --> 00:11:21,120
The imaginative.
The imaginative way.
183
00:11:21,120 --> 00:11:22,520
Is that right?
The imaginative way They made
184
00:11:22,520 --> 00:11:25,280
food like ramen burritos.
Are you familiar with ramen
185
00:11:25,280 --> 00:11:29,160
burritos?
I'm familiar with very strange
186
00:11:29,160 --> 00:11:32,360
things that.
Tell us about some because we
187
00:11:32,360 --> 00:11:34,760
were fascinated with that.
We didn't eat any of it.
188
00:11:35,320 --> 00:11:38,120
OK, I wouldn't.
I wouldn't think I would eat it
189
00:11:38,120 --> 00:11:40,280
any.
So prison food's nasty, right?
190
00:11:40,280 --> 00:11:44,520
Thing you don't know what's else
is in it that they're not
191
00:11:44,520 --> 00:11:47,560
telling you about?
The prison food are the ones
192
00:11:47,560 --> 00:11:48,880
that are making the homemade
food the.
193
00:11:49,280 --> 00:11:51,200
Inmates that are making the
food.
194
00:11:51,440 --> 00:11:52,880
In the pots.
OK.
195
00:11:53,360 --> 00:11:55,920
Yeah, I could see that.
And Don seemed like that was his
196
00:11:55,920 --> 00:11:56,960
cell mate, right?
And they?
197
00:11:57,000 --> 00:11:59,720
Were pretty tight.
Yeah, so he trusted the guy, I
198
00:11:59,720 --> 00:12:00,680
think.
That's why they were probably
199
00:12:00,680 --> 00:12:02,120
making it together, you know?
Yeah.
200
00:12:03,320 --> 00:12:04,280
How long were you in?
When?
201
00:12:04,280 --> 00:12:07,440
So when you're in prison, was it
were you, was it kind of like a,
202
00:12:07,440 --> 00:12:11,080
a, a white collar type prison to
where you had, you know, you,
203
00:12:11,160 --> 00:12:12,880
you weren't OK, so you were
locked.
204
00:12:12,920 --> 00:12:15,680
White collar.
OK, No, this is everybody and
205
00:12:15,680 --> 00:12:17,520
their brother.
You're in there with violent
206
00:12:17,520 --> 00:12:18,680
criminals.
OK.
207
00:12:19,040 --> 00:12:21,720
Absolutely no question.
General. 23 hours a day
208
00:12:21,720 --> 00:12:24,960
lockdown, OK, which?
Yeah, 23 hours a day lockdown
209
00:12:24,960 --> 00:12:27,640
type thing like in your cell or
how was that?
210
00:12:28,040 --> 00:12:33,120
The first time, no OK I was
pretty much allowed in general
211
00:12:33,120 --> 00:12:35,160
population.
They tried putting me in the
212
00:12:35,160 --> 00:12:38,400
mental health unit.
Unfortunately, the mental health
213
00:12:38,400 --> 00:12:41,360
units usually turn out to be the
sex offender unit.
214
00:12:42,760 --> 00:12:45,280
Oh.
Oh, really?
215
00:12:45,440 --> 00:12:47,680
Yes.
Because is that just because
216
00:12:47,680 --> 00:12:50,240
their attorneys kind of spin it?
Oh, he's, he's not competent.
217
00:12:50,240 --> 00:12:52,960
Because for him to do that type
of thing, he's got to be wacky.
218
00:12:53,480 --> 00:12:55,320
Yes.
Well, that's bullshit.
219
00:12:56,120 --> 00:13:01,680
So, and I've seen this both in
Vermont and then in the federal
220
00:13:01,680 --> 00:13:06,880
system that when I would get
into mental health unit, I would
221
00:13:06,880 --> 00:13:11,480
be surrounded by a whole bunch
of white old guys that were sex
222
00:13:11,480 --> 00:13:14,840
offenders and then and then I
would be labeled as a sex
223
00:13:14,840 --> 00:13:16,480
offender and.
Then I would be coming.
224
00:13:16,560 --> 00:13:22,760
Oh oh fuck that sucks man.
That's terrible.
225
00:13:24,400 --> 00:13:26,640
So did you did were you
constantly kind of looking over
226
00:13:26,640 --> 00:13:28,320
your shoulder because it just I?
Was.
227
00:13:28,360 --> 00:13:29,320
Absolutely.
Yeah.
228
00:13:29,480 --> 00:13:30,400
Wow.
So.
229
00:13:30,400 --> 00:13:32,120
You ended up guilty by
association.
230
00:13:34,160 --> 00:13:36,720
Yes.
But you weren't associated.
231
00:13:36,720 --> 00:13:38,480
That's just how it looked to
them.
232
00:13:38,520 --> 00:13:40,120
And to do do with them?
Absolutely.
233
00:13:40,120 --> 00:13:41,400
Of course.
Despicable.
234
00:13:41,760 --> 00:13:46,560
Yeah, that's awful, man.
So how long of your sentence did
235
00:13:46,560 --> 00:13:50,720
you have to endure that kind of
terror in your mind every day?
236
00:13:52,600 --> 00:13:55,800
A good portion of it.
That sucks dude.
237
00:13:56,800 --> 00:13:59,240
Yeah.
That is, yeah, that could break
238
00:13:59,240 --> 00:14:01,080
a person.
Yeah.
239
00:14:01,080 --> 00:14:03,640
And how and and this, how long
was this stint, this initial
240
00:14:03,640 --> 00:14:06,760
stint in 2418 months?
That was 18 months.
241
00:14:06,760 --> 00:14:08,560
And then the second time was 18
months.
242
00:14:08,560 --> 00:14:11,720
Same Judge Jeffrey Crawford in
both the state and the federal.
243
00:14:12,320 --> 00:14:16,680
Yeah, I, I don't, I don't think
you this would ever happen in
244
00:14:16,680 --> 00:14:19,960
any other state.
Is that for just like you?
245
00:14:20,000 --> 00:14:22,840
Or me state.
Did did Jeffrey just not like
246
00:14:22,840 --> 00:14:24,520
you?
Yeah, what was Jeffrey's deal?
247
00:14:28,480 --> 00:14:34,440
Was he old?
He was old, yes, he was a very
248
00:14:34,880 --> 00:14:37,440
individual.
I'll never forget what he
249
00:14:37,440 --> 00:14:40,440
sentenced me the second time, he
said, Mr. Melvin, if you ever
250
00:14:40,440 --> 00:14:46,640
see me on Church St. which is
this outdoor shopping place,
251
00:14:46,920 --> 00:14:48,960
feel free to come up and shake
my hand.
252
00:14:49,000 --> 00:14:53,080
And I thought to myself, first
of all, you would probably never
253
00:14:53,080 --> 00:14:55,720
be on Church St.
That's like Bernie Sanders
254
00:14:55,720 --> 00:14:59,040
saying, if you ever see me, you
want me to shake my hand.
255
00:14:59,480 --> 00:15:01,200
Well, it wouldn't be to shake
your hand.
256
00:15:02,680 --> 00:15:05,680
Yeah, fuck you, Jeffrey.
Wow.
257
00:15:06,280 --> 00:15:09,480
And I only ask because he's old
before everybody crucifies me
258
00:15:09,480 --> 00:15:13,000
for that because I had to go to
court for two sets of tickets
259
00:15:13,000 --> 00:15:15,480
that I got for no insurance and
no registration.
260
00:15:15,920 --> 00:15:20,120
And this guy, and without saying
the words, basically told me if
261
00:15:20,120 --> 00:15:24,120
he could lock me away, he would.
That's how seriously he took my
262
00:15:24,120 --> 00:15:29,360
offense because apparently I was
flippant about the way I was
263
00:15:29,360 --> 00:15:33,440
acting in court.
You know, he was, he was about
264
00:15:33,440 --> 00:15:36,400
89 years old.
And he's read me the riot act
265
00:15:36,400 --> 00:15:40,080
over a couple traffic citations,
basically because they were two
266
00:15:40,080 --> 00:15:42,440
weeks apart, right?
That's why I'm asking that
267
00:15:42,440 --> 00:15:44,640
question, because he was a
crotchety old man and that's the
268
00:15:44,640 --> 00:15:51,720
way your guy sounded.
He was, but not to mention that
269
00:15:51,720 --> 00:15:59,920
he, you know, had gotten into
his position by convictions.
270
00:15:59,920 --> 00:16:04,200
I mean, that's how people,
judges, lawyers, cops move up
271
00:16:04,200 --> 00:16:07,480
within their cults is by
convictions.
272
00:16:07,960 --> 00:16:10,040
Yeah.
That's a true story.
273
00:16:10,480 --> 00:16:11,640
Yeah.
Oh yeah.
274
00:16:11,640 --> 00:16:13,360
It's a.
Right, so he and so he moved up
275
00:16:13,360 --> 00:16:15,680
that ladder.
Yeah, he had.
276
00:16:15,680 --> 00:16:20,120
He had gotten nominated 2 years
ago, two years before that by
277
00:16:20,840 --> 00:16:26,120
drunk former Senator Patrick
Leahy.
278
00:16:28,920 --> 00:16:32,000
Wow, man, now how long was the
stint?
279
00:16:32,800 --> 00:16:34,440
How did you end up in federal
prison?
280
00:16:35,320 --> 00:16:38,920
Yeah.
That's a good question. 2009 I
281
00:16:38,920 --> 00:16:40,760
couldn't pass a background
check.
282
00:16:41,400 --> 00:16:45,280
I used other people's
information to try to get work.
283
00:16:46,240 --> 00:16:50,080
I did the work, but I just used
other people's Social Security
284
00:16:50,080 --> 00:16:54,680
card and driver's license.
The government pursued me for
285
00:16:54,680 --> 00:16:59,400
six years.
Even a fugitive limitations that
286
00:16:59,400 --> 00:17:04,160
runs out of five.
They went to 10 different grand
287
00:17:04,160 --> 00:17:07,000
juries, spent about a half,
$1,000,000.
288
00:17:07,599 --> 00:17:09,160
Wow.
I only got a grand jury
289
00:17:09,160 --> 00:17:11,079
indictment now.
You have to remember that a
290
00:17:11,079 --> 00:17:14,160
grand jury will indict a ham
sandwich, and a grand jury has a
291
00:17:14,160 --> 00:17:18,880
in the in the in the federal
system, there's a 96% conviction
292
00:17:18,880 --> 00:17:20,119
rate.
Really.
293
00:17:21,119 --> 00:17:22,640
Wow.
That's insane.
294
00:17:22,960 --> 00:17:25,520
So you have to have like,
straight up like.
295
00:17:25,520 --> 00:17:28,960
So how did OJ get it off man?
He had a lot of money and good
296
00:17:29,040 --> 00:17:30,920
lawyers.
What's supposed to say?
297
00:17:31,120 --> 00:17:33,520
Yeah, OK, yeah, you got to.
You got to have the money.
298
00:17:33,520 --> 00:17:38,840
You got to have the pockets.
Wow, 96% so even if even if you
299
00:17:38,840 --> 00:17:40,560
had.
But J.
300
00:17:40,560 --> 00:17:42,640
Cole was in trouble in the
state, not the feds.
301
00:17:42,720 --> 00:17:45,360
Oh, I got, I got you.
Oh, so you why were you, why
302
00:17:45,360 --> 00:17:46,320
were you in trouble with the
feds?
303
00:17:46,320 --> 00:17:48,840
Because of the using other
people's Social Security cards
304
00:17:48,840 --> 00:17:51,080
and stuff.
They charged me with aggravated
305
00:17:51,080 --> 00:17:52,640
identity theft and money
launder.
306
00:17:53,520 --> 00:17:56,360
Across state lines because
that's the only way feds can get
307
00:17:56,360 --> 00:17:59,880
involved.
I guess.
308
00:18:00,120 --> 00:18:01,360
I.
I I don't know.
309
00:18:01,360 --> 00:18:04,280
Probably because you were paying
into the Social Security system.
310
00:18:04,280 --> 00:18:06,080
I'm guessing that's why.
They got involved.
311
00:18:07,520 --> 00:18:10,400
What's Yeah, Social Security?
Medicare theft, man.
312
00:18:11,600 --> 00:18:13,040
Yeah.
How many times did you do it?
313
00:18:13,040 --> 00:18:16,120
Like how many identities did
they claim that?
314
00:18:16,680 --> 00:18:18,480
A fair number.
OK, wow.
315
00:18:18,840 --> 00:18:20,960
But you have to remember I was
always doing the work.
316
00:18:21,600 --> 00:18:23,600
Yeah.
And my attorney who was a
317
00:18:23,600 --> 00:18:28,440
private attorney, Paul Volk,
I've been practicing defense
318
00:18:28,440 --> 00:18:32,640
lawyer for 35 years.
He'd never seen a case where a
319
00:18:32,640 --> 00:18:38,160
defendant was so brutally gone
after when there was no victim
320
00:18:38,160 --> 00:18:43,040
loss and there was no victim
impact statement at sentencing.
321
00:18:44,280 --> 00:18:48,600
Because that is correct.
In a fraud case, there is loss.
322
00:18:48,600 --> 00:18:50,800
There's a significant amount of
loss.
323
00:18:51,440 --> 00:18:56,080
Yeah, nobody showed up and said
Matt screwed me out of XY and Z,
324
00:18:56,080 --> 00:18:57,360
right?
There was nobody there.
325
00:18:57,440 --> 00:19:01,480
What?
Even what and the the
326
00:19:01,520 --> 00:19:04,400
prosecutor, Michael Drescher.
Well, guess what he's doing
327
00:19:04,400 --> 00:19:06,680
today.
He's now the US Attorney for the
328
00:19:06,680 --> 00:19:08,800
state of Vermont.
He didn't give me a chance.
329
00:19:08,800 --> 00:19:12,760
I wanted to say he's a judge or
a United States something or
330
00:19:12,760 --> 00:19:14,760
other.
Let me backtrack a little bit
331
00:19:14,760 --> 00:19:17,400
about that.
Michael Drescher was originally
332
00:19:17,480 --> 00:19:20,840
assigned to the case.
He then assigned somebody else
333
00:19:20,960 --> 00:19:26,240
and then he came back and I, I
can't remember the lawyer's name
334
00:19:26,240 --> 00:19:28,520
who was in between it.
It's, it's irrelevant.
335
00:19:28,520 --> 00:19:30,480
It doesn't really matter.
But again, you have to
336
00:19:30,480 --> 00:19:35,320
understand this is not normal.
The way things work normally,
337
00:19:35,320 --> 00:19:38,760
whoever's assigned the case is
that on the case for the entire
338
00:19:38,760 --> 00:19:44,520
time.
Wow so where did they send you
339
00:19:44,520 --> 00:19:48,360
this insane man?
10 different institutions. 10.
340
00:19:48,600 --> 00:19:52,640
Hell, what to do with me?
I wrote hundreds and hundreds of
341
00:19:52,640 --> 00:19:54,760
grievances, which is the
complaint system.
342
00:19:57,320 --> 00:20:02,120
I was raped.
The garden tried to say to the
343
00:20:02,120 --> 00:20:05,120
guards that I was.
I tried to proposition that and
344
00:20:05,120 --> 00:20:06,200
this.
Happened when you went to
345
00:20:06,200 --> 00:20:07,960
federal prison.
I'm sorry to interrupt you, but
346
00:20:08,360 --> 00:20:09,480
Brooklyn.
Happened.
347
00:20:10,120 --> 00:20:11,960
Wow.
So you had none of these
348
00:20:11,960 --> 00:20:15,560
problems in the state other than
they associated you with
349
00:20:15,560 --> 00:20:18,520
something you weren't.
Correct.
350
00:20:18,520 --> 00:20:23,080
The only issue I had in the
state was they put me in the
351
00:20:23,080 --> 00:20:26,480
mental health unit and I got
identified as a sex offender.
352
00:20:26,760 --> 00:20:30,080
Sure I was not.
I was only at I.
353
00:20:30,320 --> 00:20:33,440
So let me let me backtrack one
second.
354
00:20:33,440 --> 00:20:39,000
I was assaulted very early on
because I was in a dormitory
355
00:20:39,000 --> 00:20:42,680
type unit in the gym in
Chittenden County.
356
00:20:43,360 --> 00:20:47,280
Ohio, OK.
That was before you went to
357
00:20:47,280 --> 00:20:51,200
prison though, right?
But other than that, there were
358
00:20:51,400 --> 00:20:53,880
it.
It was not even close to what it
359
00:20:53,880 --> 00:20:57,560
was in the federal system.
So what happened when you got
360
00:20:57,560 --> 00:20:59,560
there?
Where was the 1st place that
361
00:20:59,560 --> 00:21:01,800
they sent you and did it happen
there or?
362
00:21:02,840 --> 00:21:05,080
The first place I went was Saint
Albans.
363
00:21:05,920 --> 00:21:08,320
Which is.
In Vermont.
364
00:21:08,600 --> 00:21:10,840
OK.
Because I was still going to
365
00:21:10,840 --> 00:21:11,960
court.
Sure.
366
00:21:16,000 --> 00:21:19,120
And the judge was Jeffrey
Crawford, and he was based out
367
00:21:19,120 --> 00:21:20,920
of Rutland.
So they had to move me.
368
00:21:21,200 --> 00:21:27,040
They kept moving me from part of
the reason I was moved so much
369
00:21:27,320 --> 00:21:29,560
in the beginning was because I
had to go to court.
370
00:21:29,680 --> 00:21:32,720
So they had to move me to
Rutland, which was closer to
371
00:21:33,040 --> 00:21:35,320
where Jeffrey Crawford was the
judge.
372
00:21:36,480 --> 00:21:41,440
See here's how it works when the
Magistrate Judge dictates who
373
00:21:41,440 --> 00:21:43,440
what judge will be assigned the
case.
374
00:21:44,000 --> 00:21:46,440
OK, a Magistrate Judge handles
the arraignments.
375
00:21:47,160 --> 00:21:50,120
Gotcha.
And wherever that judge is now,
376
00:21:50,120 --> 00:21:54,520
in Vermont, currently there's
only two places that federal
377
00:21:54,520 --> 00:21:57,080
judges set.
Burlington, which is where
378
00:21:57,320 --> 00:22:00,400
pretty much where I live, and
Rutland, which is 2 hours South
379
00:22:00,400 --> 00:22:02,880
of the year.
Now in most states, there's more
380
00:22:02,880 --> 00:22:06,000
than that.
There's more than just one or
381
00:22:06,000 --> 00:22:11,880
two federal courthouses.
Right.
382
00:22:15,320 --> 00:22:23,560
Wow, that's crazy.
So your terror started happening
383
00:22:23,560 --> 00:22:29,480
there?
My terror started in Saint
384
00:22:29,480 --> 00:22:33,160
Albans, yes, because I was
writing a lot of grievances.
385
00:22:35,320 --> 00:22:38,960
I wasn't really fitting into the
unit.
386
00:22:39,520 --> 00:22:44,320
I was, I was having problems
again, I was targeted.
387
00:22:44,440 --> 00:22:47,480
You know, I'm gay, man.
Come into the prison.
388
00:22:47,480 --> 00:22:53,080
They don't know who this guy is.
And immediately people assume,
389
00:22:53,280 --> 00:22:56,560
make assumptions because I'm not
a drug dealer.
390
00:22:56,560 --> 00:23:01,240
And, and if you're not in that
cult club, whatever you want to
391
00:23:01,240 --> 00:23:04,680
call it, they identify you.
You're not a gang member.
392
00:23:04,680 --> 00:23:07,840
You're not a Skinhead, you're
not, you're nothing, right?
393
00:23:08,040 --> 00:23:11,200
You don't identify.
OK, so because of that.
394
00:23:11,400 --> 00:23:13,000
And they just.
Right.
395
00:23:13,000 --> 00:23:16,160
So then they create their own
label and then so because you
396
00:23:16,600 --> 00:23:19,760
were were not those things, is
that how they decided that you
397
00:23:19,760 --> 00:23:24,280
were a pedophile?
Yes, but I, I, I, I find it
398
00:23:24,280 --> 00:23:26,200
amazing.
Here's why.
399
00:23:26,200 --> 00:23:29,760
Because all somebody needs to
know is your first and last
400
00:23:29,760 --> 00:23:31,200
name.
They can then get on the
401
00:23:31,200 --> 00:23:36,920
telephone and say to their wife,
look up this guy and it's very
402
00:23:36,920 --> 00:23:40,360
clear if you look up my name
that I have absolutely zero sex
403
00:23:40,360 --> 00:23:42,080
offenses.
Yeah.
404
00:23:42,600 --> 00:23:47,040
Here's the thing, it's not
there's no amusement If the
405
00:23:47,040 --> 00:23:51,440
guy's a white collar crime like
there's it's not fun.
406
00:23:52,080 --> 00:23:55,000
Yeah, we label this guy as a sex
offender now.
407
00:23:55,480 --> 00:23:57,240
Now there's, now we could play
some games.
408
00:23:57,240 --> 00:24:00,160
Now it's fun.
So that's why I believe I was
409
00:24:00,160 --> 00:24:02,320
targeted.
They don't care about the truth,
410
00:24:02,320 --> 00:24:04,760
they just a.
Lot of these guys are are going
411
00:24:04,760 --> 00:24:06,440
to be in there for the rest of
their life.
412
00:24:06,600 --> 00:24:07,000
Sure.
Yeah.
413
00:24:07,080 --> 00:24:08,200
So they're just creating
nothing.
414
00:24:08,200 --> 00:24:09,720
To lose well.
Why not?
415
00:24:09,720 --> 00:24:11,640
What else do they have to do?
Agree.
416
00:24:11,960 --> 00:24:16,120
I just want people to understand
their mindset towards you and
417
00:24:16,120 --> 00:24:19,400
that you have no way of saying,
hey, I, I didn't do this,
418
00:24:19,400 --> 00:24:21,960
fellas, you know, you can't talk
to somebody in prison like that.
419
00:24:22,040 --> 00:24:25,080
These guys don't give a fuck.
They killed people, they raped
420
00:24:25,080 --> 00:24:27,920
people, they did whatever.
You know, they're violent
421
00:24:27,920 --> 00:24:29,680
people.
They don't care.
422
00:24:30,760 --> 00:24:34,160
Yeah, there's no look at it this
way.
423
00:24:34,160 --> 00:24:40,000
It's like walking up to a
protester that's protesting
424
00:24:40,000 --> 00:24:45,640
against Donald Trump.
There's just no common sense.
425
00:24:45,880 --> 00:24:47,880
They don't even know what
they're standing for.
426
00:24:48,520 --> 00:24:50,920
Right.
And you for surely couldn't say,
427
00:24:50,920 --> 00:24:53,280
hey, let me tell you why you're
wrong.
428
00:24:54,640 --> 00:24:59,320
But why would you argue with
somebody that has no no morals?
429
00:24:59,320 --> 00:25:00,240
No.
I agree with you.
430
00:25:01,720 --> 00:25:04,600
So with the with so you're,
you're targeted, which is
431
00:25:04,840 --> 00:25:09,000
horrific and you don't fit in in
this unit.
432
00:25:09,000 --> 00:25:11,160
So then you have the prison
guards themselves.
433
00:25:12,080 --> 00:25:15,000
Obviously they're no ally
because you're a prisoner and
434
00:25:15,000 --> 00:25:20,840
their prison guard are do
everything you see on TV.
435
00:25:20,840 --> 00:25:23,920
What not you know, the prison
guard zone.
436
00:25:23,920 --> 00:25:27,600
I was portrayed in the in the in
the in the most gracious light,
437
00:25:28,000 --> 00:25:32,880
right.
So is is is there any solace if
438
00:25:32,880 --> 00:25:35,240
you're being cornered or you
know you're being followed?
439
00:25:35,240 --> 00:25:37,720
Can you were you able to go to
guard and say, hey, this is
440
00:25:37,720 --> 00:25:39,480
what's going on?
Or did it just brush you off,
441
00:25:39,480 --> 00:25:41,680
get get go back to brush the?
Long off.
442
00:25:42,240 --> 00:25:43,560
Just.
Like I was writing a lot of
443
00:25:43,560 --> 00:25:46,720
grievances and when you can
write a lot of grievances and
444
00:25:46,720 --> 00:25:50,160
write you're, you're putting up
a target on your back.
445
00:25:50,400 --> 00:25:54,040
OK, gotcha.
But listen, I was held
446
00:25:54,040 --> 00:25:56,640
accountable for my actions.
I'm going to hold other people
447
00:25:56,640 --> 00:25:59,840
accountable for their actions.
It's no different than when I'm
448
00:25:59,840 --> 00:26:02,600
identifying people in my book.
There were a lot of people who
449
00:26:02,600 --> 00:26:08,640
said, I don't think you should
be labeling right using sitting.
450
00:26:08,960 --> 00:26:11,200
And Jeffrey Crawford is still a
sitting judge.
451
00:26:11,880 --> 00:26:14,120
I'm Treasurer, is the US
Attorney currently.
452
00:26:16,000 --> 00:26:17,440
Let me ask you this real quick,
man.
453
00:26:17,680 --> 00:26:21,160
Insured from the IRS is still
there, my child from Secret
454
00:26:21,160 --> 00:26:24,040
Service, they're all there.
I don't like all of that.
455
00:26:24,200 --> 00:26:27,920
Let me ask you this, just out of
curiosity, and this is just my
456
00:26:27,920 --> 00:26:30,400
own ignorance.
Why do the guards care that
457
00:26:30,400 --> 00:26:32,240
you're right?
Are you writing them against
458
00:26:32,240 --> 00:26:33,440
them?
The grievances.
459
00:26:33,800 --> 00:26:35,880
Yes, because they're not
anything.
460
00:26:36,000 --> 00:26:38,960
OK, OK.
I wanted to know why the guards
461
00:26:38,960 --> 00:26:41,240
weren't on your side.
Yeah.
462
00:26:41,280 --> 00:26:44,320
So when you got raped, you
obviously grievance that like
463
00:26:44,320 --> 00:26:46,760
brought everybody's attention
and nobody did anything.
464
00:26:47,120 --> 00:26:49,880
No, they didn't do anything.
In fact, when I got out and I
465
00:26:49,880 --> 00:26:51,680
tried to hold them accountable,
they're like, we don't know.
466
00:26:51,680 --> 00:26:53,800
It never happened.
OK, then let me ask you the
467
00:26:53,800 --> 00:26:57,520
question this way.
If you win that grievance, does
468
00:26:57,920 --> 00:27:01,760
do one of them get in trouble?
Like are they reprimanded
469
00:27:01,760 --> 00:27:03,280
because they didn't protect you?
The.
470
00:27:03,840 --> 00:27:08,200
Inmate winning a grievance, just
like I've never heard of an
471
00:27:08,200 --> 00:27:11,600
inmate winning when he's written
a disciplinary report.
472
00:27:12,000 --> 00:27:15,520
But is that's.
My question though, do you know
473
00:27:15,520 --> 00:27:17,800
that is there a consequence to
them?
474
00:27:18,160 --> 00:27:21,240
No, there's not.
No, no.
475
00:27:21,240 --> 00:27:23,840
Wow.
So now they're assholes on the
476
00:27:23,840 --> 00:27:25,800
other side.
Yes.
477
00:27:26,320 --> 00:27:28,920
Because they just figured you're
an inmate, you fucked up.
478
00:27:28,920 --> 00:27:31,440
We don't, you know, we're just
being paid what, however many
479
00:27:31,440 --> 00:27:33,160
dollars an hour to watch your
ass.
480
00:27:33,520 --> 00:27:37,880
Yep.
And you're stirring the pot, so
481
00:27:37,880 --> 00:27:40,080
you're a troublemaker.
So we're not going to we're
482
00:27:40,080 --> 00:27:44,160
going to turn a blind eye to
anything you say and you and so
483
00:27:44,880 --> 00:27:48,760
of that. 1st a lot of men and
women that become prison guards
484
00:27:49,200 --> 00:27:54,400
do the same because get get into
that position because they want
485
00:27:54,400 --> 00:27:58,160
to wield power over another
person no different than police
486
00:27:58,160 --> 00:28:00,360
officers which is the biggest
cult in America.
487
00:28:00,560 --> 00:28:03,000
Sure, you're going to have that
apples everywhere you.
488
00:28:03,000 --> 00:28:06,760
Go Yeah, yeah, It's, it's that
I've heard over over my lifetime
489
00:28:06,760 --> 00:28:10,080
that, you know, most of the I
don't, I don't, I don't know,
490
00:28:10,080 --> 00:28:11,320
percentage.
And I'm not going to sit here
491
00:28:11,320 --> 00:28:13,120
bash cops because that's not
good for anybody.
492
00:28:13,600 --> 00:28:17,520
But a high a percentage of those
that go into law enforcement
493
00:28:17,520 --> 00:28:19,600
were bullied as a child.
And then when they grow up,
494
00:28:19,600 --> 00:28:21,760
they're all big and powerful.
Now they they want a position of
495
00:28:21,760 --> 00:28:24,280
power so then they can be the
bully themselves.
496
00:28:24,520 --> 00:28:26,920
I would look at it from this
direction.
497
00:28:27,000 --> 00:28:32,560
I, I think for a lot of years I
thought like you did, I think
498
00:28:32,560 --> 00:28:37,840
it's more that there's very few
bad apples, but they're so
499
00:28:37,840 --> 00:28:40,560
magnified because nobody talks
about the police officers that
500
00:28:40,560 --> 00:28:42,440
do a good job every.
Day, that's true.
501
00:28:43,120 --> 00:28:44,720
You don't say that.
OK?
502
00:28:44,720 --> 00:28:47,480
Say there's twenty officers on a
force and one of them is bad.
503
00:28:47,640 --> 00:28:52,280
We only know what we don't say.
Hey, the 19 guys today they
504
00:28:52,280 --> 00:28:54,640
saved an old woman from dying of
a heart attack.
505
00:28:54,640 --> 00:28:56,840
They pulled a baby out of a
burning house.
506
00:28:56,840 --> 00:29:01,280
They, you know, but that one
guy, he picked this girl up and
507
00:29:01,280 --> 00:29:03,760
he took her and raped her
because he was a cop, right?
508
00:29:03,760 --> 00:29:05,160
That's the guy we're going to
hear about.
509
00:29:05,320 --> 00:29:07,080
Yeah, we're hearing about.
The.
510
00:29:07,760 --> 00:29:09,800
Small percentage of guards from
Matt.
511
00:29:10,200 --> 00:29:14,680
They're out there, but you and I
both know if you put 100 people
512
00:29:14,680 --> 00:29:18,280
in a room, what are the odds one
of them is either an asshole or
513
00:29:18,280 --> 00:29:21,160
a complete moron?
Oh, absolutely, 100 and we
514
00:29:21,840 --> 00:29:23,320
right.
And we had and, and just to
515
00:29:23,320 --> 00:29:25,600
advocate for the prison guard.
So we had a prison guard on the
516
00:29:25,600 --> 00:29:27,480
show.
That's why I want to make sure.
517
00:29:27,480 --> 00:29:29,440
Yeah, yeah.
And I'm sure Matt encountered
518
00:29:29,440 --> 00:29:33,720
some good ones out there, but
the bad ones made it so horrible
519
00:29:33,720 --> 00:29:36,960
for you that that's it affected
your life in such a negative
520
00:29:36,960 --> 00:29:38,480
way.
And I can understand that.
521
00:29:38,880 --> 00:29:41,480
Believe me when I say my heart
goes out to you for that.
522
00:29:43,800 --> 00:29:46,240
I just want to make it clear
that we're not bashing all
523
00:29:46,240 --> 00:29:49,200
police officers.
Yeah, no, no bashing all but
524
00:29:49,200 --> 00:29:53,440
those few that are that are so
bad it just gets magnified.
525
00:29:53,880 --> 00:29:55,240
Does that make sense?
Yes.
526
00:29:55,720 --> 00:29:56,280
Yeah.
Agreed.
527
00:29:56,440 --> 00:29:59,480
Agreed. 100% agreed.
Yeah, yeah.
528
00:30:00,360 --> 00:30:02,200
That's OK.
So where did you go from?
529
00:30:02,200 --> 00:30:04,600
Now you're in Vermont.
You went to nine other places
530
00:30:04,600 --> 00:30:06,160
after that.
How did that happen?
531
00:30:07,920 --> 00:30:09,800
I was writing a lot of
grievances.
532
00:30:09,800 --> 00:30:11,600
They didn't know what to do with
me.
533
00:30:12,960 --> 00:30:15,560
So they just kicked you from one
federal prison to another,
534
00:30:15,920 --> 00:30:17,600
correct?
Made you somebody else's
535
00:30:17,600 --> 00:30:19,920
problem, right?
For how?
536
00:30:20,560 --> 00:30:23,880
Long. 18 months. 18 months.
Oh, you did 218 months stents
537
00:30:23,880 --> 00:30:24,680
correct.
OK.
538
00:30:25,560 --> 00:30:29,080
So.
So 9 prisons in 18 months, 10
539
00:30:29,080 --> 00:30:33,920
for the first stent for the
first stent for your first
540
00:30:33,920 --> 00:30:37,200
eighteen OK with second stent.
How about the first stent when
541
00:30:37,200 --> 00:30:39,880
you're in for 18 months?
That was Allstate Prison in
542
00:30:39,880 --> 00:30:42,640
Vermont, right?
OK, OK, OK.
543
00:30:43,960 --> 00:30:46,520
So you had more, you had more
problems, it sounds like in the
544
00:30:46,520 --> 00:30:48,520
second time around than you did
the first time.
545
00:30:48,640 --> 00:30:50,440
Oh yeah, a lot more problems.
I mean.
546
00:30:50,880 --> 00:30:53,920
You know, and when I say 18
months, I should just preface
547
00:30:54,840 --> 00:30:58,360
change one thing I did a year
and a half and a halfway house.
548
00:30:58,360 --> 00:31:03,600
So it's about 16 1/2 months in
federal prison and then a month
549
00:31:03,600 --> 00:31:07,640
and a half and a halfway house.
Everybody, every inmate that
550
00:31:08,080 --> 00:31:11,240
goes through the federal system
has to go to a halfway house.
551
00:31:11,240 --> 00:31:15,320
And the time that that inmate
does at a halfway house is all
552
00:31:15,560 --> 00:31:19,200
based on the sentence.
So 18 months, very short time,
553
00:31:19,720 --> 00:31:21,560
10 years.
They're going to be there for a
554
00:31:21,560 --> 00:31:24,960
couple of years before they
actually before then, then
555
00:31:24,960 --> 00:31:28,000
they're released out to the
streets.
556
00:31:28,240 --> 00:31:29,320
Right.
And the halfway house.
557
00:31:29,800 --> 00:31:32,200
Is brutal too.
So let's just say it's a racket
558
00:31:32,200 --> 00:31:33,800
on its own right it?
Was brutal.
559
00:31:33,800 --> 00:31:36,000
There was no solace for me.
Right.
560
00:31:36,080 --> 00:31:38,120
Why?
Yeah, that's, yeah, I've, I've
561
00:31:38,280 --> 00:31:40,880
haven't personally had
experiences with that, but I
562
00:31:40,880 --> 00:31:44,680
have, I have someone I know that
when they're going through rehab
563
00:31:44,680 --> 00:31:47,040
and stuff and drug rehab, things
like that, once they got out of
564
00:31:47,040 --> 00:31:49,320
the facilities, they had to go
to type group home, halfway
565
00:31:49,320 --> 00:31:51,000
house, whatever.
And it was just this a shit
566
00:31:51,000 --> 00:31:53,440
show.
So I can only imagine it being
567
00:31:53,880 --> 00:31:57,240
even more so with convicted
felons, right?
568
00:31:57,480 --> 00:32:01,960
Because then again, again, in
that, in that, that geography
569
00:32:01,960 --> 00:32:04,560
for that, that halfway house,
it's everybody, right?
570
00:32:04,560 --> 00:32:07,160
It's not just it's there's no
you're.
571
00:32:07,280 --> 00:32:09,480
Not going to have a excuse me?
Somebody that's.
572
00:32:09,800 --> 00:32:11,400
In prison for life is not going
to.
573
00:32:11,400 --> 00:32:15,040
Sure, yeah, but you?
Have all sorts of people.
574
00:32:15,560 --> 00:32:16,560
It's also.
Going to have you.
575
00:32:16,800 --> 00:32:20,120
Know it's obviously all men,
there's no women, but there's
576
00:32:20,160 --> 00:32:22,480
maybe women that are working
there.
577
00:32:24,000 --> 00:32:25,720
You just shouldn't have the
violent offenders and stuff
578
00:32:25,720 --> 00:32:26,680
because it does.
Absolutely.
579
00:32:26,680 --> 00:32:28,200
No question.
Yeah, yeah, yes.
580
00:32:28,200 --> 00:32:32,560
When I was at the halfway house,
there was a guy that went out to
581
00:32:32,560 --> 00:32:36,160
work and he when he came back,
he tried to sneak in a cell
582
00:32:36,160 --> 00:32:39,200
phone.
So what happened was the US
583
00:32:39,200 --> 00:32:42,440
Marshals ended up coming and
still searching everybody.
584
00:32:42,440 --> 00:32:43,160
Oh.
No.
585
00:32:43,800 --> 00:32:48,680
The The Halfway House is still
under the auspice of the US
586
00:32:48,680 --> 00:32:50,920
Marshals the US.
Marshals, I didn't know that.
587
00:32:51,880 --> 00:32:53,520
Because he's a federal prisoner
still.
588
00:32:53,840 --> 00:32:55,560
Right.
OK, OK.
589
00:32:55,560 --> 00:32:56,800
So how many people are in this
house?
590
00:32:57,440 --> 00:32:58,480
Sorry.
Wow.
591
00:32:58,480 --> 00:33:02,880
I would say about 20 Wow and.
Like a four bedroom house,
592
00:33:02,880 --> 00:33:10,040
right?
There are two dormitory style
593
00:33:11,680 --> 00:33:14,920
rooms and when I say dormitory,
bump beds.
594
00:33:15,800 --> 00:33:18,120
OK, gotcha.
Yeah, sure.
595
00:33:18,840 --> 00:33:20,080
Yeah, that was my experience
with it.
596
00:33:20,080 --> 00:33:23,880
There was, it was 4 bedrooms.
You had 16 to 18 people in that
597
00:33:24,000 --> 00:33:25,920
four bedroom house.
Same thing.
598
00:33:25,920 --> 00:33:29,800
I don't, you know, doubled up
and, you know, everybody gets a
599
00:33:29,800 --> 00:33:31,640
little square in the fridge.
You know, I.
600
00:33:32,520 --> 00:33:37,840
Don't remember any fridge but
I'm sure the drag I just don't.
601
00:33:37,840 --> 00:33:39,760
Not one of the priorities for
me.
602
00:33:40,480 --> 00:33:43,440
So was it?
Was it worse being in prison or
603
00:33:43,440 --> 00:33:45,040
worse being in the halfway
house?
604
00:33:46,800 --> 00:33:49,720
That's a good question.
I was halfway house was.
605
00:33:49,960 --> 00:33:51,240
That's right.
That's what I was thinking.
606
00:33:51,240 --> 00:33:53,360
Because at least in prison,
you're behind you.
607
00:33:53,640 --> 00:33:55,760
The door, the door closes behind
you at night.
608
00:33:55,760 --> 00:33:57,840
Now, when you're in prison, were
you were you in a cell by
609
00:33:57,840 --> 00:34:02,320
yourself or did you share?
I was in.
610
00:34:02,960 --> 00:34:05,320
I did a lot of time in solitary
confinement.
611
00:34:05,880 --> 00:34:07,840
Which is horrible.
Right.
612
00:34:11,159 --> 00:34:13,080
But when you're in Jim Paul.
Protected.
613
00:34:13,880 --> 00:34:15,320
Yeah, that's true.
I knew that was.
614
00:34:15,360 --> 00:34:17,080
True.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I knew.
615
00:34:17,280 --> 00:34:19,520
That.
You wouldn't get raped, you
616
00:34:19,520 --> 00:34:21,880
wouldn't get pissed on, shit
thrown at you so.
617
00:34:21,880 --> 00:34:25,120
That's where I started doing my
studies, reading my box,
618
00:34:25,679 --> 00:34:30,800
exercising, praying, and that's
really where I develop honed my
619
00:34:30,800 --> 00:34:35,120
skills that I have that really
good discipline today because I,
620
00:34:35,120 --> 00:34:38,639
I have a lot of friends that
have issues that they, they
621
00:34:38,639 --> 00:34:41,679
can't get their mind around.
Well, that's why I said that
622
00:34:41,679 --> 00:34:45,880
could break a person.
I think it's so admirable that
623
00:34:45,880 --> 00:34:49,080
now that we're getting to that
part of your story, you use that
624
00:34:49,080 --> 00:34:53,120
time to strengthen your mind,
which is I think if I could, I
625
00:34:53,120 --> 00:34:57,680
would try to do that myself.
As well, so the guards knew what
626
00:34:57,680 --> 00:35:00,360
I was doing and then one of the
facilities actually confiscated
627
00:35:00,360 --> 00:35:02,480
my journal entries.
Oh fuck.
628
00:35:03,720 --> 00:35:05,600
Jeez, so now they're working
against you.
629
00:35:06,280 --> 00:35:08,320
Right.
And this was the same facility
630
00:35:08,320 --> 00:35:10,320
that I was assaulted by a sex
offender.
631
00:35:10,520 --> 00:35:16,400
So while I was at the halfway
house, I was a victim in that
632
00:35:16,400 --> 00:35:19,840
case against that individual.
And let me tell you, when you're
633
00:35:19,960 --> 00:35:27,880
a victim in a in a jail, you are
treated so much differently than
634
00:35:27,880 --> 00:35:30,600
a victim is treated on the
outside, especially a woman.
635
00:35:32,040 --> 00:35:34,280
Oh yeah, sure.
Oh yeah.
636
00:35:35,680 --> 00:35:39,560
I could see that.
Yeah, yeah, because why are they
637
00:35:39,560 --> 00:35:41,680
going to, they're automatically
going to think that you're,
638
00:35:41,840 --> 00:35:44,440
you're exaggerating what
actually happened because you're
639
00:35:44,440 --> 00:35:47,640
a convict.
So your your credibility because
640
00:35:47,640 --> 00:35:50,000
of that unfortunately is
regardless if you're telling
641
00:35:50,000 --> 00:35:53,240
truth or not is out the window,
then it's all about evidence.
642
00:35:53,240 --> 00:35:55,200
And and with what you went
through, there's probably a lot
643
00:35:55,200 --> 00:35:58,400
of circumstantial evidence.
A lot of he said, she said, you
644
00:35:58,400 --> 00:36:02,480
know, for lack of better term
there like your word against his
645
00:36:02,480 --> 00:36:04,240
word.
And because the prison kind of
646
00:36:04,240 --> 00:36:08,320
just blew it off, right.
So I'm assuming you didn't go to
647
00:36:08,640 --> 00:36:12,320
medical after the fact and get,
you know, rape kit, all that
648
00:36:12,320 --> 00:36:14,680
kind of jazz because everybody
says, ah, shut up, Matt, you're
649
00:36:14,680 --> 00:36:20,640
fine.
I did, and I think that's why
650
00:36:21,400 --> 00:36:25,080
they pursued the case.
Oh, OK, OK.
651
00:36:25,480 --> 00:36:27,600
Otherwise they may not have done
anything.
652
00:36:28,280 --> 00:36:29,960
Oh, OK.
So at least you had that.
653
00:36:29,960 --> 00:36:31,840
But then they still kind of were
just like, yeah, whatever.
654
00:36:31,960 --> 00:36:33,280
And now what was the outcome of
that?
655
00:36:33,280 --> 00:36:37,440
Or is it still going on?
His, well, he was a sex
656
00:36:37,440 --> 00:36:39,120
offender.
He was in there for like 20
657
00:36:39,120 --> 00:36:42,520
years and he got a concurrent
sentence, which means it runs
658
00:36:42,800 --> 00:36:47,880
the same time that he's it
doesn't, it doesn't do it.
659
00:36:47,880 --> 00:36:52,280
It's not justice, you know.
Oh, so he so you won, but he
660
00:36:52,280 --> 00:36:55,280
just got additional time?
Well, they he got a plea ball
661
00:36:55,280 --> 00:36:57,480
again.
I mean, I don't know if that's a
662
00:36:57,480 --> 00:36:59,160
win.
Well, I know, I know.
663
00:36:59,240 --> 00:37:03,680
Conviction on his record.
Yeah, yeah.
664
00:37:03,880 --> 00:37:07,440
See, now to me, I always kind of
hold on to the fact that I think
665
00:37:07,440 --> 00:37:10,800
sex offenders get destroyed in
prison because they're sex
666
00:37:10,800 --> 00:37:12,320
offenders.
That's not necessarily true.
667
00:37:12,680 --> 00:37:14,520
It isn't.
That's a bummer.
668
00:37:15,400 --> 00:37:17,400
On any level.
Believe they should all be
669
00:37:17,400 --> 00:37:19,880
thrown in the Everglades.
Oh, I agree, Mike, and I agree.
670
00:37:19,880 --> 00:37:21,760
That's let me ask.
You this though, Matt, on any
671
00:37:21,760 --> 00:37:26,520
level like child molesters.
What was your experience with
672
00:37:26,520 --> 00:37:29,800
them?
Oh, I wanted nothing to do with
673
00:37:29,800 --> 00:37:31,520
them, no.
I mean, how were they treated?
674
00:37:32,120 --> 00:37:33,880
I know you were.
Treated.
675
00:37:34,000 --> 00:37:39,280
Some were not treated well, but
when I was in Danbury I was in a
676
00:37:39,280 --> 00:37:43,040
unit full of sex offenders.
Don told us the same thing and
677
00:37:43,040 --> 00:37:44,680
Chris and I about fell out of
our chairs.
678
00:37:44,680 --> 00:37:47,280
Yeah, yeah.
We have this illusion that sex
679
00:37:47,280 --> 00:37:50,160
offenders are being treated
harshly in prison, and now
680
00:37:50,160 --> 00:37:52,520
you're the second person to tell
us that is not the case.
681
00:37:52,800 --> 00:37:53,800
That's.
Absolutely.
682
00:37:53,800 --> 00:37:59,640
It's not the case at all, and I
would venture to say that most
683
00:37:59,640 --> 00:38:05,240
sex offenders are not treated
the way they should be.
684
00:38:05,240 --> 00:38:07,720
Treated.
I'm so disappointed to hear
685
00:38:07,720 --> 00:38:08,520
that.
I am too, man.
686
00:38:08,520 --> 00:38:10,120
What's wrong with our penal
system, damn it?
687
00:38:10,120 --> 00:38:11,960
Everybody's got a sister or a
mother.
688
00:38:11,960 --> 00:38:13,400
Everybody's for surely got a
mother.
689
00:38:13,640 --> 00:38:15,480
You know what?
If that was your mother,
690
00:38:15,480 --> 00:38:18,200
somebody did that too.
I would hope I just had this
691
00:38:18,200 --> 00:38:19,640
vision.
I don't know.
692
00:38:19,880 --> 00:38:21,560
Like Chris said, we.
Just I did too.
693
00:38:22,560 --> 00:38:23,960
I don't know what what you want
to call it.
694
00:38:25,200 --> 00:38:27,880
I'm sorry to hear that.
I think they're toddled.
695
00:38:28,160 --> 00:38:31,880
I think the guards toddle them.
That's just.
696
00:38:32,280 --> 00:38:34,560
And then they treated you like
you've been explaining to us.
697
00:38:34,560 --> 00:38:41,960
It just, you were basically a
paper on paper criminal, right?
698
00:38:42,040 --> 00:38:44,440
Nobody got hurt.
Nobody ever got hurt.
699
00:38:46,360 --> 00:38:50,040
In fact, I broke so many rules.
It's not funny when I say that.
700
00:38:50,160 --> 00:38:52,240
So many barriers.
This again.
701
00:38:52,240 --> 00:38:56,000
Like I said, my attorney had
never seen the government go
702
00:38:56,000 --> 00:39:00,640
after somebody so harshly that
didn't have a single victim
703
00:39:00,640 --> 00:39:02,640
loss.
Well, that's why I think it's
704
00:39:02,640 --> 00:39:06,400
important to say again that
nobody got hurt.
705
00:39:06,400 --> 00:39:08,720
You know, there's people that
are listening to this, that
706
00:39:08,720 --> 00:39:11,600
we've made it far enough in
they're going, he's a criminal.
707
00:39:11,760 --> 00:39:14,280
He stole a car, he stole some
identities.
708
00:39:14,640 --> 00:39:17,520
Think about how we've carried
this conversation.
709
00:39:17,640 --> 00:39:22,160
We are talking about people who
have raped children, mothers,
710
00:39:22,240 --> 00:39:26,800
sisters, aunts, uncles, all
walks of life.
711
00:39:26,800 --> 00:39:30,360
The people that you care about
are in prison with Matt.
712
00:39:30,520 --> 00:39:32,760
He's being treated like a piece
of shit and they're being
713
00:39:32,760 --> 00:39:34,080
coddled.
That makes me angry.
714
00:39:34,080 --> 00:39:36,560
I'll just quickly reference, I
don't know if you know who
715
00:39:36,560 --> 00:39:38,800
Warren Jeffs is.
Yes, 100%.
716
00:39:39,120 --> 00:39:43,280
Yeah, do you know that?
Still people today, after he's
717
00:39:43,280 --> 00:39:46,040
been convicted of everything
that he's been convicted of that
718
00:39:46,040 --> 00:39:49,760
still believe he's for profit
and are still coming in his jail
719
00:39:49,760 --> 00:39:53,880
cell, still coming to see him.
I sick ideology.
720
00:39:54,840 --> 00:39:56,640
Ideology is the word.
Right.
721
00:39:57,240 --> 00:39:59,480
Yes.
And for people who don't know,
722
00:39:59,480 --> 00:40:01,280
Warren Jeffs was the leader of
the.
723
00:40:01,560 --> 00:40:02,840
Coddled.
He's in a single.
724
00:40:02,840 --> 00:40:04,920
Cell but.
Yet he's getting visited.
725
00:40:05,600 --> 00:40:10,600
I wasn't allowed any visitors.
That's insane man.
726
00:40:11,600 --> 00:40:14,440
It is, it's not.
I'm blown away at the whole
727
00:40:14,440 --> 00:40:21,160
story.
Just just insanity.
728
00:40:23,960 --> 00:40:26,960
So you get through the 18
months, the first stent, right?
729
00:40:27,000 --> 00:40:31,080
You you get to the halfway
house. 2004 So now we're at
730
00:40:31,080 --> 00:40:32,720
what, 2007?
No.
731
00:40:33,120 --> 00:40:34,920
We're we've already done the
second stint.
732
00:40:35,120 --> 00:40:38,600
It's now this is 18 and I'm out.
OK, OK So what?
733
00:40:38,800 --> 00:40:40,960
So I must have missed that.
So when you got out of the 1st
734
00:40:40,960 --> 00:40:43,760
18 months that was 2006 ish
right?
735
00:40:43,880 --> 00:40:46,160
By the time that was 2005.
OK.
736
00:40:46,600 --> 00:40:48,920
So how did you get, how did you
end up going back?
737
00:40:48,920 --> 00:40:51,240
Was that the aggravated identity
theft stuff?
738
00:40:51,360 --> 00:40:53,400
I couldn't pass a background
check, so I was using.
739
00:40:53,440 --> 00:40:55,880
Other people.
And that wasn't until 2009,
740
00:40:55,920 --> 00:40:58,760
right, You said.
OK, so and the reason you.
741
00:40:58,760 --> 00:41:02,520
Actually stop.
Like I had done that in 2009 and
742
00:41:02,520 --> 00:41:06,080
then I stopped doing it.
OK, and they behave you for.
743
00:41:06,360 --> 00:41:10,240
Me that was OK that was a six
year thing gotcha gotcha that
744
00:41:10,240 --> 00:41:13,520
was a six year thing OK, I'm I'm
I'm you you've given us so much
745
00:41:13,520 --> 00:41:15,800
information in my head I was
like wait a minute I.
746
00:41:15,840 --> 00:41:17,840
Got lost for a second too so I'm
glad you did that.
747
00:41:17,920 --> 00:41:23,720
Much information that a lot of
people get confused and I don't
748
00:41:23,720 --> 00:41:25,440
mean to do that.
No, you're fine.
749
00:41:25,480 --> 00:41:27,880
We're with you now.
Yeah, yeah.
750
00:41:27,880 --> 00:41:33,120
So in two. 1018 you're out.
What how has how has your life
751
00:41:33,120 --> 00:41:36,560
been since then?
Like re acclimating yourself to
752
00:41:36,560 --> 00:41:38,600
society?
How did you do that?
753
00:41:39,800 --> 00:41:42,040
I've done that myself, so I'm
curious of your story.
754
00:41:43,400 --> 00:41:49,040
Typically that the shortest
probation supervision sentence
755
00:41:49,040 --> 00:41:52,560
is 3 years.
OK, that's the shortest amount
756
00:41:52,560 --> 00:41:56,680
of time I had asked after a year
and a half to be released.
757
00:41:57,680 --> 00:42:03,320
The Shelver News put a story in
the paper that I was asking to
758
00:42:03,320 --> 00:42:08,760
be released early, and every
single time that's a defendant
759
00:42:08,760 --> 00:42:12,080
asked to be released from
supervision, it's always turned
760
00:42:12,080 --> 00:42:14,280
down the first time.
Always.
761
00:42:14,280 --> 00:42:18,200
Why is that just just?
Time I was granted it.
762
00:42:18,880 --> 00:42:22,760
OK.
But as usual, Michael Dratcher
763
00:42:22,760 --> 00:42:26,040
is fighting vehemently against
it, just like always.
764
00:42:26,040 --> 00:42:29,280
I mean, if that's what the US
attorney does, they don't want
765
00:42:29,280 --> 00:42:32,520
anybody to be released off of
supervision.
766
00:42:32,520 --> 00:42:36,720
They make money.
It's a money making scam.
767
00:42:39,240 --> 00:42:44,080
And you have to understand that
the difference between federal
768
00:42:44,440 --> 00:42:50,280
and state is you sign a
document, you we have to write
769
00:42:50,280 --> 00:42:52,920
out what we did every single
week.
770
00:42:52,920 --> 00:42:58,040
We have to get passes.
And at the bottom of that is you
771
00:42:58,040 --> 00:43:00,760
are signing and agreeing that
this is accurate.
772
00:43:00,760 --> 00:43:03,760
And if it's not, they can charge
you with perjury.
773
00:43:04,200 --> 00:43:09,800
So that's the huge difference
with federal versus state.
774
00:43:09,960 --> 00:43:14,960
State does a lot more of leeway.
And in the federal system,
775
00:43:16,040 --> 00:43:19,840
everything that you do is being
trapped.
776
00:43:20,480 --> 00:43:24,400
There's a lot of things that you
have to sign, you have to agree
777
00:43:24,400 --> 00:43:27,400
to.
And if you lie about the
778
00:43:27,400 --> 00:43:31,960
smallest thing, they can charge
you with perjury.
779
00:43:34,000 --> 00:43:37,680
And you're going to be, I'm
going to be a fine target.
780
00:43:37,680 --> 00:43:40,320
Like this is what they these
guys live for.
781
00:43:40,560 --> 00:43:47,600
They live for convictions.
And you're a two time felon,
782
00:43:47,600 --> 00:43:49,960
right?
I well, I'm have more
783
00:43:49,960 --> 00:43:53,160
convictions than that, yes.
OK, so how many convictions do
784
00:43:53,160 --> 00:43:57,120
you have?
Now.
785
00:43:57,680 --> 00:44:01,880
Yeah.
That haven't been expunged or
786
00:44:01,880 --> 00:44:04,000
sealed.
Well, just in general, in your
787
00:44:04,000 --> 00:44:05,680
in your lifetime, how many
convictions?
788
00:44:08,400 --> 00:44:11,400
A lot.
An awful lot.
789
00:44:11,600 --> 00:44:15,720
More than 10.
Well, you have to ask the
790
00:44:15,720 --> 00:44:20,960
question because most all of my
state crimes have been either
791
00:44:20,960 --> 00:44:24,520
sealed or expunged.
Oh, OK, so under under eight,
792
00:44:25,280 --> 00:44:26,720
were they?
Well, that's.
793
00:44:26,920 --> 00:44:31,840
Just in the last year, I've
worked my tail off with working
794
00:44:31,840 --> 00:44:36,400
with the current state's
attorney and getting my.
795
00:44:37,440 --> 00:44:39,280
Record cleaned up.
Records sealed.
796
00:44:39,280 --> 00:44:43,320
Now there's a difference between
sealed and expunge.
797
00:44:43,320 --> 00:44:49,240
Expunge means it's gone, All the
courts can see is the docket
798
00:44:49,240 --> 00:44:54,640
number.
Stealed means only the courts
799
00:44:54,800 --> 00:44:58,040
and law enforcement can see the
convictions.
800
00:44:58,440 --> 00:45:01,720
OK.
Oh, OK, so, but so an employer
801
00:45:01,720 --> 00:45:05,640
going to get hired with somebody
background checks your your, the
802
00:45:05,640 --> 00:45:08,440
reason you're doing that is so
you can get back to life and get
803
00:45:08,440 --> 00:45:10,880
a job and be a productive member
of society.
804
00:45:11,680 --> 00:45:14,040
That's the state side, the
federal side.
805
00:45:14,040 --> 00:45:22,400
There is no remediation.
In other words, you cannot get
806
00:45:22,800 --> 00:45:29,040
any charges removed with the
exception of a presidential
807
00:45:29,040 --> 00:45:33,000
pardon, which I've been trying
to get for 15 years.
808
00:45:33,680 --> 00:45:36,200
So once you have a federal
conviction, that's it, you're
809
00:45:36,200 --> 00:45:37,880
done.
It's on your record forever,
810
00:45:38,320 --> 00:45:39,320
correct.
That's.
811
00:45:39,360 --> 00:45:44,080
OK, so, so we, we, we, we
started this, this episode of
812
00:45:44,080 --> 00:45:49,160
the Chris and Mike Show.
There was no underlying drug
813
00:45:49,160 --> 00:45:51,080
use.
There was no underlying.
814
00:45:51,080 --> 00:45:52,920
You never had.
A drug addiction right, right,
815
00:45:53,080 --> 00:45:54,000
right.
That's why I'm bringing that's
816
00:45:54,000 --> 00:45:56,320
why I'm bringing it up, man.
There's no drug use.
817
00:45:56,320 --> 00:46:00,520
There is no alcoholism.
You just did this shit for the
818
00:46:00,520 --> 00:46:03,400
thrill.
You you got, you got high off
819
00:46:03,400 --> 00:46:06,960
the ACT like.
I have some good friends that
820
00:46:06,960 --> 00:46:11,200
have told me that have had
affairs, that have had a rush
821
00:46:11,200 --> 00:46:13,160
doing that.
Yeah, I can.
822
00:46:13,800 --> 00:46:16,280
I can, you know, I can empathize
with them.
823
00:46:16,280 --> 00:46:20,240
I'm like, yeah, I got a rush
driving 130 drivers.
824
00:46:20,640 --> 00:46:23,320
It's there's a rush.
Well, yeah, because you're
825
00:46:23,320 --> 00:46:26,840
breaking the law and.
And it's that is it the rush?
826
00:46:26,840 --> 00:46:31,400
Is it the rush of is it OK, I
don't have to ask this question?
827
00:46:31,400 --> 00:46:34,920
Is it is it is it is the rush
from the ACT itself or is it the
828
00:46:34,920 --> 00:46:37,960
rush from the fact that, you
know, you can possibly get
829
00:46:37,960 --> 00:46:42,520
caught and get just, you know,
screwed over from a, from a
830
00:46:42,520 --> 00:46:45,000
legal standpoint, like, like you
steal a car, right?
831
00:46:45,000 --> 00:46:48,080
You don't let's go to the 130
miles an hour thing, right?
832
00:46:48,080 --> 00:46:50,960
You're doing 130 miles an hour.
Mike's got 120 miles an hour in
833
00:46:50,960 --> 00:46:54,600
his car.
I'm sure I've I've, I've, I've
834
00:46:54,600 --> 00:46:57,080
hit, I've hit that.
I don't think I've ever hit 130
835
00:46:57,080 --> 00:46:59,720
but I've my wife's SUV.
Every now and then I look down
836
00:46:59,720 --> 00:47:02,800
like holy shit I'm doing 100 but
you can't tell.
837
00:47:04,360 --> 00:47:06,000
I love.
But I don't, I didn't purposely
838
00:47:06,000 --> 00:47:07,360
go out.
I'm going to do 100 miles an
839
00:47:07,360 --> 00:47:09,200
hour.
So did you purposely go out like
840
00:47:09,200 --> 00:47:12,000
I'm going to get this thing to
130 just for as long as I can?
841
00:47:12,040 --> 00:47:14,240
Yeah, It was that thought.
Was that the rush?
842
00:47:14,240 --> 00:47:16,000
Wanted to see how fast that
could go.
843
00:47:17,440 --> 00:47:20,840
OK, so that that was the rush to
100 and. 30 miles an hour.
844
00:47:21,360 --> 00:47:23,520
Oh yeah.
Kudos to Dodge.
845
00:47:23,680 --> 00:47:28,520
That's that's fantastic.
So it's so it's the the ACT
846
00:47:28,520 --> 00:47:32,480
itself is the adrenaline rush
and the high that you get doing
847
00:47:32,480 --> 00:47:34,560
performing that act of whatever
it is.
848
00:47:34,600 --> 00:47:35,320
Yeah, OK.
So.
849
00:47:37,720 --> 00:47:41,080
I listen to a lot of drug
addicts when I was in prison
850
00:47:41,440 --> 00:47:42,800
and.
Obviously all.
851
00:47:42,800 --> 00:47:47,480
Have the same they all say.
They all say the same thing.
852
00:47:47,920 --> 00:47:50,080
I just need one more fix.
I just need.
853
00:47:50,360 --> 00:47:53,000
I just want to do a one more
talk and that's the way I was
854
00:47:53,040 --> 00:47:55,680
like I just want to go 131 more
time and then I'll stop.
855
00:47:56,000 --> 00:47:58,760
I just want to steal one more
car then I'll stop.
856
00:47:58,960 --> 00:48:01,680
I just want to drive off without
paying without just one more
857
00:48:01,680 --> 00:48:03,080
time, then I'll stop.
It's the same.
858
00:48:03,280 --> 00:48:07,120
That's how we do life if.
You want it to feel like it felt
859
00:48:07,120 --> 00:48:10,240
the first time.
That's every drug addicts
860
00:48:10,240 --> 00:48:12,360
mantra.
I always wanted it to feel like
861
00:48:12,360 --> 00:48:16,120
it did the first time.
You're never going to get that
862
00:48:16,120 --> 00:48:18,320
again.
It's just that's the dragon,
863
00:48:18,360 --> 00:48:19,360
right?
You're chasing the dragon.
864
00:48:20,200 --> 00:48:23,200
So I don't experience that
because it's not a drug.
865
00:48:24,800 --> 00:48:28,240
Right, right.
But, but, but I think what
866
00:48:28,240 --> 00:48:32,720
Mike's alluding to is, is like
you said, you did the drug
867
00:48:32,720 --> 00:48:34,840
addicts that you listen to the
drug stories do one more time,
868
00:48:34,840 --> 00:48:36,280
just one more time, just one
more time.
869
00:48:36,360 --> 00:48:39,200
You know, like I knew somebody
that was was it got to the point
870
00:48:39,200 --> 00:48:41,480
in their heroin abuse and meth
abuse.
871
00:48:41,480 --> 00:48:43,480
It wasn't so much the high they
were chasing.
872
00:48:43,480 --> 00:48:46,600
It was the thrill of sticking
the needle in their arm to see
873
00:48:46,600 --> 00:48:48,960
if that was going to kill them
or not, as fucked up as it is.
874
00:48:48,960 --> 00:48:51,080
So it wasn't, there wasn't, they
weren't no longer chasing the
875
00:48:51,080 --> 00:48:53,200
high.
They were chasing the adrenaline
876
00:48:53,200 --> 00:48:55,720
was when the needle pierced.
Because then you don't know what
877
00:48:55,720 --> 00:48:58,600
happens after that.
That was that high act of doing
878
00:48:58,600 --> 00:49:00,600
it, right.
So that's kind of what I was
879
00:49:00,600 --> 00:49:02,040
getting at.
It's the act of doing it that
880
00:49:02,040 --> 00:49:04,920
was getting you that, that
endorphin rush, the dopamine.
881
00:49:04,920 --> 00:49:07,280
Rush whatever you want to call.
Right, right.
882
00:49:07,280 --> 00:49:10,320
It was, it was I can like a
confidence man, like right.
883
00:49:10,320 --> 00:49:13,440
I can go con this guy out of,
you know, a grand or 100 grand.
884
00:49:13,440 --> 00:49:15,440
It doesn't matter.
I'm still conning somebody,
885
00:49:15,880 --> 00:49:18,640
manipulating them, controlling
them to get what my end game is,
886
00:49:18,640 --> 00:49:21,680
which is this.
And for them, it's not the end
887
00:49:21,680 --> 00:49:23,800
game, it's the chase through the
whole.
888
00:49:23,800 --> 00:49:25,680
It's a chase for sure.
Yeah, yeah.
889
00:49:25,760 --> 00:49:28,640
It's like the guys I've told you
about that have the affair.
890
00:49:28,640 --> 00:49:30,360
There's a rush, you know?
Yeah.
891
00:49:30,760 --> 00:49:33,000
Else doesn't know I'm cheating.
Can I get away with it?
892
00:49:33,280 --> 00:49:35,880
You know, I'm just going to tell
one lie and you know, I'll.
893
00:49:35,880 --> 00:49:37,720
I'll get away with it.
She won't know where I'm going.
894
00:49:38,080 --> 00:49:41,720
And a large majority of those
people, which is crazy, but a
895
00:49:41,720 --> 00:49:44,880
large majority of them would
tell you after it's over they
896
00:49:44,880 --> 00:49:47,640
feel horrible, right?
Yeah, yeah, because in the
897
00:49:47,640 --> 00:49:50,280
conscious, it's kind of like
shoplifting, right?
898
00:49:50,280 --> 00:49:53,160
You shoplift, just see if you
can stick it to the man, right?
899
00:49:53,160 --> 00:49:55,640
Can I get away with it?
And then you kind of just.
900
00:49:56,440 --> 00:50:00,160
But they chase that dopamine
high, right, versus the negative
901
00:50:00,160 --> 00:50:02,920
feelings they have afterwards.
The dopamine is far more
902
00:50:02,920 --> 00:50:06,240
rewarding than the negative
feelings are afterwards, right?
903
00:50:06,880 --> 00:50:11,160
Yeah, I think any addict in your
situation, Matt, I think we were
904
00:50:11,160 --> 00:50:15,200
all in the same boat in that,
you know, we fell on the wrong
905
00:50:15,200 --> 00:50:17,360
side of that adrenaline rush.
Just talking.
906
00:50:17,800 --> 00:50:18,680
Be right back.
Oh, OK.
907
00:50:18,680 --> 00:50:21,440
Absolutely.
I mean, if I hadn't ever done
908
00:50:21,440 --> 00:50:25,680
this, I hadn't ever gotten that
rush, there would be no need to
909
00:50:25,800 --> 00:50:27,400
steal the car.
Right.
910
00:50:28,120 --> 00:50:30,520
And you said it in the beginning
of the show, Chris.
911
00:50:30,520 --> 00:50:33,840
And I got up on that stage
because it was an adrenaline
912
00:50:33,840 --> 00:50:35,920
rush.
Because if you think about it,
913
00:50:36,120 --> 00:50:40,720
what gave I used to think about
this consciously, What gave me
914
00:50:40,720 --> 00:50:42,680
the right to even be up there,
right?
915
00:50:42,680 --> 00:50:45,280
Why am I any better than the
people who are standing in the
916
00:50:45,280 --> 00:50:48,760
crowd?
My mind works really weird.
917
00:50:48,760 --> 00:50:52,440
So I think things all the way
through to the down to the bone,
918
00:50:52,440 --> 00:50:54,080
right?
How does this work?
919
00:50:54,400 --> 00:50:57,600
So I would consciously, I would
feel like I shouldn't be up
920
00:50:57,600 --> 00:51:00,600
there, but then I would be
reminded that I had a talent
921
00:51:00,600 --> 00:51:03,440
that very few people had, and
these people came to see me play
922
00:51:03,440 --> 00:51:05,480
and snap out of it and do it
right.
923
00:51:05,480 --> 00:51:08,120
That was my adrenaline rush.
I like the volume.
924
00:51:08,440 --> 00:51:11,400
I like being up there with my
brothers and doing something
925
00:51:11,400 --> 00:51:13,680
that very few people can do.
Right.
926
00:51:14,560 --> 00:51:17,760
So I'm glad that my adrenaline
rush was a positive experience
927
00:51:17,760 --> 00:51:21,080
until I became a drug addict.
So that was a negative side, of
928
00:51:21,080 --> 00:51:24,920
course, and that I fell into the
same boat that you did.
929
00:51:25,000 --> 00:51:27,680
And I could have just as easily
gone down that road.
930
00:51:27,760 --> 00:51:30,840
You know, I can think of an
evening in particular.
931
00:51:30,840 --> 00:51:33,240
IA 100% would have ended up in
prison.
932
00:51:33,840 --> 00:51:37,080
It was just whatever the the
universal line that night.
933
00:51:37,560 --> 00:51:40,240
And I got to get away with
something that I shouldn't have.
934
00:51:40,240 --> 00:51:44,080
But I had resigned myself to the
fact I was going to end up going
935
00:51:44,080 --> 00:51:46,720
down the same Rd. you did right
in that moment in time.
936
00:51:46,720 --> 00:51:50,240
I said this is it, you know, my
train just stopped.
937
00:51:50,480 --> 00:51:55,400
The party came to an end.
Whatever, you know, my mother
938
00:51:55,400 --> 00:51:57,160
would tell you it's divine
intervention.
939
00:51:57,160 --> 00:51:59,280
I would just tell you that the
stars aligned.
940
00:52:00,240 --> 00:52:02,040
Whatever.
You know, they didn't find the
941
00:52:02,040 --> 00:52:03,920
drugs.
They didn't notice that I had
942
00:52:03,920 --> 00:52:07,640
been up for seven days and I
drove away.
943
00:52:10,440 --> 00:52:12,800
That's why I feel for you.
I could have just as easily
944
00:52:12,800 --> 00:52:16,240
ended up in that position.
So I'm glad that he's finding
945
00:52:16,240 --> 00:52:18,480
people who have been down this
road.
946
00:52:19,040 --> 00:52:21,680
It's near and dear to my heart.
I could have just as easily been
947
00:52:21,680 --> 00:52:23,560
there.
I just want you to know that you
948
00:52:23,560 --> 00:52:25,640
know I'm no better than you.
You're no better than me.
949
00:52:25,640 --> 00:52:27,960
Chris is no better than.
We're all human beings.
950
00:52:28,040 --> 00:52:32,480
You know, Everybody deserves a
chance to right the ship and do
951
00:52:32,480 --> 00:52:34,480
things the right way.
And I'm so glad that Chris
952
00:52:34,480 --> 00:52:37,960
brought it up again.
You didn't hurt anybody.
953
00:52:38,120 --> 00:52:43,680
Nobody was affected in any way.
Nobody showed up and said Matt
954
00:52:43,680 --> 00:52:45,960
ruined my life and I will never
be the same.
955
00:52:46,280 --> 00:52:50,120
Not once.
You stole a car and you stole
956
00:52:50,120 --> 00:52:52,800
some people's identity, but they
never got hurt because you did
957
00:52:52,800 --> 00:52:54,800
the work.
Correct?
958
00:52:54,800 --> 00:52:56,360
You weren't stealing money from
them.
959
00:52:56,480 --> 00:52:58,600
It's not like you're a pilfering
their Social Security.
960
00:52:59,280 --> 00:53:01,720
Right.
That's important for these
961
00:53:01,720 --> 00:53:04,760
people that are listening to
this show to know when they go
962
00:53:04,760 --> 00:53:07,240
back and listen to it again
because that's what I would do
963
00:53:07,240 --> 00:53:09,920
if I got to this point and I had
a different opinion.
964
00:53:12,520 --> 00:53:16,040
I feel for you dude.
I'm I'm so glad you came on here
965
00:53:16,040 --> 00:53:19,480
to tell your story.
Where?
966
00:53:21,080 --> 00:53:22,640
Where is your life at this
point?
967
00:53:25,520 --> 00:53:29,200
Well, I'm trying to my story, so
nobody has to go through what I
968
00:53:29,200 --> 00:53:31,120
went through, I wrote.
My You wrote a book.
969
00:53:31,200 --> 00:53:32,480
It was.
Cathartic.
970
00:53:33,000 --> 00:53:37,920
And I wanted to share that this
the kind of situation just
971
00:53:37,920 --> 00:53:41,040
doesn't occur in Chicago.
It happened in a small town in
972
00:53:41,240 --> 00:53:43,680
Vermont.
You know, I haven't even spoken
973
00:53:43,680 --> 00:53:46,160
about Aaron Noble, who is the
former chief of police of
974
00:53:46,160 --> 00:53:51,120
Shelburne, who I also believe
was a key instrument and why I
975
00:53:51,120 --> 00:53:54,680
was persecuted so heavily.
That individual received a
976
00:53:54,680 --> 00:53:59,320
$200,000 payout in 2022 to just
go away.
977
00:54:00,200 --> 00:54:02,000
So yeah, you wrote a book about
this, right?
978
00:54:03,240 --> 00:54:05,960
I wrote a book called Bully
Behind Bars, A gay Christian
979
00:54:05,960 --> 00:54:09,240
Trump supporter goes to prison,
and I outline all of it.
980
00:54:09,400 --> 00:54:12,720
OK, yeah, but so when I say
title, by the way, right when
981
00:54:12,720 --> 00:54:16,120
we.
That I know in my life that
982
00:54:16,200 --> 00:54:23,200
would identify people in high
level zits like I do, OK.
983
00:54:23,280 --> 00:54:26,040
So let's, so we want to, we want
to, we want to pitch your book.
984
00:54:26,040 --> 00:54:28,080
I don't want you to give the
book away because we don't, we
985
00:54:28,080 --> 00:54:29,520
want people to go buy the book
and read it.
986
00:54:29,520 --> 00:54:32,160
So your book is basically a
summary of everything you've
987
00:54:32,160 --> 00:54:33,760
shared with us for this last
hour.
988
00:54:34,720 --> 00:54:36,120
Well, it starts with my
childhood.
989
00:54:36,120 --> 00:54:40,440
I mean, we haven't OK my
childhood, but sure it it was.
990
00:54:40,680 --> 00:54:42,520
I was bullied throughout most of
my.
991
00:54:42,960 --> 00:54:44,840
Right, Don't give it away.
Don't don't give away all the
992
00:54:44,840 --> 00:54:48,600
stuff because we want people to
buy your stuff When people, when
993
00:54:48,680 --> 00:54:51,960
that's the thing like love that
you wrote a book, but I don't I
994
00:54:51,960 --> 00:54:54,640
want people to buy your book.
So he's, he's so right.
995
00:54:54,640 --> 00:54:59,000
When we do this real quick, when
people are selling a book, you
996
00:54:59,000 --> 00:55:02,240
don't want to give too much away
because obviously we want people
997
00:55:02,240 --> 00:55:05,320
to go buy your book.
On the flip side, when people
998
00:55:05,320 --> 00:55:08,840
are promoting music, we want
them to play the shit out of it,
999
00:55:08,840 --> 00:55:11,800
right?
Because people gravitate towards
1000
00:55:11,800 --> 00:55:14,800
music they've heard.
They won't buy your book if you
1001
00:55:14,800 --> 00:55:16,720
tell them the whole story.
He's 100% right.
1002
00:55:16,960 --> 00:55:18,200
Right.
That's why I wasn't cutting off
1003
00:55:18,200 --> 00:55:20,240
to be a jerk.
I just, I want people to go buy
1004
00:55:20,240 --> 00:55:23,000
your book.
So where can we find the book?
1005
00:55:23,320 --> 00:55:25,760
It's on Amazon, it's so
published.
1006
00:55:26,280 --> 00:55:28,200
Which?
Is a lot harder than.
1007
00:55:28,200 --> 00:55:30,280
It is agreed.
You both think.
1008
00:55:30,440 --> 00:55:31,760
And what's the book called
again?
1009
00:55:32,320 --> 00:55:34,280
Bully behind bars a gay
Christian.
1010
00:55:34,280 --> 00:55:37,880
Trump's hold on, hold on.
Bully behind bar There it is.
1011
00:55:37,880 --> 00:55:39,640
Second one.
It's awesome.
1012
00:55:40,040 --> 00:55:42,360
OK, hold on.
Well, there's oh, there it is.
1013
00:55:42,360 --> 00:55:46,880
OK, all right, hold on.
I'm going to share this because
1014
00:55:46,880 --> 00:55:51,640
this is what we do.
It's, it's, you know, it's
1015
00:55:51,640 --> 00:55:53,280
funny.
When I typed it in, all kinds of
1016
00:55:53,280 --> 00:55:55,480
Trump, Trump supporting stuff
popped up.
1017
00:55:55,480 --> 00:55:57,480
So there it is.
Boys and girls bullied behind
1018
00:55:57,480 --> 00:55:58,840
bars.
A gay Christian Trump supporter
1019
00:55:58,840 --> 00:56:01,600
goes to prison.
Release paperback February 13th,
1020
00:56:01,600 --> 00:56:04,320
2022 Matthew Melvin.
This is Matthew Melvin.
1021
00:56:04,880 --> 00:56:07,200
There's a little synopsis, which
if you have been paying
1022
00:56:07,200 --> 00:56:10,920
attention to the show the whole
time, that's, that's, you know,
1023
00:56:11,200 --> 00:56:15,720
good synopsis there.
Well, here's the back cover,
1024
00:56:15,720 --> 00:56:17,600
which is always fun.
There's Matt.
1025
00:56:17,600 --> 00:56:20,400
Hi, Matt.
Hey, we know that dude.
1026
00:56:21,080 --> 00:56:22,760
Yeah, how?
How long is the book?
1027
00:56:22,760 --> 00:56:24,720
How many pages?
137.
1028
00:56:25,160 --> 00:56:27,040
OK, that's a good read then.
That's a nice read.
1029
00:56:27,640 --> 00:56:29,560
Congratulations on writing that,
by the way.
1030
00:56:29,560 --> 00:56:30,720
That's.
Yeah, absolutely.
1031
00:56:31,200 --> 00:56:32,960
How how cathartic was that
experience?
1032
00:56:32,960 --> 00:56:35,880
Was it was it, was it good to
purge and kind of just get it
1033
00:56:35,880 --> 00:56:38,000
off your your soul?
It was.
1034
00:56:38,480 --> 00:56:42,040
Yeah, Now once since that's come
out, because that was that was
1035
00:56:42,240 --> 00:56:47,080
Oh, well, it's it's almost what,
five years now, right.
1036
00:56:47,400 --> 00:56:52,160
When it came out four years.
What was the response for people
1037
00:56:52,160 --> 00:56:54,960
that you because it again, don't
drop names, but the people that
1038
00:56:54,960 --> 00:56:58,480
you talk about in the book, did
it shine some light on some of
1039
00:56:58,480 --> 00:57:00,960
the corruption and some of the
weird things that were going on
1040
00:57:00,960 --> 00:57:05,400
surrounding your cases?
Did you get any, did you get any
1041
00:57:05,400 --> 00:57:09,120
kickback from from people like,
oh, Matt, you're just full of
1042
00:57:09,120 --> 00:57:10,520
shit?
Or was it like, wow, that's
1043
00:57:10,640 --> 00:57:12,840
that's crazy.
Yeah, I mean, I had people in
1044
00:57:12,840 --> 00:57:25,120
the community who asked me why I
would write a book that was self
1045
00:57:25,360 --> 00:57:30,320
and aggrandizing.
Oh, really?
1046
00:57:30,720 --> 00:57:33,040
Yes.
So they didn't hear the message,
1047
00:57:33,120 --> 00:57:37,360
obviously.
Obviously, so are you.
1048
00:57:37,440 --> 00:57:40,720
You should try to get this thing
to a, you know, a Netflix
1049
00:57:40,720 --> 00:57:42,440
documentary.
Man, that would be interesting
1050
00:57:42,440 --> 00:57:44,560
your.
Story is so yeah, I couldn't
1051
00:57:44,560 --> 00:57:49,040
agree with you more 100%.
Your story's compelling, man.
1052
00:57:49,160 --> 00:57:50,960
It just is.
I feel for you.
1053
00:57:51,680 --> 00:57:54,440
Yeah.
I did way worse in my life as a
1054
00:57:54,440 --> 00:57:58,800
drug addict and could have hurt
somebody way worse than you ever
1055
00:57:58,800 --> 00:57:59,920
did.
Yeah.
1056
00:58:00,000 --> 00:58:02,480
I'm just fascinated that the
fact that you didn't, it's not
1057
00:58:02,480 --> 00:58:04,920
like you stole that car, drove
130 miles an hour and kill a
1058
00:58:04,920 --> 00:58:07,200
family on the road, right?
Yeah, no, I heard all that too,
1059
00:58:07,200 --> 00:58:08,280
by the way, when I had to step
away.
1060
00:58:08,280 --> 00:58:09,600
I heard your entire
conversation.
1061
00:58:09,600 --> 00:58:12,040
That was very poignant.
The the the elements you were
1062
00:58:12,040 --> 00:58:14,400
touching, touching on there.
Mike and Matt.
1063
00:58:14,920 --> 00:58:18,200
Yeah, I just, I feel.
For him, I just feel like I've
1064
00:58:18,200 --> 00:58:21,280
done way worse in my life that
could have ended up in the same
1065
00:58:21,280 --> 00:58:24,480
position and it would have been
warranted and justified, right?
1066
00:58:24,480 --> 00:58:29,320
I was doing the supposedly the
crimes, but this guy didn't hurt
1067
00:58:29,320 --> 00:58:32,800
anybody ever.
Did you had did so with and
1068
00:58:32,800 --> 00:58:35,360
again, I don't want to give away
too much of the book, but with
1069
00:58:36,840 --> 00:58:40,000
was this learned behavior or was
this just something you realized
1070
00:58:40,000 --> 00:58:42,600
one day as a kid?
Like, Oh, if, if if I go, you
1071
00:58:42,600 --> 00:58:44,200
know, steal this Twinkie from
the store.
1072
00:58:44,200 --> 00:58:46,240
I get it for free.
And then, oh, there's that rush.
1073
00:58:46,560 --> 00:58:49,400
You know, there's the first
time, the first time you did
1074
00:58:49,400 --> 00:58:53,840
something bad, you know,
everything went off and you had
1075
00:58:53,840 --> 00:58:55,840
like, oh, oh, I like how this
makes me feel.
1076
00:58:57,240 --> 00:58:59,360
Yeah, it was an adrenaline rush,
no question.
1077
00:58:59,360 --> 00:59:01,160
OK.
And it wasn't it wasn't.
1078
00:59:01,520 --> 00:59:03,320
So back to what I started with
the question.
1079
00:59:03,320 --> 00:59:05,440
It wasn't learned behavior.
Like you didn't have somebody in
1080
00:59:05,440 --> 00:59:08,520
your life that was was doing
those type of things and you
1081
00:59:08,520 --> 00:59:11,520
were just do you remember the
first thing you did?
1082
00:59:11,760 --> 00:59:13,680
Yeah, Remember the first thing
you grew up in this.
1083
00:59:14,000 --> 00:59:16,760
Family.
Nobody in my family's ever been
1084
00:59:16,760 --> 00:59:19,240
to prison.
I don't have any generational
1085
00:59:19,560 --> 00:59:23,320
history of people going to
prison.
1086
00:59:23,560 --> 00:59:26,680
Mom and dad were married.
Say that again.
1087
00:59:26,840 --> 00:59:28,720
Your mom and dad lived in the
house.
1088
00:59:28,840 --> 00:59:31,440
Went work for 50 something
years.
1089
00:59:31,440 --> 00:59:36,120
My father's a conservative and
my mother's been is a liberal.
1090
00:59:36,120 --> 00:59:41,600
30 years of indoctrination from
the University of Vermont can
1091
00:59:41,600 --> 00:59:45,920
really do a number on anybody.
OK, what kind of relationship do
1092
00:59:45,920 --> 00:59:52,520
you have with them?
It's always been fractured.
1093
00:59:52,800 --> 00:59:56,720
And.
I got saw a lot of blowback from
1094
00:59:56,720 --> 00:59:59,840
family members about sharing my
story.
1095
01:00:00,560 --> 01:00:03,840
I can see that.
I can see that it's hard enough
1096
01:00:03,840 --> 01:00:09,520
in this world to to be openly
gay and then to be just put it
1097
01:00:09,520 --> 01:00:12,720
out there in your book, you
know, bully behind bars, a gay
1098
01:00:12,720 --> 01:00:15,200
Trump supporter.
You know here I am world, right?
1099
01:00:15,800 --> 01:00:16,960
And then?
That's who he is.
1100
01:00:17,200 --> 01:00:19,400
Wow.
Yeah, I deal with people that
1101
01:00:19,400 --> 01:00:22,000
will send me a message on
Instagram.
1102
01:00:22,600 --> 01:00:24,160
You can't.
I've never heard of a gay
1103
01:00:24,160 --> 01:00:26,240
Christian.
Oh yeah.
1104
01:00:26,960 --> 01:00:27,680
OK.
Oh yeah.
1105
01:00:27,680 --> 01:00:30,400
Good for you, I have.
I had another guy who said.
1106
01:00:30,600 --> 01:00:32,200
Well, now you should see.
Well, now you.
1107
01:00:32,200 --> 01:00:35,360
Have there's whole churches of
them move to the city.
1108
01:00:35,360 --> 01:00:37,560
You freaking yeah.
Backwards.
1109
01:00:38,560 --> 01:00:40,200
Explore the country a little
bit.
1110
01:00:40,200 --> 01:00:44,360
There's yeah, it's big.
I've just seen so many
1111
01:00:44,360 --> 01:00:47,880
ridiculous things that come
through social media about.
1112
01:00:48,920 --> 01:00:49,800
Oh, I don't doubt that.
Just.
1113
01:00:49,840 --> 01:00:54,120
Ignore that shit.
It's Here's the thing, if I
1114
01:00:54,200 --> 01:00:57,920
you've never experienced
something, it's foreign to you.
1115
01:00:58,120 --> 01:01:00,040
Or if you can't say it to my
face.
1116
01:01:00,680 --> 01:01:01,080
Right.
Yeah.
1117
01:01:01,520 --> 01:01:04,120
You know you want to come and
say something to my face.
1118
01:01:04,320 --> 01:01:06,960
Keyboard warriors.
You you won't do it.
1119
01:01:07,520 --> 01:01:09,640
Yeah.
No, no, no, we had, we had sit.
1120
01:01:09,640 --> 01:01:11,840
Behind a computer and you're a
cow.
1121
01:01:12,160 --> 01:01:15,240
That's why I always tell people
if you have an issue with me,
1122
01:01:15,640 --> 01:01:18,240
come tell it to my face.
You know what coward does?
1123
01:01:18,440 --> 01:01:22,280
Coward blocks you.
That's what a child does.
1124
01:01:22,560 --> 01:01:23,680
Yep, agreed.
Well, that's.
1125
01:01:23,680 --> 01:01:25,320
Children, That's that's the
world.
1126
01:01:25,320 --> 01:01:32,560
Don't you realize that when you
block somebody, you are holding
1127
01:01:33,240 --> 01:01:36,520
yourself hostage because you're
not going to, You're not going
1128
01:01:36,520 --> 01:01:38,880
to forget about it?
Oh, that's you're.
1129
01:01:38,880 --> 01:01:40,440
Not going to forget when you
block somebody.
1130
01:01:41,000 --> 01:01:43,280
That's I like that.
That's cool.
1131
01:01:43,280 --> 01:01:45,400
You're.
So right man, that that is very
1132
01:01:45,400 --> 01:01:47,200
cool and I've thought about
that.
1133
01:01:47,560 --> 01:01:49,960
Like, yeah.
If somebody blocks me, I'm like,
1134
01:01:49,960 --> 01:01:52,080
good for you now you're never
going to know what I'm doing,
1135
01:01:52,080 --> 01:01:53,760
and that's going to bother you
forever.
1136
01:01:54,320 --> 01:01:56,040
Right.
I win.
1137
01:01:57,160 --> 01:01:59,000
Yeah.
Because it doesn't bother me at
1138
01:01:59,000 --> 01:01:59,680
all.
I'm going to sleep.
1139
01:01:59,880 --> 01:02:02,480
I might not sleep, but it won't
be because of that.
1140
01:02:03,120 --> 01:02:06,600
Well.
Until I forgave the people who
1141
01:02:06,600 --> 01:02:12,240
have done me wrong.
That's where I finally got free
1142
01:02:12,240 --> 01:02:15,720
of the anger, hatred, hostility
I have.
1143
01:02:15,960 --> 01:02:18,800
Don't gloss over that point.
That is so true.
1144
01:02:18,800 --> 01:02:21,920
Forgiveness is for you.
It's not for the other person.
1145
01:02:21,920 --> 01:02:25,600
It's so that you can move on.
Because when you don't forgive
1146
01:02:25,880 --> 01:02:28,440
you allowing somebody else to
live rent free in your head.
1147
01:02:28,960 --> 01:02:31,920
That might be the most poignant
statement you've made in this
1148
01:02:31,920 --> 01:02:33,880
entire show.
Man, that is so true.
1149
01:02:34,640 --> 01:02:37,520
Yeah, so let's leave the most
poignant statement made in the
1150
01:02:37,520 --> 01:02:41,800
show with that and share your
book again, boys and girls, You
1151
01:02:41,800 --> 01:02:45,520
want to find Matt Melvin's book?
It's behind Bullied behind bars.
1152
01:02:45,520 --> 01:02:47,960
A gay Christian Trump supporter
goes to prison.
1153
01:02:47,960 --> 01:02:50,960
Find on an Amazon 2399
paperback.
1154
01:02:52,840 --> 01:02:57,200
It looks like it's 315 pages.
I wonder where I got 137 but.
1155
01:02:57,840 --> 01:03:00,400
It's OK still, you know, 313 is
still good, man.
1156
01:03:00,800 --> 01:03:03,240
It's, you know, we still, we
still want people to buy your
1157
01:03:03,240 --> 01:03:05,240
book because that's where you
came on here.
1158
01:03:05,240 --> 01:03:08,040
Not only Share your story, but
for us to kind of, you know,
1159
01:03:08,040 --> 01:03:12,880
promote you and and get get get
your message out in your book
1160
01:03:12,880 --> 01:03:15,760
out there.
Is is there any any plans to
1161
01:03:15,760 --> 01:03:17,400
write another one?
Did you get Oh I?
1162
01:03:17,400 --> 01:03:19,000
Get asked that all the time.
Right.
1163
01:03:19,000 --> 01:03:20,200
Well, that's why I asked it,
man.
1164
01:03:21,600 --> 01:03:25,160
If you follow me on Instagram,
Bully behind Bars, you can see
1165
01:03:25,160 --> 01:03:27,800
poems I've written.
OK, right on.
1166
01:03:27,800 --> 01:03:28,800
Nice.
We'll follow you.
1167
01:03:28,960 --> 01:03:30,480
We'll make sure we follow you
for sure.
1168
01:03:31,200 --> 01:03:32,920
Are you following us on
Instagram?
1169
01:03:33,680 --> 01:03:37,360
I don't think so, no.
I don't even know if I know your
1170
01:03:37,360 --> 01:03:42,360
Instagram handle.
Yeah, I'll send you an e-mail.
1171
01:03:43,280 --> 01:03:46,080
Usually when, when people, when
people reach out to come to the
1172
01:03:46,080 --> 01:03:48,800
show, I send them a the first
e-mail kind of explains
1173
01:03:48,800 --> 01:03:50,920
everything with all our social
media links.
1174
01:03:50,920 --> 01:03:53,760
So I'll send you that, you
respond back with your stuff and
1175
01:03:53,760 --> 01:03:56,280
then we'll, we'll help, we'll
share all your stuff, you know,
1176
01:03:56,280 --> 01:03:59,040
vice versa.
Or you can go to the Chris and
1177
01:03:59,040 --> 01:04:02,440
mikeshow.com, anybody can do
that and you can get to every
1178
01:04:02,440 --> 01:04:05,040
social media link we're on from
there so.
1179
01:04:06,000 --> 01:04:07,480
Yeah.
Because I definitely want to
1180
01:04:07,480 --> 01:04:08,880
follow you.
Mikeshow.com.
1181
01:04:09,240 --> 01:04:11,720
Yes, everybody go to the Chris
and mikeshow.com.
1182
01:04:12,280 --> 01:04:14,280
Yeah, Mike just made that over
the holidays.
1183
01:04:14,920 --> 01:04:16,360
I'm pretty damn proud of it,
turned out.
1184
01:04:16,360 --> 01:04:19,200
One of those things, man, Matt,
it's been great talking to you,
1185
01:04:19,200 --> 01:04:21,160
man.
You have just an amazing story.
1186
01:04:21,160 --> 01:04:22,600
I'm going to buy your book
because I think it'll be a
1187
01:04:22,600 --> 01:04:26,520
fascinating.
Absolutely need to get you get
1188
01:04:26,520 --> 01:04:29,880
you a documentary going on, man,
because that'll be a hell of a
1189
01:04:29,880 --> 01:04:32,600
story to watch.
How comfortable do you feel?
1190
01:04:32,960 --> 01:04:35,920
How comfortable do you feel
talking about your childhood?
1191
01:04:35,920 --> 01:04:38,640
0 to obviously you wrote it in
the book, right?
1192
01:04:38,760 --> 01:04:41,640
Would you come back and like,
give us that?
1193
01:04:41,640 --> 01:04:43,920
I'd like to hear your back story
that led you.
1194
01:04:44,280 --> 01:04:46,640
Chris kept trying to get that
out of you, but I think that
1195
01:04:46,640 --> 01:04:51,240
story is another hour or so.
Probably, yeah.
1196
01:04:51,640 --> 01:04:54,400
I didn't know where you where
you, what you were trying to.
1197
01:04:55,480 --> 01:04:57,960
No, you're no, you're no this.
You're fine.
1198
01:04:58,200 --> 01:05:00,560
I would just like to have you
back if you would be willing to
1199
01:05:00,560 --> 01:05:05,560
talk about that, because I think
that's important for people to
1200
01:05:05,560 --> 01:05:08,080
understand.
Like he was getting at what
1201
01:05:08,080 --> 01:05:11,480
makes somebody the person they
become, right?
1202
01:05:11,720 --> 01:05:14,440
Right, like I have like like I
had, we won't go down the path,
1203
01:05:14,440 --> 01:05:17,320
but I had a a very unique
childhood recall and I could
1204
01:05:17,320 --> 01:05:20,240
have gone two ways.
I went the way I went.
1205
01:05:20,880 --> 01:05:22,520
I could have gone the other way.
100%.
1206
01:05:22,920 --> 01:05:25,680
Which would have been dark and
destructive.
1207
01:05:25,680 --> 01:05:29,600
And but that's the thing.
So you know, I am who I am today
1208
01:05:29,600 --> 01:05:33,120
because my childhood shaped me
to the person I was.
1209
01:05:33,120 --> 01:05:36,160
And I was lucky enough to have
have the creative outlet pulled
1210
01:05:36,160 --> 01:05:39,000
out of me from a teacher and
then realized, oh, I can use
1211
01:05:39,000 --> 01:05:43,240
that to purge all the darkness.
The world is lucky too, because
1212
01:05:43,240 --> 01:05:45,760
I don't think what they
understand is if you had gone
1213
01:05:45,760 --> 01:05:48,200
down the other side, that would
have been ugly for the world.
1214
01:05:48,200 --> 01:05:52,400
Because you're talking to a guy
who will self admit he lacks
1215
01:05:52,400 --> 01:05:54,200
empathy, right?
That's something he learned
1216
01:05:54,200 --> 01:05:57,440
through his life, but it wasn't
built into him.
1217
01:05:57,440 --> 01:06:03,160
So he's, he's going to react
differently than most people to
1218
01:06:03,240 --> 01:06:06,560
situations that are unique, you
know, to a lot of a lot of
1219
01:06:06,560 --> 01:06:09,280
folks.
So had he gone down the dark Rd.
1220
01:06:09,280 --> 01:06:11,280
It would have been ugly for
sure.
1221
01:06:11,640 --> 01:06:12,840
I think that's a little bit more
point.
1222
01:06:14,640 --> 01:06:18,440
You would have been notorious.
Darkness, man.
1223
01:06:19,040 --> 01:06:22,160
So Matt Melvin, go on Amazon,
find his book The bully behind
1224
01:06:22,160 --> 01:06:25,320
bars.
A a gay Christian Trump
1225
01:06:25,320 --> 01:06:27,280
supporter goes to prison.
And seriously, if you want to
1226
01:06:27,280 --> 01:06:30,240
come back on and we can talk
about the, you know, what led up
1227
01:06:30,240 --> 01:06:33,280
to 2004, that would be
fascinating.
1228
01:06:33,360 --> 01:06:35,360
Then again, like Mike said, it's
how comfort you are talking
1229
01:06:35,360 --> 01:06:36,520
about that.
And again, we don't want to give
1230
01:06:36,520 --> 01:06:38,520
away too many elements from the
book.
1231
01:06:38,520 --> 01:06:39,840
So we want people to buy your
book.
1232
01:06:40,400 --> 01:06:44,000
I'm more interested in the
dichotomy of his family to him.
1233
01:06:44,000 --> 01:06:46,680
Yeah, yeah, I yeah, I think
it'll be fascinating too.
1234
01:06:47,120 --> 01:06:49,480
So we'll, if you're down with
that, we'll we'll connect off
1235
01:06:49,480 --> 01:06:52,560
the show and and set it up.
Have to come back on and we can
1236
01:06:52,560 --> 01:06:55,240
spend another hour or so picking
your brain and having a good
1237
01:06:55,240 --> 01:06:57,440
conversation.
Does that sound good?
1238
01:06:57,440 --> 01:06:58,640
Right on.
Thank you so much.
1239
01:06:58,640 --> 01:07:02,200
So, yeah, thank you very much.
Dude, this this was more than I
1240
01:07:02,200 --> 01:07:03,680
hoped it would be.
When I read your biography, I
1241
01:07:03,680 --> 01:07:05,240
was like, oh, this will be fun,
you know?
1242
01:07:05,640 --> 01:07:06,960
And it was.
It exceeded my.
1243
01:07:07,040 --> 01:07:09,400
Expectations too.
The hour went by like that,
1244
01:07:09,400 --> 01:07:12,040
which is which tells you how
great the conversation was.
1245
01:07:13,200 --> 01:07:14,680
We are in the show like this
every time.
1246
01:07:14,680 --> 01:07:16,240
So if you're if you're
depressed, you're feeling
1247
01:07:16,240 --> 01:07:18,560
suicidal, go find somebody to
talk to you.
1248
01:07:18,560 --> 01:07:20,560
If you can't do that, go scream
in a pillow.
1249
01:07:20,560 --> 01:07:22,120
Go out and run.
Go work out.
1250
01:07:22,440 --> 01:07:25,320
Do something that purges your
mind of that frustration that
1251
01:07:25,320 --> 01:07:26,760
you're feeling and the sorrow
that you're feeling.
1252
01:07:27,880 --> 01:07:29,800
Text 988.
Somebody is there standing by
1253
01:07:29,800 --> 01:07:31,880
waiting to talk to you, to help
talk you off that Cliff.
1254
01:07:31,880 --> 01:07:33,840
Tomorrow's a better day because
you wake up in it.
1255
01:07:34,080 --> 01:07:36,120
Somebody does love you, even
though you don't believe that.
1256
01:07:36,120 --> 01:07:39,560
So be mindful of that.
And until next time, we'll see
1257
01:07:39,560 --> 01:07:41,400
you on the Chris and Mike Show.
I'm Christy's Mike, and that's
1258
01:07:41,400 --> 01:07:43,040
Matt Melvin.
Thanks, everybody.
1259
01:07:43,360 --> 01:07:45,560
Lovely brother.
Love you too man Thanks Matt.