1 00:00:00,480 --> 00:00:03,080 Speaker 1: Denver wasn't the only city in Colorado that saw racial 2 00:00:03,120 --> 00:00:06,360 Speaker 1: justice protests and clashes. There was also a lot going 3 00:00:06,400 --> 00:00:09,480 Speaker 1: on south of Denver in the much smaller city of 4 00:00:09,560 --> 00:00:14,240 Speaker 1: Colorado Springs. In the summer of twenty twenty, a nonprofit 5 00:00:14,360 --> 00:00:18,080 Speaker 1: organization in Colorado Springs called the Chinook Center has opened 6 00:00:18,079 --> 00:00:20,520 Speaker 1: their new office in a low rent strip mall near 7 00:00:20,560 --> 00:00:23,360 Speaker 1: the airport. The founders are hoping to make it a 8 00:00:23,440 --> 00:00:28,240 Speaker 1: gathering point for left wing activists and organizations across the area. 9 00:00:28,600 --> 00:00:31,680 Speaker 1: Not long after it opens, a young white woman named 10 00:00:31,760 --> 00:00:35,920 Speaker 1: Chelsea shows up offering to volunteer. She had like bright 11 00:00:35,960 --> 00:00:39,680 Speaker 1: pink hair. She dressed in a way that was sort 12 00:00:39,720 --> 00:00:45,640 Speaker 1: of noticeable. This is Samantha Christiansen, who co founded the 13 00:00:45,680 --> 00:00:49,720 Speaker 1: Chinook Center. Samantha is guarded with her language, a little 14 00:00:50,080 --> 00:00:53,479 Speaker 1: politically correct even. I mean, there was nothing wrong with 15 00:00:53,520 --> 00:00:56,120 Speaker 1: the way that she dressed, but it was noticeable, right, 16 00:00:56,160 --> 00:00:58,640 Speaker 1: and for provoking certain types of I don't know, I 17 00:00:58,680 --> 00:01:00,440 Speaker 1: didn't want to say that. I'll take that part out. 18 00:01:00,840 --> 00:01:04,120 Speaker 1: Chelsea dressed in a way that was noticeable, Samantha says. 19 00:01:04,800 --> 00:01:08,280 Speaker 1: What she won't say is what I'll say, Chelsea dressed 20 00:01:08,280 --> 00:01:12,760 Speaker 1: in a way that was sexually provocative miniskirts, tall boots, 21 00:01:13,000 --> 00:01:17,360 Speaker 1: fishnet stockings, a lot of skin on display. She implied 22 00:01:17,440 --> 00:01:19,720 Speaker 1: over the course of like getting to know her or whatever, 23 00:01:19,800 --> 00:01:22,280 Speaker 1: that she was a sex worker to me, and I 24 00:01:22,319 --> 00:01:25,160 Speaker 1: know other people she told other people she was. That's 25 00:01:25,200 --> 00:01:28,480 Speaker 1: John Christiansen, Samantha's husband and one of the other co 26 00:01:28,600 --> 00:01:31,640 Speaker 1: founders of the Chinook Center. But yes, that was sort 27 00:01:31,680 --> 00:01:34,280 Speaker 1: of her story. She had hinted at that it was 28 00:01:34,319 --> 00:01:38,120 Speaker 1: like sex work, but never like outright came and said it. 29 00:01:38,200 --> 00:01:41,040 Speaker 1: So I guess we all just assumed. And this is 30 00:01:41,080 --> 00:01:45,279 Speaker 1: Autumn Carter Wallace, another Colorado Springs activist. I think somebody 31 00:01:45,319 --> 00:01:47,640 Speaker 1: else had told me that, and I just was like, oh, okay, 32 00:01:47,640 --> 00:01:50,520 Speaker 1: that makes sense, Like I never questioned it, which is 33 00:01:50,640 --> 00:01:53,080 Speaker 1: very weird too, because I normally questioned everything. And that's 34 00:01:53,120 --> 00:01:55,640 Speaker 1: the one time I didn't. Just about everyone in the 35 00:01:55,680 --> 00:01:59,880 Speaker 1: Colorado Springs activist community knew Chelsea, and most everyone thought 36 00:02:00,000 --> 00:02:04,760 Speaker 1: she's a sex worker. But Chelsea isn't a sex worker. 37 00:02:06,240 --> 00:02:11,320 Speaker 1: Chelsea isn't even her real name. And even though she 38 00:02:11,360 --> 00:02:15,680 Speaker 1: doesn't drive a hearse, she does just like Mickey Windecker, 39 00:02:16,639 --> 00:02:22,200 Speaker 1: take orders from the FBI. I'm Trevor Aaronson from Western 40 00:02:22,280 --> 00:02:46,600 Speaker 1: Sound and I Heeart podcasts. This is Alphabet Boys Episode eight, 41 00:02:47,240 --> 00:02:56,960 Speaker 1: the Springs. So we're gonna leave Denver and take a 42 00:02:57,000 --> 00:02:59,720 Speaker 1: break from the story of Mickey Windecker for just one episode. 43 00:03:00,320 --> 00:03:03,520 Speaker 1: It might seem like a tangent, but trust me, it's not. 44 00:03:04,400 --> 00:03:06,639 Speaker 1: The story of what happened seventy miles south in Colorado 45 00:03:06,680 --> 00:03:11,600 Speaker 1: Springs ends up having big consequences for Mickey. The actual 46 00:03:11,680 --> 00:03:15,360 Speaker 1: Colorado Springs investigation was only loosely connected to what Mickey 47 00:03:15,520 --> 00:03:18,959 Speaker 1: was doing, but it reveals that what the FBI was 48 00:03:19,040 --> 00:03:23,680 Speaker 1: up to in Denver wasn't isolated. It was part of 49 00:03:23,680 --> 00:03:28,640 Speaker 1: a larger strategy, an FBI investigative technique that likely played 50 00:03:28,680 --> 00:03:31,560 Speaker 1: out in cities across the United States in the summer 51 00:03:31,600 --> 00:03:35,120 Speaker 1: of twenty twenty. The lead up to the racial justice 52 00:03:35,160 --> 00:03:38,560 Speaker 1: demonstrations in Colorado Springs were similar to what happened in Denver, 53 00:03:38,880 --> 00:03:42,119 Speaker 1: where a young black man, Elijah McClain, was killed during 54 00:03:42,120 --> 00:03:45,800 Speaker 1: an encounter with the police. There were protests, but things 55 00:03:45,800 --> 00:03:49,640 Speaker 1: cooled down a bit, and then George Floyd was murdered 56 00:03:49,640 --> 00:03:54,720 Speaker 1: in Minnesota. The same pattern initial outrage over a killing, 57 00:03:55,040 --> 00:03:59,240 Speaker 1: which then cooled and flared again with national protests happened 58 00:03:59,240 --> 00:04:03,200 Speaker 1: in the Springs. In August twenty nineteen, a man called 59 00:04:03,320 --> 00:04:05,840 Speaker 1: nine one one reporting that he'd been robbed at gunpoint 60 00:04:06,000 --> 00:04:09,040 Speaker 1: by two young black men. Call it a spring to 61 00:04:09,120 --> 00:04:12,400 Speaker 1: nine one one location of emergency. So ill was walking 62 00:04:12,480 --> 00:04:14,800 Speaker 1: on the street and some men just confronting me with 63 00:04:14,960 --> 00:04:17,280 Speaker 1: the gun, and they pawed me and tried to taking 64 00:04:17,360 --> 00:04:20,400 Speaker 1: all belongings. The nine one one caller then gave a 65 00:04:20,400 --> 00:04:23,920 Speaker 1: description of the perpetrators, and local police officers stopped two 66 00:04:23,960 --> 00:04:27,240 Speaker 1: young black men near where they left robbery occurred. The 67 00:04:27,360 --> 00:04:30,160 Speaker 1: encounter was recorded by one of the officer's body cameras. 68 00:04:31,040 --> 00:04:33,440 Speaker 1: So we got to report to two people similar descriptions, 69 00:04:33,920 --> 00:04:36,000 Speaker 1: possibly having a gun, all right, So don't reach for 70 00:04:36,080 --> 00:04:37,800 Speaker 1: your waist. We're gonna just second make sure that you 71 00:04:37,800 --> 00:04:40,279 Speaker 1: don't have a weapon, all right. Just as another police 72 00:04:40,279 --> 00:04:42,960 Speaker 1: officer was coming behind the two men, one of them ran. 73 00:04:43,600 --> 00:04:47,240 Speaker 1: The cops chased after him. Hands up, heads up, hands up, 74 00:04:49,880 --> 00:04:52,200 Speaker 1: here's your heads up. Here's your heads up. The officer 75 00:04:52,279 --> 00:04:54,840 Speaker 1: fired his gun multiple times and the young man was 76 00:04:54,880 --> 00:04:58,560 Speaker 1: shot in the back. In the bodycam video, blood can 77 00:04:58,560 --> 00:05:00,960 Speaker 1: be seen soaking through the left side the injured man's shirt. 78 00:05:01,400 --> 00:05:04,719 Speaker 1: There's also blood spilling on the street, a lot of blood. 79 00:05:05,880 --> 00:05:08,920 Speaker 1: The man died later at the hospital. His name was 80 00:05:09,000 --> 00:05:13,680 Speaker 1: Devon Bailey and he was just nineteen years old. Protesters 81 00:05:13,800 --> 00:05:21,680 Speaker 1: went into the streets after the Colorado Springs Police Department 82 00:05:21,720 --> 00:05:25,039 Speaker 1: released the bodycam footage. The shooting of Devon Bailey made 83 00:05:25,120 --> 00:05:28,800 Speaker 1: national news. Newly released bodycam video from Colorado Springs and 84 00:05:28,920 --> 00:05:31,479 Speaker 1: nineteen year old shot and killed by police. At one point, 85 00:05:31,720 --> 00:05:34,440 Speaker 1: the video shows his hands in the air running away 86 00:05:34,760 --> 00:05:37,960 Speaker 1: he's been shot. But a few months later, in November 87 00:05:38,000 --> 00:05:41,400 Speaker 1: twenty nineteen, a grand jury declined to bring criminal charges 88 00:05:41,520 --> 00:05:44,400 Speaker 1: against the officers involved in Devon's killing. The El Paso 89 00:05:44,480 --> 00:05:47,560 Speaker 1: County District Attorney called the shooting horrible tragedy, but said 90 00:05:47,560 --> 00:05:51,360 Speaker 1: that the grand jury's decision is just. Then, George Floyd 91 00:05:51,440 --> 00:05:54,760 Speaker 1: is killed by a cop in Minneapolis. In Denver, Colorados, 92 00:05:54,839 --> 00:06:01,599 Speaker 1: Rings and cities across the country erupt in anger and activism. 93 00:06:01,640 --> 00:06:05,640 Speaker 1: According to FBI internal reports, Mickey Windecker had provided information 94 00:06:05,640 --> 00:06:09,200 Speaker 1: to federal agents about a racial justice activist in Colorado Springs. 95 00:06:10,080 --> 00:06:12,640 Speaker 1: That information appears to have been used to launch a 96 00:06:12,680 --> 00:06:16,360 Speaker 1: separate investigation there. And this is when a woman with 97 00:06:16,440 --> 00:06:20,239 Speaker 1: long pink hair named Chelsea enters the Colorado Springs activist scene. 98 00:06:21,839 --> 00:06:24,839 Speaker 1: She signs up to join the Democratic Socialists of America, 99 00:06:25,080 --> 00:06:28,640 Speaker 1: the same political group Mickey allied with in Denver. Chelsea 100 00:06:28,760 --> 00:06:32,360 Speaker 1: also contacts John Christiansen, one of the Chinooks Center's founders 101 00:06:32,960 --> 00:06:36,120 Speaker 1: and volunteers, to help around the office. We exchanged messages. 102 00:06:36,160 --> 00:06:37,520 Speaker 1: She's like, Oh, I want to I could do some 103 00:06:37,560 --> 00:06:39,560 Speaker 1: administrative work for you guys, you know, And I was like, 104 00:06:39,640 --> 00:06:41,880 Speaker 1: that's great, because that's like the most overwhelming thing. You know. 105 00:06:41,880 --> 00:06:45,400 Speaker 1: It's like uploading email addresses and things like this. You know, 106 00:06:45,440 --> 00:06:48,760 Speaker 1: it's a pain in the neck with John and other 107 00:06:48,760 --> 00:06:51,520 Speaker 1: activist at the Chinook Center. Don't realize at the time 108 00:06:51,640 --> 00:06:58,280 Speaker 1: is Chelsea isn't really Chelsea. Her real name is April 109 00:06:58,360 --> 00:07:02,960 Speaker 1: Rogers and she's a young detective with the Colorado Springs 110 00:07:02,960 --> 00:07:16,400 Speaker 1: Police Department. More after the break, Mickey in Denver and 111 00:07:16,520 --> 00:07:20,760 Speaker 1: Chelsea or April Rodgers in Colorado Springs have the same 112 00:07:20,800 --> 00:07:25,240 Speaker 1: mandate from the FBI infiltrate racial justice activists and try 113 00:07:25,280 --> 00:07:28,400 Speaker 1: to set them up in crimes. While Mickey is working 114 00:07:28,400 --> 00:07:31,480 Speaker 1: directly with the FBI and getting cash payments in return, 115 00:07:32,280 --> 00:07:35,400 Speaker 1: Chelsea is part of something called the Joint Terrorism Task Force, 116 00:07:35,840 --> 00:07:40,040 Speaker 1: a partnership between local police and the FBI, and in 117 00:07:40,080 --> 00:07:43,600 Speaker 1: Colorado Springs, the FBI and its partners in the local 118 00:07:43,600 --> 00:07:48,640 Speaker 1: police come to the conclusion without any discernible evidence, that 119 00:07:48,720 --> 00:07:52,600 Speaker 1: the city's activist community is potentially dangerous and should be 120 00:07:52,640 --> 00:07:58,480 Speaker 1: the target of a long intrusive investigation. Colorado Springs sought 121 00:07:58,480 --> 00:08:01,400 Speaker 1: share of demonstrations during the summer of twenty twenty, but 122 00:08:01,480 --> 00:08:04,400 Speaker 1: it wasn't among the cities whose racial justice protests you'd 123 00:08:04,400 --> 00:08:08,760 Speaker 1: hear about on the national news like Minneapolis, Seattle, Portland, 124 00:08:09,040 --> 00:08:13,600 Speaker 1: and Denver. The Springs is small, and it's very conservative, 125 00:08:14,040 --> 00:08:16,720 Speaker 1: home to air force and army bases and a number 126 00:08:16,840 --> 00:08:21,000 Speaker 1: of evangelical megachurches. It's also a popular place for retired 127 00:08:21,040 --> 00:08:24,520 Speaker 1: military officers. As a result, the city's voter base is 128 00:08:24,560 --> 00:08:28,760 Speaker 1: consistently conservative, and the left wing activist community, well ambitious, 129 00:08:29,440 --> 00:08:33,240 Speaker 1: is pretty small by comparison, But that left wing activist 130 00:08:33,320 --> 00:08:36,360 Speaker 1: community hit just the right buttons in Colorado Springs. On 131 00:08:36,440 --> 00:08:40,040 Speaker 1: August third, twenty twenty, the one year anniversary of Devon 132 00:08:40,120 --> 00:08:49,440 Speaker 1: Bailey's death, dozens of activists gathered with signs in bullhorns 133 00:08:49,720 --> 00:08:51,960 Speaker 1: in front of the House of Alan van Land, the 134 00:08:52,040 --> 00:09:07,160 Speaker 1: Colorado Springs police officer who shot von Bailey in the back. Okay, 135 00:09:09,280 --> 00:09:13,760 Speaker 1: committed to homicide of barely accost other people of color 136 00:09:13,880 --> 00:09:17,640 Speaker 1: in this city. The demonstrators blocked the road through the 137 00:09:17,679 --> 00:09:22,040 Speaker 1: neighborhood and soon things got tense, with threats escalating to 138 00:09:22,040 --> 00:09:26,400 Speaker 1: a potential gun battle. One of the demonstrators, named Charles Johnson, 139 00:09:26,880 --> 00:09:29,080 Speaker 1: got into an altercation with a man who was opposing 140 00:09:29,080 --> 00:09:38,920 Speaker 1: the protest. That woman jumps up, Okay, just like how 141 00:09:38,920 --> 00:09:41,839 Speaker 1: you do, Guss right. Videos from the protest outside the 142 00:09:41,880 --> 00:09:45,360 Speaker 1: Colorado Springs police officers home made the rounds on social media, 143 00:09:45,760 --> 00:09:48,959 Speaker 1: with right wing commentators using the incident to allege that 144 00:09:49,000 --> 00:09:53,559 Speaker 1: antifa activists were becoming more dangerous. Michelle Malcolin, a far 145 00:09:53,679 --> 00:09:57,960 Speaker 1: right commentator and conspiracy theorist, tweeted, it's not just Seattle, 146 00:09:58,080 --> 00:10:03,040 Speaker 1: in Portland, in Austin, in twin City, it's freaking Colorado Springs. 147 00:10:03,080 --> 00:10:09,480 Speaker 1: She later added, nowhere is safe. Nearly a year passes, 148 00:10:09,640 --> 00:10:11,720 Speaker 1: and the same people who had organized the protest outside 149 00:10:11,760 --> 00:10:14,560 Speaker 1: the cops house all the actives from the Chinook Center. 150 00:10:15,120 --> 00:10:18,000 Speaker 1: They start putting together a march for housing rights. They 151 00:10:18,000 --> 00:10:21,560 Speaker 1: plant for July thirty first, twenty twenty one, the same 152 00:10:21,679 --> 00:10:23,959 Speaker 1: day the city has planned an expensive one hundred and 153 00:10:23,960 --> 00:10:29,920 Speaker 1: fiftieth anniversary celebration. That isn't a coincidence, it's intentional, a 154 00:10:29,920 --> 00:10:33,160 Speaker 1: bit of a dick move. Yeah, but the demonstrators aren't 155 00:10:33,160 --> 00:10:38,640 Speaker 1: trying to be polite. So the actors from the Chinook 156 00:10:38,640 --> 00:10:42,320 Speaker 1: Center March. They're wearing red shirts that read housing is 157 00:10:42,320 --> 00:10:45,599 Speaker 1: a Human Right and caring signs that read rent is 158 00:10:45,640 --> 00:10:51,720 Speaker 1: theft and in Spanish, housing for All. Among the marchers 159 00:10:51,800 --> 00:10:55,000 Speaker 1: is the committed young activists with pink hair and provocative clothing, 160 00:10:55,559 --> 00:11:00,760 Speaker 1: whom everyone knows as Chelsea. Here's Samantha Christiansen, one of 161 00:11:00,800 --> 00:11:03,400 Speaker 1: the founders of the Chinook Center again, and then the 162 00:11:03,520 --> 00:11:06,440 Speaker 1: day of the housing march. I mean, I really hadn't 163 00:11:06,440 --> 00:11:08,760 Speaker 1: seen her in a long She wasn't someone I really 164 00:11:08,760 --> 00:11:11,880 Speaker 1: thought of that often, right, So I saw her and 165 00:11:11,960 --> 00:11:16,600 Speaker 1: she's very recognizable in her appearance. With Samantha and the 166 00:11:16,640 --> 00:11:20,640 Speaker 1: other marchers don't realize is that the Colorado Springs Police Department, 167 00:11:21,480 --> 00:11:25,520 Speaker 1: working with the FBI, is planning to arrest a bunch 168 00:11:25,520 --> 00:11:32,880 Speaker 1: of them today. Oh boys, we sit, we wait, we 169 00:11:33,000 --> 00:11:38,200 Speaker 1: get paid. Nearby, sitting in a police cruiser is local 170 00:11:38,240 --> 00:11:42,040 Speaker 1: cop Scott Alamo. Alamo has his body camera on and 171 00:11:42,080 --> 00:11:44,680 Speaker 1: he's talking to other officers as the marchers are coming 172 00:11:44,720 --> 00:11:47,280 Speaker 1: up the street. Well, they think we're going to arrest 173 00:11:47,320 --> 00:11:54,319 Speaker 1: twenty people, Dude, Obviously you're underestimating how awesome we are. 174 00:11:56,160 --> 00:11:59,360 Speaker 1: As the demonstrators are passing by Scott Alamo, the local 175 00:11:59,400 --> 00:12:03,480 Speaker 1: cop sees John Christiansen, Samantha's husband and another one of 176 00:12:03,480 --> 00:12:08,120 Speaker 1: the march's organizers. Alamo calls him professor because John teaches 177 00:12:08,200 --> 00:12:15,760 Speaker 1: sociology at a local college. Christians Who is the worker. Yeah. 178 00:12:15,800 --> 00:12:18,240 Speaker 1: Alamo pulls out what appears to be an intelligence report, 179 00:12:18,760 --> 00:12:21,520 Speaker 1: and on every page are pictures of Christiansen and a 180 00:12:21,559 --> 00:12:24,920 Speaker 1: dozen or so other marchers. It's like a rogues gallery, 181 00:12:25,840 --> 00:12:30,959 Speaker 1: but these aren't mugshots. They're photos from social media, from Facebook, Instagram, 182 00:12:31,000 --> 00:12:34,400 Speaker 1: and LinkedIn. This document is likely the product of a 183 00:12:34,440 --> 00:12:38,959 Speaker 1: new FBI program called Social Media Exploitation, developed during the 184 00:12:38,960 --> 00:12:43,040 Speaker 1: summer of twenty twenty. Under this program, the FBI partners 185 00:12:43,040 --> 00:12:46,640 Speaker 1: with local law enforcement agencies to mind social media data 186 00:12:46,720 --> 00:12:50,079 Speaker 1: to build files on people without probable cause for the search. 187 00:12:51,559 --> 00:12:53,880 Speaker 1: As Scott Alamo is flipping through the pages of photos, 188 00:12:54,240 --> 00:12:56,160 Speaker 1: he jokes about how violent the arrests are going to 189 00:12:56,200 --> 00:13:08,000 Speaker 1: get to see boot to the face. Boot to the face, Yeah, 190 00:13:08,040 --> 00:13:21,680 Speaker 1: that pretty much does happen. About six cops surround a 191 00:13:21,720 --> 00:13:24,000 Speaker 1: black man with a shaved head and tackle him to 192 00:13:24,040 --> 00:13:27,440 Speaker 1: the ground. His name is Sean Walls, and he's one 193 00:13:27,480 --> 00:13:37,160 Speaker 1: of the primary organizers of Colorado Spring's activist community. A 194 00:13:37,200 --> 00:13:40,439 Speaker 1: few minutes later, the cops target another black man among 195 00:13:40,480 --> 00:13:44,520 Speaker 1: the demonstrators. He's Charles Johnson, one of the men who 196 00:13:44,600 --> 00:13:48,120 Speaker 1: got into the altercation earlier outside the Colorado Springs cops House. 197 00:13:50,800 --> 00:13:54,400 Speaker 1: Four cops forced Charles to the ground, violently pulling his 198 00:13:54,480 --> 00:14:12,320 Speaker 1: arms behind his back. Get your hand out depending As 199 00:14:12,360 --> 00:14:14,600 Speaker 1: more cops are running in toward the people being arrested. 200 00:14:14,880 --> 00:14:18,280 Speaker 1: The officers charged towards a demonstrator on her bicycle and 201 00:14:18,400 --> 00:14:21,120 Speaker 1: I see what I thought was a bunch of cops 202 00:14:21,320 --> 00:14:24,360 Speaker 1: dogpiled on the entire crowd, and I was like, holy shit, 203 00:14:24,480 --> 00:14:26,560 Speaker 1: like they're coming for everybody. Then, like what the fuck? 204 00:14:26,960 --> 00:14:32,960 Speaker 1: Like just just shell shocked, right. Jacqueline Amandada's Unsweta is 205 00:14:33,000 --> 00:14:36,520 Speaker 1: a former newspaper journalist who at this time it's working 206 00:14:36,560 --> 00:14:40,360 Speaker 1: as a Colorado based staffer for Democratic US Senator Michael Bennett. 207 00:14:40,800 --> 00:14:43,640 Speaker 1: And then I immediately turned around after that and see 208 00:14:43,800 --> 00:14:47,360 Speaker 1: a riot cop like in full gear, sprinting towards us 209 00:14:47,400 --> 00:14:53,320 Speaker 1: in like flight or fight response. And in my case, honestly, 210 00:14:53,400 --> 00:14:57,880 Speaker 1: flight is not my default. And in doing that, I 211 00:14:58,000 --> 00:15:00,360 Speaker 1: just threw my bike down. It was like, bitch, you 212 00:15:00,440 --> 00:15:04,360 Speaker 1: coming for me, Like that's the honest truth. And I 213 00:15:04,440 --> 00:15:07,560 Speaker 1: know you've seen the video. Jacqueline can be seen on 214 00:15:07,560 --> 00:15:10,160 Speaker 1: a police body camera as the officer rushes toward the 215 00:15:10,200 --> 00:15:18,000 Speaker 1: people being arrested. Thinking the cop is charging at her, 216 00:15:18,440 --> 00:15:22,000 Speaker 1: Jacqueline throws her bike down. The police officer sidesteps the bike, 217 00:15:22,520 --> 00:15:24,920 Speaker 1: it never touches him, and runs toward the pile of 218 00:15:24,920 --> 00:15:28,120 Speaker 1: officers arresting the activists. And I was like, oh my god, dude, 219 00:15:28,160 --> 00:15:31,320 Speaker 1: they just reacted, Like imagine if it had hit a cop, 220 00:15:31,680 --> 00:15:36,160 Speaker 1: they would have had me on a felony. About a 221 00:15:36,160 --> 00:15:38,920 Speaker 1: half dozen activists are arrested that day, in charge with 222 00:15:39,000 --> 00:15:42,000 Speaker 1: crimes were related to their roles in the demonstration outside 223 00:15:42,000 --> 00:15:46,320 Speaker 1: the Colorado Springs Cops house. Jacqueline isn't among those arrested, 224 00:15:47,000 --> 00:15:49,360 Speaker 1: but the cops aren't going to let the bicycle throwing 225 00:15:49,360 --> 00:15:55,040 Speaker 1: incident go unpunished. Daniel Sumei, a Colorado Springs detective who 226 00:15:55,080 --> 00:15:57,720 Speaker 1: is part of the Joint Terrorism Task Force, decides he's 227 00:15:57,720 --> 00:15:59,520 Speaker 1: going to figure out the identity of the woman who 228 00:15:59,520 --> 00:16:02,640 Speaker 1: threw down the bike. Sumi is just a local cop, 229 00:16:03,200 --> 00:16:05,440 Speaker 1: but he makes a big deal of his assignment. His 230 00:16:05,520 --> 00:16:10,200 Speaker 1: business card suggests he's a federal agent FBI logo and all. Anyway, 231 00:16:10,480 --> 00:16:13,560 Speaker 1: because Jacqueline was wearing sunglasses and a face mask, it 232 00:16:13,600 --> 00:16:16,320 Speaker 1: wasn't clear from the police bodycam video who she was, 233 00:16:17,040 --> 00:16:19,960 Speaker 1: so Sumei goes on social media and searches the friends 234 00:16:20,000 --> 00:16:23,880 Speaker 1: lists of people who were at the demonstration. He finds 235 00:16:23,960 --> 00:16:27,520 Speaker 1: Jacqueline's profiles and pictures of Jacqueline wearing the same bicycle, 236 00:16:27,560 --> 00:16:29,640 Speaker 1: helmet and shoes that can be seen on the woman 237 00:16:29,720 --> 00:16:34,240 Speaker 1: in the bodycam video. Sumi has a suspect, and so 238 00:16:34,800 --> 00:16:36,840 Speaker 1: to find the bike and other evidence they need to 239 00:16:36,840 --> 00:16:40,160 Speaker 1: prosecute her. Sumi in the Colorado Springs police get a 240 00:16:40,160 --> 00:16:44,160 Speaker 1: warrant to search Jacqueline's home. So they were like at 241 00:16:44,240 --> 00:16:48,360 Speaker 1: least six officers in multiple vehicles, and I was like, 242 00:16:48,400 --> 00:16:50,720 Speaker 1: are you fucking kidding me? Like I am not el chapel, 243 00:16:51,160 --> 00:16:54,720 Speaker 1: Like this is ridiculous. In my journalism career. I've read 244 00:16:54,720 --> 00:16:58,240 Speaker 1: a ton of search warrant applications and evidence reports. Detective 245 00:16:58,240 --> 00:17:01,240 Speaker 1: Sumi's are among the most bizarre I've ever read, and 246 00:17:01,360 --> 00:17:06,639 Speaker 1: definitely the creepiest. First the bizarre part, Sumi, in a 247 00:17:06,680 --> 00:17:10,440 Speaker 1: search warrant application notes that the demonstrators carried red flags. 248 00:17:11,080 --> 00:17:14,080 Speaker 1: He then writes, and I'm not joking here, that he 249 00:17:14,119 --> 00:17:16,840 Speaker 1: went on the internet, found some random website about red 250 00:17:16,880 --> 00:17:21,399 Speaker 1: flags and writes, quote, the red flag is significant in 251 00:17:21,480 --> 00:17:24,520 Speaker 1: that it is a radical political symbol and designates the 252 00:17:24,560 --> 00:17:30,320 Speaker 1: march as revolutionary and radical in nature. Sumi in black 253 00:17:30,320 --> 00:17:32,720 Speaker 1: and white letters on a page. It's describing how the 254 00:17:32,720 --> 00:17:37,320 Speaker 1: FBI is investigating ideology, something FBI Director Christopher Ray has 255 00:17:37,359 --> 00:17:41,720 Speaker 1: told Congress doesn't happen. He's also employing a depth of 256 00:17:41,760 --> 00:17:44,520 Speaker 1: research that probably wouldn't earn a passing grade in a 257 00:17:44,560 --> 00:17:49,479 Speaker 1: high school class. Okay, And now the creepy part. Sumi, 258 00:17:49,680 --> 00:17:53,040 Speaker 1: for some reason, includes in a search warrant application a 259 00:17:53,119 --> 00:17:57,680 Speaker 1: full page photo of Jackline in a bikini. Sometimes you've 260 00:17:57,680 --> 00:18:01,159 Speaker 1: got a laugh right to keep from crying. And we 261 00:18:02,160 --> 00:18:04,480 Speaker 1: had to laugh. It just had like how fucking creepy 262 00:18:04,600 --> 00:18:08,199 Speaker 1: that was. And it's like this will be fun when 263 00:18:08,280 --> 00:18:12,160 Speaker 1: we get to disclose to Colorado Springs taxpayers that their 264 00:18:12,960 --> 00:18:18,920 Speaker 1: money is going to police greenshotting my bikini picks. Wow. 265 00:18:20,240 --> 00:18:23,160 Speaker 1: Following the search and after a police took Jaqueline Spike 266 00:18:23,320 --> 00:18:27,440 Speaker 1: and her electronic devices into evidence, local prosecutors charged her 267 00:18:27,640 --> 00:18:31,600 Speaker 1: with attempted aggravated assault on a police officer, a second 268 00:18:31,640 --> 00:18:38,679 Speaker 1: degree felony. But local police working with the FBI aren't 269 00:18:38,720 --> 00:18:43,800 Speaker 1: done in Colorado Springs. They still have an undercover embedded 270 00:18:44,119 --> 00:18:59,040 Speaker 1: inside the activist group that's up to the break in 271 00:18:59,119 --> 00:19:03,800 Speaker 1: the Springs, the pink haired woman everyone knows as Chelsea 272 00:19:04,080 --> 00:19:06,920 Speaker 1: starts digging in. She started friending of a bunch of 273 00:19:06,960 --> 00:19:09,920 Speaker 1: different people on Facebook who were at the housing march. 274 00:19:10,480 --> 00:19:13,320 Speaker 1: This is John Christiansen. He was among those arrested at 275 00:19:13,320 --> 00:19:16,320 Speaker 1: the housing march. Like in retrospect, that should have been 276 00:19:16,320 --> 00:19:19,480 Speaker 1: a red flag, but you know, it's just one of 277 00:19:19,480 --> 00:19:22,200 Speaker 1: those things. People kind of come and go. Chelsea starts 278 00:19:22,200 --> 00:19:27,240 Speaker 1: inviting activists over to her apartment. Always men, remember, Chelsea 279 00:19:27,320 --> 00:19:30,280 Speaker 1: dresses provocatively, and most of the activists are under the 280 00:19:30,280 --> 00:19:34,000 Speaker 1: impression that she's a sex worker. I walk up these 281 00:19:34,119 --> 00:19:37,280 Speaker 1: sketchy steps, open up this apartment and there's two guys 282 00:19:37,320 --> 00:19:40,160 Speaker 1: sitting there with her. This is one of the activists 283 00:19:40,200 --> 00:19:43,359 Speaker 1: Chelsea invites over. He agreed to be interviewed and recorded 284 00:19:43,640 --> 00:19:45,280 Speaker 1: as long as they referred to him by his nickname 285 00:19:45,960 --> 00:19:49,080 Speaker 1: art Yam. Anyway, I need to tell you for contact 286 00:19:49,160 --> 00:19:52,920 Speaker 1: that art Yam loves guns. Now, I'm a gun nun 287 00:19:52,960 --> 00:19:55,280 Speaker 1: when it comes to like history and mechanical stuff like 288 00:19:55,359 --> 00:19:57,080 Speaker 1: this is like my passion since I was a kid. 289 00:19:57,760 --> 00:20:00,240 Speaker 1: And he started a local chapter of the Socialist Full 290 00:20:00,240 --> 00:20:02,960 Speaker 1: Association kind of like a left wing version of the 291 00:20:03,040 --> 00:20:07,120 Speaker 1: NRA minus the money in corruption. Nothing as the ASTRA 292 00:20:07,240 --> 00:20:09,760 Speaker 1: he does is anything besides legal, and that's not me 293 00:20:09,840 --> 00:20:11,560 Speaker 1: just doing a disclaimer. Like I think our next last 294 00:20:11,560 --> 00:20:15,240 Speaker 1: event was we went camping, like you know, it's nothing crazy. 295 00:20:16,400 --> 00:20:19,760 Speaker 1: So when art Young gets to Chelsea's apartment, it's weird. 296 00:20:20,480 --> 00:20:23,439 Speaker 1: There are these two guys with Chelsea, and Chelsea's there 297 00:20:23,480 --> 00:20:25,240 Speaker 1: and she's like, hey, how you doing. These are my friends. 298 00:20:25,280 --> 00:20:27,359 Speaker 1: You know, this is my half brother. She pointed to 299 00:20:27,359 --> 00:20:30,040 Speaker 1: this guy who's like forty five. She looked at me 300 00:20:30,080 --> 00:20:33,800 Speaker 1: like twenties to twenty five. Right points this guy that's 301 00:20:33,800 --> 00:20:36,439 Speaker 1: forty five, says, this is my half brother, and I'm like, no, 302 00:20:36,520 --> 00:20:38,200 Speaker 1: it's not. But I'm like sure, and she's like, oh, 303 00:20:38,240 --> 00:20:40,040 Speaker 1: going to go in the kitchen. We have beer and pizza. 304 00:20:40,119 --> 00:20:42,840 Speaker 1: I'm like, cool. I go in there. There's like twenty 305 00:20:42,880 --> 00:20:46,800 Speaker 1: fucking pizzas there, like an absurd amount of pizzas. I 306 00:20:46,800 --> 00:20:48,639 Speaker 1: may be over exaggerating, but enough that I was like, 307 00:20:48,680 --> 00:20:50,600 Speaker 1: who the fuck you feeding? Like, I know, I'm kind 308 00:20:50,600 --> 00:20:53,600 Speaker 1: of a chunky guy. There's a lot of pizza there, 309 00:20:53,800 --> 00:20:56,719 Speaker 1: and like thirty rack of like cores in the fridge 310 00:20:56,720 --> 00:20:59,679 Speaker 1: and some Mike's hard Everything about the situation made no 311 00:20:59,720 --> 00:21:03,840 Speaker 1: fucking sense to me. Chelsea, with her friend and supposed 312 00:21:03,920 --> 00:21:07,280 Speaker 1: half brother sitting nearby, tells art Yum that she needs 313 00:21:07,280 --> 00:21:09,440 Speaker 1: his help to get a gun. She's like, hey, I 314 00:21:09,480 --> 00:21:12,520 Speaker 1: want to get this, and I'm like, cool, Yeah, that's great. 315 00:21:12,560 --> 00:21:13,760 Speaker 1: I can go and source it for one of my 316 00:21:13,800 --> 00:21:15,480 Speaker 1: friends and yeah, we can just go down to a 317 00:21:15,480 --> 00:21:17,240 Speaker 1: gun shop and you can fill out a background check 318 00:21:17,240 --> 00:21:20,320 Speaker 1: and good bye it. She was like, Oh, okay, that's 319 00:21:20,359 --> 00:21:23,280 Speaker 1: what a conversation ended. With the pistol. It's clear to 320 00:21:23,359 --> 00:21:25,960 Speaker 1: Artyam that Chelsea is suggesting that he finds an illegal 321 00:21:26,000 --> 00:21:29,480 Speaker 1: gun for her, something off the books from the black market. 322 00:21:30,000 --> 00:21:31,720 Speaker 1: And I'm like, yeah, I'll source you a gun, no problem. 323 00:21:31,760 --> 00:21:33,359 Speaker 1: I guarantee you I find I could find somebody who 324 00:21:33,400 --> 00:21:35,400 Speaker 1: has one for sale, but we're not going to selt 325 00:21:35,400 --> 00:21:40,119 Speaker 1: you illegally. Like no. Artyam leaves a little later, thinking 326 00:21:40,119 --> 00:21:43,480 Speaker 1: the evening was bizarre and half wondering whether Chelsea's friends 327 00:21:43,800 --> 00:21:47,399 Speaker 1: are undercover cops, and still wondering who's going to eat 328 00:21:47,440 --> 00:21:53,320 Speaker 1: all those pizzas. Then, not long after, Chelsea invites another 329 00:21:53,400 --> 00:21:57,760 Speaker 1: activist over. Just as before, Chelsea has two people with her. 330 00:21:58,400 --> 00:22:03,000 Speaker 1: I met up with her and Omar. This is Gabriel Pulsic. 331 00:22:03,680 --> 00:22:07,720 Speaker 1: These guys with Chelsea, Mike and Omar. They tell Gabriel 332 00:22:07,960 --> 00:22:11,680 Speaker 1: that they're truckers. Mike was missing his left leg from 333 00:22:11,680 --> 00:22:15,240 Speaker 1: the knee down. Omar was kind of a Middle Eastern 334 00:22:15,320 --> 00:22:18,280 Speaker 1: looking guy with a big beard. Both had tattoos. Both 335 00:22:18,280 --> 00:22:22,280 Speaker 1: are very buff. Unlike art Yam, who quickly shuts down 336 00:22:22,320 --> 00:22:26,199 Speaker 1: any discussion of a legal activity, Gabriel is intrigued by 337 00:22:26,200 --> 00:22:29,080 Speaker 1: these guys. They ask Gabriel if he wants to buy 338 00:22:29,080 --> 00:22:32,399 Speaker 1: any weapons. He said that he had grenades, t and 339 00:22:32,480 --> 00:22:39,280 Speaker 1: t ak forty sevens like fully automatic weapons. Gabriel says 340 00:22:39,280 --> 00:22:41,800 Speaker 1: he'd be interested in seeing the weapons, so they agree 341 00:22:41,800 --> 00:22:45,959 Speaker 1: to meet up again, and Gabriel talks specifics types of guns, 342 00:22:46,400 --> 00:22:50,119 Speaker 1: dates deliver, how they'd be transported, but he never commits 343 00:22:50,119 --> 00:22:54,000 Speaker 1: to any purchase. He's kind of using them, leading them 344 00:22:54,040 --> 00:23:00,359 Speaker 1: on Mike and Omar, who is very generous, buying me cigars, drinks, food, 345 00:23:00,480 --> 00:23:03,040 Speaker 1: whatever I wanted, and so there were a few times 346 00:23:03,040 --> 00:23:05,280 Speaker 1: where they were obviously like pumping drinks in me or 347 00:23:05,320 --> 00:23:07,840 Speaker 1: trying to, you know, be like, yeah, do you want 348 00:23:07,960 --> 00:23:12,040 Speaker 1: another double shot? About sixteen years Scotch. At one meeting, 349 00:23:12,240 --> 00:23:16,000 Speaker 1: Mike and Omar show Gabriel a fully automatic AK forty seven. 350 00:23:16,480 --> 00:23:19,080 Speaker 1: I never saw any like grenades, routine to or any 351 00:23:19,080 --> 00:23:22,040 Speaker 1: of that other shit they're talking about. Gabriel eventually tells 352 00:23:22,080 --> 00:23:25,480 Speaker 1: Mike that he's not interested in buying anything, and then 353 00:23:25,480 --> 00:23:28,840 Speaker 1: he ghosts them. Mike then tries to keep the relationship 354 00:23:28,880 --> 00:23:31,840 Speaker 1: going and it was like hey, bro, hope you're okay, 355 00:23:31,960 --> 00:23:33,760 Speaker 1: blah blah blah. And I didn't respond in that text 356 00:23:33,760 --> 00:23:36,320 Speaker 1: because I at this point I was like highly suspicious. 357 00:23:37,840 --> 00:23:40,800 Speaker 1: And that's about when the activists in Colorado Springs discover 358 00:23:40,920 --> 00:23:45,960 Speaker 1: that Chelsea isn't Chelsea. Her cover is blown by a 359 00:23:46,000 --> 00:23:51,720 Speaker 1: fellow cop in the Colorado Springs Police Department. I just 360 00:23:52,160 --> 00:23:54,200 Speaker 1: threw my bike down. It was like, bitch, you coming 361 00:23:54,280 --> 00:23:57,639 Speaker 1: for me. As a result of her criminal charge for 362 00:23:57,800 --> 00:24:00,240 Speaker 1: supposedly attempting to assault a cop with her bicycle, goal, 363 00:24:00,880 --> 00:24:04,640 Speaker 1: Jacqueline Amandata Unsweta request to review the evidence in her case, 364 00:24:05,200 --> 00:24:07,840 Speaker 1: including police recordings from the day of the housing march, 365 00:24:08,640 --> 00:24:12,160 Speaker 1: and via Jacqueline, the activists get to see the footage. 366 00:24:12,920 --> 00:24:16,639 Speaker 1: Among the evidence is the bodycam video of officer Scott Alamo. 367 00:24:17,320 --> 00:24:21,520 Speaker 1: We sit, wait, we get paid. He's the one who 368 00:24:21,560 --> 00:24:24,439 Speaker 1: is slipping through the pages of social media photos, the 369 00:24:24,480 --> 00:24:26,720 Speaker 1: photos of the people the cops were planning to arrest 370 00:24:27,760 --> 00:24:31,960 Speaker 1: around this time. In the recording, Alamo let something slip. 371 00:24:32,840 --> 00:24:35,720 Speaker 1: He starts talking about the police officers who are secretly 372 00:24:35,720 --> 00:24:39,280 Speaker 1: among the protesters. He says there are two undercovers and 373 00:24:39,400 --> 00:24:42,879 Speaker 1: four plane closed officers. He's looking down on his phone 374 00:24:43,440 --> 00:24:46,920 Speaker 1: at photos of the undercover cops. Alamo thinks one of 375 00:24:46,960 --> 00:24:53,880 Speaker 1: the pictures highlights his undercover colleagues physical attributes picture April 376 00:24:53,960 --> 00:25:01,919 Speaker 1: with her giant boobs. Alamo's referring to April Rodgers, the 377 00:25:01,960 --> 00:25:05,800 Speaker 1: woman the activists knew as Chelsea and unlike the activists 378 00:25:06,119 --> 00:25:08,639 Speaker 1: who think the undercover cop is a sex worker and 379 00:25:08,720 --> 00:25:11,480 Speaker 1: are careful enough to use objectifying language to describe her, 380 00:25:12,400 --> 00:25:16,439 Speaker 1: Alamo goes straight to locker room talk with his giant 381 00:25:16,440 --> 00:25:20,879 Speaker 1: boobs comment. And so we started immediately looking for April 382 00:25:20,960 --> 00:25:23,800 Speaker 1: Rodgers and started looking through photos of people like we 383 00:25:23,840 --> 00:25:27,159 Speaker 1: didn't know, this is John christ Jansen again from the 384 00:25:27,200 --> 00:25:29,560 Speaker 1: Chinook Center, you know, And it was like, you know, 385 00:25:29,640 --> 00:25:32,280 Speaker 1: there was a process of the elimination, trying to figure 386 00:25:32,320 --> 00:25:34,920 Speaker 1: out like, okay, this this person April Rodgers, and then 387 00:25:34,920 --> 00:25:40,680 Speaker 1: eventually we were able to like triangulate that April Rodgers 388 00:25:41,240 --> 00:25:48,200 Speaker 1: was Chelsea. Once the information got around that Chelsea isn't 389 00:25:48,280 --> 00:25:52,120 Speaker 1: Chelsea and that Chelsea is really a cop, the undercover 390 00:25:52,480 --> 00:26:01,800 Speaker 1: April Rodgers disappears and for a time nothing more happens. Then, 391 00:26:02,119 --> 00:26:05,240 Speaker 1: in the spring of twenty twenty two, I start communicating 392 00:26:05,240 --> 00:26:08,800 Speaker 1: with some of the activists in Colorado Springs, and it 393 00:26:08,840 --> 00:26:13,159 Speaker 1: turns out, seemingly by coincidence, the FBI takes a renewed 394 00:26:13,200 --> 00:26:17,240 Speaker 1: interest in the Colorado Springs activist community. The FBI starts 395 00:26:17,320 --> 00:26:20,080 Speaker 1: knocking on doors, calling up people who had gotten a 396 00:26:20,119 --> 00:26:24,040 Speaker 1: no Chelsea the sex worker or if Al Rodgers, the 397 00:26:24,080 --> 00:26:27,240 Speaker 1: undercover cop, Hey, good morning. This message is for Autumn 398 00:26:27,320 --> 00:26:30,920 Speaker 1: Carter Wallace. This message was left for Autumn Carter Wallace, 399 00:26:31,240 --> 00:26:34,200 Speaker 1: one of the activists. This is Special Agent Henderson from 400 00:26:34,200 --> 00:26:36,879 Speaker 1: the FBI office in Colorado Springs. We came down to 401 00:26:36,960 --> 00:26:39,800 Speaker 1: chat with you if you're available. I think that it 402 00:26:39,800 --> 00:26:42,520 Speaker 1: would be great to sit down with you and talk 403 00:26:42,560 --> 00:26:44,480 Speaker 1: about some things that we are concerned about as it 404 00:26:44,520 --> 00:26:48,560 Speaker 1: relates to something's happening in the community. The FBI appears 405 00:26:48,600 --> 00:26:53,600 Speaker 1: to be interested in Gabriel Pulsic. This is Autumn who 406 00:26:53,680 --> 00:26:57,560 Speaker 1: called back the FBI after receiving that voicemail. They asked 407 00:26:57,560 --> 00:27:00,600 Speaker 1: about Gabe and if I knew anything about I don't 408 00:27:00,600 --> 00:27:02,760 Speaker 1: even know who gave is. They were like, well, we 409 00:27:02,800 --> 00:27:05,120 Speaker 1: have pictures and videos of you near him at a protest. 410 00:27:05,400 --> 00:27:07,760 Speaker 1: A protest was like a thousand people. I'm standing near 411 00:27:07,840 --> 00:27:10,200 Speaker 1: one guy. You think I know him, well, you guys 412 00:27:10,200 --> 00:27:13,800 Speaker 1: are both connected through That doesn't mean I know him. 413 00:27:13,880 --> 00:27:16,760 Speaker 1: I don't know a lot of the people. Federal agents 414 00:27:16,760 --> 00:27:19,520 Speaker 1: also come to see Art Yam, the activist April Rodgers 415 00:27:19,560 --> 00:27:22,760 Speaker 1: approached about buying a legal gun. He agrees to meet 416 00:27:22,800 --> 00:27:26,160 Speaker 1: with them at the local FBI office on the condition 417 00:27:26,320 --> 00:27:30,080 Speaker 1: that he's allowed to record their conversation, so soul kind 418 00:27:30,080 --> 00:27:32,680 Speaker 1: of a interest statements that way, they know if you're 419 00:27:32,680 --> 00:27:35,840 Speaker 1: aware that there's a recorder on the desk. Ye, I'm 420 00:27:35,960 --> 00:27:41,960 Speaker 1: Brandy Kempbell Withdrew Rosen and the detective Love at the 421 00:27:42,160 --> 00:27:47,920 Speaker 1: FBI Colorado Springs our office Thursday at eleven o five. 422 00:27:48,480 --> 00:27:51,520 Speaker 1: In this meeting, the FBI agents confirm art yam suspicions 423 00:27:52,240 --> 00:27:56,560 Speaker 1: that those two guys with April were in fact FBI agents. 424 00:27:57,240 --> 00:27:59,720 Speaker 1: You felt there was a gun running conspiracy we're trying 425 00:27:59,760 --> 00:28:05,479 Speaker 1: to throw at you, which those war in fact undercovers. However, 426 00:28:05,520 --> 00:28:09,960 Speaker 1: they basically weren't do a meeting with Gabe to sell 427 00:28:10,040 --> 00:28:13,000 Speaker 1: them hand grenades. Figured that was time why I got 428 00:28:13,000 --> 00:28:16,200 Speaker 1: my name got mixed into the moss. The FBI agents 429 00:28:16,200 --> 00:28:19,720 Speaker 1: tell Artyum that they're investigating Gabriel since he had several 430 00:28:19,720 --> 00:28:24,119 Speaker 1: discussions with the undercover agents about weapons, but as of 431 00:28:24,160 --> 00:28:27,639 Speaker 1: this recording, Gabriel has not been arrested or charged with 432 00:28:27,680 --> 00:28:36,560 Speaker 1: a crime. He denies any wrongdoing or illegal behavior. Hey, Trevor, 433 00:28:36,600 --> 00:28:39,240 Speaker 1: can you hear me? Coming back from a recent trip 434 00:28:39,240 --> 00:28:42,920 Speaker 1: to England. Gabriel is stopped at the Denver Airport, he 435 00:28:43,000 --> 00:28:46,600 Speaker 1: calls me. Following the encounter. When I was leaving, I 436 00:28:46,680 --> 00:28:49,560 Speaker 1: met the two FBI agents who have been investigating me 437 00:28:49,640 --> 00:28:53,280 Speaker 1: for a year. Okay, they basically recounts me, you know 438 00:28:53,320 --> 00:28:55,600 Speaker 1: why they were looking into me, you know, because I 439 00:28:55,640 --> 00:29:00,040 Speaker 1: was you know, I inquired about acquiring those weapons, and 440 00:29:00,040 --> 00:29:04,720 Speaker 1: they said that, you know, they have obviously recordings of 441 00:29:04,720 --> 00:29:08,160 Speaker 1: all the conversations I had with the UCS, which obviously, 442 00:29:08,280 --> 00:29:10,280 Speaker 1: you know, they made it clear that I wasn't under 443 00:29:10,400 --> 00:29:13,680 Speaker 1: us or that I wasn't being detained. The FBI agents 444 00:29:13,720 --> 00:29:16,600 Speaker 1: also tell Gabriel in this conversation that they aren't just 445 00:29:16,680 --> 00:29:21,400 Speaker 1: investigating him, They're investigating the entire Chinook Center, in anyone 446 00:29:21,440 --> 00:29:26,400 Speaker 1: involved with the political organization. An investigation solely focused on 447 00:29:26,400 --> 00:29:30,760 Speaker 1: political activity should be confined to FBI history books. But 448 00:29:30,840 --> 00:29:39,240 Speaker 1: it's happening right now. It's June twenty twenty two, and 449 00:29:39,320 --> 00:29:42,480 Speaker 1: I'm back in Colorado Springs at the local state courthouse 450 00:29:42,840 --> 00:29:45,760 Speaker 1: to attend a hearing in the criminal case of Charles Johnson, 451 00:29:46,280 --> 00:29:49,000 Speaker 1: the black activist who is dogpiled by cops and arrested 452 00:29:49,000 --> 00:29:51,760 Speaker 1: at the housing March. He's been charged with attempt at 453 00:29:51,800 --> 00:29:55,920 Speaker 1: robbery menacing and obstructing a roadway, all for his role 454 00:29:56,280 --> 00:29:58,520 Speaker 1: during the demonstration in front of the police officer's house 455 00:29:58,760 --> 00:30:03,200 Speaker 1: on August third, twenty money in Colorado Springs. Charles Johnson's 456 00:30:03,280 --> 00:30:06,680 Speaker 1: lawyer is named Alison Blackwell. She believes the charges against 457 00:30:06,720 --> 00:30:10,600 Speaker 1: her client are politically motivated, so during a hearing, she 458 00:30:10,760 --> 00:30:13,840 Speaker 1: calls April Rodgers as a witness over the objections of 459 00:30:13,880 --> 00:30:17,480 Speaker 1: prosecutors who do not want the undercover cop to testify. 460 00:30:18,160 --> 00:30:20,680 Speaker 1: For the hearing, a lawyer representing the US Department of 461 00:30:20,720 --> 00:30:25,080 Speaker 1: Justice is sitting at the prosecution's table. When you were 462 00:30:25,120 --> 00:30:28,720 Speaker 1: marching in the housing march, were you doing that for 463 00:30:28,840 --> 00:30:37,880 Speaker 1: the Colorado Springs Police Department? I was under the authority 464 00:30:37,880 --> 00:30:42,440 Speaker 1: of the FBI. Okay, how many other FBI agents were 465 00:30:42,440 --> 00:30:46,960 Speaker 1: in that march? Are respectfully declined to answer. Does the 466 00:30:47,000 --> 00:30:50,440 Speaker 1: Colorado Springs Police Department so that you're working for that PI? Yes, 467 00:30:53,760 --> 00:30:55,960 Speaker 1: So I want to talk about going back to the 468 00:30:55,960 --> 00:31:02,320 Speaker 1: SECT Center. Did you feel guilty about that? I respectfully 469 00:31:02,320 --> 00:31:06,160 Speaker 1: declined to the answer. April is wearing a black dress 470 00:31:06,320 --> 00:31:09,400 Speaker 1: with a black face mask to protect her undercover identity. 471 00:31:10,040 --> 00:31:12,920 Speaker 1: She has long, dark brown hair, but it looks like 472 00:31:12,920 --> 00:31:16,360 Speaker 1: a wig. A good one, but a wig all the same. 473 00:31:17,600 --> 00:31:20,840 Speaker 1: On request will on the witness stand, April pulls down 474 00:31:20,880 --> 00:31:25,240 Speaker 1: her face mask, but only to her chin. Attorney Alison 475 00:31:25,280 --> 00:31:30,320 Speaker 1: Blackwell asks April question after question, and nearly every time 476 00:31:30,560 --> 00:31:35,120 Speaker 1: April answers, I respectfully decline to answer. She keeps looking 477 00:31:35,160 --> 00:31:38,560 Speaker 1: over at the lawyer from the Justice Department. It's a 478 00:31:38,600 --> 00:31:41,719 Speaker 1: truly bizarre scene, one of the strangest I've ever witnessed 479 00:31:41,720 --> 00:31:45,719 Speaker 1: in a courtroom. This is a state courthouse, and in 480 00:31:45,720 --> 00:31:49,959 Speaker 1: this case, the United States government is not a party. 481 00:31:50,120 --> 00:31:53,880 Speaker 1: And yet a Justice Department lawyer is instructing a local 482 00:31:53,920 --> 00:31:58,280 Speaker 1: cop not to answer questions about a criminal case she 483 00:31:58,720 --> 00:32:02,200 Speaker 1: helped investigate. Did you think that Mike Planet was a 484 00:32:02,320 --> 00:32:08,920 Speaker 1: terrorist threat? At any point I respectfully declined to answer. 485 00:32:09,960 --> 00:32:15,640 Speaker 1: I would you say now I've been told to respond 486 00:32:15,720 --> 00:32:21,520 Speaker 1: or respectfully declined to answer. Someone else who declines to 487 00:32:21,560 --> 00:32:26,640 Speaker 1: answer about any of this is the FBI officials in 488 00:32:26,680 --> 00:32:29,400 Speaker 1: Colorado and Washington d C refused to respond to a 489 00:32:29,400 --> 00:32:35,120 Speaker 1: list of questions about the investigation in Colorado Springs. And 490 00:32:35,680 --> 00:32:40,600 Speaker 1: in Denver, there's our old friend Mickey, and Mickey's about 491 00:32:40,600 --> 00:32:44,680 Speaker 1: to face some trouble. Some activists from the Springs are 492 00:32:44,680 --> 00:32:48,160 Speaker 1: about to post information online alleging that the man behind 493 00:32:48,160 --> 00:32:51,400 Speaker 1: the wheel of the Silver Hearse is a secret informant, 494 00:32:52,520 --> 00:32:58,160 Speaker 1: and Mickey will respond with his own accusations. So there's 495 00:32:58,200 --> 00:33:01,200 Speaker 1: a group or an individual it's claiming that they are 496 00:33:01,360 --> 00:33:05,800 Speaker 1: Antifa Colorado Springs and in fact that that I believe 497 00:33:05,880 --> 00:33:09,120 Speaker 1: that they are actually not Antifa Colorado Springs because I 498 00:33:09,200 --> 00:33:13,520 Speaker 1: believe they are actually a cop. I for one, am 499 00:33:13,560 --> 00:33:18,960 Speaker 1: not amused or pleased about the fuckery that's going on. 500 00:33:21,160 --> 00:33:25,960 Speaker 1: That's in the next episode. This is Trojan Hearst Season 501 00:33:26,000 --> 00:33:30,200 Speaker 1: one of Alphabet Boys. Alphabet Boys is a production of 502 00:33:30,240 --> 00:33:33,760 Speaker 1: Western Sound and iHeart Podcasts. The show is reported, written 503 00:33:33,800 --> 00:33:37,480 Speaker 1: and hosted by me Trevor Aaronson. For more information about 504 00:33:37,480 --> 00:33:39,760 Speaker 1: the series or to drop us a tip, head to 505 00:33:39,800 --> 00:33:43,960 Speaker 1: our website Alphabet Boys dot xyz. You can contact me 506 00:33:44,000 --> 00:33:48,120 Speaker 1: on Twitter or Instagram at Trevor Aaronson. We believe this 507 00:33:48,160 --> 00:33:50,840 Speaker 1: story is important and could result in changes to FBI 508 00:33:50,920 --> 00:33:54,640 Speaker 1: oversight and public policy. But to have an impact, people 509 00:33:54,680 --> 00:33:57,760 Speaker 1: need to hear the story, so we need your help. First, 510 00:33:57,880 --> 00:34:01,200 Speaker 1: tell your friends about the show. Personal recommendations are the 511 00:34:01,240 --> 00:34:05,600 Speaker 1: best recommendations. Second, spread the word on social media. At 512 00:34:05,640 --> 00:34:09,640 Speaker 1: alphabet boys dot xyz, you'll find FBI undercover recordings and 513 00:34:09,719 --> 00:34:13,680 Speaker 1: secret documents. You can share stuff the government never wanted public. 514 00:34:14,440 --> 00:34:17,240 Speaker 1: Third help us ride the algorithms by leaving a rating 515 00:34:17,320 --> 00:34:20,520 Speaker 1: or review on your favorite podcast app that helps other 516 00:34:20,520 --> 00:34:22,680 Speaker 1: people find us, and thanks for listening.