Episodes

  • How Surviving The Cartel Changed My Life Forever

    How Surviving The Cartel Changed My Life Forever
    Jul 6 2025
    Nelson on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/montanatheprophet/ Steve on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/bigstevebigmoves/ This week on Honor Among Thieves, we sit down with Steve Prohaska—a man whose life began in unimaginable tragedy. After losing both parents in a Colombian cartel hit, Steve was adopted by a Jewish couple and brought to the U.S., where he was given a shot at a new life. In this raw and emotional episode, Steve opens up about how the trauma of his past shaped his future, from troubled teenage years and legal troubles to a path of resilience and redemption. Steve also shares his experience as the former owner of Tuxedo Junction, the legendary Connecticut nightclub where fellow ex-con and podcast guest Ian Bick’s infamous story began. From cartel to nightclub politics and personal transformation, this episode delivers a gripping blend of true crime, survival, and second chances. Time Stamps 0:00 Intro 2:27 Becoming an orphan 6:08 Coming To America 10:30 Starting School As A Colombian Immigrant Kid 15:00 Almost getting Sent Back To Colombia 20:15 Learning About His Past 26:10 The Nightclub Business 34:40 Leaving The Night Club 40:00 Closure: The Colombian Family 46:20 Redemption Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    51 mins
  • The Dark Past of Bare Knuckle Fighting's TOP Female Fighter

    The Dark Past of Bare Knuckle Fighting's TOP Female Fighter
    Jun 29 2025
    Jamie Driver on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/theredqueen_444/ Nelson on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/montanatheprophet/ This week on Honor Among Thieves, host Nelson Rodriguez Jr. sits down with Jamie Driver — the reigning BYB bareknuckle boxing welterweight champion — fresh off her first title defense. Jamie opens up about her upbringing, addiction struggles, and surviving abusive relationships. But perhaps most powerful is how she overcame a brain tumor that threatened to end everything. From street fights to championship belts, Jamie’s story is one of raw resilience, transformation, and triumph. A gripping true crime redemption arc that proves some warriors are made in the darkest places. Use Promo Code MONTANA https://gusvillajewelry.com/ Time Stamps 0:00 Intro 3:13 Growing Up Fighting As A Kid 12:50 Going Left 19:07 The Drug Problem In The Cold States 24:01 Going Pro 32:45 Deciding To Fight For Real 38:50 Finding Out She Had A Tumor In Her Brain 43:50 The 2nd Abusive Relationship 50:09 Signing With BYB 58:15 Issues With The Tumor Again 1:05:30 The Title Fight 1:17:15 Redemption Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 27 mins
  • Inside Jason Votrobek's CRAZY Life as a Former Drug Smuggler

    Inside Jason Votrobek's CRAZY Life as a Former Drug Smuggler
    Jun 22 2025
    Nelson on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/montanatheprophet/ Jason on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/8upjay/ In this gripping episode of Honor Among Thieves, host Nelson Rodriguez Jr. sits down with Jason Votrobek, a former drug trafficker from Vero Beach, Florida, who rose from small-town drug dealer to international smuggler with ties to the infamous Cali Cartel. When Florida's powder supply dried up in the 2000s, Jason took matters into his own hands—traveling to the Bahamas in search of a new connect. What he found changed his life: direct access to high-level distributors and a path to Colombia’s source. With a bold plan and a fleet of speed boats, Jason launched a smuggling operation that would eventually move over 100 kilos a month across international waters. From navigating cartel politics to evading law enforcement, this episode dives deep into the real-life criminal enterprise behind one of the most dangerous hustles on the planet. Use Promo Code MONTANA https://gusvillajewelry.com/ Time Stamps 0:00 Intro 5:21 Criminal Life As A Kid 14:47 The Plug Dries: The Opportunity 26:15 The Bahamian Plug 34:05 The Cali Cartel 41:52 Becoming The Plug 50:00 Deciding To Retire: What’s Next? 55:50 Blowing Drug Money On Strippers And A Hyundai Sonata 1:02:40 Outro Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 6 mins
  • How Manny Vitale Went From Police Officer To Biker Gang

    How Manny Vitale Went From Police Officer To Biker Gang
    Jun 15 2025
    Nelson on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/montanatheprophet/ Manny on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/myfightourwar/ Former Detroit police officer Manny Vitale reveals how he went from enforcing the law to riding with the notorious Detroit Highwaymen Motorcycle Club—a 1% outlaw biker gang. Manny opens up about the double life he once led, the brutal realities of gang-infested Detroit, and the dirty cops he encountered along the way. But the wildest twist in his story? He was given just six weeks to live after a total organ shutdown—only to miraculously survive. From the unwritten rules of MC life to real-life corruption on the streets, Manny’s story is packed with grit, danger, and redemption. Use Promo Code "MONTANA" https://gusvillajewelry.com/ Time Stamps 0:00 Intro 1:41 From Law Man to Out Law 8:12 The Laws of The MC 19:15 Life As An Alcoholic Cop 30:03 Leaving The Force And Getting Shot In The Face 42:00 Being Told I’m Going To Die 48:45 Second Chance At Life 55:18 Redemption Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 1 min
  • The King of The Underground: Tampa's COKE KINGPIN Tells All

    The King of The Underground: Tampa's COKE KINGPIN Tells All
    Jun 8 2025
    John "Poet" Thorton on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/johnpoetthornton/ Nelson on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/montanatheprophet/ John "Poet" Thorton News Article https://www.tampabay.com/archive/2008/05/02/10-years-for-murder-attempt/ On this explosive episode of Honor Among Thieves, host Nelson Rodriguez Jr. sits down with John "Poet" Thornton, infamously known as The White Tony Montana and King of the Underground. Once dubbed by local newspapers as the leader of "The Society", Poet ran one of Tampa’s largest underground coke empires, distributing high-purity product through over 30 nightclubs across the city. His drug network eventually expanded into New York, Louisiana, Alabama, and more—turning a solo pill hustle into a multi-state coke distribution empire. In this raw and gripping interview, Poet opens up about the dark reality of drug trafficking, the emotional breakdown that came after losing the love of his life, and how it led to a spiral that ended in a near-fatal attempt on someone's life. This is the rise, fall, and near self-destruction of a man once feared in the streets and revered in the club scene. Stay tuned for Part Two, where Poet details his time in federal prison, gang life behind bars, and what redemption looks like after surviving the drug game. Time Stamps 0:00 Intro 3:58 Poet’s Childhood 12:19 Finding Drugs for the first time 21:15 The Bean Plug 38:15 Finding The Night Clubs: Distribution 49:37 The Bean Plug Retires: Meet The Plug’s Plug 53:24 Nicole: Starting The Coke Business 1:08:30 The Team Takes Form 1:12:45 The Big Time: Distribution, Moving Big Weight, & “The Society” 1:26:17 Blowing Money Like A Drug Dealer 1:31:52 Love At First Sight 1:44:09 The Night That Landed Him In Prison 1:49:19 Wanted: On The Run 1:55:10 Getting Caught: Arrested At The Border Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    2 hrs and 3 mins
  • What REALLY Happens to You on Rikers Island

    What REALLY Happens to You on Rikers Island
    Jun 1 2025
    Nelson on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/montanatheprophet/ Josh on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hellonrikers/ Use Promo Code MONTANA Gus Villa Jewelry https://gusvillajewelry.com/ In this episode of Honor Among Thieves, we sit down with Josh—better known as Hell On Rikers—as he shares the raw, unfiltered truth about life growing up in the Bronx projects, his upbringing in the crack trade, and his harrowing experiences doing time in Rikers Island and the New York State prison system. From armed robberies to surviving the brutal world of gang violence, solitary confinement, and the inner politics of Bloods and Crips, Josh takes us deep inside the culture of Rikers Island at its most violent peak. He eventually joins a Bloods faction and gives jaw-dropping insight into prison gangs, extortion, and the psychological toll of life behind bars. This is one of the most intense and brutally honest looks at street crime, urban survival, and the long road to redemption ever told on this podcast. If you're into true crime, gang culture, and prison stories, you won’t want to miss this one. Time Stamps 0:00 Intro 2:03 The Bronx: The Bloodline 8:38 Mother In the Crack Cocaine Game 13:31 First time getting arrested selling crack 24:37 The Beginning of A Career In Robbery 31:30 First Time Going To Prison 39:16 Busted Again: Sent To Riker’s Island 49:15 Riots, Gangs & The Box: Getting Moved To Another Unit 1:04:35 Sentenced To A Year: Moved Units Again 1:13:45 Going Home From Riker’s Island 1:18:30 Back To Riker’s Island: Joining A Gang 1:28:15 Washington Correctional Facility 1:41:10 Free Again: Going Back To The Crack Game 1:51:15 The Feds 1:58:15 Redemption Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    2 hrs and 6 mins
  • From $100k a Day to Life in Prison: The Story of The Jones Brothers

    From $100k a Day to Life in Prison: The Story of The Jones Brothers
    May 27 2025
    Nelson on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/montanatheprophet/ Lonnie Jones on instagram https://www.instagram.com/lifeafterlife20/ Lyle Jones on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/jonesjr.lyle/ Ever seen "New Jack City" starring Wesley Snipes? Well meet two men who lived that movie in real life. This is Lonnie and Lyle Jones. Now typically when people hear Connecticut, they think of rich white people that live in one giant suburb just outside New York City. The Jones Brothers will introduce you to a whole other side of Connecticut that contradicts everything you would ever think that place is. Bridgeport, the poorest city in the state and home to the most notorious projects in New England, the PT Barnum Housing Projects. This is where our story begins. From humble beginnings, to building a $100,000 a day drug empire that spanned an entire city. Ultimately, this ends in both of them getting life sentences in prison.... How are they out today? Watch the full podcast and find out. Time Stamps 0:00 Intro 1:59 Bridgeport, NOT rich white Connecticut 15:20 Lyle Finds The Streets 23:50 Lonnie Gets In The Game 37:40 Lyle Gets Back in The Game With Lonnie 50:49 The Feds Are Coming 1:02:10 Brothers Go To Prison And Go To Trial 1:16:06 Serving Life Sentences 1:35:00 Reunited after 20 years 1:40:40 Redemption Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 52 mins
  • Jerry Ormond: Should You Risk Everything to Save a Friend?

    Jerry Ormond: Should You Risk Everything to Save a Friend?
    May 18 2025
    Nelson on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/montanatheprophet/ Jerry Ormond on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/universalartsfitness/ Nelson sits down with Jeremiah Ormond, an Irish-American kid from Stafford, Connecticut, whose life took a sharp turn from promising hockey star to convicted felon. Growing up surrounded by a crew that lived on the edge—fighting, stealing, and constantly in trouble—Jeremiah shares how one bad decision led to another, until a single violent incident changed everything. After stepping into a fight to defend a friend, Jerry delivered a brutal stomp that nearly cost another kid his life. That moment landed him in court—alongside 30 of his friends facing charges the same day—and eventually behind bars for a one-year prison bid that exposed him to the brutal realities of life inside: fights, stabbings, and death in the yard. Raw, unfiltered, and brutally honest, Jeremiah opens up about the path that led him into the system—and what he saw while he was in it. This episode is a deep dive into how fast life can spiral, and how thin the line really is between freedom and a cage. Time Stamps 0:00 Intro 2:58 Connecticut Is The Hood 8:10 Growing Up Irish And Around Violence 16:40 The Beginning of Crime 22:47 The Assault & Getting Arrested 35:44 Going to Prison 44:11 Officially In Prison 52:45 Seeing A Dead Body In Prison 58:30 How Races Interact In Prison 1:03:20 Getting Into A Prison Fight 1:10:38 Coming Home 1:21:50 Surrounded By Death 1:27:03 Redemption Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 37 mins