Show Notes
This past January, America’s so‑called “last cannabis prisoner” walked out of federal custody after serving years on a marijuana trafficking conspiracy between California and the East Coast.
At 24, he was running a multi‑million‑dollar weed pipeline from Northern California to Maryland, using tractor‑trailers, private planes, and even FedEx franchises as part of the cannabis supply chain. Before he was ever arrested, he realized a federal case was coming, contacted a lawyer known for representing El Chapo, and then disappeared into Central America as a fugitive.
In this episode of The Hidden Third, we go inside his full story as a federal cannabis defendant in a “legal weed” America: how his operation actually worked, what happened to the millions he made, and how, once he was back in the system, he says he was scammed by a lawyer he trusted.
We talk about:
How a kid who’d been homeless as a teen in suburban Maryland built a national cannabis logistics network
The nuts and bolts of the operation: Northern California grow, East Coast demand, trucks and FedEx franchises in between
Why he fled to Central America under another identity — and what finally made him come back and face the federal indictment
What happened to the money and why the millions he made didn’t translate into a soft landing
How he says he was scammed by his own lawyer
Life inside pretrial custody and prison, “diesel therapy,” and what it means to try to rebuild while still on probation
If you’re interested in the war on drugs, federal marijuana cases, or how large‑scale cannabis trafficking really works behind the headlines, this episode pulls back the curtain in a way you rarely hear from someone who’s just come home.
Timeline’s clinically proven formula, Mitopure, now starts at $79, when you subscribe at http://timeline.com/MARIANA
Save 60% on Webroot when you go to http://webroot.com/MARIANA
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
More from The Hidden Third
Start your free trial of Perplexity Computer today at https://pplx.ai/hiddenthird and experience the next phase of AI. #ad
Get 15% off OneSkin with the code MARIANA at https://www.oneskin.co/MARIANA #oneskinpod
Go to https://meetfabric.com/HIDDENTHIRD and apply today, risk-free
Disclaimer: Marilyn Manson, whose legal name is Brian Warner, has denied Evan Rachel Wood’s allegations. He has previously said that her claims are “horrible distortions of reality” and that his intimate relationships were consensual. In January 2025, Los Angeles County prosecutors announced that no criminal charges would be filed following a four-year investigation, stating that the domestic-violence allegations fell outside the statute of limitations and that they could not prove sexual-assault charges beyond a reasonable doubt. The DA’s office also said it “recognize[s] and applaud[s] the courage and resilience” of the women who came forward, noting that their advocacy helped bring greater awareness to the challenges faced by survivors of domestic abuse and sexual assault.
Join The Hidden Third Patreon today: https://patreon.com/TheHiddenThird