02x07 - High Planes Grifter

[bunniefuu]

ANNOUNCER: In the nation's largest city,

the vicious and violent
members of the underworld

are hunted by the detectives

of the Organized Crime Control Bureau.

These are their stories.

Nova, give this to your boss.

[DRAMATIC MUSIC]

- Louis Chinaski.
- Eddie Wagner.

I'm your son.

If it risks blowing your cover,

we're gonna have
to take him off the street.

I don't know who you are,

but I know you're not Eddie Wagner.

Edmund Ross was implicated
in a sex trafficking ring

run by the Kosta Organization.

Plenty of names didn't burn up.

Kosta is gonna make sure
you don't talk to anyone.

That guy running for
governor, Kosta wants him dead.

♪ ♪

Come on...

Reggie Bogdani, you're under arrest.

♪ ♪

[DOOR BUZZING]

You know why you're here and not Rikers?

Got no idea why I'm here.

Are you kidding?

You m*rder*d a woman in cold blood.

Half a dozen people witnessed it.

You're looking at life without parole.

You're here because we want to give you

a chance to help yourself.

[LAUGHS]

Oh, you think that's funny?

You're here because you're
an insignificant piece of crap.

And we're gonna give you
a chance to help us

lock up a way more
significant piece of crap.

Think about that.

[SNICKERING] Okay.

[DRAMATIC MUSIC]

♪ ♪

You were a cute kid.
Regular Boy Scout, huh?

We're gonna go over every detail

about how Jon Kosta
runs his organization,

starting with the drug trade.

In March of ,
your uncle, Albi Briscu,

he traveled to Putamayo, Colombia.

What was the purpose of that trip?

A well-earned vacation.

We know he cut a deal with two cartels.

A deal to cover the cost
of shipping and distribution

of their cocaine.
He cut out the middleman.

Which is a clever idea.

Obviously, genius doesn't
run in your family,

so whose idea was it?

Who was the mastermind?

The mastermind?

Oh, yeah.

[LAUGHS]

No electronic traces. No transactions.

Just a money transfer system
based on cash and mutual trust.

Perfect for money laundering.

Your phone.

This is a pretty impressive
piece of technology.

After Admir Marku was arrested,
our task force

started producing
and distributing these.

So, whenever you and your
friends text back and forth,

they were CC'ed to us.

[PHONE BUZZES AND CHIRPS]

Oh, snap.

You got a text from Uncle Albi.

I'ma hold on to this,

and I'll get back to Uncle Albi for you.

You have no idea
who you're dealing with.

You don't mess with Albi. Trust me.

I'll take my chances.

Look at all these photos.

We're got you on everything
from m*rder to sex trafficking,

drug smuggling, to extortion.

You might want to consider
our proposition

to help us with
our case against Jon Kosta.

Not a chance.

We also have your party boy,
Edmund Ross, in custody.

He's ready to start talking.

And the DA's Office, they're willing

to make a deal with one of you.

Only one.

So, in a few hours,
you and your testimony

are gonna become obsolete.

[DOOR BUZZING]

Sergeant Brewster, can I get
a minute alone with him?

I mean, it's pointless.
Let's just move on.

Edmund Ross is the bigger fish here.

Think once Reggie realizes

this is an either/or choice...

either he helps himself

and helps us take down the K-O,

or don't, and go down with him...

he'll be willing to cooperate.

It's never gonna happen, all right?

Well, never say never, Reggie.

Matter of fact,
just hold tight a minute.

♪ ♪

[DOOR SLAMS]

[DOOR BUZZES]

Are you kidding me?

I told you, you're wasting
your time, all right?

I'm not gonna talk.

Sorry you feel that way, Reg.

[INTENSE MUSIC]

♪ ♪

[DRAMATIC MUSIC]

♪ ♪

[TENSE MUSIC]

♪ ♪

- You traitor!
- Sit down.

You pig! I will k*ll you!

- I will k*ll you!
- Stop.

- I'll k*ll you.
- Stop, sit down.

Sit down. Sit down.

- Go to hell!
- Sit down.

I'll k*ll you.

Reggie, sit down.

Sit down, let's talk.

Let's talk, yeah, yeah.
I want to talk to you.

Yeah, yeah.

I want to talk to the guy
who betrayed me, Eddie.

Or what's your real name, huh?

- I did what I had to do.
- Oh, yeah, you did.

You did.

"I'm your boy. I got your back, Reg.

You're my ride-or-die". You're a liar.

You're a... you're a cop.

At least I didn't sell you
out like your family did.

You know nothing about family.

I know that they sent you
out there to assassinate

a rising political star
in broad daylight.

All alone. No backup, nothing.

Even you knew you couldn't do it.

No, no. No.

This was my time.
This was my time to come up.

This was your time to die, Reg.

You were supposed to finish the job.

But you were supposed to get k*lled.

su1c1de by cop, that's what they wanted.

They didn't want you to get arrested,

because you might be part of the family,

but if you're a problem to the family,

you get sh*t in the head,
or you get disappeared.

That sound familiar?

Just...

get out.

I can't even look at your face.

Get out!

No!

Why? Why would you do this to me?

I gave you everything.

I gave you everything I had

to get you on your feet.

And you just destroyed
everything I've ever had.

What are we talking about now?

What are we talking about?

The oath? Besa and all that stuff?

Yeah, yeah. I belonged.

Yeah, you belonged to
a family that basically lured

desperate, naive girls
away from their loved ones,

transports them thousands of miles,

sells them to strangers who
will r*pe them over and over.

And that's the family
we're talking about.

- You're part of that family?
- No.

No, it's not true.

Who do you think k*lled your father?

Put that b*llet in your mother's brain?

♪ ♪

Now, Reg, I am your best and only chance

at getting out of this.

I told you I got your back before.

I got your back.

♪ ♪

But the clock's ticking.

So you gotta make a decision
on what you want to do.

[SOMBER MUSIC]

♪ ♪

[SNIFFLES]

Hey. Hey, why am I here?

You're here for your own protection.

What you're doing is against the law.

Well, I am prepared to deal
with the consequences.

You can't do that!

I'd do the same thing for my own son.

- Hey, how'd it go?
- Give me a second.

Grand jury's assembling upstairs.

I hear you! Show me what Albi said.

He still thinks
he's texting with Reggie?

Sure does.

Told him I'm laying low for a few days.

Now he's asking if he should
"bring my momma some food"?

No.

No one brings Agnes any food.
She's cooking - .

That's what I figured. It's a code.

He's trying to figure out
if Reggie's compromised.

Remember: no anchovies.

That's what you want Reggie
to text back?

Mm-hmm, yeah.

she's allergic to anchovies.
Give that a sh*t.

Got it.

Same grand jury we've been working with

- the past four months?
- They're up-to-speed.

Ready to hand out an indictment.

- The clock is ticking.
- We got the goods.

So, you gotta make a decision

on what you want to do.

You told him the clock was ticking,

but you didn't tell him
when the b*mb was going off.

You need to push him harder.

Reggie's ready to fold.

There's just one more card
we need to play.

Agnes Bogdani?

[TENSE MUSIC]

♪ ♪

Where's your son, Mrs. Bogdani?

He's probably just running late.

Let's get started.

Well, we have you down for
a flu sh*t today, Mrs. Bogdani.

We'll take your vitals and...

Can I have a few minutes alone

with Mrs. Bogdani, please?

♪ ♪

I'm glad he's safe.

Do you trust the message?

I tell you what I don't trust.

I don't trust Reggie not
to make another stupid mistake.

Where do you think he is?

I don't know. He didn't say.

I was him, I'd be halfway
to St. Thomas by now.

Wouldn't leave the country
without Agnes.

I'll tell you who knows where Reggie is.

Eddie Ashes.

Let's get Wagner down here.

I'm First Grade Detective
Elliott Stabler,

shield number .

Over the last six months,
I've been undercover

with the Kosta Organization, aka K-O.

They're an Albanian transnational

criminal syndicate based
out of the Bronx.

In that time,
I've been party to extortion,

drug smuggling, weapons sales,

human trafficking,

and sex trafficking,

as well as personally witnessing

a half-dozen murders.

Thank you, Detective Stabler.

Let's begin by talking

about the K-O's cocaine
trafficking business.

What distinguishes them
from all the other drug dealers

in the state of New York?

Well, the Kosta Organization
has gone to the source,

Colombia, and they cut a deal.

And they have taken
over the manufacturing,

the transportation, the
distribution of their cocaine.

They now control
their entire supply chain.

Hmm, and is it fair to say
that they've become bolder,

more powerful, and more
dangerous as a result?

The K-O is the most dangerous
criminal organization

that New York has ever seen.

A mere individuals are responsible

for a % uptick in murders
in just one year.

During this entire investigation,

Detective Stabler managed
to gain their trust

and, with the leadership
of Sergeants Bell and Brewster,

gathered an extraordinary
amount of evidence,

which we will present to you
over the next two days,

at which time we hope
that this grand jury

will decide to indict

and empower them to put an end
to the K-O's reign of terror.

[SOFT DRAMATIC MUSIC]

♪ ♪

[DOOR BUZZES]

♪ ♪

I'm gonna be fine, Mama.

Fine, fine.

It's okay, it's okay.
You're with me now.

I'm not gonna let anything
happen to us, okay? Okay.

You been taking your medication?

Mm-hmm.

Oh.

No, no, no...

It's nothing, it's nothing.

I know, I know it's not good,
but, you know,

we're gonna... we're gonna
figure it out.

Okay? We'll figure this out.

♪ ♪

Okay, Mama...

okay, okay, okay.

I'm sorry.

Who did this to you?

Who did it?

Nobody did this to me, Mama.

I did it to myself.

Detective Stabler, have you
ever been in a position

to observe how the K-O gets
their cocaine into the country?

I have. Ports of entry.

Those are the most valuable
and the most vulnerable

for any drug smuggling operation.

Thus, we noticed a few months back,

the Albanians started to infiltrate

the Dock Workers Union

in order to gain...

Ladies and gentlemen, apologies.

The investigation is ongoing,
and something's come up

that requires Detective
Stabler's immediate attention.

[INTENSE MUSIC]

♪ ♪

Albi texted. Kosta wants to see you.

What do you think?

Well, obviously they're
suspicious, panicking,

and looking for Reggie.

That's a dangerous place for you to be.

I can hold the grand jury,
but I can't hold it forever.

I can send Maldonado as backup.

No, where are we
with the Chinaski situation?

I was able to get him a one-way ticket

to Fort Lauderdale
with $ , in his pocket.

- I'm very appreciative.
- Hey. What's your plan?

Fly by the seat of my pants
and don't say anything stupid.

What were you doing
when you got arrested?

I was doing a job, Ma.

Albi knows better than

to send you out alone.

- I wasn't alone, okay?
- [DOOR BUZZES]

Time's up.

Mrs. Bogdani,
Reggie's in a lot of trouble.

A great deal of trouble.

Now, we want to help him help himself

by testifying in front of
a grand jury this afternoon.

They want me to turn on the family, Ma.

They say that I could...

I could go away for a long time.

Maybe the rest of my life.

That means you ain't got no house.

And no doctors.

Besa's not gonna keep me out of jail.

If your son agrees to testify,

we are prepared to relocate

both of you into
the Witness Protection Program.

You can start a new life, together,

away from the Kosta Organization.

We're hoping that
you'll help us convince Reggie

to do the right thing.

[HIP-HOP MUSIC PLAYING OVER SPEAKERS]

♪ ♪

- Eddie.
- Hey, Flutura, hey.

Have you seen Reggie?
He was a no-show at the diner.

I was supposed to meet up with him.

I don't keep tabs on Reggie.

Yeah, yeah, of course, yeah.

- I got to, uh...
- I know.

Eddie.

[TENSE MUSIC]

♪ ♪

You're a mess.

Yeah, fire spread a little
faster than I wanted it to.

- Where you been?
- Just out doing a thing.

Reggie was supposed to do it with me,

but he was a no-show at the diner.

So, you don't know where he is.

No, no. Everything all right?

There a problem?

Have a seat.

♪ ♪

You tried texting him?

Half-dozen times.

No response.

- What was this thing?
- Small job.

Supply store, they wanted
to have a fresh start,

- so I helped him out.
- Him who?

- Just a guy.
- "Just a guy".

What was his name?

♪ ♪

Maldonado.

Yeah?

Let's call him.

♪ ♪

[LINE RINGS]

Eddie? Is it done?

Yo, Bobby.

Yeah, all right. [SIGHS AND GRUMBLES]

♪ ♪

Reggie got in a little bit
of trouble last night.

I gather you don't know
anything about it.

No. What kind of trouble?

That's not what's important.

What's important is that we get
to him before the cops do.

Reggie's scared.

And when he's scared,
he does stupid things.

Well, yeah, don't we all, huh?

- Listen, he trusts you.
- Okay.

Try and contact him.
Keep trying to get him.

Okay. Yeah, look.

Whatever you guys need,
you know, I'll do it.

And if I find him,
do you have someplace safe

that you want me to bring him,
have him lay low?

♪ ♪

We don't care what you do with the body.

Just bring us something
so you can prove it's Reggie.

♪ ♪

Keep trying to get him.

And if I find him,
do you have someplace safe

that you want me to bring him,
have him lay low?

[TENSE MUSIC]

♪ ♪

We don't care what you do with the body.

Just bring us something
so you can prove it's Reggie.

♪ ♪

Can you bring my mom back in?

[DOOR BUZZES]

Hi, Mrs. Bogdani.

Welcome. Come on in.

Please have a seat.

Sit down, Ma.

I spoke with your brother,
Albi, earlier today.

He ordered me to find Reggie
and to k*ll him.

They want me dead, Ma.

I'm sorry. I'm so sorry I doubted you.

[WHISPERS]

No. You can't talk to Albi.

If he finds out about Eddie,
the deal's off.

The more that you help us,

the more it's gonna help him.

They want me to testify
in front of the grand jury.

I got no choice.

Either we do this, or I'm...

I'm not gonna be around
to take care of you anymore.

But you tell me... whatever you
want to do, and I'll do it.

[WHISPERS]

Will my mother have to testify too?

Well, look, it's like I said,

the more she helps us,
the more it helps you.

But I think that we can have you give

your statement in private

with an Assistant District
Attorney and a court reporter.

Does that work for you?

So, you're saying it wasn't a choice.

Well, it's not like
you can sign up for the K-O.

You're born into it.

And once you're in,
you ain't never getting out.

Now, Albi Briscu, that's your
mother's side of the family?

He's her brother, yeah.

And he ordered the att*ck
on your father,

during which your mother
incurred the brain injury

which caused her speech disability.

I was just a kid.

I have no idea if that's true.

- You never asked about it?
- What good would that do me?

This is a question
from juror number four.

You talk a lot about your uncle,

but you haven't
once mentioned Jon Kosta.

Have you ever received
a direct order from Kosta?

[DRAMATIC MUSIC]

♪ ♪

Agniezka Bogdani? I'm ADA Chen.

I'll be asking you questions.
You'll answer in writing.

And Ms. Brooks, our court reporter,

will transcribe everything you
write for the formal record.

Please take your time,
and try to write legibly.

Please place your right hand
on the Bible.

Do you swear that the testimony
you give shall be the truth,

the whole truth, and nothing
but the truth, so help you God?

Yes.

Record that as yes.

Yep, I got that.

Let's start by talking about

how you know the following individuals.

What's your relationship
with Reggie Bogdani,

Albi Briscu, Jon Kosta?

How's it going up there?

Reggie's doing okay.

Ann has some concerns.

The jury's asked
a few questions about Kosta.

They've clocked that Reggie
gets his orders

directly from Albi.

Who gets his orders from Kosta.

So, what's the problem?

We don't have Albi on the stand,

which leaves room for reasonable doubt

where Kosta's concerned.
We need that direct link.

What about Edmund Ross?

We're going to Rikers tomorrow morning

and review his testimony
before he takes the stand.

He's just become our
key witness against Jon Kosta.

Sergeant Bell,

can I have a few minutes
with you in your office?

[COUGHING]

[COUGHS]

Let me go get some napkins.
I'll be right back.

[TENSE MUSIC]

♪ ♪

I'm sorry, did you want some gum?

[SIGHS]

I just told Sergeant Brewster
I'm putting you back

in charge of
the Organized Crime Task Force.

I'm gonna recommend you keep
Cho and Maldonado,

unless you have any concerns about them.

No. What about Nova?

We haven't talked about that.
Let me think about it.

Okay.

Where is Sergeant Brewster going?

I'm gonna be stepping away
from criminal intelligence

to oversee the international
liaison program full-time.

Sergeant Brewster... actually,
Lieutenant Brewster...

will be taking my place.

Lieutenant?

You'll make the best of it.

♪ ♪

[HIP-HOP MUSIC PLAYING OVER SPEAKERS]

♪ ♪

I'm looking for someone
named Albi Briscu?

Who's looking for me?

Come here.

- What do you want?
- Are you Albi Briscu?

Let's pretend I am.

I have a message for you.

I'm supposed to give it
to you privately.

Whoever sent you, you tell
them to talk to my lawyer.

I don't take no private message
from strangers.

It's from Mrs. Agnes Bogdani.
She says she's your sister.

Come in.

Everybody out.

What's this about?

This young lady is from the state court.

The Manhattan courts, actually.

She has a message from Agnes.

Agnes has promised her $ , .

It must be an important message.

[READS IN ALBANIAN]

- What does it mean?
- I don't know.

I don't even know what language it is.

"Reggie has broken besa.
They are coming".

[TENSE DRAMATIC MUSIC]

♪ ♪

- Why was Agnes in court?
- I don't know.

It was a grand jury hearing.

♪ ♪

- Was Reggie in court too?
- I think so?

I was with Mrs. Bogdani,

but I heard he went upstairs to testify.

Well, thank you very much.
You've been very helpful.

You can go.

♪ ♪

Sorry, miss, I almost forgot.

Come here.

There's $ , .

, more for not talking
to anybody about this, okay?

He's a generous man.

[g*nsh*t]

Clean that up in there for us.

It's fine, just leave it.

We already have a grand jury.
We don't have a lot of time.

But get her out of the way.
I don't want to trip.

[DRAMATIC MUSIC]

♪ ♪

I'm sure you know what this is about.

Congressman Kilbride.

What were you doing
at his office the other day?

Sometimes he calls me.

I do pickups and deliveries.
He's got cred on the street.

He knows Webb?

They go way back.
They're from the same hood.

Kilbride's the one hooked me up
with the Marcy K*llers.

- He know you're a cop?
- No.

I'm not % sure
he keeps it either.

It's above my paygrade.

What about you?

I'm guessing you weren't

in Kilbride's office running errands.

Wasn't case-related. It was personal.

That woman you were with,
she personal business too?

That would be my wife.

Nice.

Look, Nova, this is tricky.

But I need you to keep this
between you and me.

- Brewster's my sergeant.
- Brewster's on his way up.

I'm hoping I'm gonna be your sergeant.

But I'm not gonna be anybody's sergeant

if someone else gets
interested in Kilbride

before I have a chance to
figure out what his endgame is.

♪ ♪

When did you first meet Jon Kosta?

, like I told you,
at a charity event.

Flutura Briscu was the organizer.

She introduced me to a girl.

You got catfished by Flutura.

You thought you were in love
with the girl.

I set her up in a pied-a-terre.

I started sending money
to her family in Albania.

Then one day...

You saying you were keeping
that book for Kosta?

He'd give me names
of rich, influential men

who appeared vulnerable to extortion,

and I'd invite them to soirees.

Kosta had me keep
a detailed account of...

Who liked which girls

and what they liked to do to them.

[GROANS]

Hey.

Just wanted to say, have a safe flight.

- Thanks a lot.
- Got everything?

Ticket? Boarding pass?

And you should put your wallet

in the inside front pocket
of your jacket.

Just, you know,
got a lot of cash on you.

Don't worry, Dad. I got it.

Yeah, yeah. Get moving, will you?

Good luck.

Hey, I mean it. Thank you.

These devices have enabled us
to intercept

hundreds of messages
in which the K-O talks details

of their drug smuggling methods,

like filling pineapples
and tuna cans with cocaine.

Detective Stabler and I
personally witnessed

an auction of human sex slaves

orchestrated by the Kosta Organization.

It was something so vile
I would not have believed it

had I not seen it with my own eyes.

They live by a code known as besa.

It means literally to keep the promise.

It means the unquestioning loyalty

to a criminal enterprise

and a willingness to commit
extreme acts of v*olence

to protect and enrich that enterprise.

[DOOR BUZZES]

[INDISTINCT P.A. ANNOUNCEMENTS]

[INTENSE MUSIC]

♪ ♪

The grand jury has taken
into consideration

the suspicious death of our
key witness Edmund Ross

and has moved to reconcile the evidence

without further testimony.

Foreperson, will you
please stand and read

the grand jury's decision with
regard to the charges listed?

In light of the circumstances,

this grand jury is unanimous
in our decision

to issue provisional indictments

against Jon Kosta, Albi Briscu,

and alleged members
of the Kosta Organization

for charges including racketeering,

felony sex trafficking,

three counts of m*rder
in the first degree...

- Great leadership, Sarge.
- Great work, Detective.

Congratulations to you both.
We got a True Bill on all.

They gotta have, like,
cop cars down there

guarding us.

That's comforting.

At least they know
how dangerous Kosta is.

Ma.

Ma.

I'm sorry I made you break besa.

[SOMBER MUSIC]

I didn't.

[INTENSE MUSIC]

♪ ♪

[SIRENS WAILING]

- [GLASS BREAKING]
- NYPD!

- [INDISTINCT SHOUTING]
- Don't move!

Stay right there!

All right, all right, all right.

Let's go, let's go!
You, against the wall now!

- Move.
- [INDISTINCT CHATTER]

- Let's go.
- Keep going.

♪ ♪

[INDISTINCT CHATTER AND LAUGHTER]

- Freeze!
- [GLASS BREAKING]

[DOGS PARKING, PEOPLE SHOUTING]

♪ ♪

I will sh**t. Freeze.

Stay where you are!

[KNOCKING AT DOOR]

NYPD! Open up!

We have a warrant!

- Can I help you?
- We're looking for Jon Kosta.

He's not here.
He hasn't been home in days.

Grace, shut the door!
Don't let anybody in!

g*n! Luka Hasa!

Drop the w*apon!

[GRUNTING]

Get off of me!

Get off!

[DOG BARKING]

[GRUNTS]

♪ ♪

NYPD, police department!

- Police! Search warrant!
- Move, move!

Police!

♪ ♪

They knew we were coming.

How the hell is that possible?

♪ ♪

Five blocks out from Besa.

- Do we know who's in there?
- Place is eerily quiet.

I have Albi and Kosta on DAS
entering just over an hour ago.

Nobody's come out since.

♪ ♪

Call for additional units.
We're going in.

♪ ♪

- The hell you doing?
- Oh, I just wanted to...

[DRAMATIC MUSIC]

♪ ♪