03x03 - The Hitman

[bunniefuu]

Joseph Burke was
an experienced criminal.

The squads had
developed evidence

that he was planning
on committing criminal acts.

I was the undercover
coordinator.

But, you know,
how do we get to this guy,

how do we make a case?

Out of the blue, he says...

"Mike, I'm broke.

I'll k*ll people for money."
- People for you.

- So now you're looking
at potential m*rder for hire.

- We gotta get him
off the street

as soon as humanly possible.

- In the FBI, we make
a lot of headlines.

Drug busts,

mob stings,

t*rror1st takedowns.

- Get down! Get down!

- We understand why people
want to tell stories about us.

- Mark it.

- Freeze!
- FBI.

- FBI!
- Action!

- But they don't know
the half of it.

What really goes down,

we save that for each other

when we're talking
agent to agent.

This is "FBI True."

- Cindy Coppola is a 23-year
veteran of the FBI.

She worked on cases
that included

organized crime and terrorism

and took part in multinational
investigations

into drug trafficking
and money laundering.

Coppola finished her career
with the Los Angeles division

running two offices,
supervising investigations,

and providing undercover
security for special events.

- Mike, it's so awesome
to finally meet you.

Thanks for stopping in and
having a beer with me today.

- Yeah, thank you
for having me.

- Mike McGowan participated

in over 50 undercover
operations.

He was
the undercover coordinator

at the FBI's Boston office.

McGowan helped
infiltrate the Mafia,

drug cartels, and biker gangs.

- You're, like, a legend.

Tell me about your last hurrah

before, you know, retiring.

- In the summer of 2014,

I'm approaching
mandatory retirement.

And I'll never forget,
I was literally in my office

putting stuff in a box
to leave,

and one squad came up and said
they wanted to work a case

against Joseph Burke.

- Joseph Burke is a notorious
criminal from Boston

and a known associate
of organized crime boss

Whitey Bulger.

- He's from Charlestown.

It's a very violent,
small part of Boston.

Charlestown is the ground zero
for bank robbers.

- Robbery in Charlestown--

- Modern day Bonnie and Clyde

wanted for bank robberies.

- Considered armed
and dangerous.

- Burke went to federal prison
for a bank robbery.

But the squads had
developed evidence

that he was already planning
on committing criminal acts

when he was released
from jail.

He was ready to go back
into the game.

- So did they have any inside
informants from the jail,

or way there any information

that he's talking
to people on the outside?

Phone calls...
- Yeah, yes.

- To know that he might be
still committing crimes,

even though he's in jail.
- Yeah, we have--

as you know, we have a nice
pipeline into the jails.

- Sure.
- Calls are recorded.

But, you know,
how do we get to this guy,

how do make a case?

I was
the undercover coordinator.

So we submitted a proposal

in order to have
an undercover operation.

And I said, if you're gonna do
an undercover operation,

you can't use a junior agent.

You need to have
an experienced agent handle it.

And I probably shouldn't
have said that,

because the ASAC turned around

and basically said,
well, you do it.

- Just days from retirement,

McGowan agrees to take
on the undercover role.

McGowan and the FBI soon learn
that Burke is looking

to leverage his criminal past
for a big payday.

- We learned information that,
while in prison,

Burke had drafted
a story about his life.

And he was interested
in publishing

a book and maybe a movie.

- So he wants to be famous
for his criminal activity?

- Immediately,
I was like, this is it.

So we're dealing
with the people on the outside.

He has minions
and family and associates

all getting ready
for his release.

And so the plan is to become
this Hollywood investor.

- But McGowan must first sell
his new undercover persona

to Burke's inner circle.

- Before he got out of jail,

we actually asked
his associates,

hey, we don't know
this Charlestown place.

Can you take us
and show us around?

Again, because we knew
that if we could

convince them we were
the real deal,

that Joe would probably bite.

And he did.
- Yep.

- So we came out
as if we're coming from LA.

We ended up getting
a huge town car.

I brought a young undercover
with me

who posed as a writer.
- Sure.

- And we went with five
of his boys and associates,

and they took us
to Charlestown.

I've worked in Boston
all my life.

I know every street
in Charlestown.

But we had to make
as if we didn't know

anything about it.

My undercover writer
is their age.

- Sure.
- So he forms a relationship

right off the bat with them.

And we drive around for,

you know, an hour or two.

He's all over them,
and they love him.

- Yeah, you tag teamed it.
- Burke's boys,

they bought it
hook, line, and sinker.

- It isn't long before
they reach out to McGowan

and arrange a call
with the convict.

Burke is interested
in arranging

a movie and book deal.

- So I said, you know,
when you get out, Joe,

here's the number,
get in touch.

- I can make it happen.

- And within 24 hours
of his release,

he had reached out for us.

So it was all set
before he got out.

We set up a personal meeting.

I'm all dressed up.
I'm playing the part.

We rent a suite at a hotel.

- What was your first
impression of Burke?

- I've dealt with a lot,
a lot of bad guys.

But his eyes scared
the sh*t out of me.

Right?

He had these evil eyes,
these demented looking eyes.

I never got
within reaching distance.

I didn't want him ever
to grab me by the neck.

The purpose
of an undercover meet,

other than staying alive
for the next one...

- Yep.
- Is you wanna set up

the next meet.
- Yeah.

So you just wanna build report?
- Pretty much.

- You just wanna
get to know him, right?

- We hit it off that first day.

And then to end that meeting,
I said,

well, again,
if you're in LA, look me up.

And he did.
- And he did.

- Burke takes the bait
and arrives in LA

with one of his associates.

It's clear to McGowan

the ex-con has
stars in his eyes.

- You could tell
they were very interested

in the Hollywood scene.

I had the ability
to get access to studio lots,

in this particular case,
Warner Brothers.

- Sure.

- Brought him
to a writing room.

All the scripts were up
on the wall,

the notes, the index cards.

- Nice.

- I took him
to the right restaurant.

They saw some people
I wanted them to see.

Just painted a picture
for them.

It's all a façade.
- Of course.

But he doesn't know that,
you know?

- Not at that point.
- Not--

Not at that point.

- One month later, a turning
point in McGowan's case.

He meets with Burke
back in Boston.

What the criminal doesn't know

is that it's
in a controlled setting

with FBI surveillance cameras
recording everything.

- Okay. Mm-hmm.

- And then he tells me--

out of the blue, he says,

"Mike, I'm broke."

- He then tells me,
"You know, Mike,

you know a lot of rich people."

- And he literally motions
a sh**ting motion.

He's basically saying,
"I'll k*ll people for money."

- Wow.
- All right?

- So now you're looking
at potential m*rder for hire?

- That changes
the investigation.

The violent changes everything.
If you know--

because what's to prevent him
from going out the next day,

hitting an armored car,
k*lling a guy,

and then we find out the FBI
knew about it the day before?

My job at that point
as an FBI agent

is to deescalate
any potential acts of violence.

- Sure.
- So I warn him,

explicitly, don't do this.

Joe, don't do anything stupid.

Don't go out and do anything

because it's gonna
f*ck up your movie.

- Unsure how to proceed
after Burke's murderous offer,

McGowan and his team regroup.

Incredible, but there still
isn't enough to arrest Burke.

- Because, you know,
there's such a thing

as the First Amendment, people
can say anything they want.

So now we're scrambling
and the pressure is on.

- The FBI collectively
made the decision

that I was gonna specifically
ask Joe to m*rder an FBI agent,

because we gotta get him
off the street

as soon as humanly possible.

We're like, okay,
who are we gonna m*rder?

- Yeah.
- And it didn't--

it took me 30 seconds
and I knew who I wanted to use.

A very experienced undercover.

We arranged to have a party
on a boat.

This is where I introduce
my undercover business partner

and the m*rder victim.

I tell the agent,
I don't care what you do,

just piss Burke off.

He's an incredible undercover,

and you will despise him
in 30 seconds.

- He has that ability.

- All right, well, that's good.
So you got the right guy.

- Yeah, perfect.
It was a role made for him.

So we have some female
undercovers on the...

- As extras, yeah.
- Party.

- At the yacht.

- My business partner
comes on,

and he just--he just goes
after these female agents.

He said things
that you wouldn't say on TV.

- No, so he called them
a bunch of names, and they--

did they say anything back?
- wh*res, everything.

- Yeah.
- You know, "You ever made

a dollar that wasn't
made on your back?"

You know, just--
- Yeah, all that--

Jeez.

- But Joe Burke flips his wig
right away.

- 'Cause he doesn't know.
- And he starts

to jump over the table
to attack this guy.

And I literally have to grab
Burke and pull him away.

I have to spend pretty much
the rest of the day with him,

calming him down

so that Joe doesn't go
and do anything crazy.

- McGowan keeps Burke
under control

and carefully plans
his next move.

- I'm gonna ask him
to m*rder my business partner.

But I just can't say
I wanna k*ll him

'cause he insulted the girls.

We come up with,
my business partner has now

anonymously reported me
to the IRS...

- sh*t, okay.
- Who has frozen my assets.

And now all of my funding
is cut off.

I made Joe buy me lunch
'cause I can't pay for it.

This was the first time
I was asking somebody

to commit a m*rder for me.
- m*rder for you.

- So what's the plan now?

I tell Joe,
my business partner snitched

to the IRS,
and now I'm screwed.

And I'm screwed, Joe,
which means you're screwed.

And instantaneously,

before I even had a chance
to ask him,

you know, "I'll k*ll the guy."

- He just blurts it out?
- Yeah.

Right away. Right away.

- If Joe had said,
"I'm not doing it,"

the case was over.

You know, I got case agents

sitting out in the parking lot
listening to this.

Now I'm engaged with him
to k*ll my business partner.

Okay, this gives us
an opportunity now

to have another meeting
to further the m*rder

and discuss
how he's gonna do it,

where he's gonna do it...
- Sure.

- Why--you know,
all these things.

- So going into this meeting
with him,

you've gotta make sure
you're not, like,

entrapping him, right?
- No, we actually--

- That's something
the Bureau has to be...

- 100%
- You know, careful about.

- The only defense
in undercover operations

are entrapment.

You have to understand
what entrapment is

and how to avoid it.

So in this case,
we put out the feeler,

hey, if you're interested,
get in touch with us.

And then we backed away.

And all he had to say was,
"Not interested,"

and we were done.

- But he didn't, right?

- No, he jumped all over it.

There goes the entrapment.

So I set up a meeting
in New York

for about ten days later.
- Okay.

- He has me get a hotel room
in a fake name.

- Oh, so wait, step back.
So the--

your business partner
that Joe wants to k*ll for you,

he lives in New York,
so he's not in the Boston area?

- He's in New York.
- He's in New York, okay.

So interstate commerce.
- It's exactly interstate--

- You know,
he's coming from Boston--

- That's exact--
and that's why--

- That's an awesome charge.

- The m*rder itself was gonna
happen in New York.

He was leaving
from Massachusetts.

The interstate aspect
is clearly established.

- Burke meets McGowan
in New York

with weapons in tow,

a GL*CK
and a Scorpion machine g*n,

the tools
of a seasoned hitman.

- And then he demonstrated
how each weapon--

you gotta remember,
I have to play dumb

like I don't know
what he's talking about.

- Like you don't use a weapon,
you've never used one.

- Right.
And so I made him demonstrate.

He was educating me

on the weapons
that he had planned to use.

- I give him a down payment.
I give him some cash.

I'm gonna take him
to the location

where the m*rder's gonna
be committed.

We want to do surveillance
on the building.

And again, you can't do it
in the middle of the day.

So we wait until--I tell him,

you know, we'll go do it
in the middle of the night.

Well, Joe tells me he wants
to go to the movies.

Okay, so Joe Burke and I go
to the midnight movie.

- When's the last time you went
to a movie with your wife,

and you're going
with the bad guy.

I mean, that's screwed up.

- We go to see "Black Mass."

- Oh, jeez.
- And "Black Mass,"

for those Boston people,
is the Whitey Bulger story.

- Yeah.
- Joe used to work for Whitey.

So Joe buys popcorn and sodas.

And we're sitting there,
and Joe's now telling me,

in the Whitey Bulger movie,

"Oh, that's true,"
or "That's not true,"

or "This guy did that."

- You can't make this stuff up.

- I remember sitting
in that movie theater,

saying, no one would
believe this

right now.
- Absolutely. No one.

- And I'm like,
this is my last case.

I'm sitting
in this movie theater...

- Having popcorn.
- With a guy

who's gonna k*ll somebody...

- At midnight.
- Eating popcorn.

- It's past 2:00 a.m.

McGowan takes Burke
to a building in Queens,

which Burke believes
to be the residence

of the business partner.

- So I say,
here's where he parks.

This is the door he uses.

You're gonna have to take out
that security camera.

We basically do a loop
of the building...

- Sure.
- You know, pointing out

all the things, you know,

where the m*rder
was gonna occur.

And again, the New York guys
and office were great,

because everything
I wanted him to see

is magically there.

- But Burke needs a favor
from McGowan

before he can
execute the m*rder.

- He tells me that when he used
to rob armored cars,

he would use a company
in Hollywood

that would provide masks.

And he wanted two masks
to resemble African Americans.

At this point,
I think we got everything.

But the FBI want
one more meeting

to have him handle the mask.

- The mask is delivered
to Boston.

Agents capture every moment
on camera.

Now the masks have been
delivered to me.

Okay, and they're
very lifelike.

They were very believable.

So before
Joseph Burke arrived,

the case team members
made sure

that everything was
ready to go.

- So I tell him that
my business partner's mother,

like, her 80th birthday
is coming up in New York.

And that's how I know
the business partner will be

at a certain location
in New York.

And so Joe agrees

that we'll k*ll him
on his mother's birthday.

- Oh, my God.

- So--
- Can you imagine?

That's horrible.
- You know, and--

- Ruthless.

- Burke basically said,

"I'm gonna--I'll wait
till he gets there."

- Oh, sh*t.
- That was his plan.

So he wanted him to know
as he was dying

that I had ordered his m*rder.

- It's the last time McGowan
will meet with Joseph Burke.

The US Attorney's Office now
has all the evidence it needs.

- We set up the mother's
birthday for October 17th.

And I tell Joe that's
the day it's gonna happen.

In the meantime, the FBI
is securing arrest warrants.

About three days later,

the FBI wanted
to make the arrest.

So it was my job on arrest day
to make sure Joe was available.

We knew he had
an appointment weekly

with his probation officer.
- Okay.

- He's not gonna bring a g*n
to a meeting

with his probation officer.
- Probation officer, yep.

- So I tell him that
after he meets with probation,

we'll get together
for another sit-down

just to make sure
he's in Boston.

And like clockwork, he goes
to his probation meeting.

The agents were there
to arrest him.

- He's probably freaking out,
right?

Does he understand
why he's getting arrested?

- He doesn't,
but our case agents tell him

he was charged
with m*rder for hire.

But when he was arrested,

he consented to an interview.

He told them about me
as if I was...

- A bad guy.
- A bad guy.

But everything we did
was on tape.

He chose to plead guilty.

- I got one
last question though.

How do you keep the beer
off the mustache?

- You don't.
- You don't?

Do you just suck on it later?
- It's just like,

put the shirt in the cleaners
the next day.