FBI Myths and Misconceptions by Jerri Williams

Author:Jerri Williams
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Jerri Williams
Published: 2019-11-15T00:00:00+00:00

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When the case agent and the UCA have established a close relationship and they began working with an informant, the prosecutor may seem like the big mean critical parent in the threesome.

FBI Film and Fiction Review

The Wolf of Wall Street

No one knows for sure who nicknamed Jordan Belfort “the wolf of Wall Street.” Many suspect that it was Belfort himself. Nevertheless, the moniker turned out to be a great title for the book he published in 2007, and the feature film, directed by Martin Scorsese and starring Leonardo DiCaprio, that followed in 2013. The story covers the years when Belfort rose from a junior stock broker on Wall Street to the mastermind of the brokerage firm Stratton Oakmont, a securities scam based in Long Island, New York, where he and his associates defrauded investors of millions of dollars through fraud and stock manipulation. It’s an unbelievable tale of temptation, corruption, and greed—the kind of FBI crime stories I love to read and write.

Jordan Belfort was eventually caught by FBI agent Patrick Denham, who was portrayed by Kyle Chandler in the movie. The Denham character was based on real life FBI agent Greg Coleman and I asked Coleman if there was any truth to the outrageous antics of Belfort and business associates portrayed in the movie. He said some of their real life actions involving sex and drugs were worse. After cooperating, Belfort served twenty-two months in prison for the securities scam and money laundering charges. The movie also starred Jonah Hill, Margot Robbie, and Job Bernthal.

My rating for The Wolf of Wall Street: I kept my shoes on my feet, but during the show, I loosened the laces just in case.

In episode 107, “Wolf of Wall Street, Jordan Belfort,” retired agent Greg Coleman talked about the acrimonious relationship between the prosecutor and Belfort and the creative compromises made in the film:

Jerri Williams (JW): I read Jordan Belfort’s book. First of all, in it, he said that you were too nice to be an FBI agent and he had a nickname for you: “Agent OCD.” He hated the Assistant United States Attorney. He had a nickname for him too. But since this is a clean podcast, I can’t say that name out loud. What was your relationship with Jordan Belfort?

Greg Coleman (GC): Let me address the prosecutors thing without going into name-calling. I understand that. You have to remember the prosecutor is the lightning rod here. Even though I’m doing all the work behind the scenes, the guy who is the bearer of the bad news is the prosecutor. And so when we came to Belfort and we gave him an ultimatum, a deal that he had to take and he had to take it within twenty-four hours or he’d be subject to the full prosecution, the prosecutor’s the lightning rod for that. So I understand that the two of them did not get along. They did not like each other.

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