When the FBI Knocked, I Was Still in Denial
April 28, 2005. Three knocks on my door. I open it, and it’s two agents—FBI hats, jackets, sweatpants. They come in pairs, always. And they walk right in like they’ve done this a hundred times before.
I remember thinking, Why are they here? I hadn’t worked at UBS in over a year. I had moved on. At least, that’s what I told myself. But they weren’t there to talk about my new job. They were holding documents—letters from UBS, records from Bear Stearns—and they wanted to talk about my role in the GLT Fund. About what I knew. About what I did.
I was caught completely off guard. And the worst part? I still thought I could handle it.
I Hired the Wrong Lawyer—Because I Was Still Lying to Myself
Instead of calling a criminal defense lawyer, I called a civil attorney. That alone should tell you how unprepared I was. I didn’t think I was a target. I thought this was a misunderstanding. I was wrong.
A month later, I was sitting across from the FBI, and I was still pretending. Still blaming. Still excusing. Still denying.
I told my lawyer I didn’t do anything wrong. That the firm should be the one answering questions, not me. I left out critical facts. I didn’t talk about what I had seen. I didn’t admit the role I played. And because I lied to my lawyer, I never got the right guidance to prepare for that meeting. I never had a chance to course-correct.
That First Meeting with the Government Sealed My Fate
When I finally met with the FBI and the U.S. Attorney, I walked in unprepared and arrogant. And it showed. They were handing me documents, asking specific questions, pressing me on statements from others involved. I had no answers that made sense. Just a mix of blame and deflection.
The agents didn’t need me to confess. They just needed to see how I responded. And what I gave them in that meeting confirmed everything they suspected. No accountability. No remorse. No credibility.
That meeting, I later learned, became the turning point. It was used in the charging decision. It was cited in discussions about my indictment. And it played a role in my ultimate prison term.
The Lie Wasn’t Just to My Lawyer—It Was to Myself
Too many defendants make the same mistake I did. They think they’re being smart by minimizing their role. They try to protect themselves by hiding parts of the truth. What they don’t realize is that they’re destroying the one opportunity they have to shift the narrative—to be seen as someone who can own what they did and make things right.
If I had been honest from the start—with myself, with my lawyer, with the government—I still may have gone to prison. But the length of that sentence? The tone of the judge’s remarks? The way probation and the BOP evaluated me? All of that could have been different.
What Judges and Probation Officers Notice First
I’ve now worked with hundreds of defendants. I’ve sat in courtrooms. I’ve read PSRs. I’ve listened to judges explain their reasoning. And one thing is always clear: They remember the first impression you give the government.
If that impression is denial and blame, it sticks.
If that impression is someone who won’t admit what they did, the assumption is that you’re just sorry you got caught—not sorry for what happened.
That first meeting matters. What you say matters. What you document matters. Not just in the courtroom, but in the report the probation officer writes, in the sentence the judge imposes, and in how the BOP classifies you.
If You’re Under Investigation, Preparation Starts Now
I didn’t prepare for that meeting because I didn’t think I had anything to worry about. I was wrong. You don’t get a do-over with the government. If you’re meeting with agents, prosecutors, or even your own lawyer, don’t walk in with a story that hides the truth.
Start documenting the facts. Start owning your role. Start preparing for what’s coming.
Because if you show up with blame and excuses, the government will remember. And so will the judge.
If You’re About to Meet the Government, Ask Yourself This
What would happen if every email, every trade, every call you ever made was laid out in front of you by the FBI? What would your answers reveal about you?
If you’re facing a federal investigation, preparing for a proffer session, or don’t know how to talk to your lawyer—schedule a personal call with our team. Or join our weekly webinar every Tuesday at 11AM Pacific / 2PM Eastern. We’ll show you what preparation looks like. Not theory. Not coaching. Just the steps that help you earn credibility—where it counts.
Justin Paperny
