kind of a crazy thing have it's kind of a crazy thing to have to do, right, to stage your own death. tonight, on an all-new "20/20" -- a few of our favorite things. we're taking you undercover, inside a murder for hire plot, like you have never seen before. >> what does she think, she can get a hit man like she's ordering a pizza? >> behind bars, charged with a gruesome murder, she hires a killer to get rid of the only witness. but it's all staged. a sting to trap her. from the plan going down wsh. >> i was going to show you pictures so you know it's done. >> to the body going down in the florida swamps. >> what could possibly cause this woman to want you dead so badly? >> full circle when she gets the killer photos perfect.

as proof, picture perfect. plus, don't look now but they're about to be caught in hidden camera stings. first, a man who claims to be blind but has no trouble hitting the roads or the waves. >> so, you don't drive at all, is that right? >> lying that he's blind to build a fortune out of social security. and what about these hikers using handicap parking permits that aren't their's for a better parking space. we're swooping in with a sting. >> obviously you were not disabled. >> even our dog is embarrassed. so sit back for an all-new "20/20." a few of our favorite stings. here now, elizabeth vargas and david muir. good evening. here on "20/20" we have taken you inside murder for hire plots before. men and women trying to get rid of their enemies. but tonight here, an all-new sting operation and this one might stop them all because our

cameras where there from the very start. >> you'll see it in real time as it unfolds. every bizarre detail. of a woman facing trial for murder trying to bump off the key witness in her case. and she wants proof that the witness is dead. matt gutman is there for the sting that played out in the swamp. ♪ >> reporter: for any predator, this lush vegetation camouflaged by murky brown water at the very edge of the florida everglades is exquisite terrain especially to dispose of someone you just killed. this may look like the site of a bloody murder scene, but hold on folks. this is not what it seems. and what is about to happen to the victim, is the key to a twisted tale of betrayal and revenge. >> it is one of the craziest and bizarre murders i've ever studied. >> okay, so augie, let's come over here. >> reporter: see, these guys are not from the coroners office,

they're an elite squad of broward county sheriff's officers called the viper unit. they've given "20/20" unprecedented access to this elaborate sting designed to foil a murder plot against this woman maria calderon, who's just become one of the walking dead. how does it feel to rise from the dead? to understand the story of this photo, start by taking a look at this photo. that's maria back in happier times with her bosom buddy jaqueline luongo. >> we cared for each other. yes. >> reporter: i guess it's not so common that someone who cares for another person would want them dead, that must hurt. >> yeah. >> reporter: maria makes ends meat by working in a restaurant, but jackie is having money trouble, that is until she makes a special arrangement, with this woman, pat vivieros, one of the countless retirees who decides to live out their golden years

in the sun-drenched splendor of florida. >> she was very funny and loving. she loved animals. if you ever needed her, if you were in a jam or whatever, she would be there for you. >> reporter: pat was living off her pension and an annuity from a life insurance policy worth 50 grand. she'd swing by the local bank to pick up her regular checks. and police say, when jackie figured this out, visions of money and murder started dancing in her head. >> when you have no money, no apartment, no gas for your car, $50,000 in her opinion was worth more than pat's life. so she exchanged pat's life for $50,000. >> reporter: this past august 28th, vivieros disappeared. >> she hadn't been contacted on the phone for almost a week. >> reporter: but wait, a woman matching pat's description is later seen at this bank trying to cash pat's most recent check. then, for reasons still unknown,

jackie has a revealing conversation with her old friend maria. >> she say that pat -- pat was dead. >> reporter: pat was dead? >> yes. >> reporter: did you realize it was a confession when she told you? >> yes. >> reporter: why did jacqueline spill the beans to maria? >> she thought she could trust maria. >> reporter: but if jaqueline thinks her friend is loyal enough to help her get away with murder, she is profoundly mistaken. instead maria calls the cops, telling them jackie can be found behind the wheel of this banged up toyota solara. pretty big break. >> yeah, it was. once that tag is run, the alert's coming back to a vehicle that we're looking for, potentially somebody involved in a homicide that we need to interview. >> reporter: cops, including veteran broward county homicide detective john curcio head to pat's garden apartment. >> there were no ransacking. the officer, you know, going in the closet is what found her in a garment bag -- and she was in

an advanced state of decomposition. >> reporter: sign of strangulation, pillow? >> well, her head was entirely encased in tape. >> reporter: like, mummified? >> that would be a good description. >> we still don't know how many days she sat, decaying, decomposing in that closet. think about it. >> she just didn't deserve it. that's just the bottom line. >> reporter: the coroner would officially say that pat died of asphxyciation. jacqueline is tracked to this cheap motel and arrested. her body, cops claim, shows signs of a struggle, as well as evidence of some criminally mediocre tattoo work. curcio says he knows jacqueline did it, and why. hide the body as long as possible. she and keep on accessing withdrawals from the life insurance policy. she's actually purchased a wig, attempting to cash checks, you know, she's a blonde female, you

know, rather than a brunette. >> reporter: remember that bank video? guess who? so she's impersonating the person she killed? >> she's impersonating the person she killed, whose checks she's trying to cash. >> jacqueline luengo puts on a wig to look like patricia. that video the jury will certainly appreciate. >> new details on a disturbing discovery in deerfield beach. >> reporter: as the bizarre murder makes the local news. >> the sheriff's office has arrested a woman they say killed her roommate and tried to hide her body. >> reporter: jackie is charged with murder. but jacksy decides to ignore her right to remain silent. instead, cops say that from behind the walls and concertina wire of the broward county jail, jacqueline luongo begins concocting a diabolical legal strategy. >> she was actively soliciting within her cell, a group of people -- "does anyone have anyone who could help me remove a witness?" >> reporter: craig brown runs the viper unit. he says one of their jailhouse informants has tipped them off, jacqueline is planning another homicide. i feel, like, you'd wanna be -- keep that kinda thing secret. >> you think that. but you'd be surprised.

they just got nothing but time, and our suspect in this case was actively seeking, to anyone who would listen, "hey, do you know anyone who may be able to help me take out a witness?" >> reporter: that witness? who else, jacqueline's old friend and confidant, maria calderon. what could possibly cause this woman to want you dead so badly? >> because in her twisted mind, she thought that with no witness, there was gonna be no case and she can walk out. >> reporter: now the viper unit swings into action, and the sting is on. >> hello, this is a free call from an inmate at north broward detention center. >> reporter: the informant, puts jackie on the phone. she thinks she's been hooked up with bona fide hitman named neil. at lunch no less enjoying some of south florida's best conch chowder. >> what's up, jackie? >> hey, neil, how's it going? >> good, good. >> reporter: but this guy's really one of craig's men. that's why we can't show you his face. >> she said you wanted to kill somebody? >> oh, yeah, yeah.

well, what i wanted to talk to you about first is -- is that -- i can -- i have the money in my property. >> reporter: as neil finishes his meal, the caller orders off the menu. one dead maria calderon, served cold. the negotiations begin. >> so you feel comfortable and you know things can be done right, i'll do half, half upfront and half -- half when it's done. so you know you're getting what you want. >> okay. >> we talked about two and two, though, right? i thought it was four. >> the exact amount is -- $3,900. that's how much i -- i have in there. >> okay, so, we'll do two upfront and the rest when it's done. >> okay. >> reporter: the deal is sealed, and apparently so is maria's fate. for just under 4 grand, one murder coming right up, and neil adds one final touch. >> when it's done, you know, i was gonna show you pictures so that you know that it's done. >> okay, good. >> but, you're not gonna see it on the news, so i'll take some pictures and you can see the pictures so you know it's done before i get the other half. >> reporter: ah, the viper unit

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>> announcer: "20/20" returns with a few of our favorite stings. once again, matt gutman. ♪ >> reporter: it's just another ho-hum perfect day of fresh air and ocean along florida's atlantic coast. this is where jacqueline luongo yearns to breathe free. instead, she's doing morning calisthenics inside the broward county jail. charged and held for the murder of her roommate pat vivieros, and police say, her south florida crime spree is far from over. >> it's all or nothing for -- for jacqueline. >> reporter: from jail, she's been trying to hire a hitman to take out the state's prime witness, her former friend maria calderon. >> i think jacqueline's -- mindset was, "if i remove this witness, there's no one to keep me in jail." >> reporter: but the broward county undercover viper unit has hatched a plot of its own.

first, an undercover cop posing as neil the hitman, goes to meet jacqueline in jail. he has to be sure, the dastardly plot is real. how confident were you when you were going in there, that you were actually going to get her? >> i wasn't sure what to expect. we have spoken multiple times up to this point. she knew i was coming. and so i was pretty confident that we -- that it was gonna go the way that we wanted. when i leave you here today it'll be the last time i talk to you until it's done. okay? so you're 100%? 200? okay. okay. >> reporter: while his undercover camera rolls, he jots down the details every hitman needs. >> short brown hair. hispanic. 200 pounds. okay. >> reporter: the game is afoot. >> i plan on doing this saturday night. call me saturday night. i'll let you know yes, we're good. >> i mean, who would imagine a : defendant tries to order up a

hitman like she's ordering a pizza behind bars? >> reporter: not knowing whether luongo contracted other hitmen to kill maria, the deputies move quickly. we are there the night they go to brief her on the situation, which they insisted on doing off camera. all right, so we just left maria, what did she say? >> she's in, surprisingly enough. she -- she wants to cooperate. i think she understands how serious it is. and she's going to cooperate 100%. >> reporter: were you surprised? >> yeah, i -- i thought it would take a lot more convincing. to have a murder, you need a dead body. just hours after meeting jacqueline, our fake hitman and the viper team have a plan, to fake maria's death. involving a swamp, duct tape, and a bullet hole. >> do you want a black eye? >> yeah. >> and some bruises? >> reporter: this has to look authentic. so, the broward sheriff's office

hires a professional makeup artist. and you want to make it look like she's been shot, but not so too fresh? >> right. >> little beating before this point. now let's do her hands. she'll have duct tape over her mouth, so she was taken from some place else, brought here and shot here. >> reporter: is that a specific color that's meant to be blood or can it be -- >> it's called "real blood." >> it's called real blood. >> reporter: yeah. it's kind of a crazy thing to have to do, right? >> oh, yeah. >> reporter: stage your own death. >> uh-huh. >> reporter: after that quick visit to marlboro country -- >> we'll let maria do the blood. >> reporter: maria is ready for her close up. so they're applying even more blood right now. the whole idea here is to make this murder for hire look as convincing as possible. and right now, i gotta say that maria looks pretty much like a corpse. there is -- the gunshot wound to the temple/forehead, an exit wound on the other side. she's got dirt on her shirt, her pants. her hands are bound and of course, she's got that duct tape on her mouth. you've staged deaths before?

>> we have. put your legs this way. close your mouth a little, maria. >> reporter: you've staged murders before? >> we have. >> reporter: how do people generally react when they have to stage their own murder? >> we anticipate the blood draining from their face, like, "oh my god, i'm -- i'm shocked, i can't believe someone i know, you know, is making an attempt on my life." and, "am i in -- am i in -- in any fear?" is the person in any fear? but we didn't get any of that in this particular case. >> reporter: in fact, maria seems unfazed. if jacqueline were here, what would you say to her? >> reporter: the viper team now has grisly photos to convince jacqueline they've just killed a girl named maria. >> this is probably what i'll show her tomorrow. >> reporter: but would a real hitman risk a return visit to the jail? probably not. so "neil" tells jacqueline he needs to leave town, and he's sending this lawyer in his place. so what's going on right here right now, is they're trying to make sure that the two hidden cameras on our undercover "lawyer" are not going to be too

conspicuous. and that takes a little bit of work here. the goal is to make sure that you get clean video make sure that nobody else notices. jacqueline ambles in to the meeting nonchalantly. the lawyer makes a nervous introduction. >> i'm so sorry to bother you. i- - i've been trying to track you down all day. i was on my way home and i was -- i don't like doing this type of stuff but neil is -- well, he's neil. he wanted me to have you write down -- he gave me very specific instructions. >> reporter: the instructions? first, review the envelope with the ghastly murder photos. did she react at all? >> at first, she was kind of shaky when she started reading the note. and she opened up the -- the second, third pages, you know, she's kind of looking at the pictures, and she's kinda -- kinda nodding her head and kinda just, like -- >> acknowledgment? >> wow. >> reporter: then, sign off on them, literally. the cops want to make sure they have a case beyond any doubt. >> it's a way for him to verify

you saw the pictures. >> sure. >> can you help me out with that? >> yeah, sure. >> oh my god. you're such a lifesaver, 'cause i'm -- look, this guy is -- he scares the [ bleep ] out of me, so -- okay. >> okay. >> reporter: no remorse? i mean, any emotion at all? >> other than maybe relief -- she's not upset about a person losing their life one bit. >> i wrote her name on all the pages. >> cool. >> no visible signs of being upset at all. >> reporter: i think that's what's most shocking, is that she looked at those pictures, which are totally grisly and gory, and you know, a person who was shot in the head being held by her hair. and didn't blanche, didn't stumble. >> this is someone who you had a relationship with, you were close with, and to have no effect, you know, whatsoever, i think it really shows the mindset of the criminal and says, "i -- i really don't care about anyone else, i'm just worried about my freedom and trying to beat my charge." >> hello? >> jacqueline. >> afterwards, jackie calls our hitman to thank him for a job well done. >> hey, how's it going? >> did he show you the pictures?

>> yeah. everything looked good. >> are you happy? >> yes, 100%. >> okay. >> that's one more satisfied customer. >> when luongo calls the hitman from the jail to tell him what a great job he did, it's like she's giving him a review on yelp. >> reporter: jackie is positive that with maria gone she will beat the rap. >> you think that's going to help? >> oh, yeah, most definitely yeah, because that was the -- that was the only person that was going to say anything. >> okay, all right, well, if you're happy, i'm happy. >> i'm definitely happy. >> reporter: but surprise surprise, just two weeks later, jackie is slapped with new attempted murder charges. >> solicitation to commit murder and tampering with a witness. >> reporter: combined with her previous charge in the murder of pat vivieros, if convicted, jackie is facing the death penalty. she declined "20/20's" request for an interview. maybe after getting bitten by the viper unit, she's decided she's done enough talking for

now. >> when you put 12 in the box, this case is -- it's like tied up with a bow and sitting on top of a christmas tree for pete's sake, for the prosecution to just take down and hand to the jury. it is extremely rare to be handed a case like this on a silver platter. if you heard that case as a juror, what would you have to say about jackie and her crazy plot? david and i are live tweeting throughout tonight's program so let us know. use the #2020. we'll be right back. next, we got him in our sights, a guy who's driving but lying that he's blind to collect a fortune in disability. >> so you don't drive at all, is that right? a tale of checks, lies and video tapes. >> why did you lie in the interview? >> when "20/20" returns. noooo... how much are you spending per month?

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feeling the cold all week, so we have. when rebecca jarvis found out the truth about a man who's been pretending to be blind in order to cash in big on disability. but there's one thing that he actually was blind to -- the hidden cameras. set up to sting him in the act. >> approximately 8:03 a.m. surveillance. >> reporter: following lawrence popp around can be dangerous work because no matter what, you're in his blind spot. at least that's what the milwaukee businessman led people to believe when he was claiming he was too blind to drive. but now, all eyes are on him as federal agents tail popp. larry had been collecting social security disability payments for his blindness for years all the while living the high life, traveling the world and spending like there's no tomorrow. >> lawrence popp is walking towards the social security office now.

>> reporter: he's here today to make sure those payments keep on coming. he ditches the car a block away so as not to attract attention. >> mr. popp, will you come here please? >> reporter: in fact, by the time his interview with a government claims rep begins, there's no mention of any car. >> so you don't drive at all, is that right? >> no. >> reporter: what popp can't see is that federal agents have set him up in a simple but elegant sting. >> did you need help from others? >> yes. >> reporter: listen as the disarming claims rep clefrly extracts details about his painful life without sight. >> so you can't really read anything that's unmagnified? >> right. no. >> you can't do almost anything that you used to do? >> no. my lifestyle has changed radically. >> reporter: but the tape reveals one thing lawrence popp is very good at -- lying. >> do you declare, under penalty of perjury, that the information

you've given me is true and correct to the best of your knowledge? >> yes. >> i have seen tons and tons of people like this in my career. reporter: bob kiehn is an abc news consultant and a private eye whose weapon of choice is a video camera. we asked kiehn to give us the tale of the tape. >> people in popp's position get comfortable. they get comfortable to the point of they're getting away with it, so i'm going to get away with more and more and he will keep trying to raise the bar. he took it to the extreme. >> reporter: popp actually did have legitimate vision impairment back in 2004 when he signed up for disability benefits. but he promised to notify the department if his medical condition improved or if he were to get a job or generate income. well, his eyes did get better and he generated plenty of income but he decided to keep those details to himself. >> can you use a computer? >> no.

because what happens when i start doing that my eyes get very strained and i get in a lot of pain. >> reporter: but his co-workers saw a very different side of larry. his then-vp dave hartlerode says larry was a fixture at the office despite supposedly being unable to work. and what would he do at work? >> basically work from his computer, uh -- >> reporter: on his computer? >> e-mail correspondence with, with, uh, people within our industry. >> reporter: how did he get to work? when he was telling social security that he couldn't drive and he couldn't see? >> all i know, that he was driving to work. >> reporter: he drove himself? >> yes. >> reporter: meanwhile, investigators say larry was living large. his car was spotted outside the milwaukee athletic club where he memberships cost thousands of dollars a year. there were also trips to italy, florida, the caymans. he even spent time driving a motorboat towing water skiers around a lake! >> larry is a person that likes

money. wants to always be in charge. >> reporter: oh yes, then there's the ex-wife. kimberly popp who confirms larry's lavish spending but said the same rules did not apply to her. >> i was on a strict budget. we had nothing joint together. he would go out and buy cars without me knowing. >> reporter: not only could he overspend, he could overact. at times, appearing to tear up at the social security office in a truly oscar-worthy performance. >> this is kind of reliving it. i'm sorry. >> i'm sorry. yeah, i don't mean to do that to you. >> it's got to be done. >> reporter: even popp's own lawyer didn't buy that. is he crying? >> he was definitely not telling the truth there. part of it an act? perhaps. >> so what do you think it was

about larry's case that tipped them off? >> i know what it -- i know what it was. he had a, uh, ex-wife. who dropped the dime. >> reporter: yes, kimberly is indirectly responsible for helping to take down the bogus blind man. the tipping point when the irs came after her claiming she owed thousands in back taxes. it turns out lawrence popp had applied for benefits, not just for himself, but for the entire family and pocketed every dime. ultimately, you're the one who turned him in. >> i wasn't going to take the fall for something that he was doing that was illegal. i didn't have $13,000 to pay the government. i didn't collect $13,000. so, why should i take the fall for something he did? >> reporter: in all, the feds say larry fraudulently collected hundreds of thousands of dollars in government payments. prosecutors say it was time to call the blind man's bluff. >> it is entitlement. it's about the continuation of a lifestyle that you've become used to, again, without

justification, both medically and legally. >> reporter: in january of last year, justice caught up with lawrence popp. he was sentenced to a year in jail and had to pay the stolen money back. if he hadn't been caught red-handed, do you think he'd still be bilking the system? >> absolutely. it's his nature that he thinks he can get away with it, so he's going to do it. >> reporter: larry was recently released from prison and just yesterday, on a frigid milwaukee morning, he gave "20/20" a chilly reception. hi, there, sir, rebecca jarvis, abc news. are you sorry for stealing that money from taxpayers? why did you lie in the interview? why did you lie in the interview, sir? what would you say to anyone who is lying right now, who's taking disability insurance but doesn't really have that? >> eventually, you're going to get caught. and then you will have to pay the price.

because what comes around goes around. next -- healthy hikers feeling the burn in more ways than one, when we catch them illegally using handicap parking permits. >> obviously you were not disabled. our friends getting some unscheduled exercise, running away from our sting. when "20/20" returns. . dads don't take sick days. dads take nyquil. the nighttime, sniffling, sneezing, coughing, aching, fever, best-sleep-with-a-cold medicine. walgreens knows you don't have time to play around with cold and flu symptoms. that's why walgreens makes it easy to find relief fast, with solutions like nyquil. at the corner of happy and healthy.

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millions of americans will be heading out this weekend, going to the mall or the grocery store, but worst than the weather the cold, will be finding that parking spot. what about those people who use handicap parking permtds even though they have no disability? how do they explain it? jim avila catching them in the act. >> reporter: it's dawn in the car capital of the world, los angeles, and we're on the hunt for handicapped parking cheaters. we're with undercover investigators for the california department of motor vehicles -- dressed as harmless pedestrians as they set up a sting for mooching motorists. >> this car here is something you're looking at? >> right. >> reporter: this suv is parked

outside one of l.a.'s chicest hotspots. no, not a nightclub, but the runyon canyon hiking trails through the hollywood hills. parking near the gate is legal only for nearby residents or the disabled with parking placards to prove it. >> we ran the placard and it comes back to a male subject. and one of our investigators saw two females walking out of the car. >> reporter: so there wasn't any man in the car? >> there was no man in the car. >> reporter: he suspects that the women, still off on their hike, are using someone else's handicapped placard to score this prime parking spot. everyone else finds parking in the streets below, then hike up the couple of blocks to the trail entrance. disabled parking abuse might seem like a small issue of trust, but it does get people everywhere riled up. while visiting a restaurant, kenny mills and his wife julie found a police car parked in the handicapped space, no emergency in sight. julie posted it on facebook,

where it quickly went viral, the online outrage pouring in. >> i would gladly walk and give them my spot. >> reporter: despite the obvious bright blue paint and giant wheelchair logo, the cop got no more than a talking to by his boss since the space lacked a warning sign announcing it's illegal. back in l.a. that black suv is still parked an hour later. >> copy, two women, we're rolling. we're rolling. >> the hikers finally return from their workout and the investigators reveal themselves. the driver says the placard belongs to her handicapped husband. by law the person it's issued to needs to be in the car for it to be valid. >> how did i misuse it? >> because you were using it here to park on a parking street where you need a permit to park. and the person that this belongs to is not here with you.

>> but he's always with us. >> but he's not with you. >> reporter: so out comes the citation book. the fine could end up as high as $700. hello, how are you? so, i'm with abc "20/20," ma'am, we wanted to ask you why you were using the placard to park here and go hiking. obviously you are not disabled. her poor pooch seemed to share in the embarrassment. her passenger didn't want to talk either, but instead ducked away and got in some unscheduled exercise. >> these citations are misdemeanor citations. >> so it's a crime? >> it's a criminal activity. >> reporter: vita scattaglia is the deputy chief of investigations for the california dmv. his investigators have been to runyon canyon several times, and so the number of outlaw parkers has dropped off. this neighbor is grateful. before these cops started showing up you had a sea of blue placards? >> oh, yeah, it's amazing. we could have seven, eight, nine cars on this street alone. >> reporter: he doesn't want his

identity revealed for fear of hostile hikers striking back since he helped bring attention to the rampant abuse in the first place, reporting it on the website handicappedfraud.org. >> if they're coming here for exercise, you know, park down there legitimately and get your exercise walking up this hill. >> reporter: but, despite the public shamings and tickets, the days we watched there were plenty of hikers who did not get the message, including the guy driving this suv. a handicapped placard in his window, he parks illegally and hits the hiking trails with pit bull and passenger. while they are gone, the investigators check his placard, and find it registered to a much older male. the couple returns 40 minutes later to an unwanted welcome. >> you know it's illegal to use somebody else's placard right? >> i didn't know that. >> reporter: on top of the fine, the actual owner of the placard,

his grandfather, will have to reapply now to get a new one. >> at this time we are confiscating this, this placard. >> hi, i'm jim avila from abc news. so i'm just wondering, you're a healthy guy. >> yeah. >> why would you use a handicapped sticker to park to go running? >> handicapped is for handicapped spots. >> reporter: are you a handicapped person? >> i'm not in a handicapped spot, am i? >> right, you are on a street that requires either a permit or -- >> but i'm not in a handicapped spot. that's what you should really be concerned about, is people parking in handicapped spots, misusing the handicapped placard. >> so you've never used the placard to park in a handicapped spot? >> never. why would i park in a handicapped spot? >> why would you have a placard on your car? >> this is my mother's car. it's not my car. >> so you just happened to use it today. >> i'm borrowing her car, yeah. >> anyone ever just say, "i'm sorry, you're right." >> we do run into some of those, but for the most part they're pretty vocal with us. >> yeah. >> we've had several physical altercations on these type of operations. >> reporter: what they do hear are plenty of excuses.

this guy wasn't hiking. he told officers he was using a handicapped placard to pick up his grandmother. but they called his bluff and followed him to the front door where he turned back and admitted the truth. it wasn't even her house? >> no. no. >> reporter: so after giving up the game, investigators issued a citation and confiscated his placard. we're from abc news and wondering why you were using the placard, you don't look to be handicapped. >> i am handicapped. >> reporter: you are? is that your placard? >> yes. >> why did they take it from you then? >> reporter: final stop for these violators, a judge, a fine, possibly community service. the good news is, there's now a better option. hikers can drop off their cars with a new valet service, then hit the trails. the car will be waiting for you when you return. and at just five bucks plus tip, it's a lot cheaper than a ticket. next -- we set up a sting

with hidden cameras to sniff out the truth about those bedbug-sniffing dogs. >> did you find bed bugs. >> what's getting cleaned out, your money or your mattress? when "20/20" returns. mattress? when "20/20" returns. try zyrtec-d® to powerfully clear your blocked nose and relieve your other allergy symptoms... so you can breathe easier all day. zyrtec-d®. find it at the pharmacy counter.

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now for a different kind of murder for hire, hiring an exterminator to get rid of bed bugs and in this case the exterminator has four legs. canines, usually beagles, what's the truth about those bed bug-sniffing dogs. paula faris put up some hidden cameras to find out. ♪ >> reporter: did you travel for the holidays? maybe you saw your bestie in baltimore, grandma in grand rapids, or were vacationing in venice. regardless, you were in someone else's room, sleeping in someone else's bed. unbeknownst to you, you might have picked up the world's

nastiest hitchhiker -- cimex lectularius -- the dreaded bedbug. if they weren't in your house before, well, they might be now. >> bedbugs are back. >> you don't want to mess around with this. >> you only need to sit in a chair that's got bedbugs for 20 minutes and they'll be on you. >> reporter: as the owner of town & country pest solutions in rochester, new york, matt fabry spends a lot of time going home to home trying to eliminate people's bedbugs. and for many exterminators, their best ally in this fight is man's best friend. >> we were one of the first exterminators that actually purchased a trained bedbug dog. >> hey! where's roscoe? >> he's working! >> reporter: of course you've seen them on tv -- >> roscoe, the bedbug dog inspects everywhere. >> reporter: the bedbug-sniffing dog has become the first line of counteroffense. and it's no myth. dogs, with their superior sense of smell, really can be trained still, a study published just last month found that trained

are none about 15% of the time. matt knows that the nose can lead you astray. >> you just want to make sure that that dog is really exposing a live bedbug, because you can pay a lot of money for false alerts. >> reporter: here's the thing -- matt says most dogs get rewarded with doggie treats. >> good girl! >> reporter: so there's the potential for a canine conflict of interest. >> and if he's really hungry, he's going to do false alerts and go like this, and bark, and there won't be a bedbug there. >> reporter: so we at "20/20" decided to put some super-sniffers to the test. this four-floor townhouse in brooklyn, new york, gave us what we needed. because we want to know how will bedbug-sniffing dogs and their handlers perform under real-life conditions. >> there's a lot of inexperienced technicians. they don't get paid enough, whatever. they never get good training. >> reporter: in fact, the national pest management association itself lists strengthening the public's perception as one of its goals. >> our industry is filled with

professionals that are committed to customer satisfaction. and certainly we do recommend that homeowners do their background research, ask for references. >> reporter: so, we do our research and bring in two renowned entomologists, lou sorkin and paul bello, to first confirm the home is bedbug-free. >> we know that there's no bedbugs here. >> reporter: then we rig the home with five hidden cameras. the stakes are high. if your home is diagnosed with bedbugs, look out -- treatment can cost thousands and disrupt a home for weeks. >> it's more prudent to confirm that you have an infestation before you take that kind of action, than to just do it simply because a dog alerted. >> reporter: so, with cameras rolling, we watch as ten different companies and their prized pooches go to work -- labradors, beagles, jack russells. the first several teams come and go -- not a single dog finds evidence of bedbugs. which is great, because there are none. but then we meet this cuddly

guy. to protect his identity, let's call him mikey. he smells bugs on the couch, in the bed. with each hit, the handler rewards him with a treat. but our homeowner wants to know more. >> you don't do a further inspection? >> no. >> you rely on your dog? >> yes. >> if you had to say, like, what percentage of the time she's accurate, what would you say? >> a percentage? i'll say 90%. so definitely this room would have to be treated. >> basically the whole room. >> yes. >> reporter: hold it right there. our experts say mikey is wrong. and no treatment is necessary because, had the company bothered to look, they wouldn't have found any bedbugs. we showed the footage to entomologist lou sorkin. >> they have to understand that maybe their dog is playing them and just wants the reward. >> reporter: the dog is playing the exterminator? >> yes. >> reporter: so we crawl out of the woodwork to ask our dog handler some friendly questions. hi, paula faris from abc and "20/20."

how are you? >> i cannot be filmed, sorry. >> reporter: did you find bedbugs? >> i cannot be filmed. >> reporter: you were going to charge her $2,500 -- okay, maybe he was just erring on the side of caution by recommending treatment. but then, double-whammy. we meet this dog we'll call "scout." scout, too, alerts to bedbugs. >> he's picking up the scent of live bedbugs. >> he's saying that to me, yep. >> so is your dog telling me that i have bedbugs? is that what your dog is saying to me? >> he's saying that to me, yep. >> reporter: this handler seems to do everything by the book, he even brings in a second dog. >> we're going to check with the second dog. >> reporter: but even the second dog gets it wrong and detects bedbugs. hot on the scent, the exterminator is eager to find an actual bug for our homeowner. >> you're gonna show me the bug? >> yeah, i'll find it for you. >> really? you're going to promise me you're going to find a bug based upon your dog? >> reporter: he searches and searches, but no luck. so what will he say to our

homeowner? >> i'm not gonna lie to you and say, "yeah, i found the bedbugs here." but 100% i rely on them. i would highly recommend the treatment. >> reporter: huh. with two dogs alerting, but no visual evidence of bedbugs, this exterminator still recommends his company's expensive treatment. believe it or not, that actually complies with industry guidelines. still, we want to hear from him. >> uh-oh. >> hi, paula faris from abc news and "20/20." how are you? we brought in two well-respected entomologists. they did not find any proof of bedbugs. what did you find? >> i didn't find anything. the dog alert. >> so, no bedbugs. why not lay a trap to find proof of life before you recommend an expensive treatment? >> that's options. i'm not trying to steal money from you or anything like that. >> reporter: okay, anybody can make a mistake. but, after two days of hidden camera work, we find 4 out of 11 dogs are in the doghouse, they get it wrong. the lesson? >> make sure that they show you

that bedbug and don't just let them tell you it's there and we can't see it. >> reporter: so when the bug man cometh, trust -- but verify. [contain♪r door opening] what makes it an suv is what you can get into it. ♪ [container door closing] what makes it an nx is what you can get out of it. ♪ introducing the first-ever lexus nx turbo and hybrid. once you go beyond utility, there's no going back.

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that's it for $2020 tonight. thanks so for that's our program for tonight. thanks so much for watching. tune in tomorrow 10:00 p.m. eastern for a special edition of "20/20". saturday, a murder mystery with lots of suspects and lots of secrets. i'm elizabeth vargas. >> see you tomorrow night. i'm david muir. for all of us, have a good evening. good night. a live look at the golden gate bridge tonight one hour

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