this may not be the las vegas you know. >> i can get you all brands of mustangs all day long. >> this is the underbelly. [ bleep ] >> shoot him in the face. >> an underworld filled with criminals. >> make your next move be your best move. if you need me there, you got to invest in me. >> with undercover cops trying to catch those crooks. >> catch me if you can. >> in this episode, police set up a sting. a fake fencing operation for stolen goods. >> i got them all here. >> with hidden cameras rolling, the bad guys unwittingly divulge

in frightening detail how to commit the crime. then we confront them in jail to dig deeper in the mind of a criminal. >> i've never been caught in a sting operation. >> well, you're about to be. it's real, it's revealing, and it's raw. hello and welcome to ""vegas undercover: raw."" i'm chris hansen. it's no wonder it's been called an adult playground. the men and women of the police department are tasked with protected with protecting citizens and tourists alike, they're presented with enormous challenges.

during the course of a year we were given unprecedented access to undercover sting operations specifically designed to take some of the biggest criminals off the streets. until now, a very small percentage of that foot haj has ever been broadcast. from these raw tapes, we're able to give you a fascinating look into a rarely seen criminal world. the store front operation is essentially a place where crooks can bring stolen items and sell them. >> .38 special .357. >> the theory is that there are hundreds if not thousands of people in this town who make their living by getting up every morning and figuring out a crime to commit. and if the police could put together a store front operation, a fencing operation, and get word out on the street that this was the place to bring stolen goods, everything from cars to guns to counterfeit money, have the criminals bring in even more criminals, and

essentially identify this huge pool of bad people and ultimately catch them in a sting operation and take them off the street. >> i've got them all here, dude, believe it or not. todd is a pretty big player. he's a narrative. he brings in a lot of people. >> he's got a mustang and a cobra. >> are they here? >> they're both here. >> i got scion, two malibus. >> todd comes in with a used car lot. he's got a scion, he's got a couple scions. he's got a bentley. now, this is like a $250,000 car. >> all this [ bleep yours? >> yeah, pretty nice. >> holy [ bleep ] dude. >> well, i don't do them.

i only deal with certain people. i do straight-up business. i know i need to make a few bucks right now. >> are you kind of like a jump-through-the-window kind of cat? you had like a title for the bentley and all that? >> they got all that. >> but this is their [ bleep ]. >> it's their [ bleep ]. >> todd says, "i'm not the thief. i'm not stealing these cars. i'm just doing a friend a favor. i know a guy, he's got a car. i know where to take it and sell it. i didn't take the car. i'm just the middle man." >> eight, nine, ten, 11, 12, 20, 40, 50. do you want to count that out? make sure you're good? >> in spite of claiming he's just the middle man, he does get his cut. he gets a percentage of the money. >> how you want to do this, bro? >> he comes in with like five cars and within days he comes in with two more. >> we've been driving it all night. we drove all the way to california. >> so right then, these guys know that this is somebody they

need to focus on. >> it's got dual batteries. >> but he's very likely connected to other crooks in town who they want to take off the street. >> you're offering what for it? >> there is a very noticeable change in todd as you follow him through this undercover investigation. and it's all captured, you know, on video. you can tell he's having problems in the beginning. but as time goes by, you can see that he's more agitated. he's more anxious. almost as if, you know, he's suffering from an addiction that is slowly choking him. >> you see this jacket he's got on? it's so bad, dude. that's the [ bleep ] dude. >> i think when investigators see somebody like that -- he's going downhill, he's having some problems. yeah, they do get concerned about that because this person

has less of a grasp on reality. they might be more desperate. they might be more strung out. they might be going through withdrawal. and when you mix that all together, it's a dangerous situation, and it's something that they factor into every deal they do. are these dangerous people who come in here? >> because of the nature of this investigation, we blur the faces of the officers for their protection. >> absolutely, absolutely. we've got people selling guns. we've got people bragging about doing home invasions, burglaries. they could be talking a big game, but you never know. you never know who you're dealing with. >> how much background do you have on these people? >> when they come in, none. >> are they suspicious? >> absolutely. people have said i must be a cop because i'm too tall, my tithe are too white, i'm in too good a

shape. they sometimes ask you about drug use and different things like that to see if you know street lingo. a lot of people get really suspicious. but they'll come back. >> they'll come back? >> absolutely. >> and they'll take the money? >> absolutely. they'll come back again and again and again. >> after guys like todd essentially are caught on hidden camera, admitting their crimes, they're allowed to go out and continue committing these crimes. because the police want to get as many people and as much evidence as possible to build a strong case. they want to infiltrate this criminal world and let this investigation run for as long as it continues to be productive, without endangering anybody. >> but eventually after nearly a year when cops decide to shut down the fake fencing operation and round up the suspects -- >> do you have anything sharp on you? >> no. >> -- i'm there to confront

them, to find out just what they were thinking. what effect does it have on you when you inject speed into your b body? coming up, todd in custody. >> wow. >> and the front is open for business. >> do you want to do 2500? >> twice? >> three times. >> busted. computer carrying a handgun. >> word is out on the street, and you'll meet some creative criminals. >> wearing white gloves. >> watch raw video, dangerous situations. understand how the criminal mind works. >> i've never hurt nobody physically. i don't have any violence on my record. >> "vegas undercover raw" continues. copd makes it hard to breathe,

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this storefront operated for the better part of a year. some 40 criminals, 100 crimes. very successful.

once the cops shut down the front, they now have to stage this massive operation to round up all the people they've caught committing crimes. >> tell whitney i love her. >> get in, get in. >> and they have to do it almost instantaneously because word travels fast. so they have to have dozens and dozens of officers literally swoop in in some cases at the same time in multiple locations. they bring them all in to be interrogated. some we got a chance to talk to as they're coming in. some we got a chance to talk to after they'd been interviewed. hey, todd, how are you doing? we're doing a story on an investigation conducted by vegas metro police. >> okay. >> and there is evidence you were bringing in stolen cars. to be sold.

do you know anything about that? >> no. >> have you ever sold any stolen cars before? >> no. >> do you know anything about stolen car rings? >> no. >> todd starts out denying that he had any involvement in any sort of stolen car. but he does admit to getting himself into trouble. what are you hoping for? >> you know, i'm hoping i get a chance at my life again. i spent -- i went to prison for some drug charges. i got out. i did a real stringent drug program. i did really well. i went back to work at the union. was doing really well. >> and what type of work were you doing with the union? >> i'm a carpet layer. i've been doing it for 14 years. i'm really good at what i did. i got out, did three years, was sober, going to meetings, doing really well. lo and behold, i never slammed it, you know, intravenously. >> you're talking about heroin.

>> no, speed. >> you mean injecting speed? >> yeah. it's the worst drug i ever experienced in my life. >> who injects speed? you don't hear about it that much. you do? is that pretty common? >> yeah, pretty much. this past eight months has been [ bleep ] up man, been [ bleep ] up. quit going to work. the meetings. next thing you know i'm drinking. the next thing you know i'm smoking, i'm slamming it out of the blue. and i don't do that. that's not me. that's not who i am right now. >> what effect does it have on you when you inject speed into your body? i mean it's got to be a really intense high. >> yeah, it's bad. you know, i'm not that person. i am not that [ bleep ] person. i am not that person. you know, the person i am, i got three children that are almost grown, you know. i mean i really took care of my family, you know what i mean? and this past eight or nine months of my life has been -- i'm glad to be in jail, but i'm

not glad because i did some things that i'm paying for right now. i'm sure i deserve it. i can't say that -- i can't expect to not be punished for it. but at the same time, you know, i need help. >> i need to go back over the first part of our conversation, because there's evidence that you did get involved in selling some stolen cars in an undercover sting operation. >> i wasn't no part of an undercover sting operation. >> i'm not saying you helped the police with a sting operation. you've been caught in a sting operation. >> i've never been caught in a sting operation. >> well, you're about to be. can i show you some videotape? >> hell, i ain't trying to give up nothing. i don't know who you are. it's the first time i ever seen

you here. i don't know [ bleep ] about you. >> look at me. >> you look like you're in tough shape there. >> in sad [ bleep ] shape. >> where did you get the cars you brought in? >> i didn't steal the cars. i don't know where the cars were from. i was just the middle man. >> how did you get the cars is what i'm asking. >> people -- >> somebody steals the car. >> yeah, somebody steals the cars. look. >> and they come to you because you are known on the street as somebody who can fence the car. >> yeah. i didn't ever drive the cars. i didn't do anything with the cars. i knew these people -- i met these people through somebody else. >> so you were the middle man. >> i was just trying to make a couple of bucks, man. >> how much did you make off of all that? >> not much. >> i mean it looks like he was counting off a pretty big stack. >> i didn't make [ bleep ]. that wasn't my money. >> so what you take your little swr vig off of it shlg and you give it to the thief basically.

>> basically there was only a couple of times i actually had my hands on the money first. but for the most part -- wow. >> how did you even know to go to the storefront to begin with? how did you find out about it? just word of mouth? >> wow. >> you see what i'm saying. how did you even know to go there? >> a friend of mine. >> a friend of yours? >> not even a friend. >> just a guy you knew. >> a guy i just met. >> how many times do you suppose you went to that storefront? >> my god, i don't know. four or five times. >> four or five times. and each time you were the middle man in a deal to sell a stolen car. >> uh-huh. i'm struggling to get by and get back out of what i got myself into. like right now, until i came down here for this, i was really

thinking i had a chance in my life again. but apparently i'm not going to have. >> who do you blame for this? >> i can't blame nobody for any of this but myself. >> so where do you go from here? >> i don't know. probably prison for your a long time. >> is that the right thing? >> i deserve to be punished. i'm sure of it. >> you have a guy like this in todd, who was pretty confident, cocky, if you will, when you see him on the investigative video from the storefront. and now they know they're caught. they've seen themselves on video. they're behind bars. they're a little less brave now.

and i think in many cases, they've been locked up for long enough to clean themselves up from whatever drugs they might have been using. and have kind of a clear look at things and realize how messed up they are and how they messed up. and i think they come to this realization in realtime as i'm talking to them. it's a very emotional moment for them. >> all right, well listen. todd, i appreciate you talking to me. >> how much trouble am i in? >> todd pleads guilty to several charges, including burglary and possession of stolen vehicles. he is sentence 9 1/2 to 26 years in prison. coming up, man comes into the front with a talent they never expected.

>> a seminar on how to make counterfeit $100 bills. to my knowledge, that's never been seen on television before. but things go from riveting to risky in an instant. >> you can see he's carrying a handgun. >> when "vegas undercover raw" continues. ♪ [ multiple sounds making melodic tune ] ♪ [ male announcer ] at northrop grumman, every innovation, every solution, comes together for a single purpose -- to make the world a safer place. that's the value of performance. northrop grumman. [ female announcer ] who'd have thought that the person you'd grow up to be -- how creative or confident or kind -- was shaped before you lost your first tooth?

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we're in an industrial park in the shadow of the las vegas strip. and investigators made this set if you will, expressly for this investigation. typically the crooks come in. the deal goes down right here. the investigator is on that side, posing as the fence. and they negotiate, whether it's for a stolen car or a piece of electronics. there is a camera hidden right here. that's another camera hidden right there. here in this room, it's really pretty much the control room. ta sergeant sits here. and, of course, this is the investigator screen. they can see what is going on.

you have multiple monitors here that show what the cameras are seeing outside. >> do you want a beer? >> sure. >> i think i've got one warm fosters or a bud light. >> aisle take a fosters. >> rusty is right near the top of all the visitors to the storefront. rusty's talent is unique because most of the other people caught up in this sting operation were merely fencing stolen items. rusty had a skill here. >> the one he just showed you, you showed me was great. >> perfect. >> you know what i'm saying? >> he is a counterfeiter. what rusty does basically is he takes a $5 bill, bleaches it with household chemicals, basically, and then uses a copier to create a $100 bill. >> i got involved with this guy. he's a chemist. he came up with the chemical reaction, and he pours this

[ bleep ] and throws [ bleep ] in there, and 15 minutes later it's about [ bleep ] clean. >> basically rusty is trying to cut a deal to sell the undercover investigators counterfeit money. so he wants to bring in $10,000 worth of counterfeit $100 bills and sell them to the undercover investigators for basically 35 cents on the dollar. so he would take $3,500 in real money for ten grand in counterfeit hundreds. >> what do you have on here right now? >> $2,000. >> what are you looking to get it all in? >> i don't know, whatever. that's just spare money. >> really? >> he says look, you want to test them out? here is $2,000 worth of counterfeit 100s. >> if you want to do 25 on those, do $2,500. >> check it out if you want to do more business, i'm around. >> if you have a [ bleep ] with that. >> trade them out? >> you can get rid of them. i can get rid of them. >> the police can tell they're counterfeit.

but he is very detailed about how to use his counterfeit money, where to use it, and where not to use it. >> i'll be sitting at the convenience store, whatever, playing the slots, and i'll cash out, after the first couple hundred dollars. and give me the money right there and turn around and walk away. give me a pack of cigarettes and throw it down. they just gave them to you. so they don't think to sit there and look at them. and i haven't had one problem. >> right at the moment when rusty gives the investigators the $2,000 in fake hundreds, for a second or two, they had a hard time discerning which are counterfeit and which are real. sleight of hands. is this his or mine. >> i got one -- the real money. >> you want to get your drink. >> they had good evidence on rusty right then and there. and they broached the subject of

him coming back and not just giving them more counterfeit money, but selling them the equipment needed to do the counterfeiting on their own. >> well, the next question, once we build up trust and this starts going smooth, will we ever get to see how it's done? i'm curious. >> had rusty never shown up again, he would have still been arrested for selling counterfeit $100 bills. >> dude, i make so much money on this, it's unbelievable. >> but that wasn't the last of rusty. ultimately they struck a deal. rusty's going to bring in the equipment, do a demonstration, and get like $1,500. so rusty is due back in like 30 minutes. >> yes. >> remember, for the undercover officers, this is dangerous business. and we blur their faces for their protection. after his last visit, rusty told the cops he was carrying a gun. but it wasn't just the gun that alarmed them. >> now the last time he was here, he had a handgun. >> yes. >> and an extra clip, which was

loaded with so-called cop killer bullets. >> that's the terms he used. >> and what kind of heartburn does that give you, knowing he could be coming in once again armed? >> well, we're assuming that most criminals coming in here armed. we were prepared then to do what we had to do if the threat presented itself. if it does tonight, we'll do what we have to do. >> he's coming in right now. >> rusty comes back to do this demonstration. and we're all a little tense because of this fear on the part of the investigators that he might be armed. >> there's a gun right there. when you zoom in the cameras to his waistband, you can see that rusty appears to be carrying a handgun. you can see the butt of the gun right there. which is why they're taking some extra precautions tonight. >> so we're all on edge. but he just drinking a beer, having a cigarette, goes through the whole process. never seen anything like it.

it's fascinating. >> now rusty is showing them how to rub the ink off the $5 bill. then they'll use that to make the $100 counterfeit. >> what did you do? >> this is literally a seminar on how to make counterfeit $100 bills. you can see the piece of paper at the end of the table. that's the actual cleaned $5 bill. see it there. dry it. and then they'll be ready to print the $100 bill. the counterfeit. >> this is important too. make sure your dbi is dry on the back. >> rusty then uses a printer and a scanner, imprints on the blank $5 bill the front and back of a $100 bill. so basically he's making a copy,

and it looks pretty darn good. in case you're thinking of trying this at home, you should know we have left out a number of key steps. circumstances there any place that is like you would know that you don't want to go to? >> walmart trainer employees. >> yes, i do. look for the cashiers wearing white gloves, things like that. >> rusty seems relaxed. he is there to teach them how to counterfeit money when he starts offering up details about his criminal history. >> for a long time, my bills had a red symbol on them like that. and that's how i'm -- i mean people [ bleep ] try to pass off bills that were mine. and i knew they were mine because this has this little japanese-look symbol. >> you used to do that, autograph it basically? >> stamp it. >> rusty has the attention of the investigators. he's made two visits. he's sold them a lot of counterfeit $100 bills.

he's sold them equipment to make even more. but his days are numbered. was it just me, or was this guy shifty? he was looking all over this room. >> he was really perplexed. if i got too far behind him, he kept look over the shoulder to see what i was doing. >> on the hidden cameras, we thought we saw a bulge there. and it looked like he had -- >> he had mace. >> was it mace? >> he had it fastened to a chain, and he pulled it out, and i said it wasn't a weapon. he pulls it out and it appears to be a can of mace. >> if somebody were to hold this up to the light, you could actually see abraham lincoln and the $5 strip here. >> correct. >> but most people don't do that. >> right. most people just look to see that there is some sort of portrait, which is a reflection, and they look to see that there's some sort of strip here. >> why do you think he trust you'd guys? >> honestly, i don't know. i think part of it is a gift of gab. >> i would add to that if you're an artist and you have all these beautiful paintings and no one

ever noticed who painted them, there's no glory in it. i think he wants somebody, people, to recognize and know his work. >> a week from now, he is not going to be a free man? >> no. his house will be raided and he'll be in custody. >> and he has no idea. >> not yet. coming up, rusty in custody. says the counterfeit cash wasn't the only fake thing in that room. and you have twice, three times. crazy, dude. >> this man is quite a catch. >> it's personal. this is the most expensive car anybody has ever brought us. >> when "vegas undercover raw" continues. whoa. whoa. how do you top great vacations? whoa. getting twice the points on great vacations. whoa! use chase sapphire preferred and now get two times the points on travel, and two times

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i'm milissa rehberger. here's what's happening. an early historic storm has knocked out electricity to nearly 3 million customers in

the northeast. deaths have been blamed. and lawyers for jared lee loughner says one of the drugs he's being forced to take is making him more dangers to himself, not less. loughner is accused of shooting congress mang gabrielle giffords and others in january. now back to "vegas undercover." welcome back to "vegas undercover raw." in the footage captured of the police sting operation, we've been able to show you how the suspected criminals acted when they didn't know they were being watched. and when i confronted them after they had been arrested, they had no idea they admitted their crimes on tape. it was interesting to see how many denied what they were caught doing. that is, until i showed them the video. hey, rusty, how are you? rusty comes in. i explain to him who i am. tell him i'd like to ask him some questions. he said sure. sits down.

>> we're doing a story on this investigation that was run by vegas metro police. my job is to get inside that person's mind and ask them challenging questions. and find out, you know, what got them into this situation that they're in. did you go to a storefront business and try to sell some counterfeit money? >> no, i didn't go to one, no. no, no. i mean i did go to a storefront business, but i didn't try to sell anything to them like counterfeit money, no. >> why did you go there? >> why did you go there? >> yeah. >> because they contacted me wanting some information from me. >> what kind of information did they want? >> they wanted me to divulge some information to them. >> about? >> about counterfeit. >> about counterfeit. >> right. >> so did you tell them anything? >> yes. >> and what did you tell them? >> i showed them what somebody had showed me on the internet. >> and what was that specifically?

>> how to do it. >> how to do it. do you know how to do counterfeit money? >> just what i've read on the internet and stuff. >> and how does that work, if you had to explain it to somebody like me who doesn't know that much about it. >> with a printer. >> rusty denies knowing anything about the counterfeit $100 bills, about selling counterfeit 100 bills, how to make about selling equipment to make $100 counterfeit bills, absolutely didn't do it, wasn't there, you've got the wrong guy, i'm innocent. fine. can i show you the videotape? yes, please. and you watch his face as i hit play. he almost looks away because he doesn't want to see it. and then he is drawn into it. and there he is. giving a tutorial on how to make counterfeit $100 bills.

that's you right there. now before this is all over, you produce a crisp $100 bill. and you basically tell them how to do it. and then on top of that, how to pass this $100 bill. how it works in casinos. how you can do it in a convenience store -- >> right. >> how many of those 100 dollar bills have you made over the years? >> not many. >> that's not what you said here. was that just bs? >> yeah. >> why would you say it then? >> just to impress them. basically. >> how much money in reality do you think you made? >> not jack [ bleep ]. >> not jack? >> no. seriously. >> give me a ballpark. >> nothing probably. i mean i haven't passed any of them myself. i never would try. i mean, honestly, to look at them, they don't really look that real. >> because here's one thing you say during these meetings, that you used to put a little special mark on it so you knew it was one of yours.

and you saw them recirculate around a couple of times. >> that's [ bleep ]. >> that's all bs? >> all bs. >> you were trying to be quite the tough guy here? >> yeah, because i was scared. i didn't know who these guys were either, you know. i mean i had no idea who they were. >> how come you have one wallet for real money and one wallet for counterfeit money? >> that's bs. >> that's a lot of bs floating around here. there's a whole lot of bs floating around here, rusty. >> a lot of bs floating around through there. >> rusty, like so many of these guys tried to downplay what he said, you know, during the investigation as bravado, bragging. the truth, i'm sure, lies someplace in between. rusty strikes a deal, avoiding federal charges, pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit forgery and is sentenced to one to three years. coming up -- >> the most expensive car anybody has ever bought. >> a prince of thieves tries to sell his high-ticket items to the cops.

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word continues to spread throughout the criminal community that this fencing operation is a good place to unload your stolen goods. a couple months into the sting operati operation, j.r. is introduced to the undercover officer by todd, who tells him, hey, you got stuff to sell? this is a good place do it. >> he don't look like a cop. you're stupid. >> all right, what's the deal on this? here's the deal, straight up.

i grabbed all the paperwork because for other reasons. i left with all the paperwork i had and i got home and found the titles to these cars. and i'm like [ bleep ] because i'm not going to go back. so i went back. >> j.r. is casing this high-class neighborhood, looking for a place to rob. he finds a home, looks like nobody's home. he comes across paperwork for two very expensive cars, one a bentley, and one a very rare mustang. >> twice, three [ bleep ] crazy. >> j.r. wasn't prepared to steal those cars right then and there. >> the reason i did is [ bleep ]. his expedition is gone. more money -- >> do you know these people? >> no, i don't do people i know. just luck.

just straight-up luck, bro. i get pretty lucky. >> just to put it into perspective, you know, the value of the items brought into the fencing operation was something like a million dollars. well, jr on his own brought in like a quarter of that. >> see, here is the thing. i'm not trying to discredit the fact -- >> because this is the most expensive car anybody has ever brought us. >> is that right? >> dude, you set the bar, man. >> so j.r. comes in with this bentley, and they don't have enough cash on them to actually buy the bentley. the police have a budget here. they just can't, you know, go on forever buying stolen cars or give thousands of dollars for each one. so they give him a down payment. and then he comes back to get the rest of the cash. >> it's a summerhouse. they're worth like $10 billion. so i don't feel bad. if it was just an average joe, i [ bleep ] that.

he is worth a lot of money. i don't need stuff like that. i have a conscience. when a guy has three houses and -- >> all right. he's not missing it. >> actually because he cheats people and doesn't appreciate what he's got. pretty much. >> you try to come up with it. >> i try to. >> j.r. on hidden camera tells the undercover investigators that he has no problem clipping this guy for his bentley and his mustang because he is a rich guy and he'll never miss it. now ironically, later when i interview the guy who had the car stolen, you know, he is a self-made millionaire. he started a company with about $250 in his pocket and never looked back. he worked very hard to get those cars. >> three, four, five, six -- >> j.r. sells this car to the

police for, you know, basically pennies on the dollar. they give him 2, $500 for a quarter of a million vehicle. but for the police, it's a big score. because not only have they gotten somebody's car back, something of great value, but it's great evidence to put j.r. in prison. coming up -- >> you didn't steal that bentley? >> no, i didn't steal that bentley. >> j.r. is sticking to his story. but when we show him video of this woman also caught in the sting, he gets angry. >> she should have never -- she should have never been involved in anything like this. i did not know that she was doing anything like this. >> find out who the mystery woman is, when "vegas undercover raw continues." the employee of the month isss... the new spark card from capital one. spark miles gives me the most rewards of any small business credit card. the spark card earns double miles... so we really had to up our game. with spark, the boss earns double miles

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over the course of the las vegas police investigation, 38 criminals came through the doors of the fake fencing operation.

most of the thieves were trying to sell stolen cars. >> i can get mustangs all day long. >> you go outside in the parking lot and show me [ bleep ] morons where the truck is? >> but some other more unusual items made their way to the front, like this grenade. >> 300 is what the final sale was. >> you were on ebay, right? >> right. >> and a guy with some big guns. >> what have we got? >> this thing looks like a stiff body. and 30-330? >> 337. >> in all, the cops confiscated more than a million dollars in stolen goods, and amazingly, they got nearly a quarter of that in one visit. j.r. brought them a bently and a rare mustang. >> i love it. >> pretty much.

>> so when we got a chance to talk to some of the suspected criminals after they were rounded up and arrested, i was curious to learn about the self-described robin hood who boasted so brashly to the cop in the storefront sting that he had pulled off those major heists. how did you end up getting in this jam? >> i don't even know what jam i'm in, to be honest with you. >> let me ask you this, j.r. did you ever take some stolen cars over to a little storefront and sell them there? >> no, i never did personally sell anybody any car. >> did you ever go to the storefront? >> i know which one you're talking about. >> did you go there? >> i went there, yes. >> what did you do while you were there? >> i talked to a couple guys. one of my friends wanted me to go over there with him to take something, to take a vehicle because he couldn't drive two cars at the same time. i said sure, i'll go with you. and he said i got the titles and everything, it's all legit. i need your help. okay. so i went over there with him. that was it.

>> and that's it? >> one time. >> wait a minute. two times. >> two times. and what kind of cars did you bring over there? >> i didn't bring any cars. i was with a friend of mine. and i just drove up with him to the front of the place. i didn't pick up car anywhere or anything like that and deliver it, no. he had the cars. and i went with him to deliver them. >> did you ever get any of the money for these cars? >> no, i didn't get any of the money, no. >> did you bring over a 2008 bentley? >> yes. >> you did? >> uh-huh. >> and those guys paid $2,500 for that car? >> no. gave him like $200. >> is $200 what you got? >> i didn't get anything. >> you didn't get anything? so you were just being a good buddy. >> i was helping my friend out. not really a good buddy or anything. just helping him drive over there. >> where did that bentley come from? >> i have no idea. >> you have no idea? >> no. >> you didn't steal that bentley? >> i didn't steal that bentley. >> what did you talk with those fellows at the storefront? >> i remember they had this -- i

guess my friend told them that i was this big, you know -- >> thief. >> machismo, whatever. >> right. >> me trying to be cool, trying to play the part, yeah, yeah, yeah. >> but being a burglar is not something most people brag about unless they're burglars and they want people to think they're good at their job. does that make sense? >> this is true. >> as the interviewer, i let him tell the whole story. i had nothing to do with the sting operation. can't pin it on me. can i show you a videotape? what's it on? it's of you. and most people can't resist. >> are they some kind of -- who are they? >> it was a sting operation. >> okay, if it was a sting operation, i'm busted for going there. i'm sure they had a camera on me. >> in fact, they did. can i show you some of the videotape? would you like to take a look? >> three times walked without a tv, [ bleep ]. >> you're bragging there, j.r. >> yeah.

>> about robbing a guy. and you don't feel bad about it. you feel like robin hood because the guy is a wealthy man. why did you say all this stuff? >> pertaining to one person. it could have been tom, dick and harry. how can they arrest me or hold something against me if there is not a victim? there is no victim there. >> well, there are victims -- >> apparently if somebody had a bentley stole. >> right. >> did you steal the bentley? >> no, i didn't steal the bentley. you asked me that already. >> up to this point j.r. is sticking to his story. he seems pretty unfazed by seeing himself on the undercover sting video. but when i show him video of someone else he knows, that's when it appears he is taken by surprise. >> 10 or 20 bucks. broken? >> who is that? >> that's my daughter. >> that's your daughter? >> yeah. i didn't know. >> you had no idea your daughter was involved? >> no. >> well, j.r., how could you not know? >> my daughter -- my daughter did not live with me.

for -- i left -- my daughter and i had not seen each other in years and years. i had no clue she was even involved with that person that was involved with those people. >> i mean, you look genuinely upset when you saw your daughter there. in the presence of this guy. >> i didn't know any of this was going on, okay. >> i understand. >> to put my daughter in something like that, she should never been involved in anything like this. and i did not know that she was doing anything like this. >> is she a good kid? >> yes, she is a good kid. and i'm pretty much a good guy. i've never hurt nobody physically. i don't have any violence on my record. >> now you can go away for a long time on these charges. >> which is -- which is not fair. >> j.r., one of the 38 criminals

caught in the net of the las vegas police department, remains unapologetic to the end, possibly more upset about his daughter's involvement in the fake fencing operation than his own. according to las vegas police sheriff doug gillespie, the sting operation is a huge success. when people see this investigation and the unprecedented access, what do you think the takeaway should be? >> well, i'd like -- i think just reinforces to the public that we're just not out there driving around, that we are being proactive. we are being creative. and we are doing our level best to keep this community safe. >> what impact do you think that storefront investigation will have? >> well, what will happen is we'll have to be a little bit better the next time because they'll walk through the door and some of them will be asking a few more questions. maybe it won't be a storefront. maybe it will be some other type of operation that we do. but make no mistake, we'll be doing it.

>> as for jr, he may not have admitted to me that he stole the vehicles. in court, though, he tells a different story. j.r. pleads guilty to grand larceny. his sentence as a habitual criminal and given ten years to life behind bars. in watching the raw video of our investigations following the las vegas police department, two things struck me. one, it really gives the sense that the police are out there doing more than just reacting to criminal activity, that they're being proactive, even creative in their attempts to protect their citizens. and two, that there are criminals out there, guys like todd and rusty and j.r. who consider their job to commit crimes, looking for opportunities every day. it's truly the age-old tale of cat and mouse, cops and robbers. and the cops are clearly doing their part to stay one step ahead of the robbers. that's all for this edition of "vegas undercover raw." i'm chris hansen. thanks for watching.