he says the crooks might be good at their trade, but his cops are much better. that's all for this edition of "vegas, undercover raw." thanks for watching. this may not be the las vegas you know. this is the underbelly. an underworld filled with criminals, with undercover cops trying to catch the crooks. >> i told him to go [ bleep ] himself. >> in this episode, police set up a sting, a fake fencing operation for stolen goods.

with hidden cameras rolling, the bad guys unwittingly divulge in full detail how they commit their crimes. then we confront them in jail to dig deeper into the mind of a criminal. >> you go to prison, you die. end of story. >> it's real. it's revealing, and it's raw. >> how long were you on meth? >> i've been on it since i was 11 years old. >> hello. i'm chris hansen. while reporting an undercover investigative story, it's typical to shoot more than 100 hours of video to make just one hour of television. that often means some riveting material is left on the cutting-room floor. but now we're going to show you

some fascinating never-before-seen footage from a series produced by nbc numbers that followed undercover operations conducted by the las vegas police department. delving deeper into these tapes reveals striking details about people caught in the police stipulation, and gives you incredible access into a criminal world. all undercover sting operations are dangerous because you can't control everything. you try to control as much as you can. it's dangerous. by its very nature. we can't show the faces of the undercover cops who have given us this incredible access. not only could it compromise future operations, but could endanger their lives. what do we know about our guests tonight? >> we know his first and last name, a three time ex-felon. how we found out who he is on this message that he gave us. he gave us his phone number, when he called us back, he gave us his first and last name.

this is so-and-so. they knew he was a felon. he had a criminal history. but they didn't know if he had a propensity for violence. they didn't know if he was going to be strung out on drugs. they didn't know if he was going to be carrying a weapon. so there's a lot they don't know. >> it's a nissan quest. >> a minivan? >> a minivan? kind of a hybrid? >> yeah. we'll see what it is. >> so it's stolen. >> mm-hmm. >> and he's bringing it here to fence it. >> absolutely. >> what's the going rate for something like that? >> our going rate is 200 on 10,000. that's what we've been telling all the crooks. we're giving them $200 on every $10,000 book worth. so they just pull it open, look for the year and the make of the car they've got, they say $17,000, $18,000, and -- >> you walk into the storefront, you know, through a regular door, like you would see at any

business. there are shades over the window. and there's a counter basically. and the undercover cops are on one side, and the bad guys are on the other. there's a small room where we basically have a control room set up. where we can monitor all the hidden cameras. and we record everything that goes on. >> that's all right right there. watch it. stay right there. stay right there. okay. let's get in the room. >> i'm in the back room, the control room if you will, with a sergeant who is overseeing part of this investigation. but boy, when they know that the crook is about to walk in, all business. everybody's got a job to do. there's a briefing before. before every visitor. and it's very serious. >> i don't know much about rides. johnny? you here?

>> they have a real flaw inside. there's a hole in the beauty ring. half an antenna. there's a hole in the bottom of the column, dude. if you hit the wrong bar, if the car has an alarm, it's going to set off the alarm or it's going to hit the theft light on the dashboard. slide it in. piece of [ bleep ]. >> genius. >> i figger i could wipe the prints off. >> he's a very confident guy. he in very short order talks about all the cars he can steal. he's an auto detailer. after several minutes of chatter, they get down to business.

because what adam is really there to could on this day is sell the nissan, the stolen nissan that he's brought in. >> we agreed at five, throw this in, make it 550. >> cool. >> you said you had some other ride you might want to get rid of eventually? >> yeah, i've got a couple of them. >> adam tells the undercover cops that he's got five more cars he can bring in. so pretty early on it looks like there's a good potential for him to be a very good customer. >> my 50 z. >> adam starts talking about a stolen car, the undercover cops had already bought basically. >> is this the one you keep telling me about? >> yeah. >> you scared me when you said -- >> he starts to tell this amazing story about how he stole it. from the daughter of a judge. it's almost like he's joking about it. >> i got the keys and [ bleep ].

it's good to have a nice fast car. >> nice. that's funny. when you said that, it kind of freaked me out. because i never had anybody sell me a car that used to belong to a judge. >> adam reveals to the undercover cop that he's awaiting sentencing from the judge on previous charges. >> you give me two to five. >> your sentencing judge owned the car that you sold us almost a year ago? >> yeah. well, not almost a year ago. >> finally back to the task at hand, adam completes the deal. selling the stolen car, and a gps unit. >> 550 for the ride, and the gps. i'm sure we'll do business. >> they want to gather as much evidence as possible. and so they let many of these people walk, to continue these crimes, because at the end of

the investigation, they will have a bigger pool of criminals that they will ultimately take off the streets. >> nice meeting you again. >> adam is a significant player. obviously he has been involved in previous crimes. he talks about stealing other cars. he's in a bis where he has access to cars. adam is a pretty big deal in this investigation. >> coming up, when the cops do sweep adam up, i get an opportunity to talk to him. to tap into the mind of a criminal. >> i will die in prison. very point blank, end of story. >> and criminals keep coming to the storefront. >> it's going to be -- yes. >> so this just happened today? >> yes. >> when "vegas undercover raw" continues.

the storefront fencing

operation, a sting run by the las vegas police department, stays open for a little less than a year. when the cops close up shop, they round up all the criminals they caught. and that's when i confront them, including adam isaacson. chris hansen with "dateline" nbc. how you doing? we're doing a story on this investigation that the vegas metro police did. we were able to talk to some of the people arrested in the sting. both as they were being brought in, but also later, actually in the local jail. adam is actually interviewed at the police station after his arrest. so he's in an interrogation room, and he's under arrest. can you tell me how you got mixed up in the middle of all of this? >> bad choices. >> bad choices?

how old are you, adam? >> 22. >> 22? in this storefront, you go on for a long time and talk to these undercover cops about -- >> i what? >> you go on for a long time and tuk these undercover cops about how many cars you've stolen, how easy it is, you can take fords if you have an old car antenna. >> just to make them buy the one i had. >> what kind of car was it that you sold to them? >> somebody called me up and said that they needed to get rid of a nissan van. >> and so you drove it over there? >> i didn't even get in the car until about a half a block away. >> you met whoever stole the car, right? got in, drove it over there just to do the deal? >> yeah. >> now, you said in that conversation -- and i was actually in the back room listening and watching, because we had our hidden cameras in there. >> i recorded it on my cell phone as well. >> you recorded it as well?

>> i believe so. >> you said you stole quite a few cars? >> right. i just wanted the guy's attention so i could get the money. >> so you were trying to get some credibility with the guys? >> yeah. >> i've got some video from that investigation, adam. i'd like you to take a look, if that's all right with you. >> sure. >> this is you, right? >> yeah. good story, isn't it? >> is this true? >> no. somebody called me and wanted a set of rims. >> so did you steal the car from her? >> no. i never met the girl. >> so how did you get the car? >> somebody called me up and

said they needed to get rid of it. so i got it from the person called chris. i'm sure you have that on the video, too. >> well, this car apparently belonged to the daughter of a judge? >> yes. i didn't know until months later. >> did you know that gal, the daughter of the judge? >> never met her before a day in my life. >> but you know the judge? >> my new sentencing judge. >> how do you suppose this is going to play in front of your new sentencing judge, you talking about having possession of her daughter's car? >> she's going to [ bleep ] fry me. >> that's not going to go over very well, i'm thinking. >> no, it's not. >> this is where in my interview with adam, it takes a turn i never saw coming. so what's your plan? >> i'm 22 years old and you guys are going to show this on tv, and i'm probably going to go to prison and get stabbed and killed.

that's probably what's going to happen. point blank, end of story, i will die in prison. i will be murdered. >> why, because you're on the video? >> because you're going to put this [ bleep ] on tape and everything else. it don't matter. people don't come after you, you go to prison, anything you told, you die. period. end of story. >> adam seems to be worried that for some reason he's going to be thought of as a snitch. we had no indication that he was a snitch, no information that he snitched on anyone. so my gut is that he was just trying to figure out a way to keep that interview off of national television. so you're saying it's not so much you would be on television, it's the suggestion you were trying to rat out some people in front of the police? >> the fact that i've stolen cars and i'm sitting here talking to you right now. that's what will kill me. i will die because of it. >> what should happen? >> i don't know. >> you tell me.

>> what do i want to happen? >> what do you want to happen? >> what i want to happen i don't want to say in front of a camera. >> it's your choice. >> you're right, it is. but you can't help me get out of prison. you can't do anything for me. >> i came here to be fair and get your side of this deal. and i appreciate you talking to me. if there's anything else you'd like to tell us, now would be the time. if not, i'll get out of your hair. >> how does it benefit me if i tell you something? >> all right. >> it was nice speaking with you. i'm sorry for the circumstances. >> i hope it works out for you. adam pleads guilty to several of his crimes related to the storefront, including possession of stolen vehicles and sentenced from 14 to 17 months. coming up -- >> do you -- >> car jack'ing throws a wrench

into the secrecy of the undercover operation. and more raw video. what cops decide to sweep up all the crooks, this woman won't go willingly. >> i told them if they wanted me to turn myself in, to pretty much go [ bleep ] themselves. i wasn't going to turn myself in. catch me if you can. >> when "vegas undercover raw" continues. living with the pain of moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis... could mean living with joint damage.

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the storefront operated for the better part of a year. some 40 criminals, 100 crimes. very successful. it was very important in this investigation that the undercover cops had credibility. i mean, i've looked into the eyes of a lot of criminals, and i can tell you when they're suspicious and when they're uncomfortable. and these cops did a masterful job of making these folks

comfortable, having conversations that would not raise suspicion. how dangerous is this? >> i would say it's very dangerous. >> uc stands for undercover. you have some background but you don't know who you're dealing with in some cases here. >> most of the time you don't. we i.d. them through fingerprints or names, they've given us a name and we've kind of tracked it down and got a picture to the uc, and they said yeah, it's them. but 95% of them are ex-felons. so they're all bad characters. >> could be carrying weapons? >> absolutely. >> nice to finally meet you. >> so courtney comes in with levi. if you were to see her walking down the street, you wouldn't say, oh, there's a car thief or someone dealing in stolen property. she has a happy, friendly quality about her. >> does she get a part of this or what? >> yeah. >> i'm the one that -- it's my -- >> this is your truck? >> no.

>> oh. >> it was some guy that told me that i was too young for him. and like we were messing around with each other. and then he just stopped talking to me all together. >> okay. >> and so -- i don't know. >> i'm sorry, i love these stories. these are great. so this is some guy's truck, an ex-boyfriend so to speak? and you ended up taking his truck? >> i had my home boys do it. we pretty much packed up his house. >> courtney opens right up. i mean, she's very willing to give the undercover cops a lot of detail. her boyfriend, she says, dumped her, saying she was too young. i guess he didn't do it very ceremony usely. there was very little follow-up. and that's what she used to justify stealing his truck. >> sure.

>> and when she talks about guns, that really gets the attention of the undercover cops. >> shotguns, a little bit more, aks, and then we're talking -- you pointed out like -- >> yeah. >> you're like -- do you have an ak? you think? is it a wooden stock? is it a poly carbonated -- it's not an ak? it's an sks? >> yeah. >> okay. >> i don't know how -- >> sks isn't worth as much as an ak-47. >> what about an hk? >> hk what? how do you know so much about guns? you're scaring me. you're not going to come back and rob me, are you? >> no. >> she really wants to move these stolen items, you know?

the truck, potentially some guns, because she knows the ex-boyfriend is going to get home and he's going to realize the stuff is gone. >> it's going to be noticed it's missing. >> oh, when he gets home. so this just happened today? >> yeah. >> his house key's on there? >> mm-hmm. >> is this his address? is there more like more stuff? >> no -- >> all right. so this is the address? we have his house key? >> there's nothing left. >> you cleaned the house out? >> he's a bachelor, yes. [ bleep ]. >> he what? >> he called me young. >> she looks like a nice young woman. i guess the old saying is true, about scorned women. and courtney was definitely a scorned woman. >> so you have the ability, or have these things that you're talking about? >> i have them, yes.

>> all right. >> i like you, but you need cred. >> now that courtney has seemingly won over the undercover cops, they get down to the business of negotiating the sale of the pickup truck. >> okay. so i was thinking 25. this says 30. it is a year old now. how many miles are on it, do you know? >> 15. >> 15,000? >> mm-hmm. >> i don't know. will you come back with the other stuff? >> oh, of course. >> okay. how about -- i was going to say 500 -- i'll throw in 520, and i'll pay for half your cab back. or 480 bucks and you can find your own cab. what are you looking for? is somebody going to talk to you from up there? >> yeah, do you want to make it 550 and call it a day?

>> i don't have a $50 bill. do you have change? >> do you smoke? >> a couple of these. >> yes. yes. >> you just gave us $60 worth of cigarettes. >> yeah, i stole them. >> courtney doesn't necessarily seem dangerous. but she is angry at this ex-boyfriend. i wondered when i saw the videotape for the first time if maybe she wasn't a little high, just the way that she was, you know, kind of touching her face, and moving her hair around. she certainly didn't seem to grasp, you know, the gravity of the situation, that she was committing a felony that could put her in prison. i mean, she was acting like it was a trip to the dry cleaners or something. coming up, six months later, i meet up with courtney in jail. have you ever been in trouble with the law before? >> mm-hmm. >> for what? >> which state? nevada or colorado? >> and courtney shares startling

personal details. how long were you on meth? when

i'm me ligs a rehberger. gabrielle giffords has announced she will resign from congress this week. she'll concentrate on her ongoing recovery after being shot in the head a little more than a year ago. former penn state coach joe paterno died from lung cancer this morning. he was fired last fall after his former assistant was charged with child sexual abuse. paterno won more football games than any other major football coach. he was 85. now, back to "vegas undercover." welcome back to "vegas undercover raw." you're getting a behind-the-scenes look at how a police sting operation works and what happens to the people caught in it. it's an all-access pass to a dangerous underworld where you can really start to understand how the criminal mind works.

there is perhaps no interview i did where this is more evident than when i sat down in jail with courtney, a woman who was willing to share so many personal details. hey, courtney? chris hansen with "dateline" nbc. how are you? >> oh, good. and you? >> good. why don't you have a seat. >> i'm not -- >> ready for this? we're doing a story on this investigation that was conducted by las vegas metropolitan police department. and you surfaced in that investigation. >> yeah. >> so we wanted to get your side of things. i mean, how did you get caught in the middle of all this? >> i honestly do not know. i had a friend that had a friend that knew some people that were dealing with cars and things. and he took me to them. and now i'm here. >> you had a friend who had a friend who knew some people? >> mm-hmm. >> that sounds like the start of a bad story.

>> and it's a very -- it does not have a happy ending. >> it was startling to me the difference in her appearance. in the storefront, she looked attractive. vivacious almost. in prison, you know, half of her hair was braided, and she looked tough. she looked like she was just trying to survive. what do you say about the charges? >> i didn't do them. >> you didn't do them? >> huh-uh. >> how old are you? >> 21. >> 21? do you go to college? >> mm-hmm. >> what are you studying? >> criminal justice. >> well, isn't that ironic. >> exactly. very ironic. >> now, she must have been absent the day that the criminal justice class professor talked about how to deal with law enforcement. >> i told them if they wanted me to turn myself in, to pretty much go [ bleep ] themselves,

because i wasn't going to turn myself in. catch me if you can. >> you said catch me if you can? >> mm-hmm, were my exact words. >> courtney, you have to know that if you say that to police detectives, they're going to get you. >> they didn't get me right away, though. it took them three days. >> you sound like you're almost proud of that. >> i'm not proud of that. but i wasn't going to turn myself in. they wouldn't tell me what i was being charged with. i'm not going to turn myself in, giving me a heads-up of what i was being charged with. >> but they had an arrest warrant. >> for what? they didn't tell me why. i wasn't going to turn myself in. unless i knew why i was being arrested. >> now, have you ever been in trouble with the law before? >> mm-hmm. >> for what? >> which state? nevada or colorado? >> both. let's start with colorado. >> colorado? i was -- those were drug charges. >> drug charges? >> yeah. they raided my house for manufacturing and distributing. >> of what? >> crystal meth. >> crystal meth? >> mm-hmm. >> were you using or just

selling? >> we were just smoking. >> smoking? >> mm-hmm. >> that is a tough, tough drug. i mean, both how addictive it is and what it does to your mind and body. >> mm-hmm. >> how long were you on meth? >> i've been on it since i was 11 years old. >> since you were 11 years old? >> mm-hmm. >> are you still on it? >> huh-uh. >> how long you been off? >> since i've been in jail, actually. for the last 12 days. >> is that what led you to get into this mess? drug use? >> mm-hmm. >> you're only 21 years old. >> i know. it's sad. >> what did that feel like to smoke it? >> awesome. like the first hit, when you blow it out, it's just awesome. you just -- i don't know, it's just great. >> but it doesn't lead anywhere good. >> no, it doesn't. not at all.

>> all right. so in this case, the police charge that you were involved in the theft of a pickup truck, and some other items from an ex-boyfriend, and some of your pals helped you do it, and that you all got wind of this fencing operation, and you brought this stuff there, or some of it there, and sold it. is that what happened? >> only the truck. >> only the truck? now, tell me how you got your hands on this truck. >> my friend, he told me that he had pulled a lick at the house. >> he pulled a lick? >> a lick. >> meaning? >> meaning he had robbed the house. >> he had robbed the house. and whose house was this? >> an ex-friend of -- i would say a boyfriend. >> a boyfriend? and how come y'all broke up? >> he told me i was too young. >> you were too young? >> mm-hmm.

>> and how did you feel about that? >> it killed me inside. like i wasn't doing any drugs when i had met him. i had just got back from colorado. and that's -- it broke me. i just wanted him to be my friend. he said he would be my friend and he said he would talk to me. and he didn't. he wouldn't even call me. i would call him, text message him. he wouldn't text message me back. it hurt. and i don't like being lied to. if you tell me you're going to be my friend, and you're telling me i'm too young, and you're 28 years old, no, no, no. just because i'm 21 and you're 28 and you go and party with my friends first off, and you don't want to party with me, don't tell me you're going to talk to me and not talk to me. >> were you bitter towards him? >> no. not at all. >> did you want to get back at him? >> huh-uh. >> did you steal his pickup truck? >> no. >> who did? >> a friend. >> a friend? >> mm-hmm. >> so you get out of school that day, you go to your friend's

house, and there's the truck. >> yeah, i didn't even know it was [ muted ] truck at first. >> what do you say to your friends? >> i said, what the hell are you guys doing? >> so if huh to boil it down, what was it that got you into this? >> drugs. >> drugs. >> after he broke up with me, that's when i started going back to crystal meth. because it hurt. so i started hanging out with the old crowd that i used to hang out with years ago. and then i started smoking. and then i just started doing more and more dirt. >> dirt meaning drugs? >> dirt meaning drugs and crimes. >> what other crimes? >> numerous. numerous. >> give me an example. >> more car theft, more -- >> so you stole cars? >> i didn't steal them. i was with people that did do them. >> so you helped? >> i was pretty much an accomplice. >> and did you get caught for

any of those crimes? >> huh-uh. >> how long did this go on? >> up until the day i got caught. >> we know that was a sting operation in that storefront. and it was all recorded. >> i know. >> audio and video. >> i know. >> can i show you some of it? >> yeah. i'd love to see it. >> you would love to see it? >> yes. >> all right. i've got some of it right here. >> it's going to be noticed missing. >> that's when he'll be home? >> yes. >> so this just happened today? >> yeah. >> nice. okay. >> so what was going through your mind when you saw that videotape? >> i'm [ bleep ]. >> you're looking at, what, ten years? >> yeah. if they're being nice, if they want to be nice. >> now, you're 21 years old, courtney. how do you get your arms around potentially going to prison for ten years? >> i don't think i can do like that. >> do you blame yourself at all? >> yep.

i should have listened to my mom. that's what i should have done, i should have just listened to my mom. >> what did she tell you? >> why do you hang out with criminals? if you don't hang out with criminals, you won't go to jail. >> so what do you do now? >> pray. >> what do you want people to know most about your situation? and this case? >> i didn't rob the house. yes, i stole the vehicle because i was high. i needed to make another quick buck so i could go buy my sack. >> your sack, your crystal meth. >> mm-hmm. >> were you high on that video? >> mm-hmm. i was really high. >> and if you had to give a piece of advice to everybody out there, who's 18 to 21 years old, what would you say? >> don't do drugs. don't do them. it's not worth it. because it's going to lead you to nowhere. regardless if you're getting

high, regardless of if you're getting high to make a quick buck, it's going to lead you to nowhere. you'll be sitting right here. >> courtney pleads guilty to the burglary and grand larceny, and is sentenced for two to five years with inpatient drug treatment. coming up -- >> do you have cars? or do you not? >> a violent criminal threatens the whole undercover operation. >> and there's one house here, and this is our target house right here. >> when "vegas undercover raw" continues. dave. -hey, dave. -hey, dave. hey. -hey, dave. -mr. dave. -dave. -what's up, dave? -dave. -dave. dave. dave. dave? hi, dave. oh, dave's looking for you. hey, dave. yo, dave! [ male announcer ] in a small business, it's all you. that's why you have us. at staples, we have low prices on everything your small business needs. staples. that was easy.

word is really starting to get out on the street about this storefront opportunity, that it's an opportunity to sell stolen cars, and other stolen items. so this network continues to

grow, and more and more crooks are coming in. >> you said a half hour. what's up? >> i just have a newborn child. >> so kyle comes into the storefront with levi, and they're two hours late. that's almost a little humorous because kyle said he wasn't on time because he had to deal with his newborn baby. so i guess crooks even have regular family babysitting issues. >> you've got a baby, huh? >> yeah. first time, you know. like she said sign off the rights. i was like -- [ inaudible ]. the cops were around me, so i couldn't bring my kid in. >> he does seem to be a fairly dedicated dad. but based on the conversation he had with the undercover cops in the storefront, he doesn't seem

to have a great deal of respect for the baby's mother. >> it was like [ bleep ]. i swear, man. it just sucks. she never [ bleep ] told me -- or been subject to any girl or whatever, you know. having a kid is just -- you know, you want to do right by them. and it's like what i think i should be doing, you know what? i should have kicked her to the curb a long time ago. >> levi and kyle do this deal for the pickup truck. they walk out, happy to have the cash. kyle comes back for a second time for what would have been a first. >> do you [ bleep ] cars or do you not? i mean, were the keys in it? was somebody able to come in and steal it? >> no, no.

i more or less took it. you know, like strong-armed -- >> why didn't you tell us about no gun, dude? >> the undercover cops realize that he got this vehicle through a carjacking, and he had a gun. and whereas they're willing to let some of the other crooks go, to commit other nonviolent crimes, this was something different. >> this ain't no [ bleep ]. like this [ bleep ] that's going to -- i'm just walking through, waiting for whatever. and i see cadillac, es ka lad, the business is about closed. i'm walking by, i see [ bleep ], this secretary desk. just kind of waiting, waiting. i was waiting for something to happen. she comes walking out. >> hello? hello? >> it wasn't hard at all, you

know. give me the keys. >> they were worried if they let kyle go, he might kill or hurt somebody. arresting kyle is a little bit tricky. >> this is our target right here. >> okay. >> they need to do it in a way that doesn't tip off all the other crooks to the fact that this is in fact a police sting operation. so they've got to be very careful how they take kyle down. >> there's one house here, and this is our target house right here. >> i got you. >> so they stake out kyle's house. he shows up. and for a minute, it looks like he may not go peacefully. but ultimately they get him to surrender. and they take him into custody. and while it was risky to arrest kyle in that word of the sting operation could get out, they did take another violent criminal off the streets. and in fact, word did not get

out. and the integrity of the sting operation was still in place. kyle pleads guilty to several charges, including robbery and possession of a stolen vehicle and is sentenced to 3 to 10 years in prison. coming up, a single mom gets swept up, and when i catch up with her, i'm not sure she realizes the trouble she's in. where's your 8-year-old now? when "vegas undercover raw" continues. this is an rc robotic claw. my high school science teacher made me what i am today. our science teacher helped us build it.

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over the course of the las vegas police investigation, 38 criminals came through the door of the fencing operation. the majority of the crime was auto theft. >> i can get them all day long. >> go outside in the parking lot and show the morons where the truck is. >> but some more unusual items made their way to the front. like this grenade.

>> and a guy with some big guns. >> and 30 -- >> in all the cops confiscated more than a million dollars in stolen goods. 95% of the folks who came in to sell items had criminal history. whether they were a first time offender or felon, there was no way to predict what the next person would be like. >> i don't know. i haven't touched anything. i didn't touch anything. >> alison doesn't appear to fit the profile of some of the other people who came in. >> i am not a good get-away driver.

>> she says she is doing somebody a favor. >> 2002 is what he said. i thought it was a 93 but he said it was a 2002. >> it's a 90s. >> it runs real good and goes fast. faster than my car. i know it has new tires. >> how the friend got the car? same clueless response. >> as far as i know he walked into the valet booth. i asked him if i should be scared driving it. he said i honestly don't know. >> she doesn't appear to be, you know, the most experienced crook who has come into the store front operation but she does the deal and gets paid $200. >> it is not an 2002. >> that's fine. you know what? if you gave me a dollar i would

take it and go. >> here is five bucks. deal. >> when the cops shut down the store front, vegas pd rounds up the suspects. and we set up shop to interview as many of them as we could. >> chris hansen. >> some who were so bold and brash are not interested in talking to me. but others like allison want to explain themselves. allison? chris hansen. how you doing? >> not very good. >> we're doing a story on the investigation. have you ever stole an car or a vehicle? >> i don't have a drivers license. >> never gone to a place to try to sell a stolen vehicle? >> no. >> are you sure? >> is that you right there? >> uh-huh. >> okay. those two guys who are talking to you?

>> they are police officers. >> these are police officers and that's you right there. >> yeah. >> talking about driving around in a stolen vehicle. >> well, i mean, i didn't know if it was or not. it was my friends. he said he wanted to sell it. >> you told the police officers here in the video tape. >> nothing happen to me driving around in it? >> you thought you got it from somebody who stole it from a valet. >> that's what he said. he said it was his friends. he had the keys. >> whether she is telling me the truth or not, i don't know. but it was a common theme. a number of these people seem to justify they're involvement because they didn't actually steal the car or the gun. they were just the middle man. >> i wanted the person out of my life. i wanted him to go back home. >> explain to me who the person is. he came over to my house and i couldn't get rid of him. at all.

>> so you decided to sell a stolen car for him to get rid of him? >> i didn't know if it was stolen or not. i didn't think it was. i didn't think anybody would do that to me. i have a kid. he had the keys. >> you are a victim in all of this? >> yeah. i am a victim. >> but you were concerned this car might be hot. you talk about that with the undercover policemen. you say it might have been stolen at a valet car park. >> no. i said from a person that worked valet? >> did you have a title for the car? >> um, you know what? i'm not sure. >> if you don't have a title then you can't sell the car. you are not allowed to just take stuff and go to a place and sell it. that's against the law, right? >> yeah, i guess so. i just wanted -- you don't understand. i wanted this guy out of my house. he was a weirdo. >> you are facing felony charges here. >> well, i don't -- i mean -- i hope there is something i can do about it. if i could get them another car i would. i would do anything.

i have an 8-year-old that has no dad that can't be where i'm at. >> where is your 8-year-old now? >> he's at school. >> at school? >> yeah. >> how would you describe the situation you're in now? >> awful. absolutely awful. >> where do you go from here? >> i don't know. i imagine i have to go to jail and i don't want to and i would do anything not to because i love my kid and i didn't know i was doing anything wrong. i didn't make a dollar. i just got this guy out of my house. >> have you been in trouble with the law before? >> yeah, a long time ago. for drugs and that was it. i don't have a drivers license. i don't go anywhere. i don't go anywhere. i have my 8-year-old. i thought god gave me him to straighten my life out. i am so sorry. i don't know what to say or do to get out of it. i didn't know this. i am sorry. that doesn't get me out of it.

>> thank you for talking to us. i appreciate it. good luck with everything. >> thanks. >> all right. >> well, you have sympathy for anyone who is in a tough spot. clearly allison was not some one-woman crime wave. but when you take a look at the victim and you realize the hassle that that person has gone through, having had a vehicle stolen, you know, you tend to feel a little less sorry. allison has pleaded guilty to attempted burglary and possession of a stolen vehicle and is sentenced to probation for a maximum of three years. while reporting on this investigation, i was able to look into the eyes of some pretty seasoned criminals. one thing that struck me was the difference i saw between the hidden camera footage we have been able to show you where you can see most of them acting tough and hardened the and the way the same criminals acted when i spoke to them in person. they were more open and