Louis Ziskin on Becoming the Biggest Ecstasy Dealer in American History

Louis Ziskin, a former MDMA importer, discussed his criminal career, which began with counterfeiting $100 and $500 travelers checks. He then shifted to real estate scams and later entered the narcotics trade. Ziskin's operations involved shipping substances via FedEx, air cargo, and sea containers, with estimates of 2-3 tons of coke and 30-40 million ecstasy pills. He faced a life sentence after a CCE (Continuing Criminal Enterprise) indictment and a 30-year sentence for conspiracy. He explained how the Feds found evidence of his activities through storage units and FedEx labels, leading to a 360-month sentence. Ziskin argued that public defenders are often better in federal cases due to free discovery and high conviction rates. He detailed his successful self-representation in a CCE trial, proving government wiretap tampering, and negotiating a 15.5-year plea deal. Post-release, he founded DropIn Inc., a tech company, but faced setbacks due to a fraudulent medical glove deal in Thailand, leading to significant financial losses and personal challenges.