"Catching Hell"

By Jay Dobyns - Federal Agent. Author. Keynote Speaker

Jay Dobyns was hired by ATF on a Monday in 1987. 4 days later he was shot point-blank in the back by a criminal suspect. The bullet travelled through his lung and exited his chest. He was 26 years old.

While in the hospital, he rejected offers from attorneys who promised millions of dollars in a lawsuit against his agency.

He rushed back to work and for the next 27 years, enthusiastically accepted every dirty and dangerous assignment possible. Some days he succeeded, on others he failed, but all he ever wanted to do was to defend and protect people who couldn’t, or wouldn’t, do that for themselves. Every morning when his alarm clock went off he was excited to investigate violent crime on behalf of the American public.

Death threats mounted from street criminals. At a point in time three international crime syndicates held contracts to murder him, gang rape his wife, torture his teenage daughter and kidnap his adolescent son.

He was again shot in the back. This time not by a suspect, but by the government and executives he worked for; abandoned and marginalized, the threats and dangers ignored.

In 2008, his home was destroyed by an arsonist. Jay’s wife and kids were inside and narrowly escaped. Jay’s bosses attempted to frame him as the arsonist and thus, someone willing to murder his own family by fire.

What came next was corruption and cover-up of proportions that few would ever believe our government was capable of.

This is his true story…

What they're saying about “Catching Hell”

“Jay lived the roles in life that I live to play in movies.” 
- Gerard Butler, Actor, 300, Olympus/London Has Fallen, Law Abiding Citizen, Hunter Killer, Den of Thieves

“Jay was the most effective undercover officer to ever tape on a body wire and walk into the Devil’s trailer court. 
God forbid the weak or innocent were ever bullied in his presence.”
- Louie Quinonez, ATF Agent (ret.) and author of the bestseller, Satchel Boy 

Supervising the Undercover Officer

Safe Call Now with Gayland & Charlie at the Undercover Conference

Over the last seven years I've had the honor to have an open invitation to speak at The International Association of Undercover Officers conferences nationwide.  Charlie Fuller (my "Bo") has been a mentor to me and adviser on how to help the undercover officers when life goes bad for them and they require treatment.  Imagine a job where you get paid to drink, lie, drive cool cars and basically do whatever you want?  Not a bad gig... until you come home to the real world and deal with life.

One thing I've learned while training undercover officers and placing them into treatment that to do well in the profession, you sometimes become the "lie".  Think about it?  In order to achieve the objective in whatever undercover role you adopt, you become an actor.  To stay alive you become adept at becoming a great role player.  If you get caught in a lie when undercover there is the potential that you may lose your life so you become an even better liar than those out there lying to you.  Getting confusing, yes it can be.  The healthy boundaries of life can start getting blurred and obliterated for the undercover.

Imagine if you will, being undercover in a role for a long period of time and all the things you despise about those that commit crimes and you start living in that world and order to be the best, you become them.  It happens far more often than you think.  Now do this for 10 or 15 years.  Once you become the role you play, your family doesn't recognize you anymore.  You are no longer the person you were.  Admiration and adulation from your bosses and even the bad guys becomes intoxicating and your negative behavior receives valued praise.  The "switch" begins.