THE DOSSIER

Latest Episodes:

HIP HOP VS THE COPS EP. 2: THE HUNT IS ON! Mar 25, 2024

Show notes

In Episode one, I talked about securing a weird dossier that was compiled by federal and state law enforcement to track Hip-Hop superstars, and their entourages, associates, and record labels. With the book in hand as a young journalist, I decided the best route to tell the story of the book was to actually make a documentary, but I had no experience, no money, and I didn’t know anyone inside the Hip-Hop industry, but fuck it I started anyway.

At that time in 2007 I was fascinated by what they called the Hip-Hop Police, and I was also fascinated with how much mystery was behind this unit.

In revisiting the film almost 17 years later in hindsight my quest, my search or curiosity was one part bold, two parts naïve, and somewhat dangerous, at that time Hip-Hop was just hitting the mainstream, so violence, gangsters, and a certain allure was all a part of the story I wanted to tell, but I need some help, I needed people who knew the industry, could get me interviews, or people who could talk….

So, I traveled down to Miami, where the annual Source Awards was going on, to this day why I went, and who I met, changed everything.

If you you're a fan of The Dossier, please visit our Patreon page for free and paid content featuring exclusive documents, unedited interviews, monthly online meet-ups with other Dossier fans and the show creator, Don Sikorski. Goto Patreon.com/dossier

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HIP HOP VS THE COPS EP. 1: WHO ARE THE HIP HOP COPS? Mar 18, 2024

Show notes

My name is Don Sikorski.

I grew up in the confines of suburban Norwalk, Connecticut, a fan of the hip hop music of Public Enemy, KRS One and Rakim.

In 1994, at the age of 18, I left to pursue an interest in journalism and New York University. I was always fascinated by the rumors I heard surrounding hip hop culture, about murder, extortion, the laundering of drug money, the connection between criminal activity and the music.

Little did I know at the time, that fascination would eventually take me on a three-year journey into a very complex relationship between hip hop, violence and the likes of the NYPD, LAPD, DEA and FBI.

Hip Hop vs The Cops is the story of a clandestine joint task force of law enforcement, that have been surveilling hip hop stars. I would soon learn that even A-list artists who claimed to be targets of the so-called Hip-Hop cops, had no idea who these law enforcement officials really were or why they might exist.

Most officials questioned about the rumored secret unit refused to speak on or off camera may no comment are categorically denied knowledge of such a task force.

I would prove otherwise.

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DOSSIER SEASON II - EP. 23: THE DEATH ROW SEARCH WARRANT Mar 11, 2024

Show notes

In 1999, LAPD detectives Buford Watts and Fred Miller (whose name should ring a bell) served a sweeping search warrant on the following places while investigating the murder of Biggie Smalls:

A 1995 Chevy Impala SS that was in the possession of Michel’le Toussant Knight
8200 Wilshire Boulevard – at the time the home of Death Row Records’ Company Offices
The home of Michel’le Toussant Knight
The home of Reggie Wright Jr.

While information has been scarce for years about the affidavit and search warrant, we are in possession of the thirteen-page document. In this week’s episode, Don Sikorski dissects not only the search warrant, but the confidential informants whose information was used by LAPD in this investigation.

One name will be familiar to Dosser listeners - find out who LAPD Detective Miller was referring to during his testimony in the civil trial when he stated that “the information he provided us was very good.”

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DOSSIER SEASON II - EP. 22: INVESTIGATIVE LEADS Mar 04, 2024

Show notes

As we get deeper into the FBI Files data dump, one correlation came to mind: at every step of the investigation by the FBI and Phil Carson, he had to constantly communicate to his bosses and many investigators within the FBI.

He had to provide the path he wanted to take to get further evidence and information that would lead to a prosecutable case.

This episode we dissect an electronic communication from April 22nd of 2004. It was defined as a restricted document and the Synopsis as written was to communicate investigative leads, and witnesses which Phil Carson wanted to pursue.

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DOSSIER SEASON II - BONUS EPISODE 7: THE DOSSIER OBITUARY- "REST EASY CHUCK" Mar 01, 2024

Show notes

Here at Dossier HQ, it is with a melancholy sadness that we end our years long quest to get disgraced former LA Times journalist Chuck Philips to come clean regarding his knowledge of the players and forces behind the murders of Biggie & Tupac.

As many of our listeners know, Philips died in late January with Dossier Producers hot on his trail. Don Sikorski and the rest of the team have been in relentless pursuit of Philips for over five years, and our disappointment in the Grim Reaper catching up to Philips before we did is profound.

So with that we mourn Philips' secrets, we mourn his persistence to somehow wedge himself in between Suge Knight & Death Row, the LA Times, the FBI and Phil Carson, and the LAPD in such a way, that his back story and mystery takes on even more added subterfuge and red herrings.

In this special bonus episode, Don Sikorski gives Chuck Philips the proper sendoff as only The Dossier can.

Rest Easy Chuck.

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DOSSIER SEASON II - EP. 21: THE POLITICS OF MURDER Feb 26, 2024

Show notes

The FBI investigation documents are broken out into a few categories: the last two episodes really looked at the idea of evidence, but more importantly witnesses, and informants that hold information.

The documents that we find more interesting, and really speak to the cover-up or a lack of effort on the part of the LAPD are contained in internal FBI memos that were circulated among the higher-ups at the LA Field Division.

Call it political, call it back-room deal making, call it having an inside track to understanding years after the murder of Biggie, the high-profile names that had to do a sinister job of managing what would become a huge mistake by one of America’s biggest police departments.

Names like famed Chief of Police Bill Bratton, and his hatchet man Mike Berkow, and in these documents you start to see the influence of the Criminal Division of the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office.

If it wasn’t bad enough that the Wallace Family was suing the city for $400 million dollars for wrongful death, here comes FBI Agent Phil Carson wanting access to the Murder Books, wanting access to detectives at Robbery/Homicide, wanting information and more importantly just wanting the truth.

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DOSSIER SEASON II - EP. 20: FULL FIELD INVESTIGATION PT. 2 Feb 23, 2024

Show notes

Don Sikorski continues dissecting what we’re calling the ‘Origin Document’ of the FBI’s investigation into Biggie’s murder, and this is where it gets interesting.

FBI agent Phil Carson is outlining to his FBI bosses, the confidential informants, confidential sources, and witnesses to interview.

Now, one caveat: in the world that any FBI agent steps into there are red herrings, the hiding and misdirection of truth, and to be clear, these documents are not gospel; but they do show the directions they were looking in and what people who were insiders of Death Row, the LAPD and this dark underworld were saying transpired.

These documents contain information from upwards of 15 People, 15 sources of information - NOT one informant, or source.

Needless to say, this Origin Document led to the FBI opening a full field investigation into potential LAPD involvement in the murder of Christopher Wallace.

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DOSSIER SEASON II - EP. 19: FULL FIELD INVESTIGATION Feb 19, 2024

Show notes

In Season One of The Dossier, retired FBI agent Phil Carson walked listeners through the origin of his investigation into the murder of Biggie.

After receiving approval from his bosses at the LA Field Division, agent Carson began a months long fact finding mission, as he gathered evidence and spoke to witnesses.

He then wrote an Electronic Communication (EC) to his superiors and broke down what he’d learned, requesting that the FBI open a full field investigation into the matter.

In this episode, Don Sikorski breaks down Carson’s EC to his bosses.

It’s the official origin document of the investigation of potential police involvement in the murder of Christopher Wallace.

For more information, exclusive content, background materials and more, please go to www.patreon.com/dossier

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DOSSIER SEASON II - EP. 18: FRANK LYGA INTERVIEW PT. 6 Feb 16, 2024

Show notes

Detective Frank Lyga had already been through more in the last few years than most officers deal with during a career. From the Gaines shooting to the multiple investigations into the incident, to the theft of his cocaine and the scrutiny that followed…Lyga needed a break.

That wasn’t remotely what he got, however.

First, he had to face off with powerful attorneys Johnnie Cochran & Carl Douglas in the wrongful death suit filed by the Gaines family. His reputation was already in tatters, as Cochran and company played the media like a fiddle, planting stories about Lyga that portrayed him as a wild-eyed racist cop.

Former detective Lyga takes Don Sikorski inside the civil suit, from his deposition with Carl Douglas to the controversial settlement, he gives listeners a front row seat into the politics that took place behind the scenes.

That was far from Lyga’s only problem, as the Gaines incident had fractured the LAPD along racial lines – and he was in the eye of the storm. Frank discusses what all the swirling controversy did to him, both mentally and physically.

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DOSSIER SEASON II - EP. 17: FRANK LYGA PT. 5 Feb 12, 2024

Show notes

After being cleared by LAPD’s Robbery Homicide Detectives, the District Attorney’s office and THREE Shooting Boards, Detective Frank Lyga thought he could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

That feeling would not last long.

Two weeks after LAPD Chief Bernard Parks announced that he’d been cleared of any wrongdoing in the shooting death of Kevin Gaines, two pounds of cocaine belonging to one of Detective Lyga’s cases would mysteriously vanish.

Suddenly, Frank was considered a crooked cop, a thief and drug dealer who’d gotten away with murder.

After months of being under 24-hour surveillance by Internal Affairs, he would be called into a secret meeting with Rampart Task Force Detectives Mike Hohan and Brian Tyndall.

In this week’s episode, Lyga takes Dossier host Don Sikorski through that secret meeting, which included a stunning piece of information picked up by detectives during a Title 3 wiretap on Raphael Perez’ phone.

He also discusses a previously unknown connection to Perez and his partner in crime, David Mack.

The Dossier II: The Secret Biggie FBI Files is a production of Criminal Minded Media, Action Park Media and DCP Entertainment.

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