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Locked In with Ian Bick

I Ran Drugs — Then the DEA Sent Me To Prison | Mary Valdovinos

Locked In with Ian Bick

Ian Bick

Society & Culture

4.8745 Ratings

🗓️ 4 September 2025

⏱️ 101 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Mary Valdovinos grew up in Connecticut with a supportive family and was accepted to Yale, but a spiral that began junior year of high school led to addiction after graduation. She fell into the orbit of drug dealers, became a drug runner, and was arrested by the DEA for conspiracy to distribute. After violating probation—and a second chance—she landed in federal prison. In this candid interview, Mary shares what life inside was really like, the turning point that led her to recovery, and how she now mentors and empowers justice-impacted women. It’s a raw, honest story of addiction, accountability, and second chances. #AddictionRecovery #TrueCrime #RedemptionStory #PrisonStories #WomenInPrison #JusticeReform #SecondChances #drugaddiction Connect with Mary Valdovinos: https://www.instagram.com/mary_epiphany?igsh=MW9kMTlkeG11ZXYzbA== Hosted, Executive Produced & Edited By Ian Bick: https://www.instagram.com/ian_bick/?hl=en https://ianbick.com/ Presented by Tyson 2.0 & Wooooo Energy: https://tyson20.com/ https://woooooenergy.com/ Use code LOCKEDIN for 20% OFF Wooooo Energy Buy Merch: http://www.ianbick.com/shop Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 00:26 Mary's Upbringing and Family Values 04:39 Childhood Success and Early Pressures 08:38 Middle School, Bullying, and Finding Friends 12:39 High School Achievements and First Signs of Trouble 15:39 Partying, Drug Use, and Parental Denial 19:59 Addiction Deepens and Family Struggles 25:30 Running Drugs and Crime Escalates 32:06 Probation, Manipulation, and Second Chances 39:44 Relapse, Reconnection, and Fentanyl 44:47 DEA Raid and Arrest 53:10 Cooperation, Lies, and Facing Federal Charges 01:01:12 Court, Sentencing, and Probation Challenges 01:09:41 Final Probation Violation and Prison Sentence 01:17:18 Federal Prison and Detox 01:26:04 Prison Life, Survival, and Mental Health 01:33:09 Rehabilitation and Rebuilding After Prison 01:39:01 Making Amends, Lessons, and Advice Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0

Hey Jack, I'm seeing your business everywhere. Have you got a new marketing person or something?

0:04.8

You could say I've got a new secret weapon for print. Print? Oh, Vista print, right? That's not a secret.

0:10.8

How did you know? Come on. Custom posters, branded mugs, stylish flyers. Only one place prints all that. Vista print.

0:17.7

Yeah, I got business cards, stickers, t-shirts, booklets, signage, even photo books from my last holiday. Print everything for your business with VistaPrint. If you need it, we print it at vistoprint.co.uk. I had a terrible time with my bunkey. She was trying to, like, intimidate me, and she grabbed my hair and, like, twirled it around her finger and I was like I need to hit her now

0:38.8

I hit her but we were in sag we were in the shoe so she was like just as shocked as I was and I go back to my bunk and I sit on it and I pretend like I'm reading the only book in our cell and she goes and slams on the door and she starts screaming, let me out of here, get me out of here.

0:55.3

Mary Voldevino's grew up in Connecticut with a supportive family and a Yale acceptance.

1:00.3

Then a spiral starting junior year derailed everything.

1:04.0

After high school, addiction pulled her into dealer's orbit.

1:07.4

She became a drug runner, was arrested by the DEA for conspiracy to distribute,

1:12.8

violated probation after a second chance, and landed herself in federal prison.

1:17.6

Now, Mary's rebuilt her life and uses her story to mentor and empower justice impacted women.

1:26.5

Mary, welcome to locked in. Thanks so much for coming today. Thank you for having me, Ian. I'm excited to be here. Yeah, we've been talking about doing this for a while. I'm glad we can make it happen. You're right down the road in Norwalk. Yeah, I've actually lived there for over 20 years now. So this was like a 20-minute drive, yeah. Yeah, yeah. It's not bad at all. And right to Stanford, too. Yes.

1:45.1

Which is like that a mini kind of New York City type thing for Connecticut. Norwalk is becoming like that too. It's getting crazy. It used to take me like five minutes to get across town and it takes me maybe 30 now. They made it really nice, though, in South Norwalk. I like going there to eat or the mall there. For sure,

2:01.0

but way too many people. Way too much traffic. Yeah. It's definitely nicer than Danbury though.

2:06.1

Oh yeah. Absolutely. Just like with the nightlife and everything. Yes. Yes. They do have a nice nightlife scene.

2:11.4

So we met through the child mentorship program that we were doing Connecticut. And it's so funny when people introduce me to people

2:18.9

if they're like, oh, they went to prison too. You got to have them on the show. Great. I wonder how

2:23.6

people actually feel about being introduced like that to someone. You know, for me, I don't mind

2:29.6

anymore. I've learned to be an open book. And I always say, if you don't own it, it will own you.

2:35.5

Yeah. I mean, that's very powerful. And that's what the whole point of the show is about.

2:39.2

Yeah. So you were born in Norwalk, too?

2:42.1

I was born in Stanford. I grew up there until I was 10 years old. My family moved to Norwalk.

...

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