I SOLD Drugs In NYC Nightclubs Then Went To Prison | Jason Abreu

Locked In with Ian Bick

Ian Bick

Society & Culture

4.8 • 745 Ratings

🗓️ 23 February 2026

⏱️ 88 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Jason Abreu grew up in a good family, on track to become a lawyer, until the recession blew up his plans and pushed him into the New York City nightlife scene. What started as legit nightclub promoting slowly turned into moving drugs through NYC clubs, big money, fast nights, and a double life he thought he had under control. Then undercover cops took him down, and Jason was sent to New York state prison. He got out, went right back to the game, and got caught again, earning a second trip upstate. In this episode, Jason sits down with me and breaks down exactly how it happened: the first bad decision, how the nightclub world really works, the rush of easy money, the takedown, and what New York state prison is actually like on the inside, from daily politics to survival _____________________________________________ #NYC #NewYorkStatePrison #PrisonLife #UndercoverCops #DrugDealing #NightclubCrime #TrueCrime #prisonstories _____________________________________________ Thank you to 300 LETTERS for sponsoring this episode: Visit http://300letters.org/ to learn more or get support. Your donation to 300 Letters is an investment in safer neighborhoods & healthier families. _____________________________________________ Connect with Jason Abreu: Instagram: @madeupnorthnyc Podcast IG: @offthecountpodcast _____________________________________________ Hosted, Executive Produced & Edited By Ian Bick: https://www.instagram.com/ian_bick/?hl=en https://ianbick.com/ _____________________________________________ Shop Locked In Merch: http://www.ianbick.com/shop _____________________________________________ Timestamps: 00:00 From Prison Transfer To State Property 00:44 Jason Abreu: Good Kid, Good Family 02:23 Wanted To Be A Lawyer, Stayed Out Of Trouble 04:34 How NYC Nightlife Pulled Him Off Track 06:14 Crash, Drugs & Ego: The Downward Spiral 11:12 Getting Shot In The Club & Feeling Invincible 16:47 Ignoring Trauma & Diving Deeper Into Nightlife 19:43 Drugs, Greed & His First Indictment 23:56 Undercover Cop Setup & The Arrest 27:38 Arrests, Bail Money & Mounting Consequences 33:39 First Time On Rikers Island 37:11 Plea Deal, Charges & Sentencing Explained 39:50 Upstate Prison Life: Politics & Violence 51:47 Survival Rules, OGs & Getting Ready For Release 54:07 Re-Entry, No Money & Old Temptations 59:13 Second Arrest & The Ultimate Betrayal 01:04:18 Resentment, Forgiveness & Coming Back To Prison 01:09:19 Second Bid: Pandemic Lockdowns Inside 01:12:21 Finding Purpose & Breaking His Own Cycle 01:15:56 “Made Up North” – Turning His Story Into A Movement 01:19:00 Avoiding Triggers & Staying Out Of The Game 01:22:31 Rebuilding Life, Writing The Book & Giving Back 01:24:41 Why His Story Matters & Final Message To Viewers Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	When they bring you up from Rikers to go to get transfer over there, it's like, um,
0:04.3	they pull out this little black box, you know, like till this day, still catch me having
0:08.8	bad memories about that. You know, you can't move in that box. It's tied around your waist,
0:13.6	all the way down your feet, your ankles. Not to mention when you get to Ulster, they want you to
0:19.7	know, they hands on, and that they're not there to play those games. Whatever games or disrespectful games, cast were doing in Rikers, talking to the CEOs, they let you know, you know, Ian, like, listen, you just came, welcome to the state. This is not Rikers Island, you know, so they give you the fresh baldy. They pull you through a shower. Go through this though, before you know, they throw you your towel.
0:39.9	Then they give you a fresh set of greens, and that's it, you property of the state of New York.
0:43.9	Jason Abru grew up in a good family and was supposed to be a lawyer, but the recession pushed him into New York City nightclubs where promoting turned into selling drugs and living a double life. In this episode,
0:55.6	he breaks down how the money and nightlife pulled him in, how undercover cops took him down,
1:01.4	what New York State Prison is really like on the inside, and why he got out, went right back to
1:06.9	it, and ended up getting locked up a second time.
1:14.2	Where'd you grow up, Jason?
1:21.3	I grew up in New York, New York City, uptown Manhattan, Dykeman houses, to be exact.
1:22.5	Who raised you?
1:23.7	My parents.
1:29.2	I actually, you know, was fortunate enough to have a very beautiful upbringing, you know, raised by both parents. I actually, you know, was fortunate and very fortunate enough to have a very beautiful upbringing, you know, raised by both parents, the youngest of four siblings, tiny project
1:34.8	apartment, but we were brought up with so much love and support that, you know, I can't
1:42.1	say nothing otherwise. You know, that's why when you sit back in and think about the things I've been through,
1:48.2	you know, it just really doesn't fit in the equation, you know.
1:51.1	What do your parents do for work?
1:52.7	My father worked actually for a Jewish Federation, YMHA,
1:56.2	and my mother was a home attendant.
1:57.9	My father was a bus driver, you know, and I seen them growing up firsthand.
	...

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