Table Of ContentUNDERCOVER
WORK
A
Complete Handbook
by Burt Rapp
i*[f.,::
-___
€-'. _.+,-:
li e.ln.
g l*
".1
t3,
,ul
<y
UNDERCOVER WORK
A Complete Handbook
by Burt Rapp
Loompanlcs Un[mttcd
Port Townsend, WA 98368
I
UNDERCOVER WORK
A Complete Handbook
@ 1986 by Loompanics Unlimited
All Rights Reserved
Printed in the USA
Publlshed by:
Loompanics Unlimited
PO Box 1197
Port Townsend, WA 98368
ISBN: 0-91517-$-32-G
Llbrary ol Gongress
Catalog Card Number 85-082011
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction.. ".'....1
The Undercover World ..... .. 4
Gettlng Down to Cases ' ... .. 6
Glossary .... ...2O
Up... .......31
Starting
Undercover Work
[,aw. ......37
and the
Agients ....44
Recruitin$
Tratning the A,glent . . .49
Briefing for the Assignment. . . ...55
Establishing Cover ...61
Inflltration .....68
Roplng or Gaining
Confidence.... ..',.76
Employee Theft .... . .81
Narcotlcs ...86
Working
Protecting the Informer... .....'.91
Undercover Weapons .. .. . . .95
Avoiding Pitfalls in
.
Undercover Operations .. lO0
Controversial Aspects
of Undercover Work lO5
Blackmatl 106
Entrapment: A Post-Graduate
course 111
Industrial Espionage I 15
Methods of Payment . . .. I2O
Planting Evidence L24
Bowtng Out: Termlnation
of the Asstgnment ... L2g
Defensive Measures L32
INTRODUCTION
Undercover operations and their obvious relation
to the techniques of espionage, have acquired a
mystique and image of glamour that overshadows
how truly grimy they often are, and the abuses that
can result from them. In reality, an undercover
operation is a tool, morally neutral, and lt's the
people using the tool who make it worthwhile or
sleazy. This volume will clear up the misconceptions
and attempt to relate how the different facets of
undercover operations fit together.
Undercover work of all sorts is, by its very nature,
hidden from the publtc eye. This secrecyoften seryes
the purpose of a "llcense to klll," a way of
implementing immoral and illegal acts wlthout
discovery or blame. There's no wEry of findlng out the
proportion of undercover work that serves such
negative purposes. Apart from a very few
practitioners of the art who wrtte thelr
autobiographies at the ends of their careers,
undercover agents and their employers keep silent.
Obviously, those who have crossed the line into
illegal acts have very good reasons for not speaking
out. The authors of the autobiographies who have
disclosed their stories are, understandably,
describing only the deeds which will bring them
credit. Selective memory helps them to "forget" any
lllegal or questionable investigations in whlch they
took part.
a
*.
-f,.i
There are a few textbooks on Fourth, insi$ht into what to expect from
underc-o ver
operations, dealing -urith the people tfr. undercover work. The reader may have need for it
techniques. These ire helpful, b.ut d-onit U.g".ir'tao gi*r. some day, and may be misled into hiring an
an idea of the pro-phoarvtieo n of illegal acts expenslve but ineffective "agency" for this. The
undercover. some veired r6fe.ence""?,-_".tr-uo*tti".ag aglbncy, if run dishonestly, will try to extract as much
that these practices exist, and some i., money as possible from the customer, needlessly
warni.n gs against committing illegal acts. "orrt spinning the project out to earn hi$her fees.
A lot of information regarding undercover work Providing "intelligence" that is spurious or alarmin8
gomes- by iivestigaio. t f,i" ls one way to do this, and it's practiced by both
list of inf-owromrde-rosf-,m aonu-dth .a_lEsvoe rhyi s littte ?"p..to"i"i . ,f private and government agents.
tncks and secrets. some of the l"ir."iig*i". F'tnallg, the reader will learn how to mount an
techniques wourd be compromised ii-ilr.y-*.r" undercover operation of his owrl, if the need arises.
common knowledge, ang others are illegal,.hi"h i" He'll learn how to recruit agents, run them' manage
an even better reason for not documeiting tfrem. them to gain information and evidence, and how to
Contrary to_ popular impressions, avoid some of the pitfalls of undercover work. What
much
undercover work is inefficient and wastefu-ri,"-- and he lacks in experience, he'll make up in enthusiasm
doesn't produce the needed results. This o". and care, because he'll have the most to gain and the
aspect that most textbooks don't admit aiiectly. most to lose.
Their authors, investigators themselves, don;f want It's a dirtyworld out there, and the first step to self-
to admi-t publicly that they spin their wheels so protection ls to know the defensive tactlcs, and in
much of the time. severe cases, how to strlke back. This book will
What, then, can the reader gain from thls book? provide an excellent be$inning for both.
F)rsL an understanding of the basic concepts and
techniques, both legal aiO
iUegat
Second, an estimate of his own vulnerability
to
undercover wor|,.Maly people wtro feei-iri"v i..a
honest lives, and thererore rrave nothingio rrl,i.=, -iu
be surprised to find there is a corps oT rr.ra.i"*..
investigators whg. speclalize in entrapping people
and in "planilng"
evidence. This need .rdt^be't.,
connection with crlminal or political
cases.
undercover work is common in hbbr-*"n-"g.-"rrt
conflicts, and unethical and ambiuo""-p.JFie
some of these techntques for personal aairani:em"e"net
by compromising rivils in
th'e corporate setting.
f!rir(, a grounding in the techniques of security
and self-protection.
(41 Lo"bor-management disputes. Both unions
and managlement use spies, sometimes clumsily and
qutte openly, but mostly undercover.l
(5) Priuate tnvesttgations. To expose employee
disloyalty or dishonesty. This- can overlap wtth
THE TTNDERCOVER WORLD tndu-striil espionage, as some industrial spy-masters
attempt to recrultEmployees who can be persuaded
to deliver information.
(6) To entrap. This is a no-no, but in fact
-the
diiference between roping and entrapment is often
only the agfent's testimony, and ln co9+, the jurys
llkrily to dGbe[eve the accused, especially if he has a
crlmlnal record.
There's a remarkable resemblance between prTivhaertee' sa anlsdo pao lriecmea mrkeabthleo dsslm oilaf rltuyn dbeertcwoeveenr
pinotelicrnea ationnda pl erisvpaloten aaggee ancnide su, nbduertc ohveerre w-.o-r-k* ibUy bperations. This is because in undercover work, the
pcTrohaneccrteiec neatdrrea b tseye vmpeoralaticln epl yua rnopdon s pecrsiivv faiolitaer n up naudrnteidercseo:rrcroav. e-or rwko ruk.." pwmbaetraircsa.un rctesas,n. d'Ute nupdsloeeyr cltnohgve eiSrr WfwuAolTlr k at euisat hmdoosrn,i etay nb: dys esoettehkaeinlrt$h o , sbnevoaiotr cubhsy
gltn force, and it requlres a delicate touch. Baslcally, the
^ { I ) To tryformatton about crtmtnal acttutttes. police have to lollow the same methods as private
pOuttrepno,s ein, fobremcaauilsoen ilts pernoovuidgehs floera dthse f oimrm fuerdtihaeter investlgators, slnce flashin$ a badge would $ive away
the operation.
investigation. An gxample is discovering where a
narcotics dealer keeps hts "stash." vvittr thts
information, a police investigator can obtain a
search warrant to seize the evidence.
_-(2) To gather euidence a.bout cflmtnal acttutttes.
This ls a more demanding task, as the evfOenci must
hold up in court and theirndercover agent must not
taint it 9y any illegal practice if his tesftmony will be
required.
(3) Industrlal espt?nage.Thts is common practice,
Sources
much more than the public knows. Since tt's a
clandestine activity, it dbesn't appear in the medta 1. (Jndercouer Inuesttgation, J' Klrk Barefoot'
Fun?leys sb eth ehraen'sd ldeisdc obvye roy tolef ar nm aegieannts, .a .n.TdU ervneinn gth"e .nrr dit Sprtngfield, IL, Charles C. Thomas, Publisher, 1975'
"playing back" -.y be more advisable: ttran p.22.
prosecutlon.
5
4
The most vltat evldence was to be an undercover
offlcer who would be able to testiff that the $irl made
an offer of sex for pay to him. Corroboratint evidence
was to be rental agreements, showin$ inwhose n€une
the premises weri, and telephone comp€rny records'
GETTING DOWN TO CASES showfng whlch numbers were dialed and to whom
they we"re btlled. The detectives obtalned some of this
evidence by trash suryeJrc, rummaging through the
trash to fihd the supporting materlal.
The trash details were conducted at ni$ht by
detecflves and other officers who flrst established
the trash pick-up days, then went into the a{e-ys ald
yards th; nlght before, when the
P--resunlabl.y.
A look at two undercover operations, one run by a dumpsters wofud be fullest. The collateral evidence
police agency and one a strictly unofficlal one run by colleited included condoms, discarded dildoes and
prirzate parties, wtll show how the nuts and bolts of other sex toys, telephone bills, notes on clients,
undercover work relate to real life. This examination appolntment- books, jars ryrd tubes of sexual
will also reveal the uncertalntles involved in the hi6ricants, and other ifems which served to provide
secret world, and how what seems to be often doesn't lnformatlon or evidence.
correspond to what really is.
While possession and use of se>< toys, lubricants,
and the ftke are not in themselves illegal, the volume
Operctton Red-Hot Polcer gathered served to bulld up a pic_turg of a systematlc
6peration on the premises. Finding fifty used
This was an undercover operatlon against cbndoms in the trash of an apartment supposedly
prostitutlon, run by a local poltce agency. It was housing one married couple suggests there ls more
under the dlrection of the detective division, but the lolng on than the customarysex relatlons, rlo matter
operation requlred so much m€rn-power that it drew Eow-sexually actlve the couple mt$ht be.
in people from other divlsions. The vttal evidentlal component' however, remained
There were, in thls city, a number of houses of the offer of sex for pay, or solicitatlon. For this
prostitution operating under the gulse of "massage undercover officers were essentlal.
parlors," "escort services," and "sex therapy clinics." The cover required was hasty and superficial, the
Unlike the streetwalkers, these operations were not only "must" being that they not appear to. be.police
out in the open. They were strictly indoor operations, agents. The detectives chosen for these roles had to
and the prostltutes trled to keep low proflles. p6ss as ordinary cltlzens, wlth physical appearances
They advertised in sex-orlented newspapers to hot suggestin$ the Police.
attract clients. Buildlng a case a{iainst them T?tere's a certaln physlcal type that pollce seem to
required some undercover and collateral work by the prefer. Thls ts the young, healthy, clean-cut athletic
detectives.
6
t5pe, and this image yould serve as a give-away. The assignments to vice, because t!.y have dark
detectives in the undercover unit moitly did not fit susficions re$arding what the work involves'
this pattern, tending to be sloppy, ovenveight, and We see the same problem in narcotics
over-age. They did seem plausible clients for these investigations, which involve a lot of undercover
serwices. work. fhe undercover agent may make a "buy," but
There were some complications. One of the requiring him to become an addict is simply asking
requirements of building a case was that the offer too much.
had to come from the prostitute, to avoid any This points up some of the limitations in
suggiestion of entrapment. The undercover officer
would have to telephone the number listed in the u"tnudrenr"c osvoemr ewoonrek ,w ahnod issh aowlresa wdhy yc riti'ms ionfatellny einavsoielvr etdo
newspaper ad and request "seMce." The prostttute
than to have an officer assume the role.
would not discuss sex acts or prices on the phone,
"o1ffl3ce rre'sq uniereedd, abe pcaeurssoen taol mhaeveet inicga. sTeh ish em h-eatd t hteo twlno " Oopifeicraetriosn s Reepda-rHaotte lPyo kwero,"r kit weaasc rheq huioreuds eth aotf
identiff the votce with the prostitute, dtfficult to do prostitution, in order to have mutually-supportin$
without a face-to-face meeting. lvidence for the search warrant affidavits. This
brought up another problem. The officers had to
mAent ttihoen mtheee tipnrgic, eth. eH oef fcicoeurl dh,a udn tdoe ler tt hthee gpuriodseillltnuetes make- up excuses to leave. Some of them claimed
plariods tditouwten ebxya cthtlye wpuhbalti ch ed ewfeanndteedr',s bouffltc Eco, uteldll nthoet avthetteanicerk rswe aibvlf e dcsio.s neOsactshieeen.r csAe ,c lllaa noimdf e atdh reaesl uleac tsaetn-xmcceuin stueots ec hsfeeeeaamtr oeondf
himself suggest that she do it for pay, to avoid any plausible, but the intense investi$ation a
wtaoinutl d-o fh eanvtera tpom leenatv. eO. nTchel sth we aosff ibceerc iluost eth teh eof fpeor,l ihcby i'srautdtedrenn, ainncdr etahsee d iente c"tdivreys rwuenrse" cwonocueldrn eadr-o ftouhspae9t dtthh ee
clearly stated that the officers could not actualy
engage in sex acts. suspicion of the Prostitutes.
inS ata cturitme ea.n dE xccaesses liavwe plimariftl caipn aotfifoicne rc'sa rinl vcoolnvesmtiteuntet weTrhee eren jwoianse da wfraoyma rgoouinndg tthhirso.uAglthh otu-hgeh s ethxe a ocftf iwceitrhs
aegnetrnacplems e"nplta. yT iht issa fies-". ato mavuoridk yc rosussbijnegc tt,h ae nthdi nm lainney vthoeluirn ttea?egise.t sA, cthceorred iwngalsy ,n soo rmuele waeprpely rine$c rtuoi tecidv ilaiannd
and compromising the case. provided with the moneyto pay_, and instructed to $o
through with sex with the girls.
I_n T sheexre i'ns vaelssoti gaa pteiornsosn, altl eclaemn einntt rlund veic es togphetfricaationntlys., Once all the evidence was in hand, the detectives
made out affidavits for the search warrants, and
btoe ctaelllls qth meiar nwyi voef sth we hoaffti ctehresi ra rjoe bmsa errnietadi.l eIdf ,t haenydw tef riet rtahideeird stheex ptroeymsis, elsu,b srcicoaopnitnsg' aupn dth epo prnroos$tritauptehsic,
wreiqvueisre wd ohualvdin sgu sreexl yw oitbhj ethcet, pprorosttietustteins,g stohmaet otfh tehier magazlnes, and most importantly, tlei-r'Uohn.files,"
or 'ttrick lists." The fact that the trick lists had been
husbands were getting 1o like their jo6s too much. seized was widely publicized, although the lists
Normally, some wives do object to their husbands'
themselves were not published. This was a collateral
I
effort to deter potential clients through the When MeI, the unton prestdenL came around, I
knowledge that if they patronlzed prostitutes. their wcs lukewalrn to the idea. I thought that a union
identities would be on file and open to seizure by the mtght not be able to do muc-hJor us, andthat a lot of,
police. tt "would. be wasted elforL We hod a good
At least, this was the assumption under which the productton manager usho l tlas doing hi"s bestJor us'
police supposedly labored. This was naive. It's hard 'Stttt, I stgned up because I thought tt might be- uorth
ptoro simtituatgei.n Peo assnibyloy nseo mgei vdinidg, b huits it 'sre maol rne alimkeely ttoh aat otryiatn"gn. d{"iotgu nJdtg ohut,t tahantd t hrtes stuurltneedd ttnn toa a drtesaalslyte rd tJrloAr
they gave assumed names, and even identities taken almost everybodg tn the shoP.
from the telephone directory. There was no wholesale FIrs[ the unton did manage to sign up the
prosecution of clients in the aftermath of the majorttg needed to hold an electton. The companA
operation, which suggests very strongly that most of exdcuttl:es then tfled. to sweet-talk tts tnto sttcktng
the names were fictitous. wtth the companA and reiecttng the unton' Theg
kt's move on to another case, which was much u)ere very ntce to us, took us out to brealgfasL gaue
more complicated because it was entirely unofficial, ntce spe6ches, and generallg sucked up to r't"s' We
and thus was not subject to any legal restrictions. Jound'ouL though, thqt behtnd those words u)a"s a
lot oJ hate and resentmenL
One thtng that theg dtd was urse spie-s ' These
u)ere thetr ass-ktssers. These people kept thetr ears
open to flnd out rtsho was pro-unton, and repofted
Operution Union 6ack tolhe bosses. Theg qttended unton meetlngs,
to see u.llho else was there. The unton prestdenttold
In one workplace, the employees were intensely me he knew euery companA had sptes, and the
dissatisfied wlth working conditions, and one of compc.nA prestdent got a report on each meettng as
them solictted the representation of a labor union. soon as tt u)as ouer,
The local's president came to the shop, and visited We both knew thts toas tllegal, but knoustng tt
the employees at home, to ask them to sign National and proutng tt are two dl[ferent thtngs',The- unton
Ia.bor Relations Board cards requesting a nrestdent fett ne couldn't do a thtng. Also, he usos
certification election. Thts election would b-e to -agatnst violence, as I uras, and dtdn't-approue oJ
determine if a union would represent them in aittons such as slashtng thetr fires. I knew some
collective bargaining. The following is a first-person untons dtd. thtngs ltke thts, and theg got ushat theg
account by one of the employees who became a wanted, and tn a waA regretted that we were so
gent1al flgure in the action. It's unedited, to give the it"on. Maybe it uas att jor the besL but in the
full flavor of the case: ironths I ho'd a lot oJ reason to doubt thts
Jollowtng
ktd-gloue Poltcg.
A ltttle beiore thts happened, Johnng Palol.ck
game to us6rk there. He was a ntce ltttle guA'
tllllrttlltrlltllllrllllllltttll aLog" ready wtth a smtle, and a uery Jrtendlg
to 1l
