
Deep Cover
Deep Cover is a show about people who lead double lives. Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Jake Halpern reveals webs of deception and dark underworlds, through interviews with federal agents and convicted criminals.
Sarah Cavanaugh was many things: A decorated veteran. A Marine who saved her comrades. A young woman fighting cancer. She was stoic, humble, tough. In short: a hero. Sarah was everything people wanted her to be—until she wasn’t. Turns out, no one knew the real Sarah. Not her comrades. Not her wife. No one.
Lies tend to be fragile, temperamental things. Small ones may flourish, but the big ones die, wilting under their own weight—except in this case. The bigger it grew, the more real it became.
Jake Halpern and acclaimed investigative journalist Jess McHugh unravel an epic six-year deception that upended the lives of countless people.
To this day, much of this story is shrouded in mystery. There was never a trial and most of the people involved, including victims and investigators, have never spoken publicly in any depth.
In the sixth season of Deep Cover: The Truth About Sarah, Jake and Jess interview all of the key sources—including Sarah, herself—to tell this sprawling tale.
Season five covers the rise and fall of George Santos, the former Republican Congressman from New York, and the stories—many of which were not true—he told about his life and credentials.
Season four, The Nameless Man, tells the epic tale of two federal agents who investigate a rumor about a murder that supposedly took place 15 years prior. It is also the story of a family searching for answers about why their brother was killed. These two storylines collide in a courtroom in Philadelphia, where murder, memory, and morality go on trial.
Season three, Never Seen Again, tells the story of two women living on opposite sides of the country, who went missing in the summer of 1999. Seven years later, their stories collided when a small town detective got a tip and became convinced that if he could solve one mystery, he'd solve the other.
Season two, Mob Land, is about a high-rolling lawyer who joins forces with the feds to try to bring down one of the most powerful criminal syndicates in the country.
Season one, The Drug Wars, tells the story of an FBI agent who goes undercover with a biker gang, and follows a trail of clues that eventually leads to the US invasion of a foreign country.
Deep Cover drops on Mondays. To hear episodes early and ad-free, subscribe to Pushkin+ in Apple Podcasts or at pushkin.fm/plus.
iHeartMedia is the exclusive podcast partner of Pushkin Industries.
Latest episodes

Feb 21, 2022 • 38min
Episode 7: The Philosopher King ft. Michael Imperioli
December 1988. Bob wires up. He and the FBI set their sights on three targets: a mobbed-up car salesman, a bookie, and… a poet. Voice acting in this episode by Michael Imperioli. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Feb 14, 2022 • 32min
Episode 6: The Breaking Point
February 1986. Bob Cooley represents a bodybuilder who brutally assaulted a female police officer. Then Bob makes a decision that will change his life forever.This episode comes out for free on February 14th and is available now for Pushkin+ subscribers. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Feb 7, 2022 • 30min
Episode 5: The Babe in the Woods
July 1973. Who can stem the tide of corruption in Chicago? In this episode: two attempts to clean up the courts. And where they fell short. This episode comes out for free on February 7th and is available now for Pushkin+ subscribers. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jan 31, 2022 • 39min
Episode 4: The Favorite Son
July 1942. How did Bob Cooley, an Irish ex-cop from a family of cops and lawyers, become Bob Cooley, criminal defense lawyer and fixer for the Chicago Outfit? This episode comes out for free on January 31st and is available now for Pushkin+ subscribers. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jan 31, 2022 • 46min
Episode 3: The Fix
May 1977. After a witness decides to speak out, a hitman named Harry Aleman stands trial for the murder of William Logan. Bob Cooley is asked to “handle it.” The case is make-or-break for Cooley’s career, and possibly his life.This episode comes out for free on January 31st and is available now for Pushkin+ subscribers. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jan 24, 2022 • 46min
Episode 2: The Murder
September 1972. A teamster named William Logan is gunned down outside his home, in what’s widely thought to be a mob hit. The Logan family is determined to get justice, but it may not be so easy. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jan 24, 2022 • 38min
Episode 1: The Walk-In
March 1986. A high-rolling lawyer named Bob Cooley walks into a federal prosecutor’s office and says that he has information that could bring down the mob. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jan 10, 2022 • 3min
Deep Cover Season Two Trailer
Who was Bob Cooley? Deep Cover Season Two launches on January 24th. Listen to the whole season early and ad-free by subscribing to Pushkin+. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dec 23, 2021 • 27min
The Origin of Ned’s Novel, Plus a Sneak Peek of Deep Cover Season Two
The launch of Deep Cover Season 2 is just a month away. Until then, we bring you a conversation between host Jake Halpern and screenwriter/author James Coyne about the genesis of Ned’s novel and the role it played in Jake’s writing of season one. Also, in this episode–a sneak peek of Deep Cover season 2: Mob Land. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dec 21, 2020 • 28min
The Supply Side
Jake delves into one piece of the puzzle that he didn’t quite get into in season one but has continued to intrigue him: the source. In this episode, you’ll meet Tommy Powell, a former smuggler who guides us through the import side of the marijuana industry. Starting out as a small time dealer in Michigan, Tommy winds up in Colombia inspecting marijuana crops and working as a liaison between farmers and other smugglers. Eventually, Tommy claims, he became one of the first smugglers to bring in really big loads of Colombian weed to the United States. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.