What if the question isn’t what someone deserves but what it would take for them to live a good life? In this episode, Justin Yentes sits down with Liz, a pioneering mitigation specialist and author of the upcoming book The Deserving. Through decades of work on capital cases, Liz has helped courts see the full humanity of people facing society’s harshest punishments. Together, they unpack how trauma, poverty, intergenerational harm, and systemic failure shape lives long before the justice system ever becomes involved and why punishment alone cannot create safety or justice. Liz also shares the cases that changed her, the patterns she’s seen across hundreds of lives, and why mitigation isn’t about excuses, it’s about context, truth, and moral clarity.

Key Topics Covered:

• Why jurors often never hear the full story before deciding life or death

• The myth of equal opportunity and the danger of retributive justice

• How adverse childhood experiences shape behavior, health, and outcomes

• Intergenerational trauma and the unseen legacy of abuse, poverty, and violence

• Mental health crises and why jails have become America’s largest providers

This episode will challenge deeply held beliefs about punishment, responsibility, and who we consider worthy of care.

If this conversation unsettles you, that’s the point. This episode asks us to rethink who we protect, who we abandon, and what kind of society we’re choosing to build.

Follow Justin and the pod: @truthbefoundpodcast

Link to Justin’s agency, AIA: https://azprivateinvestigator.com

Follow Liz: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabeth-vartkessian/

Follow ARC, Inc.: @advancechange

About Advancing Real Change, Inc.: https://advancechange.org/

What happens when surveillance grows faster than the law meant to restrain it? In this episode, Justin sits down with Paul Avelar, attorney at the Institute for Justice, to unpack how modern surveillance technologies, especially automatic license plate reader cameras, are reshaping privacy, constitutional rights, and the balance of power between citizens and the government. From quiet local contracts to nationwide databases, this conversation reveals how systems built in the name of safety can quietly become tools of pervasive tracking.

Key Moments:

• How license plate reader cameras work and what happens with the data they collect
• The lack of transparency and oversight at the city and state level
• Real-world examples of surveillance abuse and misuse by those in power
• Why this issue cuts across political lines and demands bipartisan reform
• What solutions could actually protect privacy without abandoning public safety

This episode challenges the assumption that surveillance is only a problem for criminals or future administrations we don’t trust. It asks listeners to reconsider how much privacy is lost when data is collected indefinitely, shared broadly, and used without probable cause. If you care about constitutional rights, government accountability, civil liberties, or simply the idea of being left alone in a free society, this conversation is essential listening.

Tune in to hear these hard-hitting questions. The answers are vital because they affect us all.

Follow Justin and the pod: @truthbefoundpodcast

Link to Justin’s agency, AIA: https://azprivateinvestigator.com/

Institute for Justice: https://ij.org/

About the Fourth Amendment work: https://ij.org/issues/ijs-project-on-the-4th-amendment/

The Fourth Amendment to the Constitution: https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/amendment-4/

In today’s Spanish-language episode, Justin sits down with Faviola, originally from Venezuela and now a U.S. citizen, to break down the rapidly unfolding crisis surrounding the U.S. attacks on Venezuelan boats, the absence of evidence behind the drug-trafficking claims, and the deep divide this has created among Venezuelans both inside the country and abroad. Together, they explore how desperation, hope, misinformation, and geopolitical power collide to shape life-or-death consequences for ordinary people.

Listeners will gain:

• A clearer understanding of what’s actually happening between the U.S. and Venezuela

• A deeper empathy for the people caught in the middle

• A challenge to re-examine assumptions about intervention, immigration, and geopolitics

• A reminder that “liberation” without autonomy isn’t liberation at all

This episode is essential for Americans wanting to understand the truth behind the boat strikes, Venezuelans searching for clarity amid overwhelming misinformation, immigrants and advocates concerned about due process and human rights, and anyone who wants a deeper, human perspective beyond headlines.

This conversation may unsettle long-held beliefs, but it also opens the door for more informed judgment, more compassion, and more accountability in how nations wield their power. Follow along for more as this situation continues to evolve.

Show Notes:

Follow Justin and the pod: @truthbefoundpodcast 

Link to Justin’s agency, AIA: https://azprivateinvestigator.com/

Follow Faviola on TikTok: @moreandchismes

The word asylum should mean safety, a promise that the United States will protect those fleeing violence, persecution, or death. For many, from Iran to El Salvador to Venezuela, it has become a maze of shifting rules, bureaucracy, broken commitments, and political stunts. In this episode, Justin sits down with immigration attorney Monika Sud-Devaraj, who’s spent decades on both sides of the system, to break down the asylum process. They also expose how policy changes and funding cuts are complicating lives and destroying faith in the U.S.’s integrity.

Key Moments:

• The Reality of Asylum: What it means under U.S. law and why so few qualify, even when their fear is real.

• Due Process Denied: How sudden rule changes and revoked statuses leave people vulnerable to deportation and possible persecution, torture, or death.

• The CBP One Fallout: How the shutdown of a critical entry pathway left thousands stranded in legal limbo.

• Fear and Bureaucracy: The human toll of endless paperwork, language barriers, and confusion for people simply trying to survive.

• Funding Cuts and Consequences: Why eliminating legal aid programs has made the immigration courts even slower and more dangerous.

• A System in Crisis: How political agendas have turned real human suffering into propaganda and who pays the price.

If you’ve ever wondered what happens to the people America promised to protect or how politics have twisted the meaning of justice—this conversation will challenge your assumptions. It’s a must-listen for anyone who believes in fairness, faith, or the idea that truth should guide policy, not propaganda. Listen now to understand what’s really happening behind the headlines and how we can demand better from a system built on freedom and compassion.

Show Notes:

Follow Justin and the pod: @truthbefoundpodcast 

Link to Justin’s agency, AIA: https://azprivateinvestigator.com/

Monika’s Law Offices: https://msdlawaz.com/

National Immigration Forum (advocates): https://forumtogether.org/ 

The Florence Project: https://firrp.org/

Women of Welcome: https://www.womenofwelcome.com/

World Relief: https://worldrelief.org/immigration-legal-services/

What happens when a man who fled one of the world’s most oppressive regimes for religious freedom discovers that the country that saved him is now sending others like him back into danger? In this eye-opening episode, host Justin Yentes speaks with Pastor Ara Torosian, an Iranian-Armenian Christian who escaped persecution under Iran’s Islamic regime, found refuge in the United States, and now fights for fellow believers whose asylum protections have been suddenly and unjustly revoked. Together, they unravel a story where faith, integrity, and U.S. policy collide, with lives hanging in the balance.

Key Moments:

• Pastor Ara’s Origin Story: Growing up Armenian Christian in Iran, finding faith under oppression, and risking everything to lead an underground church.

• Arrest and Torture: Ara’s arrest for possessing Bibles, his refusal to betray fellow Christians, and the enduring trauma of his torture.

• Seeking Freedom: The journey to the United States through a refugee program and building a new faith community in Los Angeles.

• Faith and Comfort in America: The cultural shock of Western Christianity and the danger of taking freedom for granted.

• The Deportations Begin: How Iranian Christians were recently sent back to Iran under the current administration, despite legal asylum claims.

• Advocacy and Hunger Strike: Ara’s peaceful protest at the White House and his call for reform in America’s broken asylum system.

• The Call to Conscience: What faith, justice, and integrity require of those who claim to stand for religious freedom.

This episode challenges what you think you know about religious freedom, immigration, and American integrity. It’s for listeners who care about human rights, faith under pressure, and the moral cost of political decisions. Learn how one man’s courage can still make a difference and how you can, too. Listen now on Truth Be Found.

Show Notes:

Follow Justin and the pod: @truthbefoundpodcast

Link to Justin’s agency, AIA: https://azprivateinvestigator.com/

Follow Pastor Ara: @aratorosian

National Immigration Forum (advocates): https://forumtogether.org/

The Florence Project: https://firrp.org/

Women of Welcome: https://www.womenofwelcome.com/

World Relief: https://worldrelief.org/immigration-legal-services/

Start with Welcome by Bri Stensrud: https://www.amazon.com/Start-Welcome-Compassionate-Immigration-Conversation/dp/0310154251

She escaped the walls of control; now she’s shedding light on the abuse that keeps others trapped. In this powerful continuation of our two-part conversation, Justin Yentes sits down once again with Rachel Jeffs, survivor, author, and daughter of FLDS leader Warren Jeffs, and Tawni Browning, an advocate for survivors. Together, they go deeper into what comes after escape, the struggle to learn how to exist in a world you don’t understand while finding the basics needed to survive... and all of that has to be done while healing from abuse, parenting, and building a sustainable life.

Rachel’s story doesn’t end with freedom; it begins there. In Part 2, she and Tawni open up about the backlash survivors face, the systems that fail them, and the community it takes to help people truly start over. This episode is a lesson in resilience, advocacy, and the enduring power of truth.

1. How Rachel continues to receive hate from within the FLDS community.
2. What it takes to help survivors rebuild: housing, mental health support, etc.
3. The impact of the series “Escaping Polygamy” on those still inside the FLDS.
4. The fear, relearning, and healing needed to step into a world you were taught to fear.
5. What you can do to support survivors by advocating for protections and accountability.

This episode is for anyone who believes that awareness isn’t enough, that survival stories must lead to systemic change. Whether you’re a survivor, an advocate, or someone trying to understand the realities of cult control and coercive systems, this conversation will deepen your understanding and strengthen your resolve.

Be sure to listen to Part 1 first to hear Rachel’s full story of survival and escape, then join us for this powerful continuation.

Follow Justin and the pod: @truthbefoundpodcast

Link to Justin’s agency, AIA: https://azprivateinvestigator.com/

Follow Rachel Jeffs: @racheljeffsofficial

Buy Rachel's book Breaking Free: https://www.harpercollins.com/products/breaking-free-rachel-jeffs?variant=32117440348194

Watch the Lifetime series Escaping Polygamy:

https://www.mylifetime.com/shows/escaping-polygamy

Watch the Lifetime movie Surviving My Father: https://www.mylifetime.com/movies/surviving-my-father-the-rachel-jeffs-story

What happens when your father is worshiped as a prophet and feared as a predator? In this powerful episode, Justin Yentes sits down with Rachel Jeffs, daughter of infamous FLDS leader Warren Jeffs, and Tawni Browning, a survivor advocate who helps people rebuild after escaping cults and trafficking. Together, they pull back the curtain on the hidden world of the FLDS, its control, secrecy, and the deep trauma it inflicts on everyone, especially the women and children. But this isn’t just a story of suffering. It’s a story of power reclaimed.

Key Moments:

• Inside the FLDS: Rachel grew up cut off from the outside and controlled by fear.
• The Prophet’s Daughter: Warren Jeffs’ rise to power, controlling tactics, and abuse.
• The Breaking Point: The revelation that spurred her to find the courage to escape.
• Rebuilding a Life: Discovering her strength and voice as she raised her children alone.
• Empowering Others: Tawni and Rachel discuss the strength of those who stand up and bring the truth to light.

This episode is for anyone who’s ever felt trapped, silenced, or powerless, and for those who want to understand how faith, fear, and control can intertwine in dangerous ways. You’ll walk away with a deeper understanding of resilience, advocacy, and what it truly means to rebuild a life after trauma.

Listen now to hear this story of truth, strength, and hope!

Follow Rachel Jeffs: @racheljeffsofficial

Buy Rachel's book Breaking Free: https://www.harpercollins.com/products/breaking-free-rachel-jeffs?variant=32117440348194

Watch the Lifetime movie Surviving My Father: https://www.mylifetime.com/movies/surviving-my-father-the-rachel-jeffs-story

Connect with Truth Be Found on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truthbefoundpodcast/

Connect with Truth Be Found on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1A4b7PjhaG/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Connect with Truth Be Found on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@truthbefoundpodcast

Connect with Truth Be Found on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3gAFoH_AQSvPYhsQ6Lw7rr0tYrg0wIiW

Link to Justin’s agency, AIA: https://azprivateinvestigator.com/

What happens when technology outpaces the law and victims pay the price? In this episode, professional investigator Justin Yentes sits down with Arizona State Senator JD Mesnard to explore how legislation is evolving to protect people from revenge porn and AI-generated deepfakes. Together, they unpack the real human cost of these crimes, the challenges of drafting enforceable laws, and what still needs to be done to safeguard victims in a rapidly changing digital world.

Key Points:

1. How Arizona became one of the first states to pass proactive revenge porn laws.
2. Why AI deepfakes present a frightening new frontier for online exploitation.
3. The tension between free speech, tech platforms, and the urgent need to protect victims.

This conversation is a must-listen for parents, policymakers, investigators, and anyone concerned about digital safety. If you’ve ever wondered how laws adapt to keep pace with harmful technology or what victims can do when their privacy is violated, this episode brings clarity, urgency, and real-world insight. Listen now to learn how Arizona is leading the charge in defending dignity in the digital age.

Connect with Truth Be Found on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truthbefoundpodcast/

Connect with Truth Be Found on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1A4b7PjhaG/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Connect with Truth Be Found on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@truthbefoundpodcast

Connect with Truth Be Found on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3gAFoH_AQSvPYhsQ6Lw7rr0tYrg0wIiW

Link to Justin’s agency, AIA: https://azprivateinvestigator.com/