Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999–…): Season 4, Episode 5 - Disappearing Acts - full transcript
Two executives find signs of a struggle in their conference room, and on the floor of an adjacent room, a naked, bound and gagged co-worker who had been raped. While in the hospital for treatment, feds arrest the victim for assorted financial crimes before Benson and Stabler can get her statement. Trace evidence shows the perp suffers from probably untreated diabetes, and raped at least two other women. The detectives identify a suspect, but find it hard to locate him because he's in the fed's witness protection program. The suspect's bookie produces a lead, which ends when the detectives encounter the business ends of the guns of two feds where a U. S. Marshall and the federal witness had just been killed.
In the criminal
justice system,
sexually based offenses are
considered especially heinous.
In New York City,
the dedicated detectives who
investigate these vicious felonies
are members of an elite squad
known as the Special Victims Unit.
These are their stories.
She's the COO now. You
need to watch your ass.
If Amanda wants to fire me,
not much I can do about it.
Fight back, Mark.
She humiliates you
in front of everybody,
treats you like her
personal assistant.
File a complaint
with Human Resources.
And I'll still be
out of a job.
I'm serious.
Hey, what the hell
happened here?
You smell that?
Yeah.
It's like a urinal.
Is that
what I think it is?
Oh, my God! It's Amanda.
Who did this to you?
Perineal bruising
and tearing
from rape and sodomy.
Friction burns around the
neck, wrist and ankles,
and a scalp laceration from
being struck with a sharp object.
The wound's deep
but not serious.
Any fluids present?
No, he wore condoms.
Your lab should find
lubricant in the specimen.
She say anything?
Not to me.
But maybe the other officers
will have her statement now.
It's Exam Room 3.
You have
the right to an attorney.
If you cannot afford
an attorney...
Detective Stabler, SVU.
What's going on?
FBI.
This is a rape victim
in our jurisdiction.
Not our concern. At the
moment, she's under arrest.
Ms. Curry, do you understand your rights
as I've read them
to you?
Why are you guys
doing this to me?
I was attacked
and raped.
Do you understand
your rights?
Yes.
Look, we have to get
Ms. Curry's statement.
There's a rapist out there.
We'd like to get a description.
You can do that
in federal lockup,
but it's gonna take
a while to process her.
What are the charges?
Securities fraud,
violating interstate and
international banking laws,
money laundering
for a criminal enterprise
and tax evasion.
Where the hell's our witness?
You know how
the Feds are.
They just love to flex
their muscles.
They usually work with us,
so why the stall?
Where are they?
Lockup Two.
I think we're about
to find out.
Assistant US Attorney
Claudia Williams.
My apologies for the delay.
Where's Ms. Curry?
Outside.
I wanted to
talk to you first.
You cannot interrogate
the prisoner
about the federal case
against her
or anything
relating to it.
Well, what if her
criminal affiliations
directly relate
to the attack?
Well, if Ms. Curry's business
associates were involved,
she'd be in the morgue.
Money laundering's
a RICO charge.
So she's in bed
with organized crime.
We talking LCN
or the Russians?
Stop fishing,
Detective Stabler.
Well, if you'd just share a
little bit, I wouldn't have to.
There's too much at stake.
We're not interested
in your case.
We're trying to find
a rapist,
but we can't do that
if you obstruct justice.
Well, until you file a 61,
I'm not obstructing anything.
And unless I allow you access,
you won't be able to do that.
So, what's it gonna be?
Oh, I guess
we'll just bend over.
I'll be right outside.
I wouldn't have it
any other way.
Thanks a lot. Ms. Curry,
have a seat please.
Where should I start?
Well, why don't you start
by taking us
through your day?
Gym, work, lunch,
work, meeting, work.
Where do you
work out?
It's called Workout Studio.
Couple of blocks
from the office.
Did you go out
for lunch?
No, I ate at my desk.
Delivered?
My assistant
went out and got it.
When were you attacked?
Around 11:00.
I was in my office crunching
the next quarter projections
for an emergency meeting.
Anybody else around?
Everyone left
hours before.
That's why when I heard
the noise, I went looking.
But as soon as I
opened up my door,
this man rushed me, and
after that, it was lights out.
Can you describe him?
Not really.
I just got a glimpse.
White, average height.
Any distinguishing marks?
Anything you can remember?
No.
Did he say anything?
Yeah.
That it was payback.
I thought he was
going to kill me.
Okay, is it possible that
the people you're accused
of working for
might have been trying
to send you a message?
Could be.
They're brutal, vicious men.
But they don't make a move
without Sergei's say so.
He would've cut my throat...
That's enough.
Get her out of there.
Good news is we got enough urine to test.
If we're lucky, there'll be some DNA in it.
Perp gave her
a golden shower?
Rape took place on the table.
Found footprints where he stood over her.
Making the humiliation complete. Yeah.
The bad news is there's
too many prints and fibers.
This kind
of building security,
maybe our perp
actually works here.
Or pretended to.
We found a
cleaning crew jumpsuit
stuffed under
the reception desk.
What company?
Atlas.
The great thing about criminals, no
matter how smart they think they are,
they're not
smarter than me.
You found traces of
seminal fluid. Not a drop.
But we did find
a few short and curlies
that didn't belong
to the victim.
Okay, so we got DNA.
Matching two
other rape cases,
both in Brooklyn.
Also, your perp suffers
from diabetes.
How do you know that?
We found glucose
but no ketones in the urine.
I'd say he's
a middle-aged onset diabetic
who's not taking his meds
or doesn't know
that he's sick.
Based on what?
The level of sugar's
pretty high,
and juvenile diabetics
learn early on
that if they forget
an insulin injection,
it can prove fatal.
Our serial rapist started
with two Brooklyn targets.
The first victim,
Petra Ivankov,
was raped six months ago.
Worked as a stripper
at the Volga Club,
a known front
for the Russian mob.
Mob boss
Sergei Perlman's girlfriend.
She got smoked after talking
to Brooklyn SVU about her rape.
They were probably scared she
was gonna slip pillow talk.
Number two is Perlman's
baby sister, Tatiana.
She died of uterine cancer
three months ago.
Blitz attacked
after a chemo treatment.
Took a pretty bad beating.
Our guy is definitely losing
control and escalating.
Our victim, Amanda Curry,
raped, beaten and sodomized.
What did Brooklyn say
about the Russian connection
between their two victims?
I mean,
why choose these women
if not trying to get
at Perlman somehow?
Did they even
talk to this guy?
Organized Crime Bureau
shut them down.
Wouldn't let them near him.
Completely stalled
their investigation.
Sergei's a major player. If we're
looking for someone with a grudge,
it's gonna be a long list.
What about physical evidence
other than the DNA?
The lab's still working
on print elimination.
But they found a discarded
cleaning crew jumpsuit
from Atlas Janitorial.
The supervisor mentioned a car
blocking the service entrance,
so we checked
the outside cameras.
The way they were positioned,
you can't see much.
All we saw was a late model
Ford Focus, Jersey tags.
We can only make out "JLQ."
What about
cameras inside?
Well, they're in the
stairwells and they're outside,
so female employees
feel safe working late.
I say we check out
the Russian angle.
Knock on a few doors
in Brighton Beach,
see what shakes loose.
Well, the Feds
will be all over us
before we ask
the first question.
Well, we do have a job to do.
Before we declare war,
there is another connection.
Both our victim
and the stripper
belonged to the same gym.
Workout Studio
was listed in her file.
What about Perlman's sister?
Well, nothing was
in her file.
Brooklyn probably
didn't ask
because she
was dying of cancer.
Okay, here it is.
All three women
had recent memberships.
We had sent out
a promotional mailer
to businesses
and local residents.
What's all this about?
An assault.
You're kidding.
When did they start
their memberships?
Within the last
year-and-a-half.
They know each other?
They work out together?
I never saw them
with each other.
We're gonna need a list
of all your members
and all your male employees.
We have about
500 members
and just 10
on full-time staff.
Who owns the club?
My father.
You have any employees
40 years or older?
Just my dad.
Everyone else is under 30.
What capacity
does he work in?
I run the place.
Dad just looks
over the books.
Makes sure we have
what we need.
How often does he
come in here?
Wait a second. Dad doesn't
interact with our clients.
He wouldn't even know them.
What kind of car does he drive? A Focus.
Plate's a match.
Still not enough
for a warrant.
I'm Peter Sipes.
My son called.
He tells me
you have questions.
Mr. Sipes, if it's
all right with you,
we'd like to do this
down at our precinct.
Am I under arrest?
Not yet.
I can assure you
I didn't assault anyone.
Then you got
nothing to worry about.
I don't see why you had to
drag me down here for this.
I've done nothing wrong.
Gregory. It's Mike from
LA. I thought you were dead.
You're drunk.
I don't know you.
I swear, you got a twin
out there, you know that?
Take it easy.
Can I get you
something to drink?
Soda, if you have it.
I thought you diabetics had
to control your sugar intake.
Maybe you'd like some water?
I don't know what
you're talking about.
Where were you
the night before last?
At my job.
I'm the shift supervisor at a
packaging plant in East Orange.
So you own a gym
and you work?
Well, it's not a chain
like Bally's, Detective.
What shift do you work?
I work from 10:00 p. m.
to 6:00 a. m.
You drive to work?
What's this
really about?
Rape, Mr. Sipes.
I did not rape anybody.
Then you'll be willing
to let us take a mouth swab.
Make this
whole thing go away.
You want my DNA, you're
gonna have to get a warrant.
We don't have
enough for a judge,
but I don't want to cut
this guy loose.
Let's do a voice lineup.
I'll keep the suspect
on ice until then.
Well, we know how well
those hold up in court.
Well, it doesn't matter.
Amanda Curry picks this
guy's voice out of the six,
we got enough for a warrant.
The AUSA
is not gonna let us
just take her prisoner
for a ride.
I'll have Cabot
pave the way.
Sorry. Amanda Curry's
not here.
She get transferred
to another facility?
Nope.
Does it say where she is?
I don't even know
who she is.
There is no record of an
Amanda Curry in the system.
But that's impossible. We interviewed
her in that cell yesterday.
I don't know who
the hell you talked to,
but no one was processed
through here by that name.
She's gone.
Metropolitan Correctional claims
they never even heard of her.
I got a call from the US
Attorney's office with assurances.
As soon as we
make an arrest,
they will produce
Amanda Curry for trial.
How are we supposed to do that
without the cooperation
of our complaining witness?
We ran the rape suspect's
prints off the coffee mug.
We got zip.
No arrests, no record.
So we checked the property rolls,
the tax rolls, city permits.
Seems that Peter and his son
have consecutive
Social Security numbers.
How's that possible?
A few years back,
a couple got
pinched in Delaware
for running a stock scam.
The entire family
had consecutive numbers.
They'd been relocated in the
Witness Protection Program.
It's gotta be WITSEC.
That's run by US Marshals,
which would explain the US
Attorney's interest in this case.
There was a drunk
cuffed out in the corridor.
He recognized our suspect.
He called him Gregory.
And then he just waves it off
like it was an honest mistake.
We should talk to him.
Find out who Peter really is.
We do that, we'll blow
a protected witness's cover.
All right, you and Munch
sit this drunk down,
and after that, put him in our
holding pen for the duration.
Who we looking for?
I'll go ask
the desk sergeant.
You know, if our rapist
is a protected witness
how are we gonna
get around the Feds?
We won't have to.
You commit a crime in the
program, you go to prison.
Sammy the Bull is serving
15 for dealing drugs.
We'll check Peter's alibi,
see if he
was working his shift,
but he's still testifying,
they're not gonna
hand him over.
Michael Kerring, get up.
You got company.
Whatever it is,
I didn't do it.
You have an interesting
résumé, Michael.
Shoplifting, a few B and
E's and purse snatching.
I'm not very good at it
or I wouldn't keep
getting pinched.
So I know I can't help you.
What do you guys
do here, anyway?
We catch rapists, pedophiles and murderers.
Damn.
Well, in that case,
I can honestly say
that whatever it is,
I didn't do it.
I am no short eyes.
I have never touched a woman
that I didn't have to pay for.
Slow your roll, moron.
We're just looking
for some background.
We brought a guy
in on a rape beef,
and we're told
you were friends.
Turns out he's got a couple
of aliases we want to check.
I don't know
anybody like that.
You saw him right out there in the
hallway. You called him Gregory.
I was drunk.
It couldn't have been him.
He's been dead for years.
Who's dead?
Gregory.
Rossovitch.
He used to run with some serious
hitters, in way over his head.
Who did he run with?
Russians in West Hollywood.
Pulling gas tax,
Medicaid fraud,
shipping bootleg vodka,
kidnapping, the whole nine.
If he was that big time,
how'd you know him?
I used to be a gas jockey.
They put me in charge
of pumping hijacked diesel.
How'd he die?
Car bomb.
Was that really him?
Don't tell me.
I don't want to know.
What's the problem?
They put a heavy contract
out on Gregory.
You open this up,
you're asking for trouble.
Why'd they want him dead?
I heard he was spilling his guts to the Feds.
Bodies were dropping
all over the place.
Friends, business associates.
They even killed his parents.
That's when I moved East.
Guess I didn't go far enough.
Looks like
we're too late.
Hi. Lynn Moody. You folks
interested in seeing the house?
Actually we're interested in
the whereabouts of the owner.
Oh. That I can't tell you.
I only got the listing
last night.
Who hired you?
Claudia Williams.
When I got here, there was
a moving crew in overdrive.
Cleaned the entire house out
in under four hours.
I've never seen
anything like it.
I don't suppose I can convince
you to let me do the talking?
What's there
to talk about?
Either the AUSA
hands over our suspect
or she goes to jail
for obstruction.
We want her cooperation.
Peter wasn't at work
the night of the rape.
We've got a warrant
for his blood.
What else do we need?
You can go in now.
Thank you for taking the
time to see us, Ms. Williams.
Claudia. How can I help you?
Tell us the whereabouts
of Peter Sipes,
we'll get out of your hair.
No.
What do you mean, no?
You're harboring
a rapist, Counselor,
and using federal tax dollars
to do it.
Was there a trial that I don't
know about, Detective Stabler?
We have a warrant
for Peter Sipes' blood,
duly signed by
a superior court judge.
I'll have it drawn
and delivered to your lab.
Is that amenable?
The evidentiary chain
has to be followed.
We draw the blood, not you.
Now we're splitting hairs.
Is Gregory Rossovitch, aka Peter
Sipes, that important to your case
that you're willing to let him
skate on three class B felonies?
The DOJ does not condone criminal behavior.
Okay. Then why'd you move him?
Because he told us
he was recognized
by someone in your precinct.
Most of what
we now know about the mob
comes from Peter's testimony,
and he is an invaluable asset,
and we will protect him
at all costs.
At the expense of three women
who were raped and brutalized
by the man that you are
now shielding from justice.
If he did do that,
he will go to prison,
but I think you have
the wrong man.
Where's Amanda Curry?
Unavailable to you.
How is she connected
to Peter Sipes?
All of the victims
lead back to the Russian mob.
Do you really think
that's a coincidence?
What is Peter's motive? Why
would he rape these women?
You can tell by the extent of
the damage that he's escalating.
Does somebody have to die
for you to care?
I know what you're up against.
But if, for one second, I thought
that my witness was responsible,
I'd turn him over.
Why are you
protecting this guy?
Two hundred
and fifty-seven murders,
all ordered
by Sergei Perlman.
Policemen, businessmen,
because they wouldn't
pay extortion.
Even children,
butchered for fear
they might grow up
and seek revenge.
We've solved almost half,
and we've connected
California to New York
through Peter Sipes.
Does that answer
your question?
Can she really stop us?
No, but she can slow us down.
Hinder our investigation.
You know, I don't care who that woman
works for. We can't let her do that.
Claudia Williams
is doing her job.
She has an obligation
to protect her witnesses.
We have an obligation
to protect innocent women.
So whose side of the fence
you gonna sit on?
You seem awfully sure
Peter Sipes is guilty.
What are we
supposed to think?
It can't be easy losing
your identity, starting over.
These people
cost him his past,
they're threatening
his survival.
I'm just not so sure
he would jeopardize
his last line of defense
against the very people
who want him dead.
What you're saying is
then that organized crime
takes precedence
over rape.
Arguments can be made
for both.
Alex, we don't have
that luxury.
We're working with
a serial rapist here.
And the next woman, I'm telling
you, he's gonna kill her.
I will file a habeas
in the morning.
If Claudia Williams
cannot produce the body,
the judge is going to
find her in contempt.
The People request
habeas corpus, Your Honor.
A warrant was issued for a
blood sample for a rape suspect
who is a federally
protected witness.
He has been made unavailable
by the United States
Attorney's office.
I made an offer to have the
blood drawn by the FBI lab
and delivered to the police.
The case isn't federal.
It falls under
the jurisdiction
of the city and county
of New York.
Special circumstances.
Our witness was recognized.
Objection.
Peter Sipes is a suspect
in three brutal rapes.
He is not a witness.
Nevertheless, he was spotted at a
local precinct by a former acquaintance
and had to be
moved immediately.
How can we settle
this amicably?
The AUSA is in contempt
of state law, Your Honor.
Either she produces
the suspect
or she should sit in a cell
until she does.
She's made an excellent point.
Why shouldn't I give her
what she wants, Claudia?
You know what I'm up against.
Perlman has eyes everywhere.
I have made every
effort to cooperate.
I mean, what difference does
it make who takes the blood?
Chain of evidence. How can
we be sure it's the suspect's
unless we actually draw it?
Objection.
I'm offended
by the implication.
Who else
would the blood come from?
Mistakes are made
all the time.
If that's true,
then I'm more inclined
to trust a federal
lab facility
with greater resources
than your own.
Four vials of O negative belonging
to Peter Sipes, as promised.
Yeah, and how can we be sure
this isn't your blood?
Signed affidavits
by the FBI lab technicians
stating location,
time and subject.
Or will you argue
conspiracy now?
No, I'm hoping
you just bend the law
and don't actually break it.
I had the blood tested.
I wanted to make sure that
my trust was not misplaced.
And what did you find?
I included the lab report
with the affidavits.
I figured you'd want
to test it yourself.
Don't try to tell us
the DNA doesn't match.
Fine, but Peter Sipes
is cleared,
and you still have
a rapist out there.
Does our lab report
match the FBI results?
Yes, it does.
Peter Sipes is innocent.
But his Y-chromosome matches
the DNA in the rape kit.
Which means one thing.
His son, Gavin Sipes,
is our rapist.
Well, this time the AUSA should
turn him over without a fight.
I don't think she'd do anything without one.
Gavin Sipes is a protected witness by default
because of his
father's testimony.
Just go reason with Ms.
Williams and close this file.
And if that doesn't work?
Arrest her.
What do you want now?
Your office said you'd
be here. What happened?
Well, as far as I can
tell, a recent immigrant
refused to pay
her protection fee.
There are two bodies.
Innocent bystander.
You can see now
what I'm up against.
So what do you need?
Gavin Sipes.
You sure?
DNA doesn't lie.
Gavin a diabetic?
Yes.
Hand him over.
Gavin left our program and our
protection. I don't have him.
Since when?
Since we moved his father
and he refused to go.
Said he had enough running
to last him for a lifetime.
Didn't you find that strange? No.
Protectees exit
the program all the time.
You know,
we can't force them to join,
we can't stop them
if they want to leave.
Plus, he's an adult now.
Children leave
when they grow up.
So at least
let us talk to Peter.
He'll know
where his son is.
It wouldn't do
any good.
They've severed
all contact.
From now on,
all phone calls and visits
are coordinated and monitored
by the Marshal's Service.
Claudia, Gavin's not
going to stop,
and I hope you're not
hiding him for Daddy's sake.
Now, why
would I do that?
To keep your witness
happy and talking.
Look for bad habits.
Gavin has a gambling problem.
But you didn't hear
that from me.
Gavin has racked up
a lot of debt.
$10,000, $20,000
at a time.
So far, Peter has paid about
$100,000 in debts to Atlantic City.
How can he afford that?
Well, he can't.
They're behind
in the gym lease
and the rentals
of the equipment.
Check this out.
New Jersey house
has three mortgages on it.
Yeah. $600 and $700 charges
on credit cards.
All at the same restaurant?
You're sure about that?
Okay, thanks.
Vice says the place
is a known front
for an underground
gambling club downtown.
People can pay off their debts
by charging it to credit cards
for wine and filet
mignon dinners.
Russian restaurant?
No, it's Italian.
Now, the LUDs
from Jersey,
look at that,
a lot of calls from downtown.
The last payment
was made a while ago.
Maybe they're not
too happy about that.
NYPD, Benson, Stabler.
Move aside.
Detectives, I'm Joe Tucci.
Tell me how I can help you.
Close down.
This is an illegal club.
You're not from Vice.
Vice? I don't need to be
from Vice to ruin your day.
Causing you trouble sounds
like fun to me.
I'm gonna make the call,
get the ball rolling.
Now, what can I do to
make this right? Please.
Gavin Sipes.
He likes poker.
He likes it a lot.
But he's not very good at it.
You found a lot of money
coming your way.
Must've made you mad
when it stopped.
Sometimes people need convincing. Yeah?
So what'd you do? You called Peter
up? Threatened his son's life?
You watch too many movies.
Dead men don't pay up.
All right, come on,
stop screwing around.
Come on,
tell me what you need.
When's the next payment,
who's making it?
Peter called.
He's worried about his kid.
He's due here later
to talk over terms.
Well, what's he
so worried about
if you're such
a nice guy?
I'm a businessman.
Peter understands that.
His kid seems like
the type to try to skip.
I had to make it clear
to the old man,
his boy walks
into any gambling joint
anywhere in this country, I'll
know. It won't be pleasant.
How much
does he owe?
400 grand
and still counting.
We're just
gonna stick around
and wait till Dad shows up,
if you don't mind.
My son didn't do this.
You knew he was guilty
after we talked to you.
He's the diabetic.
We need to know
where he is right now.
This is all my fault.
He stays out there,
the next woman could die.
I wish I knew
where he was.
Attacking these women,
gambling debts.
He's in so deep,
I don't know how to fix it.
How old was he when you
went into the program?
Eleven.
We were moved
five times in 10 years.
Every time,
he had to learn a new name.
New lies for his past,
fit into a new school.
He missed so much that
finally he just quit trying.
How can a little boy
grow up to be a man
when he has no idea
who he really is?
What happened
to his mother?
Anna? Died.
That was before
we came into the program.
In fact, she was the reason
why I approached the Feds.
The Russians murdered her?
Punishment for skimming.
I used to be a chemist.
I was approached
by the Mikaelian Organizatsya
for a smuggling scam.
They moved millions of gallons
of grain alcohol to Europe
disguised as mouthwash.
I taught them
how to extract the blue dye.
It was very successful.
And then it was gas tax,
Medicaid fraud and extortion.
But you're the one
who got greedy,
so why kill your wife
instead of you?
Anna handled the money.
When she was caught
stealing from the family,
they killed her for it.
They were willing to do that
to their own flesh and blood,
what were they going to do
to me and my son?
So that's how you got
involved. You married into it.
We met during the vodka scam.
After we married, I...
I rose very quickly
to Vory v Zakonye.
What does that mean?
I'm what's known
as a thief-in-law.
Then there's about 500 eagles.
The rest are
lieutenants, counselors.
All in all, there's about
5,000 members in the US,
mostly assimilated
and accent free.
Not as organized as the
Italians, but getting there.
So why did Gavin
target those women?
How did he even know
who they were?
I told him everything
about the Russians here,
in Florida and in California.
I kept a record of everybody
I ever did business with.
Names, people I met.
He deserved to know the truth
about what his mother
and I did,
what he'd sacrificed
his life for.
Peter, the mob's gonna wise up
pretty soon, if they haven't already.
He's targeting their women. Now, what
do you think they're gonna do to him?
They're not gonna do
anything. He's gonna hide.
I cut him off.
I'm broke. I can't pay
his bills anymore.
Which means
he's a dead man.
He's got an addiction.
He can't lay low for long.
If you love him, turn him in.
The Marshals are bringing
him to me today.
Supervised visit, before
they move me one more time.
All I ask is that
you don't hurt my son.
Here's the warrant.
I've notified the locals in Connecticut,
you'll be in their jurisdiction.
Get any calls from the US Attorney's office?
No, nothing.
So much for cooperation.
We'll be able
to take custody
as soon as the US Marshals
pull up with our rapist.
All right, just keep it clean. I don't
want some fight with the Feds over injuries.
We're gonna leave.
We'll get a two-hour jump.
I'm here till it's done.
Car.
That's him. Let's go.
Dad!
Oh, my God.
Dad!
No!
Dad!
Drop it! Do it now!
NYPD.
Drop the gun!
Drop it!
I said drop it.
Hold up. We're cops.
I don't give a damn.
Drop it or I'll drop you.
Both of you,
on the ground.
Move!
You, too.
On the ground.
Get their guns
and cuff them.
Oh, God.
I already told you
what happened.
Tell it to me again.
How'd you get the address?
Peter Sipes
gave it to me.
Then it's convenient
for you he's dead
since we can't
corroborate your story.
Yeah, that's one way
of looking at it.
No, that's how it is.
Well, this is crazy,
and I'm due a phone call.
Who else did you talk to?
No one.
Who else besides the gambling
club owner, Joe Tucci?
I already answered
the question.
Did you interrogate
a Michael Kerring?
We did.
Were you aware that he was a
criminal associate from California
who knew Sipes' identity?
Yes.
And yet you still
pursued him,
even though
you knew the deceased
to be a federally
protected witness
and that you were
endangering his life.
Is that correct, Detective?
We were pursuing a rape suspect, Gavin Sipes.
His father
gave us the address.
We were there to do our job.
And yet two men are dead.
One a Deputy US Marshal
with a wife
and three children.
How much do you
make a year?
It depends on overtime,
but why don't we say $68,940.
Must be hard to make ends meet
with a family of six.
I'm a cop.
And the NYPD has a history
of being squeaky clean.
I want my phone call.
We can hold you for up to 72
hours without giving you one.
Fallout from 9/11.
Who else
did you talk to?
I'm done talking.
Charge me or let me go.
Have a seat.
You know we had nothing
to do with the hit.
I'm not confessing, so why
don't you just let me go?
You think I don't use
these tactics myself?
I can make you sit down, Detective Stabler.
Up to you.
You are officially under
investigation by the FBI.
Your police jackets and your
financial records have been subpoenaed.
New York Police Department
has been duly notified.
Internal Affairs is running a
concurrent investigation into the matter.
This is a witch hunt
and you know it.
You lost a witness
so you need someone to blame.
Two men are dead. I told you to
back off. You didn't. You pay.
You can't connect us
to these murders.
We had nothing
to do with it.
You could've sold
the information,
or your bush league tactics
could have led the killers there.
Either way, you're culpable.
Yeah? How?
Michael Kerring.
He ID'd Peter Sipes.
He's in lockup
in our squad room.
Not anymore. They took him away
yesterday for his arraignment.
He is now serving 30 days
in Rikers for shoplifting,
where he has access to phone
privileges and the general population.
If Michael Kerring ratted out
Sipes, we're not responsible.
I disagree. Now if you don't mind, I'm busy.
Yeah, we're not done yet.
You arrest Gavin Sipes?
You read him his rights?
No.
Then bring him
on in here. Now.
I can't. I sent him
to your precinct hours ago.
Gavin Sipes, he processed?
Three counts rape
in the first degree.
Just waiting on transport
to the Tombs.
How you holding up?
Denied my civil liberties,
treated like some skell,
suspected of conspiracy
to commit murder.
But, you know,
I think I've hit bottom.
IAB was here
digging for dirt.
I think I spoke too soon.
How bad is it?
US Attorneys get a lot of
leeway to make their cases.
The burden of proof rests
mostly on the defendants.
But we did nothing wrong.
As law enforcement officials,
you were well aware of the risks
and you disregarded them
for your own benefit.
Claudia could argue
that sensitive information
was passed on
to the criminal element.
Why would we do that?
What's our motive?
They don't need
to prove motive.
In your zeal to show up
federal officers,
a witness
and a US Marshal are dead.
That's all a jury
needs to hear.
If the Feds can't make
a criminal case,
you're still gonna have to face
the brass. And they could boot you.
I'm not just handing over
my tin without a fight.
I don't expect you to.
We gotta find out who killed
Peter Sipes to clear our name.
Munch, what do we have on
your witness, Michael Kerring?
Did he talk to anybody
at Rikers?
He made some calls.
To who?
One to Brighton Beach.
Go sit him down. Shake him up if you have to.
Don't sweat it.
We got your back.
Who else do we think
could have pulled this off?
That guy at the club
had a lot of muscle.
And access
to professional hitters.
I didn't do
anything wrong.
Phone call went to a woman named
Beana Wolfman in Brighton Beach.
Yeah. She's my girlfriend. I begged
her to get me out of here. She refused.
She said she was tired
of wasting her money on me.
Smart girl.
So what's the problem?
You talk to her
and she'll tell you.
We already did.
Then why the third degree?
Ms. Wolfman works in a restaurant
that's owned by the mob.
Turns out she has to
because she's here illegally.
What better way
to get her out from under
than to pass on
some valuable information?
You don't know
what you're talking about.
The Organizatsya
does not work that way.
Then explain it to us.
They don't leave loose ends.
If I had talked, someone in
here would've killed me already.
Hey, step back.
You wanted me to set you up with
some chips, you just had to ask.
You're
a generous guy there, Joe.
What gives?
Send some of your boys
to do a little house cleaning?
Like what?
Like murder.
Peter Sipes
was killed yesterday.
It wasn't me.
I think it was.
You had about 400,000
reasons to kill him.
You don't know
what you're talking about.
The account's been closed.
Oh, just like that,
it's closed?
Yeah, the debt was paid in
full not an hour after you left.
By who?
Gavin Sipes.
In cash.
You wanna get off me now?
How's your glucose level?
You need some insulin?
I got time.
What's your real name?
Nikolai.
Nikolai.
It fits you.
Names are important.
I've had several.
I was Joshua for a while.
David, Daniel.
I was even a Thomas
for a whole nine days.
Why such a short time
with Thomas?
I screwed up.
I forgot our cover story.
So for once,
I just told the truth.
How old were you
when that happened?
Thirteen.
Everyone was upset.
My dad, the Marshals,
the attorneys.
They told me
it cost a fortune to move us.
If I kept running my mouth,
it would get us killed.
That's a hell
of a lot of guilt for a kid.
Childhood's the time
to make mistakes.
Not in the program.
When we first went in,
Dad would sit against the window with a gun.
He never slept.
He'd have panic attacks,
so we didn't go out.
I used to ask him why,
why we lived like that,
and all he'd say
was "someday. "
When did he
finally come clean?
When I got my GED.
We moved around so much, I couldn't
even get a lousy high school diploma.
I had to take a test
with a bunch of losers,
pretending that it was
gonna change our lives.
Well, maybe he wanted you to be proud
of him for doing the right thing,
to let you know that your
sacrifice meant something.
What he wanted was for me
to make him feel better
about screwing me
out of a future.
Is that when you
decided to get even?
Get even for what?
For getting screwed
by your parents.
Especially your mother.
You can't hold a grudge
against the dead.
Oh, sure you can.
She died on you before
you could vent your anger.
Your mother betrayed you.
Both your parents betrayed you. No.
No? So why are you
raping innocent women
in some local
mob boss's life?
Innocent?
Yeah.
Petra was a stripper, living off
the proceeds of Sergei's victims.
His sister, Tatiana, decided
where the illegals
would work off their debts.
And Amanda was washing off
the blood from their money.
Those bitches lost their innocence
way before I was even born.
Just too easy,
though, huh?
Raping those women
couldn't even the score.
Nothing could make up for
those lost years, could it?
Is that why
your father had to die?
I don't know
what you're talking about.
Sure, you do.
What better way to get back
at your old man
than to turn him over to the very
people that he's testifying against?
That's not how it happened.
No?
Then why call a butcher
shop in Brighton Beach?
Why call the house
in Connecticut
where your father
is staying,
if not to make sure
that he was home?
I didn't have the money,
and he wouldn't
give me any more.
What was I supposed to do?
They were gonna kill me.
Yeah, and now we will.
Murder of a law enforcement
officer is an automatic needle.
I didn't think that they were gonna kill him.
Sergei said he just wanted to talk to Dad.
You talked to Sergei Perlman yourself?
I met with his lieutenant.
I was there
when he called him,
and I spoke to Sergei
on the phone.
That's them.
Claudia's not here.
Where the hell are they?
We gotta take them.
Sergei Perlman.
Are you Sergei Perlman? Yes.
You're under arrest.
Step back, please.
You're under arrest
for the murders
of Peter Sipes and Deputy
US Marshal Raymond Lee.
You have the right
to remain silent.
Anything you say can and will be
used against you in a court of law.
You have the right
to an attorney.
If you cannot afford one,
one will be appointed to you.
Do you understand
these rights?
Stabler.
Heads up. Watch your back, watch your back.
You arrest Sergei Perlman?
He's in Central Booking now.
We're gonna have to
vacate the charges.
We're gonna have to
let him walk.
Yeah.
What happened?
Shooter entered the courtyard
masking as a guard.
Opened fire
with an automatic weapon.
Russian?
No ID, but I'd bet
my life on it.
Sergei had to buy
the information
on Gavin's transfer
in order to pull this off.
He had to get it
from someone inside.
Probably.
What's your next move?
That's just it, Detective.
I don't have one.
Claudia.
If you need anything...
justice system,
sexually based offenses are
considered especially heinous.
In New York City,
the dedicated detectives who
investigate these vicious felonies
are members of an elite squad
known as the Special Victims Unit.
These are their stories.
She's the COO now. You
need to watch your ass.
If Amanda wants to fire me,
not much I can do about it.
Fight back, Mark.
She humiliates you
in front of everybody,
treats you like her
personal assistant.
File a complaint
with Human Resources.
And I'll still be
out of a job.
I'm serious.
Hey, what the hell
happened here?
You smell that?
Yeah.
It's like a urinal.
Is that
what I think it is?
Oh, my God! It's Amanda.
Who did this to you?
Perineal bruising
and tearing
from rape and sodomy.
Friction burns around the
neck, wrist and ankles,
and a scalp laceration from
being struck with a sharp object.
The wound's deep
but not serious.
Any fluids present?
No, he wore condoms.
Your lab should find
lubricant in the specimen.
She say anything?
Not to me.
But maybe the other officers
will have her statement now.
It's Exam Room 3.
You have
the right to an attorney.
If you cannot afford
an attorney...
Detective Stabler, SVU.
What's going on?
FBI.
This is a rape victim
in our jurisdiction.
Not our concern. At the
moment, she's under arrest.
Ms. Curry, do you understand your rights
as I've read them
to you?
Why are you guys
doing this to me?
I was attacked
and raped.
Do you understand
your rights?
Yes.
Look, we have to get
Ms. Curry's statement.
There's a rapist out there.
We'd like to get a description.
You can do that
in federal lockup,
but it's gonna take
a while to process her.
What are the charges?
Securities fraud,
violating interstate and
international banking laws,
money laundering
for a criminal enterprise
and tax evasion.
Where the hell's our witness?
You know how
the Feds are.
They just love to flex
their muscles.
They usually work with us,
so why the stall?
Where are they?
Lockup Two.
I think we're about
to find out.
Assistant US Attorney
Claudia Williams.
My apologies for the delay.
Where's Ms. Curry?
Outside.
I wanted to
talk to you first.
You cannot interrogate
the prisoner
about the federal case
against her
or anything
relating to it.
Well, what if her
criminal affiliations
directly relate
to the attack?
Well, if Ms. Curry's business
associates were involved,
she'd be in the morgue.
Money laundering's
a RICO charge.
So she's in bed
with organized crime.
We talking LCN
or the Russians?
Stop fishing,
Detective Stabler.
Well, if you'd just share a
little bit, I wouldn't have to.
There's too much at stake.
We're not interested
in your case.
We're trying to find
a rapist,
but we can't do that
if you obstruct justice.
Well, until you file a 61,
I'm not obstructing anything.
And unless I allow you access,
you won't be able to do that.
So, what's it gonna be?
Oh, I guess
we'll just bend over.
I'll be right outside.
I wouldn't have it
any other way.
Thanks a lot. Ms. Curry,
have a seat please.
Where should I start?
Well, why don't you start
by taking us
through your day?
Gym, work, lunch,
work, meeting, work.
Where do you
work out?
It's called Workout Studio.
Couple of blocks
from the office.
Did you go out
for lunch?
No, I ate at my desk.
Delivered?
My assistant
went out and got it.
When were you attacked?
Around 11:00.
I was in my office crunching
the next quarter projections
for an emergency meeting.
Anybody else around?
Everyone left
hours before.
That's why when I heard
the noise, I went looking.
But as soon as I
opened up my door,
this man rushed me, and
after that, it was lights out.
Can you describe him?
Not really.
I just got a glimpse.
White, average height.
Any distinguishing marks?
Anything you can remember?
No.
Did he say anything?
Yeah.
That it was payback.
I thought he was
going to kill me.
Okay, is it possible that
the people you're accused
of working for
might have been trying
to send you a message?
Could be.
They're brutal, vicious men.
But they don't make a move
without Sergei's say so.
He would've cut my throat...
That's enough.
Get her out of there.
Good news is we got enough urine to test.
If we're lucky, there'll be some DNA in it.
Perp gave her
a golden shower?
Rape took place on the table.
Found footprints where he stood over her.
Making the humiliation complete. Yeah.
The bad news is there's
too many prints and fibers.
This kind
of building security,
maybe our perp
actually works here.
Or pretended to.
We found a
cleaning crew jumpsuit
stuffed under
the reception desk.
What company?
Atlas.
The great thing about criminals, no
matter how smart they think they are,
they're not
smarter than me.
You found traces of
seminal fluid. Not a drop.
But we did find
a few short and curlies
that didn't belong
to the victim.
Okay, so we got DNA.
Matching two
other rape cases,
both in Brooklyn.
Also, your perp suffers
from diabetes.
How do you know that?
We found glucose
but no ketones in the urine.
I'd say he's
a middle-aged onset diabetic
who's not taking his meds
or doesn't know
that he's sick.
Based on what?
The level of sugar's
pretty high,
and juvenile diabetics
learn early on
that if they forget
an insulin injection,
it can prove fatal.
Our serial rapist started
with two Brooklyn targets.
The first victim,
Petra Ivankov,
was raped six months ago.
Worked as a stripper
at the Volga Club,
a known front
for the Russian mob.
Mob boss
Sergei Perlman's girlfriend.
She got smoked after talking
to Brooklyn SVU about her rape.
They were probably scared she
was gonna slip pillow talk.
Number two is Perlman's
baby sister, Tatiana.
She died of uterine cancer
three months ago.
Blitz attacked
after a chemo treatment.
Took a pretty bad beating.
Our guy is definitely losing
control and escalating.
Our victim, Amanda Curry,
raped, beaten and sodomized.
What did Brooklyn say
about the Russian connection
between their two victims?
I mean,
why choose these women
if not trying to get
at Perlman somehow?
Did they even
talk to this guy?
Organized Crime Bureau
shut them down.
Wouldn't let them near him.
Completely stalled
their investigation.
Sergei's a major player. If we're
looking for someone with a grudge,
it's gonna be a long list.
What about physical evidence
other than the DNA?
The lab's still working
on print elimination.
But they found a discarded
cleaning crew jumpsuit
from Atlas Janitorial.
The supervisor mentioned a car
blocking the service entrance,
so we checked
the outside cameras.
The way they were positioned,
you can't see much.
All we saw was a late model
Ford Focus, Jersey tags.
We can only make out "JLQ."
What about
cameras inside?
Well, they're in the
stairwells and they're outside,
so female employees
feel safe working late.
I say we check out
the Russian angle.
Knock on a few doors
in Brighton Beach,
see what shakes loose.
Well, the Feds
will be all over us
before we ask
the first question.
Well, we do have a job to do.
Before we declare war,
there is another connection.
Both our victim
and the stripper
belonged to the same gym.
Workout Studio
was listed in her file.
What about Perlman's sister?
Well, nothing was
in her file.
Brooklyn probably
didn't ask
because she
was dying of cancer.
Okay, here it is.
All three women
had recent memberships.
We had sent out
a promotional mailer
to businesses
and local residents.
What's all this about?
An assault.
You're kidding.
When did they start
their memberships?
Within the last
year-and-a-half.
They know each other?
They work out together?
I never saw them
with each other.
We're gonna need a list
of all your members
and all your male employees.
We have about
500 members
and just 10
on full-time staff.
Who owns the club?
My father.
You have any employees
40 years or older?
Just my dad.
Everyone else is under 30.
What capacity
does he work in?
I run the place.
Dad just looks
over the books.
Makes sure we have
what we need.
How often does he
come in here?
Wait a second. Dad doesn't
interact with our clients.
He wouldn't even know them.
What kind of car does he drive? A Focus.
Plate's a match.
Still not enough
for a warrant.
I'm Peter Sipes.
My son called.
He tells me
you have questions.
Mr. Sipes, if it's
all right with you,
we'd like to do this
down at our precinct.
Am I under arrest?
Not yet.
I can assure you
I didn't assault anyone.
Then you got
nothing to worry about.
I don't see why you had to
drag me down here for this.
I've done nothing wrong.
Gregory. It's Mike from
LA. I thought you were dead.
You're drunk.
I don't know you.
I swear, you got a twin
out there, you know that?
Take it easy.
Can I get you
something to drink?
Soda, if you have it.
I thought you diabetics had
to control your sugar intake.
Maybe you'd like some water?
I don't know what
you're talking about.
Where were you
the night before last?
At my job.
I'm the shift supervisor at a
packaging plant in East Orange.
So you own a gym
and you work?
Well, it's not a chain
like Bally's, Detective.
What shift do you work?
I work from 10:00 p. m.
to 6:00 a. m.
You drive to work?
What's this
really about?
Rape, Mr. Sipes.
I did not rape anybody.
Then you'll be willing
to let us take a mouth swab.
Make this
whole thing go away.
You want my DNA, you're
gonna have to get a warrant.
We don't have
enough for a judge,
but I don't want to cut
this guy loose.
Let's do a voice lineup.
I'll keep the suspect
on ice until then.
Well, we know how well
those hold up in court.
Well, it doesn't matter.
Amanda Curry picks this
guy's voice out of the six,
we got enough for a warrant.
The AUSA
is not gonna let us
just take her prisoner
for a ride.
I'll have Cabot
pave the way.
Sorry. Amanda Curry's
not here.
She get transferred
to another facility?
Nope.
Does it say where she is?
I don't even know
who she is.
There is no record of an
Amanda Curry in the system.
But that's impossible. We interviewed
her in that cell yesterday.
I don't know who
the hell you talked to,
but no one was processed
through here by that name.
She's gone.
Metropolitan Correctional claims
they never even heard of her.
I got a call from the US
Attorney's office with assurances.
As soon as we
make an arrest,
they will produce
Amanda Curry for trial.
How are we supposed to do that
without the cooperation
of our complaining witness?
We ran the rape suspect's
prints off the coffee mug.
We got zip.
No arrests, no record.
So we checked the property rolls,
the tax rolls, city permits.
Seems that Peter and his son
have consecutive
Social Security numbers.
How's that possible?
A few years back,
a couple got
pinched in Delaware
for running a stock scam.
The entire family
had consecutive numbers.
They'd been relocated in the
Witness Protection Program.
It's gotta be WITSEC.
That's run by US Marshals,
which would explain the US
Attorney's interest in this case.
There was a drunk
cuffed out in the corridor.
He recognized our suspect.
He called him Gregory.
And then he just waves it off
like it was an honest mistake.
We should talk to him.
Find out who Peter really is.
We do that, we'll blow
a protected witness's cover.
All right, you and Munch
sit this drunk down,
and after that, put him in our
holding pen for the duration.
Who we looking for?
I'll go ask
the desk sergeant.
You know, if our rapist
is a protected witness
how are we gonna
get around the Feds?
We won't have to.
You commit a crime in the
program, you go to prison.
Sammy the Bull is serving
15 for dealing drugs.
We'll check Peter's alibi,
see if he
was working his shift,
but he's still testifying,
they're not gonna
hand him over.
Michael Kerring, get up.
You got company.
Whatever it is,
I didn't do it.
You have an interesting
résumé, Michael.
Shoplifting, a few B and
E's and purse snatching.
I'm not very good at it
or I wouldn't keep
getting pinched.
So I know I can't help you.
What do you guys
do here, anyway?
We catch rapists, pedophiles and murderers.
Damn.
Well, in that case,
I can honestly say
that whatever it is,
I didn't do it.
I am no short eyes.
I have never touched a woman
that I didn't have to pay for.
Slow your roll, moron.
We're just looking
for some background.
We brought a guy
in on a rape beef,
and we're told
you were friends.
Turns out he's got a couple
of aliases we want to check.
I don't know
anybody like that.
You saw him right out there in the
hallway. You called him Gregory.
I was drunk.
It couldn't have been him.
He's been dead for years.
Who's dead?
Gregory.
Rossovitch.
He used to run with some serious
hitters, in way over his head.
Who did he run with?
Russians in West Hollywood.
Pulling gas tax,
Medicaid fraud,
shipping bootleg vodka,
kidnapping, the whole nine.
If he was that big time,
how'd you know him?
I used to be a gas jockey.
They put me in charge
of pumping hijacked diesel.
How'd he die?
Car bomb.
Was that really him?
Don't tell me.
I don't want to know.
What's the problem?
They put a heavy contract
out on Gregory.
You open this up,
you're asking for trouble.
Why'd they want him dead?
I heard he was spilling his guts to the Feds.
Bodies were dropping
all over the place.
Friends, business associates.
They even killed his parents.
That's when I moved East.
Guess I didn't go far enough.
Looks like
we're too late.
Hi. Lynn Moody. You folks
interested in seeing the house?
Actually we're interested in
the whereabouts of the owner.
Oh. That I can't tell you.
I only got the listing
last night.
Who hired you?
Claudia Williams.
When I got here, there was
a moving crew in overdrive.
Cleaned the entire house out
in under four hours.
I've never seen
anything like it.
I don't suppose I can convince
you to let me do the talking?
What's there
to talk about?
Either the AUSA
hands over our suspect
or she goes to jail
for obstruction.
We want her cooperation.
Peter wasn't at work
the night of the rape.
We've got a warrant
for his blood.
What else do we need?
You can go in now.
Thank you for taking the
time to see us, Ms. Williams.
Claudia. How can I help you?
Tell us the whereabouts
of Peter Sipes,
we'll get out of your hair.
No.
What do you mean, no?
You're harboring
a rapist, Counselor,
and using federal tax dollars
to do it.
Was there a trial that I don't
know about, Detective Stabler?
We have a warrant
for Peter Sipes' blood,
duly signed by
a superior court judge.
I'll have it drawn
and delivered to your lab.
Is that amenable?
The evidentiary chain
has to be followed.
We draw the blood, not you.
Now we're splitting hairs.
Is Gregory Rossovitch, aka Peter
Sipes, that important to your case
that you're willing to let him
skate on three class B felonies?
The DOJ does not condone criminal behavior.
Okay. Then why'd you move him?
Because he told us
he was recognized
by someone in your precinct.
Most of what
we now know about the mob
comes from Peter's testimony,
and he is an invaluable asset,
and we will protect him
at all costs.
At the expense of three women
who were raped and brutalized
by the man that you are
now shielding from justice.
If he did do that,
he will go to prison,
but I think you have
the wrong man.
Where's Amanda Curry?
Unavailable to you.
How is she connected
to Peter Sipes?
All of the victims
lead back to the Russian mob.
Do you really think
that's a coincidence?
What is Peter's motive? Why
would he rape these women?
You can tell by the extent of
the damage that he's escalating.
Does somebody have to die
for you to care?
I know what you're up against.
But if, for one second, I thought
that my witness was responsible,
I'd turn him over.
Why are you
protecting this guy?
Two hundred
and fifty-seven murders,
all ordered
by Sergei Perlman.
Policemen, businessmen,
because they wouldn't
pay extortion.
Even children,
butchered for fear
they might grow up
and seek revenge.
We've solved almost half,
and we've connected
California to New York
through Peter Sipes.
Does that answer
your question?
Can she really stop us?
No, but she can slow us down.
Hinder our investigation.
You know, I don't care who that woman
works for. We can't let her do that.
Claudia Williams
is doing her job.
She has an obligation
to protect her witnesses.
We have an obligation
to protect innocent women.
So whose side of the fence
you gonna sit on?
You seem awfully sure
Peter Sipes is guilty.
What are we
supposed to think?
It can't be easy losing
your identity, starting over.
These people
cost him his past,
they're threatening
his survival.
I'm just not so sure
he would jeopardize
his last line of defense
against the very people
who want him dead.
What you're saying is
then that organized crime
takes precedence
over rape.
Arguments can be made
for both.
Alex, we don't have
that luxury.
We're working with
a serial rapist here.
And the next woman, I'm telling
you, he's gonna kill her.
I will file a habeas
in the morning.
If Claudia Williams
cannot produce the body,
the judge is going to
find her in contempt.
The People request
habeas corpus, Your Honor.
A warrant was issued for a
blood sample for a rape suspect
who is a federally
protected witness.
He has been made unavailable
by the United States
Attorney's office.
I made an offer to have the
blood drawn by the FBI lab
and delivered to the police.
The case isn't federal.
It falls under
the jurisdiction
of the city and county
of New York.
Special circumstances.
Our witness was recognized.
Objection.
Peter Sipes is a suspect
in three brutal rapes.
He is not a witness.
Nevertheless, he was spotted at a
local precinct by a former acquaintance
and had to be
moved immediately.
How can we settle
this amicably?
The AUSA is in contempt
of state law, Your Honor.
Either she produces
the suspect
or she should sit in a cell
until she does.
She's made an excellent point.
Why shouldn't I give her
what she wants, Claudia?
You know what I'm up against.
Perlman has eyes everywhere.
I have made every
effort to cooperate.
I mean, what difference does
it make who takes the blood?
Chain of evidence. How can
we be sure it's the suspect's
unless we actually draw it?
Objection.
I'm offended
by the implication.
Who else
would the blood come from?
Mistakes are made
all the time.
If that's true,
then I'm more inclined
to trust a federal
lab facility
with greater resources
than your own.
Four vials of O negative belonging
to Peter Sipes, as promised.
Yeah, and how can we be sure
this isn't your blood?
Signed affidavits
by the FBI lab technicians
stating location,
time and subject.
Or will you argue
conspiracy now?
No, I'm hoping
you just bend the law
and don't actually break it.
I had the blood tested.
I wanted to make sure that
my trust was not misplaced.
And what did you find?
I included the lab report
with the affidavits.
I figured you'd want
to test it yourself.
Don't try to tell us
the DNA doesn't match.
Fine, but Peter Sipes
is cleared,
and you still have
a rapist out there.
Does our lab report
match the FBI results?
Yes, it does.
Peter Sipes is innocent.
But his Y-chromosome matches
the DNA in the rape kit.
Which means one thing.
His son, Gavin Sipes,
is our rapist.
Well, this time the AUSA should
turn him over without a fight.
I don't think she'd do anything without one.
Gavin Sipes is a protected witness by default
because of his
father's testimony.
Just go reason with Ms.
Williams and close this file.
And if that doesn't work?
Arrest her.
What do you want now?
Your office said you'd
be here. What happened?
Well, as far as I can
tell, a recent immigrant
refused to pay
her protection fee.
There are two bodies.
Innocent bystander.
You can see now
what I'm up against.
So what do you need?
Gavin Sipes.
You sure?
DNA doesn't lie.
Gavin a diabetic?
Yes.
Hand him over.
Gavin left our program and our
protection. I don't have him.
Since when?
Since we moved his father
and he refused to go.
Said he had enough running
to last him for a lifetime.
Didn't you find that strange? No.
Protectees exit
the program all the time.
You know,
we can't force them to join,
we can't stop them
if they want to leave.
Plus, he's an adult now.
Children leave
when they grow up.
So at least
let us talk to Peter.
He'll know
where his son is.
It wouldn't do
any good.
They've severed
all contact.
From now on,
all phone calls and visits
are coordinated and monitored
by the Marshal's Service.
Claudia, Gavin's not
going to stop,
and I hope you're not
hiding him for Daddy's sake.
Now, why
would I do that?
To keep your witness
happy and talking.
Look for bad habits.
Gavin has a gambling problem.
But you didn't hear
that from me.
Gavin has racked up
a lot of debt.
$10,000, $20,000
at a time.
So far, Peter has paid about
$100,000 in debts to Atlantic City.
How can he afford that?
Well, he can't.
They're behind
in the gym lease
and the rentals
of the equipment.
Check this out.
New Jersey house
has three mortgages on it.
Yeah. $600 and $700 charges
on credit cards.
All at the same restaurant?
You're sure about that?
Okay, thanks.
Vice says the place
is a known front
for an underground
gambling club downtown.
People can pay off their debts
by charging it to credit cards
for wine and filet
mignon dinners.
Russian restaurant?
No, it's Italian.
Now, the LUDs
from Jersey,
look at that,
a lot of calls from downtown.
The last payment
was made a while ago.
Maybe they're not
too happy about that.
NYPD, Benson, Stabler.
Move aside.
Detectives, I'm Joe Tucci.
Tell me how I can help you.
Close down.
This is an illegal club.
You're not from Vice.
Vice? I don't need to be
from Vice to ruin your day.
Causing you trouble sounds
like fun to me.
I'm gonna make the call,
get the ball rolling.
Now, what can I do to
make this right? Please.
Gavin Sipes.
He likes poker.
He likes it a lot.
But he's not very good at it.
You found a lot of money
coming your way.
Must've made you mad
when it stopped.
Sometimes people need convincing. Yeah?
So what'd you do? You called Peter
up? Threatened his son's life?
You watch too many movies.
Dead men don't pay up.
All right, come on,
stop screwing around.
Come on,
tell me what you need.
When's the next payment,
who's making it?
Peter called.
He's worried about his kid.
He's due here later
to talk over terms.
Well, what's he
so worried about
if you're such
a nice guy?
I'm a businessman.
Peter understands that.
His kid seems like
the type to try to skip.
I had to make it clear
to the old man,
his boy walks
into any gambling joint
anywhere in this country, I'll
know. It won't be pleasant.
How much
does he owe?
400 grand
and still counting.
We're just
gonna stick around
and wait till Dad shows up,
if you don't mind.
My son didn't do this.
You knew he was guilty
after we talked to you.
He's the diabetic.
We need to know
where he is right now.
This is all my fault.
He stays out there,
the next woman could die.
I wish I knew
where he was.
Attacking these women,
gambling debts.
He's in so deep,
I don't know how to fix it.
How old was he when you
went into the program?
Eleven.
We were moved
five times in 10 years.
Every time,
he had to learn a new name.
New lies for his past,
fit into a new school.
He missed so much that
finally he just quit trying.
How can a little boy
grow up to be a man
when he has no idea
who he really is?
What happened
to his mother?
Anna? Died.
That was before
we came into the program.
In fact, she was the reason
why I approached the Feds.
The Russians murdered her?
Punishment for skimming.
I used to be a chemist.
I was approached
by the Mikaelian Organizatsya
for a smuggling scam.
They moved millions of gallons
of grain alcohol to Europe
disguised as mouthwash.
I taught them
how to extract the blue dye.
It was very successful.
And then it was gas tax,
Medicaid fraud and extortion.
But you're the one
who got greedy,
so why kill your wife
instead of you?
Anna handled the money.
When she was caught
stealing from the family,
they killed her for it.
They were willing to do that
to their own flesh and blood,
what were they going to do
to me and my son?
So that's how you got
involved. You married into it.
We met during the vodka scam.
After we married, I...
I rose very quickly
to Vory v Zakonye.
What does that mean?
I'm what's known
as a thief-in-law.
Then there's about 500 eagles.
The rest are
lieutenants, counselors.
All in all, there's about
5,000 members in the US,
mostly assimilated
and accent free.
Not as organized as the
Italians, but getting there.
So why did Gavin
target those women?
How did he even know
who they were?
I told him everything
about the Russians here,
in Florida and in California.
I kept a record of everybody
I ever did business with.
Names, people I met.
He deserved to know the truth
about what his mother
and I did,
what he'd sacrificed
his life for.
Peter, the mob's gonna wise up
pretty soon, if they haven't already.
He's targeting their women. Now, what
do you think they're gonna do to him?
They're not gonna do
anything. He's gonna hide.
I cut him off.
I'm broke. I can't pay
his bills anymore.
Which means
he's a dead man.
He's got an addiction.
He can't lay low for long.
If you love him, turn him in.
The Marshals are bringing
him to me today.
Supervised visit, before
they move me one more time.
All I ask is that
you don't hurt my son.
Here's the warrant.
I've notified the locals in Connecticut,
you'll be in their jurisdiction.
Get any calls from the US Attorney's office?
No, nothing.
So much for cooperation.
We'll be able
to take custody
as soon as the US Marshals
pull up with our rapist.
All right, just keep it clean. I don't
want some fight with the Feds over injuries.
We're gonna leave.
We'll get a two-hour jump.
I'm here till it's done.
Car.
That's him. Let's go.
Dad!
Oh, my God.
Dad!
No!
Dad!
Drop it! Do it now!
NYPD.
Drop the gun!
Drop it!
I said drop it.
Hold up. We're cops.
I don't give a damn.
Drop it or I'll drop you.
Both of you,
on the ground.
Move!
You, too.
On the ground.
Get their guns
and cuff them.
Oh, God.
I already told you
what happened.
Tell it to me again.
How'd you get the address?
Peter Sipes
gave it to me.
Then it's convenient
for you he's dead
since we can't
corroborate your story.
Yeah, that's one way
of looking at it.
No, that's how it is.
Well, this is crazy,
and I'm due a phone call.
Who else did you talk to?
No one.
Who else besides the gambling
club owner, Joe Tucci?
I already answered
the question.
Did you interrogate
a Michael Kerring?
We did.
Were you aware that he was a
criminal associate from California
who knew Sipes' identity?
Yes.
And yet you still
pursued him,
even though
you knew the deceased
to be a federally
protected witness
and that you were
endangering his life.
Is that correct, Detective?
We were pursuing a rape suspect, Gavin Sipes.
His father
gave us the address.
We were there to do our job.
And yet two men are dead.
One a Deputy US Marshal
with a wife
and three children.
How much do you
make a year?
It depends on overtime,
but why don't we say $68,940.
Must be hard to make ends meet
with a family of six.
I'm a cop.
And the NYPD has a history
of being squeaky clean.
I want my phone call.
We can hold you for up to 72
hours without giving you one.
Fallout from 9/11.
Who else
did you talk to?
I'm done talking.
Charge me or let me go.
Have a seat.
You know we had nothing
to do with the hit.
I'm not confessing, so why
don't you just let me go?
You think I don't use
these tactics myself?
I can make you sit down, Detective Stabler.
Up to you.
You are officially under
investigation by the FBI.
Your police jackets and your
financial records have been subpoenaed.
New York Police Department
has been duly notified.
Internal Affairs is running a
concurrent investigation into the matter.
This is a witch hunt
and you know it.
You lost a witness
so you need someone to blame.
Two men are dead. I told you to
back off. You didn't. You pay.
You can't connect us
to these murders.
We had nothing
to do with it.
You could've sold
the information,
or your bush league tactics
could have led the killers there.
Either way, you're culpable.
Yeah? How?
Michael Kerring.
He ID'd Peter Sipes.
He's in lockup
in our squad room.
Not anymore. They took him away
yesterday for his arraignment.
He is now serving 30 days
in Rikers for shoplifting,
where he has access to phone
privileges and the general population.
If Michael Kerring ratted out
Sipes, we're not responsible.
I disagree. Now if you don't mind, I'm busy.
Yeah, we're not done yet.
You arrest Gavin Sipes?
You read him his rights?
No.
Then bring him
on in here. Now.
I can't. I sent him
to your precinct hours ago.
Gavin Sipes, he processed?
Three counts rape
in the first degree.
Just waiting on transport
to the Tombs.
How you holding up?
Denied my civil liberties,
treated like some skell,
suspected of conspiracy
to commit murder.
But, you know,
I think I've hit bottom.
IAB was here
digging for dirt.
I think I spoke too soon.
How bad is it?
US Attorneys get a lot of
leeway to make their cases.
The burden of proof rests
mostly on the defendants.
But we did nothing wrong.
As law enforcement officials,
you were well aware of the risks
and you disregarded them
for your own benefit.
Claudia could argue
that sensitive information
was passed on
to the criminal element.
Why would we do that?
What's our motive?
They don't need
to prove motive.
In your zeal to show up
federal officers,
a witness
and a US Marshal are dead.
That's all a jury
needs to hear.
If the Feds can't make
a criminal case,
you're still gonna have to face
the brass. And they could boot you.
I'm not just handing over
my tin without a fight.
I don't expect you to.
We gotta find out who killed
Peter Sipes to clear our name.
Munch, what do we have on
your witness, Michael Kerring?
Did he talk to anybody
at Rikers?
He made some calls.
To who?
One to Brighton Beach.
Go sit him down. Shake him up if you have to.
Don't sweat it.
We got your back.
Who else do we think
could have pulled this off?
That guy at the club
had a lot of muscle.
And access
to professional hitters.
I didn't do
anything wrong.
Phone call went to a woman named
Beana Wolfman in Brighton Beach.
Yeah. She's my girlfriend. I begged
her to get me out of here. She refused.
She said she was tired
of wasting her money on me.
Smart girl.
So what's the problem?
You talk to her
and she'll tell you.
We already did.
Then why the third degree?
Ms. Wolfman works in a restaurant
that's owned by the mob.
Turns out she has to
because she's here illegally.
What better way
to get her out from under
than to pass on
some valuable information?
You don't know
what you're talking about.
The Organizatsya
does not work that way.
Then explain it to us.
They don't leave loose ends.
If I had talked, someone in
here would've killed me already.
Hey, step back.
You wanted me to set you up with
some chips, you just had to ask.
You're
a generous guy there, Joe.
What gives?
Send some of your boys
to do a little house cleaning?
Like what?
Like murder.
Peter Sipes
was killed yesterday.
It wasn't me.
I think it was.
You had about 400,000
reasons to kill him.
You don't know
what you're talking about.
The account's been closed.
Oh, just like that,
it's closed?
Yeah, the debt was paid in
full not an hour after you left.
By who?
Gavin Sipes.
In cash.
You wanna get off me now?
How's your glucose level?
You need some insulin?
I got time.
What's your real name?
Nikolai.
Nikolai.
It fits you.
Names are important.
I've had several.
I was Joshua for a while.
David, Daniel.
I was even a Thomas
for a whole nine days.
Why such a short time
with Thomas?
I screwed up.
I forgot our cover story.
So for once,
I just told the truth.
How old were you
when that happened?
Thirteen.
Everyone was upset.
My dad, the Marshals,
the attorneys.
They told me
it cost a fortune to move us.
If I kept running my mouth,
it would get us killed.
That's a hell
of a lot of guilt for a kid.
Childhood's the time
to make mistakes.
Not in the program.
When we first went in,
Dad would sit against the window with a gun.
He never slept.
He'd have panic attacks,
so we didn't go out.
I used to ask him why,
why we lived like that,
and all he'd say
was "someday. "
When did he
finally come clean?
When I got my GED.
We moved around so much, I couldn't
even get a lousy high school diploma.
I had to take a test
with a bunch of losers,
pretending that it was
gonna change our lives.
Well, maybe he wanted you to be proud
of him for doing the right thing,
to let you know that your
sacrifice meant something.
What he wanted was for me
to make him feel better
about screwing me
out of a future.
Is that when you
decided to get even?
Get even for what?
For getting screwed
by your parents.
Especially your mother.
You can't hold a grudge
against the dead.
Oh, sure you can.
She died on you before
you could vent your anger.
Your mother betrayed you.
Both your parents betrayed you. No.
No? So why are you
raping innocent women
in some local
mob boss's life?
Innocent?
Yeah.
Petra was a stripper, living off
the proceeds of Sergei's victims.
His sister, Tatiana, decided
where the illegals
would work off their debts.
And Amanda was washing off
the blood from their money.
Those bitches lost their innocence
way before I was even born.
Just too easy,
though, huh?
Raping those women
couldn't even the score.
Nothing could make up for
those lost years, could it?
Is that why
your father had to die?
I don't know
what you're talking about.
Sure, you do.
What better way to get back
at your old man
than to turn him over to the very
people that he's testifying against?
That's not how it happened.
No?
Then why call a butcher
shop in Brighton Beach?
Why call the house
in Connecticut
where your father
is staying,
if not to make sure
that he was home?
I didn't have the money,
and he wouldn't
give me any more.
What was I supposed to do?
They were gonna kill me.
Yeah, and now we will.
Murder of a law enforcement
officer is an automatic needle.
I didn't think that they were gonna kill him.
Sergei said he just wanted to talk to Dad.
You talked to Sergei Perlman yourself?
I met with his lieutenant.
I was there
when he called him,
and I spoke to Sergei
on the phone.
That's them.
Claudia's not here.
Where the hell are they?
We gotta take them.
Sergei Perlman.
Are you Sergei Perlman? Yes.
You're under arrest.
Step back, please.
You're under arrest
for the murders
of Peter Sipes and Deputy
US Marshal Raymond Lee.
You have the right
to remain silent.
Anything you say can and will be
used against you in a court of law.
You have the right
to an attorney.
If you cannot afford one,
one will be appointed to you.
Do you understand
these rights?
Stabler.
Heads up. Watch your back, watch your back.
You arrest Sergei Perlman?
He's in Central Booking now.
We're gonna have to
vacate the charges.
We're gonna have to
let him walk.
Yeah.
What happened?
Shooter entered the courtyard
masking as a guard.
Opened fire
with an automatic weapon.
Russian?
No ID, but I'd bet
my life on it.
Sergei had to buy
the information
on Gavin's transfer
in order to pull this off.
He had to get it
from someone inside.
Probably.
What's your next move?
That's just it, Detective.
I don't have one.
Claudia.
If you need anything...