Yeah. Seems like the only people who would know about a person in WP would be that person, his family and the U.S. Marshals. And anyone who actually comes out and tells people that they are in the program are not really in the program.
Not really, if I wipe you and your family out because you testified against one of my gang members and let it be known that’s why you and your family was killed, the next guy probably won’t be in to much of a hurry to testify against the next gang member. So there is plenty of upside to a revenge killing or beating, it stops the next guy from talking.
and the person who states on a public internet forum that he “has a guy” in the program deserves to be arrested for endangering the witness.
I listend to a podcast by Josh and Chuck form How Stuff Works.Com and they talked about this for the whole podcast.
First of all while you get a new identity, it’s not a get out of jail free card. All your debt and social security earned simply transfer over to the new number. So if you owe Bank of America under the old social security number, you owe them under the new one.
I am not surprised when the program claims 100% success. They can throw you out of the program if you fail to comply with their terms. For instance, if you contact people you’re not supposed to, they will “hide” you again, but if you do it to often, they just toss you out on your own.
You get some help from the government, but you have to earn your own way. And you’re only give a year or so to get back on your feet, other wise you’re back on your own.
Here’s a link to the HSW website
So the bad guys who want to whack you need a Guy at the Bank. 
So do I get a degree from Harvard or from West Bluefield State Community College?
Do I get a 780 credit score or a 400?
Did I work for IBM in a past life, or was I a janitor at an adult book store?
I see a couple of problems: Another poster said that they just transfer your old debts to the new SSN. That seems like it could have a lot of security problems because now all of your creditors would have a record of transferring the debt from “Vinny the Squealer” to “Dave Smith”. Also, would they give all of your debts the proper age? That could be a problem if you were in debt to a regional creditor, say BellSouth, when your backstory was that you lived in Oregon your whole life.
Employment history: Obviously they will have to make that up. So what happens when the new employer checks references? Do the fibbies have a bunch of people pretending to be former managers saying that Dave Smith was a hell of a great employee?
What about education history? Does the school that Dave Smith supposedly graduated from put his name in their alumni roster and fake grades for him? Do they put fake pictures in their old yearbook?
Social Security Number: Do they fake when it was issued? A 45 year old man would have a hell of a time explaining why his SSN was first issued in 2009, especially with a lengthy employment history.
I can think of others, but those are the big ones.
Sorry for the confusion, I meant to say we have a local guy in the program, I have nothing to do with him. I read about it in the local paper. The guy gave an interview.
That doesn’t sound very…protected. Hey look at me, I’m anonymous! I’m hiding because I told on some bad guys!! They’ll never find me…
They will probably have you attend colleges that have closed down or amalgamated. Employers who have gone out of business. Schools that burnt down.
Why? Everyone knows the program exists and some people are in it. You’re only endangering them if you identify specific people or give information about them.
[quote=“lorene, post:28, topic:597879”]
That doesn’t sound very…protected. Hey look at me, I’m anonymous! I’m hiding because I told on some bad guys!! They’ll never find me…[/QUOTE
They did not use his name or picture.
Yes, I figured that. 
I just still think it’s kind of a weird thing to do, to give an interview. How does he know that someone won’t shake down the reporter?
"just move to a big city and change your name to ‘Bill’ and drive a bus. . . . Robert Jones: Blood Sport.
My brother fled to Canada. I told him there wasn’t a war on but he didn’t listen.
I have a couple of questions.
What exactly do they do with regard to getting a job? Are you allowed to stay in your profession? What about someone with specialized training, like a doctor or nurse? Do they get a new certification or license under the new name?
Are people offered training in a new profession? Who pays for that?
Are they given a stipend for a while? How do they get by? Who pays their rent?
Are people allowed to take all their stuff with them? In movies, you always see someone with a duffel bag of clothes, and that’s it. I could give up some stuff, but I’d be pissed if I had to leave behind my grandmother’s cedar chest or my books or pictures of my kids. (And my Calphalon, but that seems shallow. Uncle Sam can buy me new Calphalon)
That said, who buys them new stuff? Furniture, kitchenware, things like that?
Henry Hill (Goodfellas guy) kids wrote a book about life in the program. I think it’s called Life on the Run. They were in Omaha, northern Kentucky and then Seattle.
Sammy the Bull Gravano got plastic surgery to change his face and was in Arizona. He got busted for selling drugs and is now in prison for about 20 years.
The government will support the person for a little while until they can get a new job or source of income.
It’s extremely unlikely that professional people will find themselves in that position. But if you did you would probably have to find a new career, rather than risk meeting professional colleagues that you knew from the old days. And new hobbies too.
Marty McGartland was given £100,000 to buy a new house and live in England. I think that the government said he was supposed to have been set up in a milk round, hardly an easy life. He wrote a book, published in 1997. In 1999 he was shot six times, presumably by his old friends in the Irish Republican Army, but survived.
Henry Hill has not been in the program for a long time. I think he was kicked out. He lives a pretty open life now with his real name and he says anyone who would want him dead is either in prison or dead. I believe he tends to stay away from NYC just in case. A couple years ago he was selling artwork and other stuff on ebay.
It’s not that surprising that no one in the WPP has ever been killed.
I think most people greatly overestimate the power and ability of most criminal organizations. In fact, I’m certain that over half of those in the program could avoid danger by simply moving to another state. I remember reading about one case a couple years ago in which the witness was dropped from the program for repeatedly straying from WPP protocol by keeping contact with family and old friends. Then of course was gunned down after visiting their old neighborhood.:smack:
I would guess that the cartels would be the real organizations to run from. The Italian-American mafia has been shot in the gut and probably couldn’t find you even if they wanted to. Unless you’re in the phone book.
Henry Hill only stayed in Omaha for a short time because they were afraid the mob knew where he was. Some mobster made a comment about him being in the midwest so he was quickly moved out.
I recently watched a documentary on the murder of the Israeli athletes at the 1976 Munich Olympics. One of the killers (a Palestinian now living undercover) was interviewed–muffled/distorted voice and black silohette of some guy with a hat on and a beard… All I could think of was WTF?? Arent you worried that the interviewer might get blackmailed, bribed or tortured into giving you up?
I have no idea how such interviews are orchestrated, but it seems pretty risky to me, under the circumstances. Then again, people who end up in the witness protection program probably arent exactly risk averse.