Dugan Arnett

Despite the shame, despite what Russ calls a waste of a life, when he thinks back, he can't help but still feel affection for Oliveira.

Despite the shame, despite what Russ calls a waste of a life, when he thinks back, he can't help but still feel affection for Oliveira.

Believe it or not, Russ told me that when he first learned I was trying to get in touch with him for this story, his initial instinct hadn't been to talk to me. It had actually been to reach out to Paul Oliveira, a man he hadn't spoken to in years. Not to confront him, but to warn him.

Believe it or not, Russ told me that when he first learned I was trying to get in touch with him for this story, his initial instinct hadn't been to talk to me. It had actually been to reach out to Paul Oliveira, a man he hadn't spoken to in years. Not to confront him, but to warn him.

Russ never did make that call to tip off Paul Oliveira about my reporting. Instead, this time, he decided to cooperate with me.

Russ never did make that call to tip off Paul Oliveira about my reporting. Instead, this time, he decided to cooperate with me.

As a dealer and an informant, Russ had the ultimate vantage point into the war on drugs. He operated on the front lines, and he saw how it worked, or didn't.

As a dealer and an informant, Russ had the ultimate vantage point into the war on drugs. He operated on the front lines, and he saw how it worked, or didn't.

Russ's take on the drug war doesn't sound too different from a Harvard law professor I spoke with.

Russ's take on the drug war doesn't sound too different from a Harvard law professor I spoke with.

Alexandra Natapoff literally wrote the book on informants. It's called Snitching, Criminal Informants and the Erosion of American Justice.

Alexandra Natapoff literally wrote the book on informants. It's called Snitching, Criminal Informants and the Erosion of American Justice.

The stories we've uncovered in New Bedford and across Massachusetts are clearly pretty disturbing. But they're not all that different from ones Natapoff has been examining for years.

The stories we've uncovered in New Bedford and across Massachusetts are clearly pretty disturbing. But they're not all that different from ones Natapoff has been examining for years.

She says the confidential informant system is a pocket of criminal justice where the typical rules just don't seem to apply.

She says the confidential informant system is a pocket of criminal justice where the typical rules just don't seem to apply.

There's a vacuum of data about how police departments use informants. But my spotlight colleague, Andrew Ryan, is relentless.

There's a vacuum of data about how police departments use informants. But my spotlight colleague, Andrew Ryan, is relentless.

He pulled every single publicly available search warrant from a dozen courts, covering 16 municipalities across Massachusetts. He dug through hundreds of drug cases, reviewed appellate rulings, and spoke to dozens of attorneys.

He pulled every single publicly available search warrant from a dozen courts, covering 16 municipalities across Massachusetts. He dug through hundreds of drug cases, reviewed appellate rulings, and spoke to dozens of attorneys.