Chad in Russia

By the time I realized what was happening, parts of the story had already been written for me. The FBI had its version. The press had its version. Lance had already told me where I was supposedly going. I was still sitting in a Bulgarian police station without a lawyer, trying to figure out who was actually running the show. Then I learned one detail that changed how I looked at the entire arrest. Read it: https://chadzhower.substack.com/p/fbi-wrote-it

I’m struggling badly with this again. We’ve reached 238 legal contacts, including lawyers, firms, and clinics, with 29 refusals recorded so far. The responses keep coming back to practice area, capacity, or being unable to work pro bono. Nobody has agreed to take the case. One lawyer who litigated a federal criminal case in the Western District of Pennsylvania, the federal court district handling my prosecution, described its prosecutors as “wanna-be cowboys.” His firm still declined. Our new strategy is finding private lawyers on the district’s Criminal Justice Act (CJA) panel to help seek court-appointed counsel while I’m abroad, then assess dismissal over venue. The defender’s office keeps telling me to surrender first. I need legal help before taking such a step. Please keep contacting lawyers and asking for introductions. Even someone willing to help with the appointment request would give me somewhere to start. I’m financially exhausted, these refusals are wearing me down, and I don’t know where else to turn. I need your help.

Please watch this video and let me know what you think! Im finally getting some traction on youtube.. dont forget to like and LEAVE A comment!

I spent years working for Microsoft across the Middle East. Then, during a real-life interrogation, a U.S. Embassy official opened my passport and found something he thought was going to destroy me. What happened next sounds like something out of a Hollywood movie. Unfortunately, Hollywood had nothing to do with it. https://chadzhower.substack.com/p/microsoft-terrorist

Here's something you don't see every day. My own Interpol Red Notice, issued at the request of the United States. Notice the part I circled? It says NO to publication on Interpol's public website. I've been wanted by the FBI for almost 20 years, survived three extradition attempts, and I'm still digging through the paperwork. And believe me, this is nowhere near the strangest thing I've found. Anyone curious about what's buried in these files?

Somewhere inside a Bulgarian police station, the U.S. Embassy was doing something I still struggle to explain nearly 20 years later. One American official had already left furious. His replacement arrived smiling, offering to help. Meanwhile, a Bulgarian police chief was getting increasingly uncomfortable, and I was starting to wonder what the hell was going on. The strangest part? I wouldn't learn what was happening outside those walls until much later. And the Embassy had a rather interesting role in all of it. https://chadzhower.substack.com/p/raccoons

I've posted my first long-form YouTube video in quite a while. We'll see how this goes! This time, I'm talking about what happened when I returned to Russia after 15 years away. Holy crap, what a transformation! Modern airports, incredible public transportation, digital banking, healthcare, and even friendly Russian post office employees. Yes, those used to be terrifying! But it's not all sunshine and roses. Some things in Russia still drive me completely friggin insane. So how much has Russia changed? What's better, what's worse, and would I recommend moving here in 2026? The good, the bad, and the completely absurd. All in one video. Give it a watch, and let me know what you think. If people enjoy this one, I might have to make a few more! https://youtu.be/xRohcVTT8I8