Pizza, Powder & Pyrotechnics: The Boy that Bombed the Feds

Episode 73

In the late 1980s, Florida’s Gulf Coast was a powder keg of cocaine, cash, and violence. In this episode, we dive into the wild case of Jeff Matthews — a drug kingpin whose ego was as big as his rap sheet, and whose grudges were… explosive.

When a federal investigation started closing in, Matthews didn’t just lawyer up — he plotted bombings. One of his alleged targets? A Fort Myer's Florida fire marshal. And somehow, in the tangled web of suspects, an innocent-sounding pizza joint landed in the crosshairs of investigators.

From late-night parties and sudden gunfire to booby-trapped vans and high-stakes plea deals, this case has it all: drugs, bombs, and one very memorable slice of Florida true crime.

Background music by Not Notoriously Coordinated 

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Sources:

“The Man Who Bombed the DEA | The FBI Files | Real Crime”, Real Crime YouTube channel. Posted January 23, 2021. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57R6UN4kvtQ

The Fort Myers Bomber, Middle District of Florida, United States District Court. Retrieved from the official court website: “The Fort Myers Bomber” page, Middle District of Florida https://www.flmd.uscourts.gov/fort-myers-bomber