The final installment of a series uncovers the pursuit to apprehend the individual who breached a prison in Nashville under construction. The sheriff’s suspicion was aroused by a peculiar cinderblock, which upon being pressed, crumbled to reveal a startling clue within the newly erected $200 million jail. Davidson County Sheriff Daron Hall found himself in the visitation area of the pristine Downtown Detention Center, retracing the path taken by Alex Friedmann. This scrutiny involved sifting through 2 million hours of surveillance footage from 600 cameras spanning six months.
As the jail’s opening was delayed, and the transfer of prisoners postponed, the investigation continued a month and a week after Friedmann’s initial arrest for pilfering jail keys. The discovery of a pry bar and two screwdrivers concealed by Friedmann in the north stairwell hinted at potential weaponry or tools for an escape attempt. However, the narrative took a darker turn when a package was located inside the breached wall, altering the course of the investigation.
Unveiling the package was deferred to Metro Nashville Police, as Sheriff Hall was summoned to attend a commitment in Washington D.C. Amidst his official duties, a text notification revealed the unimaginable contents of the package – a firearm. Hall was shocked, fumbling through his speech as he conveyed the unsettling discovery to the audience. The package contained a .22-caliber American Arms revolver, ammunition, a razor blade, handcuff keys, and a specialized tool for dismantling jail fixtures, deemed a “jailbreak packet.”
The introduction of a gun escalated the gravity of the situation within the jail, a stark departure from standard security protocols. The subsequent search uncovered additional concealed weapons, intensifying the urgency to thwart any potential escape plots orchestrated from within.
This harrowing revelation punctuated the narrative, underscoring the perilous implications of the jailbreak infiltration and signaling a heightened state of alert within the law enforcement community.
During six subsequent searches conducted with the assistance of sophisticated scanning equipment from the FBI, 22 packets intended for a jailbreak were discovered inside the walls of the jail’s medical unit. These packets contained three guns, 29 rounds of ammunition, and 19 tools such as saw blades, security bits, screwdrivers, and handcuff keys. Additionally, a 23rd packet was later found in an air conditioning duct containing $100 and a jail officer’s uniform.
The concealed packets were strategically placed in or near areas where future inmates could potentially access them, including the medical unit, visitation area, stairwells, shower stalls, and exit doors. The discovery of a gun raised questions about what plans the suspect, Friedmann, may have had in mind. Despite no co-conspirators being implicated, it seemed Friedmann was the sole individual aware of the hidden jailbreak materials.
Investigator Hall pondered over how a respected community figure like Friedmann, who served on committees with influential city figures, could have obtained access to guns and ammunition concealed within the jail. The theory emerged that Friedmann may have been planning a major felony that would lead to his incarceration in the same facility where the items were hidden.
As the investigation progressed, District Attorney Glenn Funk decided to level charges against Friedmann for committing vandalism exceeding $250,000 in damages, a felony that could result in 25 to 40 years of imprisonment. Despite facing severe charges, Friedmann maintained a silence regarding the events.
The news of Friedmann’s arrest came as a shock to those who knew him, such as faith leader Jeannie Alexander, who had collaborated with him on prison reform initiatives. Former prisoner Jeff Deskovic, who had developed a friendship with Friedmann, expressed disappointment upon learning about his involvement in criminal activities.
This series is based on extensive reporting, public records, interviews, and correspondences related to the case, shedding light on the perplexing circumstances surrounding Friedmann’s actions and their impact on those who knew him.
After Friedmann was arrested, Deskovic said that Friedmann asked him to pay for his defense, despite not revealing the details of his actions. Deskovic, now an attorney and public speaker, had received a multi-million-dollar settlement from the state of New York for his wrongful conviction. Friedmann requested an amount between $40,000 to $100,000 from Deskovic, who declined the request, leading to the end of their friendship.
Monte McCoin, who had been in a relationship with Friedmann for almost a decade, shared insights about Friedmann’s background with authorities after his arrest. She described Friedmann’s upbringing in Saudi Arabia, estrangement from his parents, and his previous criminal activities.
Friedmann, known for his writing in jail and connections with Prison Legal News, faced additional charges related to weapons found inside the jail walls. Unable to pay the high bail set by Judge Steve Dozier, Friedmann turned himself in to face these new charges. Despite this, further investigations revealed a cache of weapons hidden in a concrete storage area, which had been removed before the police arrived.
The tiny crevices observed were similar to the openings found in the jail walls, where keys could be hidden. These spaces between the cinderblocks were large enough to conceal jail keys, and the blocks could easily be pushed in. Greg Hall, hired by Friedmann to assist in building the storage unit, informed investigators that Friedmann had provided him with a notarized letter stating that in the event of his untimely death, the ownership of the storage unit’s contents should be transferred to someone named “Ferris Mar.” This raised questions about what might lead to Friedmann’s untimely demise.
Greg Hall recalled seeing Friedmann with a U-Haul truck recently, which had gotten stuck in the mud. He had helped Friedmann load crates weighing 50 to 75 pounds each into the new truck. Hall described Friedmann as appearing frantic and desperate during this process. Initially unsure of where Friedmann had taken the plastic crates, investigators later discovered a man named Ferris Marone residing in Joelton, a thinly populated area north of Nashville, after searching for “Ferris Mar.” Ferris Marone’s wife disclosed that Friedmann had her permission to store legal documents in their garage.
Upon inspection of the black and yellow crates, investigators uncovered 14 pistols, five rifles, and a rocket launcher, along with body armor, a black metal face mask, and an abundance of tactical gear. Friedmann’s trial, who was known as “Einstein” in jail, commenced on July 19, 2022. He had separately pleaded guilty to federal gun charges. The trial for vandalism was straightforward, resulting in Friedmann’s conviction after two days of testimony.
Attorney Ben Raybin, along with his father David, represented Friedmann during the trial, and they are appealing the conviction, arguing that the vandalism charge should not have been elevated to a felony due to insufficient damages. The Sheriff’s Office incurred costs for overtime and housing inmates in other facilities due to the delayed opening of the new jail, totaling $1.2 million. Raybin indicated that there might be a 2025 hearing for the appeal with an optimistic outlook for a decision later in the year.
Since his conviction, Friedmann has been in contact with The Tennessean from the Bledsoe County Correctional Facility in Pikeville, declining to provide any on-record responses. Before his sentencing, Friedmann expressed remorse in a letter to the judge, acknowledging his faults and apologizing for betraying the trust of those who believed in him, including his wife.
“I will change that. I have made a terrible mistake that has had severe consequences on my professional, reputational, financial, and social standing.” In a lengthy letter to Judge Dozier, Friedmann delved into his wrongdoing. “I will try to offer an explanation, although it may not be easily understood by most people, as it lacks rationality and reason. Irrational actions have no rational basis. Each individual is shaped by their life experiences, everything that has occurred to them. Those who have not undergone similar experiences cannot be expected to empathize.” Quoting author Alexander Solzhenitsyn, Friedmann pondered, “How can you expect a warm person to understand a cold one?” He revealed being sexually assaulted in jail at 18, during his first arrest in the now-demolished old jail. “Within days of my incarceration, I was assaulted by three inmates in my cell. Threatened with a weapon, physically overpowered, and violated, I was left defenseless and traumatized.” Nearly fifty years later, he revisited the old jail in 2016 and was overwhelmed with emotions, prompting him to stash weapons and tools in the yet-to-be-constructed new jail as a precaution. However, inconsistencies arose regarding the timeline, casting doubt on the validity of his narrative. Friedmann’s account was labeled as an attention-seeking ploy by some, dismissing it as a fabrication. Despite this, he maintained that his actions were driven by a desire for self-preservation. Sheriff Daron Hall, skeptical of Friedmann’s claims, uncovered a concealed gun in the jail, shedding light on the elaborate preparations made by Friedmann. Hall highlighted the extensive preparations Friedmann had made over five years, emphasizing the premeditated nature of his actions.
The story of Friedmann’s rape case involved Judge Stephen Dozier, who expressed disbelief during the sentencing. Judge Dozier remarked on Friedmann’s actions as being laden with significant intent and emphasized that as a felon, Friedmann was prohibited from possessing any firearms. He questioned how Friedmann managed to acquire 26 assault weapons, labeling such behavior as criminal. As Dozier continued speaking, Friedmann removed his glasses, shut his eyes, and covered his face with his left hand. The judge made it clear that the sentence would not be minimal – he handed down the maximum punishment: 40 years. Should Friedmann serve the entire term, he would be 93 years old. The lengthy sentence was evident, not requiring a genius like Einstein to comprehend its duration. Delve into the Chasing Einstein series to discover more about this incident. In Part 1, the disappearance of keys in an under-construction Nashville jail raised concerns of potential chaos. Part 2 unfolded with a Nashville criminal showcasing tools like a razor in his shoe and a makeshift ice pick, indicating his learned expertise in jail. Part 3 pondered on whether Einstein could be apprehended in the jail unknowingly falling into a trap. Part 4 revealed Einstein’s surprising explanation for breaching the new downtown Nashville jail. This narrative was first published on Nashville Tennessean, shedding light on the suspect behind the Nashville jailbreak.
