Mr. Big: Exposing Undercover Investigations in Canada

After surveying more than 80 cases in which a confession was accepted as evidence in a "Mr. Big" organized crime sting, these legal experts suggest changes in undercover police practices in Canada. "Mr. Big" in these cases is a policeman posing as a criminal kingpin in order to coerce a confession from a suspect, but this study finds that this ruse is most successful when the suspect is from a marginalized group. In addition, police officers sometimes commit criminal offences while undercover--or they fake criminal behavior during the course of the sting--and the pretend interrogations are not bounded by normal interview standards. On these grounds, the authors propose that this practice be drastically curtailed.