351: Lou Calvarese and Melissa Fortunato – Undercover Wedding, Operation Royal Charm

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In this episode, retired agents Lou Calvarese and Melissa Fortunato review their undercover roles in Operation Royal Charm, an investigation that used an undercover wedding ruse to dismantle an international smuggling ring bringing into the U.S. illegal drugs, cigarettes, and counterfeit $100 bills, known as North Korean “super notes,” and conspiring to smuggle in weapons from North Korea as well. Task force members immediately arrested guests arriving in chauffeured limousines to Lou and Melissa’s wedding.

The investigation incorporated parallel undercover operations on opposite shores—“Operation Royal Charm” in New Jersey and “Operation Smoking Dragon” in Los Angeles, California. A total of 59 individuals from around the world were arrested in 11 locations in the U.S. over the weekend; 87 people were also charged.

To learn more about this smuggling investigation, listen to FBI Retired Case File Review episode 078: Bob Hamer – Counterfeit $100 Bills, Operation Smoking Dragon.

Due to the impending problems with North Korea, Operation Royal Charm generated significant attention and the Department of Justice, State Department, Pentagon, were apprised of the takedown. When FBI Director Robert Mueller briefed President Bush about utilizing a wedding for the takedown, the president replied, “What a great idea.”

Special Agent (Retired)

Louis Calvarese

2/1970 – 10/2005

(First 5 years as a Clerical Employee)

Retired agent Lou Calvarese served in the FBI for 30 years.

While in the Bureau, he worked truck hijacking, organized crime, gangs, terrorism, surveillance, and undercover cases. Much of his career was spent undercover, successfully posing as a mobster, contract killer, international weapons dealer, and drug dealer. Lou received numerous awards throughout his career, including the coveted FBI Director’s Award for Distinguished Service.

He appeared as a guest on CBS News with Katie Couric and Armen Keteyian and his story and Operation Royal Charm have been featured on several true crime shows.

Melissa Fortunato

Special Agent (retired)

3/1999 – 6/2022

Melissa served in the FBI for over 23 years. She was assigned the New York and Cleveland Field Offices. Her investigative work focused primarily on public corruption and white-collar crime, and in the later part of her career, drug trafficking and domestic terrorism. Melissa was recognized with the US Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service for her part in a large-scale, public corruption investigation.

She operated as a Crisis Negotiator for 15 years and led the FBI-Cleveland’s Crisis Negotiation Team, successfully resolving many high-stakes negotiations, including kidnap for ransom and barricaded subjects cases.

In addition, Melissa was a certified Undercover Agent. She operated both domestically and internationally. Her undercover portfolio included transnational organized crime, public corruption, drug trafficking, and counterintelligence matters.

Melissa now shares her knowledge and experience as a trainer and consultant, specializing in conflict resolution and negotiation as the founder of Alchemy Team LLC, where she contracts with organizations, including the Bureau Consortium, a multi-disciplinary team of FBI experts and elite practitioners working with clients to manage the complexities of violence and threat mitigation.