Summary
- The movie Snitch was inspired by the real experiences of DEA agent James Settembrino but changed many events for a more thrilling story.
- James Settembrino's son Joey was actually set up by a friend and did not get released from prison in real life.
- The true story did not involve drug kingpins or gangs, and James Settembrino did not go into witness protection or have an accomplice like the character Daniel in the movie.
The Rock's 2013 film Snitch was inspired by a true story, but the two stories are far from similar, with the movie changing quite a few events from what really happened. Dwayne Johnson plays John Matthews, a father desperately trying to keep his son Jason out of prison. With the threat of a ten-year minimum prison sentence, John meets an attorney who agrees to reduce Jason's sentence in exchange for him informing on a drug dealer. This leads to an action-packed journey that shines a light on the world of drug dealing and criminal morality and ethics. Snitch was rated 57% on Rotten Tomatoes at the time of release, and was added to Netflix in September 2023, bringing in a brand-new wave of audiences.
The concept for the movie came about after the airing of an episode of PBS' Frontline focused on a discussion of how federal drug policies encouraged those in prison to be informants. This episode featured James Settembrino, who had become a DEA informant in order to try and help get his son Joey a reduced sentence for dealing illegal substances. The episode aired in the U.S. in 1999, and although used as inspiration for Snitch, the two stories played out in very different ways.
Snitch Is Inspired By The Real Experiences Of DEA Agent James Settembrino
In 1992, James Settembrino was approached by the government and struck up a deal with the DEA in order to receive a 5K1 reduction to Joey's sentence. In the documentary, James stated that the system was more concerned with processing convictions than actually imprisoning the higher-up dealers, and that there was a cycle of snitching between the lower members of dealing in exchange for reduced sentences. James agreed to the deal, and worked with the DEA to try and bust a drug dealer. However, unlike the film, it was not a thrill-seeking journey, but rather a tense battle between what is right and what is legal.
James Settembrino's Son Joey Was Actually Set Up
Joey Settembrino was set up by a friend who owed him money, asked to organize a drug buy in order to set him up. Joey had never previously sold any drugs and was surprised at the friend's request at first. Joey then organized to sell his friend over $1000 of LSD, and upon being handed the money was arrested by authorities. Joey stated he was previously close with the friend, having known them for many years and having spent time together fishing and skiing. Thus, he was shocked by his friend's actions. The friend who set up Joey's arrest did not serve any prison time, and was frequently seen by James in their hometown, sometimes taking and selling drugs.
Joey Settembrino Was Not Released From Prison In Real Life
The true story did not end with James managing to release Joey from prison, unlike the much happier ending in Snitch. In real life, Joey took a guilty plea he was offered by the government, which gave him a minimum of ten years incarceration. The interview with Frontline took place in 1999, seven years into Joey's sentence. In his interview, Joey spoke about being convicted at 18, and how it was difficult to make friends in prison.
Despite being betrayed by his friend, which resulted in his arrest, Joey stated to Frontline that he did not "...want to do 10 years in jail, but [I] also didn't want to give up one of my friends either." There is little information on what happened to Joey Settembrino following his release from jail, but based on the plea deal he took, he should have been released at some point between 2003 and 2004.
James Settembrino Actually Failed To Sell Any Drugs
In the same report, James Settembrino spoke about his time spent trying to locate dealers through meeting people with substance abuse problems. On many occasions, he would make contact but found that no dealer would sell to him as he didn't fit the profile. It resulted in multiple failures before meeting a former informant in New York who had been in a similar situation. It was then organized for somebody to come from outside the country to sell to James, with the understanding that this person knew they would be arrested, put on bond, and then escape the country.
Less than an hour before trial, however, the deal fell through due to issues with filed motions. In a dramatic conversation, James Settembrino was told that there were already deals in motion, and that his forcing of paperwork had caused problems in the process. This was the last job that he did with the DEA, voicing anger at how he'd been allowed to put himself in such a position by the government.
There Were No Drug Kingpins Or Gangs In The True Story
One of the most prominent scenes in Snitch is in the final peak of the movie, when the cartel kingpin realizes that John is an informant, leading them to an explosive highway chase and shootout. This scene shows off a beautiful piece of cinematography, and The Rock is shown from above in the aftermath of the shootout, injured but alive. Unfortunately, the ending of Snitch is far different from the real event, which was more of a fizzle than a pop. James Settembrino's only experience of successfully buying drugs was, in fact, a staged act, and there were no violent acts or weapons involved. There were certainly no drug cartels or shootouts.
James Settembrino Didn't Go Into Witness Protection With His Family
The penultimate scenes of Snitch show John Matthews watching the press conference of the DA from the sidelines, on crutches, still battered and bruised from the shootout. He leaves behind the reward money for Daniel and is there for Jason's release from prison before the family leaves and enters the witness protection program. In real life, James Settembrino did not enter witness protection, nor did his family. Unlike his fictional counterpart, James did not injure or kill anyone, and his interactions with other criminals were pretty uneventful.
Snitch's Character Daniel Doesn't Exist In Real Life
In Snitch, John Matthews sources the help of an employee of his, Daniel James (Jon Bernthal in one of his best movies). Daniel has two prior convictions for distribution and is on his third strike with the law. John Matthews offers Daniel $20,000 in exchange for being introduced to a drug dealer, and Daniel introduces him to Malik. Despite initially not knowing John was an informant, Daniel works with John throughout the film, assisting in getting both of their families into hiding, and fights alongside him in the final shootout.
In real life, the character of Daniel did not exist. The only accomplice James Settembrino had that was similar to Daniel was the former New York contact who helped set up the planned arrest. James also only had regular contact with drug users, due to his difficulty with getting drug dealers to trust him. While the real story of James Settembrino was interesting in and of itself, Snitch made the right decision in upping the stakes and making the story more exciting for a Hollywood movie.