The new guy with all the cool toys and plans for some "action" is the lead FBI informant.
That quiet family guy you have known for a little while is the backup informant. He has been threatened with prosecution, bankruptcy and jail for technical violations of some very obscure laws you have never heard about. He is compromised and hoping to protect his family. He does not want any trouble and won't start any trouble. But he does need to report to his handler on a regular basis or he will be in trouble. And he needs a story to tell. Make sure he has one. A boring one is OK.
Be sympathetic to "that guy". Maybe you can turn him. Even better, you might be able to feed him some BS story about an "alliance" with an obscure and extremely violent leftist action group which is planning to "do something". That will get the agencies chasing ghosts or even real leftists. They are short-staffed and do not have time to harass everybody.
Your cell phone is a tracking device that will report every place you go, even if it is turned off. The tracking records have a retention period of approximately 120 days. "Burner" phones are easily spotted in network traffic and get flagged for increased attention. The Federals can get records of every person you call and every person who calls you. Quite possibly, they can get voice recordings too. It is an ocean of data to sift through, but they have computers for that and some reasonably capable software specialists. You will be on yet another list. Deal with it.
"Everybody commits three felonies a day". Keep yours in the non-violent category.
You are travelling in a goldfish bowl. Plan accordingly. Put on a great show for your audiences and never drop your character. Get back home safely.
Nicely said. Sounds like you know what you’re talking about.
Very interesting.