We all know that a great deal of power brings out very ugly traits in some individuals. But imagine what it can do in a huge unaccountable national government bureaucracy whose job it is to catch criminals.
As you say, very much like the mafia...except, not only is it within the law, it IS the law.
They very nearly destroyed this guy emotionally. They turned everything he had been taught about the rule of law on its head, doing the right thing and trusting your government to do the right thing. From what the guy relayed to my wife this young doctor nearly left the profession because of the way he was treated in the entire process. The FBI/DOJ behaves like common street gangs with it’s citizens and then gets their noses out of joint when the public says we don’t trust you or respect you. If you want trust and respect then stop acting like punks with badges and follow the rule of law and don’t consider the citizens you work for to all be your enemey!