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Saul Goodman is the Breaking Baduniverse’s foremost criminal lawyer, and here are all 20 crimes he commits in Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul. Saul Goodman’s signature con-artistry and chicanery are far from the worst traits he possesses, with the lawyer committing all sorts of crimes throughout the franchise’s run, ranging from minor to horrendous. Saul Goodman racked up a pretty long rap sheet in his time before, during, and after working with Walter White. Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul chronicles these misdeeds, with Saul Goodman finally facing the music in the Better Call Saul finale.
From a very young age, Saul Goodman was using his cons to scam people, with his ability to pull the wool over people’s eyes earning Saul the nickname of Slippin’ Jimmy. Throughout his life, the character takes on a plethora of identities, ranging from little brother Jimmy McGill to shady lawyer Saul Goodman to Cinnabon manager Gene Takovic. However, a thread of crimes has run throughout all of these identities, with Saul still being the same person no matter what name he is using. Although this isn’t a list of every instance Saul commits a crime, here is every crime Saul commits at least once including some prominent examples.
20 Property Damage
Saul in Better Call Saul
While Saul surely committed several crimes when he was younger, one of the earliest crimes Better Call Saul reveals is property damage. As Chuck McGill’s notorious courtroom scene reminds the audience, a young Jimmy McGill once defecated through the sunroof of a man named Chet as revenge for Chet sleeping with Jimmy’s wife. Unbeknownst to Jimmy (who was drunk at the time), Chet’s kids were in the car, meaning that Jimmy’s fecal matter rained down onto them. Property damage is just the first of the charges Jimmy faced from this crime, as the car was presumably stained beyond repair.
19 Indecent Exposure
Saul Goodman talking on the phone in Breaking Bad
Alongside his charge of property damage, Jimmy faced an even more serious crime for his Chicago Sunroof incident: indecent exposure. Since Chet’s kids were in the car, this was levied against Jimmy due to him having his pants down. Although this is the only known instance of Jimmy committing this crime, it definitely is one of the grossest and worst things Jimmy/Saul Goodman ever did. Unluckily for Jimmy, Chet had ties to the local prosecutor, making these charges significantly weightier and harder to dodge than they normally would have been.
18 Assault
Better Call Saul season 6 episode 5 boxing match Jimmy McGill Howard Hamlin
Jimmy McGill’s third crime related to the Chicago Sunroof incident was a bit more serious, with the young lawyer being charged with assault. While this one may have been a stretch, it wouldn’t be too hard to classify Jimmy pooping on Chet’s kids as assault, as other things like spitting on someone can be classified this way. Saul Goodman is less violent than other characters in the Breaking Bad universe, meaning that his instances of assault are far fewer than his peers. Saul prefers to handle conflict with his mouth rather than his fists, with violent crimes like assault not being what lands Saul in prison in the series finale.
17 Fraud
Jimmy McGill doing community service
One of the most common crimes throughout Saul Goodman’s life was undoubtedly fraud. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what subsections of fraud Saul would have been charged with, as he pulled off a variety of cons, but they all would have fallen under this category. From tax fraud to embezzlement to wire fraud, Saul has been using these tactics to fatten his wallet since the days of Slippin’ Jimmy. Throughout the Breaking Bad universe, Saul commits a plethora of fraud-related crimes, with his cons being clear examples of him defrauding and scamming victims. While these aren’t the biggest crimes, they definitely pile up by the end of the show.
16 Forgery
Jimmy looking at Chuck’s Mesa verde documents in the copy shop in Better Call Saul
While Better Call Saul’s Mesa Verde case is underway, Jimmy McGill sees an opportunity to discredit his brother, Chuck McGill. In an attempt to do this, Jimmy forges 13 documents related to Mesa Verde by going to a printer store and meticulously changing the addresses one each one, returning the altered documents to Chuck’s house. Jimmy’s scheme works, and he seemingly gets away with it. However, this is only the most prominent instance of forgery in Saul Goodman’s life, as he has been known to assist in forging fake identities, birth certificates, and most likely tax-related documents.
15 Incitement
Entry 10_Breaking Bad Bryan Cranston Walter White Bob Odenkirk Saul Goodman (1)
Incitement is another incredibly common crime throughout Better Call Saul and Breaking Bad, with there being a seemingly endless number of instances of Saul convincing others to commit crimes. Saul gets Kim in on his Howard plan, which is one of the biggest instances of this in Better Call Saul. Saul constantly incites Walt and Jesse to do crimes, including getting them to launder their money, change their identities, expand their operation, and more. Saul convinces Walt to not leave the drug trade multiple times throughout Breaking Bad, with Saul even admitting that Walt wouldn’t have been as big without his help.
14 Criminal Conspiracy
Bryan Cranston as Walter White and Aaron Paul as Jesse Pinkman in an RV in Better Call Saul.
Saul’s entire existence in the franchise is basically criminal conspiracy, with the lawyer constantly working with people to pull off crimes ranging from cons to felonies. Planting drugs on Howard with Kim counts as criminal conspiracy, as well as hiding his body. Saul also conspires with the Salamancas multiple times, getting Lalo’s money and helping him illegally escape New Mexico. Saul’s partnership with Walt and Jesse throughout Breaking Bad is a conspiracy, helping them sell their drugs and pull off a wide range of crimes. Even his department store robbery as Gene Takovic earns him this charge, with Gene secretly working with a co-conspirator named Jeff.
13 Money Laundering
Huell and Kuby
One of Saul Goodman’s most iconic scenes in Breaking Bad features him explaining money laundering to Jesse, with his role in the crime being why his character was added to the show. Money laundering is a very serious crime, as it involves taking dirty criminal money and putting it through a clean business (such as a car wash or nail salon) in order to pass it off as clean income. The sentence for money laundering changes depending on how much money was laundered, and with the amount of cash Walter White earned, Saul Goodman probably landed on the upper end of this crime.
12 Drug Trafficking
Walter and Jesse cook meth in the RV in Breaking Bad
Breaking Bad is all about drug trafficking, and Saul Goodman was clearly involved in Walter White’s business. Saul is the one that connected Walt to Gus Fring, meaning that he was really the mastermind behind the whole operation. Saul also worked with drug traffickers like the Salamancas, meaning that he could have been an accessory to their drug trafficking charges. Saul’s planting of cocaine of Howard Hamlin may even constitute as drug trafficking, meaning that his hand was in the drug game long before Walter White came along.
11 Evidence Tampering
Chuck-McGill-in-Better-Call-Saul
Saul Goodman also did his fair share of evidence tampering throughout his time, shadily attempting to get many of his clients (and himself) off easily. Saul’s cover-up of Howard Hamlin’s murder is full of evidence tampering, throwing off the officers investigating the case. Saul’s Mesa Verde document scam also involves some evidence tampering, with him paying off the store clerk to delete the security camera footage. Saul also influences witnesses, a type of evidence tampering, throughout both shows. Evidence tampering is nothing new to Saul Goodman, with it being what makes him a criminal lawyer.
10 Extortion
Jesse Pinkman’s and his little brother at the dinner table in a scene from Breaking Bad.
While extortion isn’t the most apparent charge in Saul Goodman’s criminal record, it is definitely there. A clear example appears in Breaking Bad, with Saul using extortion to get the Pinkman house for cheap. Saul told Jesse’s parents that he would reveal they knowingly hid the fact that there was a meth lab in their basement if they didn’t sell him the house for far below market value. Saul also extorts Jeff to keep him in the operation in the final season of Better Call Saul, with his quick wit and sharp legal knowledge assisting him in this crime.
9 Illegal Surveillance & Stalking
Huell with a smirk looking to the side in a scene from Better Call Saul.
Although not really seen in Better Call Saul, Saul Goodman definitely does his fair share of illegal surveillance and stalking in Breaking Bad. After discovering that Walt has let Skyler in on the operation, Saul sends his goons to secretly install cameras in his house, which clearly meets the definition of illegal surveillance. Saul also has Huell and Patrick follow some people involved in Walter White’s drug trade, including Skylar and her boss Ted Benke. Saul does some minor stalking of Howard in Better Call Saul seasons 5 and 6, but most of the instances of this crime are in Breaking Bad.
8 Blackmail
Better Call Saul Bob Odenkirk Jimmy McGill Howard Hamlin Patrick Fabian
Saul Goodman’s Howard Hamlin scam is basically blackmail at its core, although Saul and Kim have to fake the evidence that would be used as blackmail. The duo does things like plant cocaine on Howard and makes it seem as if he frequents prostitutes in order to discredit him as punishment for how he treated Jimmy at HHM. Saul also frequently uses blackmail to keep Walt and Jesse in the drug trade, threatening to reveal their crimes if they don’t continue making him money.
7 Conspiracy To Attempt Murder
Walt close-up after Hank’s death in Breaking Bad
Getting into the more serious crimes, Saul Goodman is faced with several conspiracy to attempt murder charges throughout Breaking Bad. Since Saul is assisting Walt, and Walt commits a variety of murders, that makes Saul a co-conspirator and an accessory. Saul is a co-conspirator in Walter White’s complex prison killings, Gale’s death, the deaths of various drug dealers, and the deaths of Gus and Mike. Although Saul never murders anyone himself in Better Call Saul or Breaking Bad, he’s definitely had his hand in his fair share of killings.
6 Accessory After The Fact To The Murder Of Federal Officers
Hank Schrader and Steve Gomez interrogating together
An incredibly serious charge that makes up a lot of Saul’s prison sentence in the Better Call Saul finale is accessory after the fact to the murder of federal officers. After Hank Schrader and Steven Gomez are murdered, Saul helps Walt escape while covering up their deaths, making him an accessory to the crime. Killings involving officers often carry harsher sentences than other killings, making this an immensely serious charge. Gomez and Hank Schrader were both DEA agents, meaning that their deaths bring about this charge.
5 Impersonating A Police Officer
Hank Schrader outside the RV in Breaking Bad
In Breaking Bad season 3, episode 6, “Sunset,” Saul commits a crime that he hasn’t done before: impersonating a police officer. In the episode, Hank is preparing to enter the RV that Walt and Jesse are inside, nearly ending their entire operation. Walt calls Saul and asks for his help, and as always, Saul has a plan. Saul has his secretary call Hank and pretend to be an Albuquerque police officer, with her saying that Hank’s wife Marie was involved in a car accident. This guise works, getting Hank to leave, but at the cost of Saul and his secretary having to impersonate a police officer.
4 Falsely Reporting An Incident
The RV that Walt and Jesse use to cook meth in Breaking Bad
This same Breaking Bad RV scene earns Saul another criminal charge for his actions, with it being falsely reporting an incident. Since Hank Schrader is an officer of the law, Saul telling Hank about the fake car wreck technically counts as reporting the incident. Although Saul never faced any consequences for this action, a law was broken.
3 Trespassing
Jimmy McGill/Gene Takovic (Bob Odenkirk) in Better Call Saul.
In the Gene Takovic timeline, Saul gets down and dirty, trading his white-collar crimes for more typical ones like burglary, theft, and trespassing. In Better Call Saul season 6, episode 11, “Breaking Bad,” Gene breaks into the house of Mr. Lingk, a man who has cancer that Gene met at a bar. Saul intends to rob Mr. Lingk, and since he has to break into Mr. Lingk’s house in order to do it, Gene was trespassing.
2 Burglary
Gene watches a Better Call Saul commercial in the BCS pilot
Burglary is another charge that Gene is hit with after robbing Mr. Lingk’s house, with burglary requiring that someone broke into a house or building in order to commit a criminal offense. Since Gene had to break into the house without permission in order to steal from Mr. Lingk, that was burglary. However, it isn’t the only time Saul illegally entered someone’s property in order to commit a crime, something that can be seen multiple times with Chuck’s house throughout Better Call Saul.
1 Theft
Jimmy as Gene Takovic in Better Call Saul
The final crime Saul commits in Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul is theft, which becomes increasingly more common as Saul takes on his Gene Takovic identity. Gene commits theft while robbing the department store, and while breaking into Mr. Lingk’s house. Saul also steals things in earlier seasons of Better Call Saul, with him even stealing money out of the cash register as a child. This shows that Saul Goodman’s crimes have been part of him since the very beginning, with them only getting worse as Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul go on.
