What Happened to Stabler's Brother Joe Jr. on Law & Order: Organized Crime?

Law & Order: OC viewers first met Joey in Season 4, Episode 3 ("End of Innocence").

While Randall and Eliiot Stabler were assisting their mom, Bernie, the older brother suggested they call their younger brother, Joe, to give him a chance to see their mom. Elliot had thought that his brother was stationed overseas with the U.S. military, and was shocked to learn Joe was back in New York City after being discharged. 

The two planned a family dinner before Bernie was scheduled to go into hospice and then reunited with Joe at a local bar. From the moment the two brothers laid eyes on each other, it was back to childhood bickering and laughs. Sadly, Joe's jovial storyline ended there.

In Season 4, Episode 4 ("The Last Supper"), Joe told his detective brother that he was discharged after stealing cultural artifacts and ultimately got into the winery business. Elliot Stabler told his brother that enlisting was never right for him — but Joe said he'd done so because he was inspired by Elliot.

During the dinner with their mom in Season 4, Episode 4, Elliot found a strange piece of foil with residue thrown in the bathroom trash.

He tested the foil in Episode 8 ("The Sins of Our Fathers") and it came back positive for heroin. The heroin was traced back to the area in Afghanistan in which Joe had served — leading his brother to realize that Joe was addicted. 

The two older brothers later broke into Joe's hotel in an ill-fated attempt at an intervention, finding rolls of cash and drugs stashed in his safe. Joe was furious and went missing after refusing to accept their help. After Stabler told his work colleagues at the OCCB about the drugs, the detectives traced Joe's drugs to a group of ex-Marines smuggling drugs through a Staten Island honey farm. 

Their leader was an ex-Marine and arms dealer named Julian Emery (Thomas Payne), whom everyone referred to as "Redcoat."

In Season 4, Episode 12 (“Goodnight"), a flashback revealed why Joe was actually discharged: After scoring some drugs at a bar, Joe intercepted a fight between a local warlord and Emery, but got caught with the knife he took from the warlord. While imprisoned as a result of his crime, Joe got a visit from Emery, who offered him a job and some heroin to sweeten the deal. 

As the OCCB worked on taking down Emery, Elliot and Randall Stabler worked on getting their little brother's addiction under control.

But there was one problem: Emery had OCCB detective Samir Bashir (Abubakr Ali) murdered at Joe's winery, making Stabler's little brother a potential suspect. 

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After Stabler's investigation cleared Joe of any involvement in Sam's murder, it became crucial to make sure Joe didn't become further entangled in Redcoat's web. The two older brothers kidnapped Joe after he had a meeting with Emery, and locked him n a room to kick-start his sobriety. 

But Joe ran away as soon as he could, beating up Randall in the process. Ultimately Joe joined Emery and his affiliates on a private jet — but it was revealed that Joe was on a mission to become a mole for the OCCB and take down Redcoat once and for all. 

In Law & Order: OC's Season 4 finale ("Stabler's Lament"), the OCCB discovered that Emery had orchestrated an online arms auction that included a Soviet-era chemical weapon designed to create mass casualty event. 

Joe managed to get a message to the OCCB that Emery and his men were at a small airfield and, during an intense shoot-out, the OCCB killed one of Redcoat's men while arresting another. Amid the chaos, Emery managed to escape with Joe Jr.

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In the air, Emery found out that his right-hand man was dead and the other was in custody, and Joe asked what happened

"Isn't it obvious?" Emery asked.

"You think someone tipped off the feds?” Joe asked.

“Of course someone tipped off the feds, Joe," Emery said without acknowledging whether he believed Joe was the mole. “Oh, we’ll ferret out the traitor. Have no fear. But in the meantime, it appears congratulations are in order.” 

Emery then revealed that Joe was being promoted to the role of delivery boy for the chemical weapon — which was promptly handcuffed to Joe's wrist.

As Joe stared out the window of the plane, it seemed the Stabler brothers were in trouble.