Scam!!!!!!!!!!!!

In a earlier thread I described how at least two other dealers and myself were scammed by a guy who told all of us that he was deploying and needed knives immediately. Well, here is the sad ending to that story. I contacted the local police dept in Brazil, Indinana and spoke with a detective who listened to my story and got all of my information and made contact with Rodney Lowe and had him come into the station for questioning. He aggreed that he had received the knives and simply could not pay for them. He never would admit how he obtained the knives and denied everything about being in the military. He told the detective that he would return the knives to the other dealers and myself within a weeks time. I waited a week then called Rodney who assured me that he was sending them out that day. Five days later, still no knives. He was supposed to call the detective to confirm that he sent the knives back and he never called him back. To make a long story short, because each of us sent the knives to him without receiving payment first, the Prosecuter will not file charges and said that it was just bad business that we sent the knives without receiving payment first.

Rodney Lowe
AKA R.J. Lower
AKA James Lauer
AKA Gunnery Sgt. Jack Lower

This is his real address

Rodney Lowe
717 N. McGuire St.
Brazil, IN 47834

This is another address that he would have the knives sent to. It told the detective that it was his brothers house.

Phone number (sometime you may get a strange message, but if you call it enough he will pick up?

812-240-7139
Rodney Lowe
4252 S. Spring Acres Ct.
Terre Haute, IN 47802
 
Biby, any chance on having the detective go back to his address? This is crap:mad: There has to be another way to deal with this.
 
hmm, I'd call up the prosecuter and ask if they treat businesses in his/her hometown the same as they are treating you. Ask them when they will be up for re-election.

Also most small towns have a newspaper, I'd contact them to see if they want to do a story on a local boy scamming companies and pretending to be in the milatary.

Or you could write a letter to the newspaper mentioning that a person in their town was scammimg companies and the prosecuter didn't want to help. DOn't mention names, no need, to word gets around in a small town.

You might have better luck on the terre haute side.
 
hmmm, maybe you could call the local military base commander or public affairs offic and tell them someone is posing as a member of the miltary to rip people off.
 
Guys, it is laudable that you would try to get knives to soldiers before they deploy. Sometimes deploying soldiers get very little notice. ...but there are ways to ensure you are supporting actual soldiers (deploying or already active duty). First, as was indicated above, have the soldier provide you with a couple of documents (1) a photocopy of his military ID (DD Form 2 or DD Form 2 Reserve). If it is a DD Form 2 Reserve, ask for a copy of his activation orders. Don't let him give you static about not being able to provide this to a civilian, he had to give it to his civilian employer when he got called up. If he doesn't want to do this, he doesn't want the knife. ...or (2) ask for a phone number for his unit so you can call and confirm with the "admin specialist" his deployable (not deplorable) status.

This will ensure you are supporting a serving soldier with a legitimate call to active duty (or an actual member of the Regular Army or other service (is there another service?).

Bruce Woodbury (...and yes, there are other services!!!)
 
Sorry to hear about this mess. I would only like to chime-in that the local prosecutor is probably somewhat reluctant to charge this **** because you out of state business-owners will need to produce yourselves in their local County Court for any and all testimony. This is problematic for most jurisdictions (except the feds, who can hold mail fraud hearings where they can convince the judge to move the case).
 
I don't understand why the Feds aren't involved. He recieved items of known value through the US mail across State lines by misrepresenting himself.

Apparently there are so many people calling themselves 'Seals" that the Seals actually have an arm to deal with this fraud.
Why someone not in the Service would claim otherwise is beyond pathetic.


munk
 
Just a heads up, but many times when we deploy we don't have orders in hand till we get on the plane to go. During Allied Force April 1999 I did not receive orders till I was in country. Sometimes we don't even know what country we are going to till we are wheels up in the plane. However asking for a Fax or copy of a valid ID card is a good idea. Also you can find out what base, unit, duty section the individual works at, and phone number to contact him at. Verify this number by calling information, and getting the number for the "base telephone operator". Ask for that unit/section's phone number. Then you can call to verify that the person in question is actually part of the unit. Do not ask about deployment status, ie if they are going, when, or where. Most likely they won't tell, and the person buying the knife may get in trouble. By checking out the phone number you can verify the person saying he is in the military is telling you the truth about being in,and being part of the unit. If this info is true, the majority of us serving have the integrity that if we say we are deploying we are.

Droopy
 
I am currently pushing mail fruad charges on a custom knife maker who ripped me off for other $1100.00. I can tell you that if you sent out ANY product to ANY person by US Mail, and they rip you off, the Postal Inspectors will be very interested in what you have to say. Considering Rodney has done this several times, and that Iam sure we are now in Felony Grand Theft terrritory, the P.I.'s will handle it. And nothing says **** YOU more to a local law enforcement than having the FEDS step in and trouce them in their own jurisdiction. Mail fraud is a felony, punishible by imprisonment in a federal pen. Have fun Rodney, don't drop the soap, BITCH!!!

JS

Never deal with Dale Reif
 
droopy170, understand about not getting "paper" orders all the time, but those of us "M" day types somehow have to convince our employers that we really do have an imminent call up. This same convincing should be appropriate for a knife provider. It should be up to the soldier to convince the maker/seller to prove his status, not the other way round.

Woodbury
 
Bruce,
Keep in mind your employer knows you. You most likely interact with a supervisor of some type on a daily basis. Your integrety has been proven to the boss and he probably knows you are guard or reserve. To the great knifemakers going out of there way to support us (for me Jerry Busse in 99 and David Dempsey for Irqai Freedom thanks guys) I was trying to offer another way for them to be confident that they are in fact dealing with a military type. Agreed that it is up to me to convince a maker/seller, but lets face it, the fake can probably walk and talk military as well as, or maybe better than real thing. Can't remember who I am quoting but someone said "Trust, but verify". If the maker/seller makes the calls to find the numbers he won't be given a "set-up number" ie the number to the guy who is in on the scam.

Droopy
 
droopy170, true enough. I guess if I wanted reassurance that I was actually supporting a troop, I'd ask for the soldier's unit identification (3d Bn (tank), 116 Cavalry Brigade) and the number to the post locator. That would be hard to fake. Get to the unit and ask the Admin NCO if CPL Snuffy is being considered for deployment. You and I know you can milk the system (guys willing to sell us autos because we have an ID card, etc.).

Bruce
 
Bruce,
I agree there are those of us that "stretch" the truth. It sucks that honesty is such a rare comodity that we all sometimes have to go to extremes to protect ourselves. While the knife may not go to a front line troop at least it is going to a troop, and with appropriate info in hand, the dealers and makers will have some recourse if not paid. 1st Sergeants tend to frown on unpaid debts.

Droopy
 
droopy170, good points. I agree that most 1SG's do a great job. I wish mine in Germany had done so. As a Company Commander, I had to initiate an Article 5 investigation on him. He had been the Bn S3 ops NCO and had an infatuation with one of my female clerks. When he came over to be my 1SG he was found coming out of her room at various times of the night by the CQ. His credibility was shot. The results of the investigation helped him retire rather than ask for court martial. One of the saddest days in my military career!

Bruce
 
He's back boys! Now he's using the name "Chris Littlejohn". He claims to have been broken into while he was deployed and had all of his things stolen. When I accused him of being Rodney Lowe he claimed to have no idea about what I was referring to. I asked for his unit as well as his commander's name and phone number. Mysteriously, the phone line went dead while he was looking up his commander's number.

Thanks to this thread, we avoided getting burnt.

Jerry Busse
 
There's a Chris Littlejohn who's been around the knife forums and tactical forums forever and is well-liked everywhere. Could someone be taking his name in vain? Could this be a case of mistaken identity? Let's not pull the trigger until we're sure who we have in our crosshairs....
 
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