Dear CPT (name omitted for OPSEC type stuff),
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>This is SGT Jones from DLI/FLC. I am sending this letter based on your request from me on 14 March 2005 as per our phone conversation.
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>Outlined in this letter will be the events that transpired to the best of our ability (in regards to actual times and dates).
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>The parties involved are:
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>Roderick Granada (personal info edited out)
And
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>Billy Reilley (personal info edited out)<o

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Here is the basic situation and timeline of events: Roderick (Ricky) and Billy both belong to a national car club, where you may interact on an internet message board, or buy or sell items, among other things. Billy is located in <st1

lace w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Portland</st1:city>, <st1:state w:st="on">Oregon</st1:state></st1

lace>, and of course you know where Roderick is located.
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>On this aforementioned message board, Roderick listed a pair of racing seats, brackets, and harnesses that would also fit Billys car. He listed all the items for $300.00 plus afterwards decided to tack on $240.00 to understandably cover shipping and packaging charges from Southern California to <st1

lace w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Portland</st1:city>, <st1:state w:st="on">Oregon</st1:state></st1

lace>, bringing the total to $540.00.
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>On 01 DEC 2004, Billy agreed to purchase the seats from Roderick for the above amount through email and message board communication. On 03 DEC 2004 Roderick accepted payment for the seats. On 09 DEC 2004 Billy received an email stating that he would receive the seats before Christmas. Shortly thereafter, Roderick almost literally fell off the face of the planet until late February. He refused to return calls, emails, or anything else that Billy attempted to do to communicate and get his product. Allow me to digress, however
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>On 26 DEC 2004, Billy began to be worried, and posted a thread (basically, it means he started an online conversationthink of it as a cork board at work where people post messages to one another, and when people pass by, post their messages in response) asking if anyone in Southern California knew Roderick, because it had been so long since hearing from him. However, he was reluctant to be upset based on his friendliness and willingness to accept peoples generally busy schedule during holiday seasons.
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>On 09 JAN 2005, over a month after purchasing the seats, Billy was able to talk to Roderick on the phone. Roderick would not give a set date but again apologized for being busy and said in the near future Billy would get his seats.
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>At this point when he talked to him, Billy was so frustrated with the amount of time it was taking that he offered to drive ALL THE WAY from <st1:city w:st="on">Portland</st1:city> to <st1

lace w:st="on">Southern California</st1

lace> to pick up the seats.
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>At the two month mark after purchasing the seats, there was still not a single word from Roderick via ANYONE. Everyone that he knew from the club that called he ignored them. Clearly only someone trying to keep from fulfilling his obligations would duck out of every call, message, and email sent to him.
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>On 03 FEB 2005 another member of our club was able to briefly talk to him, wherein he told that member that he was having a problem because the UPS store did not have a box for the seats. Of course this is a blatant lie because 1) here we are in mid-March with no refund, product, or communication even though there are dozens of different shipping options, and 2) Every UPS store in the country has thousands of boxes that can be custom fit or simply bought for only $5.00 plus the cost of materials (ex If you go to a UPS store, or Staples, they will charge you $5.00 plus the cost of a box to box up and ship out WHATEVER you bring them).
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>On 04 FEB 2005 Billy received an email from Roderick with the same empty excuses and promises.
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>On 18 FEB 2005 Roderick finally surfaced on our message board, where he basically posted a very vulgar message directed at all of our members regarding their concern over the thievery of this money. He ranted for a few paragraphs, promised nothing, gave no new information, and has not come back since. Thereafter the message board we belong to gave him the SCAMMER title under his user name. While this may not seem to particular major in the grand scheme of things, figure there are over SIXTEEN thousand members, and less than 5 have this title.
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>On 28 FEB 2005 the local chapter of the car club banned him and kicked him out of the club for being a thief.
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>On 04 MAR 2005 is when I made my first call and spoke with you. Of course I gave you a brief synopsis of this situation and you spoke with Roderick who once again gave empty promises and lies.
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>On 11 MAR 2005 (or thereabouts) as per our conversation I called back to check the status. After a few days of trading phone calls I was informed that unfortunately, being that he is National Guard, not much was able to be done, and to write this letter to you outlining all of the events to be forwarded to JAG.
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>As of today, 14 MAR 2005, this matter has yet to be resolved.
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>Frankly, while we would like to believe that the military is always more honest, and law abiding that the common civilian, that is obviously not the case. The military is simply a small percentage of the American population, which at times, as we have seen, are simply despicable.
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>The terribly unfortunate part is that now the public knows and sees people like Roderick who blatantly STEAL money from people, and make the generalization against the military. We have all seen it on TV with the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1

lace w:st="on">Iraq</st1

lace></st1:country-region> prison scandal (as an Army interrogator that was VERY damaging despite my constant abiding by the Geneva Conventions), and it is downright shameful.
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>To have people not able to do certain things in life due to a blatant disregard of personal property and money is just unfathomable to me. However, some people are clearly not bothered by this crime.
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>We, from
www.protege5.com and
www.moccforums.com , ask for the best possible help that you may provide in this matter. I know your powers are limited not being on active status, but we thank you for whatever time you have spent or will spend with this.
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>Sicnerely,
Matthew A Jones
SGT, <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1

lace w:st="on">United States</st1

lace></st1:country-region> Army
831-402-4673
matthew.a.jones@us.army.mil
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