U.S. Recovery Bureau- More Arrests Anticipated?

One of the things I do every so often is to check out what search terms lead people to the El Scott Harrell weblog.  Lately, and not surprisingly, I have been getting an enormous amount of traffic as a result of the owners of the USRB going down in flames for allegedly issuing fraudulent badges.  Most of the search terms have been simply "US Recovery Bureau" but in the last 24 hours I have seen "US Recovery Bureau Lawsuit" dozens of times, which leads me to believe that there is a movement under foot.  Rightfully so, I am sure that former USRB clients are some kind of pissed off.

I would be REALLY pissed off if I was issued a badge that landed me in jail for sure.  It would appear to me that civil litigation, suing the owners of the USRB, would be the obvious remedy if I was in this situation.

With all of the interest, I decided to do some more digging and I found these quotes in an article that seemed to insinuate that more arrests of US Recovery Bureau associates may be pending and even likened this situation to a threat to national security:

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"You have a lot of bad guys running around with [false] badges and credentials," said one source connected to the investigation of Neves. "It's a national security threat."

"What's the difference between that camp and an al-Qaida camp?" asked Al Petrocelli, whose 28-year-old-son, Mark, was killed on 9/11. "Knowing the damage this can do to the community ... it upsets me. We had a handful of people kill 3,000 people. Now we know of 3,000 fake, possibly federal identifications. The ramifications of this could be astronomical."   

Robert Neves -- who came to the door with a gun when agents came knocking yesterday -- was fired from his job as a city police detective in the mid-1990s, after being caught filing false police reports and tampering with records, a source said. Which precinct or unit Neves was assigned to was not immediately known and a police spokesman could not provide further details yesterday.

Authorities said that others, not yet arrested, also were involved in the U.S. Recovery Bureau, based in Union City, N.J., which offered three-day classes in bail enforcement training in Passaic, N.J., as well as Brooklyn and Manhattan. According to court papers, "well over 3,000" graduates who paid $860 left with false police and federal agent badges and credentials. More than 100 have been apprehended, authorities said.

A police source described the school as "totally fraudulent, not even incorporated in New York state."

Many of their students are apparently convicted felons and some foreign nationals who pose a security threat, the source said. There's also a concern about their boarding airplanes around the country, he said."

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Wow.  This is obviously a much larger issue than originally suggested.  Basically, Mr. Petrocelli associated the US Recovery Bureau with the terrorist organization, Al Qaeda.  Ouch.

Perhaps this is a cautionary tale to the rest of us who provide bail enforcement education.  "No," is certainly the best answer I could possibly give when I have a prospective student ask me if I issue badges or credentials upon completion of my bounty hunter class.

I noticed that the USRB's website is down once again "for maintenance."  That's probably best.

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Texas Process Server Continuing Education

Comments

[aj]

i took the class a while a go and paid to update my credentials. they told me i had to pay to keep it. do you know if anyone has a lawsuit agianst them. i feel real stupid that i let them scam me.

[frank cronan]

i was a usrb stutend when i
found what happened i call justice department gave the number of the fbi in new york. i told them about union city new jersey ask them why is there bonds office still open. i wanted turn everything in that usrb gave me. but to this day they never got back to me.
so i threw away everything
they gave me. i will still
become a bounty hunter.
this time i will through better channels. i fail
very rip off.

[update]

more info on the us recovery bureau there bailbonds is now call next
bail phone 877-4bailus.
3801 kenny blvd.
union city nj. zip 07087
why are they still able to do this. i am at a loss because of all this/ ripped off

[Johnnie Waiters]

Hi, guys I myself been concerned about the ("USRB")I also attended the Union city class an noticed the office didnot educate us on networking for work, getting to follow up on one another. Actually at this point the fee was paid an the class was in session. I feel took cause this is something I really wanted to do an soon as I got my ID I felt a strange feeling not too persue anyone under the ID. then one night channel 9 news here in N.J. flashed the Union City location on the air an then I knew my instincts were on point about them. "Look guys donot get caught up in a National security scandal it can be hell too pay, beleive it an stay in good legally about this set back but do and I mean do go forth with any actions possible to assist the authorities to stop them. When you steal from me you barked up the wrong, and the wright tree!!!

i also got scammed from the usrb, i have contacted a lawyer about getting my money back and he said he will look into it for me, i still have all receipts from the class. This was, without a doubt, the biggest rip off i have ever been a part of. Its all good though, what goes around comes around, they will pay for scamming us.

[JUAN BAEZ]

I JUAN BAEZ FILL REP OFF FROM THIS JERKS IN NJ.ALSO FROM THE INSTRUCTOR,JOHN FONTANEZ,ITS WAS WRONG ABOUT WHAT THEY DID BUT WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND.I THRUE EVERITHING AWAY ,I BROKE THE BADGE AND BURN MY ID SO WHO EVER HAVE THIS FACK SHIT GE READ OFF THEM BEFORE YOU GET COUGHT,WITH THEM,BECAUSE OF THIS ASS HOLES,YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE, FEDS WANT THEM GO GET THEM IN ARTHURKILL.IN THE DUMP.

[Johnnie Waiters]

Hi, all the guys and females alike that's against what John Fonttanez has done too us all. I hope all of you will handle this in a legal tone "still"and always" Read an understand this next qoute, find someone if you still got the ID that is in law enforcement and connect with the correct people. This is what you can do get a receipt for the ID, keep it for just in case reasons an get your name clear/ off a possible investigation list, possibly some plot to allow you to walk into a law inforcement slow walk down snare. Remember the National security threat/ scandal is going to surfice donot under estimate a investigations progress! I felt as disapointed as the rest of you guys but this is what it is. Dig here stop burning,throwing away, ripping up information concerning you and that bullshit ass ID and get that receipt for it. Anyone with a lawyer that wants to do a class action law suit against those clowns, get at me make sure you're committed. So until the next time move on and stay up we'll connect the dots later. "John you may be reading this info or someone who knows of you, so let them let you know, instead of you assisting me too better my chances you got me and a lot of uneducated,brothers and sisters on a watch list" You fucked up big and you know it.

[anonymous]

Tired of these guys too. Found more info blogged at http://bailenforcement.wordpress.com/