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Re: Tony and Sunbelles Stolen Plants

  • Thread starter obregon562
  • Start date
  • #41
From the proboards:

"The campanulata x truncata was purchased from my friend elissa jackson. Who lives in connecticut and attended the new england carnivorous plant show on 9-7-2008. I also received plants from my friend michelle lamountain who lives in australia, she doesnt grow cp, but she attended the show for me and sent me a few plants nothing special though."

"my friend elissa jackson and michelle la mountain sent me plants from both shows, one in australia and one in new england. thats all i know. I told them both to get me any hybrids with veitchii, truncata, or lowii. they arent really plant people. They sent me camanulata x truncata, sib x max, thorelli x truncata, truncata x ventricosa, truncata, truncata x maxima and nd a few other common hybrids. "


A few things come to mind.

The NECPS Show was on the 27th and 28th of September, 2008.

OK, we do have a sign-in book from the NECPS Show. I believe Charley or John Phillip has it. I wonder if Elissa's name is in it.

There were only two vendors at the NECPS Show: Black Jungle, and the NECPS table. It should be pretty easy to figure out what neps were and were not for sale there... Usually, any special Neps from society members would be limited to the NECPS back room members-only silent auction and we would all know about it. Anyone have a printout of the sales list from the Black Jungle booth?

DOM'S STATEMENTS CAN BE EASILY PROVED OR DISPROVED.

I WILL IMMEDIATELY CONTACT THE VENDORS AND INDIVIDUALS WHO SOLD PLANTS AT THE SHOW AND CONFIRM WHETHER N. TRUNCATA X CAMPANULATA WAS FOR SALE. I WILL ALSO CONTACT CHARLIE AND CONFIRM WHETHER DOM'S FRIEND ATTENDED THE SHOW.

I WILL POST THE FINDINGS HERE AND ON THE NEPENTHES FORUM AS SOON AS I CAN.

KEN
SECRETARY, NECPS
 
  • #42
I don't see where this is heading. I've read enough that I'd bring my plants in if I saw the guy walking up the street. That false return address, in particular, is a big red flag. But there isn't enough evidence to convict him of stealing the plants and there's no way there ever will be. So let's move on, with a lesson learned and him hopefully having learned the most.
 
  • #43
Even if he is found with Truncata "black"? I think that would be plenty.
 
  • #44
Guilty beyond reasonable doubt? I think not and the prospects for conviction are pretty slim. Police and prosecutors will want to spend their time on more important , or at least more politically expedient cases.
 
  • #45
more important? do you know how much this people spent on this plants!?!
 
  • #46
We have a pretty strict legal standard in criminal cases and I'm just saying what I've seen so far doesn't rise to that level. The physical evidence is unreliable, especially given the time elapsed. The guy's behavior certainly is good circumstantial evidence, but everything has to add up to "beyond reasonable doubt" and I don't think it does. Just as importantly, why would a prosecutor or the police choose to take this case? The odds of losing are pretty high and they'd get more political mileage going after some schmuck arrested with a few ounces of pot. By the way, maybe the evidence is enough for a civil case, where the standard is "more likely than not." If enough money or anger is at stake, the victims can sue.
 
  • #47
Trent and Michelle- I know you mentioned that tags in pots were removed and then replaced as if the thief was 'shopping' for the rare stuff. Have you considered having the pots and labels dusted for fingerprints in the event the thief was stupid enough to not wear gloves?
 
  • #48
Quote:
From the proboards:

"The campanulata x truncata was purchased from my friend elissa jackson. Who lives in connecticut and attended the new england carnivorous plant show on 9-7-2008. I also received plants from my friend michelle lamountain who lives in australia, she doesnt grow cp, but she attended the show for me and sent me a few plants nothing special though."

"my friend elissa jackson and michelle la mountain sent me plants from both shows, one in australia and one in new england. thats all i know. I told them both to get me any hybrids with veitchii, truncata, or lowii. they arent really plant people. They sent me camanulata x truncata, sib x max, thorelli x truncata, truncata x ventricosa, truncata, truncata x maxima and nd a few other common hybrids. "


A few things come to mind.

The NECPS Show was on the 27th and 28th of September, 2008.

OK, we do have a sign-in book from the NECPS Show. I believe Charley or John Phillip has it. I wonder if Elissa's name is in it.

There were only two vendors at the NECPS Show: Black Jungle, and the NECPS table. It should be pretty easy to figure out what neps were and were not for sale there... Usually, any special Neps from society members would be limited to the NECPS back room members-only silent auction and we would all know about it. Anyone have a printout of the sales list from the Black Jungle booth?
DOM'S STATEMENTS CAN BE EASILY PROVED OR DISPROVED.

I WILL IMMEDIATELY CONTACT THE VENDORS AND INDIVIDUALS WHO SOLD PLANTS AT THE SHOW AND CONFIRM WHETHER N. TRUNCATA X CAMPANULATA WAS FOR SALE. I WILL ALSO CONTACT CHARLIE AND CONFIRM WHETHER DOM'S FRIEND ATTENDED THE SHOW.

I WILL POST THE FINDINGS HERE AND ON THE NEPENTHES FORUM AS SOON AS I CAN.

KEN
SECRETARY, NECPS

I'VE CONFIRMED THAT THERE WERE NO N. TRUNCATA X CAMPANULATA FOR SALE AT THE NECPS SHOW. DOM'S STATEMENT IS UNTRUE.

KEN
 
  • #49
Or the alleged Elissa Jackson lied to him about getting the plant at NECPS or maybe "she" bought it from someone else visiting the show. We're talking about some plants, pricey though they might be, and no one outside a couple CP message boards will take it seriously. Don't buy from or trade with Dom, but don't expect over-stretched police & prosecutors to spend the effort needed to investigate this.
 
  • #50
I don't know, you sometimes hear of cycad thiefs being prosecuted.
 
  • #51
Several years ago, when I was into cycads, I remember reading that South Africa puts some kind of microchip in lots of cycads. Then, when they find someone with one in the back of a truck, a quick scan might find where it was taken from.
 
  • #52
This is Dom's Response. he finally posted pics of his adult Truncata x Campanulata

domgravine said:
truncata x campanulata
IMG_0160.jpg

IMG_0158.jpg
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • #53
Also what he said to be about the question involving the different shipping address
exact message:

"i had my friend ship the box because he gets to ship for free through his buisness. hpows the baby doing, what about the seedlings?"
 
  • #54
That picture is not good enough. He should prove that it is his home in the picture.
 
  • #55
If Dom's friends "aren't really plant people" why did they go to the NECPS show? To buy plants for Dom...plants they really knew nothing about but happened to come up with a really rare one...that actually was NOT sold at the NECPS show? ???

Next time I want a really good mineral specimen I'll send my friend Steph, who knows nothing about rocks, to pick some out for me.

As Bruce stated..."the community" can't PROVE anything legally solid but...I'd say circumstantial evidence is pretty dang heavy. It is not impossible to convict on circumstancial evidence but you do have to have prosecutors willing to go for it.

How sad to think "one of our own" might have committed the cardinal sin of putting greed before holding an honest standing in the community. :(

I'm happy to say the VAST majority of CPers I've known from TF and elsewhere have been awesome, trustworthy people I'm proud to say I know.

I still say...it's not too late to redeem yourself, Thief, wherever you are. How can you live with yourself knowing you stole something so important to other people's livlihood??!! How can you find pleasure in looking at something that will never be yours?

??? I don't understand thieves. I learned not to steal when I was a LITTLE kid.

:(
 
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