St John the Diver
Contributor
Yup. Peter turned his life around. Right up until he stared fudging the veritas of Chinese made oxygen cylinders with faked CE papers, having a mirror-site in Europe that sells both rebreathers and arabic headwear, and allegedly knowingly selling rebreathers and scooters to terrorists.
Yeah, except for that he's as clean as the new driven snow. Turned a new leaf. Absolutely a model citizen. Except for all of that.
Save us the "he was good to me" stories. Prisons are filled with people who were liked by their neighbors. Good con artists are good because people like and trust them.
As for his partner: You don't go to the DHS with a cock and bull story about exporting items to Libya and all of that stuff unless you have some proof, so my guess is that there's truth to it. My other guess is that the only reason Sotis isn't in the slammer today is because he's cooperating with the FBI so they can investigate and clear every person he's ever sold a rebreather to. Those guys simply don't walk away from illegal international arms sales, which under the ITAR is exactly what exporting SDV's (scooters) and rebreathers is unless you get end use certificates etc.
Yes I know you "think" rebreathers and scooters are just toys. The Dept of Commerce and the Dept of State feel differently and they are the ones who count.
Don't forget that in 2002 EVERY person who was certified by any training agency in the USA on a rebreather was background checked by the FBI. That's a fact. It's serious business. Terrorists are using rebreathers to infiltrate Israel. Criminals are using them to swim drugs across the Rio Grande. Criminals are building submarines to deliver drugs to San Diego. All of what we love as technical diving equipment is dual purpose technology. And if you screw around with exporting that stuff to bad people you're asking for it.
People go to prison for violating the ITAR.
If Sotis was informed by his partner that this shipment illegal based on advice his partner got from Customs, and he shipped them anyhow (as alleged) he's in deep ****. And the FBI will start at the bottom and work towards the top and account for everything he's ever sold to anyone. That's why the FBI hires more accountants than any other college degree. And they hire more Mormons than any other identifiable group. It used to be Irish Catholics. Now it's Mormons. They like to hire people who can't be corrupted.
The one thing you don't want looking into your records is a Mormon accountant with a gun and unlimited time.
So, with all of that, personal bankruptcy, the working cash tied up now in escrow and to be distributed by the court "whenever" colour me skeptical.
Yeah, except for that he's as clean as the new driven snow. Turned a new leaf. Absolutely a model citizen. Except for all of that.
Save us the "he was good to me" stories. Prisons are filled with people who were liked by their neighbors. Good con artists are good because people like and trust them.
As for his partner: You don't go to the DHS with a cock and bull story about exporting items to Libya and all of that stuff unless you have some proof, so my guess is that there's truth to it. My other guess is that the only reason Sotis isn't in the slammer today is because he's cooperating with the FBI so they can investigate and clear every person he's ever sold a rebreather to. Those guys simply don't walk away from illegal international arms sales, which under the ITAR is exactly what exporting SDV's (scooters) and rebreathers is unless you get end use certificates etc.
Yes I know you "think" rebreathers and scooters are just toys. The Dept of Commerce and the Dept of State feel differently and they are the ones who count.
Don't forget that in 2002 EVERY person who was certified by any training agency in the USA on a rebreather was background checked by the FBI. That's a fact. It's serious business. Terrorists are using rebreathers to infiltrate Israel. Criminals are using them to swim drugs across the Rio Grande. Criminals are building submarines to deliver drugs to San Diego. All of what we love as technical diving equipment is dual purpose technology. And if you screw around with exporting that stuff to bad people you're asking for it.
People go to prison for violating the ITAR.
If Sotis was informed by his partner that this shipment illegal based on advice his partner got from Customs, and he shipped them anyhow (as alleged) he's in deep ****. And the FBI will start at the bottom and work towards the top and account for everything he's ever sold to anyone. That's why the FBI hires more accountants than any other college degree. And they hire more Mormons than any other identifiable group. It used to be Irish Catholics. Now it's Mormons. They like to hire people who can't be corrupted.
The one thing you don't want looking into your records is a Mormon accountant with a gun and unlimited time.
So, with all of that, personal bankruptcy, the working cash tied up now in escrow and to be distributed by the court "whenever" colour me skeptical.
