Alleged illegal tanks sold by Add Helium-Heads up to any that may have purchased

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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.
 
Well you should post your real name and explain in detail what happened. Then all that that is left is for you to do it better then him and put him out of business.
you really are new around here eh? I don't hide who I am.

Chris Richardson
Deep 6
 
Well you should post your real name and explain in detail what happened. Then all that that is left is for you to do it better then him and put him out of business.


He's already done better. He's still in business. In fact he just left one diving business he founded (that's going well) and founded another (that's also going well)

Sotis isn't in business. He's gone. Poof!

Darwin rules. He always does.
 
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but seriously, I didn't post this thread over m,y feelings for Sotis, I posted it because selling non certified tanks into the market put buyers in a bad spot, especially if they were not aware of the true legality and possibly misled by the claims regarding the QA process and certs.
 
A bit off topic, but what's the practical ITAR line between 'toy' and 'weapon'? Is it any rebreather or scooter, or only if it's painted black, or what?
 
Out side of military specific rebreather; what COT rebreathers are on the ITAR list?
 
St John the DIver, clearly you don't like Peter and most likely are friends with the accuser. You were quick to crucify him before the FACTs are complete...???? An investigation is not mean someone is guilty; anyone can start one. Help me understand why the accuser just didn't report him? But stole all his working capital to take him down? This doesn't seem like a do-gooder; seems like a planned agenda? If this investigation is real and goes anywhere; your friend will be on the block as well as a witness. His creditability is in question with his own previous theft before this one and possible Stolen Valor charges. At a minimum his lies about his service don't look good.. The Special Ops community is as small as the diving community and they are hard at work taking down posers.. They are looking hard as we speak.

Why aren't you just as suspect of the accuser any of you??? This reminds me so much of the election.. If its what you want to hear; it must be TRUE.. No fact checking.. If you push it and say it enough it will be TRUE..
 
A bit off topic, but what's the practical ITAR line between 'toy' and 'weapon'? Is it any rebreather or scooter, or only if it's painted black, or what?


If it's designed for military purposes its military. Things like the LAR-V, Mark-15, etc are military, no exceptions. You need to comply and be licensed to export them.

Otherwise It's dual purpose unless the manufacture has sought a determination that it's not. So what about your toy-rebreather? Only KISS, Hollis, and Poseidon have sought out the determination as of now. I linked some information above. And the determination for the Poseidon is only if exported for personal use. For all other intentions it's controlled. And it's not just diving gear. Rifle scopes, tactical flashlights that attach to a pistol rail, side-scan sonar, two way radios, even clothing can be considered dual purpose. You probably own fifteen things that you couldn't export as a commodity. You could walk into cabelas and buy 100 things that you can't export as a commodity.

Much of the time export permission is based on where it's headed. Export a dual use rebreather to the UK? No problem. Canada? No problem. Export to Brazil? It's a problem but one that you can solve with a permit. Columbia? Same except good luck getting the permit. Export a rebreather to Libya? Jail. Cuba? Jail. North Korea? Jail. Export to a person the UK with knowledge that it's going to be re-exported to Libya? Jail.
 
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https://www.shearwater.com/products/swift/

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