Dead man driving?

"We are aware of no credible evidence that Jose Lantigua is alive," stated attorney Joshua Woolsey.









Jose Lantigua, 62, flew to Caracas Venezuela for a vacation in March 2013 and he reportedly died on April 17 2013 of an apparent heart attack.  It was then reported that his body was cremated and in May 2013, his popular Circle K Furniture store in Jacksonville FL was closed amid money troubles and a growing scandal.  The Cuban born Lantigua had previously worked as an executive at Fidelity Financial Information Services and retired from the position of executive vice president of enterprise banking by around 2005.

He continued to keep busy and had a hand in setting up more than a dozen corporations according to state records.  One of those businesses, Caregnostic Services was created in 2005 with partner Brian Klepper but Lantigua had already left that company by 2008 when he purchased the Circle K Furniture store.  Klepper had described Lantigua as a nice, straight forward guy but added that he was surprised to hear that Lantigua had been reported dead and even more surprised that he was found alive.

Circle K Furniture store had been founded by Louis Kittrell in 1982 and by 2008, the Kittrell's were looking to get out the furniture business.  The store was located in a feed and grain store that they had operated and it outgrew that business.  Lantigua purchased the original store that was housed in a barn-like building and quickly opened a second location.  He had talked about opening a third store but that had not occurred while he was still alive.  He had been reportedly looking to purchase a business such as this for about two years and he purchased the land, two buildings and all of the inventory for 10 percent down and the rest funded by a small business loan.  He had managed to get the business before the credit crisis had really set in and he would have had a difficult time getting the loan with no collateral.

The legal battles involving Lantigua began very quickly after his death was reported.  His death left his two furniture stores about $8 million of dollars in debt and he had about $9 million dollars in life insurance policies through seven different policies.  The courts have been trying to sort out the jumble of loans, mortgages and life insurance policies that had been promised as collateral for several years.

Lantigua owed American Enterprise Bank $2 million dollars, MrWink2 loans $1.7 million dollars, Synovus Bank $1.9 million dollars, Florida Capital Bank $1.4 million dollars, tens of thousands of dollars to furniture suppliers and even a $72 dollars for pest control.  Everything hit the fan in September of 2013 when American Enterprise Bank of Florida put in a claim on the $2.5 million dollar policy that Lantigua had with the Hartford insurance company.  His will had designated that this policy be used to pay for the $2 million dollar loan they had given him.  They were not the first to put in a claim for payment on that policy.  MrWink2 loans had put in a claim on that same policy in August of 2013 claiming that Lantigua had entered into multiple contracts with the company and used that policy for $1.7 million loaned to him.

The Hartford wasn't even going to try and decide which company would be the beneficiary of the policy because they stated that they did not believe that Lantigua was dead.  In November 2013, Hartford Life and Annuity Life Insurance Company had refused to pay out it's $2.5 million dollar policy because it had proof that Lantigua was alive and American General Life Insurance had refused to pay out it's $2 million dollar policy for a similar reason.  American sued both MrWink2 and Lantigua's son Joseph Lantigua on Nov 5th in federal court claiming that they had filed a false claim for the insurance money.

American stated in their lawsuit that physician who had signed the death certificate had never received Lantigua's body and that at least one signature of a witness to the certificate was forged.  They also stated that there were no records of compliance to the numerous Venezuelan laws regards handling a body, no autopsy had been performed, there was no record of a permit to transport the body for cremation and no record of any funeral home near where Lantigua died handling the transport or preparation of his body.  American also stated in their lawsuit that Lantigua had not been cremated until at least four days after he died but there had been no preparation of the body to prevent decomposition either.  They also questioned why his body would have been cremated by a crematory over 250 miles from where he died when there were ones much closer.  They also stated that the believed that the documents from the cremation had been falsified and that Lantigua's body had never been cremated.

Attorney Joshua Woolsey fired back in court stating that they believed that Lantigua was in fact dead and filed the proper paperwork to prove that.  They denied that Lantigua had faked his own death in order to gain the insurance payouts and pay off the millions in debt there was.  In Feb 2014, Woolsey was in court arguing that the paperwork that Venezuela had used to void the death certificate was actually forged and Lantigua was actually dead.  In May 2014, the judge had made his ruling and stated that the papers had been forged but he made not attempt at deciding who had forged them.

The arrest warrant for Lantigua that had been taken out last year had been dropped after problems emerged with some of their paperwork but a new one had been issued this past week.  Lantigua was charged with insurance fraud and schemes to defraud and he was picked up in Buncombe County NC on March 21 2015 during a routine traffic stop.  His wife was with him in the car and was released since there had been no warrant for her arrest.  The police had not applied for one for her since they did not know if she knew her husband was alive.  She was arrested in Florida when she returned that evening since there was now proof she did know that he was not dead.

Joshua Woolsey stated that he and his law firm have withdrawn from the case on March 21 2015.  He expressed shock that they had bee defrauded and had been relying on information that lantigua was dead all this time.  Maybe he could offer some advice to the fleet of lawyers who are attempting to defend the actions of Heather Mack and Tommy Schaefer.  Woolsey was not the first lawyer to have his client try and bald-face lie to them.










Related stories on this blog:

http://wreckvhavoc.blogspot.com/2015/03/deadly-sour-grapes.html

http://wreckvhavoc.blogspot.com/2014/08/vacation-to-hell.html





http://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/news/2013/10/25/circle-k-lawsuit-death-life-insurance.html?page=all

http://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/blog/latin/2013/11/lawsuit-alleges-official-paid-to.html?page=all

http://jacksonville.com/news/crime/2014-09-30/story/all-sides-cry-fraud-buildup-lawsuits-over-jacksonville-circle-k-owners

http://www.wxii12.com/news/Florida-man-who-faked-death-arrested-in-North-Carolina/31961972

http://www.news4jax.com/news/bank-attorney-speaks-on-fakeddeath-case/31951914

http://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/stories/2009/04/13/story3.html?page=all

http://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/news/2013/10/25/circle-k-lawsuit-death-life-insurance.html?page=all

http://insurancenewsnet.com/oarticle/2014/03/26/evidence-of-faked-death-was-itself-faked-a-480284.html#.VRBa6PnF-So

http://jacksonville.com/news/crime/2013-10-30/story/did-duval-businessman-fake-his-death-leave-millions-bills-unpaid

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/florida-man-faked-death-arrested-north-carolina-article-1.2159274

http://insurancenewsnet.com/oarticle/2014/09/07/elaborate-scheme-to-fake-mans-death-in-venezuela-a-552424.html#.VRA7bPnF-So

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/03/23/dead-florida-man-arrested_n_6922332.html

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3006877/Reportedly-dead-Florida-man-arrested-N-Carolina.html



Update March 25 2015:

Jose and his wife Daphne Simpson, 57, have been held in jail and are facing seven counts of insurance fraud, each of which has a 30 year sentence.  Jose had been arrested while wearing a brown toupee and had dyed his beard and held by the North Carolina police while Daphne was not arrested until she arrived back in Florida.  In 2012 the couple seemed to be living the life of successful business owners.

Jose had emigrated from Cuban when he was very young and he boasted of a heroic military career, having several college degrees, owned a beachfront condo in Florida and a new home in Sapphire North Carolina.  Some of the people who knew Jose closely though state that by 2012 he was making some very odd business decisions such as ordering a ton of new furniture for his many homes and paying for it with Circle K funds.

He also chose to fire the bookkeeper that he had for years and replaced that person with a relative of his.  Jose also had a panic room with steel doors built into the new home in NC and police state that he and his wife began planning his fake death.  Jose had long stated that he had been in the US Army for 20 years before retiring as a senior officer and added that he had been awarded the silver star during his service.  The Army has not responded yet as to whether his claims are true.

Jose had claimed to have received a degree in computer science in 1989 from Florida International University which has been confirmed.  He also claimed to have gotten degrees in mathematics, management, physics and an aerospace engineering from Pepperdine University.  Northwestern University states that they have no record of his attending, University of Florida stated that he had attended classes there but did not receive a degree and Pepperdine has not yet responded with a statement.

It was in 2012 that Jose, with his tearful wife by his side, announced that he was very ill and needed to go to Venezuela for an experimental treatment that was not available in the US.  Their former bookkeeper, Kathleen Leis had noticed that the company had a growing debt and continued to purchase furniture with store funds for their family.  She was worried at the time but trusted Jose with his explanations for it.  She was then replaced by Jose's sister in law and was told that she was needed on the floor selling because the sister in law was not doing it well.  Jose sold the condo on Jacksonville beach for $600,000 and he headed off for his treatments outside of the country.

It was in April that he supposedly died and was cremated and by may, the company had closed and filed for bankruptcy.  Jose and his wife had been building a new home on a narrow road on Hogback Mountain in NC which is described as a sparsely populated vacation spot near Asheville NC.  The contractor there had wondered why someone would need a concrete panic room in the basement of the home but he constructed it anyways.

Jose may have thought that he had planned his own death well but he had not done all that well.  His downfall is reportedly the fake documents he had acquired to return to the US.  He was arrested near the Hogback Mountain home and was carrying his fake passport on him.  Unfortunately, the name that he was using on the passport belonged to a black man and the social security number that he used belonged to a woman who had been born in 1917.  The rest of the information on the passport was false except for the contact information.  He listed his "widow" Daphne and the correct North Carolina address on it so when his passport information raised eyebrows after being entered into the system, state department officials used facial recognition software to identify him and knew where to find him.

Richard Marquez and his employees of Diligence International agency were trying to verify the death of Jose not very long after his reported death.  They knew that the doubt the insurance companies had was probably true after they arrived in the small town that Jose supposedly died in.  They had gone to interview the doctor who had signed the death certificate and when they arrived they found that no one had heard of the death.  it was a very small village and the lodge he supposed had lived in had existed but it hadn't operated in years.  No one there had known Jose or had even heard about his death there.

The investigators then drove past dozens of funeral homes with crematories to arrive at the one who had supposedly handled Jose's body after his death from........ mad cow disease.  I have to give him a few points for creativity on that one because it wouldn't be a disease I would pick to be dying from.  It was after they interviewed the crematorium operators that Marquez states that they knew that Jose had not died as was claimed.

Jose was arrested on March 21st on the federal charges of passport fraud and identity theft and the additional federal charges of insurance fraud were added later.  He will be facing federal charges for money laundering as well it seems and those could carry the heaviest penalties and jail time.  So far it does not look as though his son or daughter will face any charges since it seems that they did honestly think that their father had died in 2013.




http://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/news/2015/03/24/inside-the-investigation-that-showed-jose-lantigua.html

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3010749/Suspicion-surrounded-Florida-businessman-faked-death.html


Update March 28 2015:

Lantigua appeared before a federal judge in North Carolina on March 27 and he did not speak to the judge at that time.  His lawyer did waive the preliminary hearing and detention hearing and he will be held in the custody of federal agents while the case is continued.  It has now been reported that they believe that Lantigua could have been living in the home in Sapphire NC as far back as April 2013 when he allegedly died in Venezuela.  A construction worked who did work on the home has stated that a man fitting Lantigua's description had been seen around the house as far back as that date.  It is doubtful he will be able to make bond when there is one set for him because the court will insist on knowing that the money had not been obtained fraudulently.

His wife Daphne had been arrested when she returned to her home in Ponte Vedra Fl that night.  She is facing 8 counts of insurance fraud while he is facing 9 first degree felony fraud charges.  Daphne appeared before a judge in Florida on March 24th and was appointed a public defender because all of her finances and income is being held.  She and her lawyer will have to prove that it has not been obtained fraudulently as well.  They both face charges in the state of Florida for filing false insurance claims.  Daphne had received several smaller payouts for insurance since Lantigua's death which may also be subject to charges in the future.  She is due in court again on April 15th.

It has now been reported that Lantigua's downfall was the application he made for a "new" passport in November of 2014.  In September 2014 he had received a North Carolina driver's license and birth certificate using the name of a former New York postal worker.  He then used this ID to apply for a new passport but unfortunately for him, the postal worker had applied in 1999 for a passport himself.  The original passport showed the picture of a black man and the new one that lantigua was trying to get showed a white man.  The social security numbers also did not match but Lantigua had been kind enough to list his "widow" Daphne and the address of the house in NC correctly on the application.

Federal investigators watched the house for several weeks before moving to arrest Lantigua while driving his Jeep Wrangler.  They report that he was doing a poor job of disguising himself with the toupee and bad beard dye job.  Lantigua evidently signed a document waiving his Miranda Rights and stated then that it had been a long time since he had used his correct name.  While he may have planned this grand scheme with daphne he evidently screwed up badly in carrying it out.  There has been no report yet as to when or how he returned to the US from South America or if he had ever really left the US.

http://www.wyff4.com/news/woman-jailed-after-police-say-husband-faked-death/32000236

http://www.news4jax.com/news/lantigua-heads-to-federal-court/32043490

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/03/24/cremated-florida-businessman-was-very-much-alive-hes-now-charged-in-9-million-fake-death-scam/




Update April 23 2015:

Lantigua pleaded not guilty to the federal charges of lying to a federal agent, stealing another man's identity, faking his own death and being a fugitive for 16 months on April 13 2015.  His wife Daphne is facing one federal charge of lying to a federal agent but she does not have a court date yet for that charge.  The federal agents believe that Lantigua went to Venezuela to fake his own death and after returning from there, he has been hiding out at the home in North Carolina.  He was waiting for the wife who knew he was still alive to claim the $ 9 million in insurance money they expected his policies to pay out.  He has also been served with eight charges in Florida for insurance fraud and his next court date is set for April 27th.




http://www.news4jax.com/news/jose-lantigua-pleads-not-guilty-in-faking-his-own-death/32344590

I never get the flight with live entertainment........

"We confirm that the police were requested to meet our flight from Kingston," stated British Airways.







The flight from Kingston Jamaica landed at Gatwick Airport, UK at about 8:45 am on March 19 2015 and it was met by the police as requested.  It seems that a 46 year old woman from southwest London had taken it upon herself to drunkenly entertain the flight home from vacation.

At some point during the flight, she stripped naked and performed a solo sex act upon herself.  It was not stated as to whether she made any after holiday cash for the "entertainment" but she did manage to get herself arrested at the airport and given a warning for being drunk on the plane.  For an approximately 8 hour flight that landed at 8 am, she seems to have started very early in the morning to "get her groove on."

I just never seem to get onto one of those flights though.  I always seems to be stuck sitting only a few seats away from a screaming baby.  Maybe it is time I change airlines?




http://metro.co.uk/2015/03/21/woman-strips-off-on-ba-plane-and-performs-sex-act-on-herself-gets-arrested-5114507/

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-3004112/Woman-arrested-allegedly-stripping-BA-flight-performing-solo-sex-act.html

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-news/british-woman-arrested-after-stripping-5372627

Headed the wrong way when you turned out of the bar........

"I started thinking, wondering.  Did he see the signs?  Did he not see the signs?  What was he doing?" Ramzi Abedelhaq, 29, a gas station manager asked himself.




Ramzi and surveillance video saw the black Honda Civic turn the wrong way onto a service road where it ended up driving north on the southbound lane of the West Shore Expressway near Arthur Kill Rd at 4:49 am on March 20 2015.  The first call to 911 came in at 4:51 am that morning and Ramzi, who has seen numerous cars do the same thing in the past, knew that there had been an accident not far away.  He had seen the Civic drive past his station causing oncoming cars to dodge it before ignoring two "One Way" signs and two "Do Not Enter" signs before making an illegal turn onto the ramp that has a posted speed of 50 mph.

Once it had managed to get onto the wrong side of the highway they were headed towards two tractor trailers.  The first truck managed to avoid hitting the Civic but the second did not have time to dodge them and crushed the Civic head on.  The car was instantly destroyed, it's front end flattened and the roof was sheared off.  Four men occupied the vehicle at the time, one died at the scene, one was pronounced DOA at Staten Island University Center and two survived but are listed in critical condition.

Three of the men in the Civic were off-duty Linden police officers who were returning home after the night out.  Officer Pedro Abad, 27, was driving at the time and is in critical condition at Richmond University Medical Center after undergoing brain surgery.  Joseph Rodriquez, 28, was in the front passenger seat and died at the scene of the crash.  Officer Frank Viggiano, 28 was seated in the right rear passenger seat and he was DOA at the hospital.  Officer Patrik Kudlac, 23, was seated behind Abad and is listed in critical condition at Staten Island University North Hospital.

Abad

The police have stated the the driver of the truck was not seriously injured and had not been under the influence at the time of the crash.  The same can not be easily said about the occupants of the Civic but the police have stated that they found no evidence of alcohol in the car itself.  What is known is that the four had been out eating sushi earlier in the night and had ended up at Curves, a gentleman's club.

Abad had posted pics on his Instagram account that included one of drinks captioned "Jack Daniels Fire on the house" as well as other pics.  The photo of the drinks had a long comment attached that explained his hopes and dreams but that will not happen for at least two of them now.  All three of the officers had not been on the Linden police force for very long.  Abad had been with them six years, Viggiano had been there for five years and Kudlac had only been with the force for two years.

Whatever the final outcome of the investigation, the Linden police force is in mourning.  They have stated that there is an ongoing investigation into the accident and they are going to examine the Civic's black box for information.  They are also waiting to hear back as to whether alcohol played a significant part of the accident.  I understand that the police have to do a thorough investigation but at this point, it is pretty safe to say that they should not have been driving home in their condition.

Being a police officer should mean that you hold yourself to a higher standard than everyone else and I am going to find it difficult to not believe that they were drunk before they ever got into the car.  Many of us try to teach our children that it is not okay to drive drunk and it is definitely okay to not get in the car when the driver is drunk.  Unfortunately, it seems that these four men did not heed that advice and have sadly paid a very high price for it.

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/die-car-hits-tractor-trailer-staten-island-article-1.2156559

http://www.nj.com/union/index.ssf/2015/03/linden_officers_in_fatal_staten_island_crash.html

http://nypost.com/2015/03/20/two-killed-in-wrong-way-nyc-crash-with-tractor-trailer-cops/

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/off-duty-jersey-cop-dead-critical-nyc-crash-29779987


Update March 20 2015:

Pedro Abad

Patrik Kudlac

Frank Viggiano

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/die-car-hits-tractor-trailer-staten-island-article-1.2156559


Update March 22 2015:

The two surviving officers are still listed in critical condition but police have applied for a warrant to test Abad's blood for alcohol presence and levels.  The four men had been at Central Park, a Roselle bar and restaurant earlier in the evening before traveling to Curves.  The police have been interviewing employees there and have asked that they do not give interviews to the media since there is still an ongoing investigation.

The truck driver was listed in stable condition with non life threatening injuries and was later released from the hospital.  He has not been named but it has been reported that he is 33 years old and from Manheim PA.  He was driving a truck for Snavely Mills which has three locations in PA where it grinds flour for resale.  While he was not seriously injured physically, I am sure that he will suffer because of the accident he could not avoid being involved in.



http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/nyc-crime/2-nj-cops-remain-critical-condition-s-crash-article-1.2158390

http://www.nj.com/union/index.ssf/2015/03/a_sad_day_for_the_linden_family_community_prays_fo.html

http://lancasteronline.com/news/local/manheim-truck-driver-injured-in-wrong-way-accident-caused-by/article_b02cc004-cfc6-11e4-97fd-f7a9772722d8.html

http://snavelysmill.com/


Update March 24 2015:

It has been reported that both Abad and Kudlac are still in critical condition but stable with no new changes.  There has also been no updates as to whether Abad's blood has been tested yet or even if a warrant has been approved for that.  The truck driver, Brandon Lee Getz, 33, has been cleared of any wrongdoing in the crash and he just unfortunately was unable to swerve his rig and miss the wrong way driving Abad.

The NYPD though has had Curves Gentleman's Club on their internal list of spots that is off-limits to it's officers for years.  They typically designate locations as banned for a variety of reasons including being corruption prone and officers are banned from visiting them even when they are off duty.  The Linden police have stated that they did not know that the NYPD had it on a list for it's officers and added that their officers are not prohibited from going there.

According to new information just released, Pedro Abad did not have a squeaky clean driving record. Abad had been involved in six auto accidents dating back to 2005, had a violation for using his cell phone while driving which was tied to an August 2012 accident and received violations for DUI after another accident in Feb 26 2013 in Rahway NJ.  He received a violation for DUI as well as for refusing a breathalyzer test and he eventually had his license suspended for seven months.  He got his license back in May 2014 and he was required to use a breath-alcohol ignition interlock until Sept 11 2014.  There has been no information as to who was at fault in the eight accidents he evidently collected on his record.

Sadly, it is probably a moot point to test the officers for an alcohol level because none of the four seemed to have noticed at any time that Abad was driving the wrong way.  They did not notice it before they had reached the wrong ramp and the surveillance video shows several cars veering out of the way of the Honda and they did not immediately notice it once they were on the highway.  Abad should have known better after receiving his license back less than a year ago.

The funeral for Rodriguez will be held at 10 am at St Elizabeth Church in Linden on March 25th and the funeral for Viggiano's funeral will be held at 10:30 am on March 26th at the Linden Presbyterian Church in Linden.




http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/n-driver-fatal-s-crash-8-prior-accidents-article-1.2161203

ttp://nypost.com/2015/03/23/strip-club-where-cops-partied-before-fatal-crash-off-limits-to-city-police/


Update March 25 2015:

The funeral for Joseph Rodriguez will be held today.  His sister has stated that she feels that he should never have died in the wreck.  He is described as a gentle, helpful and generous family man who enjoyed hosting backyard parties.  He was an avid Oakland Raiders and New York Yankees fan who enjoyed fishing and spending time at the shore with family.

It has also been reported that Pedro Abad had not one but two DUI arrests.  The arrest in 2013 came after he struck a parked car and the owner called the police to report it.  She stated that she was afraid he would try to flee the scene after following her into her home apologizing and falling against the walls.  The dashcam video of this arrest has also been made available but there hasn't been any reports detailing his earlier DUI arrest.



Dashcam available on :

http://www.nj.com/union/index.ssf/2015/03/dashcam_captures_linden_officer_wrong-way_crash_dr.html#incart_river



http://www.nj.com/union/index.ssf/2015/03/dashcam_captures_linden_officer_wrong-way_crash_dr.html#incart_river

http://www.silive.com/news/index.ssf/2015/03/sister_joseph_rodriguez_didnt.html



Update March 25 2015:

Similar Audi

It has now been reported as to what had happened in Abad's first DUI accident.  The records at the Motor Vehicle Commission list that Abad did have an accident on Jan 22 2011 but they do not list where the accident occurred or if there were any charges filed in relation to it.

What has been reported is that Abad was driving a black 2010 Audi A5 when he swerved off the road and stuck a bus stop sign, stop sign and a street sign before crashing through the wall of the New Way Supermarket at 3:45 am.  The store is was located on the corner of St George Ave and Rivington St. in Roselle NJ.  There were three Linden police officers and two Union County police officers on the scene of the accident by the time Officer Vaughn arrived on the scene to make a report.

Vaughn reported that Abad was unconscious with a bloody nose and sitting in the drivers seat when he arrived.  The car was described as being almost entirely inside of the store and had caused extensive damage.  A fire fighter who was assisting at the scene reported smelling alcohol on Abad's breath and Abad stated that he had a couple of mixed drinks at a local club.  He was taken to the hospital and blood was drawn to be tested but there is no report of the results in the report.  Abad was charged with DUI and careless driving but it is uncertain what happened to the case.  The records in the Municipal Court show that the charges were dismissed but it is not listed as why they were.  The New Way Supermarket was closed for a month after the accident because of the extensive repairs that had to be made.

The accident in 2013 took place at 5 am on a Tuesday morning and involved Abad driving his 2011 BMW 335 into a parked car.  He can be seen on the video stumbling, slurring his words and at one point stating that he knew one of the officers from the academy.  He also fails to perform any of the sobriety tests as well as having to stay leaning on the car.  He did get his license suspended for that DUI but only for 7 months.

Similar BMW

Sadly, it seems as though Abad was driving when it could have been prevented if the first DUI had been prosecuted.  That accident certainly was not just a charge of weaving in his lane while driving but involved a serious accident.  It may have prevented two young men from dying while he was at the wheel.





http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/n-driving-s-crash-smashed-car-deli-2011-article-1.2162184

http://www.nj.com/union/index.ssf/2015/03/linden_officer_in_wrong-way_crash_went_through_wal.html



Update March 30 2015:

There have been more details emerging about Abad's past driving record and some of his previous accidents.  The first accident where he was charged with a DUI is still incomplete but it has been reported that he may have managed to have that charge dismissed because the officer on scene had not obtained a search warrant to get the blood sample that would have proven if he was under the influence.  It was also claimed that his statements made at the scene had also been obtained illegally.  Police in NJ had routinely obtained both of these based on probable cause in the past but that changed in 2013 when they were they were faced with a supreme court ruling that requires a warrant.  His case was dismissed in 2012 though so it is still unclear what the actual ruling was in Abad's case.

On June 20 2013, Abad was driving on the Garden State Parkway in Holmdel when he hit a guardrail at 12:35 pm and he told the officer then that he had been cut off by a white pick-up truck.  The diagram from the accident scene shows that he traveled across three lanes before striking the guardrail.  Abad was unable to provide a license plate number for the vehicle he claimed was involved and his car had to be towed from the scene.  He also was not cited or charged in relation to that accident.

Abad had an accident with the same 2011 BMW that he hit a parked car with in 2013.  He was involved in an accident on August 19 2012 when he rear ended a 2007 Toyota which was stopped at a red light on North Wood Ave.  He told the officer there that he was looking at his phone and had not noticed that the other car had stopped.  He did receive a citation for careless driving then.  Abad also had accidents on Dec 17 2008 in Linden and on August 16 2009 in Roselle but the details of those have not been reported yet.





http://www.nj.com/union/index.ssf/2015/03/details_of_wrong_way_crash_cops_prior_accidents_continue_to_emerge.html

http://www.nj.com/union/index.ssf/2015/03/dismissal_of_prior_dui_charge_for_wrong-way_linden.html



Update March 31 2015:

The investigation into the deadly crash has been handed off from the Union County prosecutor's office and will now be handled by the Middlesex County prosecutor's office as of March 30th.  They have stated that this has been done to avoid any perception of a conflict of interest in the investigation.  They have added that there has been a warrant issued for the testing of Abad's blood for alcohol content but the results have not been released yet.

It has also been reported that the charges in Abad's Jan 22 2011 crash into a store were dismissed almost a year later because the defense was not given reports about the BAC testing and the tapes of the police transmissions that night as ordered by the court.  The prosecution had strongly advised against dismissal stating that it was a very serious case.  Abad's BAC in that accident had been tested at 0.176 which is more than double the 0.08 to be considered legally drunk.

His lawyer, Greggory Martoonian, filed a list of requests within a week of the arrest that included the kit that had been used to take the sample, a copy of the manual outlining the procedures used for analyzing the blood, recordings of the police transmissions that night and 12 months of service records for the machine that was used to test the BAC.  Martoonian specializes in DUI cases and he certainly covered all of his bases in this case.  He filed a motion to suppress the BAC five months after the accident claiming that the police had not gotten a warrant for it and the prosecution countered by stating that they did not need one.

The police did hand over 6 months of service records and stated that they did not have any further back.  They also handed over 2 non sequential pages of the procedures and Martoonian told the court that he believed that there were pages missing.  The case was dismissed on Jan 19 2012 when the judge had ruled that the police had not provided the information needed even though the court still had the BAC evidence of Abad being far over the limit for driving.  There has been no comment from Martoonian or the presiding judge and I can understand why..... maybe if this case had not been dismissed so easily, two young men would still be alive.




http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/Linden-Wrong-Way-Crash-Police-DWI-Drunk-Driving-Accident-Arrest-298036391.html

http://www.nj.com/union/index.ssf/2015/03/wrong-way_cop_beat_prior_dui_after_defense_attorne.html



Update April 2 2015:

The reports regarding the condition of both survivors state that Abad and Kudlac are still in critical condition but they are stable and making very slow progress.  Kudlac is being treated at Staten Island University Hospital North and Abad is being treated at Richmond University Medical Center.

The AG office has spoken out about Abad's previous DUI that was dismissed and stated that they are not to blame for that case being dismissed.  When one looks at what has been reported about that case, it would seem that Abad did get himself a very good lawyer who specializes in getting clients off, which is exactly what he did.  Even though the accident involved crashing his car through the wall of a store and ended up almost completely inside of it and he had a BAC of 0.176, he managed to get the charge dismissed.  I would think if this involved a minor accident where he drove over a mailbox and ended up a few feet on someone's lawn, it could be overlooked but this was a lot more serious than that.

The judge and his lawyer both have not made any statements in regards to that accident and it's handling.  What can they say except that the lawyer did what he was paid to do and the judge for whatever reason, chose to ignore the facts that were presented and let Abad walk on any kind of DUI infraction or punishment.  If it hadn't happened that way, Abad could very well have not had a license to be driving for this accident.



http://www.nj.com/union/index.ssf/2015/04/wrong-way_cop_other_linden_officer_remain_critical.html

http://www.nj.com/union/index.ssf/2015/04/state_ags_office_we_sent_all_requested_infor_for_r.html


Update April 25 2015:

The police had obtained a warrant for blood testing of Abad's blood after the horrific crash and they have finally released their findings.  The legal limit is .08 and Abad's BAC was .24 which is almost three times the legal limit.  That is equivalent to a 140 pound man having about nine drinks in his system.

There has been no comment made on this from either the Staten Island District Attorney's office, the police department, Abad's lawyer or the Linden police union at this time.  Abad has not been charged yet but reports state that a Staten Island grand jury will look at the evidence presented next week and decide if he should be charged.  Abad is still listed as critical and is hospitalized but there is no further update as to the condition of Patrik Kudlac.

The Middlesex County prosecutor's office is handling the investigation into Abad's driving record and employment history.  That investigation had been handed off to an outside department to prevent any conflict of interest perceptions.

Abad had his FB account filled with pictures of him making silly faces which probably were very funny at the time.  If he does survive this crash though, he may well have a very different outlook on life and some of the choices he has seemed to have made in the past few years.  There is no doubt that both his life and the life of his friend Patrik will never be the same after this crash.

In the big game of "what if" we can ask........ what if he hadn't been allowed to beat the first DUI charge?  What if he had been punished more severely for the second DUI charge?  What if he hadn't made the decision to get behind the wheel after he knew he had been drinking more than just one or two beers while having dinner?  We may never know the answers to those questions but we can certainly see the outcome of them.





http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/Linden-Police-Officer-Pedro-Abad-Blood-Alcohol-Content-Three-Times-Legal-Limit-Deadly-Staten-Island-Crash-301278841.html

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/n-blood-alcohol-level-times-legal-limit-article-1.2198416

Pot for pets?

Sen Tick Segerblom introduced bill SB372 to the Nevada legislature on March 17 2015 that is designed to clean up the state's medical marijuana statute.  The bill also includes a measure that calls for state officials to issue a medical marijuana card to Nevada residents who own a pet that a veterinarian has deemed would be assisted by the use of marijuana.

Proponents of it's use on dogs and cats tout the ability of the drug to help with digestion, joint pain, end of life pain, support of the immune system as well as giving the pet a calm demeanor and healthy neurological function.  There have been very few studies though that are extensive enough to prove that there is a need for it with pets.  There have been cases of owners or veterinarians administering marijuana to pets and having very good results, especially with pain and end of life issues but no comprehensive studies.

What has been on the increase is accidental overdoses and exposures to medical marijuana that has been prescribed to humans.  Pets that have ingested it generally show signs of incontinence, lethargy, low heart rates, loss of balance and breathing problems.  It has been known to kill dogs as well, especially if they have gotten themselves into a stash and eaten far more than they should have.  Many vets have stated that they are unsure if the benefits to a few outweigh the danger it may pose to many pets.

Introducing this in a bill may very well be jumping the gun on the topic.  I would like to see some very solid proof of the benefits in comparison to the damage that it could cause to pets.  Making something available just because it has helped some pets in a climate of a serious rise in illness and death from accidental exposure to pets does not make it a good thing.  It is not a good thing either if it is being put forth because the business is pressuring for another market for marijuana either.

There are already plenty of drugs and treatments available for those pets that are suffering at the end of their lives.  It may sound harsh to some but we as pet owners also have the option of choosing to end a pet's suffering as well, something we have a difficult time doing legally when humans are involved. If my pet is suffering with a terminal illness, gaining six more weeks of time with them is selfish on my part.  My pet hasn't begged me for more time to spend with me.  Most of the time, they have known they are very ill and if there is no cure that will give them years with me, it is selfish to extend their time by days or weeks.  Before you judge me for my belief, I will state that I have faced those choices in the past and they are not easy.  Losing a pet or putting one down is never easy but I feel that when facing the end, I have to put my pet before my selfish need to drag their life out so I can be with them a little bit longer.

Put forth some very solid research that it is needed for pet owners and I will certainly consider changing my mind.  Until that time though, I think the bill is a good idea that needs to have the backing of science and a benefit for many.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/18/us-usa-nevada-marijuana-idUSKBN0ME10320150318

http://www.buzzfeed.com/mbvd/everything-you-need-to-know-about-marijuana-and-your-dogs#.wobrNmQr1Y

http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/health/medical-marijuana-sick-pets-nevada-article-1.2153468

http://www.cannaforpets.com/

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2651570/New-tricks-Pets-given-medical-marijuana-gain-new-lease-life-say-owners.html

http://wgntv.com/2015/03/18/pot-for-pets-bill-introduced/

http://metronews.ca/news/world/1315653/nevada-bill-would-allow-sick-pets-to-use-medical-marijuana/

Deadly sour grapes........

"He said that it was going to make him a millionaire," stated attorney Steven Lodge.





The murder-suicide on March 16 2015 in Napa Valley California had it's roots years before in the business dealings of Robert Dahl, 47 and his Minnesota roots.  On Monday, Dahl and a former investor, Emad Tawfilis were holding a conference at the Dahl winery property to try and settle their legal dispute regarding a 1.2 million dollar loan.  The two had met and were teleconferencing with Dahl's lawyer, Kousha Berokim, who reported that both parties sounded as though they were calm and interested in solving the matter in a civil way.

The meeting began at 11 am and they called for a break sometime after 11:30 am.  Then at about noontime, Tawfilis made a frantic call to 911 and told the dispatcher there that he had been shot and added that someone was coming after him.  Evidently, Dahl pulled a gun on Tawfilis in the office, shot him and Tawfilis ran from the office.  Dahl then got into his black SUV and drove after Tawfilis who was running through the vineyards to escape while Dahl continued to shoot at him.  It was then reported that by the time sheriffs had arrived at 11:49 am, he had shot him again, execution style in the head while they were watching.  Dahl then fled in his SUV from 6155 Solano Ave to Wall Rd where he went into thick woods off a dirt road.

A nearby witness reported hearing the vehicle crash through a metal gate and police began hunting for Dahl after they had set up a wide perimeter.  The police and canine joined the search for the suspect and within minutes they found him dead in his vehicle of a self inflicted gunshot wound to the head.  Dahl was reportedly armed with a .22 caliber handgun with a silencer during the attack.

Tawfilis had been trying to settle a dispute that involved his business Lexington Street Investments which had loaned Dahl's business Patio Wine Co $1.2 million dollars.  Tawfilis then found out that the company had been dissolved a month prior to the loan and he alleged that Dahl had used the money for his other businesses.  Tawfilis then sued Dahl for the return of his investment money and this month, a judge had issued an 18 count contempt order that included turning over equipment.  The two men had reportedly reached a settlement on the amount that Dahl would pay back but a meeting at Tawfilis's lawyer's office was cancelled on March 15 because Dahl had returned all of the agreed upon equipment.

Dahl was supposed to have turned over the location of fermenting tanks as well as produce certain paperwork for the meeting that included financial records.  Dahl was the one who chose to have the meeting moved to his own turf and it is suspected that he may have had this planned all along.  It was reported that Tawfilis was pushing hard for Dahl to pay up and Dahl interrupted the conference call meeting between the four by stating that he wanted to pay a different amount.  Dahl's lawyer then asked for the break of five minutes so that he could talk to his client separately.  It was after breaking the conference call that Dahl pulled the gun and the shooting had begun.

Robert Dahl's business problems began long before he had moved to the Napa Valley about four years ago.. Prior to that, Dahl had created the DuraBan Company which produced a product that would combat mold during construction.  The special product was touted as an anti-microbial that would prevent mold from forming during and after construction and he claimed that it would make him a millionaire.  He convinced quite a few people to invest a large amount of money into the company and the product but they soon discovered that there was nothing special about it.  They sued Dahl and he settled for an undisclosed sum and headed to California with his cash.

His record in Minnesota was filled with various evictions, collection cases and bankruptcy cases, all of which he has denied ever took place.  He had pleaded guilty to theft of over $2,500 in 1991 and served a 90 day jail sentence for that but managed to avoid a 15 month sentence.  It is thought be to be a larger case in which he was charged with theft by fraud but the details are not immediately available.  This would show though that Dahl had a poor track record before he even came to CA and brought in other investors.

When Robert Dahl showed up in the Napa Valley he made it a point to jump into the the wine business and wanted to play big from the start.  He and a friend from Minnesota, Phil Lutgen founded California Shiners in 2011 very soon after he had arrived in June of that year with his wife and three children.  The Napa based company purchases bulk wine, blends it and then bottles it for various customers with a majority of it being shipped to China.  His customers are the ones who brand the wine and sell it overseas and he was proud to state that the wine they bottle is a high quality product rather than some of the junk that is being bottled and shipped in this manner.

Dominic Foppoli had used California Shiners to bottle his wine after meeting Dahl at a trade show and in 2012, he partnered with Dahl and Lutgen to purchase Christopher Creek Winery in Healdsburg CA.  Fred and Pam Wasserman had owned and operated the winery for 15 years before deciding to enjoy retirement.  Foppoli and Dahl found that they had very different visions of what to do with Christopher Creek very quickly.  Dahl wanted to expand the 3,500 cases a year production into something very large while Foppoli wanted to keep it "as is" as it had been publicized during the sale.  Foppoli quietly negotiated a deal to buy out Dahl and Lutgen and in Feb 2013, the deal was closed.

Dahl and a partner then used those proceeds to open up Napa Point Brewing in a business park, leased a barn and the 7.5 acres of vineyards in Yountville that would someday become Dahl Vineyards.  He quickly renovated the barn on the property and had a winery with a tasting room.  At about this time he also was running Napa Point Winery out of the California Shiners bottling plant and was producing about 2,500 cases a year.

He claimed at the time of the opening of the brewhouse that he had dabbled a bit in the wine making industry but it wasn't for him so he sold out his share of that business.  He now planned to put his money into brewing beer which was his real passion.  Dahl and his partner Greg Knittle had hired on Denise Jones as their brewmaster and she had about twenty years experience in that field of work.

Dahl had plans to try and open a second brewhouse in the old Borreo building in town but that plan fell through.  Knittle stated that at one point the brewhouse and pub was losing $100,000 a month and finally shut it's doors in May of 2014.  By December of 2013, Dahl was in a tough spot with Napa County and was fighting several violations which included operating without a use permit and not receiving building permits for renovations that had been done to properties.  He stated that he operated California Shiners at the same location as Napa Point Winery and since Napa Point was the legal name for California Shiners that had some 150-200 labels registered as doing business as there, it was legally operating under the CS permits.

The court system was trying to sort out not only the situation of the loan to the Patio Wine Company but the business dealings of California Shiners, Dahl Vineyards, Napa Point Winery, Napa Point Brewing, Patio Wine Company and Vitas Vinifero Voodoo.  It had not yet ruled on the status of Christopher Creek Winery and it most likely will not be involved in any litigation since he had sold his stake in that company.

Dahl had been planning to open a second brewhouse and the partnership that already had money in escrow for it cooled to including Dahl very quickly.  They did not want to be included in his ongoing issues with the county as well as seeing a much more profitable deal with working with a well respected restaurateur.  It was about this time that Dahl had met with Tawfilis and arranged for the loan.  It was shortly after loaning Dahl the money that he found out that dahl had dissolved the LLC a month before the deal.  This made it impossible for the company to accept payments legally and Tawfilis wanted his money back.

Tawfilis had argued in court with documentation that Dahl had sold the bottling line that was used as the collateral for the loan to another individual.  Dahl had argued that he had done none of these things even though Tawfilis had filed with the court documents verifying the sale of the line, Dahl's past criminal history of theft and fraud and the paperwork documenting the filing to cancel the LLC for Patio.  The last straw seems to be the ruling by the court that Dahl had to now come up with proof as to why he should not be held in contempt of the various court orders for producing loan collateral, injunctions, protective orders and orders to comply.  Dahl evidently had even tried to claim that he did not understand what an asset was.

All this seems to sadly boil down to a very real and premeditated solution to end the pesky problem of repaying Tawfilis......... it looks as though he had laid a trap for his victim and carried it out at the vineyard on Monday.  Tragically, a very well respected and loved member of the wine community is now dead because Robert Dahl may have run out of money in what looks to be a huge financial shuffle he had been playing.




http://www.dahlvineyards.com/

http://napavalleyregister.com/news/local/dispute-in-vineyard-ends-with-murder-suicide/article_62d41f41-a7da-5d98-b37d-1a2c2f3e3a01.html

http://www.pressdemocrat.com/home/3671328-181/napa-vintner-suspected-of-killing?page=0

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2998949/2-dead-Napa-County-vineyard-apparent-murder-suicide.html

http://www.startribune.com/business/296686001.html

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/napa-winemaker-kills-investor-vineyard-chase-article-1.2153514

http://wineindustryinsight.com/?p=60231

http://wineindustryinsight.com/?p=59992

http://www.pressdemocrat.com/news/3677767-181/robert-dahl-napa-vintner-in

http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20070628005169/en/DuraBan-Announces-EPA-Registration-Earth-Friendly-Antimicrobial--#.VQmtao7F-So

http://www.fastmoldremoval.com/mold-r/

http://www.pressdemocrat.com/home/3675881-181/napa-sheriffs-office-robert-dahl

http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/Dahl-Vineyards-Owner-Appears-to-Execute-Investor-Over-12M-Loan-Then-Kills-Himself-Sheriff-296610171.html
                                   copy of document Minnesota vs Robert Michael Dahl

http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424127887324323904578368322695267786

http://christophercreek.com/

http://www.winebusiness.com/news/?go=getArticle&dataid=107644

http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/eats/adam-corolla-expands-mangria-line-article-1.1351878

http://napavalleyregister.com/news/local/napa-point-brewing-opens-gastropub-on-devlin-road/article_7147bf54-45a4-11e3-a6a6-0019bb2963f4.html


Update March 19 2015:

Emad had gone to the meeting with Dahl alone and against the advice of his lawyer, David Wiseblood.  The easy going, level headed businessman had gone into business for himself after working several corporate jobs.  The police have stated that they are still sorting out what had happened on Monday that led to the conclusion no one had expected, least of all Emad.

The loan that he had given Dahl had included a red gym bag stuffed with $800,000 in cash and Dahl had reportedly bragged about it as well as passing out pictures of the bag.  The loan was to help finance the Patio Wine Company and Emad was to take 97.5 percent of the companies stock and assets as collateral for the loan.  He was also supposed to split the profits with Dahl from the wine that was sold as well.

Emad was told that Dahl needed the cash and that there would be a much larger return on his investment if it were made in cash.  Emad did deliver and it was not until last year that he discovered that the company had been dismantled.  It would be my guess that since he held almost all of the company's assets and would be able to take the physical plant's materials, it still left him with a lot to work on if the deal fell through.  He did not know that the money was being used to support Dahl's other ventures and it is my guess, that Dahl was also muddling the legal ground by using materials and the physical plant to back several other "companies."

Dahl had fallen behind on the loan repayment and I am certain that Emad with his background could see that he had been lied to about the original investment.  Dahl fought and dodged the legal actions of Emad, who was working hard through the courts to be repaid for the hefty loan he had made.  Dahl was losing the court battle and on March 13th, representatives of Emad were sent to retrieve five large tanks that were part of the loan collateral.  They had disappeared and the meeting to settle their differences was cancelled.

Monday morning Emad notified Wiseblood that he and Dahl had been texting and that they were going to meet that morning at the winery property.  Wiseblood states that he advised against it as well as stating that he should not go there alone.  Dahl did not have anything that he had promised, no paperwork with financial records, no agreement draft or any explanation as to where the assets were.  He did have a gun though and shot Emad, chased him through the vineyard with his SUV and in plain view of the arriving deputies, walked up to the fallen Emad and shot him execution style on the road where he collapsed.  The police report that they found the box for the .22 caliber handgun in the SUV as well as 1,000 rounds of ammunition.

Emad was not married and had no children but he was very well liked in his neighborhood.  Residents there state that he could often be seen out making improvements on his home with his pet labrador playing in the yard.  People have described Robert as a very charming, charismatic man who also had an aggressive and dark side to him.  He did not have good long term plans and did not tolerate people who did not back down.  He did not feel that the courts held sway over him as proven by his ignoring rules and he was not used to dealing with anyone who did not back down and walk away.  Emad was not going to let Dahl take advantage of him and that may be the only thing that triggered the murder.  It does look though as if Dahl had planned the shooting but maybe not his own death.  It is difficult to understand how he could have thought that he could kill Emad and get away with it or maybe he just felt he could frighten Emad into backing down and walking away from a huge chunk of money he was owed.



http://www.mercurynews.com/crime-courts/ci_27738301/los-gatos-napa-slaying-victim-remembered-easygoing-man

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/19/us/a-vineyard-dispute-800000-in-cash-and-two-dead-in-napa.html?_r=0


Update March 20 2015:

The coroner has identified Robert Dahl as the shooter in the murder-suicide that began at the Dahl winery.  What will not be so easy to identify is what if any money exists in the convoluted business dealings he had.  Dahl had been convicted in 1991 of felony grand theft, served only three months in jail and served 10 years of probation that ended in 2001.  Those charges were reported as Dahl having ripped off Best Buy twice and a girlfriend's father.  In 2003 Dahl was sued by a credit union for $54,000, Ford Motor credit for being $8,700 and a bank sued for $1,200 they claimed he owed them.  In 2005 they were served with eviction papers by Larson Properties and in 2009, he was sued by Anchor, Dock & Lift.

In 2009 Dahl was arranging to sell his start-up company DuraBan to a group of investors represented by Steve Lodge.  The seller financed deal fell apart when the product he claimed to have was found to not be all that it was sold to be.  Neighbors had reported that Dahl was often the one who was mixing up the product himself.  DuraBan is still listed as being owned by his wife Janelle.  Dahl packed up his family and moved west where it seems that he has continued his financial scams.


By 2013 Dahl was juggling court dates and court orders.  His Napa Point Brewing gastro pub had been cited by the court for not having the necessary permits for live music and events as well as one of his wine ventures not having permits for tastings or production.  He closed the doors on the brewery in May 2014 and in August 2014, Tawfilis had filed suit against him alleging fraud, breach of contract and other allegations.  Dahl countered that by replying that the interest rate Tawfilis was charging him was far too high.

Sometime in the fall of 2014, Napa Point Winery was taken to court for not having permits to conduct wine tastings and in December the court won a $21,500 judgement against him.  Napa Point Winery did not exist then since it had morphed into Dahl Vineyard at the same leased property.  He had moved Napa Point Winery from it's former location at Devlin Rd where it had been slapped by the courts in 2013 for not having the proper permits for producing and conducting wine tastings.

In Sept 2014 the county sued Dahl Vineyards for conducting wine tastings at the Yountville property without the proper permits.  There was also a complaint regarding the construction of a concrete pad, wine tanks and a wine storage structure that had been installed in the flood zone.   Dahl was also due in court in August 2015 to face charges for breaking his lease by failing to pay rent after Feb 2014 and then moving from Napa Point Winery from the Devlin Rd location in May 2014.

During the court proceedings against him from Tawfilis, it was alleged that Dahl had been selling off the wine inventory, brewing equipment from the now closed gastropub, wine making equipment and other collateral.  His former partner Greg Knittel stated in a court filing of Feb 26th that he had met Dahl at the Hess Construction storage site in American Canyon and the wine tanks and brewing equipment he had photographed there four days before were now missing.  He added that Dahl was loading brewing equipment onto trailers and moving it and when he confronted him about it, Dahl reportedly told him that he could do whatever he wanted with his property.

The next court date in the lawsuit was set for April 7th and that may have been why Emad was coaxed into meeting Dahl for some type of alleged settlement deal.  Dahl Vineyards continued to roll along as if nothing was wrong and continued to do business.  Dahl had joined the Yountville Chamber about six months ago and was set to be one of 30 vineyards participating in the upcoming Taste of Yountville.  He reportedly was an active member of the chamber since joining.

It seems as though it will take quite some time to sort out all of his possible swindles and business deals.



http://napavalleyregister.com/news/local/coroner-identifies-robert-dahl-as-the-shooter-in-monday-s/article_16371d1c-ade8-58f1-a1b9-75563d9fc6a5.html

http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/story/28557776/minn-man-napa-vineyard-owner-shot-business-partner-then-self

http://blogs.citypages.com/blotter/2015/03/robert_dahl_suspect_in_murder-suicide_dreamt_larger_than_he_could_afford.php


Update March 22 2015:

Dahl Vineyards is chained, locked and posted with an eviction notice that lists all of the lease violations against it.  Late in 2014 though, it was still a trolley stop for wine tastings where Sharon Wagner, the "assistant" to the Robert and Janelle, described how the couple came to Napa Valley and fell in love with the property that they purchased in 2013.  The problem is, Robert seemed to be running an ever changing wine "empire" that was built from smoke and mirrors.

He had claimed to come to Napa Valley with some $12 million that he got when he sold his DuraBan company and he created California Shiners.  The problem was, he only received about $500,00 from the failed sale and even his first venture ran into problems when a few clients claimed he was bottling poor quality wine.  Sharon explained to the tasting guests that Dahl knew that he would eventually purchase Chateau de Napa and he had begun in 2011 to purchase grapes and bottle wine in the Dahl name.  The property where both Dahl Vineyards and Napa Point Winery were based in late 2014 was not purchased though, it was still leased by Dahl.  When he applied for that lease, he had told the owners that he was making millions through his other businesses.

Knittle, another former partner had described how Dahl always seemed to be throwing money around.  He partnered with Dahl in the brewhouse that never became the hit they expected it to become.  It opened in Oct 2013 but by March 2014, Dahl had quit paying the rent.  It had been at $15,000 a month but was due to increase to $60,000 a month and the brewhouse closed it's doors May 2014.  Knittle also described how he and Dahl had gone on a trip to Oregon and Dahl and instead of waiting for repairs to be completed on an almost new motorcycle he already had, he bought another one for $42,000 for the trip.  He added that Dahl ended up buying a restored 1928 Ford Model T truck on the trip and it was parked out by the entrance of the vineyard.

Dahl was described as being very charismatic but his business deals seemed to crash quickly after he became very controlling and belligerent.  It seems as though he was very good at charming investors out of their money and then alienated them while the money they invested was siphoned off to support his lifestyle or ailing ventures.  As more is exposed about Dahl's various ventures it seems that there is less cash available and he may have already knew that he would not get out of the meeting alive.



http://www.sacbee.com/entertainment/living/travel/article2918548.html

http://www.heraldonline.com/news/business/article15437153.html

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/napa-winemaker-unraveling-shot-investor-29773929


Update March 25 2015:

The autopsy of Emad Tawfilis shows that he was struck by five gunshots in his attempt to escape Robert Dahl that day.  He had been shot four times while running and none of the shots, which included two to the body and two to the head would have been life threatening.  It was the final, execution style shot to the head that killed Emad.

The 911 calls and dispatch calls have been released to certain media and they show that Dahl shot Emad first in the office building.  Emad then fled the building and ran through the vineyards parallel to the driveway that runs to Highway 29.  He told dispatchers that he had already been hit and that Dahl was chasing him with his SUV and still firing at him.  The recording show that police had arrived at the location within four minutes of the initial 911 call.

The dispatch could hear additional gunfire in the background of the 911 call and Emad managed to keep running until he collapsed on Hoffman Lane.  The recording itself is horrifying and police have stated that they have held a stress debriefing session with a counselor for the officers involved because of it.  It was reported that with the open cellphone line, they could hear Emad pleading for help as Dahl chased him down.

They have declined to release the recordings to the public stating that they are exempt from release and the Tawfilis family is opposed to their release as well.




http://www.pressdemocrat.com/news/local/3707703-181/autopsy-shows-napa-vineyard-murder?page=2

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/dispatch-recordings-show-police-response-murder-suicide-29875912


Update March 28 2015:

The fate of the numerous lawsuits that involved Dahl is unknown at the moment but will be sorted out in court eventually.  The gates to the vineyard are chained and locked for the moment and Dahl Vineyards is being evicted because he was behind on payments for the grapes which violated his lease.  The McVicar family owns the property that Dahl was leasing for his wine making business will take control of the property and the building as well as improvements that he had made while he was there.

At a hearing this past week for one of the lawsuits, the judge expressed shock after hearing of the murder-suicide.  Wiseblood suggested that the court appoint a receiver who could sell off the remaining assets that Dahl has including wine, beer and equipment in an effort to satisfy the lawsuit Tawfilis had.  He stated that even though Tawfilis is dead, his company still exists and is functioning.  Dahl's lawyer stated at the meeting that he is unsure of his status since Robert Dahl is dead and the judge decided to continue the case until April 10th.  She stated that she can hear the whole case then and it will also give both lawyers time to straighten out what and who they are responsible to.

It has been reported that a member of the McVicar family found an unsigned contract in one of the drawers at the Dahl Vineyards building after the investigators had left.  That eight page document supposedly has Tawfilis admit that he had falsely accused Dahl of fraud and added that Tawfilis would state that all those who spoke on his behalf had lied against Dahl.  Emad's lawyer, Wiseblood, stated that it could be something that dahl had drafted but it was not what the Tawfilis and Dahl had been discussing as a possible settlement.  A draft of a document that was described as more favorable to Tawfilis had also been found on top of a table in the winery but investigators are still investigating what role the two documents may have played in the events of that day.

The investigators are also trying to discover how Dahl, a convicted felony had managed to have a handgun and an illegal silencer in his possession.  Dahl evidently had major issues with showing people his financial books.  Wiseblood knew that Dahl was not going to have the financial paperwork that Tawfilis had requested so they could work on a possible settlement.  Knittel, Dahl's second largest investor in Napa Point Brewing, had been with him earlier.  He also contributed time and effort to help Dahl transform the plywood barn on the leased property into a small tasting and production facility.  He finished the work quickly and afterwards, Dahl ran afoul of authorities for not getting the needed permits.  Knittel had cut ties with the brewery investment after Dahl offered to sell his share of the business for $500,000 but again, had refused to show the books.  It almost seems as though Dahl was more busy pretending to be in the wine business and hiding a ponzi scheme.

http://napavalleyregister.com/news/local/murder-suicide-leaves-fate-of-winery-lawsuits-in-question/article_689f018e-22c7-5b73-b729-9658a26e0f58.html