Theft ....

[AndyP]

Not sure if this is appropriate but it's been bugging me since I found out. The VFTU storage unit was broken in to and quite a bit of the inventory that is kept for fundraising was stolen. Many high quality rods, including a fully restored Leonard, were stolen along with 2 10x10 pop up tents used for events and some AV equipment used at the monthly meetings. Most of this stuff was donated by volunteers and local fly shops or bought with fundraising dollars all to be used to create more funds to be used to protect Valley Creek. The police have been notified and they are investigating but in case anyone sees a flurry of rods for sale in SEPA online maybe it would be worth letting VFTU know. There is something extra rotten when a non-profit group gets hit like this.

 

[JackM]

Sounds like there was an inside connection. I would start looking there.

 

[redietz]

You might also want to keep an eye on the world's largest fence: ebay.

 

[jeffroey]

Sorry to hear that. If you guys are itemizing the loss, it might be a good idea to post that here or somewhere else, especially if there was a bunch of uncommon rods taken.

I suspect there are many others like me reading this that troll auction sites, Facebook marketplace, Craigslist, and other forum's classifieds looking for deals to be had. Might result in someone making a connection between an uncommon find at an unusually low or high pricepoint and VFTU's loss.

 

[poopdeck]

When storage units are broken into typically multiple units are broken into. If only one storage unit was broken into I would agree with JackM.

 

[DomR]

Not sure if this is appropriate but it's been bugging me since I found out. The VFTU storage unit was broken in to and quite a bit of the inventory that is kept for fundraising was stolen. Many high quality rods, including a fully restored Leonard, were stolen along with 2 10x10 pop up tents used for events and some AV equipment used at the monthly meetings. Most of this stuff was donated by volunteers and local fly shops or bought with fundraising dollars all to be used to create more funds to be used to protect Valley Creek. The police have been notified and they are investigating but in case anyone sees a flurry of rods for sale in SEPA online maybe it would be worth letting VFTU know. There is something extra rotten when a non-profit group gets hit like this.

You might want to cross post on the Classic Fly Rod forum in case someone tries to dump the Leonard through their classifieds.

 

[AndyP]

It was multiple Units from what I have been told. I'll keep an eye on other sites. We are checking our files to put a list together of everything missing.

 

[Bamboozle]

How was access gained, by breaking or cutting a padlock?

I ask because there are better padlocks out there than the basic pin tumbler Master padlocks you can buy anywhere...

 

[AndyP]

How was access gained, by breaking or cutting a padlock?

I ask because there are better padlocks out there than the basic pin tumbler Master padlocks you can buy anywhere...

Not sure what type lock it was. Waiting to hear if the security cameras picked anything up. I guess in todays world I should not be surprised but part of me still is in regards to stealing someone else's property .

 

[Bamboozle]

Let me know via PM when you find out.

Security is my racket and I can make some suggestions that will at minimum make it harder for someone to break in again if VFTU decides to keep the storage unit.

 

[UncleShorty]

Welcome to America today...

Just talked to a buddy. His daughter's Honda was parked outside her apartment. Some fine example of US citizenry tried to steal the Cat Con. Fookin' idiots couldn't even run a sawzall right. Cut the exhaust in 3 places and still didn't get the device free.

Guy had to take it to the shop. Cost $250 to get it welded back together.

Who buys stolen Cat Cons? Property theft is virtually legal in the US. The chance any of these jamokes ever being caught or prosceuted is nil. And the cops are no help...

 

[Bamboozle]

Who buys stolen Cat Cons?

The same folks that buy stolen bronze cemetery markers, aluminum highway signs, copper wire & downspouts and hot brass plumbing fixtures.

You want to slow it down, make forfeiture of their scrap business a consequence of buying known stolen $#!+ instead of some paltry fine...

You may not catch the perps, but if they don't have a market for the stuff they steal they'll go back to robbing stagecoaches and holding up banks.

 

[redietz]

Property theft is virtually legal in the US. The chance any of these jamokes ever being caught or prosceuted is nil. And the cops are no help...

Not entirely. My son caught someone breaking into my house a few years back. The guy took off when he realized that there was someone in the house, but my son got the license plate. The guy is now doing 18 years (he had a lot of stuff from other break ins.)

The police are also very interest when stolen property turns up on ebay. I retrieved some property that way, and was contacted when I inadvertently purchased a stolen musical instrument from there.

 

[DomR]

Who buys stolen Cat Cons?

They scrap them, the metal value is what they're after.

 

[wildtrout2]

Welcome to America today...

Just talked to a buddy. His daughter's Honda was parked outside her apartment. Some fine example of US citizenry tried to steal the Cat Con. Fookin' idiots couldn't even run a sawzall right. Cut the exhaust in 3 places and still didn't get the device free.

Guy had to take it to the shop. Cost $250 to get it welded back together.

Who buys stolen Cat Cons? Property theft is virtually legal in the US. The chance any of these jamokes ever being caught or prosceuted is nil. And the cops are no help...

People that do this kind of crap usually aren't noted for their intelligence.

 

[UncleShorty]

Fellas, thanks for lettin' me get that off my chest...

 

[UncleShorty]

The same folks that buy stolen bronze cemetery markers, aluminum highway signs, copper wire & downspouts and hot brass plumbing fixtures.

You want to slow it down, make forfeiture of their scrap business a consequence of buying known stolen $#!+ instead of some paltry fine...

You may not catch the perps, but if they don't have a market for the stuff they steal they'll go back to robbing stagecoaches and holding up banks.

Yeah that was my point. You can't stop the thieves, they're too stupid.

But hit the fences hard. No buyers means no sellers...

 

[Balt Co Wanderer]

Sucks. I lost all of my bass fishing gear about five years ago in a car break in. I had been fishing with a buddy who lived in Baltimore and we stopped by his place for like twenty minutes, in broad daylight, and they smashed the window and opened the trunk where the bag was hidden.

I had always split fly fishing and spin fishing 80/20 (when spin buddies wanted to get out really), and this was the catalyst to completely ditch the gear. When one window closes, I guess.

Hopefully you guys will be able to recoup your losses.

 

[poopdeck]

Welcome to America today...

Just talked to a buddy. His daughter's Honda was parked outside her apartment. Some fine example of US citizenry tried to steal the Cat Con. Fookin' idiots couldn't even run a sawzall right. Cut the exhaust in 3 places and still didn't get the device free.

Guy had to take it to the shop. Cost $250 to get it welded back together.

Who buys stolen Cat Cons? Property theft is virtually legal in the US. The chance any of these jamokes ever being caught or prosceuted is nil. And the cops are no help...

Stolen catalytic converters is a cottage industry and sell for upwards of 1400 bucks at the scrap yard depending on how big it is. 250 on the low end. They ain’t as dumb as you think.

 

[tomgamber]

Stolen catalytic converters is a cottage industry and sell for upwards of 1400 bucks at the scrap yard depending on how big it is. 250 on the low end. They ain’t as dumb as you think.

It is if you don't get the goods. Empty hands still go for $0.