J D Reptiles (Jim Deaton) Indiana LIES, LIES ALL LIES!

This guy Jim Deaton calls me concerning trading some Ball Pythons for some retics. He starts by telling me that he does not have the internet but does all his transactions by sending pictures through the mail. This struck me as weird seeing how I was just speaking to two different guys in our industry who this guy had contacted wanting them to send him pictures of pinstripes and bumblebees so he could decide what he wanted to buy. Then he goes on and states that he purchased some snakes from Ian G., Mark Bell, Nerd, Bob Clark, Brian B. and many others. I contacted some of the names and no one knows or has ever heard of this guy except for the send me some pics of your snakes to me in the mail scheme. Next he starts telling me how he produced the snakes he has for trade. His words (A het spider to het spider to produce 5 spiders. A het pinstripe to a pinstripe to produce 3 pinstripes) by this time I know it's a scam. Once I was on to him I started questioning him and he got nervous and even more stupid. A couple of the people he has requested pics through the mail has given me the address that he gave them to send the pics to him, which by the way is different from the address he wanted me to ship too. The guy even tried telling me three different names that he is calling himself. Here is all the info he has given to me and a couple of other people.
Jim Deaton AKA Jay Deaton AKA Jay Beeton
J. D. Reptiles J.D. Reptiles
6142 ST. Joe Center road 6505 reed road
Fort Wayne Indiana 46835 Fort Wayne Indiana 46835

He has told other people who he has requested pics from that he is looking to purchase some high-end ball pythons because he is planning on opening a pet store in the area and wants to sell them out of his store. After confronting him with all this information he went nutts and has said that he already shipped me the balls and wanted me to paypal him money or send out some snakes or he threated to put me on fauna. He even gave me a tracking number for the supposed snakes that he sent through the US post office. I went to my local post office and they did some checking and the package is guaranteed to arrive Saturday (3 days). He went on to state that he went on and sent me the following snakes.
5 spiders
3 pinstripes
2 lemonblasts
2 bumblebees
1 pied male 750 grams
We didn't even discuss all of these snakes in our conversation. But the price for all of the above will floor you. $2000.00 total
Now that's what he demands I send him tonight or else. I told him that when the package arrives that if the snakes listed above are indeed in the shipment and they are alive and healthy that I will send him $2000.00 out immediately.

I think we all know what the real deal is here but I just wanted to through this clowns name out theres no chance of him scamming anyone. Not that I think he is smart enough to pull it off anyway. (HET SPIDERS AND PINS)
I will let you know what if anything I receive in the mail as well. I hope this helps someone and keeps this guy from ripping anyone a new one!

Also for someone just getting started, It is against the law to ship snakes with The United States Postal Service!!!

Allen Belcher 706-615-4772

Is the post office trying to stop this package en-route to you? I'm sure if he mailed you anything its more then likely a brick in a box. But did the postmaster tell you anything more about the shipment or how they might be handling it? Because if he really did ship you those snakes.....then they are more than likely headed for death.

Lets cross our fingers and pray that he just thought you het for imbecile.

Definately sounds like a scam. If he indeed did actually send snakes via the USPS I would report him immediately as that's illegal.

blueapplepaste said:

Definately sounds like a scam. If he indeed did actually send snakes via the USPS I would report him immediately as that's illegal.

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If you read the post entirely you'd have read that he did report it. He tracked the package through his local post office. The tracking number has been confirmed en-route to him. 3 day mail with a delivery date for Saturday.

The problem at present isn't if its a scam as much as what the post office is presently doing to stop this package. If this isn't a scam those snakes are heading to the big guy in the sky.

Jesus Christ are we more concerned about a scam warning then we are with the real possibility this guy is freaking nutty and actually did ship live snakes by priority mail?

critical bill said:

If you read the post entirely you'd have read that he did report it. He tracked the package through his local post office. The tracking number has been confirmed en-route to him. 3 day mail with a delivery date for Saturday.

The problem at present isn't if its a scam as much as what the post office is presently doing to stop this package. If this isn't a scam those snakes are heading to the big guy in the sky.

Jesus Christ are we more concerned about a scam warning then we are with the real possibility this guy is freaking nutty and actually did ship live snakes by priority mail?

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I did read the post, but it seemed that the OP didn't alert the post office or try to stop the shipment. He said if they got there and were healthy he'd send payment - which sounds like nothing was done to stop the shipment.

And I agree that the safety of the snakes should be first; point here is that there may not even be any snakes.

big daddy's wholesal said:

Also for someone just getting started, It is against the law to ship snakes with The United States Postal Service!!!
Allen Belcher 706-615-4772

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Just for the record - if you accept the shipment, you are just as guilty. (congratulations, you have just received illegally shipped merchandise through a Federal agency...sign here, please. Now, let's just check this box to make sure that everything is in order...hmmm, I don't see any indication of the contents - that would be a violation of the Lacey Act.)
Unfortunately, I don't believe there is an avenue that lets you inspect the package, even "for the safety of the animals". So, do you report the package while it is en route, allowing the post office to intervene - possibly to the detriment of the snakes; refuse the shipment and have them sent back - and hope against the odds that they survive the trip; accept the package, and the possibility that it is either a scam or filled with dead snakes; or some combination of the above? (actually, there is a thread on this very topic in the General Business forum)

blueapplepaste said:

I did read the post, but it seemed that the OP didn't alert the post office or try to stop the shipment. He said if they got there and were healthy he'd send payment - which sounds like nothing was done to stop the shipment.

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Perhaps its something in the blue apple paste you're sniffing.....

Allen did do something by going to the post office and alerting them to the illegal shipment. He clearly states that he went to the post office to track the package and was informed it would be delivered on Saturday. You're not really suggesting that Allen is at fault to not go out chasing after every postal mail truck or airplane between point of destination and origin are you?

hhmoore said:

Just for the record - if you accept the shipment, you are just as guilty. (congratulations, you have just received illegally shipped merchandise through a Federal agency...sign here, please. Now, let's just check this box to make sure that everything is in order...hmmm, I don't see any indication of the contents - that would be a violation of the Lacey Act.)
Unfortunately, I don't believe there is an avenue that lets you inspect the package, even "for the safety of the animals". So, do you report the package while it is en route, allowing the post office to intervene - possibly to the detriment of the snakes; refuse the shipment and have them sent back - and hope against the odds that they survive the trip; accept the package, and the possibility that it is either a scam or filled with dead snakes; or some combination of the above? (actually, there is a thread on this very topic in the General Business forum)

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I love this guy Harald! We should have been siamese twins. Maybe not and just next door neighbors.

Hey can anyone tell me the best and safe way to ship snakes, my albino red tail had a clutch and I was looking to sell about nine of them, I don't want to post them until I know they will make the journey safe. I've heard alot of breeders talking about Delta Dash, any help would be appreciated. Also I'm located in California right now, any suggestions on how to keep a fair temperature so the heat doesn't cook the animal? Thanks for the help.

leviV said:

Hey can anyone tell me the best and safe way to ship snakes, my albino red tail had a clutch and I was looking to sell about nine of them, I don't want to post them until I know they will make the journey safe. I've heard alot of breeders talking about Delta Dash, any help would be appreciated. Also I'm located in California right now, any suggestions on how to keep a fair temperature so the heat doesn't cook the animal? Thanks for the help.

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Hi Levi, check out the shipping sub-forum in the reptile & amphibian buisness forum. It has many good threads that I'm sure will help you out.

Jim Deaton AKA Jay Deaton AKA Jay Beeton
J. D. Reptiles J.D. Reptiles
6142 ST. Joe Center road 6505 reed road
Fort Wayne Indiana 46835 Fort Wayne Indiana 46835

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I live in Fort Wayne and can tell you that St Joe Center Rd is more likely to be a business address and Reed Rd a residential address. I don't know if that helps at all. I've never heard of the guy. And I'm a local breeder too. Let us know what happens, I am very curious.

From Whitepages.com:

Pak Mail
Job title: unavailable
Company: Pak Mail
6142 Saint Joe Center Rd
Fort Wayne, IN 46835

(260) 486-8774

___________________

I also checked the Reed Road addy on Zaba Search and there is a James Deaton at this address as of 2000 - doesn't eliminate a scam, but yet again, we see that scammers are not the brightest crayons in the box!

However, it also shows a James Deaton on Euclid Road in Ft. Wayne as of 2005, so who knows.

critical bill said:

Perhaps its something in the blue apple paste you're sniffing.....

Allen did do something by going to the post office and alerting them to the illegal shipment. He clearly states that he went to the post office to track the package and was informed it would be delivered on Saturday. You're not really suggesting that Allen is at fault to not go out chasing after every postal mail truck or airplane between point of destination and origin are you?

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No, I'm not the one sniffing anyting. He went to the post office and tracked the shipment. He stated nothing about trying to stop it or informing them that it was an illegal shipment. As was pointed about above, if he infact knowingly accepts a potentially illegal shipment, he could be at fault as well.

I have informed the postal service of the shipment and it's potential contents. The postmaster and authorities are both aware of the package and will let me know when the package arrives in our post office. A huge THANKS to hhmoore for the lacey act comment. I was not aware that ball pythons fell into this unless you tried to send them out of the country without cities!
At least we know his real name now. James Deaton.
He has called me this morning and now says the box that is coming to me is empty. He admits that he was trying to scam me!
Is there anything that I can do to stop this guy from pulling this on someone else?
Now here's his real name, address, phone number and tracking for the package in question.

JAMES DEATON
6505 REED ROAD
FT. WAYNE INDIANA 46835
260-760-7801

TRACKING NUMBER USPS *** EB480488926US ***

I also contacted the PAK MAIL at the shipping address he gave me and they said he has been receiving packages through them for a couple of weeks now and that I was not the first person to contact them about this guy.
You know I enjoy some good comedy, So JAMES here's your sign!

Allen Belcher

Is there anything that I can do to stop this guy from pulling this on someone else?

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Conducting mail fraud is a pretty serious offense - but I don't know how far it would go since you didn't actually pay him. Then again, as in many things, it is the thought that counts...and he was attempting to commit mail fraud...and he did admit to it (I trust you still have all the emails?). It might be worth pursuing.

Allen

The Lacey Act applies to any and all animals shipped across State Lines.

Did anyone else notice that the guy claims to not have Internet access but uses PayPal and threatened to report Allen on Fauna?

Not a very bright scammer....

That's hilarious! Bet the first thing that comes to his mind when he's told he violated the Lacey act is "Gosh, how the heck did they know I'm wearing lingerie!?!?!"

Suncoast Herpetological said:

Allen

The Lacey Act applies to any and all animals shipped across State Lines.

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I provided Allen with a link to the Lacey Act, as well as a few pertinent passages (in the form of some posts I made recently - most notably this one: http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/forums/showpost.phpp=532190&postcount=17) last night when he contacted me. The Lacey Act includes all import, export, and transport for the purposes of interstate commerce of fish & wildlife. There are several terms included in the basic outline that are often misinterpreted by people that want to think they are operating outside the scope of the Lacey Act. Face it, people...it covers it. Not understanding the meaning of the terms as applied won't be an excuse, nor will "my rep told me to label it that way" (for those of you that intentionally mislabel your packages - ie, saying that snake is a lizard).

Sorry to have taken this thread somewhat off track, but the subject is applicable and important.

Jim O said:

Did anyone else notice that the guy claims to not have Internet access but uses PayPal and threatened to report Allen on Fauna?

Not a very bright scammer....

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That is a very good question.

He contacted us wanting us to send pictures of our ivory & spider balls with a price. He said that someone had stolen his computer and he had to travel an hour away to the library to get Internet access. He said that he was opening a Pet shop and had billionaire customers looking for snakes. He gave us this info:

JD Reptiles
6505 Reed Road
Fort Wayne, IN 46835.

I thought it sounded fishy so we did not send the photos.

Two days later he called again from an id restricted number asking if we had sent the pictures. We told him that if he was really into buying them he could do so online. As we are an online business. He said if not he would call Brian at BHB as he just supposedly bought an 800 gram male Pied from him.
He also had said he was ready to buy immediately, but needed more pictures sent by mail to show his clients. And that the library wouldn't let him print them off.

That is the last we heard from him.