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Burglary at Jeff Houston's place. Can anyone help?

The BoidSmith

The BoidSmith

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If you have any info please go to The Snake Keeper home page.

[QQUOTE]We really need to come together on this issue - THE REWARD for information leading to the ARREST & CONVICTION of the people responsible for the theft of the ball pythons at Jeff Houston’s house. We have been told if we can raise at least $50,000 we can make the PRIME TIME FOX NEWS!

I have been talking to Jeff since yesterday about the theft. We propose to raise a large sum of money to offer a reward. By offering a large reward we have a better chance of getting someone to offer information. That is what we need right now, information. Our plan is to let the authorities know on Monday what we have pledged to a reward fund. I want to get at least 50K by Monday evening. Money talks and we are hoping that a good reward will help to loosen some lips. The plan is to get the word out everywhere we can about the reward. We will call the local news in Anaheim, newspapers etc., to get the word out. If we can get it printed as a news story in the papers around where he lives we have a good chance of someone knowing something. Pet stores all around the town will also be notified. So that is what we have in mind.

Here is how we propose we go about this at this time. We really want to get everyone involved. This is a great opportunity for the industry to really come together and show our support for what we all do and love. Nothing would please us more than to capture those who are responsible. Remember this could have happened to you and it will happen again to someone. We need to show people that as an industry we are not going to stand by and just watch. WE CARE and we want to help.

To that end here is the plan. Please email me with your support. We are looking for a commitment of cash. What we need is for you to pledge that you will donate x amount of dollars to the REWARD fund for information leading to the ARREST & CONVICTION of those who are guilty. The authorities will know about this reward and they will determine if the reward is to be awarded. So please let the word out about this endeavor. WE DO NOT WANT YOUR MONEY NOW, just a pledge of the amount that you will give. Remember this is for ARREST & CONVICTION. Please email me your name, or business name, phone number etc., and the amount you wish to pledge and we will get the fund growing. Let’s see how many pledges we can collect by Monday. Please show your support.

Also if you know of any businesses that can help donate please let them know as well. Tell everyone. Anyone that sells reptiles and reptile related products should be in on this endeavor. Donate as much as you can really afford, because if it does work out you will need to pay it. If you have any more suggestions please email me. Thank you for your support.[/QUOTE]

Thanks.
 
This is an extremely important event.

We are not going to be able to stop all criminals. But this is going to send a strong message to those thinking about ripping someone off. The message here is that you cant hide from the truth forever. Somewhere down the road this SCUMBAG is going to run his game and get caught. We just want to catch him before he does it again. I want him caught before he does it to me! So I called today and pledged $500. Any compassionate herper will pledge what they can whether they know Jeff or not. As it turns out, I dont know the Jeff. In fact, I have never even heard off the guy until today. But at this point it doesnt really matter as it could have been(and may still be) any of us. Remember, you dont have to give the money untill the guy is caught, tried and convicted. So send in a good pledge and if you have to, save up for it. There are also people pledging animals. One last thing. There are some people that I know personally whos name should be on the pledge list. You know who you are, and I know you will do what you can.

Michael Durbin
 
This just sucks. Sorry Jeff

I don't usually post anything and just read the threads but I wanted to offer my deepest sympathy.

I will try to scrape up some extra money to pledge and I'm glad to see that a lot of people have come together on this unlike the Carolina breakin.

Do they have any suspects?

If I hear or see anything out of the ordinary, I'll be sure to report it.

Sorry again Jeff. Keep your chin up!


In God's Light.

Anita
 
KS has a link to the snake keeper donation page titled SNAKES STOLEN!!! - REWARD OFFERED as a page header in bold red that makes donating easy.
 
sounds like you need to give ADT a call, theres no reason anyones house should get broken into in this day and age. forget about the guy who already wrobed you , worry about the guy who might wrobe you a year down the road. go buy a house alarm you save money on your insurance any way. theres no reason not to have one. and a 50,000 dollar reward for a reptile crook? they dont even give that big of a reward for murders. lets get real. just put the word out of what reptile was stolen then when he trys to sell it thats when you got him. its not the herp communitys responsabilty to donate money becuse someone got took. smartn up and protect yourself .
 
its not the herp communitys responsabilty to donate money becuse someone got took
Click to expand...

A theif that steals a high end collection and had the knowledge that no one would stand up to it, will steal again. Locks, alarms only protect us from honest people getting greedy. A determined professional theif will bypass all of that. If this was done by an amateaur crook the surest way to turn him pro is letting him know that there are no reprecussions. The Tampa saga is one example of how one person or group of persons pulled multiple thefts of animals.

I don't think anyone was donating from a sense of responsibility but more out of charity (helping another in the community) and the hope that it would send the message that we will work together to promote/defend our hobby/business. Frankly I'd like to see more of this type of attitude.

Did your team not make it to the super bowl and this is the source of your negative attitude to helping someoneelse out ? :(
 
there is no way getting around ADT alarm. when its set off the cops will come. and im not being negitive its just that sooner or later this guy that stole the high end collection will try and sell it. and if this guy is breeding high end ball pythons, does he really need our charity those basterds are like 20 K each
 
Jeff houston, please let us know EXACTLY what was stolen, copy of police reports and all other info. no offence to you but when you start asking for money you should provide the proof that this really happend. and we all need to know the exact animals that where stolen incase anyone is soliceted to buy the same ones. its a sad situation, and i hate to be the one to question if its true or not, but its really easy to say hey i got wrobed everyone help out and donate what you can. = a big payoff.
 
The money is not being collected till the thief is arrested and convicted. How is there a big payoff?
 
collected by who? you? listen im just stateing the facts, its really easy for someone to make up this story. and who gets the money after the theif is cought? where is the police report from your break in? what animals where taken? how long did you own them? who did you buy them from? your asking for a lot , with out giveing any info as to what really happend.
 
alvaro said:
If you have any info please go to The Snake Keeper home page.

REWARD fund for information leading to the ARREST & CONVICTION of those who are guilty. The authorities will know about this reward and they will determine if the reward is to be awarded.
Click to expand...
 
As of this morning.

Total Pledged - $49360
Here is a list of snakes stolen.

0.1 pied, low white (white at tail) 1400 grams.
0.6 pastels 350-650 grams
1.1 orange ghosts 650 grams
0.2 het orange ghost 650 grams
1.0 mojave 650 grams
1.0 spider 700 grams
Plus many large normal females and hets.

Short story:


"There are a bunch of other hets and normals that I have not found, many of the hets I will not find as I don't know which ones they are.
I came home at 5:15 from work. Walked in to find the house trashed. (couch, chair, kitchen table, bookcases, stereos, etc all thrown over. As I went to every room I found the same, place was trashed. The digi camera which was on my dresser was not taken as well as $1000 in cash in the top drawer. They just dumped everything and broke stuff. (sad attempt to make it look like the snakes were not the reason for the break-in, another reason why I think this person is close, they knew I would suspect them and needed to make it look like a normal break in, they went WAY to far. cops said it was a snake theft) When I got to the snake room, the door was open. I have 3 racks, almost all of them were emptied, boxes piled all over the room. They just pulled them out and dumped them, taking the snakes they wanted. I ended up finding some of the normal females in the closet, behind the racks, etc. The place was a mess.
The entrance point was a window broken on the side of my house. My dog was there but could not get in the house or on the side of the yard. (he was fenced in back) People heard barking around 12-3 Thursday.
So far no one in the area saw anything."
Click to expand...

Thanks.

:(
 
JJFOUTZ said:
KS has a link to the snake keeper donation page titled SNAKES STOLEN!!! - REWARD OFFERED as a page header in bold red that makes donating easy.
Click to expand...

The link there goes to the snake keeper website. I don't think we are supposed to create links here.
 
www.ballpython.com .
Jeff was not asking for any money and the donations do not go to Jeff.
The Sutherlands stepped up to the plate with several other breeders (mind you these are some of the most respected ball python breeders in the country) to organize this reward.

I do not think that an ADT system is unbreakable. I believe that most of the Tampa pet store robberies happened even with security systems as mentioned by Daniel. I also believe that Jeff has a very large bullmastiff. So, I agree, a good theif can get around lots of security measures.

Dana
 
Its a sad story, but wheres the proof? whos in charge of collecting pleged money? this could be a scam , and like i said no offence. how about posting a copy of the police report ?
 
Its a sad story, but wheres the proof? whos in charge of collecting pleged money? this could be a scam , and like i said no offence. how about posting a copy of the police report ? and there is nothing wrong with posting a link.
 
am i supposed to belive this guy had 50,000 worth of snakes but was to cheap to buy a 500 dollar home alarm from adt ? if he had adt by the time these guys where done trashing the kitchen the cops would have been there.
 
The Fact is

Vince that people will think twice after what happened last time donation were asked for, People flocked to help out then to only be taken just in the way that you are pointing out. But there is a very big difference this time, No one is blindly sending money they are simply asking for people to pledge what they can afford and when someone steps forward and the scum is convicted then you send in the amount that you pledged.

This time it was a honest man that was robbed and a lot of honest people are standing behind him, so no I do not think for a second that this is a con like before, I stepped up and pledged money and I think that anyone else that want to put a stop to this patterern that has spread east to west.
 
even if this is not a con, how will it prevent this type of thing from happening again, people need to take it opon them selves to protect themselves, buy an alarm, I dont want anyone to think for a second that I know anything about this story other then what has been posted on this thread. but it seems to me that everyone out there needs to take extra steps to protect themselves from theft, this is not a new thing, people have been stealing since there where things to steal. I dont understand how they orginasied this , such as when where and who will collect this pleged money. if jeff huston is out there please post. i would like to hear exactly whats been going on. have the cops started an investigation? also on another point, there recient has been a lot of use of micro chips in dogs, maybe you big snake guys should start useing them in those 20 grand snakes of yours.and come on you have to have some idea who wrobed you, it has to be someone you already know, someone whos been where you keep your snakes, and knows there way around your house. I dont know it all seems fishy to me, but i dont see the point of this huge reward? wouldnt it bring alot of false statements , i meen 50 grand is a lot of money, why ot just let poilice handel it, and put a heavy word out about any one selling simaler snakes that where taken from your home. hey dave so you are saying the last time some one collected money for a break in it was a scam? thats crazy, how the hell did they get away with scaming like that?
 
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