Msherps

[brucestephenson]

Yes, I do like Tom Crutchfield and Mike Barrera.

I make no apologies whatsoever. We all make our choices and that is mine.
Being a hardcore moderate lifelong Democrat, I have a different worldview from about fifty percent of you. I see things in shades of gray, not black and white. But, I still like you and hang out with you here at Fauna. I even hang out with Tom, even though he is a big Republican.

I do not require that we always agree!

 

[Jim O]

Lol.
Jim O....
Take it how you want but you are still wrong.
So you know
I never liked Guns,
Never liked voting
never lost two years of my life-as I will be finishing my degree while I am there at Club Fed....without any distractions.
not a common criminal, as this is a rare occurence of law breaking here in the U.S.,I would say I am a rare form of criminal....
The Hogg Island , believe it or not, but my original assumptions are being proven right now by three of the top Universities in the Country in respect to Herpetology, and the simple facts I tried to imply to you were they were the same thing, different islands

You may not like guns or voting. I like both but even if I didn't I like my freedom of choice, something you have lost.

Most crimes can be broken into one of three categories with some overlap. Crimes of necessity, crimes of passion, and crimes of greed. All are pretty common. Your crimes were crimes of greed, make no mistake about it. That's common and so are you.

I love how you say you know all the big people and the big universities. OK Mike, I'll bite. Who are the three top scientists are these three top universities. Names, Mike. Not boasts.

Enjoy your $10 whore and your Big Mac.

Profit from prison and finish your degree. I did that a long time ago, the honest way. My college years were some of the most fun of my life. Somehow I can't imagine you saying that two years from now. But if you like it there a lot it would be easy for you to arrange a return trip.

Yes, no distractions. They tell you what to wear, what to eat, when to eat, when to go to sleep, when to wake up. They'll pay you 30 cents an hour to wash toilets. Really, that is my idea of a productive two years. *shrugs*

Please drop us a line from Club Fed. Somthing tells me that with an attitude like yours you will be in a max lockup in a month, where you will have no opportunities to get a degree.

At least you see the glass as half full and see this as an opportunity. Now use it to eat a large serving of humble pie.

Passing bad checks is a crime and those people belong in prison also. If that makes you feel better then so be it. None of that changes what I said.

Read slowly:

Mike, you are a common criminal.

 

[brucestephenson]

Best of luck to you Mike!

It is a shame on our society that a decent, hardworking, and intelligent talented person should waste part of his life away in prison over importing reptiles. What a waste of our tax dollars!

How many violent people are just released because there is no room for them, or the judge does not consider their level of violence to be serious enough to warrant much time!

God Bless You, Bruce.

 

[miamireps]

Jim,
Whatever you say man....if you actually KNEW me as a person, I can bet you would like me also...
But I probably wouldn't like you....
10 bucks for a whore? man I could say something really bad right now but , I am not that type of person......and it would be free.
No whores, dont need them like you might....I was gonna throw it at a stripper I have every freedom to do so, dont I? That freedom wasnt taken away , so why do I need guns?
The freedoms taken away are not the freedoms I wanted anyways, yes it sucks I have to pay the consequences, but I knew that from the time I made the decision to go along with it....
If I ever decide to vote again, I can do so...just take a little time, but no biggie....I am a very humble person......this is just a bump in the road....
after this I am making a hard right turn and making my own path.

Just for your information...I did it becuase I wanted to have some very neat animals no one else had, and if someone did, they were prize posessions.....after that I saw money and money makes the world go round.....atleast I made my humanitarian effort by providing real food on peoples plates overseas instead of turtle soup and tortoise souffle.
But alot of you do not see that.
Shame.

I admit it I am a common criminal, I guess I cannot win with you on that fact...you made a good point. Good for you! Now did you ever understand the reason why I told you the whole el salvador boas in the first place? I doubt it,
lable me what you want, I know who I am , and what I stand for, when I need to stand.

 

[pch101]

Like nobody knew that was coming. It's in the convicted felon justification handbook. Hey, if I was an illegal poacher, I would have one hell of a collection. As for Bruce (Crutchfield worshiper) who is suprised that he also worships this convicted felon. Seems Bruce only thinks child molesters have to follow laws. Any laws he disagrees with don't count, therefore even convicted felons are noble, ethical people. Whatever.
Reptilebreeder

Ya John, you took the words right out of my mouth!

Mike is an admitted felon
Mike may have been young and naive the first time. After that he was greedy or simply chose to take a shortcut around the law
Mike has "so much money that he can do what he wants" but he allowed his good friend to buy him a $25 membership here that he obviously could not afford. But I am sure that he will be paying you back. No doubt the check is in the mail. While on the subject of doing what you want, how about we discuss this further over dinner in your favorite restaurant next Saturday night? Oh, I forgot, I don't think that the warden will let you out for that.
Mike will be losing two years of his life, well deserved.
Mike can never vote again
Mike can never own a firearm again
Mike is a wildlife smuggler with whom I would not do business, but then I am a small fish and a pawn so why would he care....except that he had to PM me to get his message through because he didn't have $10 to buy his way into the club
Mike claims to know "all the big names". Why haven't they all come out to defend you? Who are they?
Mike still thinks that the big problem was that he got caught.
Yes, Mike, I am sure going to thank you in a few years when lawmakers point to scumbag smugglers of your ilk and tighten regulations further. Thanks in advance in fact.

Oh, and Hogg Island Boas are from those islands. Call them what you like. But I'll call you what you are and that's a liar. Show us those DNA results. Nevermind because no one has done them I'm sure. And even if they had I doubt that you have the scientific expertise to even begin to understand them. And, as Johnnie Cochran said, "if the glove don't fit, ya gotta acquit". If they don't come from those islands they are not Hogg Island Boas. Pretty simple fact to this small fish.

The story on those so-called Hoggs is so convoluted that it stank like a smuggler might have figured a way to make it "work". Why am I not surprised in the least?

Mike, enjoy your time in the federal system. I hope you share a cell with a big guy named Bubba and that he finds out you like reptiles because then you can be sure you will get to take care of this trouser snake.

Again, you are lucky to have friends who will defend you. My hat is off to those two and to any others that come by here to do the same. Friends do that for friends.

You should learn some humility from those friends and stop telling us what a big, big guy you are. They have risked their own reputations being associated with a felonious reptile smuggler. You are so full of yourself that you never thought that you would get caught. Take it from me, all that a big shot attitude like that will get you in prison is dentures.
Jim O

Jim, I agree 100%with everything you said, except for the trouser snake thing. I wouldn't wish that on anyone (I would be too afraid of the possible bad karma).

I just do not understand how people can have such disregard for the laws. Even more amazing are the people that choose idolize these felons. Bruce, you seem like a nice guy, but I would not ever purchase anything from you, simply due to the people that you look up to and defend. I can say the same for Andrew, and Mitch. Like it or not, we are judged by those that we choose to associate with, especially those we choose to call friend. I would think this would be obvious.

Also for those that made an effort to trash Chris, I would tell you that Chris is one of the people that make this site work as well as it does. I can't even imagine how someone could ever think that bashing Chris would somehow help their cause. That had to be the dumbest move anyone could ever make.

 

[brucestephenson]

We wouldn't sell to you anyway. Ha, Ha!

 

[pch101]

I would not expect you to sell to me, and I think you missed my point. But as I have said in the past, I respect your right to your opinion. I just do not agree with it.

 

[miamireps]

Lol....if they only knew.....
like they say on Mtv, some show that it has stuck in my mind...the words:
You may know, but you have no idea..or something to that effect...I am actually having fun here....
I do not justify what I did.......but I look at the positive outcome of negative things....

now that is good Karma....

hey I never set out to trash Chris.....
I started by telling him about Ms herps and what kind of biz it is and the situations, but he totally started attacking and taking out of context certain things to make it look like he actually knew what he was talking about....
then started with me, so then what goes around comes around......of all people , I think I should know.....

 

[turtlepimp]

James,don't get me wrong,I like Chris,even though he has a wicked habit of talking smack based on narrow truths.Be that as it may,I like who I like,and only dislike a handfull very,very few.Only those who would take someones money without fullfilling the obligtions on thier end get under my skin.

I gave Mike the Trader Rating based on my experience with him.Why now?Because he is going to Camp Cupcake in a day.Yeah,it will do him no good,but I like the guy.And until he takes someones cash without giving up healthy animals,he deserves it.BOI is not by design a place to discuss a persons morals,there are other places on this site for that.

Lemme give it to you the way I see it.Mike was offered cheap healthy animals overseas.They came in,they were nice.He bought more,and got caught.He wasn't trudgeing through the jungle paying natives to collect endangered animals,he made a judgement call that was poor.All those Flys and Stars have been placed in the care of the TSA.The only legal Flyrivers that have come in in the last five years.Illegal at the time of importation,but now in the care of those that will see them prosper.It may have been a dumb move on Mikes part,but at least for the animals it has worked out.

Ethics?Mike has been a stellar buisnessman in the reptile community.I have heard of absolutely no one that has had a bad deal with Mike.No one.Im my eyes,and the eyes of others,he is a decent guy that you do not have to worry about either getting paid or getting what you pay for.

It makes me sick to see him go though what he has in the last few years over this.His shipment was overvalues by 1000%.He is a college kid with a bright future that now has to spend the net two years without his freedom.I know we have laws for a reason,and it could have been worse.I just feel for the guy.

As far as not buying from me?No disrespect,but I am a hobbyist.I breed 90% of my own animals.I sell to no resellers,and my industry is more cottage than you think.Do you know what a Callagur is?

Andy Sury

 

[pch101]

I truly do hope that you are able to turn your time into a positive experience, It just does not seem like you feel that you think what you did was wrong, and I guess that is the part that worries me the most. Like Bruce, you seem like a nice enough guy, but you came off as pretty cocky in your earlier posts and messages that were posted for you.

 

[pch101]

Andrew, No disrespect taken. Like Bruce and Mike, you are entitled to your opinion. My point is that people will judge pother people by the company they keep. Right or wrong, that is just a fact of life. As for your last paragraph... Well, you lost me towards the end there???

 

[miamireps]

True I may have come off cocky, but I am having fun right now, I dont like looking at negative sides of things, I always look at the positive, even when I lost a very valued turtle, I thought well, atleast he had enough breeding to make his life happy, lol.
I do know that what I did was wrong. I admit that, its actually pretty obvious to me, what I do not agree with is judgment on a person by reading their words. Judgement should be made based on personal real life experience....do not judge a person by what you may think he means, judge them by what you know direct from him, only you could judge someone, not have someone judge someone for you....that was what pissed me off in the first place, people were judging without real known facts.....know the person and understand what situation they are in, and you will know that person.
I will publicly acknowlegdey here on this almight site of the super powers of the reptile kingdom:

I admit what I did was wrong in the eyes of the written laws of the good ole U.S.A....but at the same time I am glad I made a difference....and remember I am looking at it positively.

By the way USFWS said ALL and I asked them twice, ALL reptile breeders, dealers, hobbyists, etc are CRIMINALS.....so hey we share a common criminality. That is after I asked them what situation was better, palte or tank?

 

[miamireps]

palte- Plate

 

[turtlepimp]

I truly do hope that you are able to turn your time into a positive experience, It just does not seem like you feel that you think what you did was wrong, and I guess that is the part that worries me the most. Like Bruce, you seem like a nice enough guy, but you came off as pretty cocky in your earlier posts and messages that were posted for you.

James,the funny thing is is that if knew him,his comments weren't cocky at all,he was just reacting to Chris' comments.You read this board,Chris likes to play,but I urge all uf us not to take ourselves too seriously.This is a hobby to most of us.Chris has his set of ethics towards others that I do not follow.

I don't have to much to do with this board,as I am a simple breeder.I sell a little online,but I have never had a bad deal.I don't go out of my way to send people here.But with my Faunaclassifieds Icon on my website,I actually had some give me a goodguy post.I am pretty sure Chris' TOS are that you have visit here to pump him up.Thats ok as well.He is just a poor white man trying to keep his piece of the pie.He has to compete in the ever shrinking market of boa,python,beardie,leo dealers.There is alot to be said about how he handles his transactions,he just like to play.

The actual point of this thread is that any Tom,Dick,and Harry can get a wholesale list faxed or emailed to them and do whatever they want to sell them.Look at the amount of ads that scream bull****.Chris just like to call them out.

 

[Jim O]

Well....my final word to you, Mike, is here are some choice quotes from you:

Top Shelf, or Chris, do you sell Bearded Dragons, Diamond Pythons, Argentine Tegus, Jungle Carpets, etc??? if so your welcome.

Only people in the know it all, know what I mean by this....but you can thank me 5-10 years from now.

As for the "scoop", well I am selling it to NBC so I got to keep it short....

I have been a kingsnake member for ages, and a fauna member before you even knew about this site.

I also grew up with a ton of people that are very well known worldwide and have more contacts (legit) than you will ever dream of. As for the comment owhen I said , I have had animals you only could dream of having, well your damn right. Go to the zoo. Maybe you can interact with some, heard a bunch of my stuff is at Metro Zoo here in Miami, saw some, make excelllent exhibits, but for the industry as a whole, they should have gone to private individuals who would actually do something with them.

Atleast I can say I had an impact in this industry, a positive impact in what I have done AFTER the fact of being busted.
You just go on projects, or boats, or whatever you want to call it, that someone already paved very well for others to follow.

Your a nobody in this industry, think of it as a whole. Your an insignificant fish in a huge INTERNATIONAL pond.

This is the same thing that goes on in all other forums all over the net, you have a few people who have nothing better to do becuase they aint got crap in their racks, so sit at their desk all day or deal with annoying customers wanting a leopard gecko from your store, and release your frustrations in life by trying to burden others whom you have no idea what your talking about.

ask ANYBODY that knows me, and trust me its alot of people, its because whomeever I have ever dealt with, TRUST me for my good animals, or my knowledge on what is what and how to make money for both parties. involved,something you cannot do out of your store.

Alot of people, including you, do not see the much bigger picture involved...your only little pawns in an already lost game of chess.

Take it how you want but you are still wrong.

not a common criminal, as this is a rare occurence of law breaking here in the U.S.,I would say I am a rare form of criminal....

The Hogg Island , believe it or not, but my original assumptions are being proven right now by three of the top Universities in the Country in respect to Herpetology,...

reptilebreeder, lol....another small fish.....

And then the kicker:

I am a very humble person

And I have a bridge for sale, in Brooklyn.

 

[pch101]

Mike,

Thanks for the clearification, I actually really appreciate this side of you, that I am now seeing. However, I am curious as to the last statement that you made. Did this come from some dumbass that also happens to be a Law enforcment agent for USFWS that was spouting his opinion, or are you actually saying that this the official view of USFWS? I ask because I have a friend that works with USFWS, and he is a great guy. He knows that I breed and sell my Rosy Boas, and he is cool with that. In fact, he gave me a really nice Whitewater female Rosy Boa just because he knew I would really appreciate it and care for it. He knows that I intend to breed it, and he is ok with that as well. So does he think that I am a criminal? I hope not . He just looks at wild like a lot differently than many posters here do.

 

[miamireps]

My investigation involved a myriad of agents both customs, and usfws, they all stated in general format, we are all criminals, when I asked them smugglers like me? or in general the industry as a whole, they said the industry as a whole....maybe not so for every agent, but for the tampa/orlando customs, usfws agents, definetly.....sad thing, cause we have done much better good than any zoos have ever done.

 

[MLechner]

Mike,

I don't pretend to know much about life abroad or what fate would have been met by these animals if they had not been exported. My question is are they being collected to fulfill a demand by herpers? Would they have been collected in the same numbers if their only purpose was soap or food? I don't know and I'm really curious.

I was pretty heavily involved with exotic birds a number of years ago, eventually my home state at the time (New York) banned the sale of all wild caught birds, not just endangered species. Much mention was made of the fact that there was an extremely high mortality rate of imported birds...I'm not talking about after they were released but while they were in quarantine awaiting release in this country...the statistics although I don't remember them exactly were staggering.

If wild caught herps fare as poorly then I see that as an excellent reason to prevent importation.

BTW this post is not in judgement of you, and although it is off topic I hope the members of this forum can forgive me, this subject has been bothersome to me and I'd appreciate some sort of input.

One more thing, I agree that the pant snake comment was totally uncalled for. To suggest that such violence is deserved in this case is IMO really off base.

 

[MLechner]

Should have read

to prevent the importation of endangered species.....sorry.

 

[Chris@TSE]

Wow, much has happened since my last visit.

I did not set out to trash anyone, I stated fact. Got a problem with it? Tough.

And secondly, I do agree with a majority of what you have to say, but I'll add one nice tidbit of information....... And you should listen.

Brag all you like, pat yourself on the back, whatever helps you sleep better at night, but I will tell you this. Plenty of people contribute to this industry and they did not have to smuggle to do it. They did not have to break the law. Only someone like you could come here and with a straight face try to make light of a felony. A serious one at that. Yes, you were young and dumb, okay I'll give you that. But guess what? You dont see everyone else making those mistakes.........

Fact is according to MSHERPS correspondence, he seemed rather genuine, and addmitted fault.... Great, seems like he's a good guy trying to actually make it. So be it, Ill give him the benifit of the doubt after hearing his side of it.

THEN you pop up and start making matters worse, turning a simple scenario into a daytime soap opera. Who cares.... Really.

Do you think for a second I care what you have done or who you know? Absolutely not. I do care that you're a felon trying to preach. Simple as that.

You seem like a good guy, but lets get one thing straight here son. I did not have to break the law to make a name for myself. Now, with that said, lets see how long you would like to drag this out. I thank you for "answering" my inquiry. I was rather curious why all of a sudden, after seeing your name mentioned in this thread, people began sending me info about you. Seems you have more enemies than friends these days. I can see why........

Good luck, stay out of jail.