Two Rivers board raises questions about Hardin (APF) prison contract

[Newsjock]

Source: Billings Gazette

HARDIN - The president of the Two Rivers Authority board said today that he has too many questions to even think of signing a contract with American Police Force to take over Hardin's empty jail.

... The board was talking about the need to hire an attorney to review its proposed contract with American Police Force when board member Bob Crane said he had discovered that he and the board were being lied to repeatedly by Michael Hilton, who has been the public face of APF.

... Specifically, Crane said the man Hilton identified as the person he hired to run the jail, Mike Cohen of Dublin, Ohio, said he had no association with Hilton.

Reached later today, Cohen said he applied for a job with APF early in September but had too many suspicions about the company to pursue the matter. Nevertheless, he said, Hilton apparently brandished the resume he'd sent in - showing Cohen's extensive experience in military training - and touted Cohen as his new director.

... "I told him flat out I have no idea who this joker is," Cohen said.

Read more: http://billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/montana/article_f98066fe-b1e8-11de-8042-001cc4c002e0.html

[DeSwiss]

1. Here's an idea....

...take whomever it was that came up with this "if we build it, they'll do time" idea, and lock them up in the jail. Better still, why don't we lock-up the boards of Goldman, Sachs, AGI, CitiBank and Bank of America in there. They're all just Bernie Madoffs on a larger scale, anyway. And I'm sure the Treasury Dept. could scrape something from petty cash to help those folks out up there for doing that for us.

- And think of it, it'd really be a twofer. Since what's left of the Repukes is sure to follow them once the money drys up. And you can throw a few Blue Dogs in there too, for good measure.....

on edit: spelling

[Oldtimeralso]

2. K & R and proud to be # 5 n/t

[Judi Lynn]

3. American Police Force Leader's Long Criminal Record

American Police Force Leader's Long Criminal Record
Zachary Roth | October 1, 2009, 11:17AM

The American Police Force, that mysterious security company that just took over an empty jail in Hardin, Montana, is looking shadier than ever.

Since yesterday, details have been emerging about the background of the man behind APF -- a California-based grifter, who has said he's a naturalized U.S. citizen originally from Montenegro, and uses the name Michael Hilton.

Over the years, Hilton has served jail time for fraud, and had a string of arrests and other run-ins with the law. Based on reports from the AP, the Billings Gazette, and Prison Legal News, here's a quick rundown:

• 1988: Hilton arrested in Santa Ana, Calif. for writing bad checks.

• April 1990: Hilton is again arrested in Santa Ana for writing bad checks and for grand theft.

• 1992: A civil judgment of $83,000 is entered against Hilton and Ilia Dokovich.

• March 1993: Hilton pleads guilty in Orange County court to 14 felonies, including 10 counts of grand theft. One charge involves a $20,000 real estate scam, in which Hilton persuaded an associate to give him a deed on property in Long Beach, Calif., saying it was to be used as collateral on a loan, then sold the property to someone else. According to the AP, he spends six years in prison in California.

• 1999: A small claims judgment is entered against Hilton for $3,979.

• 2000: the same plaintiff obtans another small claims judgment against Hilton in Los Angeles County, this one for $1,852.

• March 2000: Hilton is accused of fraud, larceny, and breach of contract, in connection to a venture in which Hilton and others recruited the plaintiff to invest hundreds of thousands of dollars to create collectible Super Bowl commemorative coins. According to the complaint, Hilton and the others said the money would be used for the design and manufacture of the coins and for a license to produce them from the National Football League -- but the NFL never issued a license. Hilton is ultimately ordered to pay the plaintiff $200,000.

• Around the same period: Hilton also faces two similar fraud suits: In one, he's accused of posing as a fine arts dealer to deceive a Utah couple into giving him a $100,000 silver statue. In the other, he is said to have teamed with a doctor to recruit investors for a southern California assisted-living facility that was never built.

• November 2002: Hilton files for bankruptcy, in order to avoid eviction by his landlord.

• March 2003: Hilton is arrested for DUI in Huntington Beach.

• February 2004: Hilton files for bankruptcy once more, again to avoid eviction.

• January 2006: A $5,052 judgment lien is entered against Hilton in Orange County, CA.

More:
http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/10/american_police_force_leaders_long_criminal_record.php

Rec. #6

[Hubert Flottz]

4. Damn, this guy sounds more like the next GOP top hand...

than A Bush or a Palin...

[pattmarty]

5. Just put this piece of shit down, just like a rabid dog. Another shit stain removed.

[madmom]

6. How could he file for bankruptcy in 2002 and 2004? I thought you had to wait so many years between?

[dixiegrrrrl]

7. uhh..you may have noticed he *ignores* niceties like law.

Besides, with all those aliases, he can file bankruptcy a dozen times.