"Striking it Rich:" California Man's 9-Pound Nugget a Scam?



 (The so-called "Washington Nugget" may not be from California after all.)

Batten Down the Hatches!

Stand by for heavy seas and batten down the hatches, me hearties! The nearly 9-troy pound "Washington Nugget" supposedly uncovered by Jim Sanders (yep, now his full name is out) on his Nevada County property and recently sold to a private collector for nearly half a million dollars may not be California placer gold after all.

Before I get into the meat of the matter here, you can read these posts for background info leading up to this latest revelation:

"Striking It Rich:" California Man Finds 9-Pound Nugget (Updated)"

"Striking It Rich:" California Man Cashes in on Spectacular Nugget"

Same Nugget Found Near Ballarat?

OK, back to this unusual tale turned even stranger by recent events. It seems an Aussie placer miner named Murray Cox is claiming to all who'll listen that he and his "pard," Reggie Wilson, found this very same nugget in the Outback way back in 1987. In case you didn't already know it, the 1980s produced a veritable explosion of very large gold nuggets (including the "Hand of Faith") in the Aussie Outback as newer and better metal detectors began being used by a new breed of prospector turned treasure hunter...the nugget shooter.

Strapworks.com - any strap, any length, any color!

Cox claims he and Wilson found this very same nugget which they called the "Orange Roughie" near Ballarat, Victoria in 1987 and that Wilson sold it in 2000 to a dealer for just $50,000. Interestingly enough, photos of their find show a nugget that is essentially the same size, shape, color, and weight as the "Washington Nugget." Hmmmmmmmm....

(Reggie Wilson with the "Orange Roughie" nugget from Ballarat, Australia.)

Tests Could Confirm or Deny

Now even Fred Holabird, the geologist who conducted the recent auction of the "Washington Nugget," is having second thoughts and admits he (and others) may have been scammed. Holabird is now calling for mineralogical identification tests to be performed on the purported find by Jim Sanders (who also goes by the moniker of James Saunders Grill) on his Nevada County, California property. Chemical/mineralogical tests would confirm for once and for all that the nugget in question is Aussie gold from Ballarat and not gold from California's Northern Motherlode region.

Jim Sanders (a.k.a, Saunders, Grill, etc.), who claimed to have found the "Washington"/"Orange Roughie" on his property outside Nevada City is not talking to the press or anyone else these days. Nor is Spectrum Numismatics International, the company that placed the winning bid at the nugget's recent auction.

I'll Tell You What I Know

Who's telling the truth and who's lying here? No one seems 100 percent certain at this point. Those in Sanders' camp say that Reggie Wilson and Murray Cox are liars and the two Aussies maintain steadfastly that the "Washington Nugget" is in reality, their former "Orange Roughie" and that Sanders and the rest of his co-conspirators are "scammers."

What is known is that Sanders or Saunders or Grill or whatever his name is who owns the California property where the "Washington Nugget" was supposedly found was asking millions of dollars for his land. Sounds a bit like "salting the works," doesn't it?

(Comparison photo; "Washington Nugget"on left and the "Orange Roughie" on the right.)

I'll tell you what I know...right now is a very good time to get your ass scammed or hustled...especially with anything dealing with gold or gold mining. With gold as high as it is, the red warning lights should start blinking inside your head because every 2-bit hustler, scammer, con artist, thief, and liar is out there trying to cash in on your dreams.

I know this only too well from my own recent experiences....so do as I say and not as I do...be smart and DON'T ASSUME ANYTHING...moreover, don't believe anyone or anything until the proof is solidly in hand.

Good hunting to one and all.

If you liked this post, you may want to read: "Gold Detector Reviews: Garrett's 'Infinium LS' (Conclusion)"

(c)  Jim Rocha (J.R.)  2011

Questions? E-mail me at jr872vt90@yahoo.com

Must "Reads" and "Sees" on Jesse James and the KCG (Part 2)

In this post I'll focus a bit more attention on those written and visual works dealing with the Knights of the Golden Circle (KGC) and to a certain extent, Jesse James' possible connection with the KGC. Remember, I am only selecting those materials that I consider worthwhile:

"K.G.C.: An Authentic Exposition of the Origin, Objects, and Secret Work of the Organization Known as the Knights of the Golden Circle:" Despite its rather lengthy and cumbersome title, this historical treatise contains many salient facts about the KGC's structure and strategies. This one is a must if you're a serious researcher or treasure hunter.

"The Life Story of Albert Pike:" Albert Pike figured prominently in the hierarchy of the KGC and may well have been closely associated with Frank and Jesse James, and other partisan guerrillas of Civil War Missouri. Know the man and know his connection to KGC troves.

"Ride With the Devil:" The best movie ever made about "bushwhackers" and Confederate partisan rangers in Missouri. Although not strictly about Jesse and KGC treasure, this DVD will fill in the gaps about many aspects of the brutal border wars, including Quantrill's murderous raid on Lawrence, Kansas.

"Jesse James' Hidden Treasure:" This DVD is from the immensely popular TV program aired on the Discovery Channel.This is the one where researchers and treasure hunters actually find a gold dore bar and are hot on the trail of a large Jesse James/KGC cache.

"The Truth About Jesse James:" This may be considered one for the conspiracy theory crowd, but author Betty Duke makes one hell of a case for Jesse having faked his own death with the help of Governor Crittenden. Where did Jesse and his treasure end up? Read this one and you'll find out!

That's it for this series of posts. Good hunting out there!

If you liked this post, you may want to read: "James Boys Treasure Signs and Symbols: Important Reader Information"

(c)  Jim Rocha (J.R.)  2011

Questions? E-mail me at jr872vt90@yahoo.com

"Must-Reads" and "Sees" on Jesse James and the KGC (Part 1)

Hard Evidence?

Jesse James and the Knights of the Golden Circle (KGC) seem more and more entwined these days in the treasure hunting community. There is no doubt in my own mind that some KGC caches have been recovered by  savvy treasure hunters who have done their research and paid their dues in various ways and means.

Many treasure hunters and researchers (myself included) believe there is hard evidence that Jesse and Frank James were KGC operatives or "sentinels" while the "conspiracy theorists" argue that Jesse was part of even larger forces at work in American politics and society. There are even those today who claim that Jesse did not die at the hands of the "dirty little coward" Bob Ford, but instead staged his own death only to emerge later as a U.S. Senator! (I kid you not...)

A Wealth of Information

Thankfully, there is a wealth of information out there both historical and theoretical in nature that you can read to make your own determination of "who's who and what's what" when it comes to Jesse, Frank, the James Gang, and KGC treasure. Here are some of those books and associated materials:

"Frank & Jesse James: The Story Behind the Legend:" This book is a must if you're a serious researcher on the James Boys and in finding out new information on them and their activities. Author Ted Yeatman provides a comprehensive look at Frank and Jesse during the Civil War as well as targeting issues like the many Jesse James impostors who came after Jesse's murder. Yeatman also includes a detailed account of the exhumation of Jesse's grave in 1995.

"The Rise and Fall of Jesse James:" Considered a true "classic" and "must read" by many researchers, treasure hunters, and students of Old West history, this book was authored by Rupertus Love in 1990."The Rise and Fall.." is still considered on of the BEST books written on Jesse in the last 100+ years and should be part of the library of anyone dedicated to learning more about Jesse and his activities.

"Jesse James: The Man and The Myth:" Marley Brant's book in on Jesse came out in 1998 and uses many historic documents including county and state records, legal papers, first-hand accounts, and family history to tell Jesse's "tale." Despite all the potentially "dry" documentation it contains, this book is a great read that you'll find hard to put down.

"Shadow of the Sentinel: One Man's Quest to Find the Hidden Treasure of the Confederacy:" This book carries on with treasure hunter Bob Brewer's theories, discoveries, and recoveries concerning Jesse James and KGC treasure troves, many of which were first published in "Rebel Gold." This newest book by Warren Getler and Brewer leans a bit heavily toward the conspiracy theory standpoint, but it still should be read by anyone wanting to learn more about the James Boys, the KGC, and KGC repositories.

"The Real Jesse James Collection:"  For those of you who would rather see than read, this collection of DVDs has many interesting facts, some of which you may have not learned from other sources. It's put together nicely and makes intriguing viewing for anyone interested in Jesse and the Boys.

That's all for now. Good hunting till we cross paths again.

If you liked this post, you may want to read: "$2,000,000 in James Boys Loot? (Part 1)"

(c)  Jim Rocha (J.R.)  2011

Questions? E-mail me at jr872vt90@yahoo.com

5 Tips for Working Southern California Beaches During the Off Season

(Tidal surges like this can uncover veritable treasure troves on SoCal beaches.)

An Altogether Different Beast

I consider the off season for working Southern California (SoCal) beaches the period from late October-early November into March. Usually, December, January, and February are the high-incidence months for Pacific storms and high tidal surges and tend to provide the best beach hunting in SoCal.

Metal Detectors
Treasure Hunting

Compared to peak season, SoCal beach hunting in the off season is an altogether different beast for the most part. I can tell you this though...during my 10 years working SoCal beaches my very best jewelry and coin recoveries occurred in the off season, once certain conditions were met by Mother Nature and I followed the tips outlined below.

1. Work the storms. The larger Pacific storm events and tidal surges provide the best opportunity for SoCal beach hunters to cash in big. This is especially true if large amounts of overburden sand are stripped away leaving only cobbled rock or better yet, bedrock or clay surfaces. You can see in the photo at the beginning of this post just how strong some of these surges were in SoCal during the 1982-1983 El Nino storm events. Conditions like this can open up veritable treasure troves of gold and silver jewelry, coins, and artifacts for savvy beach hunters. I myself pulled thousands and thousands of dollars worth of "goodies" off San Diego County beaches after events like these during off seasons in the1980s. So, be prepared to hit those beaches during (if you can do it safely) or immediately after storm events

2. Work beaches with cliffs behind them. The very best beaches to work during the SoCal off season are those with cliffs backing them up. Why? Simply because the cliffs represent a form of bedrock or artificial bedrock that underlies the beaches themselves. If you have ever done any gold mining or panning you know that gold, being as heavy and dense as it is, will eventually move downward until it can move no farther. Ditto for beach gold and silver jewelry and silver and gold coins (even clad coins will get worked down eventually as well). After large storm surge events when lighter sands and gravel get washed away and the underlying rock cobbles or "bedrock" are exposed, in many instances you won't even need a metal detector to spot gold jewelry or coins (although it's always good to have your machine along.) You'll find beaches in SoCal that are intermittently backed by cliffs running from San Diego all the way to Santa Barbara (and points north.)

3. Work the high tides. To ensure the best hunting possible during off season try working the higher tides whenever possible or practical. SoCal storm events during the off season typically include higher tides or tidal surges than those seen in the peak season. Many rings, coins, and other pieces of jewelry will be uncovered as the tide begins receding or backing off the beach. If conditions are ripe and you are there at the right time and place, you may find "goodies" laying there exposed just waiting to be picked up by hand. You won't even have to swing a detector once you get things wired. I know...been there and done that. Additionally, if you can be in place ready to hunt as the high tides recede, you'll beat other beach hunters to the punch in most instances. But after the largest Pacific storm events when copious amounts of beach overburden are stripped away, any time is good.

4. Take a sturdy digging tool. No, I'm not talking about those serrated knife-like coin retrievers and such sold by metal detector manufacturers or sellers. When I first starting working SoCal beaches off season I used a small garden shovel. But in the end, the best tool I found for digging into bedrock pockets and scraping overburden away was a sturdy garden hoe. I cut the length of the handle down to suit my own height and reach and sanded the cut away area till it was smooth and round. That is, by far, the BEST tool to use on cliff-backed SoCal beaches after big storms and tidal surges.

Carhartt Wear
Wolverine Boots

5. Waterproof yourself and your detector. During (and to some extent, after) storm events you are going to get wet, pure and simple. Not because you'll be working the surf or beach waterline, but because you'll be dealing with winds and rain at least some of the time (if not a good part of the time). Get yourself a poncho liner, some rubber boots, or whatever else works best for you. Ditto for your detector...cover it in plastic or something similar unless you have a waterproof housing unit. Oh, and bring some heavy duty chemical gloves along...the type that are insulated inside and have heavy rubber outside. You'll learn why the first time you start trying to pull what I call "oxidized" or "fused" clusters of coins and jewelry from bedrock.

Good hunting out there.

If you liked this post, you may want to read: "5 Tips for Working Southern California Beaches During Peak Season"

(c)  Jim Rocha (J.R.)  2011

Questions? E-mail me at jr872vt90@yahoo.com

5 Tips for Working Southern California Beaches During Peak Season

(Huge crowds at a SoCal surfing contest.)

Potential Jackpots

Southern California (SoCal) attracts some of the largest beach-going crowds you'll find in the entire U.S. This may not be an asset for surfers or sun worshippers, but to a beach hunter searching for lost coins and jewelry it means potential jackpots.

Some of the highest dollar coin and jewelry recoveries I've made in my modest treasure hunting career were on SoCal beaches, particularly in San Diego County. Other beach hunters I'ver known over the years have made literal "killings" on beaches in the Los Angeles area.

Treasure Hunting

With these points made, let me give you 5 tips for working SoCal beaches during peak season (i.e., Summer, late Spring, early Fall):

1. Study beach activity. Before you begin to hunt a selected beach, study the activity on and around it for a day or two during peak hours. Note where the largest crowds gather, where lots of activity tends to occur, and where most beach goers lay out their towels and belongings. This advance knowledge can produce very positive results for savvy beach hunters.

2. Get there early. If you wait to try your hand at beach hunting later in the day, you'll be swinging your detector in the midst of large, milling crowds and bearing the brunt of throngs of curious "Lookie Lous" and those who make it a point to direct smart-ass comments your way or even confront you (yes, stuff like this does happen). Here, the "early bird" may not get the worm, but your beach hunting forays will be much more enjoyable. Also, many large, high-use SoCal beaches these days are "cleaned" by sifting trucks or similar vehicles...you don't want to be hunting after these things have already "worked" an area.

(A good time to beach hunt.)

3. Search high-traffic areas first. Unless you're a diver or shallow water treasure hunter, forget what you've read and been told about working the wet sand at the waterline. Look for areas of compressed loose sand where blankets and towels were laid down and where trash pokes its ugly head out of the sand. The most recently lost items will be in these areas, including rings and other pieces of jewelry. But remember this important point: gold and silver are very heavy and will sink down quickly through loose, dry sand. Another reason for hitting the beach early.

4. Try using a sifter. Believe it or not, your metal detector is only going to be of limited value to you during peak season, loose beach sand conditions. I don't care if you swing a $3,000 Minelab or some funky off-brand cheap-o machine. The best method for covering large amounts of loose sand ground and getting all the recent "goodies" is by using a sifter. A broad path, hand pulled sifter like a Merkitch Sifter design is best...if you're gonna be using a hand sifter you might as well keep swinging your detector. In loose sand conditions, the more sand you can "process," the more "goodies" you'll recover.

Strapworks.com - any strap, any length, any color!

5. Don't advertise your activities. Even if you get to a popular SoCal beach at the crack of dawn, there will be other people out and about, including surfers, runners and beach walkers, and the stray drunk or two from the night before. Sooner or later one or more of these folks will approach you and ask what you're doing. I don't care what you tell them or how many yarns you have to spin, but DON'T ADVERTISE YOUR ACTIVITIES. Don't show your finds, don't try and recover finds with onlookers on hand (if possible), and be as unfriendly as you have to be to discourage others from seeing or knowing what you are doing. I know this goes against the grain, but I learned this lesson the hard way while working San Diego County beaches. I'm not being a Grinch here...just trying to save you potential problems and heartaches.

Oh, one last thing. If you're working SoCal beaches be prepared to run into other beach hunters. If they're "local," and you're not...expect to get the cold shoulder treatment in most instances.

Good hunting out there!

If you liked this post, you may want to read: "Most Treasure Legends Don't Hold Water (Part 4)"

(c)  Jim Rocha (J.R.)  2011

Questions? E-mail me at jr872vt90@yahoo.com

Most Treasure Legends Don't Hold Water (Part 4)

 (Rich gold ore like this forms the basis of many lost mine legends.)

 My Premise Leaves the Door Open

Before I get to the heart of the matter here, I'd like to direct your attention to the very first word in the title of this post. Remember, my theory is that "most" treasure legends don't hold water.

My premise still leaves the door open for many other valid treasure legends to be researched and hunted down. Obviously, if there were NO real treasure legends worth searching for then this whole treasure hunting business would be a moot point, wouldn't it? So again, I ask you to remember that when I use the term "most," I am not saying "all."

Gold Prospecting Books

With that out of the way I'd like to outline another class or genre of treasure tale that probably crops up more frequently than any other out there:

3) Lost mine legends.

There is probably no other type of treasure tale that resonates over time like a good lost mine legend. There are literally hundreds of these...some with few details and seemingly insignificant while others have commanded the attention of researchers, historians, prospectors, miners, and treasure hunters for decades.

The Lost Dutchman Mine, the Lost Adams Diggings, and Pegleg's Lost Gold are prime examples of the latter. Yet even these high-profile lost mine legends are still derived from a basic outline or story that is essentially the same in great part:

a) An individual (traveler, pioneer, miner, prospector, soldier) or group (hunting party, prospecting party, early Spanish, members of a wagon train) stumbles upon a rich gold or silver vein (or placer) in the boonies. Inevitably the finder is forced to abandon or temporarily leave these rich diggings for any number of reasons, including Indian attack, sickness, disease, injury, betrayal, and so on. The party or parties involved eventually reach civilization with pieces of rich ore or gold nuggets that prove their spectacular find but then either die before they can search for their lode or can never find it again no matter how hard they search.

 (The Anza-Borrego Desert in Southern California...one area said to contain Pegleg's lost gold.)

 b) Someone (an old sourdough, an Indian, a Mexican sheepherder, etc., etc.) shows up periodically in town with rich pieces of gold or silver ore or placer nuggets, buys supplies or sells their "goodies," and then vanishes back into the boonies. Others try to follow them to or search for their hidden mine, but never locate it. Once the protagonist of the tale dies off, the mine is "lost" and becomes a legend.

Of course, there are countless other variations of this genre of treasure legend, but they tend to follow the outlines listed above.

Fairly Rich Mines Probably Found 

Knowing small-scale gold mining as well as I do, there's no doubt in my mind that some fairly rich lode veins or placers were probably found and then "lost" again in here in the U.S. (and elsewhere for that matter). But many of these finds were probably not very large lodes or extensive placer ground...they may have been very rich, but limited in size and scale.

The reason I say this is because if very large and heavily mineralized lodes or veins still existed, it's very likely they would have been found by now. The advent of new types of technology (much of which is used by large mining concerns) such as ground-penetrating radar and geophysical surveys would have uncovered such large deposits.

Wolverine Boots
Dickies Work Clothes

But, as always, dreams die hard. And so do lost mine legends...

Good hunting out there.

If you liked this post, you may want to read: "Most Treasure Legends Don't Hold Water (Part 3)"

(c)  Jim Rocha (J.R.)  2011

Questions? E-mail me at jr872vt90@yahoo.com

Most Treasure Legends Don't Hold Water (Part 3)

In my last post on this topic I presented you with an example of how there can be a uncanny similarity among treasure tales of the same genre. In this post I'll continue in the same vein, so bear with me:

2) Lost loot of bandit robberies.

Boy oh boy, this one crops up in treasure legends again, and again, and again...like the Energizer bunny, "it just keeps on tickin'." Even Jesse and Frank James and the James gang get caught up in this particular lost cache category (I might add for good reason, however). There are any number of variations to this theme, but in general it goes something like this:

Metal Detectors
Treasure Hunting

Either an individual robber or group of bandits pull off a bank heist or hold up a stage or train carrying large amounts of cash and/or gold and silver bullion and specie. Hot on the desperado's or gang's trail is a posse of local law enforcement officers or citizens (or both). Realizing that they are being slowed down by hauling all that heavy precious metal, the criminals in question hurriedly bury the "goodies" somewhere along their trail of flight.

Eventually the "forces of good" catch up with the "forces of evil" and there is the inevitable shootout in which the desperado and/or his colleagues are either killed or captured. If the latter takes place, the end result is that these unlucky souls are strung up from the nearest tree and justice is served. Of course, even with death staring them straight in the face, the bandits NEVER reveal where they cached their ill-gotten gains. Either that, or they are killed off before they CAN talk.

The Main Problem...

The main problem with tales like these is that most of them read like they written by the same author! The only things that change from treasure tale telling-to-telling are the names, the dates, and the locations. Otherwise, this genre of lost robbery loot caches looks and sounds like a Hollywood movie remake.

I don't place a lot of faith in most of these sorts of tales unless I can find solid corroborating evidence such as newspaper articles or first-hand accounts written by those who were there. Treasure tales like this from the Old West in the 1800s are the hardest to pin down, while those after 1900 (like those associated with the Depression-era gangsters) are the easiest to verify or discount.

Either way, they often make for good reading just the same!

Good hunting to you.

If you liked this post, you may want to read: "'Treasure Trove Dreams' Rogue's Gallery (Part 1)"

(c)  Jim Rocha  (J.R.)  2011

Questions? E-mail me at jr872vt90@yahoo.com

"Treasure Trove Dreams" Rogue's Gallery (Part 1)

In my earlier post, "Coming Soon: the 'Treasure Trove Dreams' Rogue's Gallery" (http://treasuretrovegold.blogspot.com/2011/05/coming-soon-treasure-trove-dreams.html), I mentioned that I'd begin publishing a list of small-scale mining and treasure hunting liars, cheats, thieves, hustlers, scammers and basic n'er-do-wells who conduct their "business" in an unfair, deceitful, or unethical manner.  Once again, I will remove anyone or any business from the Rogue's Gallery once they have taken documented corrective actions and/or made restitution.

Here is my first Rogue's listing to receive a big thumbs down:

1. North American Mining Company (Alex Long and various and sundry partners)

Operating (and I do mean operating) under the vague umbrella of the North American Mining Company (NAMC), Alex Long is a Canadian hustling various mining claims and properties here in the West, including California, Arizona, Nevada, Oregon, and elsewhere. NAMC used to have a promotional website, but I've been unable to locate it online any longer. Be advised that Alex Long and NAMC have a Facebook page, but there is little info there except for a Sacramento PO box and and phone number.

I did find the following info about NAMC online however:

"On October 13th, 2010, the North American Mining Company (NAMC), owned by Alexander Long and Brandon Carreau announced that the company started a mineral properties division engaged in the business of selling gold mining claims. NAMC is planning on selling to the mining community."

(Note: Someone named Brandon Esposito-Carreau is listed as the "president" of NAMC on Facebook. You can read more about Esposito-Carreau in the comments section of this same post in "Bedrock Dreams." Oh, and that last line should have read "NAMC is planning on 'snookering' the mining community.")

Selling Claims on eBay

In the past Alex Long sold mining claims on eBay under the moniker of ugodsdaddy. It was on eBay that I first came into contact with Long and NAMC. By the way, mystery of mysteries, Long had very high customer ratings on eBay...go figure. However, I see no offerings from ugodsdaddy listed on eBay at the present (time to take the money and run I guess).

Long and his NAMC "pards" were selling 2 adjoining placer claims on the North Yuba River in N. California, my old dredging stomping grounds. Since N. Yuba claims are hard to come by and these appeared to be good ones, my California mining partner (the other Jim R.) and I bid on one and purchased it in the Fall of 2010. Someone else purchased the other claim.

Right off the get go there was some confusion as to which claim went to which bidder and according to what Long told me over the phone, the other original buyer got pissed off and backed out of the deal. I also received an e-mail from another eBay seller of claims in the area who suggested there may be issues with the claims. Long blew this off as "professional rivalry" in an e-mail exchange with me

"I Will Take Care of the Paperwork"

But the crux of the Long's roguishness lies within the following e-mail he sent me after we successfully bid on the N. Yuba claim:

"J.R., I will take care of the paperwork with both the county and the BLM, and as soon as you send the full payment for the auction I will send the paperwork out with maps, the total cost of the claim will be the high bid and thats all. THe claim is current and all taxes are paid through 2011 and yes my claim is active."

Sounds good huh? Except for the fact that once Long and his NAMC buddies got our money that was that. Long or NAMC NEVER filed the appropriate paperwork with Sierra County or the Sacramento, California Bureau of Land Management (BLM) office. This left the claimants still listed as Alex Long and others.

Thank God we did receive the signed quit claim deed, because that's what really matters in terms of registering claims. But because of Long's hustle and BS we are currently having to take care of this business ourselves with the county and the BLM from long distance. (I might add here that the folks at the Sacramento BLM and Sierra County deserve kudos for their prompt help in this matter. This has been a very positive note in all this furor and my sincere thanks goes out to the BLM and Sierra County employees.)

Surprise, Surprise

Last Thursday (May 26, 2011) I called Alex Long and had a rather heated conversation with him over his failure to fulfill his part of the claim deal. Long blamed an unnamed "assistant" for the failure (i.e., made excuses) and said he was in Arizona but would personally go to the Sacramento BLM office and "make things right" for us the next day. Then he would call me.

I told Long that he better make things right or I would make him the first member of my Rogue's Gallery and put the bad "ju ju" out on him via "Bedrock Dreams/Treasure Trove Dreams." He seemed genuinely concerned about this possibility but that was probably just more smoke blown up my rear end. Of course, Long never went to the BLM and I've not heard back from him since. Surprise, surprise. He (and NAMC) already have our money, so why do they need to make things right? Sound like someone you'd like to do business with?

Alex Long is "long" on BS and short on delivering the goods. In my opinion he, Brandon Esposito, and the rest of NAMC operate dishonestly and are NOT trustworthy, period. Don't let Long's good 'ol boy slickness and false promises sway you. He talks the talk but doesn't walk the walk.

My Recommendation: Avoid (like the veritable Black Plague) doing business of any sort with Alex Long, Esposito-Carreau, or NAMC. Better safe than sorry when it comes to dealing with this bunch of conniving rogues.

Oh, and one last personal note to Long and NAMC: So you thought I was joking huh?

(c)  Jim Rocha (J.R.)  2011

Questions? E-mail me at jr872vt90@yahoo.com