Jailed Elvis Ripoff artist on the prowl again!

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Guest

Jailed Elvis Ripoff artist on the prowl again!

#280678

Post by Guest »

This is a big big BIG warning to my fellow ELVIS fans. (Thanks Funky!)

Some may remember this incident, but most of you won't considering all the new EP fans. So this is a warning to you too.

In the late 90's, Myself as well as 4 prominent Elvis collectors had gotten ripped off severely by a guy named John Solis. He also goes by the names of "Steve Lechro" and "Alex Alexander". The fraud he commited against me as well as the other folks was so serious he had to do jailtime. He operates out of southern California. And last known to live in Riverside.

Part of his sentence was, after release - not to have any type of direct contact with Elvis fans on the net, or in person.

But, I was sent an email today by someone who was an original victim. And they stated that they are again being solicited by John Solis/AKA Steve Lechro/AKA Alex Alexander. Supposedly trying to sell "Pro Shot Footage From Elvis' first Vegas concert". I guess he didn't learn his lesson, and further must have some screws loose to try and con someone he previously conned already!

So this man is on the prowl again! I warn everyone to stay away from him as if he were the Avian Flu!

BEWARE! I don't want to see anyone conned by him again!
Last edited by Guest on Tue Jul 04, 2006 11:57 am, edited 2 times in total.




Topic author
Guest

#280691

Post by Guest »

carolynlm wrote:Thanks Jordan, it's always good to know these things....surely he wouldn't be trading under the same names, would he?
He's using the same name. It doesn't surprise me though. As he was very arrogant after his arrest. He thought the whole thing was a joke (Though he was charged with counts of: Mail Fraud, Grand Larceny, etc). And he took it all in stride.

He's also a former Police officer from the same station that arrested him. In an unrelated charge, he commited further acts of theft/fraud when he took merchandise directly from the display of a store numerous times to the customer service window for a "Refund" for something he never purchased to begin with. All the while wearing his police uniform.

Obviously, after his arrest he was removed from the Police Force. If I'm not mistaken, there is possibly a news article archived about the incident. As it made pretty big news over in CA when it occured 8 years or so ago. Mostly because it's not a story that occurs everyday. A person commiting Felony crimes against multiple Elvis fans that is.

One of them went something along the lines of:

"The majority of Elvis fans are honest and trusting people. This was the green-light for former Riverside police officer John Solis to gain their trust to commit criminal acts against them. It is obvious that Solis was fully aware of this trust and used it for his own financial gain. Solis worked on that trust even after he commited these acts. The Elvis fans were so trusting infact, that if it wasn't for two men in Florida who filed the first police report against Solis he may still be free today. At least four people fell victim to the more serious felony criminal acts commited by Solis. The complete count of all victims isn't available."



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Re: Jailed Elvis Ripoff artist on the prowl again!

#280699

Post by thefunkyangel »

Jordans-Elvis-World wrote:This is a big big BIG warning to my fellow fans.
This is a big big BIG warning to my fellow fans.

One question if I may! Who are you referring to when you say 'my'? Cheers!




Topic author
Guest

Re: Jailed Elvis Ripoff artist on the prowl again!

#280710

Post by Guest »

thefunkyangel wrote:
Jordans-Elvis-World wrote:This is a big big BIG warning to my fellow fans.
This is a big big BIG warning to my fellow fans.

One question if I may! Who are you referring to when you say 'my'? Cheers!
Argh.. Typo. My fellow Elvis fans I meant LOL.. Fixed. My keyboard is possesed at night!



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#280736

Post by ColinB »

Jordans-Elvis-World wrote:In an unrelated charge, he commited further acts of theft/fraud when he took merchandise directly from the display of a store numerous times to the customer service window for a "Refund" for something he never purchased to begin with.
All the while wearing his police uniform.

Obviously, after his arrest he was removed from the Police Force.
He was showing such good initiative & promise, I'm surprised they didn't promote him !


Colin B
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#280766

Post by KHoots »

Oh, yeah, I remember that, Jordan. Unbelievable (not really) that he would rear his ugly head again.




Topic author
Guest

#280906

Post by Guest »

KHoots wrote:Oh, yeah, I remember that, Jordan. Unbelievable (not really) that he would rear his ugly head again.
Yeah... And this guy on the street is very unsafe... He's already started an "Elvis meetup" supposedly in CA.. Claiming he's a fan of 30 years or something and wants to trade his EXTENSIVE collection of rare material he has from that time with the fans.... Only problem is, his "Extensive Collection" was distributed amongst the hardest hit victims (yeah, the cops were passing out "special" releases without knowing what they were, presumable), and the rest has either been put in evidence storage - or destroyed..... Ouch....




Topic author
Guest

#280911

Post by Guest »

Ah...
Here's the article:

11/11/1999
Jaxon Van Derbeken
S.F. Chronicle Staff Writer:

A San Francisco police officer's longtime fascination with Elvis Presley has
landed the 15-year veteran in jail.

In his Hercules home, 37-year-old John Solis had an ``Elvis room'' devoted to
``The King.'' But traditional collecting apparently was not enough for Solis,
authorities say.

Hercules police say Solis ordered hundreds of Elvis compact discs, videos,
books, watches and other collectible items, and in many cases claimed he never
received them so he could get his money back from the shippers.

It is a case that Hercules Police Detective William Imboden called `'nothing
like I've ever seen before.''

Solis was arrested Monday and more than 800 items were seized from his home
after more than four months of investigation, Imboden said yesterday.

At the time of his arrest on suspicion of grand theft and forgery, Solis was
already facing misdemeanor charges in San Francisco in connection with a
shoplifting case.

Prosecutors say Solis twice went to a Costco store in his police uniform in
June, took toys from the shelf, claimed to have bought them and then tried to
exchange them for similar, less expensive toys to get cash for the difference.

Solis, whose wife is an editor at The Chronicle, was put on a desk job after he
was charged in the Costco case. In the wake of his arrest Monday, he was
suspended without pay, said Police Chief Fred Lau.

Solis was not formally charged yesterday in the latest case and was expected to
be freed, pending further investigation, after being held on $100,000 bail. His
attorney, Katherine Mahoney, declined comment.

The case started when Imboden got a call from a police investigator in
Sarasota, Fla., who told him a man who lived in Hercules had ordered Elvis
items by phone order for overnight shipment and then claimed the next day that
he never got them.

The dealer who sold the items, worth $1,595, contacted police when he found
that the customer had gotten the charge reversed on his credit card account.

Imboden said that between June 1997 and July 1999, Solis is believed to have
charged thousands of dollars in merchandise under his own and four other names.
He got the collectibles from merchants in Florida, Arkansas, Texas, Tennessee
and Arizona, Imboden said.

Among the items seized Monday were 650 compact discs, 160 videos, 38 books,
wallets and an Elvis eyeglass case, Imboden said.

Imboden said Solis benefited from the trusting nature of the band of dealers
who sell to Elvis devotees.

When he charged an item and claimed he did not get it in the mail, sometimes
the dealers would not only deal with him again, they would send him more of the
same item, occasionally for free, Imboden said.

`'These Elvis collectors are a very tight-knit group,'' Imboden said. ``They
are also very trusting. Until they started talking to each other, they didn't
realize they were getting ripped off.''

In July, Imboden said, he visited Solis' home as part of his investigation and
saw the Elvis room, which was filled with framed posters, some autographed,
along with plaques, gold records and signed photos.

``It was a tastefully done collection,'' Imboden said. `'He had it very neatly
displayed.

`'His wife said he had been collecting stuff since he was 10 years old,''
Imboden said. ``Some of it was legitimate stuff, given to him by his wife and
his mother.''

When Imboden returned Monday, he found much more, including a closet filled
with items he had not seen the first time. One disc, which featured rare
recordings, was valued at $300.



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#280913

Post by JEFF d »

Surely he has a parole officer... I'd give them a call, since he is pulling this same crap again right after he came out of jail. Looks like he didn't learn his lesson! :evil:

JEFF d
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Topic author
Guest

#280917

Post by Guest »

JEFF d wrote:Surely he has a parole officer... I'd give them a call, since he is pulling this same crap again right after he came out of jail. Looks like he didn't learn his lesson! :evil:

JEFF d
EP fan
Well... That would be the assumption. I'm going to try and see if the same investigator is still on the force who handled this case, and give him a call tomorrow.

Now. Even though I've recently posted my opinion of "Insiders" -- Today I got a very distressing email from one of the members stating that Solis IS A MEMBER! And is trying to run his scam over there!!!!

Said person states they have contacted an EPE official but nothing has been done to stop Solis (doesn't surprise me). So, even though - again - my opinion stated before of the "Insiders" wasn't a great one --------- it distresses me HIGHLY that this guy has infiltrated that community to pull his con.. And I will do anything possible to STOP him from victimizing the Insiders...

Because.. I guess... We are all Elvis fans... Some can be pushy and rude..... But we are all Elvis fans.......And with any community there are pushy and rude people....

So this is quite an odd flip I've taken... But, a sincere one. Because no Elvis fan (or anyone for that matter!) deserves to be ripped off and victimized to the level that myself and a handful of others were.. Not to mention the (hundreds?) of folks he possibly got with a small "One time" scam.

I'll keep ya'll updated with any further developments.




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#280921

Post by ritchie valens »

why would he even want to do it again unless he misses jail.



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#280923

Post by JEFF d »

ritchie valens wrote:why would he even want to do it again unless he misses jail.
Why would he have even done it in the first place? His head is not screwed on straight... and he sees $$$$$$ signs. The same reason that people go to jail for say drugs or sexual offence and then right back to their old ways once out... they DIDN'T learn their lesson!

JEFF d
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Topic author
Guest

#280924

Post by Guest »

ritchie valens wrote:why would he even want to do it again unless he misses jail.

Well, criminals aren't noted to be the smartest folks on Earth. Haven't you ever caught on your local TV news station, or newspaper - the special "Stupid Criminal of the day" thingies????

But, to narrow it down to Solis. He is ARROGANT. With a blatently HIGH disrespect for authority (as I'm now told he's telling people he's still a cop.. FELONY...)
And he is extremely vengeful.. To the point of making some very VERY serious threats towards a certain person he conned.

One word to sum him up --- DANGEROUS.

I must point out as well that my above post concerning "We are all Elvis fans, etc" --- DOESN'T INCLUDE SOLIS!




Topic author
Guest

#280926

Post by Guest »

JEFF d wrote:
ritchie valens wrote:why would he even want to do it again unless he misses jail.
Why would he have even done it in the first place? His head is not screwed on straight... and he sees $$$$$$ signs. The same reason that people go to jail for say drugs or sexual offence and then right back to their old ways once out... they DIDN'T learn their lesson!

JEFF d
EP fan
Exactly...
Any normal person would have thought their life was over..

But while bubba was tending to Solis in his cell, he was probably thinking of new ways to con Elvis fans.

And that, my friends, is a sign of someone who needs not miss his anniversary with Bubba - who is anxiously awaiting Solis' re-arrival.




Topic author
Guest

#280931

Post by Guest »

Another Article:


S.F. cop could face "Jailhouse Rock"
By Jim Herron Zamora
OF THE EXAMINER STAFF
Thursday, November 11, 1999
©1999 San Francisco Examiner

A San Francisco police officer has been arrested on suspicion of defrauding several people out of up to $32,000 worth of Elvis Presley memorabilia,including rare CDs, photographs and books.

John Solis, a 15-year veteran of the department, was arrested Monday night after police searched his home in Hercules. The officer faces four counts of grand theft and four felony counts of forgery, Hercules police said.

Solis was still in custody Wednesday at Contra Costa County Jail in
Martinez in lieu of $100,000 bail.

San Francisco police officials suspended Solis without pay Tuesday. He had been assigned to the department's record room for the past several months, said police spokesman Sherman Ackerson. If convicted of a felony, he would automatically be fired.

Monday's arrest stems from a series of transactions that Solis allegedly
made over the Internet, via mail and by telephone beginning in June 1997,Hercules police Detective William Imboden said.

The investigation began in July when a man in Sarasota, Fla., complained to police there that he sent Solis $1,600 worth of CDs and books but was never paid for it, Imboden said.

Authorities in Florida contacted Hercules police, who initiated their own
investigation. Solis claimed he had never received the items, Hercules
police said.

Solis allegedly contacted Elvis collectors through the Internet, where
numerous Web sites exist hawking posters, records, videos, Elvis razor
relief lotion and jailhouse rock dolls. Several of his alleged victims have
their own Web pages offering Elvis collectibles, police said. Others were
apparently contacted through news groups.

He then arranged to buy them. Imboden said Solis would then either stop
payment on checks he mailed or have the credit card charge reversed.

Police believe that Solis defrauded an Arkansas man out of 90 rare Elvis
videos worth $2,700; took a 17-year-old in Memphis for 27 compact discs
worth more than $500; and scammed a Texas woman for $3,700 worth of books, CDs and other items.

Imboden said that by the time his investigation is complete Solis will face
more than eight charges. He estimates that Solis may have obtained at least $32,000 in collectibles through fraudulent means. "The Elvis world is a tight knit community," Imboden said. "There are apparently other victims out there. There are other complaints that we are investigating."

©1999 San Francisco Examiner



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#281287

Post by elvis-fan »

Thanks for the heads-up and the info JR!!!

8)




Topic author
N880EP

#281317

Post by N880EP »

Jordans-Elvis-World wrote:Another Article:

S.F. cop could face "Jailhouse Rock"
By Jim Herron Zamora
OF THE EXAMINER STAFF
Thursday, November 11, 1999
©1999 San Francisco Examiner

.......... Police believe that Solis defrauded an Arkansas man out of 90 rare Elvis videos worth $2,700; took a 17-year-old in Memphis for 27 compact discs worth more than $500; and scammed a Texas woman for $3,700 worth of books, CDs and other items.


©1999 San Francisco Examiner
I think I know all three of the above. With the exception of the Memphian :wink: , .................

(if they are who I think they are) -----> I'd call the other two (in bold), .... recipients of "The Karmic Boomerang Effect". (Same probably applies to the Arizonian, mentioned in the other article above, too).

------------------------------------

I also give my thanks for the heads-up, Jordan.

Many have walked in your same shoes in The EP World (Tis truly a small one), before you, ...... and, unfortunately, others will continue to in the future as well.

Let the word go out, indeed, ........ & keep fighting the good fight when necessary.


N8



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#281816

Post by BigredG »

Thanks for the heads up. Let's hope he is back behind bars real soon. SCUM!!!


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