Steeldragons.net Steel Dragons AFV / Richard Tripp and ongoing theft

[panzerwerk]

Panzerwerk Announcement

I need to shut down for a week to get caught up on some very large orders and deal with some other Business issues .

IF ANYONE HAS PURCHASED PANZERWERK PARTS FROM A THIRD PARTY VENDOR or has recently been asked to place an order for them from me , please contact me immediately ,you will be able to tell the fake parts due to the very bad castings and resin color .

email me panzerwerk@hotmail.com

JUST SO YOU KNOW ,THERE ARE NO AUTHORIZED THIRD PARTY RETAILERS FOR PANZERWERK RESIN PARTS .

Steeldragons.net steel dragons LLC AFV steeldragons Richard T Tripp

[panzerwerk]

My Attorney has said I can post the following , below you will see pictures of a sample of illegal recasts of my Intellectual property , the points I would like to make to possible consumers is , the Individual selling the recasts charges more then I do for this set , and I supply some extra parts of the hubs just incase , he does not .
This is the Wheel correction set for the Armor Hobbies 250 , this kit is unique in the 1/6th world as no one else made anything close , Masters were made by David Webb for Me and Me only .

Frst Pic is the recast set overall, I have never in 13 years of panzerwerk and 25 plus years of molding and casting ever used grey tinted resin .



Second photo below shows a comparison of the recast bolt set for the sprocket next to mine , the white you see on my parts is nothing but residue from the mold release.




The next picture is of the front tire rim cap , it was designed by Mr Webb to directly fit over the existing rim protrusion without any modification to the AH rim , as you can see in the recast , they cast them solid so you have to grind off a part of the AH rims to make them work right .



These are one choice of replacement hubs for the center hub of the sprocket




And last is the center hubs for the road wheels




In conclusion , the person who ordered this set got a very low quality ripoff and sadly paid more money , I am happy to say I replaced his set with real panzerwerk set .

Please do not ask any information from me at this time, But as I stated in my first post , if you have parts you think might be recasts, or you are asked to order from me by a third party , please contact me at panzerwerk@hotmail.com .

[Germanbilly1]

I have used your sets on all of my 250's and those recast look like S---t.
GB

[panzerwerk]

I just want to add , Parts like that would never leave my garage , My stuff is not perfect but no way would i send a set like that to a customer , and I hate to think there are some out there getting these recasts thinking they might have come from me , the black parts I used as a comparison are pulled right from an order going to Denmark soon and were cast as I always cast. One nice thing about all my parts , I retain the hand made masters even if damaged as proof of ownership.

[Reef12]

Have to second what GB said they look like poop.

Jeff

[Pangaea95]

Wow, kinda reminds me of a cross of that Pak35/36 I got years ago from Angela's AF, and the spent brass catcher I got from Von Tunzelman for my Flak 38, haven't seen anything like this in quite a while. It's sad to see this, but I am also happy that we have guys like Panzerwerks, Armorpax, Sixthscale Icons, East Coast Armory, and others, who actually care about their product and take pride in it, hat's off to you Steve for the way you took care of that fellow hobbiest, and I'm sure I speak for everyone here when I say thank you for being you, you Rock bro!!!

[egonzinc]

I was going to post exactly the same as GB posted. Who would buy such garbage?
I would hang any buyer that supports this stuff from the yardarm too!

[rivetcounter]

The point is chaps whom ever has originally bought these replica parts has been conned into believing they were the real items coming from “Panzer Werks” not expensive poor quality reproductions, he’s a victim as much as Steve, you also have to remember that for every person who is clued up to this behaviour there are probably 3 persons who are not or may be new to the hobby, you can’t hang people for being conned but you can hang the person doing the conning

[panzerwerk]

While Hanging was the preferred Naval punishment, today we have to deal with Lawyers and Law , luckily the law is on our side , I have talked to many legal folks about this , and I did not work 13 years to build a Business just to let someone take it from me , Action has been started , it is up to him how far he wants to take it , I have been in this kind of Lawsuit before , its not fun , its not cheap ,I am lucky that I am not alone in this . hopefully it will not effect Panzerwerk and the other small Manufactures involved too much ,Last time I went through this it took about a year and its time you never get back , but if you dont fight for whats yours , who will ?

Funny thing I was thinking about last night , all these talks on the boards about copyright and who owns what , well you might just get to see it play out in real life soon ..

[panzerwerk]

Randy Thanks for the kind words !

Egonzinc : when the seller is using my pictures to sell recasts , you would go and see my pics and make an order , what you get is shown above .

Thanks for all the support guys , it really means something that people care about one's Intellectual properties , just imagine if it was your work !!

[Reef12]

Good deal ,somebody needs to tell that boy, he needs a pressure pot of some kind LOL.

Jeff

[Sourdoh]

I think we all know where the cow eats the cabbage now and will order from legitimate sources. I must say, though, when you are new to the hobby, it is hard to separate the wheat from the chaff, and mistakes are made. I, sadly ordered some stuff from the offending company, at one point. I had no idea he was recasting. But, I must say I had to do a huge amount of grinding, filling and sanding to get the parts to fit and look good. I had no such problems with Panzerwerk parts.

[panzerwerk]

may i ask what parts you ordered ??? feel free to PM or email me !

[hansalbin]

I would never start with hanging, flogging and a good keelhauling first.

[panzerwerk]

I want to send out a HUGE THANKS to everyone who has been so supportive through this , from the folks sending me vital information to the offers of money for a Legal fund for all of us involved , it is really fantastic to know you all care about all the companies involved and are willing to go that extra mile to help us protect our product and Intellectual properties ,YOU GUYS ARE THE BEST !!!

[thetoysurgeon]

Ouch, Those are some really bad recasts. Obviously a novice. Steve, I am here if you need me. Although Steal Dragons used my pictures of my intellectual property without asking me, he never got his hands on any of my crates or the few things that I make. Thank God !

[mp1stshirt]

I only buy from three aftermarket sellers and Pazerwerk was the first and have not once be dissappointed....Keep up the brave work buddy!

[hansalbin]

Just a heads up for the new members or those that may not know.

Panzerwerk is not a corporation with huge backers. Having been to his "factory", it's in his garage. No employees, no front office his wife is his only support. No corporate retirement plan.

Point I am trying to make is be happy we have him and other people like him that are willing to not become millionaires providing us with the fiddly bits we need to build our projects.

Sixty Driver and I have had several talks on intellectual property rights and copyright infringement. We don't always agree but the end point is if people continue to buy copied parts we are only sticking a dull stick up our own butts, because when the customizers decide it's not worth the effort anymore the good parts go away.

Steve best of luck.
VIRTUS ET HONORIS

[Captrooper!]

I'm still fairly new to the hobby but I have to say I'm glad I started off buying your excellent parts.
Steve Fisher

[panzerwerk]

Thanks guys !!! I wish I could share more with whats going on , maybe down the road , But we are very busy right now dealing with this .

[panzerwerk]

I have to apologize guys , I am trying to do as much as I can and orders have suffered for it , but I think pursuing this is priority #1 , we know this has been going on now for years based on evidence and we have more then enough to take the next step .

I will start taking orders again next week , Again I am sorry for the delay , but all the research and phone time has really cut into my casting time ,But I feel I need to do this ,if anything for the 13 years of hard work put into this Business by Myself and many others,I hope you guys understand . Thanks :o

Please remember over the next few months it may be touch and go for me while I deal with all this , Last time I went through this it was about 6 months total , lots of time spent on Legal things so please be patient and hopefully we can deal with all this expeditiously and get on with our lives . :rolleyes:

[SgtUSMC]

Steve, you do what you have to do. Lets hope the outcome will be what a lot of us want it to be.

[armorpax]

Hi All,

As you will appreciate it is also taking up a considerable amount of my time and focus. I am continuing to balance Armorpax the best I can but if I am a little slower in responding than usual I trust you will all understand.

I have got to get the Quad kits done and out to cover the casters bills but other projects and custom builds have all been put on the back burner. I like Steve and others have not given up a big chunk of my life building this up to have others come along and think they can get an easy ride off it.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank both Steve and Mike as stuck the wrong side of the pond I doubt I would have had as much evidence as I now have without them.

Best regards

Dave

[panzerwerk]

Working together with Mike Stannard ,David Dibbs , and several other folks who have an interest in this have come up with a substantial amount of evidence of illegal activity By Richard Tripp , including but not limited to Theft of Intellectual property and fraud .
We have spent the last couple weeks sorting through files of pictures and many invoices we have received from individuals and companies hired by Mr Tripp to recast other companies parts .
The companies so far known to have had their parts copied are :

Armorpax
6th Scale Icons
Fields of Armor
Panzerwerk
Armortek
Verio
Newthorpe Models
Steve Winstone
East Coast Armory

And there could be more .

We have located and contacted 6 persons/companies that were hired by My Tripp to do the copying ,they have all been extremely helpful with Invoices,email communications and photographs and some even offered to send the molds to us ,all are willing to provide affidavits. All were extremely upset over what has been going on , some even have their own model lines in different hobbies and know what its like to have their intellectual property stolen .

I am going to post some of the evidence we have received over the last couple weeks ,I want to say none of this is speculation , everything shown here is from the folks who were hired or directly communicated with Mr Tripp on the various issues/items.

First up is a recent communication from Mr Tripp to John of East Coast Armory , the reason I am posting this email is the content and claims he makes to another manufacture to hopefully continue doing Business with him .
I will be blacking out some emails and names for now as these guys really had no knowledge they were copying others work and have been nothing but helpful with us .

From: Richard Tripp <######@gmail.com>
Subject: paypal refund
To: oddball759mm@yahoo.com
Date: Monday, March 4, 2013, 5:44 AM

Hi John,

I was understandably disappointed to receive your refund/email after having enjoyed a positive relationship with you for the last few years. We have never copied, plagiariazed or misappropriated anything from you or your company and do not support anyone else doing so as well.

Perhaps you are already aware of the onging struggles we have faced with Mike Stannard, his theft of over $6000.00 from my company and periodic accusations that we are copying his product line. We still have some of his inventory in stock and are developing our own to replace them. I have always had the greatest respect for David Dibb and have been very upset by some assertions that we copied one of his products. For a number of years, we were the primary US distributor for Armorpax and Spearhead and still have their inventory in our shop. I have also received prototype parts for some of the tank kits including damaged returns etc that I sometimes use on project builds. We really are not in the resin product business anymore except as they sometimes relate to our custom buildups. The cost of production, the slim profit margins and the back stabbing is simply not worth it. This is why we have purchased from you in the past for example. You make an excellent product which compliments our service.

John, I wish you would reconsider your position. I would certainly honor your final decision but I have always been straight with you and your product line. I continue to do business with a select group of vendors who do not support the infighting that has taken place within our hobby industry such as Cory Lord for example. I would encourage you to contact him and ask him to describe our relationship.

Thank you for your time and consideration,

Richard

I would like to point out here ,that reviewing all the mold pictures we have received , we have concluded that almost all of Armorpax's catalog has been reproduced by Mr Tripp.

We now have proof that the theft of parts dates back over 4 years based on invoices and emails we have received from the companies contracted to do the recasting , below is one example from 2011 ,you can see the amounts he is ordering and what sets/parts ,he was even nice enough to include pictures in the email so the caster knew what parts he wanted since the caster was not familiar with the 1/6th world or WWII items , he specialized in Sci Fi kits .

From: "rttsparky@aol.com" <rttsparky@aol.com>
To: ######@sbcglobal.net
Sent: Thu, June 30, 2011 5:36:13 AM
Subject: Rearts and picks

Sounds good ###### I am trying to squeeze in "Steel Dragons" related work with my real job which is been quite challenging. Here is the first of several lists of parts that I need as soon as possible. The Allweiler Hand Pump is a good example. I have just updated computers and in the process have temporarily lost my Photoshop software which is cramping my ability to label pics etc.

10 sets of the Allweiler pump
15 sets of the front seat set for the SdKFz 250
10 sets for the rear jump seat set for the SdKfz 250
10 of the sdkfz 250 dash boards (pack carefully because gear shift knob breaks easily)
3 sets of the Panzer IV Cuppola Upgrade
5 sets of the Sdkfz 250 front wheel conversion set
10 sets of the sdkfz 250 transmission with shifters and driveshaft

There are more items that are needed but this is the first wave so to speak. I will forward an advance payment to you to help cover your costs etc. ( I know that money must be tight) and you can let me know when you need more etc.

I will send another email later in the day. Please let me know that you have received this first email. I will also cover the costs of shipping the parts/molds to ####### so PLEASE let me know how much or deduct this from the monies that I am sending over to you. In addition, it is REALLY important that these molds get to him quickly because I am really under the gun on all of the Panzer IV parts. Thanks again and don't forget the Tiger road wheel cost estimates.

Thanks again and good luck!

Richard
Steel Dragons AFV
www.Steeldragons.net

Below are pictures of some not all of the resin casting molds ,These are parts from several manufactures







Below are a sample of molds from the Metal caster and just for knowledge sake ,one zip file sent to us by the metal cast contained 52 pictures with most molds having multiple items in them .







This is just the tip of the Iceberg of whats been done to us , More will be posted soon .

Both the FBI and the State Attorney Generals office in Florida have been notified , More notifications will be going out next week , I know that myself and Armorpax have both sent Cease and desist order to Mr Tripp with no replies from him or any Legal counsel representing him .

And recent communications we have had with other individuals have shown he is still currently looking to continue to copy others parts.

More to follow !

[panzerwerk]

I would Like to add , all replies to this thread WILL BE CIVIL , this is a thread about facts , not speculation , not SLANDER , if you have any information about any of this please contact me via PM .

[Sixth Vanguard]

Steve, I am so sorry you and others have to waste your precious time to deal with this theft.

When I read that list in the invoice my heart just breaks, and my blood boils. I can recognize each part as having been proudly displayed by their creators right here on SAG and other boards. I fully remember the "oohs and ahs" when each was posted. Rick's pump especially, since I screwed up and failed to get one before he gave permission to Lee to produce.

It really is heartbreaking to see all that talent and hard work being used for the foul purpose of personal enrichment without regard to those being stolen from.

[toyrific]

Hi Guys

Just to let you all know that I am working on a post to follow up on what Steve has said, I hoped to get it done tonight but I am burned out.

I have pictures of 72 spin casting molds that Tripp has had made over the last few years using many companies original parts. We have Identified over 400 individual parts from Armorpak (note some complete sets have 10 to 20 parts in them), and over 200 of my own parts, along with parts from other companies. These will be posted tomorrow with more details.

I will also be posting the pictures of the resin casting molds Steve has already posted identifying who's parts were used to make the molds. According to the company that supplied the pictures there are many more molds to come.

I also have 13 sheets of photo-etch artwork that Tripp commissioned to be made using other companies parts. Again these will be posted tomorrow along with more information on what this guy has been doing over the last few years.

I will also address and explain the $6000.00 Tripp has accused me of stealing from his company. Now ain't that the kettle calling the pot black.

Come back tomorrow afternoon as the story unfolds.

Regards
Mike

[armourguy]

After reviewing the above images I noticed that one of my sets has been remolded.

The Parts in question are #16 and #19. These are the ECA Tiger I Fifel system. The Illegally copied parts are circled in red



Steve, I'll be contacting you tomorrow. Thanks for the detective work.

[panzerwerk]

Thanks John , I am not happy to add you too the list , Sorry Bro , it makes that email all that much worse .

[Rolling Thunder Tech]

Gez, I'm so sorry that you all are having to deal with this mess, all created by one individual. It is tough enough just doing all the research and preliminary work that is required to get to a final master that is ready for reproduction.

I know that each of the individuals that created the original parts takes great pride in their work and does their best to provide high quality and ACCURATE parts for the rest of us. The extent of the forgeries is mind boggling and begs the need for a special kind of hell.

Leonard
Rolling Thunder

[toyrific]

Hi Guys

As promised here is a follow up on Steve's original post. This is a long post as I have a lot to tell and show. I am using as many pictures as I can to explain things to cut down on your reading.

First I need to address the claim by Tripp that I stole over $6000.00 from his company. In 2009 Tripp and I were in negotiation for him to be my retail outlet for my parts and he was to eventually over a period of time take over the company. Our agreement was he would put up $12500.00 as a investment to get things started. The amount was to be applied to his eventually purchase of the company and I agreed to supply him with parts over the next year to reimburse him for the same amount at cost of my parts, so in theory the amount paid towards the purchase was at no cost to him.

During 2009-2010 I sent him four parcels of parts valued at $8594.40, leaving a balance of $3905.60, the last parcel was sent on August 9, 2010. I continued working on parts for him until September 2010 when, in late September I noticed a part on his web site (PzIV/Hetzer U Shackle) that was being sold in sets of 4, these were my parts, but he would not be able to sell them in sets like this as the parts were from another one of my sets and only one U shackle was in each set. More explained later. Over the course of the next week or so more recast parts were appearing on his web site. My contacts with him about this were received with denial and they were my original parts he was selling.

I contacted a Attorney and was advised to send a Cease and Desist letter that was sent on November 16, 2010. In that letter he was asked to remove all my personal pictures of products from his web site and use pictures of my parts he still had in stock taken by himself. My attorney had advised me that I had to allow him to sell the stock of my products he still had.. It took around 6 months for him to remove most of my product pictures, but he still continues to use in some of them, he simply replaced most of them with pictures of my parts from customer builds.

In short I decided I was not going to refund him the money owed until such time as the situation was resolved, which to date it has not. I continued to build a case against him, advising were I could of his wrong doings. Since then you are all, I am sure, aware of his misconduct to both myself, other companies and customers.

Here is the proof of these first parts he recast.

Extract from his attorneys letter dated November 29, 2010, in which the attorney states Mr. Tripp is not recasting my parts. Here he lied to his attorney.



The following is a invoice dated September 1, 2010 in which the U Shackle in question had been purchased from a caster.



Here is a copy of his web site showing the part in question and what followed.



Here is a picture of the mold that was used to make the parts.



More evidence of recasting and the quality the unsuspecting customer will get.

My TT21 Tiger turret air vent which he first purchased from the caster on 1/17/2011. Note the wing nuts and L clamps are cast in white metal. Not strong enough for their purpose.





he even used my instructions with his logo imposed.



My TT05-02 Tiger C Shackles. Purchased from caster on 10/1/2010. Again white metal wing nuts and posts.



My Gent002 Early Fire Extinguisher. Purchased parts from caster 9/10/2010 and photo-etch parts on 11/11/09





Here are pictures of all 72 white metal casting molds commissioned by Tripp to be made. In these molds there are over 400 Armorpak parts, over 200 6th Scale Icons parts and over a 100 parts from other manufactures. I have copies of 20 invoice from 9/10/2010 to 3/1/2013 showing parts Tripp purchased.








Here are picture of the resin casting molds with original manufactures names were known, if you can identify and parts please let me know.. We know there are more molds, we just do not have pictures of them yet or any invoice to show what he purchased. We believe that these molds have been used by at least 2 or 3 casters to produce parts for Tripp.






Here are scans of the artwork commissioned by Tripp to copy photo-etched parts. In talking with the owner of this photo-etch company I was told that Tripp told him he had the rights to these parts and the original company making them for him in the UK had gone out of business. Tripp either sent the company the actual photo-etched parts or scans of them for the company to copy to produce the artwork. You will notice that Tripp has put his company logo to all these set and used our product numbers. I have 39 invoice from 9/4/2009 to 2/13.2013 which show all the parts Tripp has purchased.

These are 10" x 7.5" sheets of artwork. The first picture is a montage of 20 6th Scale icons sets










Here is a picture of the Armorpax German Tool Clamp Set AP054 along with a copy of Armorpax instructions.



The following pictures are of parts sent to various casters by Tripp to have them recast. I have copies of all the corresponding e-mails that go with these pictures. Some parts I cannot identify the original manufacture, let me know if you can help.








To sum up, Mr. Tripp has recast or copied about 90% of the parts offered on his web site. He has done no research or spent any time making masters or artwork to produce these parts. He simply stole what he is producing and making a lot of money with no effort. That money is a loss to all the people that put in the work to make the parts. For my part, checking all the invoices I have of parts Tripp has recast or copied I have lost over $15000.00 in potential sales.

Lastly I want to emphasize that all companies and individuals to date that have been involved in the reproduction of parts have been very helpful to us and all have stated that they will no longer do business with Mr. Tripp.

Regards
Mike Stannard
6th Scale Icons Inc.

[Rolling Thunder Tech]

That was some good detective work finding out what company SD had hired to produce their parts. I had always assumed that he copied them in house.

And Mike, you are correct that the last group of parts shown on your post are copies from our FOA / RTT parts for the Tiger tank. Those are definately copies of our parts.

Leonard
RTT

[pzrwest]

Did he really think he wasn't going to be caught and get away with it?

[niall68]

'Head shaking'

DISMAYED

I can see Richard Tripp of Steel Dragon is destroying 1/6th cottage industry for 1/6th tanks and vehicles parts.

This has to be stopped right now

[panzerwerk]

His eBay feedback profile is looking pretty bad :

eBay Feedback Profile for tripper689

[hansalbin]

Hey Chuck , keep legal questions and such confined to PM or Email , this is not an open forum for discussion of legal strategy, Thanks , I know your trying to help .

[Sixty Driver]

The scale in which this was pulled off is far beyond what I had imagined. It's nearly a systematic destruction of the whole cottage industry in this hobby.

[possum]

Speechless.........

Really sorry for all of you who have had your hard work copied.

[Rolling Thunder Tech]

My dad was a Captain in the police force, and he said that most criminals believe that they are smarter than the rest of us and that they would never get caught. It was a recurring theme with those that committed robberies and other such crimes.

I've also heard others in law enforcement say the same thing.

Leonard
RTT

[Sourdoh]

Go get him,guys!!!

[Reef12]

Wow he was a busy dude there, that is a lot of stuff.

Jeff

[armorpax]

Hi All,

I cannot thank Mike and Steve enough for their efforts. Stuck the other side of the pond I doubt we would have ever been able to put together so much proof or track down the relevant companies and agencies they have been in touch with.

All of us have now spent many hours trawling through invoices and pictures supplied along with our own files and records to establish the full extent of this issue.

The fact that the copying goes back as far as it did, and whilst most of us were still supplying genuine parts, was a real eye opener.

Every now and again someone comes along and tries to take everything for themselves with no thought or care for the damage it does to others. None of them last. We on the other hand have all stood the test of time and I am sure this will ultimately be the case again.

Regards

Dave

[Hammer Six]

His eBay feedback profile is looking pretty bad :

eBay Feedback Profile for tripper689
__________________
Panzerwerk.com


One of my malware programs dropped a bomb on the website...warning that malware had been attached. I guess that's one way to get back at him but I wouldn't do it to that set of stats.

[hansalbin]

Has ebay gotten involved???

[panzerwerk]

Again Chuck , not gonna discuss legal actions publicly , we are working on many solutions to many problems right now , sometimes its better to do things a certain way .

[hansalbin]

OK No more questions from me.

[Dougmo]

If this were a US industry, there would be a fine and jail time... period.
It takes the wind out of your sails to see this, and sadly, it takes the initiative away for other creative craftsmen to potentially creating items for our benefit.

[toyrific]

Hi Guys

Just received a e-mail from a customer that thought he had ordered a Jagdpanther from me in 2011.

First e-mail 06/13/13
Hi Mike,

I ordered a Jagdpanther in April 2011 and paid with paypal.
Please tell me when the delivery takes place.

Thank you very much
XXXXX XXXXX

My reply

Hi XXXXX

I don't sell the Jagdpanther tank only accessories. I think you have the wrong company. If you did order some parts from me please send me a copy of your order as I have no reference to a order from you.

It might be Steel Dragons you ordered the Jagdpanther from.

Regards
Mike


Second e-mail 6/13/13

Hi Mike,

yes sorry, it was Steel Dragon. Is there still this company?


My reply

Hi XXXXX

Yes Steel Dragons are still there, but Richard Tripp the owner has been ripping off a lot of people. Me included. You should read the link below to find out what is going on. You need to file a complaint with Paypal and the other law enforcement agencies mentioned in the link below.

Regards
Mike

Links to all Steel Dragon topics added to last e-mail.

Mike

[panzerwerk]

I have managed to have his Paypal suspended for investigation , I just hope they keep it shut off , I have also been trying to get as much information on Mr Tripp as i can for legal reasons , "know thy enemy" , he has left a substantial internet foot print and I have been able to trace his employment record , I do regular searches as new information can come up at any time , and low and behold last weekend a new bit of info came to light which shows me who this man is .

I stumbled on an article he was interviewed for :

Auditioning for the Playhouse | www.palmbeachdailynews.com

[quote] Home
> News

Posted: 12:05 a.m. Sunday, July 21, 2013

Auditioning for the Playhouse
The National Arts Institute has made public its proposal to re-open the island’s landmark theater but the fledgling group has disclosed little about its background.

10 31 2 78

Related
View Larger
Auditioning for the Playhouse photo
Chris Salata
National Arts Institute staff and supporters attend a March Town Council meeting after announcing they have signed a letter of intent to lease the Royal Poinciana Playhouse. From left: Karen Poindexter, executive producer; Renee Morrison, Palm Beach resident and arts trustee; Kenneth Ohrstrom, Palm Beach resident, chairman and lead donor, and Pamela Stark Thomas, executive director.
Director Stark Thomas has been fundraiser, in trouble with law
Poindexter’s theater history has hits, misses

By Jan Sjostrom

Daily News Arts Editor

When Sterling Palm Beach revealed in March that it was negotiating with the National Arts Institute on a lease that could reopen the Royal Poinciana Playhouse, many heaved a sigh of relief, even though few knew anything about the group.

For years, the fate of the 878-seat landmarked theater, which has been dark since 2004, has been a contested issue. Sterling, the developer that controls the Royal Poinciana Plaza, has been under pressure from the public and Town Council to reopen the Playhouse.

The developer and others have argued that it’s not economically viable. Mark Schwartz, whose producing credits include Menopause: The Musical, Divorce Party: The Musical and the Broadway show My One and Only, was consulted a few years ago by a group that was considering re-opening the Playhouse. He regards the theater as a white elephant – too big to be profitable as a regional theater or an off-Broadway touring house and too small for touring Broadway shows, a niche already adequately filled by the Kravis Center, he said.

Proponents of the Playhouse’s revival say that a 1979 property use agreement between the town and the plaza owners requires the owners to ensure that the theater remains operational.

Sterling and the National Arts Institute are discussing a 22-year lease with a 20-year option. The National Arts Institute has been building its case for a $30 million fundraising campaign to renovate and build out the theater.

But what is the National Arts Institute and who are its founders?

The board consists of founding chairman Kenneth Ohrstrom and trustee Renee Morrison of Palm Beach, Executive Director Pamela Stark Thomas, and Producing Artistic Director Karen Poindexter. Until recently, Elaine Blake also served on the board. She resigned to attend to family matters, she said.

The group has disclosed little about itself during its public statements at Town Council meetings, and its website is short on specifics.

Ohrstrom heads a family-owned investment firm. Morrison is the wife of art collector Carlos Morrison. According to state records, her philanthropic interests include Save a Pet Florida and combating underage slavery and prostitution. Ohrstrom and Morrison did not respond to requests for interviews.

Stark Thomas and Poindexter, the group’s spokeswomen, said they were busy negotiating the Playhouse lease. In a July 11 email to the Palm Beach Daily News, they expanded on their backgrounds. But they declined to be interviewed about their qualifications to run the Playhouse until after July 26. “NAI finds no room, no necessity, nor any desire to invest efforts and resources on negative attempts to belittle or demean when such are better used in doing good,” they said.

Sterling Palm Beach declined to discuss its reasons for considering the group a qualified tenant for the Playhouse or whether it has researched the National Arts Institute’s background.

Town Council President David Rosow mediated the discussions that led to Sterling Palm Beach and the National Arts Institute signing a letter of intent in March. When asked whether he investigated the National Arts Institute’s background, Rosow said, “I did not do any research into any of them. Furthermore, I don’t think that’s my job. It’s up to the landlord to determine whether the people they’re negotiating with have credibility.”

The National Arts Institute’s website says the nonprofit group’s purpose is to create career-based programs for youth in film and the performing arts.

The group started life in October 2008 as the G-Star Arts and Education Foundation. The incorporation documents filed with the state list G-Star school founder Greg Hauptner, Anthony Marino, Stark Thomas, Poindexter and Ohrstrom as trustees. The foundation’s primary mission was to raise money for the The G-Star School of the Arts for Film, Animation and Performing Arts in Palm Springs, the school’s former board members said.

“I remember when Stark Thomas came on,” former G-Star school board member Al Mathers said. “There was a lot of hope she would raise a lot of money.”

From 2009 to 2011, federal tax documents show the foundation raised nearly $625,000 but gave the school only $100,000. Stark Thomas and Poindexter were paid a total of nearly $211,000, more than one-third of the amount the foundation raised. Administrative and fundraising expenses accounted for about 31 percent of the operating budget in 2009, 35 percent in 2010 and 55 percent in 2011, the last year for which tax documents were available.

According to tax filings, the foundation’s board had just five members during that period: Stark Thomas, Poindexter, Morrison, Ohrstrom and Hauptner, who was replaced by Blake in 2011. Poindexter and Stark Thomas also served on the G-Star school’s board.

Paying nonprofit board members as staff is “generally not done” and would be “a red flag,” said Sandra Miniutti, a spokeswoman at Charity Navigator, the country’s largest independent charity evaluator. Spending too much on fundraising and administration is another red flag. Of the 6,500 nonprofit organizations Charity Navigator rates, “the vast majority spend 75 percent of their annual expenditures on programs,” she said.

Stark Thomas said that in addition to raising money, she assisted the school in other ways, such as attracting clients to the sound stage and negotiating free painting and air conditioning services. Poindexter said her work for G-Star included proposing film, festival and theater projects, and arranging for Welcome Back, Kotter star Ron Palillo to teach there.

The foundation changed its name to National Arts Institute in 2011. The group ended 2011 with nearly $103,000 in cash and investments.

The name change came about when the foundation “decided to expand its charitable focus,” Poindexter said. As the National Arts Institute, the group “continued support to G-Star School until Mr. Hauptner formed a new foundation,” she said. Hauptner filed documents with the state creating a new support group, the G-Star School Foundation, in April 2012.

Former G-Star school board member Richard Tripp said he was aware of a few modest donations to the foundation, but he isn’t sure how much money was raised, what was donated to the school or how the money was used.

Another board member said an $86,000 grant from the foundation in 2009 financed the school’s movie It’s a Dog Gone Tale: Destiny’s Stand. The film, in which Gertrude Maxwell played an animal-loving philanthropist, was never released.

Blake, who was the G-Star school board chairwoman at the time, said she doesn’t recall how much money the foundation gave the school because the information Hauptner shared often was fragmentary. “Mr. Hauptner directed everything,” she said. “That was the biggest problem the board had.”

Five of the G-Star school’s six board board members resigned between 2009 and 2010, according to reports filed with the state Division of Corporations. Four said they left because of other obligations and one said he resigned when his daughter graduated from the school.

For his part, Hauptner accused Stark Thomas and Poindexter of taking over the foundation without his knowledge.

In a December 2011 Palm Springs police report, Hauptner said they removed him from the board and changed the name of the foundation without informing him or holding a board meeting. He accused Stark Thomas of diverting the school’s and his personal mail to Stark Thomas’ post office box in Palm Beach. He also said Poindexter attempted to withdraw $65,000 from the foundation’s bank account using an improper letter that said he had been removed as the board’s treasurer and they controlled the funds. Stark Thomas and Ohrstrom filed papers with the state in July 2011 removing Hauptner from the board and changing the foundation’s name to National Arts Institute.

In January 2012, Hauptner told the police that he was negotiating a settlement with Stark Thomas and Poindexter. Later that month, Hauptner left a phone message saying the dispute had been resolved. Hauptner declined to comment on the dispute.

Former G-Star school board member Analisa Whiting said other board members were trying to oust Hauptner.

CONT

[panzerwerk]

“They would call you up and try to get you to take their side,” she said. “They’d say ‘We need your help to get Greg out.’ ”

Whiting said when she showed up at board meetings, Blake told her to leave.

“There was something they didn’t want me there for,” she said. Blake said she doesn’t recall ever asking anyone to leave a meeting.

Since becoming the National Arts Institute, the group’s activities have included organizing holiday toy drives and delivering a thank-you lunch to Oxbridge Academy’s staff. According to the website, the group conducted “artistic outreach” at the KidSanctuary Campus in West Palm Beach. But Place of Hope, which provides KidSanctuary’s programming, knows nothing about it. “I’m not able to find a record of them doing anything with us,” Executive Director Charles Bender said.

Poindexter said the NAI has provided “opportunities for high school students to gain real world experience in writing, producing and acting in TV and radio commercials.” The G-Star school was involved in such work, but the Palm Beach County Film & Television Commission has no record of the National Arts Institute being engaged in similar projects, film commissioner Chuck Elderd said.

No additional information was forthcoming from the National Arts Institute.
- See more at: Auditioning for the Playhouse | www.palmbeachdailynews.com[/quote]
Now the fun part , Tripp was on the board of directors and he was a member of :

G-STAR PARENT TEACHER STUDENT ORGANIZATION INC another non profit linked to the G-Star school , his title was principal .

the other interesting thing is the comment :

Since becoming the National Arts Institute, the group’s activities have included organizing holiday toy drives and delivering a thank-you lunch to Oxbridge Academy’s staff.

Mr Tripp after G-Star went on to become Dean of Student Life at Oxbridge academy !

there is some weird things going on , I actually called the reporter who interviewed Mr Tripp and told me he was bound by a non discloser agreement , there was more about this , but I do not want to comment about it until the state does an investigation .
My whole point in this is ,in but a few clicks of a mouse and a couple name searches can find a string of LLC's and what seem like failed Businesses , and now shady non profits that say much about the character of a Man .

[panzerwerk]

Much is going on with his website right now , he has disabled links to the parts pages , but they can still be accessed through old links , meaning they are still there , he is in violation of the Digital Millennium act and his web host will be removing all my pictures from his website soon , both Armorpax and East Coast armories will be filling removal claims for their pictures as well , Karma is a bitch ... and this is not over yet , I am expecting a call tomorrow from a Florida official , cant say more .

[pzrwest]

Glad to see something is finally being done in this matter

[toyrific]

You did it Steve, Paypal shut down, Ebay shut down and now his web site is gone. Congrats and Thanks

Mike

[panzerwerk]

Yup , we all have been working hard to achieve some action , because his massive violations , the hosting service decided it was best to shut the whole thing down , now I just hope when/if he decides to make a new site , he will do it legally and show some ethics .
I also think with other possible investigations going on not related to our little hobby , Mr Tripp may be very busy , I talked to a lot of folks through all this ,and everything he is involved in in some way seems to be under someones microscope right now ,at least that was the impression I got from them .
Although I do not feel vindicated , I am satisfied for the moment , but will my keep eyes open as always . Thanks to Mike ,John and David for all your guys help with this .

[SgtUSMC]

That is some REALLY GREAT news to hear. Now lets hope he goes to jail and has to pay out a lot of money to the people he screwed over!!!!!!

[The_Dutchman]

Congratulations to all involved, that is a BIG achievement!
Although jailtime is an option, I think the best way to stop these thughs is by hurting their wallet every way you can and sue them for lost revenue. Besides, jailtime is something YOU still pay for... through your taxes.

[panzerwerk]

For anyone who is still owed monies by Mr Tripp , please PM me for his current information , including his latest non steel dragons work contact info.

[panzerwerk]

for those who feel the need to keep up with Mr Tripps latest doings , he has been updating this site regularly :

Home-Page

[Sixty Driver]

Beware of the link, there is some sort of malware that tried to install itself on my computer when I clicked on one of the topics on that site.

[panzerwerk]

Im running the latest anti malware , i got nothing ???

[pzrwest]

When I click the link I get the message "This Page Can't Be Displayed"

[panzerwerk]

www.rttscience.com/

[SgtUSMC]

He sure gave himself a good write up on his STEAL dragons project. To bad he does not mention how many people he screwed over. and it is also to bad there is no place for anyone to leave him some comments on that page.

[panzerwerk]

Yes , he is a legend in his own mind !

[ozz714]

I am a new member of this group, but I am not new to Steal Dragons I believe that to be the correct spelling. If you have been on Richards I prefer to call him Dick, anyway if you have been on Dick's site you may have seen the FOA Tiger project he was working on, that is my Tiger. I had contracted with him to RC my Tiger I also gave him a $1000.00 deposit. About a month back I went on the site to check the progress on my Tiger low and behold it had changed to the new site. Needless to say I tried to contact him thru email and leaving voice mail both several times and I'm sure none of you will be surprised that I never heard back from Dick. I want to thank who ever it was in this group that put up the website address for the Florida Attorney General's Office on an earlier thread I went on there site and filed a complaint on Steal Dragons. They in turn sent me many contacts to file complaints with so far I have an ongoing case with The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, I have just filed a complaint with Palm Beach County Consumer Protection Office that is the county that Dick operates out of. I urge any of you out there that have been done wrong by this scum bag to file a complaint with the Florida Attorney General's Office you can do it online and it is easy to do.

[ozz714]

I wanted to give credit where credit is due Panzerwerk had the link to The Florida Attorney General's Office on the thread

The Cooler Member and Commercial Unfair Trading & Business Practices

Thanks for putting out that information. You helped me get the ball rolling.

[panzerwerk]

Welcome ! Best wishes in your success in recovering your money and or Tiger !

[panzerwerk]

He is in you area , stop by his house and get your stuff .

[ozz714]

Originally Posted by panzerwerk

He is in you area , stop by his house and get your stuff .

Trust me the thought has crossed my mind he is only about an Hour and a half from my house but doing that would make me the aggressor I'm not going to give him the opportunity to try and turn this to make himself look like the victim. I'm going to rely on the legal system.

[panzerwerk]

I will just say you would not be the first to knock on his door LOL .

[ozz714]

Originally Posted by panzerwerk

I will just say you would not be the first to knock on his door LOL .

Who could blame them if they did he has his home address on the website under contacts that why they made Google maps. I actually have Google earth on my computer and you can actually see the house Dick lives in. One of our station owners was just here and he lives in West Palm Beach and I asked him about the area where Dick lives and he said it was kind of a slimy area. My thought was well he should fit right in.

[Sourdoh]

EDITED ,Not relevant the the thread .

[ozz714]

respectfully withdrawn

[panzerwerk]

OK guys , went back a few pages and cleaned up some non related to the issues postings , please as much as I like the "atta boys" , Lets keep this on track , I dont need sourdoh getting on my back LOL .

[Sourdoh]

Sorry about that! I admire your zeal, and your cause is just.

[ozz714]

Thank you, the wheels of justice turn slowly, hopefully I should know something in the next 30 days, but if the Florida state agencies fail me I have one more Ace to play. I urge anyone owed money or property by Steel Dragons to look into this I have talked with two attorneys and they feel I have a very good case for this: The civil theft statute, F.S. §772.11 (1) (2001), entitled “Civil Remedy For Theft,” do a search and read up about it. This can be done in small claims court so you do not have to have an attorney.

[panzerwerk]

If there is anyone out there in the State of Florida who has done any Business with Steeldragons , please drop me a PM .

[panzerwerk]

I find it hilarious he is still using a shill to try to buy from me .

[panzerwerk]

New open case , cant wait to see how this turns out as I have a feeling I know who filed this one .

http://www.pbcgov.com/pubsafety/cons...rfProductSeq=0

[panzerwerk]

New info for Mr Tripp , I have been conversing with a individual who was taken by Mr Tripp for about $400-$500 , he did not take being ripped off lightly and went to several govt agencies to see what could be done , and today a IRS tax lien document has shown up that he has a $161.000 plus federal lien now to worry about .

It goes to show , weather its $1 or $10,000 , its the individual who makes the difference , this guy could have written off his loss with ease and walked away , but the principal of the issue drove him to try to end his multiple thefts from him self and others , Kudos to him , and at least he will have to pay even if its to the Feds .

:rolleyes:

[panzerwerk]

Link to public document :

http://oris.co.palm-beach.fl.us/or_w...oc_id=19795665

The site is sketchy and seems to get overloaded , so keep trying if you want to see the official document from the IRS .

[panzerwerk]

[Sourdoh]

What a world of hurt he has brought down on himself by being such a weenie in every possible way!

[andy101506]

Just went on the Steele dragons website for shit and giggles and to see what he was saying and apparently instead of 1/6th scale stuff he now sells tutoring services! I guess he specializes in teaching theft and jack assery...

IT'S CALLED Student Advocacy Group (SAG). I think he's making fun of Panzerwerk and our forum, read the FAQs on the website it's weird... I think Richard has lost it.

[panzerwerk]

His SAG group has been around for a long time , it is not a jab at us , just coincidence .

[panzerwerk]

PLEASE BE AWARE , it looks like he got a ebay store to sell some of his remaining stock and collection , I see items that look very much like the illegally copied Armopax and Icons parts for sale , including some long out of production custom items . Look at the feedback for items sold and you will see some interesting things .

BTW I dont think the ebay account is Richards , I do not think they know anything about whats going on .

http://www.ebay.com/usr/raqdeals

[panzerwerk]

Looks like he has joined another online community , I know folks cross over hobbies , please be aware he is still out there and he can do this all over again to another community.
I have notified the Administrators of the community of his past dealings .

You need to be a member to view his post :

http://www.rcscalebuilder.com/forum/...TID=21919&PN=1

[panzerwerk]

Richard Tripp AKA Steeldragons has a new site BE VERY CAREFUL remember this guy has stolen tens of thousands of dollars from hobbyists !!!

http://panzerwaffen.com/home.html

[panzerwerk]

Domain Name Analysis

Panzerwaffen.com is created by RIchard Tripp, it has 5 months old. It will be expired on 26 Dec 2014. The sponsor is GODADDY.COM, LLC.
Domain Name:Panzerwaffen.comDomain Age:5 months 6 days oldTime Left:209 days Domain Owner:RIchard TrippName server:ns09.domaincontrol.com (216.69.185.5)
ns10.domaincontrol.com (208.109.255.5)Status:clientDeleteProhibited
clientRenewProhibited
clientTransferProhibited
clientUpdateProhibitedUpdated:2013-12-26Creation:2013-12-26Expiration:2014-12-26Sponsor:GODADDY.COM, LLCSponsor URL:http://registrar.godaddy.comWhois Server:whois.godaddy.com

[Saxondog]

Posted updates on RC TANKWARFARE and ARMORTEK forums can be found here.

Spreading the word around the community and around the world.

https://www.rctankwarfare.co.uk/foru...115337#p115337

http://www.armortek.co.uk/Forum3b/vi...5a21ece#p43417

Tonight I will discuss this situation with our brother forums in Germany and the Netherlands to ensure the information remains current on as many forums as possible.