Hardin, Montana update: AG launches probe

The latest on what’s happening in Hardin, Montana: State Attorney General Steve Bullock has launched a probe into the jail deal with American Police Force and its shady founder:
Montana Attorney General Steve Bullock launched an investigation Thursday into American Police Force, the California company founded by a Serbian immigrant with a lengthy criminal history that is seeking to run an empty, 464-bed jail in Hardin.
Bullock sent a nine-page demand letter late Thursday afternoon to Becky Shay, the spokeswoman for APF and the company’s only Montana employee.
Shay did not immediately respond to phone calls Thursday.
According to the document, Bullock is launching the civil investigation into APF over concerns that the company might be violating the Montana Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Act.
Among other things, Bullock demanded that the company provide proof for many statements about the company included on APF’s Web site. The site says that the company frequently has contracts with the U.S. government and has operations in all 50 states.
Research into the company has turned up no record of APF contracting with the federal government. Bullock has requested that the company provide proof of its federal contracts and operations in other states.
Bullock also requested a copy of the contract between APF and Two Rivers Authority, the economic development arm of the city of Hardin, which built the jail two years ago.
The contract is reportedly a 10-year, multimillion-dollar deal with APF to run the jail.
Although Michael Hilton, the man behind APF, and local officials say the deal is as good as done, US Bank, the trustee for the bonds sold to build the jail, has never signed off on it.
People involved in the deal are jumping ship:
A California company’s bid to take over an empty jail in rural Montana appears to be unraveling, with an attorney involved in the project cutting ties Friday and a second company, once named as a subcontractor, denying any involvement.
Those moves followed revelations earlier in the week that Michael Hilton—the lead figure of the company, American Police Force—is a convicted felon with a history of fraud and failed business dealings in California.
“We met with him and he asked us if we can support him,” said Edward Angelino, chief executive of Allied Defense Systems, an Irvine, Calif.-based defense contractor. “We checked his background, we checked his company. He’s not an adequate person to do business with.”
Sunlight is always the best disinfectant.
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Sounds just like the kind of group that the O man would hire for Gitmo2. Do they have any ties to Chicago land?
Thanks for keeping on this Michelle.
I don’t know if it’s just my computer but the link people jumping ship didn’t work.
My first thought exactly!
It has some pop-ups and garbage, but came up for me.
CA is loaded with people like Hilton. Glendale is the de facto new headquarters of the re-located Russian Mafia. Just look up the police blotter in the local newspaper.
Hmmm…why is it I keep seeing “Hannah Montana” rather than “Harding, Montana”?
Maybe I’m just tired.
A soon as I looked at their website, I knew they were full of crap. Not one of those photos of “SWAT Team Operators” are real. They are poached photos of foreign police and foreign military personnel, and they are trying to pass them off as their own people in action.
My company actually does this kind of work in the US and overseas, and believe me, we can spot the posers from a mile away.
This group found an empty jail for cheap, but they couldn’t have it (or afford it) unless they had a federal contract giving them a use for it. And, they couldn’t get a federal contract unless they already had the facility. In order to win federal contracts these days, you actually have to show that you can already do the work / make the product / perform the service.
People like this BS all the time claiming they do work that in reality, they only wish they could do. There is no way in hell these guys have maritime security teams aboard any ships, nor are they running armed protection details anywhere overseas. I’m sure they would love to, but if your company boss is a convicted felon, good luck getting the State Dept. to certify you to a foreign government to work while armed in their country. Convicted felon = no security clearance = no federal contracts = no guns = FAIL !!!
I’m thinking it could be Keyser Soze.
Thank you Michelle.
You are a force of nature.
God bless your work.
It’s the new field office of the Law Enforcement Czar?
I did an accounting project once for a company that had government contracts to provide peripheral security for government installations like foreign embassies, nuclear power plants, military bases and so on. I am not an expert on the industry but I was around long enough to notice that it is not an industry of companies started up by civilian immigrants. Everyone I knew was a former law enforcement officer or high-ranking military officer. I can’t believe that Hilton could have gotten off of the ground in that business with no experience and with his criminal background unless he was awarded “no-bid” by a crooked politician directing him the business for kick-backs or some other self-serving reason.
How the roaches run when the rug is lifted and light gets through.
I wonder if Obama, Daley and their Chi-town cronies like Valerie Jarrett and friends will launch an effort to move Gitmo to the proposed site of the Chicago Olympic Village. Would not surprise me any at all if that was their contingency plan. It also makes me wonder if I am just as looney as they are for even thinking about it!
Like I said earlier, SCAM. And now its unraveling.
Didn’t one of our posters call and find out that this was perfectly legit? Hmmmm…. And didn’t we tell that poster not to believe everything you are told, especially if it is by someone in the government? Now, who was that poster again? I don’t remember. But I do remember that person was pretty sure that everything was just hunky dorey!
Oh yes, now I remember.
Off topic…but has anyone been able to find the text of Barack Obama’s speech in Denmark? I only come up with Michelle O’s speech, not Barack’s. Was it so embarrasing that they won’t even allow it on the internet? Very strange. Does anyone have a link?
Happy Try this
http://tinyurl.com/y9ypu6o
Thanks!!
My thoughts exactly … GITMO2, before anyone knows what is going on.
I’m not fluent in Danish but here is my translation of Obama’s speech:
“Me me me me me me me me me me me me, and Michelle, and me me me me me me, I apologize for my country but back to me me me me me me.”
It goes on like that for about 20 minutes.
BTW, that speech probably creeped out the Olympic Committee since Obama framed the winning the Olympics for Chicago in terms of his own personal legacy. The rest about cultural diversity looked like a cut and paste to fill the time.
I can’t wait to hear what the committee members say when (if) asked.
Thank you, Montana (and MM).
Stop the Balkan Mafia.
I think the Citizens of America should take over the Hardin Prison, and fill it up with a PHONEY President,HIS Cabinet,A whole mess of Czars, and a Bunch of CORRUPT Congressional Politicians. One small problem though… It only houses 295 Inmates.
I guess we could ADD onto it, JOB CREATION.
Struck in a rut isn’t he? Most likely his Typical White Grandmother’s fault-or George Bush’s. But only BitterClingers notice.
O/T but still very creepy. Did anyone see the Fox News show last night w/Megyan (sp) Kelly? She interviewed the former head of ACORN prior to the incriminating tapes coming out. There are a lot of cockroaches that need cleaned out.
Well it’s bad enough that the private police force’s spokesperson Shay is using the “fearmongers” word huh I wonder where she picked up on this language…she also wanted the cameras turned off she was so vulnerable she started crying…give me an effin break.
American Police Force spokeswoman fears for safety; attorney, subcontractor step back
http://www.missoulian.com/news/state-and-regional/article_b0e31f1a-afd4-11de-a3da-001cc4c03286.html
American Police Force official has extensive criminal record.
Photo included.
http://www.missoulian.com/news/state-and-regional/article_8c78ef7a-ae3e-11de-a00d-001cc4c002e0.html
Maybe Obama is opening up a Bed & Breakfast for the IOC.
and so he needs a gun range because…