Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Phone rage leads to arrest here for Ohio man [got angry at telemarketer, charged with terrorism]
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch ^ | 2009-07-21 | Matthew Hathaway

Posted on 07/21/2009 7:18:28 PM PDT by rabscuttle385

An Ohio man, fed up with deceptive junk mail, made the mistake of losing his temper while on the phone with a St. Louis company pitching an extended auto-service contract. Now he finds himself behind bars, where he is charged with making a terrorist threat.

According to court documents, Charles W. Papenfus, 43, allegedly told a sales representative during a May 18 telephone call that he would burn down the building and kill the employees and their families. He was indicted for making a terrorist threat, a Class D felony; and he could be sentenced to up to four years in prison if convicted.

Papenfus' wife, Tracie, said she hasn't seen her husband since his arrest on June 27, when he was lured to a Fostoria, Ohio, police station with a false story about being suspected in a tavern fight there. Charles Papenfus, a self-employed mechanic who sometimes works on the department's police cruisers, dropped by the station to clear his name, she said.

Tracie Papenfus said she still can't understand why her husband is held 450 miles from home at the St. Louis workhouse on a $45,000 bond she can't afford to pay. (That amount could be lowered at bond-reduction hearing scheduled for Monday.)

(Excerpt) Read more at stltoday.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Government; News/Current Events; US: Missouri; US: Ohio
KEYWORDS: donutwatch; leo; lping; patriotact; police; policestate; telemarketers; terrorism
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-8081-82 next last
To: AlexW

This will be the accepted norm from many officials, stop dissent in extremis. This will soon involve anything political, you can be arrested, hauled hundreds of miles away for detention and given a very high bail.

Its like speed traps.

Stimulus!

Best thing I have ever done was to have a long winded recording on my telephones answering machine stating that a live person will not pick up the phone for any telemarketer...period. I screen all calls.


41 posted on 07/21/2009 8:54:03 PM PDT by Eye of Unk ("If there must be trouble, let it be in my day, that my child may have peace." T. Paine)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: mad puppy

I consider anyone calling me uninvitied the same as home invasion. I feel no obligation to be nice or polite whatsoever. I finally just got a cell and never give out the number.

Only like 5 people got it and I don’t know the number myself, so I can’t give it to you, even if I was so inclined. I also never carry it unless going out of town. I do keep it by my computer for my wife to call when necessary. Basically I hate the phone.


42 posted on 07/21/2009 8:55:41 PM PDT by packrat35 (The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other peoples money.- M Thatcher)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 27 | View Replies]

To: Polynikes

I have that saved and watch it at least once a week and it never fails to make me smile.


43 posted on 07/21/2009 8:57:00 PM PDT by packrat35 (The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other peoples money.- M Thatcher)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 30 | View Replies]

To: bamahead
The Auto-Warranty telemarketer jerks are absolute scum. They are rude and just hang up on you if you ask to be taken off the list. I’ve had fun with a few of them...ask them ‘which of my cars is expiring?’...they should know, they called you. It really pisses them off...

That's exactly what I do. If they had any sense at all it would embarrass them, plus it wastes their time which is the only practical thing you can do to hurt them. Two less minutes working the phone is just that many less suckers fleeced.

44 posted on 07/21/2009 9:15:57 PM PDT by Still Thinking (If ignorance is bliss, liberals must be ecstatic!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: BILL_C

When I was younger and stupider, I used to belch into the phone at them.


45 posted on 07/21/2009 9:18:40 PM PDT by ArrogantBustard (Western Civilization is Aborting, Buggering, and Contracepting itself out of existence.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 20 | View Replies]

To: Oztrich Boy
It’s a crime to threaten a telemarketer? Strange world.

Reminds me of the Dave Barry column where he's talking about how hard it is to find out how much they want for a car you're considering buying. He said that one method which can be effective is to take out a gun and say "Tell me the price of this car or I will kill you", except that it's actually illegal in some states to kill car salesmen!

46 posted on 07/21/2009 9:21:34 PM PDT by Still Thinking (If ignorance is bliss, liberals must be ecstatic!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 23 | View Replies]

To: ThermoNuclearWarrior
I’ve worked in telemarketing before and what a lot of people don’t understand is that telemarketers just laugh when people get all crazy or try to give you some lecture. You hear the same stuff all the time and you don’t even remember the call after it’s over.

Exactly. I think the only thing that will hurt them is waste their time (I assume they're on commission), and then I've been thinking about getting an air horn to blow in the phone.

47 posted on 07/21/2009 9:29:07 PM PDT by Still Thinking (If ignorance is bliss, liberals must be ecstatic!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 32 | View Replies]

To: rabscuttle385; pnh102; mad puppy; WVNan; PetroniusMaximus; John123; PackerBoy; Naspino; Ciexyz; ...
Nearly all the posters on this thread seem to be missing a key point, due to the misleading parenthetical the original poster added to the title. This was NOT A TELEMARKETER.

An Ohio man, fed up with deceptive junk mail, made the mistake of losing his temper while on the phone with a St. Louis company pitching an extended auto-service contract.

He made the call himself, and then started in with the terroristic threats.

48 posted on 07/21/2009 9:42:36 PM PDT by GovernmentShrinker (Vote for a short Freepathon! Donate now if you possibly can!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: rabscuttle385

Meanwhile, the police refuse to go after real criminals (with all due respect to those of you working in law enforcement and trying your best).

I understand the police investigating the man, but arresting and imprisoning him is going too far, especially if both the man and the telemarketer exchanged heated words. Plus, the exhange took place on the telephone, hundreds of miles away from each other; it didn’t happen in person.

Someone not only threatened me in person, but he came right up and raised his hand to backhand me during an argument. (Road rage - he yelled at me, and I made the mistake of yelling back.) I gave the license number to 911, a physical description to the police, and the location where the man said he lived. And they made every excuse not to follow up.

Side note: I used to work in sales/telemarketing years ago, but the telemarketers calling my home these days are very rude, hang up when you ask a question, and you can never track down the call.


49 posted on 07/21/2009 9:51:41 PM PDT by Tired of Taxes (Dad, I will always think of you.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Still Thinking
Exactly. I think the only thing that will hurt them is waste their time (I assume they're on commission), and then I've been thinking about getting an air horn to blow in the phone.

I pretend that I'm retarded or hard of hearing and have them say stuff a couple of times. Then I get a pen and write down what they offer and have them spell it. Then I spell it back.. It's kinda fun. that's if I'm bored. Usually don't answer if the caller ID isn't a known friend.

The other good one that my kids and I do for giggles is pick up the phone and then all 3-4 start talking at once.

It's so funny. the kids love it cause they feel like they're screwing with adults, my wife thinks it's stupid and we all get to laugh together.

Then there's the old standby... speak in Spanish. Then in broken spanish call them racists. bwahahahahahaha... Sometimes it's better than watching TV. My calls usually start around 9-10 a.m. and stop around 8 p.m.

I think everyone should just see how creative you can get. I actually found out about the place that was making calls to me was located in St. Louis MO and got the address through a google search and business listing database while yakking to the caller and told him I'd come over and sign the paperwork for my credit card life insurance if he'd just tell my his name and what he looked like. With google map it was FUNNY to tell him which parking lot I was going to pull into. You can describe the intersection and the view... actually made me nervous about how nervous he got.

They're a pain in the a## and do need to hold their breaths for about 8-9 minutes.... but what can you do. You obviously can't threaten them, but laughing always makes stressful situations pass quickly. ........ oh yeah.

The OTHER thing is to just give them fake account numbers to checking and tell them you're going to hurry up and pay whatever they want... have them give the address and just mangle it up as they repeat it over and over... It's hard to do with credit cards cause it only takes seconds for them to realize it's fake and/or the security code is fake, but you can keep switching numbers around by one or two places.... usually they only stay on for about 1 minute at the most but sometimes I think they like to goof off also and it lasts longer.

50 posted on 07/21/2009 9:55:56 PM PDT by erman (Outside of a dog, a book is man's best companion. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 47 | View Replies]

To: Hardastarboard

I worked for companies that had their own sales departments, and we, as sales representatives, would call people to make sales for the company. But, some companies hire outside telemarketing firms to make calls, and the telemarketers calling me at home these days aren’t very knowledgeable, are very rude, don’t care, hang up on me when I ask a question, etc. I can’t imagine how they’re making any sales.

They’re even rude when I’m the one calling them. I called a company and was disconnected twice because I asked a question that was taking them off script, I guess. If I ever had a business, I would never contract with a telemarketing firm.


51 posted on 07/21/2009 10:09:46 PM PDT by Tired of Taxes (Dad, I will always think of you.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: ThermoNuclearWarrior
When I use to be a telemarketer I loved it when people would do that. I could just sat there without working and read a book. It's an automated system that makes you take call after call, so it's always nice to have a break.

Sounds like said automated system was quite primitive. Otherwise, it would have tagged you with a low productivity rating: minutes on phone per dollar in sales too large.

52 posted on 07/21/2009 10:14:28 PM PDT by cynwoody
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 36 | View Replies]

To: GovernmentShrinker

You are correct sir. If he instigated the call, then he was totally at fault. In situations like this, I always just hang up.


53 posted on 07/21/2009 10:27:59 PM PDT by packrat35 (The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other peoples money.- M Thatcher)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 48 | View Replies]

Comment #54 Removed by Moderator

To: GovernmentShrinker
He made the call himself, and then started in with the terroristic threats.

But the shyster extended warranty company initiated the relationship by sending him an obviously fraudulent offer.

Best outcome: Papenfus acquitted based on combination of jury sympathy and bogus defense of diminished capacity because of the motorcycle accident medication. Then he sues the warranty company, bankrupts them, and several hundred telemarketers file initial unemployment claims. Bottom line: Obama's fault.

55 posted on 07/21/2009 10:36:42 PM PDT by cynwoody
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 48 | View Replies]

To: cynwoody

I’m not endorsing the company’s fraudulent marketing materials. But this wasn’t a telemarketer invading the guy’s home. If he wanted to do something about the fraudulent mailings, sending copies of the item to the state attorney general and to the USPS Inspector General’s offices would have been a good move. Calling up the company and making terroristic threats was stupid and a crime. Two crimes don’t make an innocent.


56 posted on 07/21/2009 10:41:22 PM PDT by GovernmentShrinker (Vote for a short Freepathon! Donate now if you possibly can!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 55 | View Replies]

To: rabscuttle385

Mr. Papenfus would only be convicted by a judge in Latham Massachusetts.


57 posted on 07/21/2009 10:59:26 PM PDT by This_far
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: mad puppy

>do not call list? caller id? don’t answer the phone? just hang up? Nope.... I’ll go with threaten to burn down their building and kill their families. Moron.<

Although certainly not the brightest idea he had, to be sure. In his defense I have to say that I got on their calling list myself. I am on the national do not call registry. They still called. i filed complaints with the registry. Asked the solicitors directly to take my name off the list. Let the phone ring off the hook. They continued for about 3 months. It was VERY frustrating.
I would ask nicely for them not to call again, tell them i wasn’t interested, told them i was on the do not call list. They just never gave up until one day it just stopped.

Him getting arrested for terrorism is over the top though. Clearly he alarmed them, so maybe harassment a misdemeanor at best. But a d felony?
Overkill.

I am curious to know if anyone knows what agency made the arrest???

federal, state, local???


58 posted on 07/21/2009 11:39:14 PM PDT by Munz (All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: anonsquared

>I found mentioning the $11,000 fine per violation gets them to quit calling pronto.

http://www.privacyrights.org/fs/fs5-tmkt.htm<

I’ll take that ,,, thank ya much!


59 posted on 07/21/2009 11:40:43 PM PDT by Munz (All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: HereInTheHeartland

>Do not call lists are ignored. Why should someone not answer their own phone??
A persons phone is not a public resource.<

As i posted before this happened to me as well.
i am on the do not call list.
have a private number
Plus I spoke with the company several times asking them not to call me anymore, i was not interested please take my name out of the database.
filed complaints with the do not call registry

it continued for about 3 months. :-(

I admit it did get on my nerves. But i never threatened to burn the place down ...


60 posted on 07/21/2009 11:45:46 PM PDT by Munz (All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 26 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-8081-82 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson