Posted on 07/29/2012 6:54:24 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
The phone rang before sunrise. It woke Craig Patty, owner of a tiny North Texas trucking company, to vexing news about Truck 793 - a big red semi supposedly getting repairs in Houston.
"Your driver was shot in your truck," said the caller, a business colleague. "Your truck was loaded with marijuana. He was shot eight times while sitting in the cab. Do you know anything about your driver hauling marijuana?"
"What did you say?" Patty recalled asking. "Could you please repeat that?"
The truck, it turned out, had been everywhere but in the repair shop.
Commandeered by one of his drivers, who was secretly working with federal agents, the truck had been hauling marijuana from the border as part of an undercover operation. And without Patty's knowledge, the Drug Enforcement Administration was paying his driver, Lawrence Chapa, to use the truck to bust traffickers.
At least 17 hours before that early morning phone call, Chapa was shot dead in front of more than a dozen law enforcement officers - all of them taken by surprise by hijackers trying to steal the red Kenworth T600 truck and its load of pot.
n the confusion of the attack in northwest Harris County, compounded by officers in the operation not all knowing each other, a Houston policeman shot and wounded a Harris County sheriff's deputy.
Still waiting
But eight months later, Patty still can't get recompense from the U.S. government's decision to use his truck and employee without his permission.
His company, which hauls sand as part of hydraulic fracturing operations for oil and gas companies, was pushed to the brink of failure after the attack because the truck was knocked out of commission, he said.
Patty had only one other truck in operation......
(Excerpt) Read more at chron.com ...
Usually, government claims sovereign immunity to blow off suits. This, however, is outright theft by the government. I find it hard to believe there won’t be compensation if the story is as told and Patty gets a good lawyer to stick with it.
These “under cover” ops sure do work out well. Maybe they should focus on building a fence. Naw... too much work.
There are few things that the government does well, however outright theft is certainly among them.
“And without Patty’s knowledge, the Drug Enforcement Administration was paying his driver, Lawrence Chapa, to use the truck to bust traffickers.”
Another ‘good’ idea from your government ... botched.
I think there’s a fourth amendment issue here - I mean, who authorized this agency to commandeer employees and equipment that are being paid for by a private businessperson, who is unaware that their equipment’s being used in a government scheme?
Does Fast and Furious ring a bell?
If Craig Patty doesn’t shut up and become a good little subject, the all munificent government will probably inspect his business, shut him down for whatever violation is convenient and then raid his house and shoot his dogs. Cynical? You bet.
Burnish think of all the benefits this War on (some) Drugs is bringing us.
Somehow, when you rent a car you are expected to return it in good shape. This however was theft not rent, I guess laws don’t apply to the goobermint under an illegal President.
what the hel is happening with Darrell Issa’s investigation of fast and furious. is holder being held accountable?
At least his truck was not sold to the cartel.
“If Craig Patty doesn’t shut up and become a good little subject, the all munificent government will probably inspect his business, shut him down for whatever violation is convenient and then raid his house and shoot his dogs. Cynical? You bet.”
Or simply send over some bureaucrat to shut his last remaining truck down for some administrative technicality.
I’m surprised this incident made the news at all. Thanks for the post.
He and his family live in fear of the Cartels now (at end of article).
Setting-up crimes makes you the criminal. There are enough real crimes being committed without L.E. creating more of them with catastrophic results.
It was considered routine.
F-ngovernment has become one word. The bastards have been running roughshod over this country ever since the, “War on Drugs” began. It is high time that this country stood up for its rights and put this f-ngovernment back in its place.
This isn’t even a dust mite on a hair of a flea on the tip of the iceberg that is government corruption.
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