Ever wonder about Striker Yachts...

Wow, what an amazing story. You could almost sympathize with the guy except for a few of the details. I bet he wishes he hadn't walked away the first time.

I wonder what the judge will do this time.

Very interesting. This reads like a story line from an old 70's detective show like Cannon or Rockford files.

Hi,

I wouldn't like to guess what he will do but think something he won't do is grant the guy bail this time.

It makes you wonder why he went back to using his own name after having avoided it successfully for so long.

I wonder if after 30 yrs the cash was running low along with his contacts to get the false papers?

Interesting to read that Informants were key to his whereabouts and name change being known to the Feds, I guess he didn't sever all ties when he flew the coop.

There is a 70' Striker right outside my office, I will have to check the bilge more carefully.

I guess the old saying that "you can run but you can't hide" is true. You can almost see a second generation of detectives checking databases every few weeks and making calls to old contacts just to see what turns up. This really is TV movie stuff isn't it?

It does sound like he was broke and had run out of energy. Using his own name must have been one of those "I'm ready to give up" things that he knew would end in his capture before too long. He must have been tired of running and saw a really lousy future.

At least in prison he won't have to live on cat food and depend on the hospital emergency room for medical care like so many other American oldies.

yea i think you guy's are right at least this way we will get med attention and fresh food and a place to sleep and it won't cost him any thing but time , and he can spend that watching T V or what ever

travler

It was said he was collecting social security but that he was found because of him applying for a drivers license. Govt agencies still dont communicate that well.

i don't know what worries me the most... that he was collecting SS, that a drivers licensed was issues to a fugitive or that he was able to come in and out of the country a few times without getting caught at the airport!

of course, considering the state of our southern border and the recent discovery of iran printed terrorism books along a trail used by smuggler, this guy story isnt' that worrysome!

"...the recent discovery of iran printed terrorism books..."

I would rather have book stores filled with Iranian printed "terrorism books" than have the government keeping any book out of my hands.

You know that old saying about trading "security" for freedom don't you?

obviously.. but migrant workers crossing the southern border dont' read iranian terrorism manuals... so when oen such book is found in the desert, it's cause for worry!

Porbably planted there by someone who sells gee whiz stuff to the border patrol.

Or, looking at it the other way, any wannabe terrorist stupid enough to carry his how-to manual with him while sneaking across the most highly guarded border we have he can't be too bright anyway. Then losing the silly book after crossing pretty much puts him in amongst the lower level of threats I think.

"across the most highly guarded border we have"

you're joking, right?

It isn't surprising. Most people involved in the boat building business in South Florida were involved in the drug business one way or another. Either knowingly building drug boats for customers who paid cash. Or running it themselves, or whatever. I heard stories from a friend of mine who worked at a big wellcraft dealership in the early 80's. They had numerous customers who would buy Scarabs, rip and throw the entire interior out on the dock in a big pile at the dealership.....including the refrigerators and everything else, and then drive the boat away. Drug running was pretty widespread back then in South Florida, and pretty obvious to who was doing what. All you had to do was go to Shooters.......you'd see 12 race boats tied up on a weekday night.......then all of a sudden at 11pm or later they'd all split, all at the same time.

No. Do the math.

We have just under 1,000 border guards on the 4000 mile border with Canada.

We have about 10,000 border guards plus 1,200 National Guard troops along the slightly less than 2,000 mile border with Mexico.

US/Canada border: number of guards per mile .25 or 1 guard every 4 miles.

US/Mexico border: number of guards per mile 5 plus .6 NG troopers per mile.

Those of us who worked in FL in the 80's saw a lot of this happen, avoided and just carried on with life on the water.

I loved our little Donzi and I love those Strikers, there is not much good that came out of the 80's but those boats were great.

Were it not for those days Miami Beach would still be a retirement village, the boating industry would be a 10th of what it is today & most of the Mcmansions in the U.S. & elsewhere would never have been built. Much of the wealth of the 90's was a direct or indirect result of those days. Heck, the show COPS would have never hit the airwaves. In fact, think of all the "Save The Bales" t-shirts that would never have been produced.

I lost a broker friend to an 'afternoon sea trial' of his high performance boat, he was found in the mangroves a couple of days later. There was more than flash or glory to the industry then... one had to be smart & cautious. This guy was a fugitive in the open, many knew his whereabouts. I think the 'dumbs' got to him & dad could not bail him out. The existing Strikers are still the Hummers of boating, will go through anything!

Don't know what to tell you man. Since I wrote that 10,000 border patrol figure I discovered it has doubled to 20,000. They must be doing something you can't see or they are keeping a lot of Dunkin Donuts shops busy.

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