Postal theft incidents

[NewB]

👋

 

Friends, 

 

I wont say anything. If anyone could be of an assistance please dont hesitate to reach out. Needless to say - it stinks.. and it makes me Angry!

 

https://m.facebook.com/groups/1542406446018557/permalink/3248211028771415/

 

 

🤬

 

J&U

[Seth]

I do not have Facebook, curious as to what the thread or discussion is about. 

[NewB]

11 minutes ago, Seth said:

I do not have Facebook, curious as to what the thread or discussion is about. 

 

Allegedly, in a nutshell, A respected member of the Facebook nihonto group had his blades taken by someone from an USPS auction of abandoned items and now requiring 10k to return them to their righteous owner. 

 

#AlwaysInsure

 

Cheers

 

J&U

[Toryu2020]

Someone needs to file a claim with the postal inspector...

[Brian]

Glen Kotlar:

 

Quote

Dear Friends, members of the community, and fellow Nihonto enthusiasts.

I wish that I didn’t have to write this post but here it is. Please allow me to inform everyone about disgusting crimes that are being committed inside of USPS Jamaica Queens sorting facility where all shipments from Japan enter the US.

Over a year ago, I have send 5 pieces of Nihonto that I bought here in the United States from fellow collectors and other individuals at sword shows for polish and Shinsa services. For years I have been using Unique Japan as my broker for import, export, Shinsa and other services. They have always been reliable and trustworthy.

In early August this year 5 of my pieces of Nihonto have been formally sent back to me with all paperwork in place. On August 8th it entered NY sorting facility and by looking at the tracking number it’s still in transit.

But several hour ago, Pablo from Unique Japan called me and told me that a gentleman by the name of Eric Anderson from Tennessee has contacted him via email asking him for values of several swords. After several emails and calls between them Pablo realized that these are MY swords and the guy claims that he bought them at an Unclaimed USPS item auction. Which is total BS. Items go to auction in no less than 60 days. I have called the guy since I have all his information except home address (phone number, email, and Facebook profile) and told him that this is the situation, where he told me to pay him $10,000 for my swords or I can go and kick rocks. And that’s how that conversation ended. I have all emails where he clearly displayed images of my swords in his possession and all conversations through him and unique Japan are also in my possession. I tried contacting authorities, but they are sending me from one department to another, while this thief and his assailants are at large with my swords.

Please be careful and always insure all packages for full value and stay away from USPS. If anyone can help me with this, please let me know.

 

[Bruce Pennington]

Incredible.  Everyday our country devolves deeper into a 3rd world country.  My wife's parents grew up in Ecuador.  They would wait in line to pay their bills, rather than mail payment in, because postal workers would steal the money out of the envelopes.

 

Sorry to hear about your swords being stolen.

[Baba Yaga]

On the list of the travesty of crime that's going on, I would say, anyone can do what they dam well please. Sorry about the sword, but no groceries on the shelf, energy and nuclear war is higher on my list. 2nd is not being able to defend against someone physically harming me, per new laws.    

[Curran]

On 9/23/2022 at 11:27 AM, Baba Yaga said:

On the list of the travesty of crime that's going on, I would say, anyone can do what they dam well please. Sorry about the sword, but no groceries on the shelf, energy and nuclear war is higher on my list. 2nd is not being able to defend against someone physically harming me, per new laws.    

 

Shaaaa..

Here,  a shotgun reply and the cops understand. Especially in Kennesaw.

[Guest Simon R]

I've already passed on this information to Glen.

 

Louis DeJoy

Postmaster General and CEO

 

Louis.DeJoy@usps.gov

 

Douglas Tulino, 

Deputy Postmaster General

 

Douglas.Tulino@usps.gov

 

Carol B. Tomé

CEO UPS

 

carol.b.tomé@ups.com

 

Or possibly:

 c.tomé@ups.com

[Baba Yaga]

Don't need insurance until you need insurance, 

[Brian]

Pretty sure insurance is pointless. Most couriers refuse "weapons" and won't take the items if you tell them it's a sword. So you end up using "Nihonto" or "Collectable cutlery" etc etc and when you try to claim, they tell you the item was prohibited anyways and reject the claim.
That's how it is with knives etc. Maybe Fedex will accept swords due to their high pricing, not sure. But make sure to check that, before you pay for insurance.

[Matsunoki]

On 9/23/2022 at 1:57 PM, Bruce Pennington said:

Incredible.  Everyday our country devolves deeper into a 3rd world country. 

Bruce….you’re not alone there. The UK is fast becoming a borderless over-populated lawless shambles where the majority don’t give a damn and hardly anyone does their job properly. I’d better stop there but I feel I’ve got that off my chest!!!  All the best. Colin

[robinalexander]

On 9/26/2022 at 4:46 PM, Matsunoki said:

On 9/23/2022 at 10:57 PM, Bruce Pennington said:

Incredible.  Everyday our country devolves deeper into a 3rd world country. 

Bruce….you’re not alone there. The UK is fast becoming a borderless over-populated lawless shambles where the majority don’t give a damn and hardly anyone does their job properly. I’d better stop there but I feel I’ve got that off my chest!!!  All the best. Colin

Bruce and Colin you are not the Bobbsey Twins.. good old OZ is the victim of failures by successive governments (Ministers and MP's) at all three levels ....Local, State and Federal.  Stuffed up everything from EV's, childcare, health and education, military expenditure, Electricity/gas, carbon emissions, the environment, Indigenous Affairs, policing, infrastructure, privatization, dog signs...parking signs...snake signs...dont do this signs...do this signs... (ohh I'm gettin petty now, better leave it alone as well).

 

With a handful of exceptions all the clever people that you would wish were running the country (at all three levels) are in private enterprise....no surprises there!

 

Rob

 

[John C]

Sorry for being late on this...I just came across it. But for anyone affected by this, the local police or postal service may not help much because of jurisdiction or the manner in which the crime was committed. You can, however, contact the FBI or Office of Enforcement Operations if the value of goods is 5,000 USD or more. Mail fraud (18 U.S.C. §1341) or transporting stolen goods across state lines (18 U.S.C. § 2314) are federal offenses. The federal government has more teeth than local law enforcement.

"This is because, like online activity, the federal government considers the mail to be an “interstate” activity no matter where a letter or package may travel."

Hope this helps if anyone needs to recover stolen items.

Regards, John C.

 

 

[Brian]

Update:

 

Quote

First the good news: there has been some movement from USPS investigators on some cases we have been clamoring about. Many people who have reported swords missing from the post to authorities have almost universally told me that their efforts to resolve the issue had fallen on deaf ears; that the USPS IG or Inspectors never responded to their calls and emails. Well, we are now in touch with agents who have vowed to look into this. I can only thank all of you who took the time to write or call your representatives in Washington.

 

We are not out of the woods yet, but it is a start. Standby for developments. And if you have had Nihonto or fittings disappear from the U.S. mail and you still have your tracking number and -- even better -- a case number and have not yet sent it to me, please reach out to me ASAP so we can get the details of your case to a real person.

Time is of the essence, if you want to see this scourge to our hobby ended. Second, comes an idea and a question. I was thinking that perhaps we need a website dedicated to stolen swords and fittings. Think of it as an electronic library of shame. It will provide dealers and collectors with a permanent reference and display of Nihonto and related goods that have been taken from their rightful owners from the mail, or shows, or even home burglaries. Somebody presenting you with a 14th century tachi at a price too good to be true? Check to see if the blade that the dubious looking character in front of you is trying to offload might actually belong to somebody else before you hand over any cash. Give police an extra resource. I would be happy to curate the site, but it will only work if you folks provide pictures, invoices, customs forms, detailed descriptions, etc. to make the site useful.

 

I already purchased the domain stolennihonto.com. But before I take the time to get it up and rolling I want to hear from the community to determine whether it's something worthwhile and will be supported by y'all. This is our hobby and either we fight to protect and grow it, or we deserve to see it whither. Without a full-throated commitment to shut these dweezles and latrine lickers down, there really is no point. So send me your thoughts, and case numbers and lets stop the steal, as they say! Thank you.

 

[Matsunoki]

Excellent idea Brian. We are not without problems in the UK as well. Several other similar resources exist in the art world and are much used by auctioneers and dealers…and sometimes by law enforcement….sometimes with good results. 

Just one  passing thought….the word “Nihonto” means a lot to us but probably not much to anyone outside our community . Would “stolenjapaneseswords” bring greater awareness?

All the best.Colin.

[Brian]

It's not me doing it. Someone who was affected by it is running the campaign. I'm just passing on the info.

[O koumori]

Another stolen Nihonto in US Mail

Last month I shipped a Bizen Tadamitsu wakizashi from Indiana to Naperville, Illinois, Priority mail, insured, signature required. I tracked the package, and it was 3 days late (past the expected delivery date). Then it showed up as “delivered.”

Unfortunately, it wasn’t. The intended recipient never got it. He was home at the time of the reported delivery – nothing.

The signature on the “Proof of Delivery” on the USPS website was indecipherable chicken scratches. Not a signature at all.

I know the intended recipient. He is a trustworthy individual, and had been saving all summer to purchase the blade.

When he contacted me to report the non-delivery. I filed a claim online with the USPS. Even though insured, they demanded proof of value for the claim. I provided evidence of the transaction (canceled check and bank deposit information), along with a description of the blade (in ‘laymen’s” terminology).

The claim was rejected, because their records showed that “the item was delivered.” They never contacted the intended recipient, although I had provided all of his contact information.

I have filed an appeal, but have little hope in the outcome.

 

Dan K

Stolen Sword.docx

[SteveM]

Time to lawyer up. Bizen Tadamitsu should fit the definition of felony theft (grand theft) in both Indiana and Illinois. 

But I agree its a shame to have to even have this discussion. A shame that we can't trust our postal service, and a shame that the delivery company will just shrug their shoulders - even with insurance - unless you threaten legal action. Such a depressing waste of time and energy for all involved. 

[Brian]

You need to file a police report and speak to the person on FB who is working on this. He has made some progress and is really asking for anyone with a police case number to contact him.
I know the postal guys deliver thousands of parcels, but surely one can ask to actually speak to the person who delivered a long round tube on X day and ask him if he remembers where/who he gave it to? Assuming it wasn't him.
I would lose my $^# if this happened to me.

[ChrisW]

Having seen the blade personally more than a few times at our ITK meetings, I was quite upset when Dan informed us of the loss last meeting. Here's hoping the scumbag who did it gets caught and suffers a lengthy jail sentence.

[Matsunoki]

These sad events really make me despair about the human species. It is both upsetting and infuriating. Trouble is, over here (uk), even when caught (which is bloody rare) the criminal will get a smack on the wrist and told not to do it again after his lawyer pleads all sorts of mitigating circumstances that always seem to be more far important than the effect on the victim. 

Good luck. 

[Grey Doffin]

When shipping a sword or something else of value in the US, I always use registered mail. Everyone who handles the package has to sign for it and if it spends a night in a post office it has to be in a safe. Absolutely the safest option and, because it is so safe, insurance costs less.

Grey

[John A Stuart]

A private carrier rather than postal services are warranted when transporting high end goods. Even then I fret. John

[Alex A]

 

Such a worry lately is shipping.

 

Not talking about anyone in this thread but when it comes to shipping an expensive antique, will avoid like the plague sending it to anyone i do not know. If that means getting an antiques dealer/trusted person involved as a middle man, at cost, i will do it.

 

Seems crazy in this day and age putting items worth £1000s in cardboard boxes and hoping for the best, without insurance.

 

Payment also!, if buyers/sellers don't agree terms, you got to wonder why. 

[Brian]

Can't seem to find the original post on FB, to pass on the details of who to contact.
@Ray Singer do you perhaps have his details? Am I correct it's Jordi Rosen? I know Glen Kotlar is also having this issue and fighting it.
Can we post details of whom to contact about this that has the ear of postal inspectors?

[Ray Singer]

8 minutes ago, Brian said:

Can't seem to find the original post on FB, to pass on the details of who to contact.
@Ray Singer do you perhaps have his details? Am I correct it's Jordi Rosen? I know Glen Kotlar is also having this issue and fighting it.
Can we post details of whom to contact about this that has the ear of postal inspectors?

 

I am speaking with him at this moment. Anyone needing to report nihonto thefts can do so through Jordi's FB account.

 

https://www.facebook.com/jordi.rosen.3

 

Reach out to me if you need an alternate contact format.

 

[Franco D]

Following the Covid disruptions it was a relief to have the most recent USPS Registered mail package arrive with a knock on the door with a signature required once again. Hopefully that continues in this now everything for profit world. Yes, file a police report and get the authorities to start making inquiries, jerking people's chains. Sorry for your troubles.

[Brian]

The whole signature thing is irrelevant if someone scrawls some fake signature as above. Correct? Could be anyone, from someone intercepting it, to the delivery guy himself. They don't scan ID do they? They should start.

[Franco D]

If someone is out to commit a crime a signature will not stop them. The main point being made by my post is that USPS Registered mail is still the most secure method of sending an item of value here in the States that I know of. That may be changing because of politics, but that's a different discussion.