Kurtis Ming, from CBS 13 in Sacramento, recently reported on “The Dark Side of the Locksmith Industry.” There are some notable things about this report, both good and bad. The first is his reference to the “one time nature of locksmiths.” While most professional locksmiths endeavor to foster relationships with repeat, long-term customers, I think Ming has pointed out a popular misconception – that the main reason to call a locksmith is when you've locked yourself out of your home or vehicle, or perhaps to replace a lost car key. Sure, people who think like that probably also think the local hardware store carries the best in lock hardware, but the point is that there is a huge potential market out there of people who simply don't know any better.

Then there is the “simple lock picking” comment. More correctly, the report might have focused more on the “simple lock.” Not hard to teach someone to pick open a hardware store lock, but most locksmiths can combinate even these locks to be more difficult to pick. Professional locksmiths also may have the tools and knowledge to enable them to bypass even the “unpickable” lock without damage. Part of the problem, in this case, may have come from within the industry. How many of you have had a call to “pop” a lock? Many are easy, but many are not – sometimes by design and sometimes because of the condition of the lock. Regardless, the implication that picking is easy and should not cost much is unjustified.

I rather like the response of locksmith David Knosalla in an article from The Princeton Union-Eagle, where he was able to quickly and easily open a safe - “You called for an expert and that's what you got.” Now, if you carry just a long-reach tool and a drill for all your unlocks, you're no expert; but if you are a professional with the tools and knowledge to tackle virtually any situation, you are justified in charging what you are worth.

The article improves when Ming identifies the “locksmiths” called out to unlock the homes, including their license numbers. Yes, what more proof do you need that scammers can get a license whenever they need to? Even better, he confronts a spokesman from the Bureau of Security and Investigative Services that oversees the locksmith licensing. The interview was priceless:

That's right; 281 complaints, 17 cited, and not a single license revoked in two years! How many times does it need to be proven? Licensing neither stops the scammers nor protects the consumer! 

The saddest part of the report, though, had to be the recommendation from the California Locksmith Association (CLA). Given that the ineffectiveness of licensing was just shown, they could only recommend that consumers should verify the locksmith's license. Was that really the best they could do?

So in the darkness of it all the Society of Professional Locksmiths has helped shine a light on the shady business of licensing and how it is contributing to a false sense of security and a false sense of safety for the consumers. As these news reports increase we may see some bright sides in the coverage but in the end we find that relying on the idea of someone being licensed is like standing in the dark.

Can anyone seriously claim that licensing has illuminated our industry?

There have recently been several news reports concerning the scammers who represent themselves as locksmiths in order to rip off people who are in need of emergency locksmith services. Three recent reports represent the different ways the issue and the locksmith industry can be portrayed, depending upon the efforts made by the reporters. Unfortunately, it is far too common for the media to cast a negative light on the locksmith industry as a whole, rather than to focus on the actions of the scammers. Regrettably, it is in reports relying on past industry “leaders” that the locksmith trade is made to look the worst. Because I would prefer to end this on a positive note, I'll save “The Good” report for last.

“The Bad”

The Bad report comes from CBS affiliate WBTW in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. It is titled, “Consumer Alert! Locksmiths swindlers jack up the price when they show up,” (http://www.wbtw.com/story/24652591/consumer-alert-locksmith-swindlers) and is dated February 6, 2014. This report is rather typical of many recent reports. The title, alone, casts a negative light on the locksmith trade by failing to differentiate between professional members of the trade and those who are simply out to take advantage of people in desperate situations.

"The Ugly”

The Ugly report comes from another CBS affiliate, KUTV in Salt Lake City, Utah. It ran on January 30,2014 and was by reporter Matt Gephardt. Titled “Could Locksmith Licensing Curb Bait-and-Switch Industry Practices?” (http://www.kutv.com/news/top-stories/stories/vid_9397.shtml). Like “The Bad” report, the title impugns the entire locksmith industry with the suggestion that “bait-and-switch” is an industry practice. This report is written in an activist style. The title suggests that locksmith licensing could put an end to scammer activities, but even though the title is in the form of a question, no attempt is made by Gephardt to determine if licensing has, in fact, reduced bait-and-switch activities in states that already have licensing. It's not like he is not aware that other states had tried licensing; he reports that, “15 states currently have locksmith licensing requirements according to the Associated Locksmiths of America.

So... if he is, as the title of the report suggests, actually trying to find out if licensing reduces bait-and-switch practices; would it not make sense to see what the results have been in the states that have introduced licensing? Yes, it would make sense to do so; but, no, he did not make any attempt to judge the effectiveness of licensing in the states that already do license locksmiths. We already know, and have repeatedly shown, that had he done so, he would have found that licensing is a failure in terms of protecting the consumer. Why ask the question and make no attempt to answer it? The question, itself, is the promotion of an agenda. He is not only suggesting an action, but implying results that, had he attempted to answer his own question, would have proven himself wrong. We have seen this type of activist reporting before, as a prelude to attempts to pass licensing legislation.

“The Good”

Finally, we have The Good report, “Local Locksmiths Warn Utahns about Overpricing Scheme” (http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=28551717), by Tania Mashburn and Debbie Dujanovic of KSL TV. Interestingly, this report comes from Salt Lake City, just like “The Ugly” report, and even includes an interview with the same local locksmith. But the similarities end there. Mashburn and Dujanovic put together a true investigative report. Unlike the other reports, this one is titled in a manner that does not instantly put the locksmith trade in a negative light. Not content with just an interview with a victim of a scammer, these intrepid reporters called several of the internet “locksmith” listings and caught the scammers in the act. When they were told by one of the scammers that a certain make and model vehicle would have been opened for the originally stated price, they called his bluff. They also physically checked the listed locations of several of the internet listings. Further, they provided information for real, legitimate locksmiths they discovered through there own research. And, instead of advocating political solutions that have been tried and failed, they provided the information for consumers to deal with any complaints they may have now. This was refreshing, honest, useful, thorough, but unfortunately rare reporting.

"Why?"

Is there a reason the reports that referenced ALOA also portrayed the industry negatively? Is there a reason many of the points made in “The Bad” report had as much to do with the internal trade conflict between small mobile operations and brick-and-mortar locations as they had to do with the differences between professional locksmiths and scammers? Is there a reason “The Ugly” report advocates a political solution that has already been repeatedly tried without success? With all the discussion within the locksmith industry about scammers, why aren't there more reports like “The Good” report, acknowledging that real, professional locksmiths are concerned about the public perception of the locksmith industry and are part of the solution, not part of the problem, with regard to consumer protection? Is there a reason “The Bad” and “The Ugly” did not emphasize the steps consumers can take now, if they feel they have been taken advantage of?

There is no reason we shouldn't see more of “The Good” reports, but we do need to be aware of how the industry is being portrayed in the media and willing to enter public discussion of the trade. For the sake of the locksmith trade as a whole, we should not support “The Bad” cookie-cutter reports that make many legitimate locksmiths as suspect as scammers. It is worth noting that the scam victims in the other reports used credit cards. The large-scale scam organizations will quite happily take credit card payments. Nor should we support “The Ugly” activist reports where, again, the whole industry is considered suspect without government intervention. Locksmithing is a proud and noble craft. We need to treat it that way. If we do, we can expect more of “The Good.”

Barry Campbell, owner of Altic Lock Service and Managing Director of the Society of Professional Locksmiths. Barry is a graduate of Valparaiso University with a degree in Criminal Justice. He has worked in private security, investigations, and loss prevention. He is the author of A Homeowner's Guide to Residential Door Security. barry also is a former Professional member of the International Conference of Building Officials and a current Building Safety Professional member of the International Code Council.

An interesting website has recently popped up. It only amounts to one page, but it is devoted to bashing the Society of Professional Locksmiths. It is interesting because it reveals far more about the writer of its content than it does about the SOPL. In fact, virtually everything it says about the SOPL is completely inaccurate. But, if it is true that you can be judged by your enemies, the writer makes me even more proud to be involved with the Society of Professional Locksmiths.

For obvious reasons, the writer chose to remain anonymous. I don't want to refer to the writer as Mr. X; that is so overused, but for brevity's sake, I'll refer to the writer as Mr. Y. For someone who wants to maintain anonymity, Mr. Y sure picks an odd way to start off his rant. Mr. Y claims to be a locksmith. He says his grandfather and cousins were all locksmiths. Further, he says that his brother was the youngest master locksmith, apparently earning those credentials when he was in the 9th grade (which might make one wonder about the real value of those credentials). He also claims that his cousin “was the youngest girl Master Locksmith,” Lastly, he claims that they have been in business since 1946 and that they “are all members of the Associated Locksmiths of America (ALOA).”

If all that is true, and I have no reason to disbelieve it, it is not hard to identify Mr. Y, though he never identifies himself. If not true, then the folks actually meeting those criteria may also have a bone to pick with Mr. Y.

Mr. Y states that he was recently approached and asked to join the SOPL, which he refers to as an organization, but then takes immediate issue with his own term, stating that the SOPL “is not really an “organization,” per se, just a money-making business disguised as an “organization.” I am not sure what his confusion is, with regard to defining the word 'organization,' but his own attempt at clarification only causes him more confusion. My only guess is that he lacks any understanding of the various forms and structures of organizations.

The SOPL is, in fact, an organization. It hardly qualifies as a business, for profit or not. As anyone who has joined can attest, membership fees are routed through Harvey Arkawy's company, and are quickly disbursed for the background checks, identification cards and resources available to all members, including costs associated with maintaining the web site, forum, related software, etc. Those funds are also used for promotional material used at the various trade shows.

Neither myself, nor Harvey, nor Tom Lynch are making any money from these funds, though we have each invested thousands of hours into making the Society of Professional Locksmiths the premier professional locksmith association. Yet, the benefits are quite real, and are available to all members. The companies we partner with are not paying the SOPL, they are discounting their products and services to our members. Plus, all we ask is that members be active, which earns them virtual dollars, which can be applied to future membership fees or fees that might be associated with certain seminars and training programs. It is entirely possible for members to recoup their original membership fee as soon as they join and to maintain their membership without ever making another payment from their own pocket. So, Mr Y's claim that the SOPL is a money-making business just demonstrates his complete and utter ignorance of our organizational structure. I have nothing against making money, but Mr. Y seems incapable of comprehending how an organization can put principle before profit.

Mr. Y says he “did a little checking,” but it must have been very little. He should have at least looked at our FAQ page, which might have addressed most of his concerns. Again, he insists on applying a normal business model to the SOPL and assumes there is an “owner,” but if he read the page, he certainly did not understand it. It says, 

Yes, as Mr. Y found (or anyone who cares to check will find) Tom Lynch is the Director of Operations, as well as founder of the organization. And, yes, Harvey Arkawy is the Administrative Director. I was just a little offended that Mr. Y failed to mention that I am the Manager of Operations. And, I was more than a little offended (as anyone who has met or knows Harvey would be) that Mr. Y, without any further comment or explanation, chose to make fun of Harvey's last name. I thought that kind of thing ended with grade school, but Mr. Y has proven me wrong. The fact is, there is an interesting story behind the name, which Harvey would be happy to relate, though maybe not to someone who appears to be intending an insult when asking. “what kind of a name is Arkawy, anyway?”

While no one would disagree that Tom can be opinionated and outspoken, anyone who knows him realizes that he does it out of love for the craft. Harvey is kind of Tom's alter-ego, gentle and soft-spoken, but with a similar desire to promote the industry and help its members.

Mr. Y then reminisces about how he remembered a time when his grandfather was the only locksmith in the county, and decries an old advertisement for locksmith training. These statements seem a little out of place in his rant, but I do think help to understand his pathology as he goes on.

Mr. Y seems to believe he has proven something when he states that he cannot find that the Society of Professional Locksmiths is incorporated or listed as a non-profit in New York, Pennsylvania, or California. Given that we have never made any such claim, I am not sure what he thinks he has proven. Again, Mr. Y seems incapable of understanding anything other than a standard business model, but as our Mission Statement makes clear:

Mr. Y then attacks Tom, realizing that, “this Lynch character is on a crusade AGAINST, yes I said AGAINST, locksmith licensing.” Again, I'm a little insulted that does not reference me, but it is certainly not just Tom. He does not offer any reason why locksmiths should support licensing and seems astonished that we do not support licensing though we have shown, over and over on our news blog, that licensing fails to protect the consumer or put scammers out of business (the usual excuses supporters cite). Moreover, licensing can create the kind of unreasonable entrepreneurial interference referenced in the Mission Statement.

He then questions “[W]hy the media doesn’t due any due diligence on this bird is beyond me. I guess they’re just lazy.” Funny, because we question whether the media is not just being lazy when they don't research the results of licensing where it has been put into effect. As in any other industry they would find, as we have repeatedly reported, that consumers aren't protected any more than existing laws already provide for, scammers get licenses wherever necessary and continue to operate, prices increase, and competition is limited.

Mr. Y then complains that, “[N]ever mentioned is the oldest and most respected industry association, ALOA.”  Oldest, yes; but most respected is increasingly arguable, especially when they do actively support the proven failure of licensing.

Mr. Y says, “Lynch seems to take great delight in “investigating” other locksmiths that are supposedly operating scams. I grant you that there were and are con artists in the locksmith industry, just as there are in practically every trade. Why is he doing this? I submit that it is the oldest trick in the book, Lynch is trying to divert attention away from himself.”

Logic apparently evades Mr Y, as he is saying that Tom is diverting attention from himself by drawing attention to himself by opposing licensing.

He then adds that, “like the newspaper ads of old, it looks like the so-called “Society of Professional Locksmiths” is nothing more than a scam in and of itself. Its ulterior motive is not, as is implied, to represent the locksmith industry but to sell “training,” tools, and to promote other businesses which cater to the locksmith industry, such as dispatching, “lead-generation”-type services, all at a nice tidy little profit.”

As another locksmith said to me, Mr. Y's description of SOPL activities is far more applicable to ALOA, of which he claims he and his family members are all members. The flaw in his logic here is that Tom is opposed to the locksmith licensing laws that would benefit him and the SOPL because it would require locksmiths to take courses offered by the SOPL's Security Technical Institute which offers training accredited by several of the states that require licensing. In opposing licensing, Tom actually stands to lose potential profit because locksmiths would not be legally forced to take that training. But, as I stated before, Mr. Y does not understand the concept of putting principle before profit.

So what can be learned about Mr. Y from his tirade against the SOPL and Tom Lynch in particular? Aside from the background he provided despite choosing to remain anonymous, we know that his family's business once operated without competition. Now that he is facing increased competition, he looks to restrict that competition through legislation rather than improving his own marketing and services. Given his lack of understanding of different business and organizational models, and that his business was apparently handed down to him; he would likely have great difficulty starting a business from the ground up today, especially if others erected legislative and bureaucratic hurdles as he would do to those wanting to start a new business today. I'm not saying he is a bad businessman, in fact he may be doing quite well, but his focus seems singularly on profit, not principle or even quality of service, which may also explain his desire to have licensing restrict his competition.

I am not now, nor have I ever been, an ALOA member, and if Mr. Y is typical of their membership, I am glad I am not. I do know that ALOA has a Code of Ethics that Mr. Y has violated by his diatribe. Not that I would expect them to enforce their own Code, but they should. ALOA members should be embarrassed by Mr. Y's unfounded accusations against others in the trade. Several people have successfully managed to be members of both ALOA and SOPL, including Mike Bronzell who is part of ALOA's scammer task force. I would think that Mike would be especially offended by Mr. Y's suggestion that the Society of Professional Locksmiths is any type of scam. Mr. Y should be aware that Mike has also said, on numerous occasions, that licensing doesn't work.

Disturbingly, at the same time Mr. Y's site popped up, several internet directories were used to suggest Tom was a scammer. Is Mr. Y responsible? Probably, but we don't have proof of that, yet. Fortunately, the directories seem willing to help us investigate the libelous posts. They don't seem to appreciate being misused like that.

The funniest thing is seeing Mr. Y, a proponent of licensing, behaving so unprofessionally. Once again, proving our contention that licensing has nothing to do with professionalism. Of course, it is always difficult to expect anything credible from those who make anonymous accusations.

Barry Campbell, owner of Altic Lock Service and Managing Director of the Society of Professional Locksmiths. Barry is a graduate of Valparaiso University with a degree in Criminal Justice. He has worked in private security, investigations, and loss prevention. He is the author of A Homeowner's Guide to Residential Door Security. barry also is a former Professional member of the International Conference of Building Officials and a current Building Safety Professional member of the International Code Council. 

Source: http://www.myfoxdetroit.com/story/23584918/run-local-locksmith-owner-runs-away

Here comes the smooth over! 

Now the news is saying all Meni needs is someone to "guide him" and show him how to do things ethically. Get ready all you locksmiths out there, you will soon see which Locksmiths You Can Trust will be making a move to embrace and help legitimize them. After all, they only need someone to show them the way and all will be forgiven.....as long as all those leads end up in their hands!

Who do you think that someone will be?

Please Read Part #1 if you haven't already - Click Here

Part #2 - 
After publishing Part #1 of this journey (which you must read first to follow along), I experienced a communication which basically suggested I got it all wrong, that the facts as I have encountered them are not facts at all or could be explained. Well, we are in a rabbit hole and what should we expect?  It was suggested to me that my personal journey be retracted to avoid "things getting messy."  I am not sure how I can retract the facts I encountered, and I have even offered for someone to point out what is not factually correct. Nobody has.

So I have decided to continue my journey with you all and clean house since I don't want anything being "messy". Take my hand again and PAY ATTENTION, because I don't want any stragglers left behind. I see many locksmiths clinging to ignorance in order to avoid the reality of this journey. Ignorance is bliss for some. The information provided is real and factual. 

To go "down the rabbit hole" is to enter a period of chaos or confusion.  It is a metaphor for the conceptual path which is thought to lead to the true nature of reality. Infinitesimally deep and complex, venturing too far down is probably not that great of an idea. Therefore, it is commonly used as an expression or euphuism for a portal to bizarro world, significantly strange happenings, and extremely surreal situations, etc. A complex matrix full of allusions and illusion. 

As in the story of Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland, where Alice follows the White Rabbit down a hole and comes upon a great hallway lined with doors, I found myself one day staring into a portal, a hole, a cyber doorway and thought to myself...should I? Will I be prepared to pass through a doorway and take on a journey into the darkness? 

While relaxing in a hammock on a warm summers day, reading several emails I came across a message that read - "Is ALOA & the Scammers one in the same?" from a concerned locksmith. Considering that David Peer was a member and ALOA Security Professionals Association Inc. (ALOA SPAI) President Tom Demont referred to these scammers in a Keynotes magazine editorial as "scumbags", the question captured my interested since it is not possible to have things both ways. You can't call people scumbags while they are or were your own members and you certainly can't engage in a strategy of feeding the news media, local and state legislators or the locksmith community a narrative that ultimately comes back at you!

Before replying to the person who contacted me, I decided to clear my mind and allow myself to be open to new experiences and to let myself follow wherever I would be led in trying to find an answer to the question.

Much like Alice's encounter with the White Rabbit who she had followed into the rabbit hole, I found myself peering into a "portal" that unwittingly took me on a journey that was so shocking, and enlightening that I found myself pondering if this was a dream or a parallel fictional universe of a  Lewis Carroll novel.

If you are the adventurous type, take my hand and I will share my journey with you!

WARNING! - You will experience a phenomena that departs from the conventional rules of the real world. The plunge into this rabbit hole represents a plunge into deep, constantly changing transformations that you must pay attention and follow along. A sense of enlightenment may cause you to change what you believe to be true, or it all can be just a dream. You decide.

Down the Hole We Go! Click on ALL links, but you must return here to this blog. Click on the "READ MORE"  below to continue your journey! 

This blog entry is PART #2 of the following news article - Mike Bronzell Exposes "Mobster" Meni Agababayev of Run Local Locksmith In ABC Nightline Sting - The LOOKOUT

When you watch the ABC NEWS locksmith sting operation, you see Bill Weir asking one person who is posing as a locksmith if he is licensed. This subliminal inference innocent or not - that locksmiths "should or could" be licensed is interesting since it has been repeated in many prior news broadcasts. It is also something that has been hotly debated within the locksmith industry, particularly since the majority of hard working honest locksmiths oppose it. Given the fact that this is a national news program, rather then regional, local or hyper local, it can give the viewer the misleading idea that every locksmith must need to be licensed - which is false.

Proponents of regulating the locksmith industry also have been shown to be engaging in the systematic attempt at eliminating the mobile service providers which make up 80% of the trade. Their argument is that "they are not legitimate" simply by nature of them not having a "walk in" location and that licensing or regulating someone is the ultimate symbol of  legitimacy. 

I don't know about you, but I don't recall seeing a plumber or electrician with a walk in retail location, so why pick on the locksmith about a walk in location? When you watch the entire episode of ABC's The LOOKOUT, I didn't see the TV Repairman being asked if they were licensed after they repeatedly scammed the elderly women? So at the end of the day you have to sit back and ask why? The Society of Professional Locksmiths has provided that answer and we have even presented articulate and thoughtful points to ponder, and we have come to the conclusion that Locksmith Licensing is in itself a great big con job.

For a long time now, proponents of forcing unwanted licensing upon the locksmith industry have been found scatter shooting all over the place with a variety of nonsensical excuses as to why the locksmith must be regulated. They claim that the only way to protect the consumers is to make sure these people are subjected to all kinds of screening, vetting, rules and regulations by consumer protection agencies, state licensing boards, state attorney generals, the Federal Trade Commission, and they pander these misconceptions to these people as well as the naive consumer.

SOPL Managing Director Barry Campbell sums up The LOOKOUT report and the situation as a whole as follows -

Barry touched on something very, very important. It is the larger companies in comparison to the smaller Mom & Pop operations that can play in this con game. The financial burden, red tape and often un-achievable barriers placed upon a small entrepreneur or new entrant ultimately leads to restriction of trade and the elimination of consumer choices which in turn creates monopolies, increased costs to the consumer, and lower quality service. 

Locksmith licensing is a Con Job, scam, flimflam,or whatever you wish to label it.  At the end of the day it is no better then what we have all witnessed with this Run Local news report....but they are a legitimate locksmith service.....according to the advocates of licensing, and the government regulatory agencies shown below. 

After seeing all this, one has to question the motivations and agenda of those advocating licensing and also question whether these are really Locksmiths You Can Trust. 

It looks like someone didn't do their homework! Be careful what you ask for, it might come back to bite you, and it looks like it has.

Below are other very important links with additional revealing information you NEED TO KNOW!

What do you think? Please post your comments.

Mike Bronzell Exposes "Mobster" Meni Agababayev of Run Local Locksmith In ABC Nightline Sting - The LOOKOUT

ALOA Proposes to Criminalize Acts of Locksmithing

NY Locksmith License Sponsor Senator Shirley Huntley Faces Arrest 

Purple Heart Recipient Victimized by Locksmith Licensing Law - U.S. Army Iraq War Veteran Locked Out Of Profession For Rescuing Stray Dog

Arizona Law Review references the Society of Professional Locksmiths - Fighting Deceptive Marketing in the Twenty-First Century

Texas Auditors Afraid of Licensed Locksmiths - by T.F. Stern

Texas Showdown – Locksmith License Reform Opportunity

Are You A Professional Locksmith?

Everyone Wins a Fish? - Locksmith Marketing & Survival

Please help spread the word and Tweet or give us a Like below.

Don't forget to read Part #2 - The link is at the bottom of this article!

SOPL Locksmith Mike Bronzell with the help of New York locksmith Ira Cheek of CID Locksmith in Jamaica Queens were shown on ABC Nightline consumer report news series known as "The LOOKOUT", with investigative news reporter Bill Weir.

Finally, someone provided a news report focused on a key figure named Meni Agababayev (aka Meni Aga) a self proclaimed Israeli Russian "Mobster" actor, who is behind a roving enterprise of  websites identified as Run Local. According to Agababayev, these are successful businesses which he is involved in and which financed his personal movie called MOBSTER! 

Special shout out to ABC News program called "The Lookout". they did a bang up job that was well developed and well delivered. The giant Google map pins were a priceless subliminal message about Google Places. Overall it was refreshing to witness. 

One person who disagrees with Agababayev is an inside informant identified as "Ben", who makes it clear that he is afraid of the scary side of notorious locksmith syndicates who consist of recent immigrants recruited from Israel. These folks identify Americans as stupid and from this belief they conduct their enterprise. 

The SOPL has for many years made it very clear to everyone that these individuals are not locksmiths at all, but many news reports and other locksmith associations have continued to identify them as locksmiths. This was being done intentionally to try to link an agenda of forcing licensing upon the hardworking locksmiths, and to demonize home based or mobile locksmiths who have done nothing wrong and are not engaging in such deceptive events. 

The fact is, this news report clearly demonstrates how licensing DOES NOT work since the scammers continue to operate in the states which do have require a license such as New Jersey where it was filmed. If it turns out one of these individuals has a license, then it is an even better example! But this is another story so stay tuned for PART 2 of this story!

Licensing has nothing to do with stopping a mobster or anyone from impersonating any trade or consumer service group and locksmiths are not the only ones being misrepresented. Carpet cleaning, towing, garage door services and more are also being targets. Basically any service industry!

In 2006 the SOPL LockRadio program interviewed 2 Israeli locksmiths who shared their experience with this syndicate. Mike Bronzell who stayed the course suffered terrible insults and accusations from many individuals in the locksmith industry and forum discussion groups as he was trying to get people to hear his concerns. I wonder how these individuals feel now? 

Both Mike and Ira did a great job! Probably because they are both down to earth, gritty locksmiths who have no regulatory agenda and who simply wish to help the consumers and the hardworking locksmiths who have been victimized by all the false association to these events. Oh yeah, Bill Weir was pretty good as well.

So Meni Agababayev with all his chutzpha feels you have to be a "biter", but it appears he has been bitten himself.  Judging from the distortion of his face when confronted by Bill Weir, it seems to be a hard and uncomfortable chomp! For a guy who views himself as being comfortable portraying a mobster, he looked more like a dumb schmuck. 

If you Google the name Meni Agababayev you will find an overwhelming amount of blog stories, comments, and more about how wonderful, amazing, and visionary this maven is.  A man of big stature! But when you look at him standing next to the news reporter who caught up to him in a parking lot in Detroit, and while standing next to the Chevy Express van mirror,  it appears he is a pipsqueak, a peewee - a lightweight! 

Lucky for Meni that the guy in his movie was sitting in the chair while Meni was screaming and trying to make himself look like a tough guy. Otherwise, Mini Meni or Meni-me would only be tall enough to punch the guy in his knees if he was standing! So it looks like Bill Weir "altered the deal" with one clean shot and it lit Meni on fire when he found his ego and vanity ultimately was his downfall. Now that's a script to remember!

As an Israeli you may think Mike Bronzell and Ira Cheek are stupid. You may refer to all of the apple pie eating, flag waving, baseball playing American citizens whatever you wish, but in the end it was Meni Agababayev who was exposed to be nothing more than a "B" rate bit actor, a wannabe mobster..... but not a qualified professional locksmith. 

It takes more skill and integrity to be a locksmith!

The worlds a stage....OYE VEY!

Public Service Announcement - Install a Mechanical Combination or Digital Push Button Lock on your home and never be locked out again. Print the $20 coupon found in the provided video frame buttons and the SOPL will help you find a local locksmith you can trust.

UNITED STATES ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
EASTERN DISTRICT OF MISSOURI

RICHARD G. CALLAHAN 
United States Attorney

February 18, 2011
For Immediate Release

OWNERS OF FLORIDA LOCKSMITH SERVICE INDICTED IN SCAM TO OVERCHARGE FOR LOCKSMITH SERVICES

St. Louis, MO: The United States Attorney’s Office announced today that the owners of a Florida based locksmith service were charged in a superseding indictment on multiple federal charges involving a scam to overcharge customers for locksmith services, as well as employing and
harboring illegal aliens.

According to the superseding indictment, Dependable Locks, Inc., headquartered in Clearwater, FL, managed a national network of locksmith technicians, operating from major population centers across the United States, including St. Louis.  It also maintained a full-time staff of telephone
operators and dispatchers, who were on duty 24 hours per day in Clearwater. The dispatchers received phone calls electronically forwarded from hundreds to thousands of telephone numbers listed nationwide for emergency locksmith services, all of which forwarded consumer calls to the
call center in Florida.  The dispatchers received the calls and the business dispatched locksmith technicians from the area of the call to respond.  Many of the locksmith technicians working for Dependable Locks were aliens who were unlawfully present in the United States and were not authorized to work as locksmith technicians.

The indictment alleges that the locksmith company engaged in deceptive marketing by purchasing directory listings and advertisements in cities across the United States that identified the business to the public as a set of local locksmith companies.  The company’s listings used multiple business
names, local phone numbers and fake local addresses that had no affiliation with the company. Phone calls to the listed phone numbers were automatically routed to the company’s call center in Clearwater, Florida.  In addition, telephone operators for Dependable Locks were instructed by
managers to mislead customers to believe that they would be charged around $54 for a car lockout, while the responding technician was instructed by managers to charge up to $179 for a lockout.
Technicians used techniques such as accusing the consumer who objected to the overcharge of "theft of services," threatening to call the police, withholding the customer's keys or driver's license to compel payment or following the customer to an ATM machine to ensure payment.

The locksmith technicians allegedly were allowed to split the profits of the fraudulently procured locksmith services with the company and were required to remit the company's share of the proceeds by regularly purchasing and shipping cash, checks and money orders to the Dependable
Locks location in Clearwater, FL.

"After more than a year of following numerous leads with ICE and the Missouri Attorney General's Office, we are pleased to see this case continue to progress," said Postal Inspector J.R. Ball of the St. Louis Field Office.  He added, "The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is vigilant in investigating 
allegations where the mail or postal products are used to conceal or further a crime."

DAVID PEER, Clearwater, FL; and ADAM OLIVKOVICH, address unknown, were indicted by a federal grand jury on one felony count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, five felony counts of mail fraud, one felony count of conspiracy to harbor illegal aliens for private financial gain and one felony count of engaging in a pattern of hiring unauthorized aliens. MOSHE AHARONI, Clearwater, FL, was indicted on one felony count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and one felony count of conspiracy to harbor illegal aliens for private financial gain.

Conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and/or a fine up to $250,000.  Mail fraud carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and/or a fine up to $250,000.  Conspiracy to harbor unlawful aliens for private financial gain carries a maximum 
penalty of 10 years in prison and/or a fine up to $250,000.  Engaging in a pattern of hiring unauthorized aliens carries a maximum penalty of six months in prison and/or a fine of $3,000 per alien.  In determining the actual sentences, a Judge is required to consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, 
which provide recommended sentencing ranges.

This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Missouri Attorney General’s Office and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). Assistant United States Attorneys John Sauer and John Ware are 
handling the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

As is always the case,  charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt.  Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.