TSE/Top Shelf Exotics/Chris Johnson Inquiry

[Jedi Master Bruce]

One of the most interesting topics currently on the reptile internet is the story of TSE/Top Shelf Exotics/Chris Johnson. I have heard that many people would like to comment upon this but do not want to pay ten dollars to post on fauna or are fined, banned, or suspended from fauna for whatever. Also Kingsnake will not permit posting on the subject. Here is your chance.

Can you try to explain what happened and what is currently going on and your opinions on the matter? Thanks! Bruce Stephenson, Leader of the Jedi Council

 

[G & M Geckos]

I would be interested in knowing what is going on myself I have just caught bits and pieces.

 

[Grinning Geckos]

I haven't kept up 100% (and I'm going by memory here), but the story goes that starting in late November TSE was taking money for animals, but not shipping due to cold weather. Lots of people sent LOTS of money, all getting the "Too cold to ship, will ship when weather is better" line. Come March (or April?) the weather was, without question, warm enough for people to start getting animals, but no one does.

People start emailing...nice at first, nasty later. The story comes out that Chris has been out of the picture since October...which isn't true as he had personally taken some orders in Jan/Feb. Chris claims he had mono and 2 heart attacks, and is going through all sorts of medical procedures and is in bed rest for 18+ hours a day. People defend him at first, then as more comes out they start to doubt the sick story.

The guy that started the TSE thread gets his snakes...which are suppose to be hets if I remember. The thread starts to die, and the thread started comes back. Turns out the snakes he got from TSE have belly rot and gaurdia infections....from CBB hets. Refund problems ensue.

Meanwhile, no one else is getting what they paid for. People are getting pissed, and Chris keeps telling them UPS is limiting them to 20 packages a day. Blah blah blah. At the same time, he refuses to refund the people that have been waiting 6+ months and now want a refund.

People start questioning if the hets they've bought are really hets. There's no proof - yet - but plenty of speculation. This year is the year some of the first hets he sold are able to breed. I haven't heard if anyone has gotten any visibles yet.

I can't remember much more, but Chris has more or less disappeared. He hasn't posted in a LONG time. The NY police are now involved, and they are gathering statements for criminal prosecution. People are also trying to raise funds for civil prosecution.

LOL, someone else can come along and fill in the blanks...I'm sure I've missed some details, but that's it in a nutshell.

 

[RaiQuee]

I would also like to know what has been going on. No way I am reading that many threads just to get an "idea". If you have been following it, it's not so bad. I am curious as I heard whispers on "fake hets" and we bought 2 albino hets from him.

Thanks.

 

[G & M Geckos]

Man it's hard to believe some one just throw all of the hard work that they had to have put in at some point away like that.

Sad very sad....

Well I guess I am lucking I never bought from him although I came really close to last fall.

 

[dizzmaldan420]

Anyone who didn't receive their animals or bought his "hets" are supposed to get in touch with an Officer Brown from NY and fill out a deposition. Here's the investigator's email address [email protected] here's a link to the investigator's post on fauna http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/forums/showpost.php?p=390308&postcount=1685

 

[Jedi Master Bruce]

Here is the post from fauna:

mbrown3208
Paid Participant


Join Date: May 2006
Location: Albany New York
Age: 43
Posts: 1
Name : Mark Brown

Trader Rating: (0) New York State Police and Top Shelf Exotics

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The New York State Police has opened a investigation regarding the activities of Chris Johnson/TopShelfExotics. This investigation is in conjuction with the IFCC.

To be considered a victim of Johnson/TopShelfExotics you must meet the following requirements:
1) Victimized in the last 5 years.
2) Can provide some proof of payment to Johnson/TopShelfExotics for merchandise(canceled check, receipt of eft, wire transfer, paypal, etc.)
3) Be willing to complete a deposition regarding your dealings with Johnson/TopShelfExotics, have it notarized and return it to the New York State Police. A blank deposition will be provided free of charge to you via email. Takes a few minutes to complete.
4) You have not received reimbursement, full or partial, from Johnson/Top ShelfExotics. Any reimbursement received from Johnson/TopShelfExotics disqualifies you as a victim in a criminal court in New York and you must proceed in a civil court.

If you meet the above requirements and wish to see Johnson/TopShelfExotics prosecuted in a criminal court please email me at [email protected]. There is NO guarantee of compensation after a verdict is rendered.

Inv. Mark A. Brown
New York State Police

Does TSE/Chris Johnson have a working e-mail so I can notify him of this thread here? Thanks! Bruce Stephenson, Leader of the Jedi Council

 

[robin]

that posts seems sorta weird the one made by mark a brown ... no telephone number, physical email adress and a yahoo account? hmmmm i dont know maybe im just looking too much

 

[dizzmaldan420]

yeah a few others thought it was kinda strange that a cop would be using a yahoo address. I think Scott Ashton was in touch with him thru a more official gov't email addy so maybe he could confirm it's a real cop.

 

[dizzmaldan420]

here are a couple more links that go into it a bit more.. here's another forum where the officer reacted to a similar situation http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=76211&page=3&highlight=mbrown3208

and here's one from Scott Ashton saying he contacted him thru official email addy http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/forums/showpost.php?p=390855&postcount=1725

As for a valid email address for TSE I don't think anyone has one. No one's been able to get a response from TSE for a while now. Hope this helps.

 

[Jedi Master Bruce]

Ashton in fauna:

#1725
Scott Ashton
Banned




Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: New Jersey
Age: 93
Posts: 474
Name : Scott Ashton

Trader Rating: (1) Quote:
Originally Posted by Cat_72
Has anyone else emailed Mr. Brown? I did so this morning to request the needed paperwork to fill out, and have yet to teceive an answer. Just wondering if anyone else has heard back from him yet?



Cathy:

Although I didn't purchase anything from Chris, I have been in touch with Trooper Brown through his State Police email address and he indicated to me that he had quite a volume of complaintants.

I had contacted him to point him to other sites, as I know there are others outside of the Fauna community also affected.

Bruce Stephenson

 

[RaiQuee]

Well I can't file anything seeing as I recieved healthy happy animals. The only thing is they may not prove out, but that won't hold any water until next year at the earliest...

 

[dizzmaldan420]

I'm pretty sure everyone that bought "hets" from TSE is encouraged to fill out the deposition and at least add your name to the list even if the animals arrived healthy and happy. may end up being a moot point but it can't hurt anything to try

 

[Jedi Master Bruce]

This lady on fauna stated my own opinion better than I could:

01 PM #1998
luvchondros
wench



Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Southern California
Posts: 125
Name : Cathy Maynard

Trader Rating: (0) Zach, those babies look nice fat and healthy and beautiful. Thank you so much for keeping us updated with your clutch.

I realize that it's technically possible for your pair to still be hets, but given the circumstances of Chris's business transactions it's starting to look increasingly grim for you and others in the same shoes.

Chris was rude and condescending to me quite some time ago and I remember thinking very strongly to myself that he would never get a single penny of mine, no matter how much of a "good guy" he was. I never dreamed he would self implode as he has in the reptile community and I am so sorry that by his "alpha male" personality he was able to hold potential complainees at bay which allowed him to get away with his foul behaviour as long as he did.

It's hard to believe nobody has ever met him, never had a table at a local herp show, or showed pics of visible morphs copulating or sitting on a clutch of eggs. It really disgusts me because he really did have people bamboozled and now he's running like a dog with his tail tucked between his legs and acting like the total crook I now believe him to be.

I am so sorry to everyone that used this forum to check him out before purchasing, based upon what I would have found here I would have gladly purchased from him myself if he ever had something I was interested in too.
I love Fauna Classified and respect all the work that has gone into making this site a source to try to prevent these kind of crooks from hurting the community. I try so hard to be non confrontational and to address problems privately, have to tell you though..... for the black eye that Chris has given to the herp industry in general my childhood youth wants to jump out and just simply really kick some serious butt.

Chris, your actions are catching up with you.... I hope you wind up losing ten times what you have stolen...... you've already lost face and any sense of respectability, that is good enough for me.
__________________
Cathy Maynard

A man who dares to waste one hour of time has not discovered the value of life.
Charles Darwin

14.16.22 M. Viridis

Bruce Stephenson

 

[wilomn]

brucie, what is the purpose of copying and pasting this information that anyone at all can find with no problem at all?

Are you in need of some attention or is your need to tattle on someone, anyone, so great that you must resort to this, this pathetic attempt to further inflame chris' problems?

As a matter of fact, there is NO proof that his hets won't prove out. IF you are implying, as you seem to be by what YOU are copying and pasting, that he sold fake hets, why don't YOU post something new, something original, something OTHER than idle speculation.

Oh wait, I know, that would require original thought and you don't know how to do that.

Sorry, forgot what a brilliat guy you were. Still using the velcro shoes? Those laces can be a beast, especially when you can't really see them.

 

[KelliH]

Wes,

It's obvious you do not like Bruce. That is fine but I do not want this kind of stuff on the open forums, I don't care to read it and I doubt anyone else here does either. I am very glad that you are here, and I am also glad that Bruce is here. Please (and this goes for Bruce also) take your personal battle or grudges or whatever to the chatroom or to pm's/email. Thanks.

 

[wilomn]

Ok Kelli.

 

[Fedawg]

As a matter of fact, there is NO proof that his hets won't prove out. IF you are implying, as you seem to be by what YOU are copying and pasting, that he sold fake hets, why don't YOU post something new, something original, something OTHER than idle speculation.

I think I said that in the TSE thread over on Fauna.

Even with 7 eggs hatching and no Pieds , still not adaquete proof they are not hets. People jumped on that rather quickly , although Chris is still a scumbag.

 

[Laura Fopiano]

Zack Sheppard hatched a clutch of 7 het pied to het pied from TSE...they all came out normal.....

 

[wilomn]

IF chris sold fake hets, I'll hold the noose and slap the horse.

So far there is not adequate evidence to prove that he did sell hets that are normals.

Stupid speculation by idiots with nothing better to do than fan flames is just plain malicious. That maliciousness is all some have to get that attention they so desperately need, and THAT is one of the main problems with this ENTIRE industry; people making accusations or, EVEN WORSE, jumping on a bandwagon that has lots of riders JUST because one or two big mouths are on board, but doing NOTHING positive at all, and in this case in particular, merely seeking to further damage and degrade an already bad and WELL PUBLICIZED ordeal.