Eight days ago, I receive an application for membership to the forum, which contained a note saying that an American had been arrested in the Turks & Caicos islands, for possession of ammunition.

For those of you not familiar with what happened to one of our forum members in the spring of this year, please take a look:

Forum member dave7378 has been arrested in the Turks and Caicos islands.

Of course, this thread is and has been publicly accessible by anyone with an internet connection, and naturally, my initial impression was that this was a scam.

At the same time, I received an email from someone claiming to be the daughter of this American in custody in T & C. I responded to the email, requesting that they give me a call. This is usually a deal-breaker for scammers.

While awaiting a reply, I did a bit of sleuthing, and after having screened tens of thousands of applications for membership to this forum, I've become quite the amateur detective.

What I found confirmed for me almost entirely that this was not a scam.

I forwarded the email to forum member dave7378 and received a quick response.

Y'know, it says something about a man who is imprisoned in a Third World country, who makes friends with his jailer and who keeps in touch with him after all is said and done.

Two hours before I contacted Dave, he had received a text from his friend in T & C saying, guess what, it's happened again.

That sealed it.

I emailed the daughter of the arrested American and we began a correspondence. The man's name is Mike Evans.

Please see the Media Release:

Mike Evans Media Release

Much has happened since this media release was created.

Mike's crime was to be found- on his way out of the T & C- in possession of a pistol magazine loaded with seven 9mm cartridges. which is almost exactly what happened to dave7378, and as in Dave's case, purely a mistake. No firearm was present.

Imagine celebrating your 40th wedding anniversary, and then being arrested on your way out of the country, your passport confiscated, and told that you face a possible 12 year prison sentence.

This is a true nightmare scenario.

Compounding matters is the fact that Mike has been dealing with cancer and cancer treatments, and that he is 72 years old.

I told Mike's daughter that because of the forum's experience with Dave going through this, I felt their predicament most acutely.

She told me that her father is a retired teacher and the tariff they now faced would be ruinous to them.

I volunteered the fundraising power of this forum. Initially, this offer was set aside by the Evans family, but a few days later, it became apparent that they would need any help they could get.

Mike Evans and his wife own a small cattle ranch in Texas. In speaking with Dave, Mike told him that he had some things he could sell, his cattle among them. Dave's reaction was identical to mine; this is heartbreaking.

Early on in this affair, I told Mike's daughter I felt the presence of God moving in all of this, and that he put all the pieces in place to help a family who seeks only to live in peace and decency. Dave and I have gotten to know Mike and his daughter a bit, and it has only reinforced my desire to do what I can to help them.

Since the media release was created, the officials in the T & C have realized it would be in their best interest to allow Mike to come home, so they gave him his passport and allowed him to leave the country, and yesterday, he came home, but the matter is not resolved.



Mike is a Christian, a Texas rancher, a gun owner, who has raised a family and who himself has spent much of his time helping others.

The atheists may laugh, the agnostics may scoff, but I tell you- it feels as if the Almighty yanked the fire alarm. "Wake up. Wake up. Help these people. I have placed them in your path. The rest is up to you."

I had a long, far-ranging conversation with Mike today, and he tells me he is uncomfortable asking for charity. I offered some perspective- I asked him how he felt in the course of his charitable works. I pointed out that I- we, the members of this forum, are being given the opportunity to give to those in need.

So, here's the thing, guys- even though Mike is back home, which was of course the biggest hurdle, he now faces a ruinous debt. The attorney fees- I won't reveal the amount- but it, alone, is crushing. On top of that, a 10,000.00 bond was posted by a kind resident of T & C on Mike's behalf, and since the case is still pending, if the charges are not dropped, then the bond will be forfeited, and Mike will, out of moral obligation, owe and will certainly strive to repay this debt.

Naturally, no matter how the case ends up, Mike will never again return to the T & C, and the officials in that country knew this when they allowed him to leave.

So, this comes down to paying these debts, and as a retiree, Mike doesn't have what he needs to cover all of this.

I have delegated the responsibility to creating a fundraiser on behalf of Mike Evans, to forum member Legal Beagle, who has shown his talent in such affairs:

****Mike Evans SIGforum Fundraiser****

Guys, I know as well as anyone, how very tough things are in our current disastrous economy, but I am asking you- if you can help, please do so. What has happened to the Evans family constitutes a shared experience for the core members of this forum. For six weeks, we held our breath when Dave was in peril, hoping for the best, but comprehending the worst was still a possibility. This is why I feel we should try to help.

Wouldn't it be marvelous if we could wipe out this debt for them? dave7378 has already done so much for the Evans family, getting them to the right attorney and offering the things his experience in the T & C taught him, and through his efforts, Mike Evans and his wife are back on American soil, but the nightmare is not over, and we can help make it disappear.

Thank you

Mike Evans, his wife, their two daughters, their husbands, and the newest member of the family

I'll be happy to donate to the cause. We're just happy that Mike is back home.

Count me in, Mike
Done

Thanks Para!

All,

This is an amazing community of kind, generous folks. I can't imagine being in a situation like Mike's, but I would be damn glad to have a place like SigForum to turn to.

When I created the campaign, FundRazr sent out a notification for everyone who had been in the previous campaigns (Help Para, and Appleseed Rifle Loaners) before Para got out the announcement -- apologies for any initial alarm!

I know it's a /huge/ ask right before Christmas to support the campaign, but Mike has been through hell and back between his cancer, treatments, and fighting this thing.

Please consider supporting the campaign, even if it's just well-wishes and a bump to the top -- hopefully we can give this deserving man a good dose of Christmas cheer and a hopeful New Year.

Best,
Legal Beagle

I received an email earlier today about this. I came here a few times looking for a post to make sure it was legit. I see no mention of the email I received in your post, Para. Just wanted you to know I, and probably others were contacted. I'll be donating.

ETA....AH! Legal Beagle posted at the same time I did regarding the email I received.

Id be willing to throw a few dollars towards this goal….wont be much but ill do what I can for the Evans family!

quote:

Originally posted by 1967Goat:
I received an email earlier today about this. I came here a few times looking for a post to make sure it was legit. I see no mention of the email I received in your post, Para. Just wanted you to know I, and probably others were contacted. I'll be donating.

ETA....AH! Legal Beagle posted at the same time I did regarding the email I received.

Sorry for that! I try to keep up with Para and FundRazr, but sometimes it all moves in mysterious ways. Again, apologies for any concerns but grateful for your support!

quote:

Originally posted by cgode:
Id be willing to throw a few dollars towards this goal….wont be much but ill do what I can for the Evans family!

Every little bit of support, even just a post or message encouraging Mike and his family and letting them know they aren't fighting this alone, is huge. Thank you for being part of such a great community.

I'm glad the email is real. I'm on it!

I kicked in. After all, tis the season and all that.
Further, I am going to see if I can find some kind of email address to talk with to see why T&C thinks prosecuting tourists for this kind of chickenshit is good for their economy.

I truly appreciate the forum setting this up.

Made a contribution with the note "There but for the grace of God go each of us."

In the People's Republic of the District of Columbia it used to be, and may still be, that possession of unregistered ammunition or reloading components was a crime. That empty case that bounced into your trunk could be a problem.

A friend of mine had their car broken into in DC. The police officer found 1 round of loose .44 Magnum in the car. No charges, but they gave my friend a hard time of it.

Passing it by the Family CFO to see what we can do.

Done and glad to help. It is this community that is truly a blessing to us all.

I will be glad to participate with a small donation.
As Red Green says "We're all in this together".

PC

Count me in

My heart broke for every American this happened to after me. The six days in jail weren't so bad. I had good people looking after me. It was the two months that followed. The uncertainty of whether I was going to jail. We have no rights there. I had tried, unsuccessfully, to reach out to the other Americans prior to Mike. I knew exactly how they felt. How their heads must have been spinning. The constant level of stress that just didn't go away. The cost they were about to incur. I agree with Para that its not just luck that his daughter found our thread. There is some level of divine intervention at work that I don't fully understand. What I do understand, and I knew it immediately, was that it was my responsibility to do everything I could for this man and his family. I simply gave them advice based on my experience there and they followed it. The attorney, great man, was able to work some magic that comes from building great reputations within that community and he got Mike home quickly. Miracle one done. Now I feel we can help ease the financial burden this has caused. I am very fortunate that money was not the issue for me when I went through it, but it may be for this family. Let's do what we can please. I'll end with this. Think about what this "little old forum" just accomplished. Through his daughter being able to reach Para, and Para reacting as quickly as he did, we may have kept this man out of jail. Makes me smile. There is still work to be done. I'm proud to be a member here. Glad your home Mike. I sure hope you are viewing this.

I contributed. I got the email earlier today or maybe it was a text. Regardless I figured it was another scam and deleted it.

Thanks for posting this Para, glad to help.

Bob

Kicked a little in and left a “Merry Christmas from SigForum” as a note.
This place is truly a heartwarming group thanks to the owner/members here….kuddos to you all

I'm in for sure

Done, for a fellow Texan.

Glad he's back home.