[meteorite-list] Mifflin, Amiss
From: Steve Witt <stelor96_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Sun, 8 May 2011 04:10:37 -0700 (PDT) Message-ID: <467608.43068.qm_at_web125517.mail.ne1.yahoo.com> Greg, Thank you for your honesty. Why did it take so long for this to come to light?? thanx, Steve Steve Witt IMCA #9020 http://imca.cc/ --- On Sun, 5/8/11, Greg Catterton <star_wars_collector at yahoo.com> wrote: > From: Greg Catterton <star_wars_collector at yahoo.com> > Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Mifflin, Amiss > To: "Shawn Alan" <photophlow at yahoo.com>, jasonutas at gmail.com, "Linton Rohr" <lintonius at earthlink.net> > Cc: meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com > Date: Sunday, May 8, 2011, 3:07 AM > Ok. I cant keep this quite anymore... > Screw the lies and secrets. I think the truth should be out > there. > About Joes "awesome" stone... > > He told me personally and we also talked over email about > it... he found it on the same persons property that someone > else had already stolen a stone from. > > Yes, I know this because he told me directly. No second > hand BS. > > He lied to everyone and even had a totally BS story > published about his finding it under a bridge. > > So please, before anyone else goes to say how Joe fed his > family, took a trip to disney world and what not, he lied > about finding it and thats the true story behind the > "Kerchner Stone" > Yes, his family ate, but what about the person whos land it > fell on? Ask her how her family trip to disney went... > > Joe, sorry man, but it had to come out at some time. > > I took public one person who stole material from Mifflin, > anyone else care to out the other? I dont know the whole > story, so I will let others tell that tale. I know many on > this list know of Joes lie and also the other person... but > I honestly doubt ANYONE will come forward on this. > > > Greg Catterton > www.wanderingstarmeteorites.com > IMCA member 4682 > On Ebay: http://stores.shop.ebay.com/wanderingstarmeteorites > On Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/WanderingStarMeteorites > > > --- On Sun, 5/8/11, Linton Rohr <lintonius at earthlink.net> > wrote: > > > From: Linton Rohr <lintonius at earthlink.net> > > Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Mifflin, Amiss > > To: "Shawn Alan" <photophlow at yahoo.com>, > jasonutas at gmail.com > > Cc: meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com > > Date: Sunday, May 8, 2011, 3:29 AM > > Ahoy there, Jason, Shawn and list. > > Intriguing? situation, Jason. Thanks for sharing. > > And like you Shawn, I'm glad I got my beautiful > little > > slice from Joe. I didn't see all that much "drama" in > it, > > though. He put in a lot of work, and found enough to > be able > > to both keep some and sell enough to feed his family. > That's > > just plain cool, in my book. Thanks Joe! > > Linton > > > > ----- Original Message ----- From: "Shawn Alan" <photophlow at yahoo.com> > > To: <jasonutas at gmail.com> > > Cc: <meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com> > > Sent: Saturday, May 07, 2011 8:38 PM > > Subject: [meteorite-list] Mifflin, Amiss > > > > > > Jason and Listers, > > > > > > This is a very interesting post in the since I have to > say > > something doesn't add up. One an anonymous finder > contacts > > Carl and has him send cash to a PO box..... Red flag. > Two > > the phone number is disconnected..... Three the > transaction > > was done in cash. I have to say with those three > elements > > this would have to be a scam, someone got had. If this > was a > > legit sale wouldn't it have been done in the correct > ways > > via pay pal not some undercover 007 style, sending > cash in > > the mail to a PO BOX? > > > > As for testing goes, cant Carl Agee do a terrestrial > age > > analysis and also have a cre done which can prove or > > disprove this theory that someone is suggesting that > Mifflin > > has two litholgies, which I have to say isnt the case > and > > that these stones are not related to Mifflin in anyway > from > > the evidence presented by Jason. > > > > Now the question is who was the scammer. I have to > assume > > that one this scammer knew what they were doing and > somehow > > was or is connected to the meteorite collecting world > or > > they are really smart and picked up how to scam > meteorite > > hunter 101. First of all they knew of Carl, two they > knew of > > the fall, three, they knew of what a freshly fallen > > meteorite looks like and four the meteorite in > question is a > > real meteorite but not from the same fall. > > > > I think the scammer is one of us or is connected to > one of > > us just because of the circumstances of the event and > that > > the meteorite is a real meteorite and has fusion > crust. If > > it was a non meteoritest, I think it would have been > a > > stone, but this was not the case it was a real > meteorite in > > the mists of being a fake Mifflin. This is to good to > be > > done by some non meteorite collector but again people > are > > getting smarter these days to make some cash. But this > means > > that this scammer would have to buy a real meteorite > to turn > > around to sell as a fake recent meteorite fall. > > > > All I can say is if I came into this situation I would > have > > thought the sale would have been a scam right from the > start > > with me sending money to a PO box. Also I am glad I > didn't > > buy this stuff I was able to buy some from Joe > Kerchner > > which that had some drama in its self as well. > > > > My 2 cents > > > > Shawn Alan > > IMCA 1633 > > eBaystore > > http://shop.ebay.com/photophlow/m.html > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > [meteorite-list] Mifflin, Amiss > > jason utas jasonutas at gmail.com > > Sat May 7 21:12:16 EDT 2011 > > > > Previous message: [meteorite-list] Where is everyone? > > Facebook? > > Next message: [meteorite-list] Mifflin, Amiss > > Messages sorted by: [ date ] [ thread ] [ subject ] [ > > author ] > > > > > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Hello All, > > > > My story begins in the summer of last year. I saw > some > > strange pieces > > of 'Mifflin' on ebay that I thought looked funny. > People > > were talking > > about the meteorite having two lithologies, but...the > > slices and > > individuals that I saw looked 'off.' A select few > looked > > like > > H-chondrites, and they had the telltale signs of wear > that > > freshly-imported Moroccan falls bear: worn edges, > exposed > > metal flakes > > on protruding corners (where the fusion crust had been > worn > > off due to > > improper packing), etc. > > > > At the time, I did nothing but send a private email to > Anne > > Black > > notifying her of my suspicions. I spoke with some > other > > prominent > > list-members addressing it, and they all agreed that > the > > material > > looked funny, but that nothing could be done about it > given > > the > > required burden of proof. > > > > So, I sat on my hands for several months. > > > > Just over a month ago, I saw a piece of the > funny-looking > > 'Mifflin' on > > ebay. It looked similar to some pieces that I > remembered > > seeing on > > ebay months before, and, being an end-cut, I was able > to > > see both the > > stone's funny-looking inside -- and the apparent > metal > > grains on the > > stone's exterior. > > > > I used the 'buy-it-now' option to purchase the > end-cut, and > > it > > arrived while Peter and I were in Morocco. When we > > returned, I > > promptly shipped the end-cut off to Tony Irving of > the > > University of > > Washington; he agreed to analyze the stone posthaste. > > > > The results came back, but Tony wanted to wait until > the > > probe was > > recallibrated so that he could run it again to be > sure. > > > > Lo and behold, he did confirm that my end-cut was an > > equilibrated > > H-chondrite, with an olivine Fa of 18.6. For > comparison, > > Chergach and > > Bassikounou both have Fa contents of 18.4 and 18.6, > > respectively. > > > > University of Madison, Wisconsin performed most of the > work > > on the > > Mifflin fall. Between them and the Field Museum, over > > twenty separate > > stones were analyzed. They were all L5. Mifflin is > > classified as an > > L5, with an Fa of ~24.9 +/- 0.2. > > > > I then sent Tony the link to the ebay auction so he > could > > confirm that > > the piece that he had analyzed was indeed the piece > that I > > had sent > > him. He did. > > > > I purchased my end-cut from Bryan Scarborough (IMCA), > who > > purchased it > > from Michael Cottingham, who purchased it from Greg > > Catterton (IMCA), > > who purchased the stone with Carl Esparza from the > finder. > > > > Carl told me the following story over the phone: > > He was contacted "out of the blue" by someone hunting > in > > the Mifflin > > strewn-field. According to Carl, the finder stated > that he > > thought > > there was a "conspiracy against him," because no one > would > > offer him > > more than $5/g. and he believed his finds were worth > more > > than that. > > So, according to Carl, he then offered the finder > $10/g, > > and a deal was > > struck. > > > > But...the finder asked that he not be paid via paypal > or > > wire > > transfer; he wanted cash mailed to a P.O. Box. > > > > So, Carl mailed the money to the P.O. Box and the > first of > > two 'Mifflin' > > stones was over-nighted to him the next day. It should > be > > noted that > > Carl included Greg Catterton as his partner in this > deal, > > and Greg > > sent over several hundred dollars to help pay for the > > stones. > > > > Unfortunately, as Carl said over the phone, his old > > computer recently > > died, so he lacks the name and email address of the > finder, > > as well as > > the number/address of the P.O. Box to which he sent > the > > money. Carl > > is also unwilling to share the bank receipt from the > > transaction which > > would prove that he did make a large cash withdrawal > for > > the stones. > > I asked Carl for the finder's phone number, but he > told me > > that he had > > recently tried to call the finder, himself, only to > find > > that the > > number had been disconnected. > > He was unwilling to share the number with me, > regardless. > > > > On the phone, Carl suggested that his source had > likely > > ripped him > > off, and he said that he believed that it was the > reason > > why he had > > been asked to send the money untraceably, as he did; > Carl > > described > > the situation as a "typical scam." > > > > He also suggested that the stones *might* be from an > > unrelated fall -- or could be the result of Mifflin > being an > > 'Almahata Sitta sort of > > fall.' > > > > I can't disprove either of those ideas, but they are > > unlikely for the > > following reasons: > > > > 1) Almahata Sitta is a unique event in the history of > > meteoritics. > > Different lithologies have been observed in many > > meteorites, but to > > have individual stones of completely different and > > unrelated meteorite > > types falling separately is unique. Out of the 1,238 > > accepted > > observed falls in the meteoritical bulletin, only one > has > > exhibited > > individuals that have consisted of different > meteorite > > types (for > > example, H + L, Ureilite + EH, etc). > > > > And it's not that we haven't been looking for similar > > events; with > > each and every fall, multiple stones are analyzed, and > the > > simple fact > > of the matter is that they are always similar...with > *one* > > exception. > > > > So, Almahata Sitta is an exception. How much of an > > exception? 0.08% > > of meteorite falls are like it. Less than a tenth of > a > > percent. > > Possible...but extremely unlikely. We also have to > wonder > > about why > > or how this hunter managed to find the only two H's > from > > the fall that > > were recognized. Over twenty other stones were studied > and > > this > > finder supposedly turned up two or three that were all > H's. > > It's 'funny.' > > > > The other possibility that Carl advocated is that the > > stones may actually > > have been found in Wisconsin -- and they may be part > of a > > new fall that > > somehow slipped under the radar. He initially > suggested > > that they were > > from the fireball widely seen across the Midwest on > May > > 10th, but, at the > > time, I had paypal records from Greg that stated that > he > > had sent Carl the > > money for the stones as early as April 24th. > > So we ruled out that possibility.. > > > > But, I agree; the stones could theoretically have come > from > > a > > different fall. The end-cut that I bought showed no > visible > > signs of > > weathering. No oxide, no anything. Given the weather > in and > > around > > Mifflin at the time of the fall, we can assume that > the > > stones were > > picked up within a week or so of having fallen. No > AMS > > reports of > > anything in the region for the given timeframe > doesn't > > disprove > > anything since meteorites often fall without much > ado, > > but...two falls > > in the same place *at the same time?* > > Granted, it's possible. Not very likely, though. > > > > And you've still got to wonder about why no one else > found > > any > > H-chondrites while looking for Mifflin. It's not like > > meteorites were > > laying thickly on the ground. Everyone who found > stones out > > there put > > considerable time into hunting -- and they all found > only > > L5's. So if > > Carl's source were telling the truth, and he did find > the > > stones, it > > seems best to assume that he wasn't hunting in the > Mifflin > > strewn-field, because, if he were, he would 1) > probably > > have found > > L5's, and 2) other people would probably have found > H's as > > well. > > > > The conclusion I draw from this is that the truth has > > become > > well-hidden. What is certain is that I have been > refunded > > by > > Bryan, and I know for a fact that Bryan has been > refunded > > by > > Michael Cottingham, who has in turn been refunded by > Greg > > Catterton. > > > > What I have heard, however, is that Carl has been > defending > > the > > legitimacy of his stones, and is refusing to refund > Greg > > Catterton. > > > > Regardless of whether the material is Mifflin or > another > > meteorite > > (from Wisconsin or from NWA -- it doesn't matter), > the > > simple fact > > of the matter is that the material sold by Carl has > been > > shown to be > > different from how it was advertised, and as such, he > > should be > > willing to accept its return for a refund. If he > wishes to > > get it > > analyzed and sell it to others as a new meteorite, > that is > > his > > concern. > > > > I am fairly certain that Bryan, Michael, and Greg > > unknowingly sold the > > material as Mifflin, believing that it was indeed what > they > > sold it > > as. > > > > That is my 2 cents. > > > > Regards, > > Jason Utas > > > > ______________________________________________ > > Visit the Archives at http://www.meteoritecentral.com/mailing-list-archives.html > > Meteorite-list mailing list > > Meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com > > http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list > > > > ______________________________________________ > > Visit the Archives at http://www.meteoritecentral.com/mailing-list-archives.html > > Meteorite-list mailing list > > Meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com > > http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list > > > ______________________________________________ > Visit the Archives at http://www.meteoritecentral.com/mailing-list-archives.html > Meteorite-list mailing list > Meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com > http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list > Received on Sun 08 May 2011 07:10:37 AM PDT |
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