WARNING! A Must Read...

[Blue01F250]

Original threads on Heartlanddiesels...

Geoff's - http://www.heartlanddiesels.com/foru...3078#post33078
Mine - http://www.heartlanddiesels.com/foru...?t=1509&page=5


Well, it has been months since these incidents have taken place, but I thought maybe you folks in AZ would like an update on a situation that happened in Oklahoma with one of your own.

Back at the beginning of 2009, one of Arizona's own swindled a couple of fellow diesel owners out of quite a bit of money and trust.

I used to own a 2001 Ford F250 (Blue, hence the screenname) - most of you will remember what happened, but for those of you who don't.. here is a recap.

Basically - Shawn Brown, formerly owner and operator of Ragin Diesels, which is no longer in business... sold me and my wife a "built" transmission which turned out to just be a stock rebuild. He also took over $7K, yes - $7,000 cash - from a friend of mine, Geoff (Kornfed on heartlanddiesels.com) and his wife and newborn son at the time, to stud his 6.0L, EGR delete, rebuild injectors, resurface heads, air intake, and coolant filtration system.

It was discovered that the transmission sold to me by Shawn was a stock rebuild (*actually my original diode transmission - just rebuilt...) when it broke on me within 3 months of having it installed. My truck was chipped only, and Shawn knew that I had planned on adding injectors and possibly a turbo down the road.. hence the built transmission I was wanting to buy. Shawn talked me into buying from him because he could get me a hell of a deal. The transmission broke, and Shawn DID pay to have the transmission rebuilt again.. but yet again, it was STOCK! I wouldn't be able to drive my truck even chipped, for the fear of blowing another transmission. I have the warranty paperwork from the builder that SPECIFICALLY states that NO aftermarket programming or racing on a strip is allowed/covered under the "warranty" - but even at that - the shop sold Shawn the transmission - so the warranty wasn't even for ME. I sold the truck because I had taken out a loan to buy this "built trans" knowing it would be the last trans I ever needed since the truck was never going to be a wild racing truck, but just a nice street/towing truck for my family and I.

Scan of warranty...



Geoffs truck, on the other hand, puked from the second Shawn restarted it after supposidly repairing it. He claimed to have done the work all in his garage and had it done very very quickly and wouldnt' let me come take pictures of it for Geoff (Shawn had moved to OK, lived in my house, and then was renting and making plans to leave OK when all this happened - March 09) Only when Geoff got tired of the puking, did he start looking and noticed that there were headstuds AND bolts in the heads... a mixed bag. Doesn't appear that the EGR, headwork, and half of the headstuds got installed.

Here are the pictures of what was found once the truck got tore down. Oh, and notice that the truck was missing 11 headstuds... the exact amount that were moved back to AZ with Shawn last year.

"Extra" Studs that Shawn took back to AZ with him..


Geoffs truck torn down

[Blue01F250]

Bolts and studs, studs and bolts!



Crazy how there are 11 bolts left in the truck...

[Blue01F250]

I tried to give a quick as I could explanation - but so much went on with this lie and swindling that I probably left some info out. I want to thank everyone who knew that it sounded fishy and believed in Geoff and I while we were working on trying to get pictures of the actual studs/bolts. I hope this goes to show you taht you MUST know who you are dealing with.. no matter HOW WELL you think you know them..

Shawn moved into my house when he and Sheri moved to OK - he was considered one of my best friends and fellow diesel lover. My family took him in, and my 4 year old son still loves him to death.. but has no clue what sort of man Shawn really is. We introduced him and Sheri to our friends and included them in as much as we could.. only to be swindled and treated like trash.

The wounds run deep - but I hope by posting the information for all to see, that maybe I can save one person out there from making the same mistakes I did. Feel free to message me or pm me or email or yahoo or come to the heartland and do any of those above if you want more answers or explanation and I will give you all I can on the subject.

Just be so careful out there when selecting someone to purchase your parts from.. you never can ask too many questions and follow that gut feeling in your stomach. It just might have saved me $3k+ and some pride...

[BUSA]

damn. thats all i got wow

[fords4life]

Appreciate the info. I know from being in chat over on Heartland a long time ago(DieselHardware over there), that y'all were pretty good friends at the time. I have always had some of my own gut feelings and I think this situation confirms them. I am interested to see what Shawn has to say.....

[4x4dually]

It really is amazing how open to new folks that need a new friend network and help moving and anyting else they need that Okie's really are. This dude walked straight in the door, sat down, got a beer out of the fridge, talked to us for about 6 months and then stole **** and left. Unreal. I wish the best for him and his. I can only hope the best means a a pink jail uniform in Mason, Texas. LOL

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/...n2077390.shtml

[Old Big and Slow]

Brant and Geoff

Sorry that this happend to you, and others....

And sorry that I have had any dealings with him.

Hopefully you can get another diesel soon.

[lethal5point7]

W o w

[SilverBulletF250]

Brant and Geoff, Sorry that this happend to you as well as the others...

I can only hope the best means a a pink jail uniform in Mason, Texas. LOL

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/...n2077390.shtml

M.C.S.O. aka Maricopa County Sheriff's Office here with famous Sheriff Joe Arpiao has done PINK since he's been in office. I think he was the first to do this if I remember right... We've had Pink handcuff's, underwear, uniforms ect... since the late 90's... haha We also have tent city though... A jail system in a tents, 115 degrees out... haha

[lethal5point7]

If this information is accurate this is horrible... it sickens me to even read it, let alone think about what I would do if it were my vehicles.

[losrocket]

Ive been seeing posts about this on other boards but never here. I wondered when it would make its way onto this board. Crazy situation, i never would have guessed he would have done something like that.

[Blue01F250]

The first time it was posted here when it went down we didn't have any pictures, and there was no way to prove the internals of a transmission.. other than by some paperwork. So now that the truck he supposidly did the work on was being torn down and repaired correctly - I had Geoff shoot some pictures so we could show proof of what happened...

We have no reason to lie about this - the guy lived in my house... he hung out with my friends... and took advantage of several trusting people. This post doesn't even include his arrest while driving a "customers" truck when he got back to AZ during the summer.. apparently when he came to Oklahoma, there were pending charges or a warrant out for his arrest in AZ...

I would really be curious what Shawn has to say about it - hell, he's not even banned on the Heartland, because I really would like for him to try to explain what he did...

[ZMANN]

EDIT


Well crud! I just put this together .. I have talked with Shawn plenty of times ,, I just didn't realize it was the same person .. He was totally cool! I don't really believe this or want any part in it
I am going to remove some of my previous content ,, my appolagies Scott

[Old Big and Slow]

FYI- The Phone number that was once used for Ragin (480-287-4415) is no longer his.

So please don't call it to yell at Shawn.

[KTMRIDER686]

EDIT


I have talked with Shawn plenty of times ,, I just didn't realize it was the same person .. He was totally cool! I don't really believe this or want any part in it

After reading all the other post i guess i fell the same way just glad i didnt get taken for a ton of money