Mac, I'll tell you what I think and it doesn't just apply to you. It applies to anyone whose got a friend, a good friend, and they see that friend accused of certain things. There's disbelief. Maybe it was a misunderstanding. An oversight. Some kind of a snafu. You think it must've been just that one thing. And then people start coming forward. And you see these people were good friends of Mark too. There's this disconnect after all you know the man enough to consider him your friend. You've seen him step forward when a customer had a problem and make it right even when there was no compelling legal obligation to make it so. It doesn't make sense. But you hear more stories. Stories of one organization not getting their money. A man with an ill child. A good friend whose best friend in the world...his best friend...was dying of cancer and it wasn't years left on his clock.
And you think, something terrible must've also happened in Mark's life or the business. He made a mistake. He'll make good. He's Mark. The guy who bought all those meals, hosted dinners, brought you into his life, showed you pictures, always was friendly. There was always an excuse. He was sick, the factory screwed up, the containers were late, the orders got mixed up. There was always a story that one could hang a hat on and say, well, once that's taken care of so will the rest.
But then other people step forward and you hear how no one got their money back for RSL-II's. How people have worthless coupons. Products they paid for and have waited for over two years. You hear stories from people who got refund checks that bounced drawn on the same bank as theirs. You hear about a guy who he signed a 40K contract with him and Mark stiffed him.
And you maybe think to yourself, this is real personal stuff. It really ought to be handled in private. What's a jerk like me brining this stuff up for? But then you hear they've been trying to do it privately. They've emailed, written, texted, called, and even met face to face. They've tried for weeks, months, years.
And then you hear stories about employees, business partners, business investors, even the mothers of friends who invested, and no one has seen any total fulfillment of what they're owed. Oh, some have been paid a little. Some that he needs because at this point there's a lot of people who won't do business with him and if they do, it's cash up front.
You hear what you think is pure, unfounded speculation about where the money could've gone. And what good friend wouldn't think people are piling on making stories up? That they had secret agendas. They worked for competitors. They won't name names. Produce records. Shooting wildly in the dark.
Mac, I'm not saying you're wrong for being his friend even at this point no more than I can tell a mother not to love her son if he committed a murder. The stuff that's come out, and the stuff that hasn't come out yet, the sheer scale of it may make you see things differently. It may cause you to question yourself and your ability to evaluate people. It may not with respect to you considering him a friend.
Mark is not my friend. We've been friendly but largely in a peripheral kind of way. I look at this and I see a man who has manipulated people. A man who may well believe his lies and promises. I see a con man like none other that I can think of with respect to the audio business. I say to myself, why did 12 poor individuals cough up 72K and folks like Wally Liederman, Bascom King, Arnie Nudell not suffer any financial hardship? I see a man whose vision is not best carried out by him but must be under new management. I see other ID companies worrying somewhat if the stain that exists in Colorado has discolored their doorsteps.
By no stretch do I begrudge your friendship. If what I see is the measure of your friendship, I'd consider any person who is your friend to be lucky. Regardless though, Mac, as I'm safely able to, I'll release more information. If you don't know by now, and you should, I cross check a lot of stuff on the backend.
My best to you, Mac.
