American Police Force Story Gets More Like The Twilight Zone

APPF’s Dubious Story Gets Even More Dubious

TPM MUCKRAKER– Justin Elliott | October 5, 2009, 6:46PM

We’ve known since last week that the story surrounding a deal that handed an empty jail in Hardin, MT, to shadowy private security company American Private Police Force just wasn’t adding up. Today, it became still more clear that APPF has a lot of explaining to do.

Let’s review the developments:

• The contract signed by APPF and Hardin makes clear that controlling the prison was the least of it — the contractor was also given the right to run the town’s law enforcement operations.
• Spooked attorney Maziar Mafi, who previously voiced confidence in the project and was once falsely described by APPF as its president, severs ties with the company and the jail deal.
• APPF rolls out new name and scrubs Web site of a few absurd claims (including boast of kidnapping services); other absurd claims remain.
• California defense contractor Allied Defense Systems threatens legal action, claiming that APPF has plagiarized wholesale from Allied’s Web site.
• Hardin official tells TPMmuckraker APPF has lined up a “highly qualified” ex-military director of ops for jail project — but he’s in Afghanistan right now.