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.

Read Full Post »

Hardin Official: American Police Force Has Hired Director Of Operations In Afghanistan Right Now

Hardin Official: Unnamed But ‘Highly Qualified’ APPF Director Of Ops In Afghanistan Right Now

TPM MUCKRAKER– Justin Elliott | October 5, 2009, 6:08PM

American Private Police Force has hired a director of operations for the Hardin jail project who will not be publicly named until next week but who is a “highly qualified” retired U.S. military person doing training in Afghanistan, a Hardin official tells TPMmuckraker.

“I’ve got his resume and it looks pretty nice,” says Al Peterson of the Hardin economic development agency, which brokered the jail deal with APPF.

Peterson wouldn’t say who the director of operations is, but confirmed it was not a Hardin local.

APPF official “Captain” Michael Hilton has said that his boss is a retired U.S. Army colonel named Richard Culver who is currently overseas, the AP reported last month. But the AP was not able to verify Culver’s role in the firm. And no colonel of that name has a footprint on Lexis-Nexis.

There’s been some chatter online that a former official of medical and security services firm International SOS — who is named Richard Culver — could be linked to APPF. But a member of the company’s security firm told us today that Culver, who left the company about a year ago, was not a U.S. citizen and had no affiliation with the Army.

We’ve put in a call with the Army about a Col. Culver, and we’ll let you know what we find out.

Late Update:: International SOS spokeswoman Erin Giordano tells TPMmuckraker the company has “no affiliation” with American Private Police Force. “It’s not the same Rich Culver,” she says.

Read Full Post »