This post is from Shelby at the Rochester Chess Center. His company was the official vendor at the World Open where theft occured.
Hey all,
…WE HAD 21 CHRONOS CLOCKS STOLEN. Any one with information on this theft needs to get in touch with me. Missing some items here and there is a cost of doing business. $2300 + retail of chronos clocks being stolen is another thing. This is trying to cripple my business. I was brought up taught treat people the way you want to be treated yourself. If that was the case I was would be walking real funny right now.
I need the names of the people involved. Something like this needs the police involved and court dates and such. I heard that the Chronoses were being traded to pay off gambling debts from Backgammon and I heard one was sold at a poker game that was going on for $40.
If someone offers you some new chess equipment at a tournament at a tremendous discount, it is most likely stolen. Buying of stolen property makes you just as guilty as those who stole it. These people need to be punished thru the law and the USCF should take action.
I may be wrong (please correct me if I am) that there are no harsh punishments that the USCF can hand out for these “thieves”.
We have a strong suspicion of who the thieves were. I am not giving out names or locations yet for obvious reasons. If the clocks are not returned to me And I catch the people that did this I will be taking the full legal action. I have already contacted the police department.
Return all the clocks and I might not contact the police. Most of the suspects are under the age of 18.
Anyone who had a Chronos I or II (long Chronos) or a Chronos Blitz offered to them in brand new condition without a box or a manual at the World Open needs to contact me he or thru our website. I have serial numbers of all the stolen clocks.
Thanks,
Shelby Lohrman
Rochester Chess Center
C’mon folks. As a chess community, we are better than this. Anyone with information should step forward.
What a weird article…
“Buying of stolen property makes you just as guilty as those who stole it.”
Ummm… :S Like a buyer knows where all products came from!?!? NOT guilty!
“I need the names of the people involved. Something like this needs the police involved and court dates and such.”
…
“These people need to be punished thru the law and the USCF should take action.”
…
“I have already contacted the police department.”
+
“Return all the clocks and I might not contact the police.”
This is not very clear to me what is meant here!?
:/
Theft is not good. If you want your stuff back, don’t go saying you want names and you will sue all. And saying you contacted the police, and then say if they bring the goods back, you WON’T contact the police… !?! :S
This is confusing, sorry…
Why so many problems at Goichberg’s tournament? Doesn’t he care or does he simply close his eyes because he’s making hundreds of thousands from these CCA events?
I can see where the problem happens to be. Bill Goichberg is basically campaigning to not allow Susan to win 4 seats. In a post here Sam Sloan claimed that Goichberg usually can count on 3 votes of the present 6. So Bill would like at least one more vote from this election.
Bill took a political turn by sending out a postcard that was critical of some candidates. Particularily the post card attacked Susan and Paul.
So here is Bill passing rules to allow more latitude for members to attack each other and then he himself joins in the attack on Susan and Paul.
Thread after thread is started and strung out attacking Susan and Paul every day with no apparent complaints from Goichberg, Hall and Hough. But the people in control of the USCF like Bill Goichberg and Randy Hough should not have allowed the personal attacks to daily attack the reputation of Susan and Paul.
So here I have been for weeks asking people to stop the attacks and now I read a posting that says that Goichberg and Hough have approved rules to allow the attacks as the campaign began.
Certainly it has become obvious that the attackers have enjoyed a priviledged existance as they have been free to attack without restraint.
I do not know what else to call it than Dirty Politics at its Worse. Disgusting and below contempt. All 3 of the people who approved this kind of behavior for an election should resign their positions immediately. This is not the way to run an organization professionally.
I am personally disappointed to read this confirmation that Dirty Politics have been given the OK to go forward. Susan is correct. the uscf is dirty politics.
I want to see this place get cleaned up good and clean immediately if not sooner.
The running of a political campaign or election does not mean that the candidates and their supporters are given free reign to attack and injure the reputation of any other candidate. They are not given free reign to abuse the other candidates. What I have witnessed here in this election is beyond discriptive words that I care to use.
This is why I won’t play in any CCA event again. Goichberg has been abusing his power for decades. He was caught using insider information to outbid his competitors to put them out of business so he can make the big bucks with full monopoly. He destroyed Jose Cuchi and the NY Open. He destroyed Maurice Ashley and the HB Global. Goichberg is about himself only. He lied about Susan so he can put in his cronies to maintain power and the edge for CCA. It’s a major conflict of interest but he doesn’t give a damn.
I’m not sure what disgusted’s comments regarding dirty politics have to do the theft of merchandise at the World Open. Unfortunately it can happen at any large tournament.
Shelby is looking for information about people who may have been involved with this incident. 21 clocks being stolen has to take some coordination on the group’s part. Hopefully someone saw or heard something that would be useful in helping them recover the stolen merchandise or catch the people who did it.
Whether it was done at a chess tournament or in a regular store it’s shoplifting. Shoplifting is a crime.
It’s a police matter, but if the guilty parties are USCF members perhaps the EB could suspend the involved players’ membership. That has been done before. Though more then likely it was done by people not playing in the tournament.
Unfortunately the skittles room has always drawn a lot of outsiders who come to simply gamble at poker, blitz, or backgammon. Unless access is restricted to players and their families there isn’t much that can be done to keep outsiders away. Does Goichberg have to starting charging admission and hire full time security people to police the skittles room?
I haven’t heard of these types of problems at his other big money events like the Chicago Open or Foxwoods. Go figure.
>>Why so many problems at Goichberg’s tournament? Doesn’t he care or does he simply close his eyes because he’s making hundreds of thousands from these CCA events? >>
>>Disgusted USCF member said…
I can see where the problem happens to be. Bill Goichberg is basically campaigning to not allow Susan to win 4 seats.>>
LOL. See, what you guys don’t get is that when you say stupid things on Susan’s behalf, it not only doesn’t help her, it actually hurts and makes her campaign look frivolous. The idea that chess clocks were stolen is a reason to vote for her is an insult to anyone’s intelligence.
Sorry, but if you’re dumb and you want to help Susan win the election, the best thing you could do would be to keep quiet. Know your limits, and all that.
>>What a weird article…>>
You left out…
>>I was brought up taught treat people the way you want to be treated yourself. If that was the case I was would be walking real funny right now.>>
Not exactly professional, is it? I hate to pick on a guy who’s just been robbed, but gee, think more about your stolen property and less about the graphic sexual imagery it conjures up in your mind, at least until this is over. We wouldn’t want people thinking you’re enjoying this!
>>
“I have already contacted the police department.”
“Return all the clocks and I might not contact the police.”
>>
Yeah, that was good.
And I thought stealing chess clocks only happened here in the Philippines!
Much as I sympathize with Shelby, his declaration that he knows who stole the clocks rings pretty hollow to me.
The seller at the WO (and several other big events) is one of the good guys and it’s really a shame that something like this happened.
I think I understand what he meant about the police: he HAS reported the crime, but if the merchandise is returned, he won’t turn in the person returning it.
I hope they track down the guilty party.
If it’s true that they have the serial numbers, then the crooks probably will be caught. A little checking around at major tournaments, and they’re bound to find at least one of the clocks in question. Then the owner of it will be asked where he got it, and they’ll eventually follow the trail backwards to the crooks. It may not happen immediately, but it’s only a matter of time.
>>I’m not sure what disgusted’s comments regarding dirty politics have to do the theft of merchandise at the World Open.>>
Nothing, just dirty politics on disgusted’s part. He hopes you’ll think it does relate somehow.
Hey You American!
“World Open”.
What a tournament.
The event of the year!
Who is Anand, Top and Drwnik.
It´s too bad they arn´t good enough
to participate.
Oh yeah.
Keep on dreaming… You American!
cultured regards
KK
couple of points: receiving stolen property is an offence (along with confiscation of the property) – look it up.
To the original poster: why not publish online a list of the stolen serial numbers to help people figure out if they have one?
They could contact you and make arrangements along with whatever info they may have? I see no down side to this…
To those who think this is politically motivated- get over it (the delusion).
You have a duty to turn the case and all relevant information to the police.
The USCF is not a criminal investigation organization.
“I have already contacted the police department.”
“Return all the clocks and I might not contact the police.”
I thought chess players are gentle and honorable men – not thieves of Bahgdad!
@scugrad:
“Much as I sympathize with Shelby, his declaration that he knows who stole the clocks rings pretty hollow to me.”
Yes, indeed. Saying that he has all the serial numbers of the clocks seems even more hollow to me…
It’s really a shame for him, but treatening won’t get your stuff back! Quite the opposite.
Kerry Liles said…
couple of points: receiving stolen property is an offence (along with confiscation of the property) – look it up.
I believe that’s knowingly receiving stolen property. A person who buys it in good faith is not going to be charged.
There should have been security cameras in the Hotel. Were the tapes looked at?
Good luck in getting your clocks back Shelby!
–ICC TD Duncan
HM……….U 18 yrs old, why would you assume there automatically assume its kids, come on gentleman and ladies, no children can organize a theft of 21! Clocks, thats a couple of college student who saw Oceans 13 or somthing, I hope you get you clocks back though