The Man Who Spent $35MM Fighting A $400k Fake Wine Fraud, Rediscovering What I Lost in the Military and Mom and Son Run a Marathon Together in Every State

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That's the value of ownership. Visit Vanguard.com and discover ownership from shareholders on the functional Vanguard middle-market Corporation Street this is Lisa Beebe and this is our American story this next story will is our rule of law series we tell stories about what happens in the rule of law is present or absent in our lives now. If they brings us an unusual story from a guy named Bill Cope and entrepreneur with 1300 employees is Bill.

What I really like look at a great painting tell the love the artist in creating and to me that's precious and that's what creates my radar love of the artist and then food to that outstanding chef taste: got to stay stiff. A lot a lot a lot energy on same bricklayer really loves his work takes all your care.

Other than slamming together and same thing with one great one really taste the love that Mary had so that to me is highly offensive from someone's thing Bill found out that for bottles that were sold to him is Thomas Jefferson's more and many found out that more words to.

There's a huge code of silence because the faker doesn't want to know that the little man selling them one on one enough fact is one big auction house that was selling a lot of wine in New York auctions they had at this retailer deal with them was nylons and retail shops selling off-site one and have in-house counsel versus the outhouse said authenticity is an opinion and were not in the opinion business when the business of making our market just ignore and then the guys who by the fate they find out it's fake. They want to get rid of it get their money back primarily either dump it into the auction market are they given to a charity auction off are they find some sucker mind from the fake ones I bought were from charity auctions because the guy gave to you got a tax deduction on some others got up mainly make psychotic and so I decided amount of on crusade a legal crusade to shine a bright light on it and I also I guess because when I was younger I was taken advantage of by people when I was naïve so I so I just hate being cheated, hated one of the figures actually offered to give Bill all of his money back and Bill said no were going to court to write well I ended up in one real long lawsuit which we won hands down. And then after that everybody want to settle. There was one guy said well I sold you these fake bottles would you get back to me so I can get back to the guy that sold me so I said all right I will. But then I engraved on the bottles counterfeit, gave it back to. I haven't heard from him since one big faker sent me a fax saying are you worried about fake wine. Even Jesus turned water into wine and I was hoping I could get him into a court in the Bible Belt, but I couldn't.

One guy had a huge collection of pre-World War II models of Petros's one of the best ones in the world and oversized models, and I bought a bottle of 1921 Petros Senate double magnum and I opened it up to select the cheapest one, and that it there was article about the wine that Howells found who found that etc. and rated 100 out of hundred and that's why bought a bottle and what the guy did the faker I made a hearty run start court in 1957.

One model made a fake label found the place where he bought a bottle and found that the labels printed and ported 71 put in some juice made it taste cold spell.

I said what he did was put loose person for me and we took this bottle to pictures and they said they never make big bottles pre-1945 and this one guy who had this huge collection of huge bottles of me up and said, are all bottles fake sin. Yeah how do you know when we went to Petros. They said the never made him the so my God, and then a month later he called up and said by these bottles for me. I said so well it's good evidence.

I said well I don't pay you all just subpoena you. Unfortunately, crusades turned out to be long and very expensive.

Bill has spent $35 million going after the takers over what was originally $100,000 wine fraud and some might say that's her crusade not worth 87 1/2 times the cost but for Bill Cope. It is saying is it about the wines little bit about the why Phil could've bought for far less what it's really about him is the rule of law and bills pursuit of the rule ended up exposing an industry of tens of millions of fake wine. I try to say well it's bad business to treat God and pray job is always by Alex and thanks to Bill Cope rule of law series because let's face it. Sometimes the cops can't get these people and sometimes let's face it, no one else can sometimes be the citizens have to go out and find these figures, but if we can't bring them to a court of law.

If we can't have the rule of law then we have nothing at all. Bill Cope story his crusade against fake wine and again, and against fake everything here on our American stores view of the great American stories we tell and love America like we do, risking you to become a part of the All-American stories family.

If you agree that America is a good and great country. Please make a donation monthly gift of $17.76 is fast becoming a favorite option for support to our American stories.com now go to the donate button and help us keep the great American stories coming out American stories.com soon, millions will make Medicare coverage decisions for next year and United healthcare can help you feel confident about your choices for those eligible Medicare annual enrollment runs from October 15 through December 7. If you're working past age 65. You might be able to delay Medicare enrollment. Depending on your employer coverage. It can seem confusing, but it doesn't have to be this@uhcmedicarehealthplans.com to learn more United healthcare helping people live healthier lives. I know everything about running a coffee shop for small business insurance. I need my State Farm agent make sure my business and confident business owners to help you pass. State Farm is in your corner and on my neighbor. There call your local State Farm agent for quote today doing household chores can Artie be time-consuming and tedious. There's nothing more daunting and facing piles and piles of laundry that need to be done can be overwhelming for anyone. If you want to get those larger laundry loads downright and get back to your life.

Try all free clear maggot packs all three clear mega packs are bigger packs two times the cleaning ingredients compared to a regular packs of that you can tackle any laundry load without the worry free clear maggot packs are also 100% free of perfumes and dyes and their dental and skin which is great for any family sensitive skin needs my family. We definitely have sentence again the next time the whole family gets home from long vacation or you get the kids back from summer camp or whatever the situation as that's because this big pile of dirty clothes and all free clear maggot packs purchase all free, clear mega packs today and conquer any laundry load for all fabric types. This is our American stories we tell stories about everything here on the show and we love hearing your Story from a listener on 1100 KF a B in Omaha, Nebraska Brent Evan off joined the Army right before the Gulf War print I was born in Council Bluffs Iowa raise student Western values. I come from a history of family serving in the military all the way back to world war one. Both grandparents fought in World War II father Vietnam era, countless aunts and uncles and have served over the years that influence me quite a bit and I decided to join the military graduated high school early just didn't really quite know what I want to do in this world other than serve military and gone to to do things. December 1989 and listed as a cavalry scout and I went through Calvary scout training for nice Kentucky and found myself assigned to the third Army Calvary Regiment in Fort Bliss, Texas made 1990 and be in a new private you know everything still new to me on training in August 1990. We were out on a two week field training exercise when Iraq invaded Kuwait intensive purposes going to cease to exist as an independent sovereign nation. Everyone well at this hour, Iraq remains in firm control of the tiny, oil-rich country of Kuwait. We had a warning order to prepare Middle East didn't really understand the consequences that we roll back on post and there's trains everywhere work loading takes Bradley's mom trains to go to Beaumont Texas will live ammunition. These vehicles Beaumont Texas and we had about 10 days to, you know, kind of finish shots and some we did some training be in a 18-year-old kid boxer 19 the last three days we can add our own personal time and to be quite honest, I would remember about 1/3 of that time being young kids off to war you know we trained hard and we kind of party pretty hard. Well, you know how I go over there overseas and get on with my life get out go to college at the University of Iowa and I graduated from Omaha firemen for a little while and then I proceeded to get interested in anesthesia left in the cancer Pfizer certified registered nurse anesthetist and found myself getting married to a woman and we had three beautiful children in my son is interested in going to the military graduated high school, much like I did and cricket on head on her shoulders, but I understand where it's coming from you and all you don't know what you want to do so he was going to enlist in the military and you know I'm in my anesthesia practice and I'm think I'm in my mid-40s and comfortable in my lifestyle and you don't think I'm got the world by the tail and I find myself in the case anesthesia case and my sister text me about noon set a few talking. I text her back on Medicaid Skype call you later set will call me when you get home and I get on that day is an February 2018 and I click back in the recliner. Remember vividly in the ceiling fans on low and she said Brent are you sitting down and she's 12 months younger, I know people out there with siblings.

They know when they're messing with you, or when something else and very serious and that's it. Johnson down sis was going on. She bluntly told me that I have a 26 year old son. I don't know about and I remember looking at the ceiling fan. I watch Blake go around three times and I kind of said sis I'm getting a little more information.

Well the back story was. My mom was or housekeeping another hospital retired two years earlier she got into genealogy and swapped her buccal membrane and sent it in and she gets like an email back saying hey you two need to really talk and my mom didn't know what to do. So she contacted my sister. My sister countless email and this guy turns out, the sky was in the United States Navy station in Italy and he said he and I and all my birth certificate says father unknown you know if he doesn't, this person doesn't want to be part of my life.

I understand that if they could tell me little bit about my maybe my genetic history. If I need to be concerned about anything appreciated and I'm just floored you know here I have the world by the tail and and and then something like this happens to you unexpectedly I you know you're only on this earth. You know snap of a finger fraction of a second time, why would you not want to get to know someone like that. So I said yes Chris I would love to get a hold of him and my sister sent me a picture of him, you know, we look alike. His mother was down.

It Fort Bliss, Texas same type.

I was in United I just hearken back to that time were being raise your hand if you've never done anything irresponsible. I remember vividly videoconferencing went to Skype and up pops this this handsome young stud in the United States Navy, serving overseas in Canada just said hello and you know got to know each other little bit and it was really a wonderful experience and you know as I know, a month later I come to talk to my family and you know told them the story and how good head on his shoulders know and we just kind of permitted this relationship of you know, getting to know each other you know in this this kid has an amazing ability to you know I felt guilty, missed being a father during impressionable years and I felt guilty a lot of time in the and he kept interrupting me saying hey that's not look in the back. The rearview mirror. Let's look down the road and just enjoy what we have. A lot of times it brings tears to be quite honest that this young man to be so strong and truly humbled me in a lot of ways so fast forward my son's in the United States Army again. I called my my son that I've always known my old young son and Tyler my new old son. You know he's in the Navy overseas in Italy. My son my son Nicholas my old young son is in the Army in Korea and I've got to high school girls and when I got out of the Army. I spent four months backpacking through part of North Africa and Europe and quite an adventure in income to find out my new old son has traveled extensively through Europe and has military history entrance interest much like I do in my son Nicholas my old young son. I thought wow you know what an amazing experience. My two sons had not met that summer I flew Tyler from Italy to meet his sisters for the first time in force and my son. It was early in the Army and in Korea at that time so I thought, how can we all just kind of take this blessing and title in together.

I came up with a solution to my never travel to the Far East Asia so I put this out there and it kinda came together in May and June.

We spent 30 days backpacking through South Korea, Vietnam, Thailand and Cambodia to be able to see my sons meet for the first time and just kind of can try to connect our selves as a family as best we can, underneath the circumstances, and boy was it humbling and an amazing experience. So were traveling and getting to know each other. Tyler my new old son does not have sisters so watching them interact and new big brother, as were spending 30 taste together literally staying in hostels and kind of rough in and you know that's kind of what venture we were looking for. Teasing is new sisters and likewise the sisters teasing their new older brother, back and brothers and brothers, interacting you know it is a is a father it. It really you know China was very very happy and you're listening to Brett Evan off, he finds out is a 26-year-old son he never knew.

And this became a gift blessing is in the son says let's not look in the rearview when we come back more of this remarkable voice is beautiful story Brett Evan off stored on our American story millions will make Medicare coverage decisions for next year in United healthcare can help you feel confident about your choices for those eligible Medicare annual enrollment runs from October 15 through December 7. If you're working past age 65. You might be able to delay Medicare enrollment. Depending on your employer coverage. It can seem confusing, but it doesn't have to be this@uhcmedicarehealthplans.com to learn more United healthcare helping people live healthier lives.

I know everything there is to know about running a coffee shop for small business insurance. I need my State Farm agent make sure my business people and confident business owners to help the past. State Farm is in your corner and on my neighbor. There call your local State Farm agent for quote today doing household chores can Artie be time-consuming and tedious. There's nothing more daunting and facing piles and piles of laundry that need to be Darren can be overwhelming for anyone. If you want to get those larger laundry loads down bright and get back to your life.

Try all free clear maggot packs all three clear mega packs are bigger packs two times the cleaning ingredients compared to a regular pack so that you can tackle any laundry load without the worry, all free clear maggot packs are also 100% free of perfumes and dyes and their dental and skin which is great for any family sensitive skin needs my family. We definitely have sentence again the next time the whole family gets home from long vacation or you get the kids back from summer camp or whatever the situation as that's because this big pile of dirty clothes all free clear maggot packs purchase all free, clear mega packs today and conquer any laundry load for all fabric types and we continue with our American stories and brick families reuniting my new old son.

My old young son and his two daughters.

Well, tripping around in Southeast Asia getting to know each other better. Let's continue with the story. We decided that we wanted to see Vietnam and in order to see really Vietnam have a reliable public transportation system so you have to ride motorcycles and I hear a lot of research I found a guide out of the name and that we spent five days touring on motorcycles, my daughter running behind me and my other daughter writing behind the guy didn't like two sons right there on motorcycles and we drove along the Ho Chi Minh Trl. out of denying head itself to a shop Valley.

We got a permit from the communist government to climb hamburger Hill and road to Chaisson and everywhere were going to stop in and little villages in meeting these people and and still see a lot of remnants from the war. In a lot of ways and we find yourself a caisson and will were looking around at some of the bunkers that is that a collapse and were there in village local villager came up to me and he had some trinkets and he wanted to sell them and I looked at him and the first thing I saw was a US military dog tag and then I saw North Vietnamese rusted North Vietnamese Army Madeleine so a few other trinkets and so forth and I knew I wanted them so I think a bit like seven dollars and you know we went on with her trip connected is is a is a is a family and had an amazing experience. You know my my son that I've never known comes into my life and we cannot come full circle with the family that he's never known and my family with something never knew well we get back from her trip to Omaha and I go back to work and I start researching, you know my time off this this name on the stack. Well, this name can add a unique first name spelling so I first hand is I use Internet search to find see if you may be one of the 16,000 were killed in the Vietnam War and his name wasn't on the counter gave me hope that maybe I can build a reconnect this piece of property to US military servicemen.

My preliminary Internet searches will come up with anything.

I'm my wife got interested and she cannot help me look around and because of the gentleman's unique first spelling of his first name we come across an old obituary from Minnesota of a gentleman that perhaps was this guy's father in the printed set survived by this gentleman and his wife and my wife took the first name of his wife and the last name and the look on social media and found a Carol Hammond and we got a phone number and I called and it was a voice machine and I said you know hello sir, my name's Brett, I just returned and if I came back with a piece of property that you may have left over their fear and on the Mr. that happened the loss of property over there you would you please call me and so we went by the weekend and I'm doing stuff around the house and made a phone call from this gentleman and he said yes this is me. I did servicer venture. Two tours in Vietnam.

You know how can I help you, and I proceeded to tell them that I was traveling over there and purchases dog tag and he the first thing he asked me goes what numbers are on there and I proceeded to tell them and all that was for my second appointment would proceeded to tell me his story and he grew up in northern Minnesota and got a little bit of trouble three months before graduation from high school and back, then you either went to jail you in the military and he chose the military and found himself hundred 73rd Airborne in Vietnam 1967, 1968.

He told me that you know that he was wounded with a roadside bomb that was command detonated in Italy. If it wasn't for him wearing over the radio that day that he probably would've lost his life because of large piece of shrapnel.

It torn into the radio and he was wounded in the leg and got knocked out actually became conscious and and recovered from that and went on to serve in the Berlin Germany during the 60s the Cold War decided that he wanted to go back to Vietnam.

So if found himself in the hundred and first Airborne in 1969, 1970 in Vietnam and he said that time was you know a lot different than those first two are there doing missions of you know that they didn't necessarily always were there Frank for their insignia patches and and he was in the battle team key in there is platoon of 35 found himself surrounded in a gun battle for at least the day.

I thought maybe said to and when the battle was over, he 35 years 17 survivors and in fact of the seven, two were not wounded and he one of proceeded to tell me that he decided that you know back home and Northwoods. Minnesota was a place that he'd like to go and found himself there.

Ashley runs a retreat for local veterans group of their and hopefully one day I could be the well we had a wonderful phone call I hung up and I told him that I'm going to email us piece of property to sit. I bought it from a villager in caisson euros while you know I never step 1 foot on caisson I operated about 50 miles south of there actually the only thing I can come up with this you know trading over time, villagers and so forth, and that he doesn't remember one incident where he specifically lost his dog tag, but I mail the gentleman unite I get email about a week later from his wife and its you know is why says it really my effort to track him down and return piece of property from his past really meant a lot to him and you know, in my story just come it comes to the conclusion that two circles of been close son. I never met before reunited with his father and family that is ever known, and that through our travels together as a family forming on the new relationship that we both gonna bring full-circle a veterans passed to them by reuniting them with something as simple as a dog tag which any member is been in the military knows how much that is a part of their life at the time so you know that those two experiences combined really humbles me is the father is a you know human being and an American that you just when you think that you think you have life figured out the older I get, the more I firmly believe life is truly strange fiction.

Indeed, in this we learn here every day, telling stories, especially our listeners telling stories. Great job as always by Robbie on the production and a special thanks to Brett Evan off and what a thing to do for a guy most people to take my thought taken back at someplace but he decided to track the person down would belong to. My only know that my my grandparents would've loved to have had a dog tag or letters or anything from the sun that died in World War II and all he got was a flag so anybody who served and lost somebody or even not what somebody importance of this paraphernalia was not small by the weight of this show. As you know, is free to you but it is not free to make and any donations you like to make to us to continue to hear beautiful stories like this will they be appreciated. Send any donations to our American stories.com where nonprofit and reluctantly do, and I know you love listening to stories. We want to keep telling Brett Evan off story straight out of 1100 KF, AZ Omaha, Nebraska on our American story soon. Millions will make Medicare coverage decisions for next year and United healthcare can help you feel confident about your choices for those eligible Medicare annual enrollment runs from October 15 through December 7. If you're working past age 65. You might be able to delay Medicare enrollment.

Depending on your employer coverage.

It can seem confusing, but it doesn't have to be this@uhcmedicarehealthplans.com to learn more United healthcare helping people live healthier lives. I know everything there is to know about running a coffee shop for small business insurance. I need my State Farm agent make sure my business days: incompetent business owners to help the past. State Farm is in your corner and on my neighbor.

There call your local State Farm agent for quote today doing household chores can Artie be time-consuming and tedious. There's nothing more daunting and facing piles and piles of laundry that need to be Darren can be overwhelming for anyone. If you want to get those larger laundry loads down right and get back to your life. Try all free clear maggot packs all three clear mega packs are bigger packs two times the cleaning ingredients compared to a regular packs of that you can tackle any laundry load without the worry, all free, clear, mega packs are also 100% free of perfumes and dyes and their dental and skin which is great for any family sensitive skin needs my family. We definitely have sentence again the next time the whole family gets home from long vacation or you get the kids back from summer camp or whatever the situation is. That's because this big pile of dirty clothes and all free clear maggot packs purchase all free, clear mega packs today and conquer any laundry load for all fabric types and we continue with our American stories.

Next a listener story Harry Thompson and her son Joe Miley of the definition, determination, here they are along with Joe's wife share their story. Strangely, competitive family and the thing is clear. I am my backpacking extreme sports that we do, we do like to push it now is usually a lot, yet something that we set out to do all realize that the cost states and one moment we have terrible state.

Harry knocked off just said while we try to do all 50 states and she and so was before the pandemic. We said we no pun intended, and then easily organize everything we could not have done it without thinking she's okay. Extraordinaire and she finds everything that we like many Haitians like Alaska family vacation, and some of the family ran 1/2 and all assignments. I have us in the back and sees the as there was this other guy was there and he said he put out his arms and just walked through this passage that was about five or six and shuttle walked the last 20 miles of your pay was determined not because if you don't and we were able to finish that he wasn't quite pain. I was hurting before the marathon quite a bit and pretty much stopped running for about two weeks. The pain subsided a little. But right away I do last.

Pretty much around mouth for five or six.

I just thought I just feel you will as it was full. Brett was a stress fracture so you five dollars moment where's that blinding pain that I knew something was wrong.

It was just like I can get through this.

So I I hobble so to speak. The CI was dead last time anything like I remember stopping a rest stop and Avenue of the bathroom and being unable to get out of the vehicle that was wonderful and finished in Maui.

We will walk right into the ocean. It was just amazing. So I think favorites probably be mine. Nine. Alaska Main was beautiful to the very last one. It was beautiful. Ran to Canada went by a yeah I love Maine is where we were and it was just beautiful. We bring our passports because we ran into Canada system into other countries so so so you have to bring your past so that she can get you. I all all slightly worse. This number 167 it's really important and helpful to have value through the marathon he brings yes waterski has Vaseline is you you change really my very first merit and everything you want Vaseline and likable far and I wrap my arm and just as it wasn't bruised it was found wrapping and changing your arms wrapping against her body and I went in there made him stay feel better, but the chafing is very painful. So, 17 years as time went on I got slower and faster. Her really never trained.

I would run at least for at least any day for America media 13 you not every day. Just you know 113 miler from 20 and he would run with me to help me trap but basically we would just increase my mileage every day I trained. I recently she goals to achieve. So run 67 so Done running, naming and one of the things we like to do is sushi and then after where I am very sore. You always turn it now his toenails that she do them a couple years where I would wear sandals because my feet look so bad. You really where everything sore for me and we had to the point where we started making a point.

Finish together so we would come across the finish line. Join hands and hold them up so they would fail and they announce is you know visualizing that hearing.

The announcer getting through that last part is almost over emotional made it through another 6.2 map for my 60th birthday.

I wanted to do the MRI and raced down the Missouri River from Kansas City to St. Charles and Joe drove us to Kansas City and I were sitting in the safety meeting thinking dangerous thing to do and I know this is Ray this is a race so my husband and I have an old town and we have asked this week is like paddling apart and we made it from city to St. Charles and the time four days.

It took us to do. We 77 hours of sleep. You know you just give you and this year so going to do it again replace nightmare will be day. My husband and I ran every day you hear so you have a great job in the storytelling by Craig. Special thanks to Karen Thompson and her son Joe Miley along with Joe's wife Vicki.

They share their story begins in the background while they in the wrong way share their story to run marathons in 12 states, and in came that suggestion.

Every family knows that person who suggests something like this. Let's do all 50 what you know they do it and they finish them all over a 17 year. Treating each one like a family vacation with family rituals, including that Sushil coming to the finish line is a family holding their hands. A remarkable and beautiful listener story here on our American stories