Master of Deceit

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Con Artist Seeks Millions for Claimed Prison Violations

 The con artist convicted of fleecing American veterans of more than $100 million in donations is trying to turn the tables on the state.

John Donald Cody filed a pro se lawsuit in federal court in the Northern District of Ohio in January, which seeks more than $18 million in damages. Cody is more commonly known under the alias Bobby Thompson for a national charitable scam that made him notorious.

Using the alias “Bobby Thompson,” Cody created a charity called the U.S. Navy Veterans Association that collected donations in the name of veterans from 1998-2010. Little of the $100 million donated during that time though ever went to veterans.

The scam was exposed by a then St. Petersburg Times reporter in 2010. The articles led to nine state investigations and charges filed by then Ohio Attorney Richard Cordray. Cody was convicted of all counts in 2013 and sentenced to 28 years in prison.

Since then, Cody claims he has been harassed while serving his time at the Richland Correctional Institute in Mansfield, Ohio.  He also claims his civil rights are being denied.  His problems grew out of staff identifying him as a “frequent filer” – a jailhouse inmate who files too many lawsuits, the suit claims.

To harass and stop him from filing more lawsuits, guards threw away some of his legal notes when he was sent to isolation and took away cards that allow him to make copies in the law library. Cody claims he had 20 copy cards, valued at $2 each; guards say he had 16. The cards were taken away when he was sent to the “hole” and were missing more the equivalent of more than 300 copies when they returned.

Cody claims he also lost some of the 10 bottles of Aleve and four bottles of aspirin that he amassed before being sent to isolation. He adds that the prison is denying  him certain rights required under the Americans with Disability Act.  (Cody uses a cane to get around.)

The inmate asks the court to find the Richland Correctional Staff guilty of tampering with evidence, theft in office and receiving stolen property (for disposal) of some legal notes.  He also wants more time and access to the prison’s law library adding: “Five years of incarceration on top of 45 years of active service with the Central Intelligence Agency as an intelligence operative no longer qualifies him as a ‘regular’ lawyer, Cody contends.”

Cody has previously claimed that the U.S. Navy Veterans Association wasn’t a scam, but a program approved and supported by the CIA and White House to rally support for the War on Terror.

The state prison system has not yet responded to the lawsuit. However, Cody quotes the guards in his lawsuit as has saying he keeps more legal papers than allowed.

Cody asks for $6,400,000 in punitive damages, compensatory damages, and the same amount for every provable violation of his First Amendment Rights. How he derived that amount is unclear.

Cody – a former graduate of Harvard law school – also wants compensated for his legal time if he wins.

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Dig Before You Donate

Americans’ generosity never ceases to amaze me.

Though I am admittedly jaded from having seen far too many charitable scams aimed at veterans, I still am amazed at just how much people donate.

For my book, Master of Deceit, I wanted to know how much Americans give each year to veterans, so I asked Charity Navigator, one of the nation’s biggest appraisers of charities, for a data slice. (That’s what journalists call a chunk of electronic records on a particular topic.)

So how much do veteran charities receive each year? It is well over $1.3 billion. That’s billion with a “b”- and a very conservative estimate at that.

It’s conservative because it’s a tough number to estimate and undeniably low thanks to there being so many charities. The Internal Revenue Service says there are more than 1.7 million charities in the U.S. The George W. Bush Presidential Center breaks that down further, by estimating that more than 45,000 of those charities serve veterans and their families.

Of course, Charity Navigator doesn’t try to keep track of all of them. Overall, they watch about 8,000 of the nation’s biggest charities. I only wanted to know about veterans charities so that dropped the number they had information on to 98 different charities. Some of nonprofits they listed are some of the better known veteran charities like USO and Wounded Warrior, while others are smaller, state-based groups.

I should note that Charity Navigator uses the latest data available from each of the charities. So for some charities, you will see data from their 2015 fiscal year. For others, the listing reflects 2014 collections. The spreadsheet only lists one year of collections for each charity, though.

Now think about the number again. That means 98 charities collected more than $1.3 billion in either 2014 or 2015. In other words, there were still 45,000 veterans charities whose donations aren’t included in this estimate.

So now you see why I said $1.3 billion is low. How much do Americans actually give annually is tough to say, but it’s a lot of money.

So consider that when you make a donation.

I, for one, make no bones about my belief that I think veterans deserve every penny we can spare. They offer to give their life for our country and make very low wages for what they do. But they don’t get the help if donations go to groups that only claim to be a charity in name.

So next time you want to help, take a quick minute and pop the charity name in Google, go to Charity Navigator, or GuideStar (which also tracks information on charities). Just take the time.

You worked hard to earn your money. The added minute you take can make the difference between throwing your money in the wind and helping it get those in need.

To see the complete list of how much each veterans' charity has collected go to www.jodiandes.com/blog.html and download the list.

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Ohio Veterans Can Claim A Stake in $1 million Recovered from a Veterans Scam

There will be nearly $1 million up for grabs in Ohio in the near future, but only veterans need apply.  

That’s because the money was originally donated by Americans for veterans and is intended to be returned to veterans. 

However, which veterans can claim a piece of the money remains unclear.

Americans were unwittingly duped out of the money during a national scam led by a con-artist who was so conniving he was able to use donations to help him gain access to the White House.

Donations flowed to a group called the U.S. Navy Veterans Association between 1999 and 2010, when a newspaper reporter discovered the Navy Veterans group, its board of directors and even it’s only known executive, Bobby Thompson, were all fake.

The discovery was followed by a manhunt ending with U.S. Marshals tracking Thompson down in Portland, Ore., on April 30, 2012.  Marshals also discovered the money, which Thompson had hid a storage rental unit not far from his apartment.

Marshals then handed Thompson and the money over to the Ohio Attorney General’s Office, who had charges against him.

Authorities, though, still didn’t know Thompson’s real identity and he would only sign his name as Mr. X.  

However, U.S. Marshal Pete Elliott in Northern Ohio determined that Thompson’s real name is John Donald Cody, a former Army Intelligence Officer and Harvard Law School graduate.  He was convicted in Cleveland for identity theft, money laundering and other crimes in 2013. He remains in an Ohio prison for the crimes.

The case showed that Americans donated more than $100 million to Thompson’s fake charity, though not much more than the million stored in Portland has ever been recovered.

The story behind Thompson’s fake charity, where the money went and how he gained influence with our national leaders is part of a book due out in 2017 called Master of Deceit.  

Thompson tried to have his conviction overturned, claiming he was a former CIA agent and his organization was supported by the White House. His appeals, though, were denied.  On Jan. 6, 2016, Thompson asked the Eighth District Court of Appeals in Ohio to reconsider. That motion has been pending now for a year.

Asst. Ohio Attorney Prosecutor Brad Tammaro sent a notice to the court this week though, saying the office wants to disperse the funds before the appeal is decided.

For now, the Ohio Attorney General’s Office is not saying how the money will be dispersed or even who can apply.

“The money will go to appropriate veterans groups, but beyond what is in the public record we don’t have any additional information to share at this time,” AG spokeswoman Jill Del Greco said today.   

The court filing, though, states they “anticipate distribution to begin in 60 days.” 

Thompson created the fake Navy Veterans group in the late 1990s. The scam was uncovered by a St. Petersburg Times reporter in Florida in 2010.  News of the fake charity prompted several state attorney generals to investigate and Thompson to disappear.

The Ohio Attorney General’s Office took the lead filing charges against Thompson after it was shown Thompson had given thousands of the donated funds to politicians, not veterans.  The donations even earned him access to the Oval Office in small gathering with President George W. Bush in 2008.

When U.S. Marshals determined Thompson’s real identity, it became apparent that not only had Thompson had entered the White House under a stolen identity. He was able to enter even though his fingerprints should have shown that he was John Donald Cody – a man wanted by the FBI for espionage.

Cody also had warrants for his arrest for other crimes that stemmed back to 1984.

Using the name Thompson, Cody built the fake national charity though he was sought after by the FBI, Marshals and the Internal Revenue Service.  

The author of Master of Deceit, Jodi Andes, can be reached through her website at www.jodiandes.com

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Buckeyes, Bula and Battling On

I was in Arizona for a few days to see my husband’s family and root on our beloved Ohio State Buckeyes. The trip was all we could hope for, except for the Fiesta Bowl. The Buckeyes had an embarrassing shut out, losing 31 to 0. I felt as I did wrong somehow. The night before the game, my father-in-law, Keith Williams, took Jason and me to dinner at the Princess Fairmount. It was a treat I will never forget. Not only were we treated to some the best melt-in-your-mouth steak, we walked around after dinner and stumbled upon a gift. The Buckeyes had just finished a team meeting and were told to head to their rooms. They were walking out as we passed by.

Anyone who knows me will not be surprised to learn I took it upon myself to wish the players luck – each and every one of them. I walked up to everyone one that I could and offered a Howie-Mandel fist bump, and in my own Ashtabula-way told them to kick some butt tomorrow. (For those of you who don’t know, Ashtabula, Ohio, is my hometown. It’s also the home of the Buckeyes head coach, Urban Meyer. It is a northeastern Ohio town full of grit and love and definitely a part of who I am.) The players who are young enough to be my sons, took my support in great stride. They humored me and gave me a fist bump back. One even passed by laughing “Did she say kick some ass?” Yes, boys, I did. So, when things didn’t gel at the game, I wanted to get down on the field with you and provide a little pep talk.  Somehow I guessed they wouldn’t let me on the field. So, I watched in misery from the stands instead.

Oddly, I found similarities between the book and the game. We both laid out a game plan on how we thought we should attack it. We studied, we researched and we learned all that we can. Ultimately on this day, Clemson University was the better adversary. Anyone who dares to try, knows the pain of stumbling, and that a game is just one battle. I have struggled for months trying to determine how far entrenched John Donald Cody was in national intelligence community and how far his connections go.  Trying to pierce that truth has felt like getting sacked many times.

When U.S. veterans are robbed of more than $100 million in donations, do you focus on being initially denied information by the CIA and FBI or do you stay focused on the bigger picture? When a game is done, does the winning team really stand around talking about the sacks allowed? Or is the focus on having found a way to pull through?

American intelligence has every right to be protective of its agents and their families. But when a man wanted for espionage is allowed into the White House to meet with the President, should we move on and forget and or learn from it?

There is a lot for the country to learn from Cody. How can an imposter betray U.S. veterans and get close to an American president? How can we all not want to know more?

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A New Norm in Politics?

I was researching presidential access for money for my book, Master of Deceit, when the news aired somewhat of a déjà vu.

Today’s news included a report that a post-inauguration event will offer access to the now President-Elect Donald J. Trump the day after his inauguration. Cost for the event ranges from $25,000 and $1 million and sparked a new discussion on the old pay-to-play argument. The event is being put on by a foundation created by Trumps’ sons, Donald Jr., and Eric Trump.

It smacked of coincidence with what I was working on.

My pending book unravels how a former Army Intelligence Officer and Harvard Law School graduate pulled off a swindle that took more than $100 million intended for veterans and funneled the money into politics; his generosity earned him a private meeting with President George W. Bush in the Oval Office in 2008 as the president was leaving the White House.

A fingerprint search could have shown that the scam artist (who entered the White House under his alias Bobby Thompson) was wanted for espionage under his real name, John Donald Cody. Can’t think of a better example of why we should question how money can facilitate access if a man wanted for espionage is allowed to cozy up to a president. Thompson’s Catch-Me-If-You-Canesque story including how he pulled off the scam and where the money went is part of the book.

But news of Trump’s event got me thinking. Is this the new norm? Before I get too far in this, let me be very clear. This column is not about one side or another. It’s amazing how access for high-level donors happens with both Republicans and Democrats.

Look back over the last 20 years and see what I mean. These are just a few random examples, though, there are others:

-         In 1997, President Bill Clinton was accused of a practice that allowed big donors the right to stay in the Lincoln bedroom. He also combatted reports of granting golf games and morning jogs with other donors.

-         President George W. Bush had events that also drew suspicions. Not only did he host the private gathering for donors that scam artist Bobby Thompson in for a private reception in the Oval Office, he came under fire for policy changes that benefited donors and how his presidential library took $1 million or more Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates after he left office.

-         Then who can forget when the New York Times revealed donors to the Republican Governor’s Association and the size of their checks? The story was facilitated by work from a Democrat-leaning group, and led others to charge it is evidence of how corporations use money to buy influence. Not to be outdone, the Republicans then released documents from the Democratic Governors’ Association showing donors and benefits like preferential seating at policy discussions.

-         President Obama has faced accusations of his own including a report from MapLight, a website that shows money’s influence on politics, in 2016. The website exposed how all of the donors to the Obama Foundation who gave $100,000 or more have been invited to the White House for events with the President.

-         Not to be left out, questions about Hilliary Clinton and the Clinton foundation have been almost common place since 2015. One such accusation was criticism for accepting donations from foreign governments, which stopped when she was secretary of state, but resumed in 2015 as she got ready for her presidential run.

-         Now allegations are being raised against Trump before the event takes place.

Instead of simply just rehashing how much it took to stay the night in the Lincoln bedroom, or how what a $1 million ticket could buy to be with Trump the day after his election, why can’t we evolve this into a discussion about making it stop?

I am not knocking those who uncover the exist of the events by any means. But it just strikes me, how time and time again after something is exposed in the media, the discussion seemingly ends there.

Is it shocking to see what money can buy? Absolutely. Explicit quid pro quos – money in direct exchange for benefits – are illegal and the FBI hunts to prove such cases all the time. News by definition should be something unusual, something novel, or something rare. Reports of access have been around for more than 20 years.

So, in addition to reporting when it happens, when will there be a discussion about how or whether it should stop?

Photo credit: Shannon Young

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An Anniversary to Remember

It was 3 years ago today that John Donald Cody learned his fate.  He shuffled into the court room in December 2013  in his orange jail suit and flip flops. It was the customary issue for the Cuyahoga County Jail in Ohio. During the trial he was allowed to change into a suit before coming into court. It was more fitting attire for the Harvard lawyer and Army Intelligence Officer.  

Those titles were traded in for “felon” and the suit now made the change unmistakable.

He shuffled with leg chains, and quietly took his seat.  Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge Steven Gall handed down what will likely turn out to be a life sentence for the 66-year-old man.  The judge sentenced him to 28 years.

Since then Cody is heard from in court filings here and there. He has tried to win a new trial, but every court - including the U.S. Supreme Court - turned him down.  It’s obvious Cody is not one to give up easily. He went back to the Eighth District Court of Appeals and asked them to reconsider based on his alleged involvement with the CIA.

Cody’s filing was made more than a year ago and that motion is still pending.

I wonder what is taking the court so long?  Could it be that the court,  like me, believe there is some truth to his story?

Of course, the court won’t say when they may rule.  Which brings me back to the anniversary.  I wonder what they do in prison on the anniversary of a conviction?  

I guess like with the court, for now, Cody just waits.

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This book has been percolating for six years.  Six long years, of research, interviews, analyzing records and large scale reading about events surrounding events in the book. The hunt for Bobby Thompson became part of my job at the Ohio Attorney General’s Office in 2010 and remained my focus until I left the office in early 2012. You would think after I left my job at the AG’s Office, I would be able to leave the case. Move on, right? Apparently not. There were just too many unanswered questions. How could one man build a fake national charity on his own?  And why didn’t states realize the charity was a fake when it was approved in more 40 states? Where did the $100 million raised for veterans go? And how in the hell did a man with a fake ID get in the White House and get next to President George W. Bush as “Bobby Thompson” had done? The story for me should have ended when a small team of U.S. Marshals from Northern Ohio and the U.S. Secret Service Office nabbed Thompson in Portland, Ore., in 2012.  But nothing pointed to “Bobby Thompson’s” real identity and “Bobby” wasn’t talking. It would be six months before they would determine he was really John Donald Cody – a Harvard Law School graduate and former Army Intelligence Officer. That only made me more determined. How could a former military man scam the men and women he fought alongside? I was devoted to finding answers in the case because of my deep appreciation for our U.S. military.  To learn the scam was led by a military man was sickening. My pending book Master of Deceit is the culmination of that work aimed at finding out more about this scam artist. That’s because Bobby Thompson is not just any conman. I think history will show him as one of America’s most formidable conmen of all time. I began work fulltime on my book about Mr. Cody and his scams this summer. I say fulltime, though to be honest I use that word loosely. I am married, a mother of 3 and we have seven (yes, seven) animals in our house. So, there is never a dull moment around here. A new friend I have in the business, Lynette Hoy, suggested the blog. She said people will want to follow along on the chronicles of the book and I hope she is right. The book is a fascinating journey. I not only want to share the book with the nation, but share the roller coaster ride that goes along with finishing it. This is the first installment of my blog with many more to come. For anyone following along, you can expect to hear about the difficulties in gathering information, ethical battles I may run into when writing, writers block (though hopefully not), how this story is important to the nation and other important topics. Of course, since this is a blog you may occasionally hear about my husband, Jason; our children, David, 17, Andy, 15 or my step-daughter, Olivia; and even more likely you may hear about my writing partner, Oliver the English bulldog. Oliver has become my writing partner because, well, I really have no choice. We got Oliver as a puppy this summer. I fell in love. This roly-poly, wrinkly, playful pup tends to stay by my side. And he has a knack for creating trouble. In his few short months with us, he has tangled himself in a cord leading to the printer and broke the cord. (Mind you, most of the cord was encased in a floor strip. He somehow miraculously got the wee-bit that was exposed leading to the computer.) He also decided to wrestle with our Labrador mix, Air Bud, right by my computer, hitting and unplugging the computer power cord as I worked on a chapter causing me to lose work and utter more than a few swear words. He has also knocked down a blow-up Christmas tree outside and nearly pulled down the Christmas tree inside. Need I say more? So, don’t be surprised if he ends up in the mix. But I digress. I have never been more excited for something professionally as I am this book. I hope you follow along with me and of course read the book when it comes out.  This book is a labor of love and I believe it will be an eye-opening experience for the nation. I hope you enjoy.