LATEST UPDATE.........The Criminal Files.......(Greg Berin)

The latest on the sighting of #Gregory Berin at a dollar store has turned into a mini investigation that may have a bittersweet ending depending on how you look at it.

It all began when I saw him working at my local dollar store that left me with questions I felt obligated to find the answers to.  One of the questions was whether or not this company was aware of Greg’s criminal record and if so why in bloody hell did they make him a cashier where he has personal contact with customers and  their financial information?!

The first step was to contact Project COPE who acts as a mentor to ex criminals rejoining society once released from prison.  It is a church organization that alleges they interview inmates prior to their release and must meet the criteria to be a part of their program.  A member of my team whom I hold in high regard contacted project COPE and asked them for their help in relocating Greg out of the town where he committed several of his crimes and they responded with no compassion towards their “projects” victims’ in general and defended Greg’s right to work wherever he wants. They would not allude as to whether  they assisted him in obtaining his new full time job but had knowledge that he was working there.   

The second step, as a result of the first, was to investigate Greg’s employers’ history of hiring those with criminal backgrounds and the answer was a firm yes they do.  They publicly admit to hiring ex criminals and felons.  Here is a link for a list of corporations that hire ex cons including the one Greg works for.  You might be surprised when you see the major corporations that hire ex criminals and felons.  They do not seem to discriminate against those who have been convicted 1 time to those who have been convicted multiple times.  The wrong thing to do would have been to jump straight into a phone call to the employer because our goal was to avoid getting him fired but  more or less to get him removed from behind the cash register and out of the town where half of his victims live.  It was a win win situation. 

http://www.jailtojob.com/Companies%20that%20Hire%20Ex-offenders%20and%20Felons.html

The third step, and this is where it gets bittersweet, was to contact the corporation ourselves, since HOPE didn't want to have anything to do with it, and to request they relocate him in order to avoid potential problems with his victims running into him.  We should not have to accommodate him as it is my opinion that he is undeserving.  It took some time but I finally spoke with the Regional Manager who had met Greg a few times.  When I told him why I was calling and shared my knowledge of Greg’s history he was surprised and said, “Greg is a model employee.  That’s hard to believe about him.  Are you sure we are talking about the same person?”  I had to educate the manager about Greg’s nature.  Further along in our conversation, he confirmed that they had never heard of Project COPE and ultimately realized Greg had lied on his application, in order to get the job.  He was a walk-in applicant and conned his way into the job.  My request was to relocate him to a job within the company in a position that does not involve direct customer contact but the manager said that because Greg lied on his application he will most likely lose his job altogether.  The last thing I want to do is put Greg into a position to steal from others’ in order to support himself as he admitted to doing in the past.   I would rather he be employed earning an honest living but being employed in the past didn’t stop him from lying, stealing, and conning.  

So, the burning question is: If Greg was eligible to become a project for COPE and met the criteria, whatever that may be, claimed to be a “changed man” having been “rehabilitated” as he was quoted saying in a recent article in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch  (http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/columns/bill-mcclellan/mcclellan-saving-strays-comes-with-no-guarantees/article_6a92d3d2-4501-577f-889a-c9376d6a9255.html), and was truly following the system that COPE offers, why would he lie on a job application to get a job with a company THAT HIRES EX CONS?!!!!!  I cannot imagine HOPE, a church-based organization, supporting his lie or suggesting he do such a thing. 

What are your thoughts about this?

Here is a link to Greg Berin’s public criminal profile and mug shots compliments of the Missouri Department of Corrections and Missouri State Highway Patrol:
https://web.mo.gov/doc/offSearchWeb/searchOffender.do

UPDATE:  The Missouri Department of Corrections has removed the criminal record from their database.  Please visit Case.Net for further information regarding the criminal files.  Here are the links.

 https://www.courts.mo.gov/casenet/cases/nameSearch.do
https://www.courts.mo.gov/casenet/cases/nameSearch.do

Also, I have an official transcript of his criminal history including court transcripts.  If you have a legal need please let me know and I would be happy to share it with you.

My advice for what it's worth:  If you run into this person turn around and run the other way.

Until next time if you enjoy reading my diary please like my facebook page, www.facebook.com/diaryofapi.  Thank you for your support!

The Criminal Files.......(Greg Berin)...........BREAKING NEWS

12-05-2013 at 08:02 PM 

If you read this blog and arm yourself with the knowledge contained within the blog posted below it means you have a personal interest in this story. #Greg Berin, if you are reading this you are a Schmuck!

TODAY I went to my local dollar store where I frequent to buy specific quality items I am fortunate to get for a dollar where I would otherwise pay more for at another store. I usually bring my kids and almost never go there at the time of day that I did today and without my kids. I walked in, they were busy, and I got the few items I went there for. When I approached the checkout line, the one directly in front of the door that only a few minutes before had entered into the store, I looked at the cashier and I think I immediately went into a state of shock. I moved over to the next line where my breathing naturally became very heavy, my head started to hurt, and my stomach virtually dropped all the way down to the ground. At this point I was behind the cashier that caused my body to react in such a stressful manner. I couldn't help but hear his voice as he spoke to the customers he was servicing. It all came back to me at that very moment. The feelings I had during my #investigation. I WAS SPOOKED! I froze before I could decide what to do next. Had I left my cart there and walked out of the store I may have drawn attention to myself but had I kept on going through the line acting as if nothing was out of the ordinary perhaps the situation would give the impression, in his eyes had he seen me, that I had not seen him. The goal was for him not to notice me but there is no guarantee I got out of their unnoticed by my once perpetrator. He may have seen me walk into the store which is directly in front of his station. I wasn't paying attention to the cashiers when I walked into the store and went about my business. But, once I saw him I avoided eye contact in the hopes he would not notice me. As I moved through the short line directly behind him I held my breath and when spoken to by my cashier I tried to keep the volume of my voice as low as possible and in fact was almost afraid to speak. As I moved forward to the cashier Greg and I were back to back with only inches between us. Was I sure it was him? 1000 percent sure.

I suspected he would return to the neighborhood in which his #crimes were committed. I have anticipated this moment and have been anxious about running into him. (Please do not get the word anxious confused with the meaning of the word eager as people so often do. Anxious means full of mental distress or uneasiness because of fear, greatly worried etc. according to Dictionary.com.) I was certainly not eager for it to happen.

My concern about all of this is with the dollar store. They either do NOT know that he is a convicted career #criminal and did not do a background check on him prior to hiring him OR they DO know about his criminal history and hire people like him to work in their stores across the country. They are not dealing with a one time convicted criminal but a 51 year old career criminal who has lived in prison more than out and the fact that he is a cashier worries me even more. He has access to customer information including banking, credit card, and personal information and he is handling money for this company giving him the opportunity, a conman and thief who has no conscience, to steal. Now, I don't know the policies and procedures for this dollar store and whether or not they leave a small amount of cash in the drawer at any given time or if they are part of the Project COPE that Greg is participating in, but regardless I believe they do not know who they are dealing with. A conman will try to con anyone including church members, employers, and often the law and believe it or not even a private investigator. ;-)

If this large corporation intentionally hires people just like Greg I will never walk into another one of these stores again for fear that a criminal acting as cashier is waiting for their next victim. The potential crimes include that of identity theft and for a criminal like Greg with motive and opportunity is in the middle of a thief's playground and the owner of this playground is risking the welfare of both employees and customers. Greg has spent over 30 of his 51 years in prison, finds it hard to get a job, lacks a credit history, and is required to be self sufficient. He said that he used to steal to make ends meet but also did it for the thrill. Most of these facts were taken directly from the source in an article he was featured in on November 10, 2013 in the St. Louis Post Dispatch. Here is a link to the article: (http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/c...76d6a9255.html)

Businesses that put the Greg Berin's in contact with customers should be obligated to post a sign on the door, "we hire ex criminals" otherwise the businesses are not giving their customers the choice to put their personal information in the hands of a once and potential future criminal especially in this day and age. It should not be left up to the business to decide as to whether or not the ex criminal has been rehabilitated and will not be tempted to and follow through with committing another crime. I just hope they have good liability coverage. And, if they do not screen potential employees I feel the business has a right to know they have a Greg Berin working for them.

I believe everyone is deserving of a second chance and circumstance should be considered, but in this case it is chance number 6 for him as he has been to prison 5 times and did not learn his lesson after each sentence and if you have doubts as to whether or not Greg deserves the benefit of the doubt this time please follow my blog and you will understand why I feel the way I do. I am not saying he doesn't deserve to have a job especially if it will keep him from stealing from others, (that didn't stop him from stealing from me) but I feel it is not a good idea to interact with customers or handle money. I certainly do not wish harm come to him by any means nor am I revengeful or vindictive and am only using my experience with him to create a safer environment and future for others including my children. There are consequences for our actions and as far as the law is concerned Greg has paid his debt to society but he has yet to pay his debt to his victims and as a result of his behavior and actions against them he must face those consequences of his actions. I guess he should have thought twice before stealing from me. My efforts to educate others' by using my story as the example, including this blog and all that I have done, is as a result of his actions against me. I guess this is one of the consequences of his actions. Too bad, so sad. If only all potential criminals would think before they act.

The fact that there is a no contact and restraining order protecting myself and my family that requires him to keep his distance means that I will be the one that has to make the changes and shop at a different location. Why should I have to accommodate him? I did nothing wrong.

So, what would YOU do with this information? Please post your thoughts in the comments because I have not yet decided what to do with this information and your insight is greatly appreciated. I am in the line of business to help protect society from the scum of the earth.

If you have a legitimate reason to know the exact location and business name of which Greg is employed for the purpose of avoiding him please message me on Facebook.

(If you have trouble leaving comments on this blog please message me at www.facebook.com/diaryofapi. I have been told that this system doesn't always allow you to leave comments. I am looking into it.


If you read my blog please like my facebook page at www.facebook.com/diaryofapi. Thank you for your continued support!

The Criminal Files.......(Greg Berin)...........Phase 3 of the Investigation

11-23-2013 at 12:38 PM 

This is where we left off: “This was when my first thought of Greg’s involvement came to me that I tried to ignore but couldn’t. We had been to my grandparent’s home several times since the initial jewelry went missing. He had opportunity but what is the motive? He was financially secure, he led me to believe, and didn’t want for anything. He appeared to care for my family and besides our families had a history going back to the 60’s. One would only think nobody in their right mind would do something like this under these circumstances. I was confused between the facts and reality. In the 13 years as a PI prior to dating Greg I had never worked with criminals nor did I know of any that I could recall at the time. I was in for a big lesson in life. So was Greg.”

Phase 3 of the Investigation

This is where I began my investigation on Greg. This is what led me to search his clothes ultimately finding my stolen pendant in his pant pocket. I couldn’t imagine why he would do this to me. I met his family who acted as normal as one would expect so there were no signs of concern for what Greg may have done in his past. He fit in well with my family and in fact was no stranger to my two brothers. My family welcomed him in with open arms.

The next event turned into a cat and mouse game. Greg, the mouse, was trying to stay one step ahead of me, the cat, as I was trying to catch him. This is how it unfolded:

The day after more jewelry went missing I told Greg I was going to my grandparent’s to attempt to figure out what happened to all the missing jewelry and he agreed to go with me but this time I was going to try to catch him in the act assuming he took advantage every time we were at their condo. But, instead he decided to change my plans and went ahead of me and without my knowledge. The next thing I knew he showed up at their building, got buzzed in by my grandmother and proceeded to enter their apartment. My grandmother called my mother and told her he was there and when I found out only minutes later I sped over in the hopes I would catch up to him but more important make sure he wasn’t there to harm my grandparent’s in any way. I was fearful as to what he was capable of doing to my elderly grandparents whom he had already allegedly stolen from, but……. he was gone by the time I got there. Thank goodness my grandparents were fine and able to walk me through the steps Greg took while there. His purpose of being there was to help try to find the missing jewelry and by conveniently showing them how the jewelry was stolen. Greg knew one of the nurses had a history of stealing and used it to his advantage. He took my grandmother into the guest bathroom and proceeded to explain what happened, “the nurses did this to my mother when my mother was sick. While working in the home they steal your jewelry and hide it from you and if you don’t complain about it for about 3 days or so they take it out of the home.” He reached in between two towels in the bathroom linen closet and conveniently pulled out a gold bracelet.

Shortly after I learned Greg had gone to his apartment and expressed concern to me that he felt we were blaming him for stealing the jewelry. He sounded serious as though he believed it himself but it was my job to convince him his feelings were not valid and that I was planning on marrying him and I professed my undying love for him. (I want to throw up) He bought it hook, line, and sinker. Why did I do this? Because I needed Greg in order to find the missing jewelry. I guess although I knew my love for him was dying I seemed just as authentic to him as he did to me. He came back as though nothing had happened and said, “Let’s just forget about all this. I love you.” There was more confusion on my part. How can you tell someone you love them and then turn around, with the same breath, and steal from them unless you are a CON MAN! I was sad because I had to listen to all of his verbalized romanticisms and gestures and remind myself none of it was real and let go of my own feelings for someone who didn’t really exist.

Later that day my mother met me at my grandparent’s condo and we searched high and low and this is what we found: A coffee can underneath my grandmothers bed. She once kept that coffee can in her clothes drawer that had nearly $8000 in it. It was empty!

Just when we thought it couldn’t get worse it did. It got much much worse.

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The Criminal Files.......(Greg Berin)...........Phase 2 of the Investigation

11-11-2013 at 12:32 PM 

I realized it has been a month since my last entry. I apologize for leaving you hanging for this long, but, what better time to continue with my story than now. The subject of this story, Greg Berin, was recently interviewed by reporter Bill McClellan of the St. Louis Post Dispatch and claims to be "a changed man" and "had all of the right rehabilitative courses in prison." I am waiting to speak with Mr. McClellan to respond to this article. Here is the link.

http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/c...76d6a9255.html

INVESTIGATION
PHASE 2

Here is where we left off: "The next morning I woke up and got out of bed before Greg was awake. I went to the laundry room to get the pendant and brought it into the bedroom. I was curious as to how he would react to the fact that I found my pendant in his pant pocket. I approached him as he was waking up and stood over him while he lay in bed. I said, “good morning. I was going through your pant pocket this morning as I was about to do laundry and found this”, as I held up my stolen gold pendant. I continued, “do you care to explain to me why my gold pendant is in your pant pocket?” I did not get the response I was expecting."

His response was without hesitation as his words flowed from his lips "that belonged to my grandmother and she gave it to me. She also gave me some jewelry that belonged to my grandfather. It's up there on the dresser" as he pointed to the top of the dresser by the bedroom door. I went over to the dresser to examine a small pile of jewelry that consisted of a few rings, a bracelet, and a gold necklace. "Why is she now suddenly giving you jewelry?" I asked. "She is not in the best of health and wanted to make sure I had it." I thought to myself, 'whatever'. I knew the pendant was mine but decided at the last minute to go with the flow since I didn't want to completely blow my 'cover' so I played dumb. I absolutely needed him in order to recover my grandmothers' jewelry. To Greg this excuse made sense because his grandparent’s once owned a jewelry store and he was "claiming his inheritance". This was not the reaction I expected from a thief. A thief may act as if he was a deer caught in the headlights but Greg reacted as if he believed his own excuse. Perhaps it was rehearsed but unlikely since he was not expecting me to be hovering over him first thing in the morning between sleep and awareness.

The events that led up to the discovery of my gold pendant and my confidence that Greg was a thief took place only days before. Here is how it all came together.

After the first piece of jewelry went missing from my grandparent’s home we assumed it had been misplaced and several of us including my parents, my aunt and myself and Greg searched my grandparent’s condo in the hopes we would find it. Unfortunately, we did not. At this point I was as perplexed as everyone else in my family. I was taking it all in as was my mother and her siblings who didn't suspect foul play. Why would we? There had been nobody but family, friends, the cleaning staff and nurses in and out of their home. We were a tight knit family who kept in touch with one another and frankly knew of the comings and goings at the condo. The condo was in a secured building and one would have to be "buzzed in" in order to gain access. My grandparents were always in good company and had become comfortable with their routine. Nothing with their routine had changed so it was puzzling to all of us. I was mystified and decided to use my resources to at least eliminate the cleaning and nursing staff that worked in my grandparent's home. I went to my office and started the criminal background process.

My findings were surprising to all especially after we learned that prior to placing the professional in my grandparent’s home the health care agency did not prescreen their employees. As a result of this I found one of the nurses had a criminal background of stealing. Her services were immediately terminated. Now that the problem has been eliminated, so we thought, we went on with our lives. Even Greg expressed concern for their well being and became somewhat protective stating, "Your grandparent’s remind me of my own and if someone hurt them it would be like hurting my grandparents." I knew he was close to his grandmother. He took me to meet her shortly after we began dating. I also met his father who, like his grandmother, also had a history with my mother who also knew his mother.

A few days later my grandmother called me and told me more jewelry was missing. This time the police were brought in. Officer Robert Tabers requested our presence at the scene of the alleged crime. Greg's reaction to this request was nothing out of the ordinary and agreed to cooperate which was to be expected considering he was going to be a member of the family. We were engaged and planning our wedding. While at my grandparent's condo the Officer asked a few questions such as "when was your last visit?" and "do you think your grandparent's are starting to become forgetful?" We had visited them recently and we knew my grandfathers' memory was bad because he suffered from the beginning stages of Alzheimer's but my grandmother showed no signs of forgetfulness. And, we had already searched the apartment for the ring my grandmother said was missing. She seemed to be sure that she did not misplace her jewelry and put it where she always put it including a diamond ring she always put on her ring stand that sat on her jewelry chest and bracelets she always placed in her jewelry chest drawer. She was as perplexed as we and couldn't make sense of any of it. Officer Tabers suggested we search the condo under the assumption it was misplaced. He said, "we find this sort of thing happening all too often with the elderly." My grandmother also entertained her poker group in her home recently and some of the ladies that were there and had been friends with my grandmother for many years may have been forgetful and it was suggested that maybe one of the them accidentally walked off with her ring.

This was when my first thought of Greg’s involvement came to me that I tried to ignore but couldn’t. We had been to my grandparent’s home several times since the initial jewelry went missing. He had opportunity but what is the motive? He was financially secure, he led me to believe, and didn’t want for anything. He appeared to care for my family and besides our families had a history going back to the 60’s. One would only think nobody in their right mind would do something like this under these circumstances. I was confused between the facts and reality. In the 13 years as a PI prior to dating Greg I had never worked with criminals nor did I know of any that I could recall at the time. I was in for a big lesson in life. So was Greg.

If you read my blog please share it with your friends and family. I hope that any of the techniques or activities used in my investigation will help another person. Please like my Facebook page at www.facebook.com/diaryofapi. Thank you for your continued support!

The Criminal Files.......(Greg Berin)...........Phase 1 of the Investigation

10-07-2013 at 09:39 AM

THE INVESTIGATION

The investigation began a week before his arrest and lasted approximately a month. It all started when my grandmother reported several pieces of jewelry missing from her home and my very first thought of Greg's involvement although I had no evidence and prayed I wouldn't find any. It was after I discovered the criminal record on a nurse who cared for my grandfather and before I found the first piece of evidence in his pants pocket. It was one of those gut feelings you get that you cannot ignore no matter how hard you try. I call it my sixth sense of intuition that made me do the unimaginable and investigate the man I was in love with. As much as I prayed he was a good guy and would cause me no harm I couldn't knock that little voice, that was telling me "it's not all that it seems", out of my head. And, it had nothing to do with my background as a PI that I had these suspicious feelings but simply that I am a human being with the ability to “reason” and was not allowed to ignore it.

Ok, I will make this as short and painless as possible and will cover each phase of the investigation in the upcoming postings.

PHASE ONE

I was in love with this guy, didn't want this fantasy of a world I was living in to end, and didn't want to have to start all over again. There, I said it! But, regardless of these facts I WOULD NOT ignore my gut instinct about this guy and because of this what I had to do made it that much harder. Now on to the juicy tidbits about the investigation.

The first thing I did once I decided to investigate his alleged involvement in the crime that occurred at my grandparents house was to go through the few things he had kept at my house like his clothes namely his pant pockets. I do not recall ever seeing him wearing pocketed shirts as he often wore vests over his shirts. I offered to do his laundry which I had never done before but told him I was running a small load of my own and if he had a few things I could add them to my load. He agreed so I was counting on. I carried his clothes into the laundry room and left them there. What he didn't know was that I had already gone through his pockets and found a gold pendant that resembled one I kept in an old jewelry box. The first thing I did was go to my old jewelry box to only discover the familiar looking pendant that I owned WAS MISSING! (This is the point when my heart sunk into my stomach. This was the very moment I knew that there was not going to be a wedding and that my dream of getting married was over.) With his consent I was able to remove the evidence from his possession and into mine when I offered to do his laundry. It bought me some time to figure out what to do next.

The next morning I woke up and got out of bed before Greg was awake. I went to the laundry room to get the pendant and brought it into the bedroom. I was curious as to how he would react to the fact that I found my pendant in his pant pocket. I approached him as he was waking up and stood over him while he lay in bed. I said, “good morning. I was going through your pant pocket this morning as I was about to do laundry and found this”, as I held up my stolen gold pendant. I continued, “you care to explain to me why my gold pendant is in your pant pocket?” I did not get the response I was expecting.

So, I will break for now and yes I know I have left you with a cliffhanger. I hope you come back later to find out what happened next. Tell your family and friends to visit my blog. Although I know it is at my expense I hope at the very least my stories, which are all true, can help someone else.

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Most Effective Responses In An Active Shooter Event

09-17-2013 at 10:12 AM

 I thought this was important enough to share with my readers because it may save a life. My colleague and friend Nancy Hightshoe, who used to be a cop, is the author of this document. There is a link at the bottom where you can view a video compliments of the St. Louis County Police Department.

MOST EFFECTIVE RESPONSES IN AN
ACTIVE SHOOTER EVENT©


RUN! If you can’t run, HIDE! If you can’t hide, then FIGHT!
Run IMMEDIATELY - and don’t look back!.

A lesson from the Virginia Tech shooting, if necessary, jump out a window!
Just as the shooter was about to burst into the classroom, Liviu Librescu, a 76 year old professor and
Holocaust survivor, sprinted to the door and held it shut with his body. He never hesitated to save his students.
He shouted out orders to them to kick out the windows and jump down from the second floor. The students
did what they were told and many were saved. Those who jumped, survived.

Run in a zigzag pattern to become a more difficult target.
Make use of any cover but keep running!

IF HIDING IS YOUR BEST OPTION: A lesson from Colombine: The students who hid under desks, died;
The librarian who hid in a closet, survived.
- Barricade and lock the door
- Turn off the light
- Stay quiet. Put your cell phone on vibrate or off. (VERY important!! Remember this!)
- Determine your safest hiding place. Stay out of sight from the door and out of the line of fire. If there
are no closets, etc. to hide in, corners on the same wall as the door are acceptable.
- Grab your belongings on your way to your hiding place or hide them out of sight – especially if the
door has a window. You want the room to look unoccupied.

If you can, safely and without being spotted, send a 911 text saying:
- Active Shooter.
- Street address or building name.
- Number of shooters (the number is usually one).
- Any helpful information about the shooter (his name, location in the building, etc.).
- Your hiding location

IF YOU HAVE TO FIGHT use everything around you and on you. Grab a fire extinguisher! Aim where you
can do the most damage - his eyes, nose and mouth. Once the fire extinguisher is empty, hit him as hard as you
can until he’s disabled and you can escape. If he’s close, jab a pen, laptop or book in his Adams apple.
Remember Hero Flight 93!
Remember to Stay Smart! You know what to do! Don’t just go along with group think. Do what you
know will save your life! The shooter knows there are people in the building and is looking for them. If you
can get out, do! If you have to hide, hide well! If you have to fight, fight with all you’re worth!
There is a program to train school children in how to fight with whatever is at hand. The A.L.I.C.E. training
also focuses on mental toughness in an emergency situation.

The Houston police department has developed an excellent video: “Run. Hide. Fight.”
It has received some criticism because of the real guns and real gun fire. I disagree. For those without a law enforcement, military, hunting or target shooting background, you don’t want the first time you hear live gun shots to be a crisis.

The St. Louis County Department of Police has the video, in both English and Spanish, on their web site:

http://www.stlouisco.com/LawandPubli...hooterIncident

The Criminal Files-(Greg Berin)................The Diary of a Private Investigator

09-03-2013 at 11:00 AM

The man who perpetrated me and many others is out on the streets of St. Louis. His release that occurred on August 16th happened to be the same day I was getting on an airplane and leaving St. Louis behind. Coincidence, I don’t believe in coincidences and it was not planned that way but was the weekend that was most feasible for all parties involved. It was symbolic when all was said and done. As he was rejoining society after being locked up for 14 years realizing how valuable his freedom is, we can only hope, I was traveling to British Columbia for an extended weekend of martinis, beach, and relaxation while documenting “Mom on the Run” a “scheduled” run away for a busy mom who needed some R&R.

I began telling my story in my last posting and there were many questions that came my way that I will try to answer in this posting. In a nutshell I will tell my story in the hopes that others’ will learn from it. My story is mild if you compare it to the kidnappings and murders and the significance of my story is that #I, a Private Eye, was duped by an acquaintance who turned out to be a career criminal and in the end the Private Eye beat him at his own game. Yes, he put a knife to my neck but he was not the violent type where he left his victims physical injured that we know of. He played mind games by, among a few, manipulation, dishonesty, and in hindsight his bizarre behavior hence putting a knife to my neck just to get a reaction. What was my reaction? “Put the knife down before someone gets hurt and it won’t be me!” For some strange reason I was not afraid of him. By this time I was already investigating him and knew that he was a wanted man for a felony charge against someone he perpetrated shortly before I met him and was determined to get enough evidence and facts about the crimes he committed in order to put him behind bars for a very long time. What were the crimes he committed against people? He stole often giving what he stole to others trying to win their heart over and pawning items for cash in order to pay his bills. He broke into homes of those he knew and stole from them. He impersonated a police officer once assisting in an arrest in downtown St. Louis in a mall. He stole firearm probably to sell or to use as a form of manipulation with his victims. His bizarre behavior I believe was solely for the reaction giving him the feeling of power he felt he had over people. He played jokes on people including my family members that may have been innocent and funny at the time but until I realized who he really was I didn't realize the jokes were at our expense and for his entertainment.

It was over a month into the relationship that my sixth sense of intuition kicked in telling me something wasn’t right. The event that triggered this feeling was the fact that my grandparents were missing some jewelry from their home. Love is blind but this was enough to give me that feeling in my gut that something wasn’t right. I started to grasp at straws trying to find a reasonable explanation. I ran background checks on all the nurses and cleaning crew that worked in my grandparent’s home. It turned out that one of the nurses had a criminal history of stealing which to some degree put my mind at ease but I still had a nagging feeling that something wasn’t right. My assumption is that Greg got comfortable with the relationship and me and took the smoke screen down which resulted in what was the beginning of his bizarre behavior. It wasn’t until more jewelry went missing that confirmed my hunch that something wasn’t right. By this time we were planning our wedding. This is the point where I started to feel sad because I knew my dream had come to an end. My emotions were doing back flips because this is when I started to investigate my fiancé with full intentions of getting justice if this is where justice needed to be served. I thought the worst.

Two lessons to learn from this part of the story:

1. Your intuition speaks volumes and should NEVER be ignored. It may not always be right but it usually is. (Had I not listened to my instincts more damage would have been done. He would not have stopped until he was stopped.)

2. If something seems too good to be true it usually is. (I was 32 years old looking for Mr. Right. All of the elements were there for a successful relationship and my search was over. I was looking forward to marriage and starting a family. Everything was perfect.) (HINT: There is no such thing as perfect. That was the part that was too good that ended up not being true)

COMING UP: The investigation

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The Criminal Files-(Greg Berin).............The Diary of a Private Investigator

07-31-2013 at 05:49 PM

It is just shy of 14 years since I sent to prison a liar, con man, and thief. I have had years of peace of mind knowing exactly where he was at all times. He was living in a medium security Missouri state prison albeit only a few hours away in a building with locks on it never to have opened for his departure that is until August 16th 2013 less than a month from now.

On August 16th he will leave the prison grounds a free man and will travel by bus to the City of St. Louis where he will become part of a program called Project Cope. Project Cope, funded by a local church, will provide him with an apartment, telephone, food, clothing, and help in finding a job. He is not required to reside in the all expense paid apartment for any length of time and is allowed to live there for up to a year. He will be on what they call face based parole requiring him to physically visit his parole officer during his parole time. The amount of time he will be on parole is unknown at this time. He will reportedly inherit a large sum of money upon his release giving him the financial freedom to go wherever he wants including back to the suburb of St. Louis called Creve Coeur where some of his crimes were committed. Why would a convicted criminal return to the scene of a crime? For what the criminal in this story thrives on, the thrill.

A person who has been institutionalized for any long period of time can find it difficult to rejoin society. In prison this person is told what to do and when to do it and in the real world they must depend on themselves. People are not rehabilitated in prison and most continue to commit the same crimes in prison that they did in the real world that landed them in prison. Prison is a small playground to criminals and they have less room to move making them that much more clever when committing crimes. The real world is a much bigger playground with innocent people who don’t see them coming.

Gregory R Berin is from Creve Coeur Missouri and has spent most of his life behind bars. His first public offense was at the age of 17 when he stole something that did not belong to him. Since then he has broadened his resume with known crimes such as breaking and entering, stealing firearm, impersonating a police officer, and felony theft. He is manipulative, a liar, and impersonator of professions such as a Medical Doctor, an Air Force Pilots, Police Officer, and Financier. He often has more than one girlfriend or fiancée at a time and steals from one to give to another. He is known to be promiscuous and has had many lovers of all shapes, sizes, and sexes. He was 18 years old when he was first incarcerated and will be 50 when he gets out next month. He has been in prison more than three times totaling over 30 years as a prison inmate.

There is no doubt he is not the worst of the worst but if you cross paths with him there is no doubt he will stir your pot and wake you up making him seem like the worst of the worst you have ever met.

My story first aired on the local CBS news over 13 years ago when Gregory R Berin was sentenced to 15 years behind bars for the known crimes he had committed. After it aired on Lifetime Television four years later Mr. Berin reported to a local newspaper that he blamed me for his foreseen problems rejoining society in the St. Louis area. I never had the opportunity to defend myself in that article nor did I feel the need because all criminals tend to blame their victims but I have the freedom to tell my story through my blog. With over 14,000 followers I hope to save at least one person from crossing paths with Gregory R Berin who has been known to victimize people all the way from Columbia, Missouri to Detroit, Michigan.

Since my experience I have become an advocate for crime victims through public speaking, radio, and my writings. I have healed from my emotional wounds and have come to peace with my ordeal. I will continue to share with my fellow PI’s, Police Officers and Detectives the details of how I was able to quickly catch the fugitive that Mr. Berin became after going on the run and to share with my fellow crime victims how I was able to move through the phases of shock, grief, and acceptance and how they too can learn to cope with PTSD.

My Story

          It is a story about a Private Investigator who falls in love with a conman who steals from her,
          among other things, takes off challenging her to a cat and mouse game where in the end it's up
          to her to catch him and beat him at his own game.  It is a true story.

Thirteen years into my career as a Private Investigator I was reunited with a familiar face from my childhood, Greg Berin………………………..

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Appeal To The Unidentified Individual(s)............ ..(The Ryan Ferguson Files)

06-15-2013 at 10:59 PM (13469 Views)

After tonight's episode of 48 hours and being a repeat there are a few things that stand out, to me at least.

1. Why would after all of what has come to light Judge Green rule against the facts? Consider this: Judge Green didn't want to rule against Chris Koster who is now a judge. This would not only cost tax payers more dollars but would question the morality of the legal system Judge judging a Judge and calling him out. Basically making it all about politics.

2. Kathleen Zellner suggested the perpetrator(s) in this case knew the victim and hated him enough to attack him the way he did. The perpetrator(s) only took his watch and car keys. Consider this: The perpetrator(s) only took the watch because they didn't have time to take anything else. Remember this all reportedly took place within 6 minutes from the time Michael Boyd left the parking lot to the time two unidentified individuals who were spotted over the victims body. Could it be that the perpetrator(s) saw the two unidentified individuals and left the scene before they had further opportunity to perhaps steal the victims car? Don't forget the victims' car keys were missing and never found. Could it be that it was a random act and the perp(s) saw the victims shiny watch around his wrist and were out to rob him and take more than the watch but didn't have the chance? Or, could it be someone who knew him, as Kathleen Zellner suggests, who wanted him dead and made it look like a robbery?

I think it is important in this case for the mysterious unidentified individual(s) who were at the scene that evening and alerted the janitor that someone was injured step forward. There should be an appeal for these individuals. Reports indicate the bloody footprints led to the college campus dorms by the police dogs. If so there is a good chance the individual(s) does not reside in Columbia any longer but may be following this story. If this person has a conscience they will do the right thing and contact Kathleen Zellner. She can be reached at 630.955.1212.

APPEAL TO THE UNIDENTIFIED INDIVIDUALS

If you are reading this please imagine what you would do if your son or daughter was wrongfully accused of something and there was someone out there who could help set them free. Ryan has served almost 10 years behind bars. Prison is brutal and his life is wasting away. His family is suffering. And, you can do something to put an end to all of this. Be a hero and do the right thing. Even if it is done anonymously please do the right thing and make contact with the Ryan Ferguson Team.

UPDATE.................(T he Ryan Ferguson Files)

06-15-2013 at 01:31 PM

"Tonight CBS 48 Hours will be re-airing their most recent special featuring Ryan's story, 'The Accuser'.

The show will air at 10pm ET / PT on CBS and according to reporter Erin Moriarty, will include some new info since the episode originally aired in February this year."

Keep in mind when you are trying to put puzzle pieces together.

1. The hair found in the victims hand did not match the co-worker Michael Boyd
2. The hair found in the victims hand did not match Ryan Ferguson or Charles (Chuck) Erickson
3. The hair found in the victims hand was most likely the attacker
4. There is evidence that evidence was tampered with during the police investigation. I am trying to get some type of identity on the hair as far as color, etc...

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The Facts.................... .......(The Ryan Ferguson Files)

05-06-2013 at 03:35 PM (15894 Views)

I am going to give you enough here to keep you busy for a while. Work has been busy for me and as you know I am donating my time to the Ryan Ferguson case in my spare time.

UPDATE ON THE CASE:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edRLdi3rLpo

TO SHOW YOUR SUPPORT WITH EASE:

http://www.change.org/petitions/plea...ial-or-freedom

The newest development in the Ryan Ferguson case is that Ryans' Habeas petition that Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster urged the appeal board deny was REJECTED! (This is a good thing for Ryan)

The key players in this case are:

Kent Heitholt: Murdered Victim
Michael Boyd: Co-Worker of Ken Heitholt
Shawna Ornt: Witness
Jerry Trump: Witness
Charles Erickson: Accused/Convicted and Friend of Ryan Ferguson
Ryan Ferguson: Accused/Convicted
Kevin Crane: Prosecutor then and now a judge
Law Enforcement Filed and lost police reports
2 young men Unidentified Witnesses

Before I list the facts for you I would like to give you an idea of the area where this murder took place. It took place in an area of Columbia, Missouri where on one side of the street you can feel safe and on the other side you have to keep your eyes open in the back of your head. There have been many crimes committed just around the block from the Columbia Daily Tribune where this murder took place.

Also, you might be wondering how Ryan Ferguson and Charles (Chuck) Erickson got involved in the first place. I will explain this to you later. It is important that you follow this investigation and blog in order to understand the investigation process. You will understand as we get further along.

These facts were taken directly from the Free Ryan Ferguson website, www.freeryanferguson.com, here is a list of the known facts.

• A single strand of bloody hair was found in the hand of the victim Kent Heitholt. It did not match Ryan Ferguson, Chuck Erickson or Heitholt.

• None of the fingerprints or blood found at the scene matched Ryan or Chuck.

• Ryan’s car and Chuck’s home were thoroughly tested for any blood or physical evidence linking them to the crime. None was found.

• There were two sets of bloody shoeprints leading away from Kent Heitholt’s car – neither of the shoe sizes matched Ryan or Chuck. For this reason these shoeprints were not introduced as evidence at Ryan’s trial.

• After police coercion, Chuck Erickson claimed he struck Kent Heitholt with a tire iron taken from Ryan’s car trunk and Ryan strangled him.

• Heitholt was hit 11 times but none of these blows resulted in a skull fracture. Medical experts state this would be physically impossible with a sturdy tire iron.

• The tire tool found in Ryan’s car was cleared by the FBI and found to have no connection to the crime.

• At his first police interrogation Chuck Erickson had no idea how Heitholt was murdered – until fed information that had not been made public by the investigating officers.

• A Missouri appeals court stated quite simply that 'there is no physical evidence that ties Ferguson to this murder.' Prosecutor Kevin Crane also stated this to the jury at the beginning of the trial.

I promise I will try to get the next phase of this investigation to you sooner rather than later.

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The Investigation............ .....(The Ryan Ferguson Files)

04-25-2013 at 06:00 PM 

Let me start out by answering a few questions that may have entered your mind.

1. Why am I joining the Ryan Ferguson team so late in the game?

I was involved in a two year commitment that recently ended allowing me to dedicate time to something new. The Ryan Ferguson case only came to my attention within the last year and before I could commit myself I needed to be knowledgeable about the case and more importantly believe in it. I do.

2. Why this case?

Ryan Ferguson was young when he was mistakenly convicted of a crime he did not commit and still has a long life ahead of him. I would like to see Ryan freed from prison so he could get on with his life and I would like to see the real perpetrator brought to justice. And, I hold a Missouri PI license making it easier for me to do the job.

3. What do I get out of this?

I was a victim of crime in 1999 and put my perpetrator behind bars for 15 years. I did it for the other 25 victims who were not successful in getting justice for themselves. The only thing I will get out of this case whether I am involved or not is that justice will prevail. That's enough for me.

4. Is it safe to post details of an ongoing investigation for the public to see?

This is PI investigation and not a police investigation. PI’s work differently than police where their hands are somewhat tied and PI’s work undercover. We are, however, required to follow the rules and terms of the license under which we work that still allows us a lot of room to move. Please note the word private in private investigator. Any information that is recovered that will aid in the recovery and capture of the murderer in this case will remain confidential for the sake of the case. You can contact me privately through facebook at www.facebook.com/diaryofapi if you have information to contribute to this investigation through this blog. Any information helpful in this case will be forwarded to the proper parties and kept in strict confidence.


THE CASE

Murder. On April 6, 2013 at 7:00 pm I attended a public group tour of the crime scene for this case. The entire case took place within two square blocks starting at the once known ‘By George Club’ now a furniture store and ended at the actual crime scene in the parking lot at the Columbia Daily Tribune. The tour took approximately two hours as we slowly walked the path of the events that allegedly took place that evening. I say allegedly because we were given the tour of the police officers rendition of what took place that evening that in fact was inconsistent with the evidence. I will provide you with the evidence that will lay the foundation of this case.

The last thing Bill Ferguson said at the end of the tour was the best way to help Ryan is to spread the word. I am able to do that best through my blog and reach the thousands of people who follow it.

FROM A PRIVATE INVESTIGATORS POINT OF VIEW

In this investigation the police reports are to be considered hearsay. We will only consider the evidence that will show the facts. According to dictionary.com a fact is “something that actually exists; reality; truth.” We may compare the facts to a police report filed in this case to only show inconsistencies that will ultimately help you piece your theory together. When putting the puzzle pieces together keep in mind you will notice some puzzle pieces missing. There are some pieces that have yet to be investigated or recovered and I will point these out to you along the way.

That’s it for now. Stay tuned for your first few facts in a near future blog posting.

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A real life who-done-it murder mystery......(The Ryan Ferguson Files)

  04-16-2013 at 10:14 AM

Kent Heitholt, a sports editor, was murdered at approximately 2:16 a.m. only minutes after he stepped out of the door of the Columbia Daily Tribune in Columbia, Missouri after a long day of work. At approximately 2:20 a.m. he was found lying in a puddle of blood in the parking lot next to the driver side door of his car. The only other person known to be in the parking lot at that time was Michael Boyd a person who worked for Mr. Heitholt. Mr. Heitholt and Michael Boyd reportedly had an argument that evening.

Who was blamed for this murder? Ryan Ferguson, a teenager, who was sitting on his front lawn at the time of the murder. He was convicted of murder and found guilty by a jury who sentenced him to 40 years in a maximum security prison.

You are probably asking yourself how could someone be found guilty of murder when he was not at the scene of the crime. And, that is a very logical question that thousands of people have asked since the murder that occurred in the wee hours of Halloween in 2001. A lot of the questions have been answered but the crime still remains unsolved.

I have decided to join the Ryan Ferguson team who are trying to free Ryan of a crime he did not commit. Here, I will present evidence to you that will show you the facts that prove his innocence. At the same time we will work together to try to find the real perpetrator that committed this crime.

For further information on this case please visit www.freeryanferguson.com and to show your support please like his facebook page at www.facebook.com/freeryanferguson.

I hope you join us in this adventure in helping to free an innocent man who has already spent over 9 years in the Missouri maximum state prison. There is a lot of information to share with you that will leave you feeling perplexed. If you like a good mystery and are good at piecing puzzles together then I guarantee you will find yourself immersed in this case. It’s a real life who done it mystery!

***The attached photo is that of the crime scene. This is the door Mr. Heitholt exited minutes before he was murdered.
Photo taken by M Mantinband

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