JDL, thanks for the comment.
Peter has pushed the 'bigfoot ball forward' most of his life, and this is the time for some encouragement which is different from condonement. We don't need to get down on him since he has suffered much already, and this could kill an old man. We have all done things we regret, the goal is to not do them anymore which could taint all of our works as one member said. This is the time for 'bigfooters' to rally for one of our own. If you want to write him a letter, the let me know.
Below is Peter's letter:
Dear George,
Thanks your note and good wishes. Much appreciated. Yes, I have had some legal problems in this last year and I see that they have now leaked out. And, yes, there has been a great deal of stress, to where 2013 was not a good year for me or, with severe illness on the part of my partner, for her either, this too in addition to a scamming and sever financial loss on the part of my family
Normally I do not rise to making making excuses. Don't complain, don't explain, has been a motto of mine for many years. Nor shall I now attempt to publicly rebut the Forum statements, other than with this latter to you, which same you can quote me on if you wish and which same I swear to you, on my honor, is absolutely true.
1. I have never had $85 in a bank account in my whole life. The most
have ever had is $25,000 and as of now, in my 89th as I am now (with the 23rd August the first day of my ninetieth!) and so with little chance of recouping it, legal expenses have drained that to zero.
2. All of my overseas trips were to the country of Nepal and all (ALL) were to work in wildlife conservation projects for which I was not paid a cent in salary, or for airfares (except, I think, once, as a gift) or any personal expenses. All of the projects I worked on, personally, in the field, were sponsored by two highly reputable, registered US foundations which same were, at the end of a twenty year series of successful projects, thoroughly satisfied with same.
3. As to my financial and leagl problems ....when I was 64 I applied for Social Security but, because I had not contributed enough in taxes-not having been in this country long enough to do so-I was not eligible for same. However, the Social Security people told me that until I was eligible, in other words when I had contributed enough in income tax (which I did achieve, recently) I could draw a substitute allowance called SSI. What they did not tell me and which is not to this day written up in any of the SS rulings, is that one may not draw this if one is out of the US at any time for more than 30 days. Which, for my wildlife conservation projects I was, many times to where in the end-and this is just an educated guess-some envious little person informed Social Security and they looked into it and came after me. There were several charges, all of which they told me would be dropped (they were) if I would plead guilty to one and make appropriate financial restitution, which, on the advice of my lawyers, I did.
It has been an unfortunate affair, George and while it lasted very stressful for me and my family. However, one or two good things came out of it. One was the extraordinary support I received from friends all over the world, with many from people in the Bigfoot field. The other is that at the end of this year-after a period of "so called good behavior-I will be able to have the while thing expunged from record...and get on with my life and put it behind me. And this, as of now, is all that I have to say about the matter.
For your interest but also in regard to the above... at the end of my twenty five years work in wildlife conservation work in Nepal, via a continuous (every winter) ten year, ten season series of wildlife conservation projects, all of them based on a program I designed called WATER FOR WILDLIFE and consisting of the renovation of lakes (two) ground-water, waterholes (two) dry river bed waterholes (six) natural spring renovation (1) fish habitat creation (1) and a crocodile preservation project, (1) I have now closed down my conservation work in that country. My health is good enough but my energy levels are not just up to living in tents, and all day hiking and native food any more, as well as, with malaria (eight times) behind me, and amoebic dysentery (twice) and hookworm, and dengue fever (twice) and some broken bones, I feel that at my age I might be pushing my luck a bit now. So, as of last winter, and with more than fifty years in the little Kingdom (and nine in India before that) I feel it is time, as they say, to fold the tents and call it a day... which is what I am doing now.
Sorry if I have been a bit long winded here...but in the legal matter I feel that it is is important that someone (just you George, no one else at this time) should know the truth, in addition-as above- the reality of where and how I spent those "millions" it is suggested I might have tucked away... yes, in a tent, in the tropical jungles of a far away country!
All the best George.. I am here now, embedded likeyou on the Oregon coast...so keep in mind a visit if you wish.
For the moment, your friend >>> Peter B.