HOW IT ALL BEGAN
I guess it can’t be all goodness and light. I have so many fun things to talk about, but I must purge this bit of ugliness, in order to clear my mind for nicer things.
Four years later, the hurricanes of 2004 still haunt us. The monster in the closet (literally) was Toxic Mold. Florida, still recuperating from the Asbestos Scare (and Radon Gas before that) was caught off guard by the onslaught of this furry fungus and the mold treatment companies that mushroomed up in its wake (pardon the terrible pun).
Mold and mildew have been a fact of life for Floridians since the first human set foot on the peninsula. “Toxic Mold” recently became the catchphrase for a few strains of the fungus that have always caused respiratory illness and even psychotic behavior in people. There seems to be no shortage of crazy in this state and perhaps the fungus among us is partially responsible.
The Toxic Mold craze took hold when the storms passed through and so many damaged homes began to rot from the inside out. With no regulations on the books, the mold remediation companies were left to their own devices. Anyone could start up a mold cleanup business with a few dehumidifiers and employees from the labor pool. We saw our share of these companies, ranging from those with sterling reputations to the downright fraudulent. Patrick Bock and his company Registry Services presented as the former but resulted as the latter, long after the job was done.
As representatives of AJ’s father’s construction company, we were always on edge when mold was in the mix. As I have mentioned in previous posts, all contractors were painted with the broad brush of corruption and conspiracy. Many times, the people we were trying to help were working against us at every turn. This was compounded by the fact that we were forced to depend upon so many subcontractors, scores of whom squarely deserved the mistrust homeowners so broadly held.
Despite the tension of rebuilding, one of our projects was a surprisingly pleasant one. We were hired to do some small repairs at an extravagant beach-side condominium complex. While we were negotiating the work, their roofer dropped the ball and we took on the challenge of roofing the entire compound. Because of materials shortages and undependable subcontractors, this project became as difficult as most of the other jobs we had. Despite the long delay, we finished the roof to the customer’s satisfaction. The president of the association was one of those affable, unassuming and easygoing millionaires you swear you’d be like if you had so much money. The original rebuild had been holding for the year it took to re-roof the place. It was moldy before we got there, but they had cleaned it and aired the place out. They did not have the funds to do a formal mold remediation, so we were asked to do a standard demolition while the maintenance man (also a down-to-earth resident millionaire) would deal with any mold or mildew.
Enter Patrick Bock. At some point I had come into possession of his card. As per our standard demolition agreement with the customer, we could have used anyone to do the work. However, we wanted it done right and thus shopped around for a reputable mold remediator. Smooth talking Patrick Bock seemed to fit the bill. When we asked for referrals he provided a heap of literature, including newspaper write-ups and testimonials from satisfied customers. Impressed with his credentials, we asked him to get started right-away, which he did. Our job was to oversee the work and stop anything that wasn’t being done properly. Of greatest importance was the subcontractors’ proof of liability and worker’s compensation insurance. On these fronts, Patrick Bock readily gave us the documentation we needed to ensure things were legal.
Ironically, he even offered to provide mold testing before the job. This turned out to be his ultimate downfall. Since the word “mold” was not to be mentioned in this project, we hired him strictly for demolition whilst taking the same precautions he would in a contaminated environment. He and his crew did an excellent job, on time and for a great price.This is why what happened next was so unexpected.
A CLOSE CALL
Two years ago we heard that Patrick Bock and his wife had been arrested for faking mold test lab results.
The investigation was initiated when Travelers of Florida Insurance Co. received a bill for $2,987 from Registry Service. Before remitting payment, Travelers requested records from a lab company to confirm that the lab had prepared the report for Registry Services.
Upon review, the laboratory company said the report submitted by Registry Services was fraudulent and alleged that they may have submitted other fraudulent laboratory reports.
DIF then found other homeowners in Vero Beach who had been customers of Registry Services. The Bocks are suspected to have obtained a total of $15,569 from their fraudulent mold remediation services. (Insurancejournal.com)
We were stunned. They had risked their freedom and careers for a meager $15,569? It didn’t make any sense. A single, legitimate mold job could run in the tens of thousands of dollars. $15,569 was hardly a fortune to be gained by the lengths they took to defraud homeowners.
Now out of construction, AJ and I breathed a sigh of relief that we had dodged a bullet. Certainly, had we used Registry Services to provide mold remediation, the specter of the construction business could come back to torment us again. As nice as our client was, they had lots of money for litigation should they see fit to hold us accountable for the fraudulent actions of a subcontractor. We were confident the job was done well, but the whole issue was a can of worms were glad wasn’t in our possession at all.
AN UNLIKELY CRIMINAL
Fast forward to earlier this year. I got a call from Assistant State Attorney Lev Evans asking us to testify against Patrick Bock. We learned that Bock’s fraudulent behavior went beyond falsifying mold reports. When his computers were seized they found copies of falsified Worker’s Compensation Certificates, one of which was issued to us. The scope of his scam was far reaching. It seems that nothing about Registry Services was legitimate. I found it very strange that he had gone to all of the trouble to put forth such a professional front, with little effort to preserve the facade. How could he not know that someone would eventually check up on one of the documents he so eagerly provided?
Even more bizarre was Patrick Bock’s history. Lev Evans was the first to tell us that Bock had been a decorated hero for his counter-terrorism activities during service as an Air Force Officer and CIA agent. He was a likable, soft-spoken man; and I would have never pegged him as an ex-spy. In retrospect, his ability to seem nonthreatening and forgettable was most likely his greatest assets in his line of service.
We felt betrayed and torn at the prospect of having to testify against this man who had not caused us any direct harm, and had actually helped us in a time of need. Still, we knew what we had to do and Evans reinforced this when he said “This man has put a lot of people in danger through his fraudulent activity, and he needs to be brought to justice”. We agreed that either AJ or I (depending upon our work schedule) would appear on a witness subpoena. In the meantime I searched for the documents Bock had given us, and felt sick as I accepted the fact that they were false, including the certificate of liability insurance (of which even the Assistant State Attorney was unaware).
PATRICK BOCK’S DAY IN COURT
I had to work, so AJ went to the hearing. He returned with the remnants of “Deer in Headlights Syndrome”. Unsure what to expect we had hoped his testimony would consist of providing the documents in the Judge’s chambers and filing and affidavit. Instead, this was a full-blown trial, in AJ’s words “Just like you see in the movies”. There were many witnesses before him, who moved in and out rather quickly. His testimony took much longer. He was very nervous to be the center of attention on the witness stand while forced to testify against the nice bad guy. The documents we provided were of great interest to the prosecution and they displayed each on a large screen while asking AJ to verify their contents and source.
The trial was a media event, and the courthouse was swarming with reporters. AJ is not a fan of the spotlight and crowds, so he got out of there as fast as he could. He was visibly glad to return home, and we both hoped that he would not be called back to testify again. We were relieved when Lev Evans called a few days later to inform us that Patrick Bock had been convicted on six counts of making false statements of coverage to an employer. He was also convicted of racketeering and organized fraud of over $50,000.00 between 2004 and 2007. Apparently he scammed homeowners out of over $250,000.00, significantly more than the $15,569 mentioned in the article. It seemed that the saga was over.
Still, I had a lingering suspicion that there was more to this ugly story. My greatest fear was that Patrick Bock would retaliate by trying to dig into our job history and somehow bring us down with him. Although we did our level best to do everything to the highest standard, there always seems to be that one person who is looking to be wronged so that they can justify litigation. The houses we worked on had mold before we started and certainly have mold today. When you open a door in Florida mold spores float in and waft about. They are present in the most sanitary of conditions; and all they need to reproduce is a warm, moist host. Although I am confident that we would come out squeaky clean, I dreaded the thought of being dragged through the courts by some litigious homeowner who has been convinced that we are the cause of the mildew in their shower. I hoped that Patrick Bock would quietly accept his fate and do his time gracefully. Unfortunately, that was not to be the case.
DEADLY ENDING
Here’s where things get very strange: Yesterday AJ’s phone rang and he had a brief conversation with the person on the other end. When he hung up he had a faraway look on his face, a look of combined shock and fascination. It had been the Assistant State Attorney, Lev Evans, calling to warn us that we may be receiving a mysterious envelope in the mail. AJ explained how Evans told him that Patrick Bock had committed suicide, gotten himself cremated and had his ashes mailed to those involved in the trial. We were to be on the lookout for any such correspondence.
What? How the hell did he do that? I barraged AJ with questions. When it comes to such things, my curiosity seems to far outweigh his. Who could have done that? Isn’t mailing a dead person illegal? Aren’t they investigating who his posthumous accomplice might be? Fed up with my inquiries, AJ reiterated the content of the conversation and clarified that he knew nothing else. I simmered in frustration that I had not been the one to take the call. I wanted the details!
I searched the internet and found out more:
Former spy commits suicide outside courthouse (ABC News)
Treasure Coast businessman facing prison kills himself (Sun Sentinel)
Within a few minutes the phone rang again. This time I answered. It was an Indian River County Sheriff’s deputy, and the call went something like this:
Deputy: I’m calling in regards to the Patrick Bock case, in which your husband testified. I want to warn you that you may be receiving a letter in the mail from him, and to ask you to take precautions when you receive it.
Me: I heard that he killed himself and mailed his ashes around to people involved in the case. Is that true?
Deputy: (chuckles) Not exactly. He did commit suicide, and apparently sent out some letters beforehand. Today, one of the jurors received a letter with a picture of him and a note that said ‘You killed me’. We don’t know how many people he sent these to, and are calling to ask you that if you do receive anything from him to place it in a plastic baggie and call us.
I agreed, and jotted down the detective’s number. AJ checked the mailbox and found nothing. Later in the day Lev Evans called again. I was not home and had to rely upon AJ’s summary of the conversation. Once again Evans told him to expect an envelope containing Bock’s ashes to arrive in the mail. Things had escalated and were potentially dangerous. We could expect another call from the detective with information about how to handle anything we received. Once again, my plethora of questions went unanswered. The detective has not called again, and I know nothing more than what I have found online about his suicide.
This tragic episode has given me pause for thought. It also serves to remind that those we consider heroes are just ordinary people, with the same problems and issues we all face. Perhaps Patrick Bock’s work in the intelligence field served to harden him and allow him to justify his illegal activities. Or maybe he had an underlying instability that allowed him to do things that most of us would find unquestionable.
I have a real problem with the way we view our warriors. We glamorize our trained killers (and let’s be honest, the military is all about training average men and women to kill without reservation) and feel that we are doing our “Patriotic Duty” by “Supporting the Troops”. What we don’t want to take responsibility for is the fact that so many of these people return to civilian life irreparably damaged. These heroes so often descend into mental illness and substance abuse, where they are ostracized and forgotten by the “Patriots” who so gladly sent them off to war.
I don’t know what broke Patrick Bock’s mind to the extent that he felt his actions were acceptable. Nor do I know the forces at work in his mind which caused him to believe that blaming others and taking his own life was the best way out. I do suspect that his heroic service demanded actions of him that forever shifted his perspective and placed him in an emotional and ethical reality quite different from our own. Regardless of the cause, I am deeply saddened by the entire incident and hope that Patrick Bock finds peace on the other side.
UPDATE
New details have been revealed about this case. In this article “Facing prison, man kills himself”at PalmBeachPost.com, there are suspicions that Bock may have also forged documents claiming to have worked for the Defense Intelligence Agency. Lev Evans was quoted as saying that someone from that agency had planned to testify on Wednesday that Bock had never worked there.
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