Save it for the judge

No one cares.  I wrote a letter to the editor of the Torrington Register Citizen, and to the Chief of Police.  Neither acknowledge receipt.  I sent the letter to the editor July 24, maybe they will print it tomorrow.

——————————-

To the Editor: 

I just need to embrace my place at the butt end of the Torrington Register Citizen’s sensationalism.  I am the sensation.  I was sued by Microsoft for $2 million dollars and sum total of my side of the front page story was “That’s news to me”.  And when a notorious cop-killer’s girlfriend makes outlandish accusations against me there is, again, no effort to get my side of the story. 

So should I do you the favor of investigating the people you quote to see if they are reasonable witnesses?  Should I just ask why you didn’t ask me for my side of the story?  Should I tell you the facts in a letter to the editor? 

If anyone is interested the story is indeed sensational.  But look at my accuser and the accusations and ask yourself if I could have done what I am accused of.  Of course I deny it.  Of course it is my word against hers.  Of course there is surveillance video.  Of course no one is investigating regardless what I say, a letter to the editor and to the Chief of Police, visits to the police station begging for an investigation. 

The only life to this story is the sensational accusation published here against me which couldn’t possibly be true. 

Check out www.againstgoliath.com if you care.  – Kent Johnson

—————— And to the Chief of Police

Torrington Chief of Police, Michael Maniago,

                                                                                    July 19, 2012 

Dear Sir, 

Attached is a copy of a statement I intended to give to Officer Hogan July 12.  

I told the officer I was on my way, after several days of leaving voice messages which were mostly unanswered.  When I arrived the Sergeant spoke with me saying he had sent the officer “on a fight call” but Officer Hogan would call me when he returned. I left a copy of the attached statement with the Sergeant. 

I still have not received a return call. 

Thank you for your kind attention. 

                                                                        Kent Johnson

 ATTACHED STATEMENT:

 

I would like to give a statement that Lisa Menegguzo disrupted business, trespassed, created a nuisance, interfered with business expectancy, created a public disturbance, larceny and loitering.

Lisa Meneguzzo (the cop killer’s girlfriend) had bought the printer from us for $25 in November of 2011.  She has a very old system that requires a parallel port.  Her program will not run a Windows printer.  She does not understand this, but we helped her and got it to work for many months.  She brought the printer back to us for a repair on June 28.  Our rates are posted, she has paid them before and we honestly did not think she would have trouble paying for our work.

But she did.  She said it was ridiculous to spend so much when she can buy another printer much cheaper.  I told her it would not work, but she bought one anyway, and called to ask me why it didn’t work.  I explained, again, why.  So then she wanted to pick up her printer, but by this time I did not want to ever work for her again, and told her so.  So then she shows up at the door.

In 2002 I had beat her in SmallClaims Courton a stop-payment of a check.  She assured me she would not stop payment on the check (but of course she did).  She is scary, she argued every point, did not want to pay sales tax, wanted a warranty, wanted me to fix the printer later.  I just wanted her out of my store so that I could go to my birthday party inNew Milford.  But I didn’t lie to her.  I told her she was no longer a customer, that no law will force me to work on her printer, that she is trespassing and has to leave.

My mistake was hitting 911 on the telephone.  It never rang, never showed any sign of finishing the call, but apparently 911 is something special because the police did show up after I left.  I had placed her printer outside the shop, and she came out screaming “I don’t want you near my BMW”, and I raced back inside.  She tried to push her way in, but I was able to lock her out.  Then I left.  She said “the police are on their way”.  I said “good”.

I was in Bantam when a police dispatcher called my hands-free cell phone and told me my store was “wide open”.  I didn’t believe him, called the telephone number back to affirm it was the police.  Then I called my girlfriend and asked her to look at the surveillance of my shop:

http://69.119.217.201:8081/

She said, no, there was no one there.  So using my hands – free cellular Bluetooth device I called the dispatcher and he said they were there.  I did not believe it.  In a few minutes a police officer called my cell phone from my shop phone, and my girlfriend called to say police were on my surveillance cam.

I turned around and returned toTorrington.  There were two police cars and a van, and two officers met me.  They showed me that I had forgotten to shut the garage door.  They had entered through the garage door, basement, up the stairs and entered my shop.  They said it was “wide open”.  Nevertheless they said I had “restrained” the cop killer’s girlfriend by locking the front door.  The police said this girl said I told her I was locking her inside, then came back, and she still refused to leave.  I said that is not true.  That is when I put her printer outside.

The police told me that if I locked her inside that was a crime.  They wanted to see my surveillance “tape”.  They believed it would be easy, but I knew it would take hours to save the surveillance to put it in a form that is useful.  My software only save  x number of  still pictures per second when it detects motion, and one every ten seconds or so when it does not detect motion.  Not really sure about the details, only that it would have to be converted to show the Police. 

I figured the fastest way to my birthday party was to have them arrest me.  They seemed to have their mind made up anyway.  And I didn’t believe they could tell from the tape whether or not the door was locked, even though I don’t believe locking the door is illegal.  But if it was, well, they said they would have had to arrest me anyway.  A judge or jury will be much easier to convince that I acted reasonably than police who seem to believe “restraint” is the same thing as locking a door.

I was at the party while it was still light out with a lively story to tell.  I had all the food in my car, so I was the hit of the party, and everything went very well.

Here is a link to the surveillance video on youtube:

 http://youtu.be/EvGuXYlmF1c

It shows me closing the shop and putting the food and things into my car for the party.  Then she enters, I continue to work, but she refuses to leave disrupting my attempts to close my shop, to close my business.  I tell her she is trespassing, she has to leave.  Finally I give her the printer, but she refuses to leave, I try to leave, show her the back door so she can leave later.  Thought better of it, dial 911, but then think better of it and take her printer outside.  She goes out and tries to force her way back in.

 

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Jeepers it is hard to stay in Business in Connecticut

So the police never got back to me, and I have to meet with the Audit team today.

I called Officer Hogan, said I would be right there, but was met by his Sergeant who said Hogan had to go out on a “fight call”.  I left a copy of my side of the story, pretty much what I wrote in the other post, with him with my phone number.  No one called me back.

And now I have to go to see George Hary at the Department of Revenue Services in Waterbury for a final “informal” appeal before they present me with a bill that I can appeal formally later.  I have collected information from several customers who want refunds.  I have no idea what will happen now.

But sometimes every day feels like a fight.  So far, I always have won.

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Police will finally to take my statement tomorrow

It is Wednesday July 11, 2012, 4PM and finally Office Hogan returned my numerous calls.  He says, depending on what he has to do, he will meet me to take a statement tomorrow at 7PM.  Here is what I will say in my statement tomorrow:

Lisa Meneguzzo (the cop killer’s girlfriend) had bought the printer from us for $25 in November of 2011.  She has a very old system that requires a parallel port.  Her program will not run a Windows printer.  She does not understand this, but we helped her and got it to work for many months.  She brought the printer back to us for a repair on June 28.  Our rates are posted, she has paid them before and we honestly did not think she would have trouble paying for our work.

But she did.  She said it was ridiculous to spend so much when she can buy another printer much cheaper.  I told her it would not work, but she bought one anyway, and called to ask me why it didn’t work.  I explained, again, why.  So then she wanted to pick up her printer, but by this time I did not want to ever work for her again, and told her so.  So then she shows up at the door.

In 2002 I had beat her in Small Claims Court on a stop-payment of a check.  She assured me she would not stop payment on the check (but of course she did).  She is scary, she argued every point, did not want to pay sales tax, wanted a warranty, wanted me to fix the printer later.  I just wanted her out of my store so that I could go to my birthday party in New Milford.  But I didn’t lie to her.  I told her she was no longer a customer, that no law will force me to work on her printer, that she is trespassing and has to leave.

My mistake was hitting 911 on the telephone.  It never rang, never showed any sign of finishing the call, but apparently 911 is something special because the police did show up after I left.  I had placed her printer outside the shop, and she came out screaming “I don’t want you near my BMW”, and I raced back inside.  She tried to push her way in, but I was able to lock her out.  Then I left.  She said “the police are on their way”.  I said “good”.

I was in Bantam when a police dispatcher called my hands-free cell phone and told me my store was “wide open”.  I didn’t believe him, called the telephone number back to affirm it was the police.  Then I called my girlfriend and asked her to look at the surveillance of my shop:

http://69.119.217.201:8081/

She said, no, there was no one there.  So using my hands – free cellular bluetooth device I called the dispatcher and he said they were there.  I did not believe it.  In a few minutes a police officer called my cell phone from my shop phone, and my girlfriend called to say police were on my surveillance cam.

I turned around and returned to Torrington.  There were two police cars and a van, and two officers met me.  They showed me that I had forgotten to shut the garage door.  They had entered through the garage door, basement, up the stairs and entered my shop.  They said it was “wide open”.  Nevertheless they said I had “restrained” the cop killer’s girlfriend by locking the front door.  The police said this girl said I told her I was locking her inside, then came back, and she still refused to leave.  I said that is not true.  That is when I put her printer outside.

The police told me that if I locked her inside that was a crime.  They wanted to see my surveillance “tape”.  They believed it would be easy, but I knew it would take hours to save the surveillance to put it in a form that is useful.  My software only save  x number of  still pictures per second when it detects motion, and one every ten seconds or so when it does not detect motion.  Not really sure about the details, only that it would have to be converted to show the Police. 

I figured the fastest way to my birthday party was to have them arrest me.  They seemed to have their mind made up anyway.  And I didn’t believe they could tell from the tape whether or not the door was locked, even though I don’t believe locking the door is illegal.  But if it was, well, they said they would have had to arrest me anyway.  A judge or jury will be much easier to convince that I acted reasonably than police who seem to believe “restraint” is the same thing as locking a door.

I was at the party while it was still light out with a lively story to tell.  I had all the food in my car, so I was the hit of the party, and everything went very well.

Here is a link to the surveillance video on youtube:

 http://youtu.be/EvGuXYlmF1c

It shows me closing the shop and putting the food and things into my car for the party.  Then she enters, I continue to work, but she refuses to leave disrupting my attempts to close my shop, to close my business.  I tell her she is tresspassing, she has to leave.  Finally I give her the printer, but she refuses to leave, I try to leave, show her the back door so she can leave later.  Thought better of it, dial 911, but then think better of it and take her printer outside.  She goes out and tries to force her way back in.

The police took too much money from me for bond, Officer Hogan miscounted the money.  An officer called to try to return the money to me.  Another officer  gave me the money at court.  The Waterbury Republican American called to try to get a statement from me, but decides not to print anything I said.  They quote only the police.  The Torrington Register Citizen gets quotes from the cop-killer’s girlfriend, but does not bother to call me.  When I get to court I am the last one in line so I ask a thin, grey haired, well-groomed man who says he never heard of me.  Wait.  Here it is.  Then he reads the folder and says “I recommend you get a lawyer” and writes “8/8/2012” on a post-it note.  He says they have to talk to the “victim”. I ask if they will mail me anything and he said “that’s all you get”.  I say what time should I come?  He says my lawyer will know, or 8:30 AM.

I was in court for another thing and I think the Judge called the man “Mr. Knight”, but I am not sure.

So I called Officer Hogan several times for several days after court, leaving him messages, and he got back to me a few minutes ago.  He said I had left a statement.  I said I did not.  He said I was uncooperative, and I said no I was in a hurry, that being arrested seemed to me the fastest way to the party.    Now I would like to give a statement that Lisa Menegguzo disrupted business, trespassed, created a nuisance, interfered with business expectancy, created a public disturbance, larceny and loitering.

More soon.

 

 

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I was arrested… The real story….

I

The woman called "tramp" who accused me

Lisa Meneguzzo is famous. I didn’t know about her, but I knew she was dangerous.  I beat her in Small Claims Court in 2002 for stop-payment on a check.  About two years ago she came back asking for help with an old computer system and we helped her substantially.  But she was a very difficult customer.

http://www.wsbtv.com/news/news/nichols-pen-pal-girlfriend-exchanged-116-letters/nFC3H/

So now I have to defend myself against baseless charges by Officer Hogan of the Torrington Police.  I will put up the surveillance video and everything else as soon as time allows.  But don’t believe anything the police say.  The Register-Citizen is completely wrong.

  http://registercitizen.com/articles/2012/07/06/news/doc4ff79cf2db849183134874.txt 

But the Republican American  

 http://www.rep-am.com/articles/2012/07/08/news/local/doc4ff90de10a063819167722.txt  

did a pretty good job of reporting what the police say.  Makes me glad I didn’t talk to Officer Hogan. 

The police say Lisa Menneguzzo said....

Technically accurate, not like the Register Citizen.

There is no way he would side with me against this defenseless “victim” Lisa Meneguzzo  http://www.facebook.com/lmeneguzzo  who says I was mean to her.  The situation is complicated, and no one cares what really happened.  When the case is dismissed there will be no story anywhere in any newspaper.

http://voices.yahoo.com/lisa-meneguzzo-brian-nichols-other-high-profile-778129.html?cat=17

I can’t imagine I will have trouble convincing a judge she is crazy and I am the more reliable witness.  I have the video, after all.  Her incredible word against mine.

More soon.

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The Ad – get your refund!

So the Connecticut Department of Revenue services has been making us jump through hoops to show why my monthly reconciliation in Quickbooks is different from the bank statement.  The answer is transfers from an equity account…  So why are there deposits in my account that are not from the business?  Because I have family, cash advances, loans, refunds, it isn’t a lot of money, but it is a lot of time going through every deposit for three years to find deposits that are not from customers…

Lisa Cocco bristled when I mentioned the DRS requires these time limits, not the statute of limitations and certainly not me.  She thinks everything would be easier if I would just waive the statute of limitations, which I might because they will owe my customers a lot of money.  I went to the radio station and recorded this ad:

Refund Ad

I will check into advertising at the newspaper as well.  Any questions, just ask.  — Kent

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Audit blog – response 5/17

May 17, 2012, Tax Registration #: 8366635-000, George Hary, Tax Unit Manager, WaterburyRegional Office. Audit Division, 55 West Main Street, Waterbury,CT06702

 Dear Mr. Hary, 

I have received your letter dated May 15, 2012.  I am still upset by your unreasonable policies. 

Because there were only a few unmarked deposits in my personal bank account in April May and June of 2009 you will make a special exception for me to find documentation for all three years of personal bank deposits until mid-July of this year.  Excuse me for not saying thank you, but having to defend every deposit in my personal bank account for three years is not a reasonable position for the State ofConnecticut to take against me. 

As it stands now I have had to keep a full time accountant to fulfill the requirement of your audit and had to disrupt my business for over week.  Now I have to justify every deposit in my personal accounts for three years.  I have been completely cooperative not understanding that fighting you tooth and nail is a better policy, and I believe I would have been in a better bargaining position with you if I had taken that route from the beginning.  You have not been honest with me and I will be advocating for other businesses I know to be much less cooperative with you than I have been. 

I will be filing for a refund of all the taxes I have overpaid over the years, and I can assure you the next time you or your ilk come to my place of business you will not find a cooperative management.  In the mean time I will documenting those payments, as your policy (not the law) requires.  No reasonable person will side with you on this issue. 

                                                            Kent Johnson, Owner 

cc:  Barbara Runcie, Taxpayer Advocate

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Auditor Supervisor response

Special exception for me
Since I am not a crook they will give me more time.

The very same day I wrote the letter and faxed it, May 15, George Hary sent me the first dated letter I have received from these people.  This one is dated May 15.

 
After receiving the tax bill of over $8000 for deposits to my personal bank account that were not identified I had three days to justify or pay the bill according to their policy, so I wrote the letter, and received this special dispensation giving me more time to deal with their unreasonable policies.
 
I spoke with George Hary about 9 AM and in the course of that conversation he told me his boss, Tax Division Chief Bruce Innes, had made the unreasonable policies, so I asked to speak to this man.
 
I called, left voice mail, and he called back.  Although he was polite and competent, he kept making maddening conditional statements like “if” there had been, say, $30k in discrepancies in the findings they would not give me this time.  I responded that “if” I was hiding something I wouldn’t have allowed them in.  He didn’t get it.  He said “no one said you were hiding anything”, and I said “no one said there were $30k in discrepancies, I don’t like your conditional statements.
 
The point is their policies are unreasonable and I intend to continue this fight.  — Kent
 
Copyright 2012 Kent Johnson
 
Here is a machine generated text copy of the letter photographed above:
——————————————-

State of Connecticut Department of Revenue Services
Audit Division

Waterbury Regional Office
55 West Main Street
Waterbury, CT 06702

May 15, 2012
Kent Johnson
d.b.a.: Compatible Computers
233 E Main St
Torrington, CT 06790
Dear Mr. Johnson:

Tax Registration #: 8366635-000

Having discussed your case with you this morning, and after reviewing the Sales and Use Tax Determination Report where no deficiency was found in April and May of 2009, we are extending the informal conference process to July 20, 2012. The informal conference must be held before that date. This matter has been discussed with Tax Division Chief Bruce Inn es.
If there is an assessment an official bill is mailed to you, you will then have 60 days to file a formal appeal. The specific date will be listed on the billing notice. The formal appeal process is noted in PS 2008(4), Your Rights as a Connecticut Taxpayer, section 7 on page of 4.
Your assistance in providing the necessary records was appreciated. If you have any questions, you may contact Examiner Lisa Cocco at 203-805-6773 or Supervisor Angelo Loi at 203-805-6757 or me.

Waterbury Regional Offi, Audit Division
Tel: 203-805-6751, Fax: 203-805-6792
Georqe.Hary(äpo.state.ct.us
Barbara Runcie, Taxpayer Advocate
Audit File

 

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Audit is Finished: THE LIES!!

May 15, 2012                                 Tax Registration #: 8366635-000 

George Hary, Tax Unit Manager, WaterburyRegional Office. Audit Division, 55 West Main Street, Waterbury, CT06702 

Dear Mr. Hary, 

I am upset by your unreasonable policies. 

According to the policies in place in my State Government I have three days to come up with a listing of all loans, security deposits, sales of personal property, repayment of personal loans I have made, and any refunds or deposits into my personal bank account for three years or you will send me a bill for six percent of the total. 

The unfairness of the policy is evident to anyone.  It is not law, it is your policy. 

As it stands now I have had to keep a full time accountant to fulfill the requirement of your audit and had to disrupt my business for a week.  I have been completely cooperative not understanding that fighting you tooth and nail is probably a better policy.  You have not been honest with me. 

I have to go to a wedding this morning, and you have until the 18th to have a meeting with me according to your self-imposed deadlines.  I will be filing for a refund of all the taxes I have overpaid over the years, and I can assure you the next time you or your ilk come to my place of business you will not find a cooperative management. 

Thank you for your kind attention to the matter. 

                                                            Kent Johnson, Owner

Barbara Runcie, Taxpayer Advocate.

 

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Audit Blog update

Got this fax: DEPARTMENT OF REVENEE

And I wrote this response:

                                    May 4, 2012

Lisa,

Just received your fax and it is my understanding we have until May 18th to figure out these issues.  Please correct me if I am wrong.  Hafid has been running reports for you all day, and he just left.  He says he will finish the reports tomorrow. 

As to the difference between the Cost of Goods sold in Quickbooks and on the 1040 Schedule C I will have to look at my original notes.  But I would like to understand the difference it makes to Connecticut Sales Tax issues.  Suppose I file an amended 1040 to the figure I have in Quickbooks, will that solve the problem for you? 

As you agree that on some of the invoices labor should have been charged at 1% rate how do I go about correcting the rest of the invoices for the past three years?  According to the Quickbooks the figure is over $253k, which would be a sales tax refund of $12,700. 

I don’t understand what an “incomplete” certificate is. 

I did some work for my sister inNew Hampshire.  How do I comply with your policy to show that work was done in another state?  Also I fixed my ex-wife’s computer and she has not yet paid for it from over a year ago.  Steve Devereau never paid for the snow removal, and my ex-employee Nancy Cortez owes for those invoices.  How do I comply with your policy there? 

Agriventures, Rob Amoroso and Jorge Baujin have all agreed that they should pay the taxes and have changed their accounts to taxable status.  Do you need an explanation?  Or can you just send me a bill that I can charge them for the taxes they are due?

 D&H sent me a gift card for buying a certain amount in a certain period of time.  How is that taxable? 

Digital Network Arena/ Jim Brooke recently went out of business here inTorrington, but he has promised me a copy of his reseller certificate.

Kimberly Hunter is my daughter and she insisted on paying me my cost for a camera I had here at the shop.  Can I just send her a bill for tax? 

What sort of evidence for Out Of State Sales do I need to get for you?

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Audit blog update

They arrived early, before 8:30 AM, and we set them up in a side room.  Signed all kinds of things, thinking they would be here two days.  They were done before 1 PM, and left.  Would not give us any information at all.  Ran a few reports, but who knows what they will come up with, and when.

So, that’s my update.  No information really.  — Kent

Copyright 2012 Kent Johnson

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