Public employees’ work-related email and text messages sent on their personal devices through their private accounts are public records.
Brendan O’Reilly and Rob Sims cozy up before the agenda item is rammed through
Hangar 21’s Rob Sims and Fullerton Airport manager Brenden Oreilly sit next to each other during a council meeting where the council voted Air Combat USA out of The Fullerton Airport and voted to turn Mike Blackstone’s hangar into a nightclub.
It has been a long and winding road to get rid of a long time tenant at the airport and make room for Sims’s business. According to Mike Blackstone of Air Combat USA, it has been one riddled with crooked deals, lies and potentially criminal behavior. He has filed a lawsuit against the city for Breach of Contract.
One of the exhibits in the lawsuit is the text messages (click the screen shots below) between a city employee, namely the airport manager, Brendon Oreilly, and a La Habra reserve narcotics officer Rob Sims, who leases two helicopters for his aviation business that he wants to expand into an event business (read that nightclub on the tarmack)
At issue are allegations that City officials intentionally lied to Mike Blackstone about the lease renewal date in the wake of his father’s death and an ongoing mutiny inside his company.
Here are more text messages (click the screen shot below)
Fullerton Public Works director Don Hoppe
Public works director Don Hoppe allegations made in the lawsuit, one such allegation is that Don Hoppie intentionally lied to Mr. Blackstone about the terms of his lease.
Fullerton City Attorney Dick Jones
Among the allegations made in the lawsuit, one such allegation is that the city attorney’s office intentionally lied to Mr. Blackstone about the terms of his lease as well.
Here is the alleged timeline of the events that led up to the lawsuit. (click on the screen shot below)
The Trial begins in January of 2018. We will keep you posted.
#1 by Anonymous on January 3, 2018 - 11:43 pm
Mike Jr severely neglected that property and is completely undeserving of any space on that airport. Weeds and trash riddled the property along with peeling paint and a trashy appearance. I drove by the property today and can see that we finally have someone who cares about with is going on. Has anyone seen the handy work that was done near the Magnolia gate? Hangar 21 didn’t have to do that work but they care about what is going on and are already leaving a positive impact. I knew Mike Sr. as good as anyone and I truly cared about his business and I assure you he is proud to see what is happening with that property.
#2 by Anonymous on January 4, 2018 - 10:37 am
I heard about that gardening outside the airport.
Using airport revenue for non airport use is also a crime. That median is not part of the airport and it’s pretty damn clear these “gifts” were a heavy component of the city’s preferential treatment of the RFP
These idiots don’t know when to quit.
Walk away Hangar 21. They’ll flip on you first chance they get.
#3 by Anonymous on January 4, 2018 - 12:05 pm
Isn’t that called Insurance Fraud? Did Hangar 21 receive their big fat check from the city yet?
#4 by Anonymous on January 4, 2018 - 11:57 am
Funny story, Mike Sr moved in 2011 and Jr. did not get control of the company till June 2016. Mike Sr left his cronies in that place after he passed. It was dump before Mike Sr moved in. That building should have been demolished. Mike Sr. invested thousands of dollars and did the best he could. So tell me again how Mike Jr. neglected the place? The uncle that was “running” the business embezzled thousands of dollars and didn’t do anything to make repairs to the building or to simply leave the money in the company checking account, where it belonged. You think Mike Sr. would be proud knowing that his brother was stealing from him for years!! I mean years! Or how his chief pilot orchestrated a mutiny? Or how his girlfriend worked with the airport manager to get rid of Air Combat USA because she had her own hidden agenda? ( She referred to Mike Sr as her investment) Or to see how horrible his son has been teated? Poor man can’t even rest in peace. So no, Mike Sr. would not be proud. He would be disgusted. I knew the man too.
#5 by Anonymous on January 13, 2018 - 3:19 pm
The hangar was gutted by Sims and then they turned around and filed an insurance claim for damages. That sounds like insurance fraud to me. I wonder if the law applies to cops?
#6 by Anonymous on February 21, 2018 - 9:37 am
This thing is about to blow wide open! Job openings at City Hall are imminent.