Debt-riddled Traverse City woman reaps thousands in veterans scam; closer examination of her "digital debt trail" may have curbed losses
Chapter 13 Bankruptcy filing in public records, along with various "businesses" registered under her name
Left: Marina Lorraine Weese booking photo
Marina Lorraine Weese was an aging single woman, with overwhelming debt and an elderly mother under her care, when she filed a Chapter 13 Bankruptcy petition in U. S. Bankruptcy Court's Western Michigan District on August 4, 2009. Her home on Brown Bridge Road in Traverse City was underwater, and she owed nearly $125,000 to creditors, including $13,000 in credit card debt, and nearly $7,000 in delinquent property and income taxes.
Contrary to recent reports in local media, Weese didn't form "an online company called 'Patriot’s
Club Publishing' to solicit donations for wounded veterans and then
embezzled $40,000 from the group".
Nope. After stewing over her troubles for a couple months, Marina just toddled over to the Grand Traverse County Clerk's office on Boardman Avenue and filed this "Assumed Business Name". That's right, no company, no State of Michigan corporation or LLC. Zip, nada, nothing. And if I can find it, anyone can--are you listening, Record-Eagle?
File Number: 2009-809
Business Name: PATRIOT CLUB PUBLISHING
Address 1: 7790 BROWN BRIDGE RD
Address 2: PO BOX 6158
City,State,Zip: TRAVERSE CITY MI 49696
Type: DBA
File Date: 11/17/2009 Expiration Date: 11/17/2014
Disolved Date: Last Renewed Date:
And that's not the first time Marina attempted to pull her fat out of the fire with a new business. A check of Grand Traverse County records shows she's a pro in the business of "doing business as".
Here's Marina's first DBA, given the self-aware-I'll-stick-my-hand-in-your-pocket name of "Opportunities Unlimited":
File Number: 1989-31989
Business Name: OPPORTUNITIES UNLIMITED
Address 1: 7790 BROWN BRIDGE RD
Address 2:
City,State,Zip: TRAVERSE CITY MI 49686
Type: DBA
File Date: 4/21/1989 Expiration Date: 4/13/1999
Disolved Date: 4/13/1999 Last Renewed Date: 4/13/1994
Hhmmm? I guess those opportunities were limited. Marina then moved on to vacation rental business (although it could have been a front for an escort service for all we know), first located on (you guessed it) Veterans Drive:
File Number: 1996-887
Business Name: REGENCY RESERVATIONS AND PROPERTY MANAGEMENT
Address 1: 3480 VETERANS DR
Address 2:
City,State,Zip: TRAVERSE CITY MI 49684
Type: DBA
File Date: 9/9/1996 Expiration Date: 9/ 9/2001
Disolved Date: 9/9/2001 Last Renewed Date:
File Number: 2001-971
Business Name: REGENCY RESERVATIONS & PROPERTY MANAGEMENT
Address 1: 733 E 8TH ST
Address 2: SUITE 104
City,State,Zip: TRAVERSE CITY MI 49686
Type: DBA
File Date: 9/24/2001 Expiration Date: 9/24/2006
Disolved Date: 9/24/2006 Last Renewed Date:
State of Michigan corporation record:
Searched for: REGENCY RESERVATIONS AND PROPERTY MANAGEMENT, INC. | ||
ID Num: 130919 |
|
|
Entity Name: REGENCY RESERVATIONS AND PROPERTY MANAGEMENT, INC. | ||
Type of Entity: Domestic Profit Corporation | ||
Resident Agent: MARINA L. WEESE | ||
Registered Office Address: 7790 BROWN BRIDGE RD. TRAVERSE CITY MI 49686 | ||
Mailing Address: | ||
Formed Under Act Number(s): 284-1972 | ||
Incorporation/Qualification Date: 6-16-1994 | ||
Jurisdiction of Origin: MICHIGAN | ||
Number of Shares: 60,000 | ||
Year of Most Recent Annual Report: 02 | ||
Year of Most Recent Annual Report With Officers & Directors: 02 | ||
Status: AUTOMATIC DISSOLUTION Date: 7-15-2005 |
Purchasing a veterans charity fundraising list (available to anyone without a conscience and a few dollars), Weese got to work, soliciting funds for her "veterans charity".
But here's the thing: anyone with a computer, an Internet connection and ten minutes could find out about Marina Weese--like I did.
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