Surplus Legal Issues, was Re: Fw: Control Data Cyber 960

Re: Jail time for surplus: I spent a good number of years in the Aerospace surplus business in California, and I have personally been involved in more than one 'difficult' situation, and I know of five people who have done jail time for various scams and transgressions. Fortunately, it was the policy of the company I worked for to never get involved in that stuff, because it's like asking the Mafia for a loan... it never ends after that. The manager of a large California firm is probably still in jail... it was well known that it you wanted a particular bid, you just 'negotiated' with him, and damn! You Won it! He got tripped up by making triple payments on his house, buying a big boat and a new truck and trailer for it... a clerk in his credit union wondered out loud just how he was able to afford all this on his regular income.... he 'fessed up when they came to audit him, and was taken away in cuffs. I was working for a small place many years ago that had recieved, by Government contractor error, a 'classified' piece of radio gear stuck in a truckload of other RF junk we bought. The Feds came storming in one afternoon with the swat team (I am *not* making this up!!) and I spent about twenty minutes eating the dirty carpet with the muzzle of a rifle hovering behind my ear...same as the rest of the staff of the place... while they had the owner take them (at gunpoint) out in the 'yard', to the item in "question", which was then covered and taken away. After that, we were allowed up, but had to stay there in the office while the Feds went over and over and over the paperwork, and alternately grilling each of us about the 'item'. Then, they just left, without even a word. It was then 8:00 at night, and a crowd had gathered outside the place. Fun story now, but then, well... Such things go on all the time. Cheers John