Robert Russell Apiaries - Update

[NY_BLUES]

I will not buy from any of his guy's due to the fact of the mess that has been going on half of these guys are selling more of their own stock then russells...Thomas

Thomas, I wouldnt worry about buying russell genetics from any of the sub producers, i dont think any of us are going to be associated with this man anymore. I am not, that is a fact. I will be fulfilling orders that have already been placed, or refund the at the customers descretion, and i will be concentrating on my own bees and queens.

[thomas]

Well i am not trying too be mean but if you had spent money like the rest here you would want your bees and plus that if you did not get your bees then you want your hard earned money back it's only fair. I think i had talked with you before about getting some caucasians if you can get some for yourself you better while you still can and if you do let me know that way you can raise your own queens from them too sell and if you did let me know.

Thomas

[NY_BLUES]

Thomas,
I do know how people here feel, as I am out a hefty sum of cash also. Please dont think that I am trying to pull the wool over anyones eyes, I have lost in this scam too. I just wish i would have researched everything closer when the sub producers group started, then i wouldnt be out as much money.

[WPG]

WOW!!

I can hardly believe I lucked out by being my usual (Day Late and a Dollar Short).


Sure loved the story of all that family bee business history.

Moonbeams aren't real huh?

Thought for sure I got someones Moonbeam cross with a Cordovan in a well paid cutout, late summer.

All the charactoristics, love'm, small cluster but still alive as of 54 degree day Monday.

Foragers still returning 40 minutes after sunset.

Guess I'll just stick with the locals.

Goodluck everyone.

[Vance G]

He tried to get me to buy a sub-producer license for $3000, plus cost of cells and shipping. Is that what you are into or worse? A sucker is born every day and I helped keep up the average.! It just didn't ring true after I had scrambled to find queens for splits I needed to make that were never going to come. The aggravation was worse than the loss of money.

Thomas,
I do know how people here feel, as I am out a hefty sum of cash also. Please dont think that I am trying to pull the wool over anyones eyes, I have lost in this scam too. I just wish i would have researched everything closer when the sub producers group started, then i wouldnt be out as much money.

[urbanoutlaw]

I hope the subproducers have some legal recourse. I feel sorry for those refunding sales on top of getting scammed and in some cases being victims of theft.

[NY_BLUES]

Vance and Urban- You were atleast wise enough not to get involved. I am not out $3000 bucks, but i am out quite a bit, but I wont air my financial information on a public forum. I believe that there could be some legal recourse, but I am still weighing my options at this point, as are many of the sub producers. I have spoke to many of them in the last 24 hours, and it seems most of us are out money, which would add up to a nice amount for anyone. I have politely asked Mr. Russell to refund all monies owed to everyone, but I am not holding my breathe, as he hasnt refunded many folks money.

I have taken down the Russell NY site, and I sent an email to all members of that site, explaining what was going on, politely, and assured them that I will be fulfilling orders or refunding money, at their descretion. It is sad though, many folks bought into what Robert said, I think that it was because his father was a respected bee breeder that many knew.
Vance, when you said that there is a sucker born every day, I must have taken up a whole months worth.

[Lburou]

-snip- I will be fulfilling orders that have already been placed, or refund the at the customers discretion, and i will be concentrating on my own bees and queens.

-snip- I am out a hefty sum of cash also.
-snip- I just wish.......

Sitting here admiring your candor NY! I suspect that your openness now will pay dividends in the future.

In a community such as you might find on any honey bee forum, we depend on each other. We share experiences and lessons every day. We depend on those close to the source of new or breaking information to share what they see and know and learn. Otherwise we do things 'the way they have always been done'. That information flow is a kind of group think, and it has flaws, as we have seen in various threads covering the multiplicity of issues in this saga.

There are three kinds of people: 1) People who lead, 2) People who follow and 3) People who stand around wondering what has happened. You acted as a reasonable man might act. The risk seemed acceptable for you to join in harness with a long established name in the bee breeding business. A walk across the street is a calculated risk, a deadly risk for a few, but a calculated risk none the less. You (and other breeders in harness with that name) seized an opportunity and the risks associated with it. Don't beat yourself up too much about this. We all need to find a way forward. You, the cheated customers, the commercial operators who relocated their hives to MS to be stolen, and the other producers caught in the trap, have my best wishes for the future.

[NY_BLUES]

Lee,

Every post that I have ever made here, or on any other public forum has been, and always be, the truth. I am not looking for sympathy, justice, or respect, I am just looking to advise people as to what has happened, and what I am going to do about the situation that I find myself in. I produced and sold queens prior to associating with RA, and I will continue to produce and sell queens and nucs now. Many folks here raised the warning flags months ago, and I failed to heed such warnings, so my current predicament is that of my own making. Yes, I took a calculated risk when I associated myself with RA, and the risk failed to pay off. I didnt ship any hives to Russells in MS, or anywhere else, so I am not out hives, and I can make back, what I lost moneywise, with some hard work and selling a few pallets of hives. I am just saddened that many folks trusted me with their business and I allowed something like this to take place. I can only work on what I can change, and the past cant be changed, but the future can. I can only hope that the folks of the beekeeping world keep an eye open, and not allow something as terrible as this to ever get to this point again.

[NY_BLUES]

I have begun to issue refunds to all those that purchased queens from Russell Apiaries NY. All refunds will be completed within a few days. If you purchased using paypal, I will be refunding thru paypal. If you purchased using a check, I will be issuing via check. I can not produce these queens with Russell names in good faith, knowing that he scammed so many. To all here, please accept my apology for not figuring Robert out sooner. We all could have saved ourselves something.

[Brandy]

Wow NY Blues, I'm really impressed and I'm sure you will more than make up any of your losses by taking this higher road. Allegany Mtn. Bee Farm has a much better ring to it than RA New York!! Way to step up!

I understand that the dust isn't even close to settling in this, but when you get a chance, and alll the ramifications are behind you, would you mind sharing if indeed there is a Robert Russell, and or a Rob Hughes so we can also understand who, what, where etc.... To the outside it would appear that it was just one individual who was involved in this who used a variety of names depending on the situation? Make that one individual with a sidekick or two managing the nectar flow program!

Good luck, and again you're to be commended!

[the doc]

I couldn't agree more with brandy. NY_blues is a stand up, honorable guy! This is the kind of behavior we should have been seeing from Russell when he couldn't deliver all those orders.

When you get your operation going again, let me know and i will buy some queens from you!

[MichaBees]

With all this drama, I want to write a book about the "Dr. FrankenRussellstein Madoff" monster. He made the image of a man that was successful, honorable, knowledgeable to the point lots of us believe his bull***** and invested in his ****
It is really worth a movie; even if the ticket has cost me hundreds of dollars.

[Michael Palmer]

"Dr. FrankenRussellstein Madoff" monster.

Good one!

[Specialkayme]

I just recently saw a mug shot of an individual the Mississippi Correctional System has labeled "Robert Lee Russell" of Brandon, MS. The person that face belongs to is the one that shook my hand, and my wife's hand, and said he was "Rob Hughes."

If you had any doubts as to the accuracy of what the Sheriff told MTINAZ, you shouldn't anymore.

[Sunshine]

Oh my goodness...

http://neshobademocrat.com/main.asp?...rticleID=28303

[urbanoutlaw]

So much for what my husband now calls "Rustler Apiaries"....

[heaflaw]

He was very convincing on here. I looked forward to reading his posts because I believed I was learning from a real expert with both educational trining and real life experience. His website is very professional. I can see how people could have been misled into investing with him.

[heaflaw]

Oh yeah--------------so, how are his bees?

[xcugat]

I havent been following all the drama on this...but I could not resist a google search--Someone who knows is this the face to the name??

http://bustedmississippi.com/2013/01...son-county-ms/