Where'd Todd Go?...
On Dealing With Psychopaths and Stalking
Chapter 12 - UF FACULTY ADVISOR HELPS HACKER ESCAPE ARREST FOR HACKING INTO SERVER DR. JAY GARLITZ / AA4FL
GATOR AMATEUR RADIO CLUB
UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
Dr. Jay Garlitz / AA4FL, Faculty Advisor of the University of Florida's Gator Amateur Radio Club (GARC), was told multiple times, for many years, about multiple people in the club who were repeatedly harassing and stalking me. He took no action; did nothing. They were putting my family members at risk, stalking my friends and associations, emailing them, in some cases calling them, trying to make everyone think that if they associated with me, they would come into their crosshairs, too. I told him that these people were so bad that for a time I had actually been thinking about suicide. They were encouraging government agencies such as Alachua County Office of Emergency Management and the National Weather Service to take steps to "protect" themselves from someone the hams were purporting to be a "serious problem". They were destroying everything I had done, and attacking my reputation, my credibility, my good name. But the loss of my friends was the most devastating thing, and it hurt. In one case, a husband didn't like that his wife was associating with a guy who had not one but multiple stalkers stalking him, and he wanted her to disassociate with me in order to protect her. And the really twisted thing about it was that I could not argue with this thinking and people were actually right about that, and there was nothing that I could do! They were 100-percent correct to be so worried!
Instead of taking my complaint to the authorities, recording it in any documentation, bringing it to the attention of the University - which would have been the prudent and correct thing to do so as to cover his butt and that of the University's, Dr. Garlitz instead threw my mention of suicide back at me, implying that if he reported it that I would be put away. I still have the email. He didn't use those exact words, but the implication was there. His lack of concern over something so scary and horrific was a shock to me. He repeatedly refused to believe that his members could do any wrong. He acted like someone deeply in love, who couldn't bear to believe that his lover could do any wrong. He instead made himself believe that I was exaggerating, and it was evident that he had convinced himself that I had some sort of mental problems. And upon seeing that I had gone to him for help, and that he was not going to help me, my harassers were allowed to continue harassing and stalking me, without hindrance. In fact, Dr. Garlitz himself continually did things to cause me even more problems and to even actually block me when I called the University of Florida Police Department on one particular ham operator, my "lead stalker", Jeffrey Donald Capehart, earlier this year.
To this day, Dr. Garlitz actually believes that I betrayed HIM; and I remember how he once mentioned to me that he's going to have to "re-evaluate his friendships." This man is so duped; so out of the loop. He just couldn't understand why I was so angry with him and his club. He acted so VERY blind. I cannot help him. I have to proceed regardless of what happens to him or to his club. But one of the things that I am very seriously considering in my mind is actually suing the University of Florida, and seeking the complete and total dissolution of the Gator Amateur Radio Club for being an organization that is a "danger to society" and for "protecting" members whom they were TOLD were a serious problem and making conscious decision to hide it, cover it, and to protect the club rather than investigate and cooperate with a serious complaint that was made about a very serious matter. I truly believe that Jay Garlitz meant well, thinking that his actions were for what was right. But he made the mistake of making a GUT decision, and EMOTIONAL decision on who was telling the truth and who was not. And his choice of actions (or rather, inactions) have not only irreversibly screwed an innocent victim of his name and civil rights, but have placed his club and the University of Florida itself at risk of highly public and very serious lawsuits, and of severely bad Press, with the University being held, defacto, directly responsible for what my attackers have done in an organization that is the responsibility of the University. That man put his ASS, and the UNIVERSITY'S, on the line to protect someone he wanted to be innocent, not someone that he knew was innocent. ...And the Gator Amateur Radio Club's ass. ...And the University of Florida Police Department's ass. ...And his entire dental business. ...His name. ...His reputation. ...For Jeff Capehart. Jeff Capehart owes a LOT of people his entire life in servitude for what they did for him. A LOT of people have put their own names, reputations, their careers, and even their possible loss of FREEDOM on the line for him. ...A LOT of people. Dr. Garlitz convinced people in UPD to drag their feet on a computer crimes investigation into a friend, to help that friend as much as possible, and to cooperate fully and entirely with his friend in the investigation - while blocking me out of that investigation, completely, keeping me in the dark, not allowing me on the property... I want to know where all that paperwork is for this "investigation". Where did it go? It's nowhere. It doesn't exist...because no one did a damned thing...to protect Jeff Capehart's name. I can prove I made the complaint to UPD. UPD can't prove that they did a lick of work. And if they do, it leaves them with some real explaining to do. They're screwed no matter what they say, really. If they say they DID do an investigation, they'll have to show proof...in paperwork, of contact with me and what was discussed with me, in who else they contacted. They won't have anything LIKE that. And if they say they DIDN'T do an investigation after someone came to them and complained of a computer crime...they'll STILL have to explain. No...UPD wants to leave this one alone. So does Michael Metz, the investigating officer.
I went to the club, the Faculty Advisor, for help. He blew me off. I went to the UF PD, and he convinced the PD that I was the problem, and protected Jeff Capehart. UF PD had obligation to do a proper investigation. They ignored me, went to Jeff for all information and treated him like HE was the liaison. In so doing, they contaminated the entire investigation. UF PD as a result, became responsible for screwing it up, and for letting the bad guy go. And this happened because Dr. Jay Garlitz vouched for Jeff, and implied that *I* was a problem. UF PD had obligation to confirm that I was a problem before they just blew me off. They had obligation to handle everything forensically correctly, to handle things in a manner so that contamination could not be introduced, so that the bad guys wouldn't inadvertently be helped, and the innocent harmed. As a result, the crime was concluded with the bad guy getting away with the help of the Gator Amateur Radio Club, and I got no justice. The UF PD was inept and irresponsible in the handling of the entire situation. A UF employee who worked for UF-OIG, broke two or three Florida Statutes regarding computer crimes, and they concluded that he was innocent SOLELY because a Faculty Advisor said so, and NO investigation was truly done.
Jeff Capehart was a simultaneous GARC and GARS officer who admitted to me that he'd hacked and broke into the AC-EMWIN server repeatedly by going into the system registry and swiping usernames and passwords. He GRINNED as he admitted this to me! ...GRINNED! He thought it was SO FUNNY! Jeff D. Capehart/W4UFL, also currently works for the University of Florida's Office of Audit & Compliance Review (OACR) as IT Audit Manager, and handles IT security issues for the UF. When he hacked into the AC-EMWIN server, and began reading logs without authorization or permission, he violated two Florida statutes under Chapter 815, Computer-Related Crimes, regarding downloading, and regarding theft of intellectual property (at least a four-time, repeated theft of passwords taken from the system registry over a two year period), and regarding viewing of Trade Secret information (lists which contained customer information). Under STATE law, using a computer system without authorization is a third degree felony of itself. So I'll repeat it once more: Jeff Capehart stole usernames and passwords from the AC-EMWIN system by remoting in without authorization, and he ADMITTED it to me. Since he did it while on campus, inside the Gator ARC club station, the Gator ARC was responsible, and thus, the University of Florida was responsible. UF PD ignored my logic, listened only to Dr. Jay Garlitz, and UF PD did nothing. Because Dr. Garlitz vouched for him, they ignored me and listened to everything that Jeff had to say. When they asked him if he had broken into the system, he said no, and feigned no knowledge about what had happened. Some time later, when I was up on the roofop of the Dental Science Bldg, removing all of the EMWIN equipment that I had worked so hard on getting placed up there because Dr. Garlitz saw ME as being the problem (he figured that by getting rid of me was to get rid of the problem), THAT'S when Jeff admitted to me what he had done...when no one else was around to hear it. Why were Jeff and I on the rooftop? ...Because we happened to be the only two in the entire club who had actually TAKEN the Environmental Health & Safety Department (EH&S)-required climbing safety classes that Glenn Ketcham had required us to attend.
Apparently Jeff Capehart engaged in hacking computers before. His wife Susan Tipton engaged in hacking computers before. They did it together. They in fact have a criminal HISTORY of it. In 1985, while students at UF, both Jeff (then 20) and Susan (then 23), along with a number of other people, apparently hacked into a UF IFAS computer and were brought under SEVERAL charges and investigated.12 So yup. Looks like he's definitely done this BEFORE. Sad fact is, UPD handled him back THEN, too. Looks like they did a MUCH better job of forensically handling things back then, though. If only they had been as diligent in the handling of my case.
Prior to that, there are some odd records in the Clerk of the Court from when Jeff was just 17, regarding:
But don't take my word for it; look these things up yourself.
Since the information's existence is betrayed by the existence of both Gainesville Sun and Orlando Sentinel archives, these references will remain in here regardless whether or not Jeff and Susan would prefer the information hidden. People have a right to know who they are dealing with.
To me, Jeff Capehart is the textbook example of a psychopath. Everything described in the books that I've read, he's done to me. In fact, to me, he is one of the more dangerous kind because of his deep involvement in so many public service agencies and organizations, and because of his entrenchment in so many public service functions, and because of his insane number of powerful connections everywhere, and because of his employment position - in an important IT security position inside the University of Florida. Thus, he has the potential to do great amounts of damage. He can do whatever he wants, he can view whatever information he wants, manipulate whatever and whoever he wants, people give him whatever information he wants. He knows everybody. Everybody likes him because of all the favors that he does for them. Everybody trusts him. But when he's with me, alone; when he thinks no one else is around or watching; and especially now that he knows that I'm aware of what he truly is, he acts like a monster.
Dr. Garlitz does not at this time know about what happened on the rooftop. I haven't told him. I've given up. It is not possible to get Dr. Garlitz to listen much less come to my aid. He doesn't want to believe that Jeff is bad. He's long gone. Whatever I've tried to tell him in the past was never heard beyond half of the first sentence before he'd tune me out. It's a lost cause. There's no point. The damage has been done. The EMWIN system has been kicked off of the rooftop. My key has been taken from me. I am no longer allowed access to the rooftop, or to the club station unescorted. But really, I don't want anything to do with that club, or with Dr. Garlitz, anymore. There is nothing of interest for me in ham radio anymore. I have no desire to associate with those so very scary people who support these bad people so blindly and without question. I'm scared of them. I don't trust them. I don't want anything to do with them. I see ham radio operators here in Alachua County now as being very dangerous individuals - both in how some will participate in causing everything described above, and how the rest support, cooperate, back then up, and/or decide not to say anything, or do anything, or to help. They are all responsible. Participating with hams in anything now for me only means reminder of the things that they did to me and I can't take that and I see no reason to torture myself. These people are definitely bad. There is something wrong with them. Both ham clubs in this town need suing and dissolution in order to regain their consciences, their sense of morals...to be reminded that there are consequences. Currently, there is no reason for them to stop harassing me. No one has bothered to stop them. Why should they? What consequences are there for the local hams? For this reason, I don't see them as being able to get along with the rest of society. I see them as capable of causing harm, as capable of turning a blind eye when they know some members are causing harm to protect their organizations and putting their victims rights and lives at risk...and thus, they are a very real danger to society.
I am extremely and so painfully disappointed in Dr. Garlitz and how he allowed me to be treated, in how he chose not to believe me, in how his actions only allowed Jeff and some other hams to continue to cause me even more harm over the years by trusting them at every turn, without ANY challenge whatsoever. Dr. Garlitz's excuse to me for why he always chose not to do anything was this: "I just don't want to get involved." Except, by taking a side and vouching for Jeff to UF PD, and implying that there were problems with me, he got involved. What he meant was, he believed in Jeff, and just didn't want to hear what I had to say because he'd made up his mind. He's being very selective in what he wants to see, hear, and believe. I believed in him. I always thought of him as a very good man. I always looked up to and respected him. But Jay allowed his emotions to dictate how this whole thing proceeded. He put me up against Jeff and chose sides, rather than reporting the situation, or to support and encourage a full investigation, or to do the right thing. He put his club and his friends before my complaints. In so doing he caused UPD to embark on the wrong course of investigation and to assume the wrong things and they too blew my case off without much of any investigation whatsoever. Dr. Garlitz encouraged UPD to go straight to Jeff Capehart for any and all information regarding the computers, the network, the investigation - even though I'd told UPD that Jeff has been stalking me and that it was likely HE had broken into the system. UPD ignored me as a direct result of things Dr. Garlitz told them. It was more important to protect the club and it's reputation by putting my own reputation and even my own safety at risk, based on gut feeling and incorrect assumption. Dr. Garlitz had abused his power, and it caused me many problems and great harm. He didn't mean to. I really do believe that, because he was emotionally upset over what was happening and there were things that he didn't want to believe. I truly believe that he thought that he was doing the right thing. But he was duped, as everyone had been duped. And I was labeled. I was put in harm's way. It hurt me so badly because I know Jay's heart means to do good. But he couldn't listen, and in this case he got short-circuited. He didn't want to fully engulf the problem because it was too painful for him. And in the end, it caused me more problems and pain. Because of this, I can no longer trust Jay. I can no longer believe in him. I now know that he is capable of placing his emotions before logic and the right thing. I can't trust him to act responsibly in matters like this, or not to put his club ahead of my own safety. But I will not ever trust another ham radio operator again now. I no longer talk to Jay. I no longer consider him my friend. He puts his heart in front of logic, and in so doing, he gets in the way - by choice, and brings harm to innocent people by allowing those who are using his heart to use him. He did so much for me for so long. He has such an otherwise good heart. But he allowed this to get in the way. He made choices...wrong choices...bad choices...and he brought me harm. He gave me no chance, no choice. He decided my fate for me. I talked to him a lot about what was happening but he never really heard anything I'd said because he did not want to.
Jay told me that this whole thing wasn't because he didn't like me, but because he wanted space for the new satellite radio equipment he wanted to put up there. I knew he was BSing me, though. Jeff of course, while on the rooftop with me, betrayed him yet again, not being able to resist sharing what he knows, and impressing me with how he always knew more than me, and he told me that the reason Jay took my key and had me remove all of the EMWIN equipment was because he saw me as a problem and wanted me gone. Actually, he started the sentence with "That's not what he told ME!...", after which I chuckled and shook my head, because I'd already assumed so much, and because I knew Jeff wasn't going to be able to make it through the afternoon without bragging something like that to put me down. ...And that, he just couldn't resist.
