Chapter Twenty-Eight
The Towells Receive an AMREX Threat Letter!
Due to recent events (July 2003) on FRUA regarding Irina O’Rear and the Towell’s adoption with her in February 2002 (since deleted, thankfully, by Ernie Jones) Alysha was going through some of her documents from the past year. As she did, she found the letter from Amrex’s attorney, Reginald L. Carver of the Bach, Carver, Dewberry & McNaull law firm. The letter was dated Oct. 10, 2002 and was sent to the Towells after Alysha and another woman posted their opinions about Amrex to a FRUA thread earlier in October 2002.
I did not save or print out this particular FRUA thread but suffice it to say it was the usual Amrex is bad/Amrex is good argument that ensues on FRUA, so we are unable to include those remarks here. I'll even go out on a limb here and say the thread was titled "Amrex Threat Letters."
When Alysha told me she had received the letter from Mr. Carver about her public postings on FRUA, I told her it would be an excellent addition to her story on this website to illustrate that Amrex does use threat tactics like attorney letters to attempt to shut former clients up. Many of the pro-Amrex parents were incredulous that Amrex went to those lengths to silence their critics.
After the Towells received the letter, it was misplaced and Alysha could not find it. So the matter was temporarily dropped.
But some time after the FRUA thread was deleted, Alysha sent us an email with the caption: “Look at what I found” She said jokingly:
I remembered you wanted it for the site so here it is. Enjoy.
Alysha
I wonder if I will get another for publishing this one.
We, too, wonder if we shall receive a similar letter from Mr. Carver after we post the Towells’ letter. We have come to learn that Amrex has indeed filed suits in New Jersey and Georgia against two agencies in 1998 and 1999, one of them alleging defamation, but nothing within the past four years.
Another thing happened as a result of the July 2003 thread on FRUA. It was a blast from the past – Lenin’s useful idiot Been to Blago reappeared. Alysha, in order to illustrate what she had gone through at the hands of BBAS and Amrex for Oleg and Elena’s adoption, linked to this website. Been to Blago followed the link and began to read their story.
She didn’t like that we had copied her public postings to a public forum about her trip to the Baby Home in Blagoveshchensk on her adoption adventure with Amrex. My – how cruel we were to point out her cuddly depiction of the Baby Home and her coddling of Amrex were not on par with what we found out from both the Towells, the Ponishes and other Blagoveshchensk parents.
Been to Blago posted over on a thread (deleted a few days later) titled “Why Can’t Membership Be Restricted?” carping about her words being used on this site:
Posted on Friday, July 4, 2003
My preference for anonymity was strengthened last night when I went to the bewareofbbas site to read the Towels story and I was surprised to see my own words, copied from this site, posted there. Although I said nothing that I wouldn’t want associated with my identity, the idea that someone put my words on a web site bothers me. If I had linked my email address to the post, they probably would have listed that too. I’m not a fan of the Case’s and would be very upset if my name and/or email was linked to their website.
Been to Blago would be wise to stop carping and realize her words and opinions were public information, posted to a public Internet forum. We can’t help it if what she said fits so perfectly into the “Post Adoption Amnesia” realm. For the record, we would not have posted Been to Blago’s email address on this site if she had included it.
We want to say that we have in our possession other Amrex threat letters sent to two other Amrex families. And also, neither the Towells nor the other woman who received letters from Amrex retracted their postings from FRUA as Mr. Carver requested. They both received another letter from Mr. Carver and then, nothing.
BACH, CARVER, DEWBERRY & McNAULL
Attorneys At Law
John C. Bach Phone: (770) 664-4087
Reginald L. Carver Suite 150, Brookside Two Fax: (770) 664-4089
E. Dale Dewberry 3655 Brookside Parkway Email: bcw@alphalaw.net
Tara B. McMaull Alpharetta, GA 30022-1430 DIRECT EMAIL:
Stephany L. Zaic rcarver@alphalaw.net
Tery J. Holm
October 10, 2002
VIA CERTIFIED MAIL
RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED
Brian and Alysha Towell
[Address]
[City, State and Zip]
RE: AMREX, Inc.
Dear Mr. and Mrs. Towell:
This firm represents AMREX, Inc. We have become aware of your recent internet postings which are false and which defame AMREX. This is to demand that you immediately cease and desist from such defamation. This is also to demand that, within seven (7) days of your receipt of this correspondence, you post retractions to the web sites/chat rooms that include (or have included in the past) your statements.
The postings constitute libel and intentional interference with contract relations. In the event you do not post the retractions within seven (7) days of your receipt of this correspondence, AMREX will take all available legal action against you, including a lawsuit for compensatory and punitive damages. AMREX will also seek to recover the attorney’s fees it expends in pursuing its claims against you.
Following is a partial list of the statements you have made and published and which are false and defamatory.
1) The letter basically says that the person the letter is intended for can’t write anything bad about AMREX on the internet and they must renig (sp) their posts within 24 hours or AMREX will file a lawsuit.
2) Maybe AMREX should think before they trash people’s adoptions with their illegal umbrellaing and photolistings, that’s a thought.
Please note that it is not my policy to write a series of increasingly strong demand letters. In the event the defamation does not stop and the retractions are not posted as set forth above, AMREX will file suit immediately.
Yours truly,
Reginald L. Carver
RLC/jmc
Cc: AMREX, Inc.