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USBGF, Tom Buckner, Rod Covlin, etc.
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mu...@compuplus.net
Dec 6, 2017, 9:51:04 PM12/6/17
to
Thomas Buckner, 68, was sentenced to 2½ years in prison
and fined $500,000 after pleading guilty in a $6 million
scheme to overcharge the U.S. Defense Department.
http://www.foxbusiness.com/markets/2017/10/10/brothers-who-owned-defense-firm-sentenced-in-fraud-scheme.html
Rod Covlin, 44, charged with killing his banker wife in 2009,
to get half of her $4,000,000 and also accused of trying to
marry his 13-year-old daughter in Mexico to gain access to
her $1,000,000 inheritance.
https://nypost.com/2017/10/17/man-killed-wife-so-he-could-see-other-women-da
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3302156/Estranged-husband-arrested-wealthy-older-wife-s-murder-six-YEARS-later-blabbed-girlfriend-killing-her.html
http://www.smh.com.au/world/accused-wife-killer-rod-covlin-tried-to-marry-off-teen-daughter-in-mexico-20151111-gkvznn.html
Google their names if you want more details. What's common
to these two guys is that both are referred to as and listed
among the founding sponsors of USBGF!
http://usbgf.org/about-us/sponsors-and-benefactors/founding-sponsors
I stumbled on their names while searching/reading old articles
in bgonline forum. (I guess there are some interesting subjects
there that are not talked talked about here in RGB after all.)
If you search them in the forum's archives, you may find some
stuff, like these three examples that I found interesting:
http://www.bgonline.org/forums/webbbs_config.pl?read=193209
In this post, Phil Simborg refers to Buckner as his partner
while talking about P-40 boards and depicts him as benevolent
to backgammon community. This paragraph caught my attention:
"...I wanted to sell it for much more but Tom, in the same
"thinking as Xavier, wanted to see his product in the hands
"of lots of people. Who doubts that Xavier couldn't have
"gotten a lot more than $50 for XG when it came out and was
"compared to Snowie for $400?
Ah, so, Xavier too is benevolent to backgammon community.
I couldn't help thinking about them benevolent thieves who
sell stolen Rolex's for a fraction of their value also... :)
http://www.bgonline.org/forums/webbbs_config.pl?noframes;read=181478
While announcing their next super bg app, Simborg says:
"My partner is a perfectionist..... When I worked with Xavier
"on his initial release of XG, the first version had plenty
"of errors and bugs, but with the help of the beta testers
"(me, Mochy and Neil) we caught most of them
A whole team of benevolent people... ;) It would be interesting
to know if he/they were "partners" with Xavier and under what
sorts of arrangements? In the same post, he also says:
"I'm having fun trying to come up with a name for the product.
"I am thinking of XG Transcription or XG Transcriber or something
"like that. (I have been in close communication with Xavier from
"the beginning and have his permission to do this with his
"wonderful software.)
Which then makes one wonder if he/they are still/again "partners"
with Xavier (beyond using the letters 'XG')...?
http://www.bgonline.org/forums/webbbs_config.pl?read=177939
Here he mentions, at the end, Mochy's charity, saying:
"--a great initiative to bring more kids into the game--
"one I hope the U.S. And other countries will imitate
To everyone who reads this post, I say: remember the adage
"birds of a feather flock together" (or "ce qui ressemble
s'assemble:) and unless you are already one of them, stay
away from them and their organizations such as USBGF!
Additionally, if you are a parent, make sure to keep your kids
away from them also!!
What is visible may be just the tip of the iceberg...
MK
and fined $500,000 after pleading guilty in a $6 million
scheme to overcharge the U.S. Defense Department.
http://www.foxbusiness.com/markets/2017/10/10/brothers-who-owned-defense-firm-sentenced-in-fraud-scheme.html
Rod Covlin, 44, charged with killing his banker wife in 2009,
to get half of her $4,000,000 and also accused of trying to
marry his 13-year-old daughter in Mexico to gain access to
her $1,000,000 inheritance.
https://nypost.com/2017/10/17/man-killed-wife-so-he-could-see-other-women-da
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3302156/Estranged-husband-arrested-wealthy-older-wife-s-murder-six-YEARS-later-blabbed-girlfriend-killing-her.html
http://www.smh.com.au/world/accused-wife-killer-rod-covlin-tried-to-marry-off-teen-daughter-in-mexico-20151111-gkvznn.html
Google their names if you want more details. What's common
to these two guys is that both are referred to as and listed
among the founding sponsors of USBGF!
http://usbgf.org/about-us/sponsors-and-benefactors/founding-sponsors
I stumbled on their names while searching/reading old articles
in bgonline forum. (I guess there are some interesting subjects
there that are not talked talked about here in RGB after all.)
If you search them in the forum's archives, you may find some
stuff, like these three examples that I found interesting:
http://www.bgonline.org/forums/webbbs_config.pl?read=193209
In this post, Phil Simborg refers to Buckner as his partner
while talking about P-40 boards and depicts him as benevolent
to backgammon community. This paragraph caught my attention:
"...I wanted to sell it for much more but Tom, in the same
"thinking as Xavier, wanted to see his product in the hands
"of lots of people. Who doubts that Xavier couldn't have
"gotten a lot more than $50 for XG when it came out and was
"compared to Snowie for $400?
Ah, so, Xavier too is benevolent to backgammon community.
I couldn't help thinking about them benevolent thieves who
sell stolen Rolex's for a fraction of their value also... :)
http://www.bgonline.org/forums/webbbs_config.pl?noframes;read=181478
While announcing their next super bg app, Simborg says:
"My partner is a perfectionist..... When I worked with Xavier
"on his initial release of XG, the first version had plenty
"of errors and bugs, but with the help of the beta testers
"(me, Mochy and Neil) we caught most of them
A whole team of benevolent people... ;) It would be interesting
to know if he/they were "partners" with Xavier and under what
sorts of arrangements? In the same post, he also says:
"I'm having fun trying to come up with a name for the product.
"I am thinking of XG Transcription or XG Transcriber or something
"like that. (I have been in close communication with Xavier from
"the beginning and have his permission to do this with his
"wonderful software.)
Which then makes one wonder if he/they are still/again "partners"
with Xavier (beyond using the letters 'XG')...?
http://www.bgonline.org/forums/webbbs_config.pl?read=177939
Here he mentions, at the end, Mochy's charity, saying:
"--a great initiative to bring more kids into the game--
"one I hope the U.S. And other countries will imitate
To everyone who reads this post, I say: remember the adage
"birds of a feather flock together" (or "ce qui ressemble
s'assemble:) and unless you are already one of them, stay
away from them and their organizations such as USBGF!
Additionally, if you are a parent, make sure to keep your kids
away from them also!!
What is visible may be just the tip of the iceberg...
MK
Grunty
Dec 8, 2017, 11:01:00 AM12/8/17
to
On Wednesday, December 6, 2017 at 23:51:04 (UTC-3), mu...@compuplus.net wrote:
> Thomas Buckner, 68,
>
> Rod Covlin, 44,
I did not enter any of the links. How do you know they are the same guys?
> Thomas Buckner, 68,
>
> Rod Covlin, 44,
I did not enter any of the links. How do you know they are the same guys?
mu...@compuplus.net
Dec 9, 2017, 12:37:30 AM12/9/17
to
On December 8, 2017 at 9:01:00 AM UTC-7, Grunty wrote:
How do I know? Because, unlike you, I bothered to
read the links... :)
I still would like to know things like how young
Covlin's *kids*, Anna and Myles Covlin, were when
he made them Gold level founding members of USBGF?
Apparently his trial is not over yet and I found it
quite reassuring that enough people in stick's forum
(including stick) seemed to really value the legal
principle "presumed innocent until proven guilty" ;)
On the other hand, some people argue, as in this post:
http://www.bgonline.org/forums/webbbs_config.pl?read=202509
"How can the USBGF possibly retain a relationship? Loyalty
"to a felon and a fraud who stole from us all? Are you
"kidding me? Look the other way because he was a big donor?
"That's the suggestion? Integrity must come first.
Unfortunately, however, their principle of *integrity*
seem to be conditional/situational and doesn't extend
to gangs of software thieves, cheaters, liars, etc. :(
My general impression is that the majority of "federated
backgammon community" is made of low character people
who will allow and tolerate, if not participate in, even
some major crimes... :((
MK
read the links... :)
I still would like to know things like how young
Covlin's *kids*, Anna and Myles Covlin, were when
he made them Gold level founding members of USBGF?
Apparently his trial is not over yet and I found it
quite reassuring that enough people in stick's forum
(including stick) seemed to really value the legal
principle "presumed innocent until proven guilty" ;)
On the other hand, some people argue, as in this post:
http://www.bgonline.org/forums/webbbs_config.pl?read=202509
"How can the USBGF possibly retain a relationship? Loyalty
"to a felon and a fraud who stole from us all? Are you
"kidding me? Look the other way because he was a big donor?
"That's the suggestion? Integrity must come first.
Unfortunately, however, their principle of *integrity*
seem to be conditional/situational and doesn't extend
to gangs of software thieves, cheaters, liars, etc. :(
My general impression is that the majority of "federated
backgammon community" is made of low character people
who will allow and tolerate, if not participate in, even
some major crimes... :((
MK
Paul
Dec 9, 2017, 3:00:12 PM12/9/17
to
real people, rather than random folk who happen to have the same name.
It's not like when a bank is robbed by "John Smith" and a completely different
"John Smith" gets blamed. That's not what we're talking about here.
In fact, if I met someone called "Grunty", I wouldn't think it was you,
the backgammon Grunty, and I wouldn't ask him at which match scores, I
should avoid slotting with an opening 21. However, I might ask him
the platform for the next train to Portsmouth. I'd ask him that if he
worked at a railway station, and I was trying to get a train to Portsmouth.
If he was a chef, I might ask him about the correct oven settings for roast
chicken etc.
Paul
Peter Percival
Dec 9, 2017, 4:45:06 PM12/9/17
to
Paul wrote:
> In fact, if I met someone called "Grunty", I wouldn't think it was
> you, the backgammon Grunty, and I wouldn't ask him at which match
> scores, I should avoid slotting with an opening 21. However, I might
> ask him the platform for the next train to Portsmouth. I'd ask him
> that if he worked at a railway station, and I was trying to get a
> train to Portsmouth.
>
> If he was a chef, I might ask him about the correct oven settings for
> roast chicken etc.
Some railway stations have restaurants on them, so it is possible for
> In fact, if I met someone called "Grunty", I wouldn't think it was
> you, the backgammon Grunty, and I wouldn't ask him at which match
> scores, I should avoid slotting with an opening 21. However, I might
> ask him the platform for the next train to Portsmouth. I'd ask him
> that if he worked at a railway station, and I was trying to get a
> train to Portsmouth.
>
> If he was a chef, I might ask him about the correct oven settings for
> roast chicken etc.
someone who works at a railway station to be a chef. What would you ask
him in that case?
--
Do, as a concession to my poor wits, Lord Darlington, just explain
to me what you really mean.
I think I had better not, Duchess. Nowadays to be intelligible is
to be found out. -- Oscar Wilde, Lady Windermere's Fan
Paul
Dec 9, 2017, 7:27:24 PM12/9/17
to
On Saturday, December 9, 2017 at 9:45:06 PM UTC, Peter Percival wrote:
> Paul wrote:
>
> > In fact, if I met someone called "Grunty", I wouldn't think it was
> > you, the backgammon Grunty, and I wouldn't ask him at which match
> > scores, I should avoid slotting with an opening 21. However, I might
> > ask him the platform for the next train to Portsmouth. I'd ask him
> > that if he worked at a railway station, and I was trying to get a
> > train to Portsmouth.
> >
> > If he was a chef, I might ask him about the correct oven settings for
> > roast chicken etc.
>
> Some railway stations have restaurants on them, so it is possible for
> someone who works at a railway station to be a chef. What would you ask
> him in that case?
>
I'd ask him if getting my sandwiches toasted would risk me missing the
> Paul wrote:
>
> > In fact, if I met someone called "Grunty", I wouldn't think it was
> > you, the backgammon Grunty, and I wouldn't ask him at which match
> > scores, I should avoid slotting with an opening 21. However, I might
> > ask him the platform for the next train to Portsmouth. I'd ask him
> > that if he worked at a railway station, and I was trying to get a
> > train to Portsmouth.
> >
> > If he was a chef, I might ask him about the correct oven settings for
> > roast chicken etc.
>
> Some railway stations have restaurants on them, so it is possible for
> someone who works at a railway station to be a chef. What would you ask
> him in that case?
>
train. And I certainly wouldn't call him "Babe" by the way.
Paul
Tim Chow
Dec 10, 2017, 1:43:49 PM12/10/17
to
ton of discussion on BGOnline---including posts by Covlin himself---about the
USBGF's reaction to these criminal charges.
I didn't know about Buckner, but there probably aren't too many wealthy
Thomas Buckners with a booming defense contracting business in Butler, PA
(we know this much from both the news article and the BGO posts).
---
Tim Chow
mu...@compuplus.net
Dec 11, 2017, 2:48:20 AM12/11/17
to
On December 10, 2017 at 11:43:49 AM UTC-7, Tim Chow wrote:
> The news articles explicitly mention Covlin's USBGF ties,
> plus there was a ton of discussion on BGOnline ---including
> posts by Covlin himself--- about the USBGF's reaction to
> The news articles explicitly mention Covlin's USBGF ties,
> plus there was a ton of discussion on BGOnline ---including
> these criminal charges.
Since the alleged murder was in 2009, those posts must have
been about as far back also? I didn't read threads that old.
Was he tried and found guilty/innocent since the latest news?
> I didn't know about Buckner, but there probably aren't too
> many wealthy Thomas Buckners with a booming defense
> contracting business in Butler, PA (we know this much from
> both the news article and the BGO posts).
in bgonline.org
There is no question about who he is and his ties to USBGF,
Ibis Tek, P-40, etc.
In his case, more than Covlin's case, what's most disturbing
to me is not what he himself has done as much as how other
people in the "predominant/organized backgammon community"
are eager to make it into nothing even worth considering... :(
I bookmarked some links and will start a new thread about it
when I find time.
Just as I had always observed: what a bunch of sick people in
a gambling cesspool... :(
I don't think the beautiful game of backgammon that we all
claim to love will ever come back... :((
MK
Michael
Dec 11, 2017, 5:54:29 AM12/11/17
to
On Monday, December 11, 2017 at 9:48:20 AM UTC+2, mu...@compuplus.net wrote:
>
>
> Just as I had always observed: what a bunch of sick people in
> a gambling cesspool... :(
>
> I don't think the beautiful game of backgammon that we all
> claim to love will ever come back... :((
>
> MK
You shouldn't get disappointed. Let's face it there's not even one sport that hasn't been hijacked by so called "Federations" and turned into a gambling and often money laundering activity.
>
>
> Just as I had always observed: what a bunch of sick people in
> a gambling cesspool... :(
>
> I don't think the beautiful game of backgammon that we all
> claim to love will ever come back... :((
>
> MK
Have you been following the news regarding FIFA? What a huge concentration of crooks over there!
This will never stop kids playing football for fun.
Same with Backgammon. The vast majority of people I know just play for fun and that will go on for ever.
Tim Chow
Dec 11, 2017, 9:49:26 AM12/11/17
to
On Monday, December 11, 2017 at 2:48:20 AM UTC-5, mu...@compuplus.net wrote:
> Since the alleged murder was in 2009, those posts must have
> been about as far back also? I didn't read threads that old.
I'm not interested in spending a lot of time searching the BGO archives for
> Since the alleged murder was in 2009, those posts must have
> been about as far back also? I didn't read threads that old.
all the posts, but here's one thread:
http://www.bgonline.org/forums/webbbs_config.pl?read=85053
> Was he tried and found guilty/innocent since the latest news?
> I have read a couple of very long and recent (2017) threads in bgonline.org
> There is no question about who he is and his ties to USBGF,
> Ibis Tek, P-40, etc.
---
Tim Chow
Michael Petch
Dec 12, 2017, 12:52:28 AM12/12/17
to
On 2017-12-11 00:48, mu...@compuplus.net wrote:
> Since the alleged murder was in 2009, those posts must have
> been about as far back also? I didn't read threads that old.
>
> Was he tried and found guilty/innocent since the latest news?
>
He hasn't had his trial, but it has been moving towards one. The allged
> Since the alleged murder was in 2009, those posts must have
> been about as far back also? I didn't read threads that old.
>
> Was he tried and found guilty/innocent since the latest news?
>
murder was in 2099, but he wasn't charged until 2015.
https://nypost.com/2017/10/17/man-killed-wife-so-he-could-see-other-women-da/
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