Please Read and Share, i have picture proof of text messages between the owner and I:
I met the owner of this pizza place "Riadh Makhtoub" at Washington state's EQC casino. He was in the state for "medical reasons" according to him. He seemed like a nice guy that simply was down on his luck. When i met him, he had lost 20k playing blackjack. After a few weeks of playing together, and me seeing the amount of money he comfortably played and looking up his business i began trusting him. One day Riadh asked me to let him borrow some money, given that i was reluctant, he wrote me a business check, a "Sicily's pizza" business check that is, with the amount of 500$. Seeing the check clear the next day, i didnt worry about it and assumed he was good for money...little did i know, the bank cleared my check only because i had good history with them and not because the funds were pulled from his account. This all happened two days prior and the day of Thanksgiving. That thanksgiving night, mister Riadh makes another request from me, This time he wanted more money, $3200. Again, he wrote me a check as proof of good faith. The night passes, and he looses the money. i already had deposited the check in my key bank account, so i thought nothing of it and took him back to his motel room and left. The next day he calls me asking for a ride to the airport. Now this is when the first check of 500$ had bounced. I explained to him what happened and he gave me some bogus story about how he gave another check to someone else and they had pulled it so his account went into negative. he assured me i could redeposit it without issues the following day and the funds would be available. Stupid me, i went along with it, seeing as there are 4 Sicily's pizza in Alaska and there was no reason for a successful business man to rip me off of, what to him i assumed would be, chum money. Long story short, days have passed and both checks bounced and were returned to my bank. My accounts went into negative and the bank collected my last 2 paychecks because that's where i have direct deposit setup. Endless promises from Riadh that the money would be there "next monday" just for that monday to never come and for him to start completely ignoring my texts and calls. I found out he owes another person money, im going on Saturday, my next soonest day off, to get a legal copy of the bounced checks since they had to hold the original as they're doing an investigation on him for doing this same thing in many different states, not my words, this are the actual words of the branch manager at wells fargo.
With that copy, im filling a police report, since i'll finally have physical proof and going to court to file a judgement for lien on his business. It's a step i do not wish to take, but he's given me no choice. read more