The Florida League of the South online part four: Jim 翱鈥橞谤颈别苍
On Saturday, January 27, 2018, members of the Florida chapter of the neo-Confederate League of the South (LOS) emerged from a Tallahassee parking deck and made their way toward the state鈥檚 capitol to host their first rally of the new year. They were met by a massive crowd of counter-protesters bearing signs and chanting slogans decrying the League鈥檚 desire for an all-white ethnostate in the Southeastern United States.
As the ragtag group of 30 League members 鈥� which included president Michael Hill and Florida chairman and chief of staff Michael Tubbs 鈥� attempted to salvage the day, several of their members took to trading taunts with the large crowd. One Florida League member stood out in particular due to his clipped New England accent, large frame and oddly specific chant of 鈥�,鈥� which he bellowed across police lines through cupped hands. In addition to attending the League rally in January, the same man marched with the League at the deadly Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, last August.
His name is James 鈥淛im鈥� 翱鈥橞谤颈别苍, a 43-year-old Giants football-loving native of Queens, New York and former employee of the Blackwater mercenary group who bragged about his ties to the Bush family. The details of 翱鈥橞谤颈别苍鈥檚 fall from grace and late-life conversion into a belligerent 鈥渟outhern nationalist鈥� read more as a B-list screenplay that exists somewhere between Burn After Reading and War Dogs than reality, and were they not gleaned from testimony sworn under oath, would be charitably described as outlandish. Presented warts and all, this is the story of Jim 翱鈥橞谤颈别苍.
翱鈥橞谤颈别苍 has taken to the internet to share his every thought on topics ranging from his most recent bowel movement, his self-assessed virility and his own brilliance and vanity, but his story is best told in 翱鈥橞谤颈别苍鈥檚 own words and admissions in courtroom testimony, amid a series of devastating losses that bankrupted his middling career as a federal subcontractor during the early 2000s. The events led him down the rabbit hole of far-right indoctrination and radicalization to where he stands today, a fitting testimony to the state of far-right politics.
In October of 2010, Jim 翱鈥橞谤颈别苍 was president and CEO of Tamerlane Global Services (Tamerlane), a sub-contracting company with 鈥渟pecific expertise in moving cargo in conflict zones on the ground,鈥� especially across conflict zones such as Afghanistan and Pakistan.
翱鈥橞谤颈别苍 cultivated this skillset 鈥� exploiting the frontier boom the middle east conflict offered for war profiteers 鈥� after serving in the United States Marine Corps.
As 翱鈥橞谤颈别苍 explained in courtroom testimony during a civil action against his then-company, Tamerlane Global Services, over 鈥渂reach of contract and defamation鈥� in 2011:
鈥淚 grew up in area Corona Regal Park, Lefrak City area, across the street from the projects in Queens鈥� I did four years in the Marine Corp, from 1990 to 1994. I was 17 years old. I got my parents' permission. My mom didn't want to sign off on me. My dad wanted me to get a haircut and get a swift kick in the butt. For a couple years, I bartended, you know, worked on kitchen floors, construction, that kind of thing. But ultimately I used my 鈥� Connecticut Combat Veterans Benefits For Education as a result of Desert Storm service. So I wound up going to college at Southern Connecticut State University 鈥hortly after that, I wound up pursuing a graduate degree at Tufts University and also an MBA at William and Mary.鈥�
After stints shuttling between various Commerce Department bureaus from 2002 through 2005, 翱鈥橞谤颈别苍 worked 鈥渙n Wall Street鈥� and for AmeriCares, a non-profit health and humanitarian aid company from 2006 through 2008. As 翱鈥橞谤颈别苍 would later tell the court:
鈥淎meriCares was an NGO. It was run by the best friend of George H. Bush, a man name Bob McCauley. The 鈥� Barbara Bush was our ambassador at large. We also had a lot of involvement with a gentleman named John Negro Ponte at that time鈥�
In front of the judge, 翱鈥橞谤颈别苍 painted a picture of himself as a struggling young parent who cashed out his 401(k) and sacrificed time with his wife and young daughters to brave the dangers of early 2000s middle-eastern war-zones. The rosy picture of an all-American 鈥渂y my bootstraps upbringing鈥� and work ethic is certainly not the whole truth.
His social media posts from the time portray a different man, this one a braggart boasting about first-class flights, expensive liquor, gourmet food and four-star entertainment.
What 翱鈥橞谤颈别苍 neglected to mention in his biographical statements was his military discharge for failure to report to his post in 1992 at the age of 18, a conviction for issuing a bad check at the age of 1993 and a reckless driving offense in 2012.
These youthful indiscretions serve to illustrate that the substance of Jim 翱鈥橞谤颈别苍鈥檚 person hardly comports with his self-presentation.
The dual lives of Jim 翱鈥橞谤颈别苍 came crashing together during a civil action against his then-company, Tamerlane Global Services, over 鈥渂reach of contract and defamation鈥regarding] payment of funds to logistics suppliers in Afghanistan, the wrongful retention of those funds, and efforts to smokescreen such conduct through patently false statements to Plaintiffs鈥� relevant business community, primarily in Afghanistan.鈥�
The plaintiff in the aforementioned case, Global Hub Logistics (GHL), began its relationship with Tamerlane shortly after 翱鈥橞谤颈别苍 founded it in 2010.
Global Hub Logistics (GHL) and Masud Roshan vs. Tamerlane Global Services, Inc, and James M. 翱鈥橞谤颈别苍 centered around a refusal on 翱鈥橞谤颈别苍/Tamerlane鈥檚 part to honor its contractual obligation to pay GHL for its transport of equipment across a conflict region. The reason that Tamerlane had to contract out those moves was that they did not 鈥渉old any licenses or other approvals from Afghan authorities to move equipment or even maintain offices in Afghanistan.鈥�
Global鈥檚 complaint continues:
Nor does Tamerlane have any relationships with Afghan tribes or tribal leaders, or with Afghan truckers. Thus, Tamerlane hires subcontractors, including Global, to provide the personnel, trucks, and other equipment needed to perform the often complicated and dangerous shipments of goods into and out of Afghanistan.鈥�
Tamerlane had been issued over $2 million by Liberty for the shipping of various pieces of military equipment. Although they initially abided by their contractual obligation to pay GHL for services provided, the complaint maintains that Global eventually ceased payment聽amid myriad excuses and redirections.
By mid-2011, things had soured to such an extent that Global Hub Logistics informed 翱鈥橞谤颈别苍 and Tamerlane that 鈥減ending work orders, it would terminate its relationship with Tamerlane, and it did so on July 1, 2011."
Having successfully scuttled his relationship with his former business partners, 翱鈥橞谤颈别苍 still required their permits to successfully complete his contract for Liberty. Rather than seeking a qualified subcontractor, court documents maintain 翱鈥橞谤颈别苍 鈥渁uthorized Tamerlane to create counterfeit authorizations 鈥� which were in fact presented to US, Afghan, and Pakistani authorities 鈥� showing that Tamerlane was still conducting business with Global and thus could continue to make shipments across the Afghanistan/Pakistan border.鈥�
翱鈥橞谤颈别苍 then tried to undermine several relationships important to Global鈥檚 business, going so far as to email one Shafie Noorzai 鈥攁 power broker among Afghani truckers who had a longstanding relationship with Roshan and GHL 鈥� with the following request:
鈥淭o be as direct as possible, millions of dollars were sent to GHL and in the end, they dropped our cargo (much of which was damaged) and then attempted to steal our contract with the military鈥he only company that made money on this deal was GHL and the companies that took advantage of our situation after Abdullah鈥檚 treachery.鈥�
翱鈥橞谤颈别苍 then alleges that 鈥淪heriffs will approach Masud Roshan, Joe Yorio [, 翱鈥橞谤颈别苍鈥檚 prior employer], and if he enters the United States, Abdullah Gharjy.鈥�
The threat of legal complaints and arrests of the plaintiffs never materialized. This was a frequent scare-tactic used by 翱鈥橞谤颈别苍 in a case that wound up stretching into 2013.
After numerous countersuits, motions to dismiss, counsel substitutions, and various spurious allegations against Roshan, Global Hub Logistics and Joseph Yorio (former president of Blackwater/Xe services, where 翱鈥橞谤颈别苍 had been employed) failed to hold up in court, a jury returned a verdict against Tamerlane for $1,937,559.00 plus costs. In October of 2013, 翱鈥橞谤颈别苍 stopped paying his bills again, this time for his legal fees.
Although 翱鈥橞谤颈别苍 apparently sought post-judgment representation with another firm. His appeals would ultimately be denied.
As though a $2 million judgment against his company weren鈥檛 enough, 翱鈥橞谤颈别苍鈥檚 troubles were just beginning.
In February of 2014, another Tamerlane client, STI Emirates Logistics, LLC, filed suit against 翱鈥橞谤颈别苍鈥檚 firm for complaints similar to Global鈥檚.
On December 12, 2014, a court found in favor of STI, ordering Tamerlane to pay $208,659.04 plus costs for 鈥渂reach of contract for the MSA [master services agreement] and (2) breach of contact for the promise to pay."
To make matters worse, SIGAR, or the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, the military oversight body whose responsibility is to ensure that American businesses taking on federal contracts in Afghanistan are not engaging in fraud, deception or wanton waste. Essentially, SIGAR鈥檚 谤补颈蝉辞苍-诲鈥檈迟谤别 is to prevent petty grifters like Jim 翱鈥橞谤颈别苍 from profiteering from the war effort through fraud and abuse.
As the facts of 翱鈥橞谤颈别苍鈥檚 indiscretions at the helm of Tamerlane came to light, so, too, did the aforementioned biographical omissions regarding his discharge from the Army. The end result was government-wide debarment from federal contracts for three years.
翱鈥橞谤颈别苍 was still listed by name on SIGAR鈥檚 website as recently as March 31, 2016, as well as an apparent alias the names of his two companies. The debarment of 鈥淎rtemis Global, Inc., d.b.a. 鈥淎rtemis Global Logistics and Solutions,鈥� d.b.a. 鈥淎rtemis Global Trucking, L.L.C.鈥� 翱鈥橞谤颈别苍, James Michael, a.k.a. 鈥淛ames Michael Wienert鈥� Tamerlane Global Services, Inc., d.b.a. 鈥淭amerlane Global, L.L.C.,鈥� d.b.a. 鈥淭amerlane, L.L.C.,鈥� d.b.a. and 鈥淭amerlane Technologies, L.L.C.鈥� was slated to expire this January.
The far-right movement has seen its fair share of grifters and scammers over the years, but perhaps none as blunderingly inept as Jim 翱鈥橞谤颈别苍. With over $2 million in judgments against Tamerlane and barred from taking on new contracts, 翱鈥橞谤颈别苍 chose to get creative. Unfortunately, his past would soon catch up.
On July 23, 2015, another case was filed against Tamerlane in Virginia鈥檚 Eastern District, this time with two additional defendants in tow: Jim 翱鈥橞谤颈别苍, personally, and Artemis Global, Inc. The plaintiffs, Tigers Limited and Tigers (USA) Global Logistics, hereafter referred to simply as 鈥淭igers,鈥� alleged that following the debarment of Tamerlane, 翱鈥橞谤颈别苍 constructed an elaborate shell-game in order to pass funds from one ruined business venture into another.
翱鈥橞谤颈别苍鈥檚 relationship with Tigers predated the founding of his new company, Artemis, on November 12 of 2013 鈥� scarcely more than a week after the verdict against Tamerlane 鈥� with a former Tamerlane employee, Candice Kennedy. 翱鈥橞谤颈别苍 owned 50 percent of its shares.
Testimony and evidence provided by Tigers representatives paints a picture of 翱鈥橞谤颈别苍 shifting valuable contracts and assets away from Tamerlane鈥檚 sinking ship without informing his clients. In one instance a Tigers employee only found out that they would no longer be doing business with Tamerlane when 翱鈥橞谤颈别苍鈥檚 email domain changed in the middle of correspondence.
翱鈥橞谤颈别苍 had not informed Tigers of the judgment against Tamerlane or of his pending disbarment while he put the pieces in place to get Artemis afloat. The whole charade came crashing down after a 鈥渢hird party called Ghazanfar,鈥� a trucking company contracted to move several loads of cargo, withheld one of two cargo shipments due to payments owed by 翱鈥橞谤颈别苍. Tigers maintain that 翱鈥橞谤颈别苍 concocted an elaborate tale rather than owning up to his debts.
Tigers payed Artemis to coordinate two cargo shipments in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Per Tigers鈥� testimony, 翱鈥橞谤颈别苍 and Artemis 鈥減ocketed the money.鈥�
When Tigers asked about the status of the cargo and payment to Artemis' subcontractors, 翱鈥橞谤颈别苍 made up a fantastical story that unnamed truckers had been "gifted" the cargo in Pakistan, that Artemis had already paid the truckers $100,000 of its own money and that he was heroically braving the elements of Pakistan with briefcases of cash to negotiate with tribal "elders" for the release of the cargo.
As it turned out, Tigers鈥� cargo had never entered Pakistan as none of the funds had gone to the subcontractor, and 翱鈥橞谤颈别苍 never met with anyone in Pakistan to resolve alleged disputes.
If 翱鈥橞谤颈别苍鈥檚 business acumen can be described as 鈥渃learly lacking,鈥� much the same can be said of his legal prowess. After agreeing to settle the dispute through mediation, 翱鈥橞谤颈别苍 apparently cut off contact with the plaintiff鈥檚 attorneys before returning to court.聽When ordered to answer discovery questions, 翱鈥橞谤颈别苍 waited to do so until the last minute with 鈥渟keletal responses.鈥�
With the court threatening sanctions, 翱鈥橞谤颈别苍鈥檚 counsel was forced to go before the judge and profess that he 鈥渄id not condone and expressly recommended against [his] client鈥檚 decision.鈥�
翱鈥橞谤颈别苍鈥檚 attorney then sought an emergency motion to withdraw as defense counsel, stating: 鈥淒efense Counsel should not be forced to represent clients who curse at him, threaten bar complaints against him, make unfounded accusations of conspiracy and collusion against him, and cause him personal hardship and professional embarrassment by repeatedly disregarding and failing to follow his advice.鈥�
Apparently, 翱鈥橞谤颈别苍 behaved abusively toward his representation, going so far as to argue that the lawyer was on the plaintiff鈥檚 payroll, and 鈥渋n writing over these discovery disagreements, calling him an 鈥榓$$hole.鈥�
Although he could have represented himself in court pro se, corporations are not afforded that option and as such the judge granted 翱鈥橞谤颈别苍 enough time to seek counsel.
翱鈥橞谤颈别苍鈥檚 situation did not improve. In attempting to untangle the convoluted web of where Jim 翱鈥橞谤颈别苍 began and Tamerlane and Artemis ended, the plaintiffs unearthed the tangled mess that was Jim 翱鈥橞谤颈别苍鈥檚 life. While he was going through a divorce with his then-wife, 翱鈥橞谤颈别苍 was paying off her credit card out of Artemis鈥檚 bank account. Other payments were going toward his personal Visa. At the same time, he was paying for a luxury vehicle for a past employee, Candice Kennedy鈥檚 ex-husband. 翱鈥橞谤颈别苍 and Kennedy were apparently living together at the time in spite of 翱鈥橞谤颈别苍鈥檚 devout Catholic faith and marriage.
One specific line of questioning by the plaintiff regarded another company that 翱鈥橞谤颈别苍 and Kennedy had begun setting up in Anchorage, Alaska. Per the plaintiff鈥檚 defense:
鈥淎t issue in this case is the identity and the opportunity under Rule 404(b) of the defendant to completely take out the income of one company, pass it through a shell company that was just created for the purpose of evading judgments.鈥�
翱鈥橞谤颈别苍 testified that they had abandoned the hope of starting 鈥淎rctic Crating and Packing鈥� with another former Tamerlane employee after that partner dropped out and the project was deemed 鈥渃ost-prohibitive.鈥�
It also emerged that 翱鈥橞谤颈别苍 and Kennedy represented Artemis as a 鈥渧eteran-owned鈥� and 鈥渨oman-owned鈥� business, claims which the business could not make due to 翱鈥橞谤颈别苍鈥檚 discharge from the army and the federal requirement that Kennedy hold more than a 50 percent share of the business.
Ultimately it was decided that the plaintiffs had not provided sufficient evidence for the court to hold Jim 翱鈥橞谤颈别苍 personally liable for Tamerlane and Artemis鈥檚 malfeasances.
Hearing that he had been cleared of any personal liability, 翱鈥橞谤颈别苍 was conspicuously absent on the final day of questioning, leaving Kennedy alone in the witness box.
The court found in favor of Tigers, awarding them half a million dollars from either Tamerlane or Artemis. Apparently, the difference between the two companies was indiscernible on the part of the jury.
Shortly thereafter, Jim 翱鈥橞谤颈别苍 and Candi Kennedy relocated to Gainesville, Florida, where 翱鈥橞谤颈别苍 found employment with a roofing company.
While it is unclear when exactly 翱鈥橞谤颈别苍 first became affiliated with the LOS, one detail from the Tigers trial stands out. In May of 2016, the judge attempted to schedule a subsequent court date. 翱鈥橞谤颈别苍 indicated he would be unavailable for a proposed June court date as 鈥淚'm going to be in Alabama the 25th through the 27th for business reasons.鈥� These dates roughly coincided with the League of the South鈥檚 2016 National Conference, held
Facebook posts by 翱鈥橞谤颈别苍 across the period paint a stunning portrait of radicalization. In four short years, 翱鈥橞谤颈别苍 went from mourning the death of Nelson Mandela and lionizing his hometown New York Giants, to creating a racist blog intended as "a 'red pill' site for conservative normies," and posting on the needs of whites to "dominate the resources of a bountiful territory 鈥� the United States and Europe."
Contrast these sentiments with a recent post on 鈥淏acon, Books, and Bullets,鈥� titled 鈥淚nterracial Crime: Killing & Sex in Nature and Conflict.鈥� Citing nothing his 鈥渆xtensive experience in global conflict zones and my understanding of biology,鈥� 翱鈥橞谤颈别苍 states:
I have worked extensively in Sub-Saharan Africa. I consider Sub-Saharan Africa to be a glimpse into our most primal state; it is what Europeans once were before evolution 鈥� both genetically and socially 鈥� I also saw a lot of rapes in Africa. It is the BIOLOGICAL weapon of choice by most of the small armies on the ground (for which, there is an abundance).
Per 翱鈥橞谤颈别苍鈥檚 own testimony, at the time of their trial with Tigers, Artemis/Tamerlane essentially had one client, Maersk. While it is unclear whether 翱鈥橞谤颈别苍 was in Wetumpka that weekend, or had any familiarity with the League of the South, it provides a possible window into when his involvement with LOS may have begun.
Since his involvement with the League of the South, 翱鈥橞谤颈别苍鈥檚 posts have become increasingly violent.
In order to accommodate his new identity, 翱鈥橞谤颈别苍 has turned his back on his roots in Queens and instead asserted that his 鈥渟outhern鈥� identity deserves his every ounce of loyalty. As regards his football team of choice, the recent debate over NFL players kneeling during the national anthem gave 翱鈥橞谤颈别苍 cover to distance himself from his past fandom.
When 翱鈥橞谤颈别苍 attended the Charlottesville Unite the Right rally, Candice Kennedy was present, highly visible wearing a black hat and bright red lipstick. Kennedy was likely looking on as 翱鈥橞谤颈别苍 as she was walking away from a gang beating by members of the League of the South.
翱鈥橞谤颈别苍 was later arrested in a parking garage as he attempted to break into his rental car and was found by police to be carrying a pistol without a permit. Shortly thereafter, 翱鈥橞谤颈别苍 lost his job as the press began to pick up details of his affiliation with the violent rally and the League.
The story of Jim 翱鈥橞谤颈别苍 is indicative of the sort of person that the American far-right tends to attract. While 翱鈥橞谤颈别苍 attempted to leverage his bona fides as a veteran, small-business owner and exemplar of the American Dream, the truth is always more complicated. Rather than own up to his own failures, 翱鈥橞谤颈别苍 tried all manner of legal obfuscation and revealed a nasty impulse toward baleful denunciations and attacks when provoked. As his options have run out, 翱鈥橞谤颈别苍 has turned on everything that he once prided himself on and joined the ranks of reactionary malcontents railing against the present order.
Michael Hill and Michael Tubbs should know better than embracing the company of a known fraud, huckster and liar who is likely to burn them as he has his past associates. If he is allowed to stick it out and the League does get the war they so badly desire, Hill and Tubbs would be well advised to outsource their logistics to someone other than Jim 翱鈥橞谤颈别苍.
