# James Frank Smith under indictment



## c5rulz

Loudmouth Jimmy is a welfare cheat for running a scam in which he is collecting disability payments. You really have to be an imbecile to be a nationally televised TV show supposedly being a logger while out on disability.

Ax Men regular pleads not guilty to L&I theft - Northwest McClatchy - bellinghamherald.com


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## bigcat

LOL, you could kind of tell he's not the brightest bulb on the tree.
I hope they hang his sorry ass.


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## John_DeereGreen

bigcat said:


> I hope they hang his sorry ass.



As long as he's off the show after this season I don't care what they do with him!


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## naturelover

Anyone remember when he got into trouble for logging without permits? Believe it was the first season he was on the show.


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## Gologit

naturelover said:


> Anyone remember when he got into trouble for logging without permits? Believe it was the first season he was on the show.



Yup. He wasn't logging exactly...he was pulling trees out of the river to sell. DNR busted him for it. Apparently he didn't have the necessary permits. Anybody hear how that turned out?

I think it was shortly after that that he headed for Florida. :msp_wink:


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## c5rulz

I find it very hard to believe that some of the logs they recover are worth $1000-2,000 as they say.


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## luvatenor

*History Channel*

Apparently the history channel doesn't care how corrupt you are or how many laws you break, they are willing to put you on the air just to make the all mighty dollar, in the name of historical value!!!


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## slowp

Gologit said:


> Yup. He wasn't logging exactly...he was pulling trees out of the river to sell. DNR busted him for it. Apparently he didn't have the necessary permits. Anybody hear how that turned out?
> 
> I think it was shortly after that that he headed for Florida. :msp_wink:



That was a while ago. I think he got off. Somehow the DNR messed up. Also, I think the article for this thread was from 2009 by looking at the dates of the comments at the bottom. I haven't heard anything more about the fraud, either. Maybe the History Channel quietly paid it off? Maybe with the current state of affairs the state couln't afford to build a case? Who knows?


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## c5rulz

The article was published 2/16/2011. It says he plead "not guilty". So it is unclear if this is an ongoing court action of has been adjudicated.

Sooooo....... If I had to guess, I would say that some how this thing was probably plead out to nothing with the understanding the ill gotten money be paid back as quietly as possible. That way the State that did not monitor this situation and the History channel would not look bad.


Bottom line, Big mouth Jimmy is still a du*[email protected]


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## 2dogs

c5rulz said:


> Bottom line, Big mouth Jimmy is still a du*[email protected]



The History channel should pay you to use this as their tag line.


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## c5rulz

2dogs said:


> The History channel should pay you to use this as their tag line.





Well from now on, you can just call me Mr. Diplomacy:msp_tongue:


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## turnkey4099

2dogs said:


> The History channel should pay you to use this as their tag line.



The History channel should pay the viewers for subjecting them to the show.

Harry K


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## banshee67

jimmy is an american hero


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## luvatenor

*Self Respect*

I always thought that the History Channel had self respect. There is nothing, in any way shape or form, that Jimmy Smith contributes to logging. I hope that I speak for many when I say, ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! Please eliminate him from any future episodes-I really cannot believe that anyone sane finds him entertaining and informative.


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## banshee67

luvatenor said:


> I always thought that the History Channel had self respect. There is nothing, in any way shape or form, that Jimmy Smith contributes to logging. I hope that I speak for many when I say, ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! Please eliminate him from any future episodes-I really cannot believe that anyone sane finds him entertaining and informative.



you do realize the episodes have been filmed/edited/completed a long time ago, right ?
what you see on TV is the product of many many months of work thats already a finished product, all they do is air a new episode each week


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## luvatenor

I am aware, but one could hope, couldn't they?


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## Dennis Gauge

Even worse, the more people complain about him, the more likely they are to KEEP him on the show.

Complaints just let History Channel know people are watching.


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## oldmanriver

*Publicity*

Your right Dennis. In their business there no such thing as bad publicity. Any publicity weather it looks good or bad to us.... turns out to be great publicity for Smith. I'll be glad when Smith is gone from the show too. Heck.. I'm finding the show getting harder & harder to watch anymore anyway


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## StihlRockin'

Out of all the people in these various logging shows, this James Frank Smith guy has really tested my patience... making me want to seriously just punch him in the face. I also feel sorry for his son because so much of who we are comes from our dads.

Here's another link with info about his situation posted about a year ago...

Reality TV Star's Workers' Comp Benefits Get Axed

StihlRockin'


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## axeman73

The use of the logs is really neat look on joe collins site &i hate to say s&s heck theres a company that reuses old barns for high end lumber in my area it is interesting BUT jimmy is an idiot from what I heard about the dnr case I believe he got banned from there and thats the reason he went to florida I really can't stand the guy but if you can recall a couple episodes back jimmy insighted to the camera men that this is what you wanted so I think alot is instigated by the producers:msp_wink:


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## jahsteve

I actually work for the company (Encompass digital media)that uplinks history channel and the rest of that group (AE, Lifetime, Bio channel etc.). 
i do however have no say on what they actually air. 
I think by adding the other clowns (swilly and his crew) helped to show how much of a bozo Jimmy really is. I generally stop paying attention when he's on... love shelby. i used to like the younger rygaard but he is seeming to be kinda a mush...


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## banshee67

remember folks, at the end of the day, its a tv show first.
pretty easy to see through most of the BS they stage with Jimmy and the river logging , same goes with all the other crews.


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## Johny Utah

I quit watching the show because it was obvious how staged it was. I think I might have to start watching again for awhile.:hmm3grin2orange:


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## cjmcanaul

*Jimmy defraud SSDI*

Jimmy!! SHAME ON YOU!!! I HOPE THEY THREW THE BOOK AT YOU FOR COMMITTING FRAUD. YOU'RE A DEADBEAT, AND LOWEST OF THE LOW. NO WONDER I NEVER LIKED YOU FROM THE START OF YOUR FIRST APPEARANCE! YOU'RE A SELFISH, SELF-CENTERED RAT TO DEFRAUD SSDI. LOOK WHAT PEOPLE LIKE YOU DO TO FOLKS WHO ARE THE REAL DEAL. 

THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE REALLY IN NEED OF SSDI DUE TO DISABILITIES, AND YOUR BEHAVIOR MAKES IT HARDER FOR THE REAL DEALS LIKE US! 
YOU ARE THE REASON WHY THERE'S A DRAIN ON THE SYSTEM BECAUSE LAZY BUTTS LIKE YOU WHO CAN REALLY WORK.

I'VE BEEN PAYING INCOME TAX SINCE I WAS 12 Y/O, AND WORKED DISABLED EVEN THOUGH THE JOB DESTROYED MY BODY TO THE POINT WHERE I AM 52 Y/O AND WALK LIKE A 90 Y/O WOMAN, BUT I WORKED IT. I'LL BE LUCKY TO SEE MY GRANDCHILDREN, I'LL BE LUCKY TO SEE MY 60YH BIRTHDAY, BUT I WORKED IT BECAUSE OF MY CONVICTIONS ABOUT WORKING AND PROVIDING FOR MYSELF AND MY CHILD.............AND I NEVER QUALIFIED FOR GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE WHILE I WORKED EITHER!! 

JIMMY, I HOPE YOU EXPERIENCE WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE DISABLED FOR REAL, THEN MAYBE YOU WILL BE ABLE TO SEE WHY YOU'RE SO HATED ON THIS SHOW.


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## banshee67

Caps Lock was taking it too far !
give the guy a break, no one deserves all those capital letters at once

hoping the guy becomes disabled is bizarre cjmcanaul.. seriously, you really hope the guys gets injured and becomes disabled ?
this worked up over some guy on tv? step away from your keyboard and go finish your bottle of booze


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## cjmcanaul

*Jimmy and fraud SSDI*

No, I have no conviction for writing what I wrote. I am disabled, been so since I was 6 y/o. And I worked until I was not able to work any longer. This past year my benefits were in question and so was investigated, if one could call it that, they didn't review anything, they (SSA) didn't even request my medical records they just terminated my benefits. Simply because I had tried to work a part-time job and claimed I didn't tell them. And then my part-time job income exceeded the EIC allowance. (in some instances, the EIC exceeded by $40 bucks!

No matter my claims that I DID tell them, SSA failed to document much of my contacts with their office that was in another state. The past year was the darkest time in my whole life, next to attempted murder prior to that too.

I know many other folks who have tried for benefits and been turned down. We have military folks being denied and they served this country, to our shame. Then have someone like this do what he did? No, Jimmy needs a little bit of humble pie, then maybe he would appreciate and relate to the weight of his crime. And it's a crime against humanity.

SSA that I dealt with were not helpful, a lawyer wouldn't take my case because there was no money to be made for them. Only by the grace of God was I able to navigate through the mazes of forms and rules and snotty clerks to fight for my case. My health, besides my own mental health, having to deal with the stresses and fears of where will I live without support during that horrible year. How would I pay my utility bills and rent? Sure, there's help with rent through MICA.............albeit one time only assistance. I was preparing to move out of my apartment and under a bridge somewhere. And I'm not exaggerating..

Fortunately, when I attended my appeal meeting, ONE letter. ONE letter, that I had in my possession from '95 to present date of letters I kept from SSA exonerated me from fault, and no longer under paying back $70,000. (which the government was going to take every SSDI payment for the next 3-4 years to repay it back. SSA believed that I did it fraudulently and refused to believe that one of the SSA offices would not ever make a mistake like that. At least, SSA admitted that the SSA office in the state I lived at at the time failed to document my case. They didn't have one record of any correspondence between me and them from 2003 to present day. (2011). 

Thank God I was vindicated, because I did everything to the letter. Not once did I exaggerate or fib on, obeyed all the rules, and this happened. SSA (contrary to faulty info of the news media), is solvent clear up to 2035. It's offensive to me to hear about cases like this who abused a service like SSDI. This also has exposed SSA offices who failed to spot the man from bilking the system. Makes one wonder, is it really the people who run the SSA offices that are responsible for the fraud? That's another forum.

Give grace where grace is required. Give mercy where mercy is needed. Not when someone is doing something who KNEW what he did was wrong, without conviction. I bet if I ran a check for criminal records, I'd find all sorts of laws this man has probably broken besides.


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## Garden Of Eden

cjmcanaul said:


> No, I have no conviction for writing what I wrote. I am disabled, been so since I was 6 y/o. And I worked until I was not able to work any longer. This past year my benefits were in question and so was investigated, if one could call it that, they didn't review anything, they (SSA) didn't even request my medical records they just terminated my benefits. Simply because I had tried to work a part-time job and claimed I didn't tell them. And then my part-time job income exceeded the EIC allowance. (in some instances, the EIC exceeded by $40 bucks!
> 
> No matter my claims that I DID tell them, SSA failed to document much of my contacts with their office that was in another state. The past year was the darkest time in my whole life, next to attempted murder prior to that too.
> 
> I know many other folks who have tried for benefits and been turned down. We have military folks being denied and they served this country, to our shame. Then have someone like this do what he did? No, Jimmy needs a little bit of humble pie, then maybe he would appreciate and relate to the weight of his crime. And it's a crime against humanity.
> 
> SSA that I dealt with were not helpful, a lawyer wouldn't take my case because there was no money to be made for them. Only by the grace of God was I able to navigate through the mazes of forms and rules and snotty clerks to fight for my case. My health, besides my own mental health, having to deal with the stresses and fears of where will I live without support during that horrible year. How would I pay my utility bills and rent? Sure, there's help with rent through MICA.............albeit one time only assistance. I was preparing to move out of my apartment and under a bridge somewhere. And I'm not exaggerating..
> 
> Fortunately, when I attended my appeal meeting, ONE letter. ONE letter, that I had in my possession from '95 to present date of letters I kept from SSA exonerated me from fault, and no longer under paying back $70,000. (which the government was going to take every SSDI payment for the next 3-4 years to repay it back. SSA believed that I did it fraudulently and refused to believe that one of the SSA offices would not ever make a mistake like that. At least, SSA admitted that the SSA office in the state I lived at at the time failed to document my case. They didn't have one record of any correspondence between me and them from 2003 to present day. (2011).
> 
> Thank God I was vindicated, because I did everything to the letter. Not once did I exaggerate or fib on, obeyed all the rules, and this happened. SSA (contrary to faulty info of the news media), is solvent clear up to 2035. It's offensive to me to hear about cases like this who abused a service like SSDI. This also has exposed SSA offices who failed to spot the man from bilking the system. Makes one wonder, is it really the people who run the SSA offices that are responsible for the fraud? That's another forum.
> 
> Give grace where grace is required. Give mercy where mercy is needed. Not when someone is doing something who KNEW what he did was wrong, without conviction. I bet if I ran a check for criminal records, I'd find all sorts of laws this man has probably broken besides.



Good for you, my uncle was born with out the use of his legs, walked on crutches till about 15 yrs ago, finally went into a wheelchair. Worked, and retired from his job. Never took a cent from anyone and certainly never complained. Some people are identified by their disability, other people aren't. There are 3 steps going into the house, and no ramps, and he drives a 2 door Cadillac, that he paid for with money he earned at a job.


Sorry, you had trouble, but 71mph, in a 70, can get you a ticket, no matter how silly we think the law is, its still the law.


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## saw dog

Hi all Jimmy has passed away. So why don,t we drop it in respect for his family.


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## jefflovstrom

saw dog said:


> Hi all Jimmy has passed away. So why don,t we drop it in respect for his family.



Drop what? You are the first post in 5 months, why don't you drop it.
Jeff


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## banshee67

saw dog said:


> Hi all Jimmy has passed away. So why don,t we drop it in respect for his family.



Jesus, this is horrible.
I jut watched the new axe men last night, he looked horrible, love him or hate him, it's ####ing horrible to see another human being suffering like that.
R.I.P Jimmy, thanks for all the laughs over the years.


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## luvatenor

banshee67 said:


> Jesus, this is horrible.
> I jut watched the new axe men last night, he looked horrible, love him or hate him, it's ####ing horrible to see another human being suffering like that.
> R.I.P Jimmy, thanks for all the laughs over the years.



You echo'ed my sentiments-it was so difficult to look at him-a mere shadow of himself-hopefully the history channel did the decent thing in helping with all the medical expenses-no-one should suffer like that- hang in there James.


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## allstihl

+1


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## 7600

+2


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## jefflovstrom

How long shall we morn?
We all die,, get over it.
Jeff


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## cjmcanaul

c5rulz said:


> Loudmouth Jimmy is a welfare cheat for running a scam in which he is collecting disability payments. You really have to be an imbecile to be a nationally televised TV show supposedly being a logger while out on disability.
> 
> Ax Men regular pleads not guilty to L&I theft - Northwest McClatchy - bellinghamherald.com



A person can still be on disability and work. However, they cannot be paid more than $720 or $740 per month(it used to be $940 back in 2007) and continue to receive disability and other gov't services. Otherwise they will lose their disability status. Unless a person notifies SSA of "gainful employ", They can get their disability money reduced. There is another program through SSA called "Ticket to Work" where a person tries to get back to work, will continue to receive SSA, Medicare, etc for up to 9mos. If the person is only able to work under the allowed amount (this amt is for 2012 standard by the way), then they are deemed not gainfully employed and will remain on disability unless their disablement improves. That's determined by a review set by SSA depending on the condition.

MOST likely, Jimmy's case was dismissed or dropped by prosecution due to his impending death due to cancer. It would have been a waste of that state's money to prosecute someone who would be dead in 6mos. Which is what his oncologist gave him to live. His chemo did not delay his death, or whichever treatment they went with. I'm not sure he even got treatment before his death.

So I submit to those who have a strong opinion that he should pay for disability. First, does anyone here actually know that it was done "fraudulently"? Prosecution has to prove without doubt of intention AND guilt. OR was Jimmy in this situation of working according to the rules by not working more than the allowed income amount of $720-$740? If so, this could be the reason prosecution dropped the charges too. 
It looks to me that there are many who have "heard" but NO ONE knows the truth in the matter. 
OR, perhaps his competitors filed a complaint with SSA about the disability stuff out of spite? This another reason for SSA to investigate what is really what.

How do I know? I too am disabled, did the ticket to work program, and just went through an investigation last year due to a spiteful sibling. Turned my world upside down! Been to hell and back!! It was a fight to prove my claims, documents, etc all by myself too, because a lawyer wouldn't take my case because there was no money for them to make in it. It took a FULL year, but I was vindicated in the end. All because of a jealous sibing. 

Jimmy won't have to suffer any more, nor toil to pay "the man". But it makes me wonder if his angry and hurtful ways was what poisoned his body, like this stuff can do to the soul? take comfort, love covers a multitude of sin, the Word says.


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## c5rulz

Cjmcanual,

I am no way making this a personal barb towards you and I wish you the best in dealing with your disability.

However, The link I posted a long time ago was from a news article, and since he was charged, the District Attorney apparently felt it had merit. The fact it wasn't persued does not mitigate the offense. Since we are speaking about SSA I have the following comments:

SSA is a sucking chest wound of Govt. funds, and as bad as it is, the politicians have cut 2% funding in the spirit of fiscal recklessness.

As the long term unemployed run out of benefits, many are transferring over to disability to keep on the Govt. dole. This takes them off the unemployment statistic making a bad # look unrealistically better.

SSA is a disaster waiting to happen and this was well forecast when I was in high school, which was in the 1970's. Obviously it has not gotten better.


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## cjmcanaul

*Clarification*

I just saw a post under my user name that I NEVER wrote! OMG . It was even written way back in March of last year! About the same time that a sister and her lackey husband stole money from my bank, stole, destroyed, broke, pilfered my things that they offered to store in their garage. It was when I nearly died from arsenic poisoning that I got out of their "rented" upstairs apt. (I moved in 2008-poisoning started 2009-mvd out 2010)

It has taken me 3 years before the arsenic levels have finally dropped down to near normal levels. The damage to my body from the arsenic was bad, but I am now finally able to function far better these past years. 

She wasn't happy to try & kill me, but she also destroyed all relationship with the rest of the family. Which isn't such a bad thing either. My question these past 4 YEARS has been, "Who gives aide to a killer, and reject the victim?" And all for WHAT? 

Jealousy..............I can't figure that one out so much either. Jealous for what? I was a blue collar worker like most Americans. I was just a single mom, worked a good job, paid into SS since I was 12y/o. I've owned, and paid for 2 houses, and drove a new car about every 5 years. It wasn't until 2008 that brought me them was due to the loss of 2 great jobs in 2 1/2 years that damaged my health further. That's when I lost everything.

How many know that sometimes out of ashes a new beginning arises? And THAT'S what made them two so jealousy because of the hand of the Lord upon my life, and the promotion that comes out of such losses.

Then it turns out, they both are into the occult. No digs for anyone who practice such. It's about the degradation they did out of spite that GOD did not bless them. Yet they fail still today to see that it was their selfish ambitions and self promotion that did not find them.

SO, I will change my user, how the heck did she get my password stuff? Oh yeah, she's really good at stuff like this too!!

*MY APOLOGIES to all* that her posts were so rude about Jimmy. Which by the way, I still defend that most likely, which is usually the truth. That Jimmy was on disability but his income exceeded the allowable amount set forth by Congress. To those who don't know, as of 2012, was $740. That means someone on disability can draw SSDI can make $740 in 2012 and not be deducted from their disability. He still paid his medicare premium from disability if he had, but most likely did have medicare a&b in order to get insurance to pay for medications. 

I never once saw Jimmy diving for logs, nor did I see him wrangle logs, but only drove the truck and boat while his poor son did all the work.

I just ask, for future folks on SSDI or SSI is to give some grace because we NEVER know the truth about things. Oh yeah, If he got money from this show, THAT would explain the overage. If it went to the prosecution, that was because SSA based on IRS info, he made over the amount and didn't report it. Remember, it's the prosecution who are suppose to gather proof of fraud. So newspaper stories are just stories


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## saw dog

jefflovstrom said:


> Drop what? You are the first post in 5 months, why don't you drop it.
> Jeff



Hi Jeff
Hope you never have to go through what Jimmy went through before he passed away, Cancer is tough and the treatement is still tougher yet, no one knows what faces them before they die.


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## jefflovstrom

saw dog said:


> Hi Jeff
> Hope you never have to go through what Jimmy went through before he passed away, Cancer is tough and the treatment is still tougher yet, no one knows what faces them before they die.



Hi, what made you say that? Was it my post after that, when I said we all die? 
Anyway, Maybe I have or will have cancer (of some sort), but I don't want anyone crying about me.
Jeff


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## jefflovstrom

cjmcanaul said:


> I just saw a post under my user name that I NEVER wrote! OMG . It was even written way back in March of last year! About the same time that a sister and her lackey husband stole money from my bank, stole, destroyed, broke, pilfered my things that they offered to store in their garage. It was when I nearly died from arsenic poisoning that I got out of their "rented" upstairs apt. (I moved in 2008-poisoning started 2009-mvd out 2010)
> 
> It has taken me 3 years before the arsenic levels have finally dropped down to near normal levels. The damage to my body from the arsenic was bad, but I am now finally able to function far better these past years.
> 
> She wasn't happy to try & kill me, but she also destroyed all relationship with the rest of the family. Which isn't such a bad thing either. My question these past 4 YEARS has been, "Who gives aide to a killer, and reject the victim?" And all for WHAT?
> 
> Jealousy..............I can't figure that one out so much either. Jealous for what? I was a blue collar worker like most Americans. I was just a single mom, worked a good job, paid into SS since I was 12y/o. I've owned, and paid for 2 houses, and drove a new car about every 5 years. It wasn't until 2008 that brought me them was due to the loss of 2 great jobs in 2 1/2 years that damaged my health further. That's when I lost everything.
> 
> How many know that sometimes out of ashes a new beginning arises? And THAT'S what made them two so jealousy because of the hand of the Lord upon my life, and the promotion that comes out of such losses.
> 
> Then it turns out, they both are into the occult. No digs for anyone who practice such. It's about the degradation they did out of spite that GOD did not bless them. Yet they fail still today to see that it was their selfish ambitions and self promotion that did not find them.
> 
> SO, I will change my user, how the heck did she get my password stuff? Oh yeah, she's really good at stuff like this too!!
> 
> *MY APOLOGIES to all* that her posts were so rude about Jimmy. Which by the way, I still defend that most likely, which is usually the truth. That Jimmy was on disability but his income exceeded the allowable amount set forth by Congress. To those who don't know, as of 2012, was $740. That means someone on disability can draw SSDI can make $740 in 2012 and not be deducted from their disability. He still paid his medicare premium from disability if he had, but most likely did have medicare a&b in order to get insurance to pay for medications.
> 
> I never once saw Jimmy diving for logs, nor did I see him wrangle logs, but only drove the truck and boat while his poor son did all the work.
> 
> I just ask, for future folks on SSDI or SSI is to give some grace because we NEVER know the truth about things. Oh yeah, If he got money from this show, THAT would explain the overage. If it went to the prosecution, that was because SSA based on IRS info, he made over the amount and didn't report it. Remember, it's the prosecution who are suppose to gather proof of fraud. So newspaper stories are just stories



Hmm,, interesting.
Jeff :msp_confused:


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## luvatenor

jefflovstrom said:


> Hmm,, interesting.
> Jeff :msp_confused:




Boy has this forum veered way off the logging course-should be called Ax-Drama . I am from the East originally and know almost nothing about logging-would really love to learn what these guys REALLY go through-I am probably being unreasonable and apologize for being honest.


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