Jenny's Market robbery case dropped; business carries on in midst of legal battles
Jenny's Market proprietor Burton Hoey at the business last fall.
Melanie Maxwell I AnnArbor.com
The attack sent Hoey to the hospital for three days and launched an investigation by the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office. But it’s a case that likely will never be solved. Investigators dropped it after Hoey failed a polygraph test and then refused to further discuss the case with an officer, a police report shows.
Meanwhile, Hoey is in the middle of a protracted zoning dispute with Webster Township. At the same time, a lawsuit filed against Hoey and his business by an injured former employee after a devastating hayride accident last fall is winding its way through the courts.
After the difficult season last year, Hoey says he’s just trying to carry on with the business. He said the attack has left him afraid.
“There’s only one person involved in this mess and it was me getting nearly killed,” he said. “I’m so frightened for my life right now that I’ve had to buy two dogs.”
Hoey said the administrator of the polygraph test told him he had failed it after he took it, but didn’t explain what answers were deemed not truthful or provide any evidence of his failure.
He said he doesn’t have any insurance, so there would be no motive for him to make up the story or stage a fake attack. He said deputies told him he had slightly changed his story about the attack during interviews, but he said that’s no wonder considering the seriousness of his injuries. “They questioned me in the hospital, and I was beaten nearly to death,” he said.
Questions arise
A wagon at the market
The night he reported the attack, Hoey told deputies the robbers stole about $50,000 that he had in a bag with a strap around his neck, a newly released police report on the incident shows. He later told Cpl. Mark Mesko that he had left the money in a trailer on the property and that while the robbers were beating him they asked where the money was. He told them it was in his trailer, and then the assailants stopped beating him, went to the trailer and stole the money, Mesko said Hoey told him.
The police report also states that the night of the attack, Hoey said he had been robbed of $50,000 but later said it was $55,000. He also initially said he did not see the face of one of the suspects who attacked him but later said he did, and that the attacker was Mexican, but he could not provide any further identifying features.
Hoey took a polygraph test on Nov. 3, 2011, which the test administrator said he failed, the police report indicates. In the report, sheriff’s Det. Everette Robbins wrote that he tried to interview Hoey after the polygraph test, but Hoey was uncooperative and asked to leave, which he was allowed to do. Robbins wrote that he told Hoey the department could reopen the investigation if Hoey contacted him with a “truthful version of events.”
On Jan. 31, 2012, Robbins wrote that the case was “closed due to the lack of victim cooperation/truthfulness.”
The night of the reported attack, Hoey told deputies he was in a trailer on the property when the lights went out. The power to the trailer is supplied by an extension cord that runs to the barn, so Hoey went to the barn to check on the power.
“In the barn, Mr. Hoey was struck in the head from behind and grabbed by one of the suspects,” sheriff’s Deputy Harry Valentine wrote in the police report. “Mr. Hoey was struck with a wooden horse yoke. The suspects beat Mr. Hoey, took the moneybag and fled out the north side barn door. … The suspects fled to Island Lake Road. Mr. Hoey stated the suspects did not speak. He stated the suspect holding him whistled as a signal for the other one to hit him with the yoke.”
Deputies who responded to Hoey’s 911 call that night found him covered with blood. Pictures in the police report show blood streaming down his face and head. They also show a gash on the back of his head.
Deputies found Hoey’s baseball hat on the floor of the barn as well as a black ski mask. Blood was on the floor and on a wooden yoke, as well as on a table in the barn. Deputies also found blood droplets leading out of the barn and on boxes near an entry door at the rear of the market store.
Hoey told deputies the suspects were "short, non-white males, possibly Hispanic. Both males were dirty and smelled of cow dung." He said one of them had a shaved head. He said both were in their 30s.
Hoey said in an interview that he was scared to leave the hospital because of the brutality of the attack. “This was not a push and shove ‘em deal. They hit me with a club lots of times. I’ve got stitches in my head. …One tooth’s knocked out. My face was black for a week.”
A season of trouble
The robbery report came several weeks after a hayride accident at the business left one of Hoey’s employees paralyzed from the waist down. Mary Armbruster was seriously injured when she fell off the wagon during a hayride in September. She has since sued the business and Hoey.
Hoey called what happened to Armbruster awful and said when he begins offering hayrides again during the busy fall season, he will be the one driving the wagon, so no one else can be injured.
Hoey hopes that by then, his lawsuit against the township will be resolved so that he can go back to making his popular doughnuts, a practice he had to suspend last fall after the state cited him for food-safety violations and the lack of hand-washing facilities.
Hoey sued the township in April over its refusal to grant him a permit to install a bathroom. In denying the permit, township officials said Hoey had failed to submit a required site plan.
Hoey contends he doesn’t need a site plan because the township previously approved a plan for the business, and this is a minor alteration.
The skirmish is the latest in a long-running battle between Hoey and Webster Township over alleged zoning violations. Last fall, the township sought to shut the market down, citing nine alleged zoning violations that range from lack of an approved site plan and failure to get a special use permit for some of its activities, to failure to have a certificate of zoning compliance for a building addition.
But recently, lawyers for the township and Hoey have both said they expect to come to a negotiated settlement over the matter.
John Bredell, who represents Hoey, said he and his client agree with the state that hand-washing facilities are needed, especially since the business has horses and other animals with which visitors interact. “We don’t think it’s safe to touch a horse and eat a doughnut,” he said.
However, he said the township has approved previous site plans and a new one is not needed. He expressed confidence the two sides can come to an agreement.
Ross Bower, Webster Township attorney, expressed a similar sentiment. “The township's goal is bringing the Jenny's Farm Market property into compliance with the township's zoning ordinance, just like any other property,” he said in an email. “The parties, through their counsel, are actively negotiating to meet that goal. … I'm hopeful that we'll be able to resolve the matter quickly.”
Comments
Hactin
Sun, Jul 8, 2012 : 7:49 p.m.
It could be all true. It could be that somebody beat the heck out of Mr. Hoey cause they knew he kept a moneybag. It could be that he doesn't trust banks or doesn't like to pay taxes. It could be true that he had no foresight to buy liability insurance to protect him in the case of a worker getting hurt. It could be true that the wagon wasn't well looked after or that the employee declared competence in driving the wagon before she was any good at it. It's a real shame the girl was hurt. It could be true that somebody took a couple of extra shots at his head because of his hard-won reputation for tough-nosed negotiation. He has been a fixture in the construction scene in Dexter for many years, and he has had contact with a lot of people, and he has given jobs to a lot of people, and he sure doesn't take a lot of gruff off of anybody. He is indeed an industrious person and we need industrious people. But all the old timers say that he can sure sling a story farther than a country mile when he wants to. So, who knows? I see he got the police confounded to where they dropped him. Does that mean he can't claim a loss on his taxes?
Erik Peterson
Tue, Jun 12, 2012 : 4:50 p.m.
How is Mary Armbruster? Is Mary's case going forward, what about the insurance case? Is Jenny, Burton's daughter, still on the hook as property owner even though she had nothing to do with daily operations?
hmsp
Sat, Jun 9, 2012 : 6:35 p.m.
@ zip the cat, re: "I've known Burton Hoey for 40 yrs and I can honestly say he has never had 50.000 of anything let alone $50 K cash." Are you saying he is lying, then? It's hard to tell where you're coming from, since you follow that with, "I hope he sues webster townships socks off..." which sounds as though you support him.
zip the cat
Sat, Jun 9, 2012 : 2:14 p.m.
All you responders here who think he claimed to have lost $50 k so his insurance carrier would cover it,must be living on another planet. Insurance companies do not cover cash losses. I've known Burton Hoey for 40 yrs and I can honestly say he has never had 50.000 of anything let alone $50 K cash. I hope he sues webster townships socks off,they had there chance to make him go away and dropped the ball big time. And the circus keeps on a rolling
Goofus
Sat, Jun 9, 2012 : 3:44 a.m.
A2dotcom doing the usual soft-shoe on the Hoey stories by giving the man the microphone for most of the story, but I always thought he lost the 50K so he could plead bankrupcy when the Armbruster lawyers win the injury case against him.
Dexter Man
Sat, Jun 9, 2012 : 1:28 a.m.
This individual has had problems galore in not only Webster but also in Dexter over the years. If Ann Arbor .com is interested they should check with immigration the utility companies and the Village about the problems he has had. Webster's biggest mistake was allowing this market in the first place.
hmsp
Sat, Jun 9, 2012 : 12:30 a.m.
@ aa.com, re commenting guidelines inconsistencies: YpsiVeteran echoes some of what I posted earlier on this subject when he/she says: "Why publish the details of the police report if the editorial staff doesn't want to stimulate discussion?" Discussion that of necessity will include comments that go directly against aa.com's ill-thought-out guidelines! One of the more frustrating aspects of aa.com's guidelines is the fact that they are seemingly enforced capriciously, or at the very least, inconsistently, and at random. Go over to the religious "freedom" thread, and you will find ad hominem attacks being thrown freely back and forth. And yet I get deleted when I post a reply here, saying that yes, indeed, I was being sarcastic in my earlier reply "supporting" one comment that read, "Isn't this site suppose to support local businesses?" I said, (including the following irony-implying gap), "And the way they have treated the Dream Nite Club is simply shocking." Evidently, because I almost mentioned by "name" (I used an abbreviation) my main challenger, who took my obviously-sarcastic comment at face value, aa.com decided to delete my reply. SHEESH! So, aa.com, go over to that religious "freedom" thread again, read through it, come back and read my comment again, and thenask yourselves if you are displaying any hint of consistency at all in your random deletions.
Suzanne
Fri, Jun 8, 2012 : 8:22 p.m.
Could the inconsistencies be caused by a head injury? $50k is an awful lot of money for a small business to have, even in it's peak season...
quetzalcoatl
Fri, Jun 8, 2012 : 7:33 p.m.
Mr. Hoey is more unlucky than the black cat that dropped dead 10 times while walking under a ladder beneath a full moon. Either he was born under a bad sign, or everybody is out to get him.
huh7891
Fri, Jun 8, 2012 : 10:50 p.m.
Called mob mentality....I 've visited his market. love the donuts..has spoken to him more than once and he has been was nothing but kind.Unfortunately, I've see some really negative remarks on here about the man, even if they aren't true, it certainly can't be helping his business.
YpsiVeteran
Fri, Jun 8, 2012 : 6:46 p.m.
I'm not sure I understand the reasoning behind posting an article that details the inconsistencies of a reported crime victim's story and reports the belief of the investigating officers that the victim has not been truthful, and then removing all comments that discuss the various perspectives associated with that information. It would have served the "news reporting" goal just as accurately and adequately to report that the investigation has been stalled by lack of leads, or due to a "lack of cooperation" from the victim, or something similar. Why publish the details of the police report if the editorial staff doesn't want to stimulate discussion? People lie to the police all the time, and the police also get things wrong.
Ron Granger
Fri, Jun 8, 2012 : 5:01 p.m.
@Peter: "Opinion on this shouldn't be swayed in any way by the polygraph results - they are complete and utter pseudoscience. A psychic dog would be just as accurate" By that measure, police should never bother asking questions. Because they can never be assured of knowing whether the responses are truthful - or, as you say, similar to a psychic dog's. And who could possibly believe that someone would ever incriminate themselves? And yet it happens all the time. Police interrogations, of both witnesses and suspects, are tremendously effective. A polygraph is a tremendously powerful tool. Combined with decades of professional experience, it is an additional point of reference. It can tell an experienced operator that someone is being very truthful, or that they are covering something up. It can tell them that someone is believes what they are saying, even if it is a jumbled mess due to a possible head injury. The police are never going to rely entirely on a polygraph. It's just part of the story. A polygraph can help someone when everything else is against them.
YpsiVeteran
Sat, Jun 9, 2012 : 3:02 a.m.
Where did I say that? What I said was that it has been proven accurate in some instances, and inaccurate in others. Stress causes documented physiological changes in some people, changes that can be recorded. Lying causes some people stress, but not all. Hence, sometimes polygraphs are accurate and sometimes they are not. Plenty of things can impact the results, including the skill and biases of the polygraph examiner.
Peter
Fri, Jun 8, 2012 : 8:35 p.m.
Things are not true merely because somebody believes them to be. It boggles my mind that would type that out without a second though.
YpsiVeteran
Fri, Jun 8, 2012 : 6:53 p.m.
Peter, they do if you believe that altered physiological responses, or the lack of same, are an accurate barometer of truthfulness. Sometimes it's true, and lots of times it's not. It's been shown time and again that pathologically liars can easily pass a polygraph, and that highly nervous but honest people often fail. It's just a tool, and I'm glad that the results are not admissible in court. Personally, I'd be more influenced by the fact that he agreed to take it than I would be by the results.
Peter
Fri, Jun 8, 2012 : 5:54 p.m.
I don't know how to phrase this any clearer: Polygraph machines do not reveal anything about whether a person is telling the truth or not. They rely on completely unfounded ideas, like homeopathy or divining or numerous other quackeries. The decades of professional experience help, but the polygraph only hinders that experience and personal ability (aside from pretending that you have a device that tells if somebody's lying, but you could use a copy machine for that).
Honest Abe
Fri, Jun 8, 2012 : 4:32 p.m.
A lot of folks would gladly take a beating for $50,000, when they think the insurance company will cover the loss. Just sayin.
81wolverine
Fri, Jun 8, 2012 : 7:50 p.m.
Except that most business insurance policies don't cover the loss of unlimited amounts of cash. It's usually a rider with a maximum limit that usually isn't that high. Insurance companies assume that almost all small retail businesses have very modest amounts of cash on hand at any one time.
nickcarraweigh
Fri, Jun 8, 2012 : 4 p.m.
Mr. Hoey's tale casts a wholly modern light on trading dollars for donuts. He seems to run a fabulously successful business, what with having enough cash on hand to choke a filthy horse. Eccentric cash management practices or not, indications are Mr. Hoey can afford a lawyer to straighten out Webster Township if Webster Township is actually wrong. Mr. Hoey makes his case online rather than in court, I suspect, because he has a nag for a case.
drut_ferguson
Fri, Jun 8, 2012 : 7:21 p.m.
Hay, hay, hay, let's cut out the bad puns, fellows.
Ron Granger
Fri, Jun 8, 2012 : 4:49 p.m.
I wouldn't want to walk a furlong in that man's shoes.
smokeblwr
Fri, Jun 8, 2012 : 4:31 p.m.
Whoa Nelly that was bad! Nay, terrible!
seldon
Fri, Jun 8, 2012 : 3:50 p.m.
"There's only one person involved in this mess"
Jack
Fri, Jun 8, 2012 : 3:38 p.m.
I have known people who failed a lie detector test and were in fact quite innocent. It means nothing. Why Mr. Hoey consented to such a test, I don't know. I would never. Nor can I say anything about the inconsistencies of his recalling of events unless I know what state he was in when he answered questions. What is clear is that he was beaten. He has no reason to lie since he has no insurance. What bothers me about this is that the investigation was closed without resolution. No investigation should be dropped when someone is injuried to that extent, whether there are inconsistencies or not. This is not a popularity contest. Until I hear some truly convincing reasons from the police that this investigation was dropped, I hold the police responsible for a terribly unfair and improper decision.
prince lori
Fri, Jun 8, 2012 : 6:50 p.m.
Agreed! A crime was committed, the police can pretent it didn't happen because maybe they have something against Hoey - but perhaps the next victim won't live to tell about it. Gee thanks, I feel so safe now,
Ron Granger
Fri, Jun 8, 2012 : 4:47 p.m.
"He has no reason to lie since he has no insurance." It is greatly disingenuous and overly simplistic to suggest that a simple lack of insurance removes all other possible motives. The forum rules preclude our speculating on his possible motives, so I will not do that. The slightest familiarity with history will provide many possible examples.
ArthGuinness
Fri, Jun 8, 2012 : 3:31 p.m.
"We don't think it's safe to touch a horse and eat a doughnut," It's a wonder that people lived at all in the old days.
Ron Granger
Fri, Jun 8, 2012 : 4:40 p.m.
Actually, they didn't. At least not for very long. Life expectancy was much shorter. Sanitation, and E coli, are not myths.
Tru2Blu76
Fri, Jun 8, 2012 : 3:28 p.m.
If this were 1612 CE instead of 2012 CE, we could conclude that Mr. Hoey is the victim of witchcraft and/ or evil spirits. But alas, Mean Old Mr. Science and Rationality has deprived us of that easy (speculative) explanation. What have the Fates got in store? Stay tuned for more on this local color extravaganza. ;-)
hmsp
Fri, Jun 8, 2012 : 2:17 p.m.
@ Cindy Heflin, aa.com: Seriously, though, this article, and the inevitable comments that follow, show up one of the weak points in aa.com's commenting guidelines. The article itself reports the existence of a large amount of skepticism concerning Mr. Hoey's story, but any similar comments along those lines should, at least by aa.com's standards, be deleted. I know that aa.com is working on tweaking, and improving, its comment system — I just completed a survey about commenting that aa.com sent out. It will be interesting to see what changes occur. One weak point about the survey was that it consisted only of questions that aa.com wanted answered. A comments/suggestions/complaints section would have provided aa.com with a lot of useful food for thought. For instance, one annoying feature that a lot of people complain about is the inability to go back and edit one's own posts. I would think that could be easily fixed. The online custom that seems to work best is to have a feature in the program that automatically notes at the bottom of the comment that it has been edited, and includes the date and time of the edit.
smokeblwr
Fri, Jun 8, 2012 : 3:49 p.m.
I like not being able to go back and edit. It keeps me on my toes so I can continue to deliver the high level of comment quality you all have come to expect.
paniroza03
Fri, Jun 8, 2012 : 2:50 p.m.
There is a lot wrong with this site. I am on my third username because the password reset doesn't work properly. If it weren't for the interesting and ridiculous comments, I wouldn't go to this site.
hmsp
Fri, Jun 8, 2012 : 1:58 p.m.
"We don't think it's safe to touch a horse and eat a doughnut." I think there's a song in there somewhere, but it'll need a little work... I'll start: Touch a horse Eat a doughnut And kiss your a** goodbye Somebody can do better than that, I'm sure.
hmsp
Fri, Jun 8, 2012 : 1:54 p.m.
I agree with LatersBaby: "Isn't this site suppose to support local businesses? " And the way they have treated the Dream Nite Club is simply shocking.
Lovaduck
Fri, Jun 8, 2012 : 4:53 p.m.
I assume your remarks are satirical? No?
Ron Granger
Fri, Jun 8, 2012 : 3:02 p.m.
What part is shocking? That dream nite club had so many criminal violations requiring the police? Should aa.com have ignored those facts? Or reporting on the failed multi-million dollar lawsuit against the city? What, specifically, is your concern. Examples please.
LatersBaby
Fri, Jun 8, 2012 : 1:09 p.m.
It is a little bit upsetting to me that AnnArbor.com would publish such an article, questioning the business owner. Isn't this site suppose to support local businesses? I love Jenny's market and visited last Fall and you would never have known there was a problem...they were also serving doughnuts. Shame on you AnnArbor.com for publishing such an article.
pbehjatnia
Sat, Jun 9, 2012 : 1:42 a.m.
So you love businesses which don't step up to help a permanently injured employee? Who use racial stereotypes to lie? Are you serious?
djacks24
Fri, Jun 8, 2012 : 2:12 p.m.
"Are you suggesting aa.com should lie about the public record? That they should give some business owners favorable coverage?" Why suggest it, when aa.com already does that all the time? You must be a new reader..
justcurious
Fri, Jun 8, 2012 : 1:51 p.m.
LatersBaby, you must have missed what many others missed. Look up the archives of this saga.
LatersBaby
Fri, Jun 8, 2012 : 1:33 p.m.
@Ron - No perhaps I am saying they should focus their reporting on something more important!
a2citizen
Fri, Jun 8, 2012 : 1:28 p.m.
AnnArbor.com had two choices: 1. Print the story 2. Act like the event did not happen and not write the story. $50,000 buys a lot of donuts.
Ron Granger
Fri, Jun 8, 2012 : 1:16 p.m.
"Isn't this site suppose to support local businesses? " Oh please. Since when does being a business make someone above the truth, or honest news reporting? The police have now said he was not truthful. It is public record. It is big news in this widely followed local story. Are you suggesting aa.com should lie about the public record? That they should give some business owners favorable coverage?
Ron Granger
Fri, Jun 8, 2012 : 12:49 p.m.
I have no trouble believing that Mr. Hoey was beat. Why someone would want to beat him so brutally we can only speculate.
Jack
Fri, Jun 8, 2012 : 3:30 p.m.
Mr. Granger - What then would be his motivation? He has no insurance.
BradP
Fri, Jun 8, 2012 : 12:55 p.m.
I also have no trouble believing his story is full of inconsistencies (I won't use the L word in case my comment would be removed). Doesn't mean he wasn't robbed of some amount of money.
BradP
Fri, Jun 8, 2012 : 12:52 p.m.
Agreed.
Ron Granger
Fri, Jun 8, 2012 : 12:43 p.m.
In one version, Hoey said the guys did not speak. In another version, they spoke. How do you confuse something so basic? The police would want to know if they had accents, etc. Hoey says the guy whistled as a signal. Maybe the cops should be looking for Harpo Marx? "Mr. Hoey stated the suspects did not speak. He stated the suspect holding him whistled as a signal for the other one to hit him with the yoke." "He later told Cpl. Mark Mesko that he had left the money in a trailer on the property and that while the robbers were beating him they asked where the money was. He told them it was in his trailer"
Craig Lounsbury
Fri, Jun 8, 2012 : 12:56 p.m.
Reads like he couldn't keep his story straight. Maybe he's lying......or maybe he suffered "one of them there concussion things" that the NFL is getting sued for.
Ron Granger
Fri, Jun 8, 2012 : 12:36 p.m.
It is one thing for cops to say they can't find the criminals. It is quite another when cops write in the public record that a victim is not truthful and they will no longer work on a case. They don't do that over one or two inconsistencies. They don't do it over minor points. They do it when they are very certain. When it is overwhelming.
jeepinkev
Fri, Jun 8, 2012 : 2 p.m.
"When do they write in the public record that a victim was not being truthful?" I believe they did that in this case, thats a pretty good example. I'm sure if anyone were to actually dig through the public record, it would be found that it happens on a regular basis.
Ron Granger
Fri, Jun 8, 2012 : 12:52 p.m.
When else have they done that, Fester? Examples please. When do they write in the public record that a victim was not being truthful?
Fester
Fri, Jun 8, 2012 : 12:44 p.m.
Or when they cannot solve a crime so they blame the vitim
newsboy
Fri, Jun 8, 2012 : 12:36 p.m.
In a few years it will be in the hands of the city of Dexter.
a2citizen
Fri, Jun 8, 2012 : 1:27 p.m.
Or possibly, with urban sprawl...maybe the city of Ann Arbor.
BradP
Fri, Jun 8, 2012 : 12:35 p.m.
Mr. Hoey may have refused to keep talking to police because they were not going to be able to help him get his money back. And beyond that, what would he need to talk to them for? Once they got the polygraph (reliable or not), they were done helping him. It doesn't mean he beat himself up or knocked his own tooth out. Or wasn't robbed. I'm not sure Mr. Hoey knows how to effectively advocate for himself, and the police aren't looking for extra work.
BradP
Fri, Jun 8, 2012 : 12:37 p.m.
It also doesn't mean that his story is entirely true.
Steve Pepple
Fri, Jun 8, 2012 : 12:32 p.m.
A number of comments have been removed pending further review.
pbehjatnia
Sat, Jun 9, 2012 : 1:39 a.m.
The guidelines and enforcement are selective and poorly thought out. Too bad that wasn't a survey topic.
seldon
Fri, Jun 8, 2012 : 3:56 p.m.
I bet. This story is inherently problematic in how it interacts with your commenting guidelines.
MgoBlueMomma
Fri, Jun 8, 2012 : 12:28 p.m.
This story is a bunch of nonsense. All a pack of lies.
Ron Granger
Fri, Jun 8, 2012 : 12:27 p.m.
It would take most small businesses, especially a little farm market, quite a long time to make $50K in cash. Ignoring the security concerns, most small businesses have cash flow issues. They need to get their cash into the bank ASAP to pay bills. They don't leave it sitting around for weeks or months. $50,000 is physically a lot of money, and bulk. At a farm market it would be in small bills. Even if it was just 10's and no 1's, that'd be 5000 bills. You know how thick a 500 sheet ream of paper is? Imagine 10 of them stacked - and that assumes the cash is in perfect, flat, condition. Add in all the one dollar bills and the bulk of it all defies belief. And we are to belief he carries this around his neck? I believe there is something around his neck - it is the fabled albatros.
ViSHa
Fri, Jun 8, 2012 : 2:43 p.m.
You guys are cracking me up :)
Ron Granger
Fri, Jun 8, 2012 : 12:55 p.m.
Smokeblwr, while your theory is compelling, I must ask: Where is the bling? One cannot possibly shoot a rap video without bling. You need the bling, that's the thing. Or do you suppose he was enroute to obtain the bling? Perhaps he was going to visit a dentist to get his grill adjusted?
smokeblwr
Fri, Jun 8, 2012 : 12:48 p.m.
At the risk of getting deleted for conjecture: Perhaps he was on his way to film a rap video and needed the cash monies.
BradP
Fri, Jun 8, 2012 : 12:47 p.m.
Ten reams of paper are huge. But ten stacks of bills the thickness of a ream would be much smaller. I'm not saying that there actually was $50,000 stolen, but it would be possible for a man to carry the money in a bag. The surface area of a dollar bill is 15 in. sq. The surface are of a sheet of paper is 93.5 in. sq. Imagine 10 reams of paper. Now imagine 16 percent of that. 5,000 ten dollar bills would be equivalent to a ream and a half of paper. And yes, not perfectly flat or all 10's. Awkward, but it does not "defy all belief."
Ron Granger
Fri, Jun 8, 2012 : 12:38 p.m.
You, sir, may have cracked the case. So you think Mr. Hoey was going to become a rapper? Or just produce rap videos?
smokeblwr
Fri, Jun 8, 2012 : 12:31 p.m.
I've seen rap videos where they throw $50K around, makin' it rain all up in there.
Lets Get Real
Fri, Jun 8, 2012 : 12:26 p.m.
I don't know Mr Hoey, but I've experienced the overwhelming restrictions, opressive rules, and unreasonable demands government entities over-interpret to manifest control and extort revenues from small business owners. " . . . bringing the . . . property into compliance with the township's zoning ordinance, just like any other property" indicates the one rule fits none philosophy the government entity is taking. Far from being solutions oriented, the position is to force the square peg into the round hole. In the middle of the stress of dealing with the guilt and stress of his employee being injured, here comes the government to add to his woes: we'll cite you for not having a restroom and handwashing station, but we won't give you permission to build one without escallating the cost by duplicating a site plan you've already submitted; you don't have the right piece of paper/certificate to say what we want it to say, and we'll manufacture some minute zoning violation you are not following - all after the fact. Where is the guidance, help and assistance during? Let the guy make a few donuts, sell a few flowers, and make kids smile when they pet a horse. Work WITH him rather than taking the adversarial, punishment approach. But, then it is the government. Control and penalty is at their core - trust me. Their training includes interrogation techniques that bully - then we're surprised when are kids bully.
Ron Granger
Fri, Jun 8, 2012 : 3:09 p.m.
"I don't know Mr Hoey, but I've experienced the overwhelming restrictions, opressive rules, and unreasonable demands government entities over-interpret to manifest control and extort revenues from small business owners." You mean regulations like those that prevent serious injuries? Maybe you didn't hear - a woman was paralyzed on one of Mr. Hoey's rides. Is that the unregulated utopia you espouse? What was your argument again?
drut_ferguson
Fri, Jun 8, 2012 : 2:05 p.m.
Regulations, schmegulations! Let the guy sell his possibly unsanitary donuts and run his possibly unsafe hayrides in peace! So his trailer is powered with an extension cord running from a barn. Big deal! Fire hazard, schmire hazard! What's more important, the safety of the public and employees at the market, or respecting the feelings and whims of the small business owner?
justcurious
Fri, Jun 8, 2012 : 1:44 p.m.
No, you don't know Mr. Hoey. Many in the Dexter community do.
Ron Granger
Fri, Jun 8, 2012 : 12:29 p.m.
"Work WITH him rather than taking the adversarial, punishment approach. " Guess you haven't read the other stories about the guy. Specifically, how he treated inspectors who visited the site, and how past customers characterized their interactions with the man. The words genial, friendly, and collaborative were never mentioned.
smokeblwr
Fri, Jun 8, 2012 : 12:22 p.m.
The bigger issue here is the fact he's running power to an outbuilding via an extension cord. That is NOT up to code and a hazard. SHUT...DOWN....EVERYTHING!
CPLtownie
Fri, Jun 8, 2012 : 6:09 p.m.
hmmmm, I know of several ann arbor businesses that have non-code jerry-rigs in their basements... Overreactions, and a witch hunt...
Ponycar
Fri, Jun 8, 2012 : 2:22 p.m.
Yes, please, let's over react by all means!
Peter
Fri, Jun 8, 2012 : 12:14 p.m.
Opinion on this shouldn't be swayed in any way by the polygraph results - they are complete and utter pseudoscience. A psychic dog would be just as accurate (probably more so actually).
sh1
Sat, Jun 9, 2012 : 12:22 a.m.
I agree with you, but the fact that he can't tell the same story twice is rather incriminating.
Matt Cooper
Fri, Jun 8, 2012 : 9:16 p.m.
Wow, Peter. Not such a great history expert are ya? Yep, there was a time when all the so-called "experts" thought the Earth was flat, and that the universe revolved around it. And nobody knew that mold could kill bacteria. And there was even a time when you'd be hard pressed to find any "peer reviewed" sources that would testify that, yes indeed, man would fly someday. As for the imagination comment, I'd rather have a good and active one than to be someone who's flat, and dull and uneducated, and...well, you get the picture. Oh and just so you know (I know you won't believe me on this but oh well), there are some courts in these wonderful United States that allow polygraph results. Go ahead. Look it up. If you dare. I'm thinking you probably won't.
Peter
Fri, Jun 8, 2012 : 5:49 p.m.
You're thinking of days that never existed? It is good to have an active imagination, I suppose.
Matt Cooper
Fri, Jun 8, 2012 : 5:25 p.m.
I'm thinking of the days when you also couldn't find a "peer reviewed source" that would have stated the Earth was round and not flat. Or when you couldn't have found a peer reviewed source to say that the Earth orbits around the sun and not vice versa.
Peter
Fri, Jun 8, 2012 : 1:43 p.m.
Show me a single peer reviewed source that asserts the polygraph machine's accuracy.
Craig Lounsbury
Fri, Jun 8, 2012 : 12:20 p.m.
they are far from "complete and utter pseudoscience" although they are also far enough from 100% accurate to be admissible as evidence.
Craig Lounsbury
Fri, Jun 8, 2012 : 12:12 p.m.
It seems easy to not believe the guy. But who beat him up and why? If one doubts his story do we assume his wounds were self inflicted?
justcurious
Fri, Jun 8, 2012 : 1:43 p.m.
Someone who had enough?
Fester
Fri, Jun 8, 2012 : 12:10 p.m.
Annarbor.com should have a policy against blaming the victim of a crime
Ron Granger
Fri, Jun 8, 2012 : 12:32 p.m.
This site gives victims a great deal of 'benefit of the doubt'. In this case, police said the man is not telling the truth. It is now a matter of public record.
bobslowson
Fri, Jun 8, 2012 : 12:23 p.m.
They do and it seems it is selectively enforced...
Craig Lounsbury
Fri, Jun 8, 2012 : 12:13 p.m.
I don't think that would work. It might lead to deleting comments. We don't want to start down that slippery road...;)
RuralMom
Fri, Jun 8, 2012 : 11:38 a.m.
The poor dogs!
Unusual Suspect
Fri, Jun 8, 2012 : 1:05 p.m.
Well, sure, by those who scream "Racism!" at the drop of a hat, but not by regular people.