ORGANIZATIONS,
GOVERNMENT AGENCIES AND
AT LEAST FOUR CHURCHES.
A THREE MONTH LARRY
BARKER INVESTIGATION
UNCOVERS A DANGEROUS
FRAUD SCHEME INVOLVING
TENS OF THOUSANDS OF
DOLLARS, A SHADOWY
FUGITIVE, AND A POPULAR
ELECTED OFFICIAL.
B. Burson: "To know that
we could have been
killed is pretty scary."
Terry: "innocent people
could have lost their
egregious cases that
I've been
made aware of Larry."
Barker: "Ask anyone in
eastern New Mexico about
the devious fraud scheme
that
impacted of victims in
places like Logan, San
Jon, Tucumcari and folks
will give you an earful.
At the center of this
underhanded swindle is a
fugitive sex offender
and,
behind the scenes, a
popular elected
official."
THE LOSSES ARE
STAGGERING. Hargrove:
"I worked hard all my
life for
what I've got. He just
took about $2500 from
me." Phillips: "$4200."
J. Burson: "5, 6000
dollars." Terry: "about
15 to 20 thousand
dollars." WHO IS THE
MASTERMIND BEHIND THIS
CLEVER CON
GAME? MEET JOHN HARLEY.
Barker: "John Harley
showed up in these parts
a few years back. He was
a bit of a "mystery man"
Ute Lake. Harley was a
handyman by trade. In
Quay and Union counties
John Harley was the go
to guy for furnace
repairs and
installation." JOHN
HARLEY SOLD MORE THAN 50
HEATING AND AIR
CONDITIONING
UNITS ALL OVER EASTERN
NEW MEXICO. HE INSTALLED
EXPENSIVE EQUIPMENT IN
RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES,
BUSINESSES, CHURCHES,
GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS AS
WELL AS FRATERNAL AND
CIVIC ORGANIZATIONS.
Unthank: "Q. How many of
Mr. Harley's
installations were
proper? A. None."
MIKE UNTHANK IS
SUPERINTENDENT OF THE
STATE REGULATION AND
LICENSING DEPARTMENT.
Unthank: "Q. What was
Mr. Harley's
qualifications to do
furnace installations?
A. Absolutely none
whatsoever."
B. Burson: "It was
actually sucking carbon
monoxide into the
bedroom which was pretty
scary."
RETIRED BANKER JOHN
BURSON AND HIS WIFE
BEVERLY HIRED
JOHN HARLEY TO INSTALL A
FURNACE AT THEIR SUMMER
HOME IN LOGAN. IT WAS
ONLY LATER THAT THEY
FOUND THE INSTALLATION
SHODDY, DANGEROUS AND
ILLEGAL. A STATE
INSPECTOR TOOK
ONE LOOK AT THE FURNACE
AND RED TAGGED IT. J.
Burson: "He said it was
the worst installation
he had ever seen. ... He
even said we're lucky to
be alive. Thats what he
said.
He said if we would have
been up there in the
wintertime he said we
would not be
alive." THE BURSONS HAD
TO REMOVE THE $5000
FURNACE AND BUY A NEW
ONE. JOHN HARLEY HAD
DISAPPEARED.
J. Burson: "I'm real mad
You know for the loss
of the money but more
than that he put our
lives in danger. has no
respect for human life."
Phillips: "Q. Do you
feel cheated here? A.
Absolutely."
LOGAN BUSINESSMAN BARRY
PHILLIPS PAID HARLEY
$4200 TO INSTALL A
HEATER AND AIR
CONDITIONER AT HIS
WIFE'S ACCOUNTING
BUSINESS. IT WAS A
DISASTER.
Phillips: "My building
could have burned down.
Somebody could have
gotten electrocuted. The
wiring was absolutely a
mess. The freon leaks
out there were a mess.
It was totally
inadequate." Hargrove:
"It's not a manufactured
home furnace. It's made
for a house. ... Q. So
you're
out all of that money?
A. Yeah."
LOGAN RETIREE RANDY
HARGROVE'S LOSS WAS
$2500.
Hargrove: "He had it
vented completely wrong.
And the drain line
running under my trailer
instead of out.
And There was no place
to put a filter."
SAN JON BUSINESSMAN
MARLIN TERRY'S LOSS WAS
CLOSE
TO $20,000 AFTER HE
HIRED JOHN HARLEY TO
INSTALL FOUR FURNACES.
Terry: "When the L P gas
people come they said
into the home instead of
going on out through the
roof."
TODAY THE EQUIPMENT
MARLIN BOUGHT FROM JOHN
HARLEY SITS IN STORAGE.
Unthank: "Totally
incompetent and the
incompetency is based
upon the fact that our
inspection team has
looked at a number of
these installations and
the errors that have
been made in those
installation lead us
absolutely to believe
the person had no idea
what they were doing."
Barker: "In fact, New
Mexico's flim flam
furnace man is a fraud.
John Harley doesn't
have a contractor's
license. He doesn't even
have a driver's license.
What he does have
however is a felony
conviction for sexual
battery, in Tennessee.
he fled
that state years ago and
been on the run ever
since. Lately, he's been
hiding out 'here' in
Quay county."
BESIDES BILKING DOZENS
UPON DOZENS OF AREA
HOMEOWNERS,
HARLEY CHEATED THE
AMISTAD CHURCH, THE
HOUSE BAPTIST CHURCH,
THE SAN JON ASSEMPLY OF
GOD, THE LOGAN CHURCH OF
CHRIST, EVEN THE
AMERICAN LEGION. AND
JOHN HARLEY DID NOT
ACT ALONE. HE HAD AN
ACCOMPLICE.
Babb: "All those in
favor signify by saying
Aye..." MEET HIZZONER
LOGAN MAYOR DAVID BABB.
THATS RIGHT, ONE
OF THE TOWN'S MOST
RESPECTED CITIZENS WAS
JOHN HARLEY'S
SILENT BUSINESS PARTNER.
Unthank: "Our citizens
have been put at
significant risk by
unethical activity both
on the part of I hate to
say it, Mayor Babb and
an unlicensed person."
DOCUMENTS SHOW MOST OF
THE FURNACES INSTALLED
BY
HARLEY WERE PURCHASED
FROM THE MANUFACTURER
BY MAYOR BABB WHO IS A
LICENSED ELECTRICAL
CONTRACTOR. WHEN THE
MAYOR BUNGLED THE
INSTALLATION OF
A GAS FURNACE AT THE
NIXON RANCH OUTSIDE NARA
VISA, HE
CHEATED THE OWNERS OUT
OF $1700. AND, WHEN
LOGAN'S CITY
HALL, FIRE DEPARTMENT,
SENIOR CENTER AND
MEDICAL
CLINIC ENDED UP WITH
ILLEGAL FURNACE
INSTALLATIONS,
THE MAYOR ADMITS HE WAS
INVOLVED.
Unthank: "Q. For Mr.
Harley and Mr. Babb to
be involved in a scheme
where they installed
furnaces illegally in
mobile homes what do you
have to say about that
Mike? A. Well it's
outrageous." MAYOR BABB
SAYS JOHN HARLEY WAS A
FISHING BUDDY. THE MAYOR
SAYS HE WAS DUPED AND
ADMITS HE USED POOR
JUDGEMENT. BUT HE SAYS,
HES NOT A CROOK.
Babb: "Q. What do you
want your friends and
neighbors here in this
community to know about
what's happened? What do
you want them to know?
A. They know who I am.
I've been here 30 years.
it's was not a
deliberate act. It
wasn't intended to hurt
anybody."
STATE REGULATORS ARE
SEEKING TO PUT DAVID
BABB OUT
OF THE CONTRACTING
BUSINESS FOR QUOTE
AIDING
AND ABETTING AN
UNLICENSED PERSON. AS
FOR JOHN HARLEY, HE
DISAPPEARED THIS SUMMER
SHORTLY AFTER HIS
CONVICTION IN A UNION
COUNTY COURT. HE REMAINS
A FUGITIVE TODAY.
Phillips: "Q. If You're
able to get Mr. Harley
on the phone what would
you like to say today?
A. Probably shouldn't
say to you how I feel
bad about it."
Burson: "Yes I've got a
few things I'd like to
say to him probably
wouldn't do to repeat.
... I'd probably make a
citizen's arrest. "
Terry: "You know my
problem is I trust
everybody. But you know
everybody's
been fair with me
mostly. Q. Except John?
A. Except John Harley."
LARRY BARKER KRQE NEWS
13.
STATE CONSTRUCTION
REGULATORS HAVE REFERRED
THIS CASE TO THE STATE
POLICE FOR A CRIMINAL
INVESTIGATION.