https://katv.com/community/7-o...but-it-wasnt-private


LINK HAS NEWS VIDEO.


Arkansas hunters duped into leasing hunting land privately, but it wasn't private

by Marine Glisovic Tuesday, December 13th 2022

LONDON, Ark. (KATV) — Arkansas hunters are being duped into leasing land privately, but it was anything but private and that's why they called Seven On Your Side.

A hunter called and said he found an ad on Facebook and Craigslist and thought he was signing a lease to hunt privately on 50 acres in London, Arkansas. When he showed up for the first hunt of the season, he found out he was not alone.



“Very first question I asked him was: 'If I lease this, is this going to be just me - and who I say - hunting?' And of course he says 'yeah'," said Daniel Smith.


Smith saw an ad on Facebook and contacted Dion Dawson to lease the land. He said after obtaining a contract, he paid Dawson and set up camp.

“When I get up here a guy comes out here - when I’m putting out corn - and says, ‘I’m fixing to lease this and lock this gate’ and I’m like 'well, I have already leased it',” Smith explained. “So, he calls the guy on the phone and puts him on speaker phone and asks him about it and of course he hangs up and says we're a liar. I showed the other guy the contract."

And it was not just that other guy. Other hunters confirmed to 7OYS they too were duped.

“Nobody is going to lease 50 acres and have 50 other people lease with you,” said Smith. “You can't even hunt it because you don't know where anybody is at...so I can't go out there and hunt and risk me getting shot or them getting shot.”

Smith said he paid $1,000 to lease the land in London where dozens of others were paying to hunt on.

"It's been pretty frustrating," he said. "The only ones that have come to help us is y'all."

Steve Rigdon lives a mile up the road. He said he, too, was duped.

“Nobody shows up to hunt this now because they're afraid of too many people being here and getting killed," said Rigdon. "I mean, that's ridiculous, you can't just lease it to that many people. That's a safety hazard big time."

Rigdon paid $800 for two years.

"It's just aggravating," he said. "I mean, nothing is being done. He just keeps doing it. He’s been doing it since June...we leased it in August."

Ever since, Rigdon has been warning other hunters.

“Leave my name and number up there for people to get a hold of me," he said. "Well, this couple from Oklahoma, a man and his wife, and they had an infant baby with them."

He added that was the only other time he saw Dawson - the man leasing the land – other than when he paid him the money.

“I got over here, thought I had him blocked in, but they ended up going around my truck," Rigdon said. "Called the law, law come out...man from Oklahoma filled out a statement, I filled out a statement."

Rigdon then called 7OYS to warn other hunters.

“This ain’t about getting the money back. This is about him being stopped so he don't keep doing this to other people,” he said. “[Reporter: And you were under the impression that you were going to be leasing this privately, right?] Of course, I mean all of was, otherwise we wouldn't have leased it. We may be hillbillies but we're not stupid."

Arkansas hunters are being duped into leasing land privately, but it was anything but private and that's why they called Seven On Your Side. (KATV)


The group of hunters we spoke with said the culprit was living at Motel 6 in Russellville. When our crew stopped by, a motel manager confirmed Dawson was there.

Dawson came out of his room and met us in the parking lot...but he quickly walked away.

“Mr. Dawson, did you want to talk to us," we asked.

“He's going to call the police,” said the manager.

“No comment?" we asked again.

Dawson did not call the police and instead, he began writing emails to 7OYS claiming he was going to speak with us and threatening to "start causing problems."

We offered two more opportunities for Dawson to talk. Instead, he said: “Please go ahead and run it [the story], make me rich.”

It is a tough lesson learned for these hunters. While police reports were made, law enforcement cannot arrest someone for breaching a contract.

The only other option is to sue Dawson, but these hunters said he's not worth spending another penny.

Before leasing land, go and check out the property with the leaser. If you can, get a realtor or attorney to check out the contract.

You may also want to verify that the person advertising the land for lease owns it.

Turns out, it’s Dawson’s girlfriend who owns just a third of the land, but who knows, that’s also according to Dawson and the contract these hunters received.

$800 for a two year lease.... I've paid that per day on some properties I've leased.
Maybe the price alone should have made them suspicious.

Maybe Arkansas doesn't have a theft by fraud statute.

Can see it happening. I’d have to look into suing them, as fraud, depending on advertisement, and maybe with what NOT said. Would get hold of States Attorney’s office, show them the add, and contract, et and see if they would look into it. Get the others to come in too, as looks like fraud. Might also, get a refusal on his part to give money back, then go to bank as ask them to pull it back, as never got what paid for. Down in Arkansas, might also look around for someone to “put him in a gator hole”.
LOL

quote:

Originally posted by tysue:
Can see it happening. I’d have to look into suing them, as fraud, depending on advertisement, and maybe with what NOT said. Would get hold of States Attorney’s office, show them the add, and contract, et and see if they would look into it. Get the others to come in too, as looks like fraud. Might also, get a refusal on his part to give money back, then go to bank as ask them to pull it back, as never got what paid for. Down in Arkansas, might also look around for someone to “put him in a gator hole”

Nope.....weak link. DIY or don't do it at all.

Neighbor was wrenching on his combine in the yard when an out of state pickup pulling a quad pulled up ready to hunt. Bewildered, my neighbor finds out some lout in our local town had leased out his property on Facebook. Called cops and set up a sting and actually caught the guy. Neighbor is a great guy and let these poor boys go on hunting for a couple days. Alls well that ends well.

https://katv.com/community/7-o...d-deception-scam-ark


Arkansas man accused of duping hunters into leasing hunting land privately is arrested

by Marine GlisovicThu, November 30th 2023, 12:16 PM CST

POPE COUNTY (KATV) — A man who was the focus of a 7 On Your Side investigation has been arrested by the Russellville Police Department.

Dion Dawson, 50, was arrested on Wednesday for theft of property and obtaining signature by deception.

Russellville Police Officer Andrew Reeves told 7OYS they have been keeping an eye on Dawson since our investigation aired.

Dawson was reportedly duping hunters from Arkansas, and surrounding states, into leasing land privately in London, Arkansas. Hunters told us they paid him thousands of dollars but later found out it was not a private hunt and that Dawson didn't even own the land.


The group of hunters we spoke with last year said Dawson was living at a Motel 6 in Russellville. When our crew stopped by, a motel manager confirmed Dawson was there.

Dawson came out of his room and met us in the parking lot, but he quickly walked away.

“Mr. Dawson, did you want to talk to us," we asked.

“He's going to call the police,” said the manager.

“No comment?" we asked again.

Dawson did not call the police and instead, he began writing emails to 7OYS claiming he was going to speak with us and threatening to "start causing problems."

We offered two more opportunities for Dawson to talk. Instead, he said: “Please go ahead and run it [the story], make me rich.”

Officer Reeves confirmed Dawson was up to the same scam this year and information brought to light by new victims allowed police and the Pope County Sheriff's Office to take action this week.


Dawson is currently being held in the Pope County Jail awaiting a bond hearing that's scheduled for Friday morning.

A true scam. I'd say Dawson is lucky he didn't get the snot beat out of him.

Since virtually all land in Texas is privately ownned, most hunting takes place on leased land. There have been recent scams where the "lessor" will locate a remote and large property, perhaps one with a chain and lock on the gate. He advertises a vaguely located property for lease at an attractive price and when someone wants to look at it he makes sure no one will be around, runs out and cuts off the owner's lock and replaces it with his own, then the prospective lessees show up for a look. Satisfied with a great deal, they pay him up front and he give them a key -- then disappears. The scam isn't discovered until the landowner or his agent finds the lock replace and/or innocent but scammed hunters occupying the property.

quote:

Originally posted by Stonecreek:
Since virtually all land in Texas is privately ownned, most hunting takes place on leased land. There have been recent scams where the "lessor" will locate a remote and large property, perhaps one with a chain and lock on the gate. He advertises a vaguely located property for lease at an attractive price and when someone wants to look at it he makes sure no one will be around, runs out and cuts off the owner's lock and replaces it with his own, then the prospective lessees show up for a look. Satisfied with a great deal, they pay him up front and he give them a key -- then disappears. The scam isn't discovered until the landowner or his agent finds the lock replace and/or innocent but scammed hunters occupying the property.

That is awful.

quote:

Originally posted by Kyler Hamann:
$800 for a two year lease.... I've paid that per day on some properties I've leased.
Maybe the price alone should have made them suspicious.

Here in Kentucky a lot of leases go for $20 per acre per season.

Bring back canings in public!