Siding theft

Hi Patricia, my name is Dan Smith. You ran an article this morning about me being charged with stealing siding. I have a wife, two beautiful kids and had a successful business. I also am a veteran who served 10 years for this country. So much for innocent until proven guilty. The first sentence in the article is "the police are still investigating," meaning they still don't know what happened. But I still get my name and reputation tarnished doing irreplaceable harm to my family and business. I am currently working on a house directly next to the police station. I offered to sell the homeowner Donald J G. siding, back in October, months before this siding was stolen, that I had left over from a job I did two years prior. It has been sitting in my shop where not only dozens of people but my security camera can verify. Donald liked the siding, it was not enough to do his entire house, again, directly next to the police station, but it was enough to do about half of it. He offered to purchase it. I told him he would have to order the rest. About 7 weeks later I heard that a sider who does work for a builder on the island had the same siding left over from a couple jobs. This isn't uncommon. I do fiberglass for a living not siding, and I had siding saved that was left over from jobs. I called the homeowner, Donald, and told him that a sider had some for sale was he interested in buying it. He said yes. I purchased this siding, unbeknownst to me, that was stolen. I brought it to the homeowners house, on 68st, directly next to the police station, and put it in the garage, facing the police station, where the garage doors were open everyday while the renovation was going on. I stored that siding with the siding I had previously offered and sold to Donal, months before this siding was even stolen. The police noticed this siding last Tuesday during an unrelated surveillance. Questioned the homeowner Donald, and learned I purchased it on his behalf from someone that we both thought was legitimately selling left over siding from previous jobs. I was subsequently arrested Friday, without the police even doing what could be deemed a reasonable investigation. I wasn't interviewed prior to being arrested, the other guy charged, who happened to be working on the same house, doing railings, wasn't interviewed prior to being arrested. This homeowner Donald Glatz is out thousands of dollars, that he paid for this siding. Donald Glatz is the only unbiased person that heard both the cops side and my side, and mind you, is out thousands of dollars, so he could easily be mad at me, doesn't understand how the police could do this. He doesn't believe for a second that I knew the siding was stolen, or that I had anything to do with the siding being stolen. I have his text messages to prove this, he would love to talk to you guys. The police were unaware of the sider that was selling the siding until I told them about it during my interview. They never even so much as called him, let alone, interviewed him, before arresting me for this siding. The police not only didn't do a competent investigation before charging me, they didn't even bother to investigate period before charging me. I told them of my concerns for my reputation being tarnished beyond repair just for being charged with stealing this siding, even if they were dismissed or I was found innocent. I pleaded with them to look into what I was telling them before just jumping to conclusions. Any reasonable person, Donald Glatz included, would think, it would be the most rediculous thing to do, to buy what he even believed for a second to be stolen siding, let alone install it on the house directly next to the police station, two weeks after it was stolen. I am still doing work on the house, I was going to handle having this siding installed for him, I wasn't just dumping it on him, never to be seen from again, and AGAIN, directly next to the police station, I was actually going to be involved installing it. I have done some dumb things in life, but I am not a dumb person. I would have to be the worlds dumbest criminal, to steal siding, and install it a week later on the house DIRECTLY next to the police station. The police not only took what they believed to be some of the stolen siding, but also took the siding that I had in my possession almost two years before this theft took place! They turned my siding and the stolen siding, and turned it over to the victim that had the siding stolen from them, not even caring that half of it was my property at the time of the theft, Donald property now, and charged and arrested me without even checking my security cameras, interviewing witnesses who can testify that I had that siding in my possession years before the theft, just chose to charge, and arrest me, and investigate later. I cooperated fully, the police told me there is still 70 boxes of the stolen siding missing. The night I was arrested, I willingly let the police search my shop, there were no signs of any stolen siding there, and still visible signs of some of the siding I had there for years, the same color that was stole, that was laying around the shop with a years worth of dust on it. The police still do not know what happened, their still investigating, meanwhile my reputation and family are being tarnished to no end. All I ask for is a chance to tell you guys my side of the story and have it published on your web sight to at least tell the second side of the story until the 3rd side, the truth, is told. My cell number is 609-290-xxxx. If u can at least call Donald G, check the details of this story with him, and post this letter, if nothing else, I would appreciate it. Thanks, I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Dan Smith

I want to say that I am a veteran, I of all people appreciate what theses police officers chose to do for a living. It doesn't mean they all do it right every time out. I have issue with the way one Long Beach Twp. Detective chose to handle this particular investigation. They treated me with dignity and respect the entire time, were only doing their job, I understand that, I just disagree with the way one particular person chose to handle that job. I felt like my side of this story needed to be told sooner rather then later.

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