Complaints Against Kathleen or Katye Rippe

Murfreesboro, TN 37130-1727

dolphintales4@yahoo.com, dolphintales4@earthlink.net,  krippe@msn.com (not current), dlphntls@bellsouth.net (not currrent)

Notify Major Jim Gage at the Murfreesboro, TN Police Department at jgage@ci.murfreesboro.tn.us

If you have questions about the complaint,
please contact the person who it was filed by.

November 14, 2002
Complaint filed by: Jennifer.Henson@tklaw.com or stellarlovesbeanies@yahoo.com

My name is Jenny Henson, I go by the name Stellar or stellarlovesbeanies on most beanie chat and trade sites. I/We need your help! I started a traveling America Bear for the members of Ms.Janies chat/trade board and newsletter. It began earlier this year- if you want to check on this fact you can see the projects webpage at: www.itzmeagain.com and once there click on America's Escapades. The problem comes in here; I normally get one weeks notice out to the next host that is getting ready to get the beanie- just in case there is a problem or what not. Well, may last hosts name is Peggy S. (bstrin7264@aol.com) and before I was able to tell her NOT to mail to the next host on the list, she had. This person's name is: Kathleen Rippe, she went by the id of Dolphintales. She is actually where the problem seems to come in. Her email account that she sent to me to request to host was no longer valid (krippe@msn.com). So, what I did was wait until I knew the package had been delivered to her

1804 Hanover St.
Murfreesboro, TN 37130-1727

and assumed she would contact me soon after. Well, she never did. So, I sent her a snail mail to her home over almost 2 weeks past- hoping she would read it and contact me, who knows maybe her computer had broken or something and I wanted her to have my phone number and etc.. Well, still she didn't contact me. What I did next was ask for help on Ms Janie's board. That's where some of the people listed in the TO: list came from. They did reverse searches and all sorts of stuff I can't explain. From that info I got a few more email accounts

dlphntls@bellsouth.net,
dolphintales4@yahoo.com
dolphintales4@earthlink.net)- all of which are valid but still no response has been given. The next information I got was that this same person is listed as a bad trader on beaniefriendsaroundtheworld at msn. I have found out that many others have been burned by her. I contacted all of them to see if they had any more information then I had, most of it was the same. So, now is where you come in. I am writing in hopes you can help me get our boards Traveling America Bear back, which by the way is supposed to be donated to Linda's Children's Center (Linda the mod on Ms Janie's chat/trade board). I also hope you can help some of these nice people get their money or items returned. I will also ask all the people that are involved write you their own explanation of things.. I have also thought that maybe Ms. Rippe is ill or has passed away but with the latest bad trader report coming out on 10.31.02 it seems hard to believe that is the reason behind all this.

Bad Trader list on MSN:   http://groups.msn.com/BeanieFriendsFromAroundTheWorld/badtrader.msnw

Kathleen Rippe (person we are searching for and is bad trader listed) goes by Katye Rippe and Kate E. Rippe dolphintales4@yahoo.com dolphintales4@earthlink.net  dlphntls@bellsouth.net , krippe@msn.com
Thanks so much for any and all help- if you have any suggestions of something I need to do- please tell me and I will do it! Take care & Talk soon,   Jenny

PS.- There are rumors that she has moved to Nashville- but no-one has had any dealings with her there. Someone even said she may have moved to a assisted living home there. I have been told she is in a wheel chair and has other medical problems. That is why I am hoping there is a simple reason for all of this. But, when this many people have problems then there really is something wrong!  Jennifer

She finally responded to me early this week- she said she had not been home for a bit and then did not open her mail?? Considering the post man said he gave this specific package to her, that story seems a bit screwy. The email she did write from is: dolphintales4@yahoo.com Any help is much appreciated!  Thanks    Jenny

She has not emailed me since last week, it was Monday or maybe Tuesday. I know for a fact it was BEFORE the 14th and I have not heard from her since. I have emailed her on a daily basis since her first email and so far no answer. You may want to be in communication with my friend Peggy- she has someone at the USPS helping her (since she is the one who mailed the Traveling Bear, she was the last host). Have you heard from the others who were cheated by her in trade? If not, I will email them all and ask them to reply. here is the one and only email I have gotten from Katye (dated 11.12- last Tuesday), and I have been emailing her for over a month now. If you need more info., PLMK. I hope the others have gotten in touch with you also because they are all out money and trade. This bear is not really about the money, it's priceless because of the items hosts have added to it and most important the dairy that we have all written in. If you want to or need to read about my Traveling America project- just go to www.itzmeagain.com and click on America's Escapades. In her letter she said she had been in the hospital and just got my package- but the mail carrier, of hers, said this to be untrue. He remembered given this package to her in person- and said she gets a lot of packages daily...Anyway- keep in touch and PLEASE keep up the good work.   Thanks for your help-   Jenny

Kathleen Rippe dolphintales4@yahoo.com
Date: Tue, 12 Nov 2002 12:43:14 -0800 (PST)
From: Kathleen Rippe
Subject: Re: TRAVELING AMERICA IS COMING!!! PLEASE READ AND REPLY!
To: Jenny Henson

Jenny, I an so sorry I have not replied to this before but I was in the hospital and got out about 10 days ago but the docs would not let me come home as I needed someone around me at all times. I just arrived home on Sunday and as I was going through a number of packages I came across America. I am just now going through all my email and saw this from you. I am soo sorry about this. I have no idea when America arrived here. Due to health concerns at this point I will not be able to host America and if you would send me the next address of where to send him I will do so as soon as I am able. I will make arrangements for someone to take the package to the post office on Thursday if you will send me the adress as soon as possible. I really am sorry about this but a neighbor has been collecting my mail and putting it in the house for me and I went through all the packages first. I am still trying to get through all of the mail but wanted to get ahold of you now as it will probably take me ages to get through all the mail that has piled up. This is one of the reasons why I started going through my email this morning and came across this email from you. Please accept my apologies and I will be waiting to hear from you on where to send America next, and I am sorry that I will be unable to host him at this time. I will have someone take a picture before I pack him up again and will be including some thing to go with him. Once I have written in the diary I will email it to you so that you can post it.  Sincerely,    Katye aka dolphintales

Here's the information I have on Katye Rippe.....I talked to Mr. Anderson at the Post Office in Columbus, GA today. He had a meeting today at 3:30 PM and said he would bring it up in the meeting and see what we can do about this mess.......He'll call me back tomorrow.......I'll let everyone know what happens.

Here is the information from the day I mailed America to Kathleen Rippe:

Mailed package on 10/21/2002, Priority Mail, Insured for $50.00,
Delivery Confirmation # 0300 1290 0004 5991 9699 (tracking number) (I also put a note in the suitcase to Kathleen telling her to contact Jenny and Nina and let them know when she received America)

TO: Kathleen Rippe
1804 Hanover Street
Murfreesboro, TN 37130-1727

Return Address on Package:
FROM: Peggy J. Stringfellow
P. O. Box 1365
Columbus, GA 31902

USPS.COM shows the following when I enter the tracking number:  Delivery Status

You entered 0300 1290 0004 5991 9699
ARRIVAL AT UNIT, October 23, 2002, 4:26 am, MURFREESBORO, TN 37130
ACCEPTANCE, October 21, 2002, 3:16 pm, COLUMBUS, GA 31901
Your item was delivered at 12:08 pm on October 23, 2002 in MURFREESBORO, TN 37130.

On October 31, 2002 I sent a letter, Certified Mail, Return Receipt Requested, Restricted Delivery (she has to sign for it) Certified Mail # 7099 3400 0004 2938 1032     I inculded my name, address, home phone, work phone, my email address, Jenny's email address and Nina's email address and asked Kathleen to contact one of us asap

USPS.COM shows the following when I enter the tracking number: You entered 7099 3400 0004 2938 1032

We attempted to deliver your item at 11:53 am on November 04, 2002 in MURFREESBORO, TN 37130 and a notice was left. It can be redelivered or picked up at the post office. If the item is unclaimed, it will be returned to the sender. Status is updated every evening. Please check again later.

I HOPE KATHLEEN PICKS UP THE LETTER AND CONTACTS ONE OF US. I JUST CHECKED THE USPS.COM WEBSITE AT 7:41 P.M., ON 11/05/2002 AND IT STILL SHOWS THE SAME MESSAGE. I DON'T KNOW WHEN THEY UPDATE THE WEBSITE, BUT I'LL LET EVERYONE KNOW WHEN I HEAR SOMETHING. I'M GOING TO THE POST OFFICE IN COLUMBUS, GA TOMORROW AND SEE WHAT THE POSTAL INSPECTOR CAN DO TO HELP US FIND AMERICA AND WHAT LEGAL GROUNDS WE MAY HAVE........IT SEEMS TO ME IF KATHLEEN RIPPE AGREED TO THE RULES THEN SHE ENTERED INTO A CONTRACT AGREEMENT AND IT CAN BE ENFORCED UNDER GEORGIA LAW.......I'LL CHECK ON THIS ANGLE AND LET YOU KNOW...I KNOW A FEW ATTORNEYS THAT MAY BE WILLING TO HELP.....I'LL SEE WHAT I CAN DO. I'M SO TICKED OFF NOW, I'LL NEVER GIVE UP THE SEARCH......AND I'M GETTING MADDER BY THE MINUTE.   I'LL KEEP IN TOUCH    PEGGY

I checked the USPS website again today and it shows that delivery of my Certified Letter was attempted again on November 14, 2002 and a second notice was left at the residence. It still hasn't been picked up from the Post Office. I still have not had any responses from Katye Rippe to any of the email I sent her.

I turned the matter over to Mr. Anderson at the post office in Columbus, GA yesterday......he's meeting with the postal inspector and will let me know what I can do to file charges and what they can do to help us get America back. I just sent the package with the short form delivery confirmation....didn't request a signature for the package..I've learned a valuable lesson.   The letter carrier told Mr. Anderson (in Columbus, GA) that she knows Katye Rippe personally and she remembers delivering the package. The letter carrier says she delivers 10-15 packages per day to Katye Rippe at 1804 Hanson Street, Murfreesboro, TN.......Mr. Anderson assured me he would present the case to the postal inspector for action..... I hope to hear from him tomorrow. I'll let you know what I find out.  Peggy

I  have also written to the police.
Sheriff Truman Jones, Jr.
Rutherford County Sheriff's Department
940 New Salem Hwy
Murfreesboro, Tennessee 37129
(615)898-7720

I got this message when I got home a few minutes ago from Lt. Bennet at the Rutherford Co. S.O.....I'll call Major Gage at the Murfreesboro PD tomorrow at (615) 893-2717 and explain our problem to him. I'll let everyone know what I find out.  Peggy

Forwarded Message:
Subj: Theft of Property
Date: 11/25/2002 11:11:10 AM Central Standard Time
From: bbennett@rutherfordcounty.org
To: bstrin7264@aol.com

Ms. Stringfellow,

I am in reciept of your e-mail to Sheriff Truman Jones in Rutherford County, Tennessee. My name is Lt. Ben Bennett, I am the Criminal Investigations Supervisor fo the Sheriff's Office, and I will assist you in this matter in any way I can. Unfortunately, this case is under the jurisdiction of the Murfreesboro Police Department. I have personally contacted their commanding officer, Major Jim Gage, but cannot advise the status of the e-mail you sent to them. May I suggest you contact Major Gage by phone at (615) 893-2717, and advise him personally of your situation. Should you not find the answers you were looking for, you may contact me by e-mail or phone at (615) 898-7906.  Sincerely,   Lt. Ben E. Bennett

Here is what happened to me and some others on our beanie community.   Katye joined our community and we were all really good to her. We sent her some real nice things as gifts. Some of us felt sorry for Katy. Katye told us she lived alone with no family or friends and couldn't get out much because she was sick. I even sent her flowers on her birthday because I thought it would be the only gift she might receive and since I am so blessed with lot's of family and friends I wanted her birthday to somehow be a little special for her!!! I also would call her long-distance to cheer her up from time to time.  Then she started asking for trades and buys. I sent her over a hundred dollars ($115.00) worth of beanies and received nothing in return. I would email her with no response. I will try calling and she started screening her calls and would never pick the phone up anymore.  I and the others that had sent her things too told her if she couldn't afford the beanies to just send them back to us but as you know that didn't happen either.   I couldn't believe this since we all tried to make her feel soooo welcome, wanted, and loved. It really hurt my feelings because I thought she needed some friends and we all tried to be one. Now we are all thinking she was just a real good con women. Wish someone could get her to either pay up or send our bags of beans back to us. :o) I am handicapped and it is hard for me to get extra beanies but I do my best so I can trade and send gifts to my beanie friends and when something like this happens it is very sad because it is someone you care about and someone you thought was honest!! LOL.....Nancy

The phone# I have is....615-867-9502

Kayte was her nickname to us. She came to the msn group board late last year as i remember. I think i included a christmas card to her. She told us how she was disabled with many serious personal health problems. She even was in and out of the hospital as she says. She wanted to increase her beanie collection and trade. I know she befriended a friend of mine who is REALLY DISABLED. Kayte chatted with me privately on msn and in emails.
I PURCHASED $50.00 WORTH OF BEANIES AND BUDDIES FOR HER. SHE WAS TO REIMBURSE ME FOR MY COST AND SHIPPING. I THINK THE TOTAL VALUE WAS $57.00. OR ABOUT. SHE EMAILED SHE RECEIVED THE PACKAGE. THIS TOOK PLACE FEB.-MARCH OF 2002. SHE WAS IN THE HOSPITAL I THINK TWICE DURING MARCH TO JULY. SHE SAID SHE WAS GOING TO GET FULL DISABILITY PAY AND WOULD SEND ME A CHECK FOR WHAT SHE OWED ME. SHE CONTACTED ME THAT THE PAPERWORK WENT THROUGH AND SHE WAS GETTING A BIG CHECK AND TO EXPECT PAYMENT IN JULY/AUGUST. I WAS PLANNING A TRIP TO TENN. IN AUGUST AT WHICH TIME SHE SUGGESTED I STOP AND VISIT BUT I WOULD NOT FEEL COMFORTABLE VISITING ONE I REALLY ONLY KNOW FROM THE INTERNET WHEN I WAS GOING TO BE ALONE.

AS OF AUGUST I HAD NOT HEARD A WORD FROM HER AND WAS ALSO AWARE OF MY FRIEND WHOM I MENTIONED HAVING TROUBLE COLLECTING FROM HER AND THE STORY SHE WAS GETTING WAS ABOUT THE SAME AS MINE. IN CHATTING WITH OTHERS FROM OUR MSN BOARD KAYTE ALSO OWED THEM. KAYTE DISAPPEARED FROM POSTING ON OUR BOARD.

WHEN I LEARNED OF THE TRAVELING AMERICA BEAR IT WAS REALLY UPSETTING. KAYTE WAS BANNED BY ME FROM THE MSN GROUP SO SHE COULD NOT HAVE FARTHER CONTACT WITH ITS MEMBERS. I ALSO FOUND OUT SHE HAD CONTACTED OTHER MEMBERS VIA EMAIL OR INSTANT CHAT AND WAS TRYING TO MAKE A TRADE. I WARNED THEM OF WHAT WAS GOING ON AND THAT IS WHEN I REALIZED THAT HAVING HER HAVE ACCESS TO THE BOARD AND INFORMATION WAS NOT GOOD. I POSTED BAD FEEDBACK ON OUR BOARD. WHICH HAS BEEN DELETED. OUR BOARD IS REALLY TURNED INTO A CIRCUS LATELY.

KAYTE HAS MADE NO CONTACT WITH ME SINCE AUGUST. SHE HAD TOLD ME SHE WAS MOVING TO NASHVILLE FOR SHE WAS BEING MADE TO LIVE IN A GROUP FACILITY DUE TO HER HEALTH AND LIVING ALONE AND THE INABILITY TO CARE FOR HERSELF. SHE TOLD ME SHE WAS IN THE MILITARY AT ONE TIME-MARINES I BELIEVE. SINCE MARCH 2002 I HAVE BEEN OUT THE $57.00 SHE OWES ME.

IF ALL HER ACTIVITY IS STILL HAPPENING I WOULD ASSUME SHE HAS NO INTENTION OF PAYING ME AND IS STILL DOING THIS TO OTHERS. I THINK A WARNING NEEDS TO BE POSTED. I AM SURPRISED WITH NOT HAVING FEEDBACK LISTED THAT IT GOES ON BUT SHE DOES HAVE A WAY OF TELLING YOU VERY PITIFUL CIRCUMSTANCES. I WOULD SUGGEST INFORMATION ABOUT HER BE POSTED THAT SHE IS AQUIRING BEANIES AND TRADES UNDER FALSE PRETENSES. SHE IS IN DEBT TO ME. THE MAILING ADDRESS YOU HAVE AND NAME IS AS I HAVE AND AS I MAILED TO HER.  good luck on your endeavors, you all are under appreciated and work very hard. I think traderlist is magnifcient, always.  Liz Snodgrass

hello all - it is now the third month of the new year and i was hoping to get back in touch with all of you to find out if there are any updates on our bad trader, katye rippe. i would appreciate your reply, and please also forward your reply to elf trudy so she can have it added to traderlist. elftrudy's email is: elftrudy@aol.com i will be the first to let you all know that nothing new has come from katye and she has still not returned my traveling america bear with all it's contents. i am not sure if all of you know this, but the bear was supposed to have been donated to linda ray's children center at the end of it's journey. i still can not believe someone would steal a bear that was supposed to be given to children. it is bad enough that she scammed all of you for money and beanies, this just tops it all. i have been adding katye rippe to any bad trader list i come across, as far as i know she is still allowed on one board and is continuing her "trading". my friend, peggy, who finally got the authorities involved knows more on that subject than i do- i am hoping she will reply and fill us all in. i am also hoping you all reply so your letters can be added to katye's complaint at traderlist. i hope everyone is doing well and are staying away from scammers.

your friend, jenny (stellarlovesbeanies)

ps- i did send out a second traveling america bear, i just could not let katye win by ending the entire project. if you want to read about the adventures, go to: www.itzmeagain.com then click on america's escapades.

I am replying to you re an email from stellarlovesbeans. I too have heard nothing from Kathleen Rippe about the trade we had. I sent a Unity buddy and beanie and in return was supposed to get a Red America. I have given up hope of hearing or receiving anything from her, however if there is anything I can do to help let me know. People like her should not be allowed to continue trading.  Bye for now, Carol.

From: "BOARD MANAGER"
To: stellarlovesbeanies@yahoo.com
Subject: Re: BAD TRADER ALERT!
Date: Wed, 19 Mar 2003 07:53:45 -0500

Hi Jenny,

Thank you for your time in sending this letter. The ABC board is very aware of this person and will be careful and also helpful in your search to obtain your goods back. Some on this board have lost money and beans to Kayte. Your imput and your updated news is much appreciated. I will make sure youR information is added to our bad trader area and any new news you will need to inform me and we will add. thank you also for joining our board, hope you can visit often.  
ABC MANAGER