Jim Rohrssen & La Picaresca Reportedly Plying Deception NOW In Costa Rica

According to sources, Costa Rica may now be the next haven where locals and travelers alike need to be wary of the charlatan Jim Rohrssen (aka: James - traveling on SV La Picaresca, aka: SV Rhiannon).

His modus operandi (MO) is to sell passage on his sailboat (by the day, week, or month)... and then fail to fulfill on that which has been paid for.  The "agreement" he has with you will not allow for you to get a refund.  He has also proven on multiple occasions that his navigation skills are inadequate to keep him from running aground and getting stranded.

By perpetrating these shams, he is able to acquire enough money to pay for his food and other miscellaneous expenses.  Because of these alerts, he is finding it increasingly difficult to attract "paying customers"(victims) and may be experimenting with other shams.  (Several of the sailing crew & work exchange websites that he used to attract his victims have now shut down/deleted his pages)

Jim has also been known to exploit natural disaster situations/victims as well.  His most recent ruse (that we know of) was an attempt to collect "Bikes For Haiti" and charge a fee to help with the transportation of the bikes under the guise of a 501(c)3 organization (he did not have a 501(c)3 nor was he working with one).  When questioned about the monies and the bikes, he said there were none, yet on his web page (created specifically for this ruse) he had pictures, designated collection points, and indicated time-frames until shipment.

He has often been known to try to barter for moorage or anchorage... and has also been documented sneaking in and out of these areas (usually after dark) without paying.

This man does not bring "tourist" dollars to your country.  He functions as a leach on society and preys on unsuspecting people who have not taken a careful look inside his boat (which reveals that he would probably NEVER get a "Good Housekeeping" seal of approval AND his subsistence diet that more resembles the rations given to sailors in the 1800's).

He is more willing to do something on the sly, than to have to reach into his pocket and actually compensate for goods & services.

Is this the type of wanderer you want hanging out in your country... in your harbor... on your beaches... in your coves?

Jim Rohrssen => Intent to Defraud

The following excerpt is presented verbatim (emphasis added) from the article: "Can You Give It All Away? Examining Gifts and Property Transfers Under the Uniform Fraudulent Transfer Act" by Lisa Dufour, published on the Washington State Bar Association website at: http://www.wsba.org/media/publications/barnews/oct10dufour.htm

Intent to Defraud

In Sedwick v. Gwinn, the Washington Court of Appeals held that the enumerated factors listed in RCW 19.40.041(b) are “badges of fraud” and that the court must determine whether there was intent to commit fraud. “[I]ntent is a question of fact best determined by a trier of fact after hearing the testimony and assessing the witnesses’ credibility.”[3]
The eleven factors the court should consider to determine if the transfer was fraudulent are:

1. The transfer or obligation was to an insider;
2. The debtor retained possession or control of the property transferred after the transfer;
3. The transfer or obligation was disclosed or concealed;
4. Before the transfer was made or obligation was incurred, the debtor had been sued or threatened with suit;
5. The transfer was of substantially all the debtor’s assets;
6. The debtor absconded;
7. The debtor removed or concealed assets;
8. The value of the consideration received by the debtor was reasonably equivalent to the value of the asset transferred or the amount of the obligation incurred;
9. The debtor was insolvent or became insolvent shortly after the transfer was made or the obligation was incurred;
10. The transfer occurred shortly before or shortly after a substantial debt was incurred; and
11. The debtor transferred the essential assets of the business to a lienor who transferred the assets to an insider of the debtor.[4]

Disclaimer and Copyright Notice: http://www.wsba.org/disclaimer.htm

Jim Rohrssen (aka James Rohrssen ) is now "on the lam" - A fugitive running from the law... BEWARE

Jim has cheated many people out of their hard earned monies over the past 1-1/2 years.  The methods he used included offers to take them on a "Sailing Adventure" and then Jim either:

1) Significantly altered his itinerary so as to make future sailing either unappealing or incompatible with schedules, or

2) By his untenable actions, causing the time on the boat for the crew to be unbearable/frightening (so that they would want to GET OFF the boat before the end of their contracted time ends), or

3) By fabricating false accusations in order to get the police in Canada (RCMP) to remove them from the vessel (thereby cutting their cruise short)… just so Jim could return to his court appearance on San Juan Island… without having to explain a rapid departure from Nanaimo.

4) And let’s not forget the grounding in Canada last year that caused his crew member to have to find her own way home to Anchorage from a remote location.

All these methods forced forfeiture of monies by his paying crew... and freed Jim up to do as he pleased with the monies (that he kept)... without having to refund a single copper penny. 

Jim has carefully worded his website and contracts so that it is NOT easy to seek legal remedy (he is NOT honest and equitable).  Carefully examine the wording… he’s set it up so nobody ever gets any money back... no matter what happens... whether it’s his fault or not... slippery Jim is at it again!  (He’s constructed a clause in my contract that denies ALL refunds... and only makes it possible to sail with him at a future date... but who would want to?)

You may want to confirm on your own that he does not possess a captain's license.  The risk that he puts his paying passengers under is untenable... and by the way he is running his slipshod operation, he’s running “under the radar” so as to not be regulated by the Coast Guard or any other governing body! 

And for anyone who attempts to vette this character, there was ONLY ONE (1) feedback on his http://www.helpx.net/ profile that could be referenced, but it is no longer displayed.  It was a very misleading reference because it was a flowery description written by a young woman who went to work on Jim’s boat while in dry dock on Lopez Island in June 2009.  She was recovering from a recent hysterectomy and could do nothing more than help clean up Jim’s mess inside the boat and cook a simple meal or two… and she never set foot on the boat while it was in the water… and she wrote the “glowing” reference over a YEAR after she only spent a few days with Jim (and you'll only see the comment if you pay to become a premium member... because he has changed permissions on the comments). 

Do your own research… I have found that there is NOTHING good to be said about him and his forays with his boat and you won’t be able to find anything on any of his websites.  If you value your life, your sanity or your finances… well… you’ve been forewarned.  Also be aware that he uses two different email addresses in his deception: freebird2020@gmail.com and papajim2000@yahoo.com

He has cheated at least six (6) people; Nick, James, Chris, Stephen, Joe and Patrick... and maybe more... out of their monies.

I took the time and effort to pursue the FRAUD that Jim perpetrated against me... and I took him to court.

I won my case against him in the San Juan County District Court (see the first posting).  I got a judgment for the return of the monies/contribution that I made toward my sailing adventure... plus collection costs and 12%/annum interest.

Jim acted just like a weasel and did everything within his power to come up with every excuse in the book to avoid repaying what he owed me... all the while taking others out on his sail boat and sometimes collecting up to $250/week per person (with three passengers aboard – that’s up to $750/week!)... and then cheating some of them as well (see above).

We got Jim served with a summons to appear in court on July 20th, 2010 for supplemental proceedings (to discover where his assets were).  And after being sworn in, Jim lied through his teeth about even the location of his boat… but what he didn't know at the time... was that his sworn testimony was to be transcribed word-for-word (catching him in his bold-faced, blatant lies).

He was then served another summons (before even leaving the courtroom) to appear in court in a follow-up appearance on September 21st, 2010.

But Jim had already concocted a scheme to flee the law in Washington.

By the time the next court appearance arrived, Jim had become a fugitive and was on the lam, in or near San Francisco.  He sent a hand-written letter (from San Francisco) to the court (which arrived on the day of the hearing)... but there was no merit in his contrivance... so the judge found him in contempt of court for; not showing up to his court date, taking assets (his sailboat included) out of the jurisdiction of San Juan County and the State of Washington, and buying and selling a vehicle without the proceeds going to satisfy the judgment.  The Judge, being fed up with Jim's indignance to the court, then agreed to issue a Warrant for the Arrest of James J. Rohrssen.

It’s becoming quite obvious that Jim is either ignorant of Washington’s Revised codes (RCW) and the Uniform Fraudulent Transfer Act or flagrantly choosing to disobey.  This mistake will follow him forever.

Now a fugitive... and on the lam, he has nowhere to go but beyond the borders of the USA.

Since Jim is willing to lie under oath to a District Court Judge... you'll never know if he’s telling YOU the truth about anything... whether in written format or in conversation.  I cannot determine whether integrity exists within Jim at all.

So if you want to throw away your money and gain access to the opportunity to have a horrifying adventure... that you might not return from safely... then go to his website, locate his email address... and send him your money via PayPal.

Also, it appears that Jim is also a "Deadbeat Dad" who owes $475/month in child support and doesn't pay any of that either (as per his testimony).

Also, he owes Sunset Builders Supply (on Lopez Island) nearly $1000... and hasn’t paid them a single penny for over a year now... I guess he’s not intending on paying that bill either!

SO… if you want to make $1000 for yourself… find a way to get JIM back to the state of Washington and in custody… and once he makes bail (all $6000.00 of it)… we will enrich your wallet  by a tidy sum if you’re responsible for facilitating his apprehension.

Since you’re here, we hope you’ll leave a comment about your experience with Jim.

The most fascinating outcome of this exercise is that Jim will never know who is willing to compromise his position for $1000.  He will always be running, always looking over his shoulder… and always wondering if his communications have been compromised.

This is the life that Jim chose many years ago… and since he has not learned the critical lessons… he will probably continue to run eternally… and when his bad karma & dastardly deeds catch up with him… he will be the one holding an empty deck of cards when the grim reaper comes knocking.

HEY JIM… WE’RE WATCHING YOU!  YOU CAN RUN, BUT YOU CAN’T HIDE.

Foreigners don’t appreciate social misfits from America in their country... and when they learn the truth… you’ll never know until it’s too late.

FYI… when you get thrown in jail in a foreign land, it’s not like here in the USA… they’ll virtually throw away the key and you’ll have been infected with AIDS before the moon changes phase.

Keep running scared and keep looking back… but when you get lazy again… and then when you least expect it… they'll catch up with you and nab your sorry arse and toss you in clink to rot.  Count on it!