Former Federated employee faces additional charges on Owatonna

By: atlascollapsed on 11/24/09
To be honest I dont have that big of a problem with a change of venue motion. With the tab this trial will run for the taxpayers of Owatonna why even run the risk of an apperance of impropriety. I too believe the judge and a jury of Owatonna citizens could be impartial but why take chances of having to start over due to an appeal?

How impatial will it be looking at federated's HQ building while sitting in the jury box? Any juror looking for a place to park will probably run into a sign that says "reserved for federated insurance." And finally look at the discussion boards from the OPP forums. Any story that has to do with Al Annexstad (sp), parking, old buildings downtown, employment or federated's annual meetings seems to boil down to two opinions: federated sucks or federated is essential to the community.

As for the brainiac who allegedly stole the information.... Computer access is easy to track. next time instead of downloading or printing out the files simply take pictures of the screen with your cell phone. A little more work but much less risky.

By: therealtruth on 11/24/09
http://fedupwithfederated.blogspot.com/

If you are really interested in the other side of the story - perhaps you should read Chris' testimony at the Waseca Courthouse.

Happy Thanksgiving to the Boudreau's from Federated courtesy of Wendy Reuer? Nice.

By: therealtruth on 11/24/09
read comment section:
http://www.owatonna.com/news.php?viewStory=110836

By: Belleve on 11/24/09
Of course the site (www.fedupwithfederated.blogspot.com) is a one sided opinion - that's kind of the point of it.

By: Jeff on 11/24/09
While I’m sure the first thing that hits Owantonna taxpayers is the feeling of anger and disbelief they are paying for all this, clear your head a bit and check out the actual perjury charge. Boudreau is saying to his employer, hey, I thought you were going to give me a list of prospects to check out. His employer says, no, I thought *you* were going to give a list to me. Owatonna’s prosecutor is attempting to use Owatonna taxpayer money to put Boudreau in prison for five years for that. No wonder why no list was ever exchanged; it was a misunderstanding. Doh! Forget about smoking gun, there’s not even any smoke. You can’t make this stuff up.

By: honestabe on 11/24/09
OMG, you people are going to rehash this AGAIN??? Go spend your time productively and let the court system decide who is telling the truth!

My 2 cents:
1. Some keep saying that Federated or the prosecutor is trying to put Boudreau away for 45 years. I know that sounds scary but it is misleading. The maximum punishment is not set by the prosecutor it is set by state law. THE STATUTORY MAXIMUM PUNISHMENT FOR SPEEDING IS 90 DAYS IN JAIL FOR THE FIRST TICKET. WHEN WAS THE LAST IME YOU HEARD OF SOMEBODY SPENDING 90 DAYS IN JAIL OR EVEN 1 DAY, FOR SPEEDING? SO LET'S "GET REAL" FOLKS ON THE 45 YEAR THING.

2. Jeff says this will cost the people of Owatonna a lot of money. BALONEY! The county attorney gets paid a set salary, whether he prosecutes felonies or sits on his thumbs all day long. So the Boudreau criminal charges, even if they go to trial, won't cost Owatonna an extra nickel.

3. The article says that Boudreau transferred the Federated info to his home computer AFTER he accepted a job with one of their competitors. That kind of makes the whole "working from home" story kind of weak, don't you think?

4. If the perjury charges and the other charges are as "weak" as Jeff seems to think, then the judge will dismiss them. I would think that would have ALREADY happened if they were as "weak" as Jeff and the others suggest. Again, let the court decide. That's what they are for!

Jeff from Connecticut, you seem to know an awful lot about the facts of this Owatonna Minnesota case. How? Maybe you can offer your services to Boudreau's attorney. Are you licensed in MN?
P.S. Joe Mauer Rules!

By: therealtruth on 11/24/09
ss
"I suppose I am risking a lawsuit by my employer too..?"
I read the only guarantee to avoiding a lawsuit for theft of trade secrets was to perform a prefrontal lobotomy on yourself during your exit interview when you leave your job. I am not sure if that surgery is covered under your health plan. Check your policy. Always read the fine print.

By: Jeff on 11/24/09
Abe, Joe Mauer is indeed a great baseball player. The Twins had a phenomenal year but just ran into a determined (and obviously talented and, yes I know, well-paid) Yankee team. You guys have a real shot at the Super Bowl with the Vikes this year, though. The Giants seem to fold when the game is on the line.

As for your points, obviously we have a bit more of a disagreement:

1. I side with Secretsquirrel. What’s to prevent an employer, able to monitor your every move, from accusing any employee of taking work home of stealing? Who is going to pay tens of thousands of dollars to fight the charges? And that’s exactly what this big bully companies count on. BTW, prosecutors do have discretion. The lack of prosecutorial discretion could play a big role here.

2. The prosecutor may be under salary, but to prepare a case takes all sorts of other varied resources, all of whom need to be paid for their time. You also seem to be forgetting that losing can cost millions. Losing is a very real case for Owatonna in this case, IMO.

3. Are you saying people who give their two week notice are not capable of being conscientious— of making an effort to finally finish a project they started and leave on good terms? When you rush to judgment and send people escorted out the door immediately, these sorts of “Big Oops” moments tend to happen.

4. Have you ever heard the expression “How much justice can you afford?” How many people, including you, have the guts, resources, and money to tackle a billion dollar insurance company as well as the prosecutor who works in that town? Refer back to point #1 why most lawsuits never get to the point where the facts of the case are discussed before a judge or jury. If only these things were as easy as you describe...

By: outlander on 11/24/09
I'm going to let you people fight over whether taking a prospect list from your current insurance company employer AFTER you have accepted a job with a competitor is "stealing" I don't see how anyone with any business sense can even argue that. (Maybe he takes it before giving notice because he thinks he may be limited in his access to that information after)
My point is for T_O on a comment towards the top.

"Holy cow, that seems extreme. Our judicial system is really screwy, as this white collar crime has only one potential victim. And I say potential, because of he never did anything with the information, then there is really no damage."

He didn't do anything with the information because he got caught. I guess my first thought is that it's not stealing if you do not get caught. I don't think you meant that becasue if you did it seems that if someone goes into a store and walks out with a CD it's only stealing if they get caught.

There are a number of jobs, mine is one, that when someone gives notice they are thanked but are walked to the door that day because of the risk of information leaving that could be beneficial to someone else. Happens all the time, again, people not in touch with reality.

Corporate espionage (sorry about the spelling???) is a big deal, companies spend big bucks to protect their information. I'm not speaking for Fed. but why is it a big deal for a company to be in business to make money? Isn't that the goal? Is it not your goal to make as much money as you can in your lifetime? Why is it not greed on your part for doing that? (Not T_O specifically, but people in general). I know I want to make as much coin as I can as soon as I can. All businesses have the same goal, whether it's McDonald's, Wal-Mart, or some mom/pop shop downtown. Really regardless of the dollar amount of the potential loss, it's stealing. I'm pretty sure if you walk into a Target and steal a candy bar or a flat screen, they're still calling the cops.

Jeff - It appears that you are a relation to the family and it is too bad that they are going through this. But there is another old saying "If you can't do the time, don't do the crime."
Sorry T_O, wasn't trying to pick on you.

By: SportsMom on 11/24/09
There are always two sides to every story. One is telling the truth, the other isn't. Certain information is released to the press, other things are not. One family feels persecuted, the company feels that he stole from them. Unless, every one knows the whole story, don't pass judement on either one. There is ongoing litigation and we are not going to be privy to all the details until it is over. This situation does not just impact Federated and the Boudreaus. It impacts other employees in ways that have not been disclosed. Do they not matter? This should not be about the big bad insurance company vs. the little guys. I read the blog and I perceive it as a wife that believes in her husband's innocence. That is completely normal but it doesn't necessarily represent facts, just opinion.

By: Thinking_Outloud on 11/24/09
No apologies needed outlander, as you indeed made a lot of points that I agree with. I know nothing about this case other than what was written in the article above. I do not know, nor do I care if this guy is guilty or innocent.

In saying: "Holy cow, that seems extreme. Our judicial system is really screwy, as this white collar crime has only one potential victim. And I say potential, because of he never did anything with the information, then there is really no damage."

My comment had less to do with the severity crime than it did to compare the crime (and maximum sentencing) to other crimes that have true personal and lifelong victims. My outrage is not what he did or did not do (or what he could have potentially have done)...My outrage is because some very violent crimes as of late have had far less in terms of maximum sentences. In Faribault, a level three sex offender was moving into the community, after serving just a few years, for raping and killing a 19 month old.

My rant had to do with my outrage at sentencing guidelines and my being completely perplexed and disheartened by them. That's all. Awww, crap, I ranted again.

Going to my corner.

By: therealtruth on 11/24/09
"Boudreau testified he was to receive a list of prospects from his supervisor and that is what he was talking about.

However, his supervisor signed an affidavit on Aug. 12 where he recalled the e-mail and stated Boudreau had clearly and specifically said Boudreau would submit the prospect list. The supervisor said he at no time suggested or implied that the company would provide a prospect list. "

Does anyone in the insurance business find that the least bit curious?
How often does a competing Insurance company ask a new employee to provide a prospect list from the company he is leaving?
Certainly there are rules in play between insurance companies about that sort of thing?
Certainly insurance company CEO's know that another companies clients are off limits when they hire a new employee.
And this new company's rep is stating in an affidavit that Chris was to bring a prospect list?

Was the "prospect list" being discussed that was "discovered" in Boudreau's email a Federated prospect list? or Chris own prospect list? Did Federated decide on it's own it was their prospect list?

Misinterpreted and Misunderstood.

Does that fact that Chris was an analyst, much like secretsquirrel, and "was working on reports, collating data and constructing spreadsheets for various projects" at home explain those files?
Out of THOUSANDS of files downloaded ONE file said "Prospects" - why not just download the Prospects file?
Wait - he download "4,265 files that if printed out would be 12 to 14 stories high" - now who else would do that if all they wanted was a prospect list! Why not take a quick screen shot as someone suggested.

Perhaps SecretSquirrel could tell us how many files are involved that he works on at home during the wee hours his squirrel family is sleeping. How many trees would be lost if that data was printed out?

SecretSquirrel - I wouldn't be too afraid of a lawsuit - unless you know there is a history of past behavior with your company for taking action like this against ex-employees. Federated has a past history.
You work for Federated or you don't work is the joke around town. But no joke to Chris Boudreau.

By: occamsrazor on 11/24/09
Realtruth,
Misinterpreted and Misunderstood? I wouldn't know. Like another poster has said- we don't know all the facts. Hate to break it to you, but neither do you as much as you may not want to accept it. I don't understand why you are so intent on trying to present yourself as some omnipotent persona with inside information when clearly you are not.

On a side note, Interesting (read:insulting and ridiculous) that someone who doesn't even live here would claim to have any clue what is being said around town. For what it's worth, I've never heard that saying and I've lived here for decades...

Sigh.... I miss the River Springs debate...

By: therealtruth on 11/25/09
occamsrazor - "For what it's worth, I've never heard that saying and I've lived here for decades..."

Have you ever heard of this:
http://www.oscn.net/applications/oscn/DeliverDocument.asp?CiteID=153598
Blacksten v. Federated

"He concluded by stating that when he suggested to Bob Swygman that Federated could not prove that Blacksten violated the non-compete clause, Swygman replied that "the most important thing was that it was time to play offense," and to make Blacksten SWEAT. "
"
Bob Swygman became very angry and stated "We don't care if we lose [the case against Blacksten]. We have more money than Blacksten and we are going to show him."

A malicious prosecution lawsuit against Federated followed.
=======================
or this:
Pehson v. Federated
Federated also contends that the district court erred in granting summary judgment on its trade secrets and unjust enrichment claims. After reviewing the relevant law and facts, we agree with the district court that Pehrson is entitled to summary judgment as a matter of law on these latter two claims.

http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/scripts/getcase.pl?court=mn&vol=appunpub%5C9908%5C522&invol=1

-------------
or this:
Billy E. BENNETT, Jr., Appellant,
v.
FEDERATED MUTUAL INSURANCE COMPANY

...
At the end of the trial, the chancellor stated:

[35] I don't see any problems with the geographical area. As I see it, though, there is one other major difference in the matter here. Mr. Roses says, "Judge, we not only are interested in seeing that Mr. Bennett doesn't compete with us for business we are writing now, but we don't want him competing with us for the same companies or business that we're not writing now." That clause is big enough to include it. . . . But by being big enough to include that, the Court finds that that in itself makes the clause unreasonable. Because . . . there is no evidence in this case that Mr. Bennett is competing directly with Federated Insurance Company for any business that Federated is now selling. . . . Federated is wanting to stop him from writing any other insurance.

[37] The chancellor concluded that appellee was not exercising unfair competition in selling a product that appellants did not sell and found the covenant not to compete to be overly broad and void. We agree.

========================
History repeats itself. The Behavior has not changed. Please note that these cases are APPEALS - meaning when they lose the first round they go back at ya again. Enough policyholder money to make that all happen.

So you see historically Federated clearly does not want you in the insurance business when you leave them. You work for Federated or you don't work.

Not to mention the numerous others they scared the crap out of with in the words of Ted Leon - Federated in-house counsel - "the entire force of Federated will reign down upon you!" And so it does.

Why would some local post:
"As for the intrigue inside Al's Palace, can anyone honestly say they're surprised? CHUCK BUXTON must be rolling in his grave."

Perhaps you might find a River Springs debate under an article that addresses River Springs and not under an article that discusses a 45 year prison term for a Federated ex-employee?

By: Jeff on 11/25/09
Outlander, your entire argument is what's known as a rhetorical tautology. It means that your assumptions make your argument unfalsifiable and thus meaningless. Your fatal flaw is the assumption that, by definition, the Company has to be right. This means if the Company decides the tissue you took from the box on the reception desk is theft, it is. If they say one of the many files you took home to continue working on a project is stealing trade secrets, it is. You can't win.

So even if the company has a “Big Oops” moment, as I’m sure they’ve had in the Boudreau case, no bother. As long as they can find enough people like you who believe The Company is Never Wrong they can never be wrong. Apparently they’ve found a prosecutor who believes this. They’ve found judges to sign off on subpoenas that believe this. At some point someone needs to say “the Emperor has no clothes” because in this case he doesn’t.

By: secretsquirrel on 11/25/09
Hmmm... you guys have given me a lot to think about.
Thinking: Am I putting myself at risk should dissemination (even accidental) occur? LOL Excellent advice!

Therealtruth: I am already covered - The lobotomy was a prerequisite of employment - I'm in management. ;)

AC: Like the parking lot scenario for jurors. OMG THAT was funny!

With the data the guy was bringing home and the history of Federated for hammering those who step across their imaginary line, I would think the guy would have been a bit less naive (presumed innocence here).
As for the blog by his wife, I read a good portion of it a few months ago. Very objective and I am sure his attorney's love having all that sitting out there.
I don't know if a crime has been committed or not. One thing I would look at is case law specifically relating to Federated and their decisions to pursue action to determine the criterion applied in making such decisions. Wanna bet there's a smidgen of arbitrary application....?
If I were Boudreau's lawyer, I would have a field day subpoenaing everything from soup to nuts. That alone would have Federated's pucker factor at about 12.
Have a great day all.

By: Jeff on 11/25/09
Secretsquirrel, once again, you are one step ahead. Yes, absolutely, discovery for Federated should be quite revealing. Obviously there will be a need to closely examine their hiring and firing procedures, including non-compete clauses, exit interviews, and the like, as well as database access guidelines and safeguards, and of course the policy for taking work home. I’m also curious if turning over equipment to a guy impersonating a police officer constitutes an illegal seizure, which would sink the entire case.

By: secretsquirrel on 11/25/09
First off, I would like to thank therealtruth for contributing so much information to this thread. What an awesome read!
Second, Jeff brought out a pertinent point in search and seizure parameters. I had pondered that when I read Boudreau's wife's blog that day.
This is so full of twists and turns it's enough to dizzy a person.... that it, until you apply logic to the story.
I have been through this (court battles)several times with several insurance companies and the 'make them sweat' comment hits the nail squarely on the head, sinking it to the crown in one blow: THAT is precisely the attitude of every single insurance company I have ever dealt with.
The thing they do not understand is this:
They might have deep pockets, they can take the little guy and beat the hell out of him, take everything he has (which usually isn't much)... but they screw themselves every time with those tactics because they cannot conceive of someone simply standing on principle and taking all comers.
When you got nothing to lose, you have everything to gain. My experience in the courts has been positive 99% of the time and I have a lot of it. MOST judges not only apply the law, they enforce the spirit of the law in civil matters. That's the beuaty of our system (and you may not believe this) - More often than not, logic is going to prevail.
Been there. Done that. Won that.
Bring it on.
AC, why am I thinking of Chesty Puller, the Boxer Rebellion, MGySgt Lou Diamond....? You know.. Thumbing their noses at the world. LOL

By: therealtruth on 11/25/09
Thanks secretsquirrel!
"Been there. Done that. Won that."

Somehow it doesn't surprise me that you have successfully cracked a few nuts in your day....

"This is so full of twists and turns it's enough to dizzy a person"
or a squirrel? sorta like one of those Twirl-A-Squirrel gizmo's?

By: goldenbear on 11/25/09
Sorry..extra z got in there

By: secretsquirrel on 11/25/09
"Twirl-A-Squirrel gizmo's" LOVE that one. LOL Been looking for a patentable way to make a million. Care to collaborate?

"pompous, verbal diarrhea." Well, I have fewer whiskers on the speaking end than the business end goldenbear. Ever heard of a "willnut?" It's an affliction given to fluffy dogs with the runs (think Pomeranian).
Yer fur gets messed up back there and by the time you realize it, it dries and the result is a rock hard willnut. You pull and you pull and they WILLnut come out. Painful affliction for sure!
**Note to self: Pick up a quart of Immodium.

It IS left for the courts to decide and, thankfully, this is not a court but a forum. That involves a lot of opinions (informed and uninformed), comments reflecting personal experience (either with the issue at hand or comparable experiences) and some good old American armchair quarter backing.

We do it with politics, businesses, school boards/administrations, union contracts, police performance, city budgets, street engineering, religion, health care, theology, creationism.... the list is virtually endless.
The point of these sites is specifically to generate discussion, opinion and interest. Those elements are crucial to growth and understanding. Of course there is a minimum of two sides to every story. Sometimes there are three or ten sides. Depends on who you're talking to and what their perspective is.
It's all thought provoking and enlightening.... well, "enlightening" might be a bit strong after reflecting on some of the things I've posted around here.
The issue with the schools would have simply devolved into little more than a new hate generator had the OPP taken one reader's suggestion and shut this thing down on that subject. They wisely and ethically chose to keep the site going because it was apparent to anyone paying attention that it was actually helping people to de-pressurize and return to rationality. I was impressed with that decision and will not forget it because it showed integrity and purposeful conviction. Tough job.
There is no easy stroll to the truth. A very wise man once told me, “You have to walk through the sh*+ to get to the strawberries.” That was more than thirty years ago. He was absolutely right because in this life, I have picked an AWFUL lot of strawberries and savored each and every one.

No one reads these posts and takes them as gospel truth... well, unless it comes from pookah. Then I do. ;)

By: therealtruth on 11/27/09
SecretSquirrel! Pass the Immodium - I feel a bout of P.V.D. coming on!
Please tell me you have an endless supply of "nutty" jokes for all situations. Willnuts!
Perhaps we can collaborate on a book of squirrel musings?

goldenbear - since your most important "issue" in life seems to be with spelling that even includes an apology "Sorry..extra z got in there" - might I point out that you forgot the second "c" in "occamsrazor".

sportsmom - re:"It impacts other employees in ways that have not been disclosed. Do they not matter?"
I have seen this same statement brought up on Prinna's Fed Up With Federated blog by one of the FEDHEADS - and my reaction is the same - that IMO it is a form of propaganda spread by a corporation to distract employees from the real issues at hand. Perhaps that AIG fiasco makes one skeptical? Do you honestly think a marketing rep that has the potential to nab a few clients could ruin a 100 year old company that has a AM BEST A+ rating? It seems to show there is a lack of confidence about the loyalty of the policyholder to think they would run off with someone else. I guess it makes me even question the rave reviews Federated gave itself in that last policyholders meeting. Are they really as strong as they say?
"Despite the downturn in the economy and the financial challenges plaguing the insurance industry, Owatonna-based Federated Insurance Companies emerged from 2008 as one of the financially strongest insurers in the country, Federated officials said Tuesday at the company’s annual meeting of policyholders."
Do you realize there were almost almost 700 property-liability insurance company insolvencies since 1970? Dying down in the late 80's but picking up steam again.
If employees really want to worry about how they could be hurt - I strongly suggest they start looking at where the money is going. How much to top tier are getting paid? What do the retirement packages look like? Where is the money invested. What type of bonds? stocks? real estate?
Somehow I don't imagine many taking the time to look - they would much rather cling to the idea and sensationalism that a marketing rep "stealing" trade secrets should be sent to prison for 40 years - correction 45 years - because he would somehow harm them more than what's really holding this company together. I'd check the foundation for cracks if I were you.

Another gulp of Immodium please secretsquirrel!

By: therealtruth on 11/27/09
"Do you know what he was accused of stealing? "
Well yes - I think by now the 2 articles from the Owatonna PP laid it out pretty well. As did the Insurance Commissioner's report link that the city attorney from St. Paul - "JFXJ" - has posted on a few other blog sites along with buddy poster "thetruthab".
Doesn't sound like much more than what SS posted - " contacts and certain market or product data that is crucial to company goals, most is simply mundane BS that any monkey could acquire through rudimentary research." Apparently 12 to 14 stories high if printed out.

There are reasons Federated has lost lawsuits like this one in the past. They had no case.
But hey - that doesn't seem to matter to them now does it. Right to press charges? Like for the Blacksten case? the Pehrson case? To make them sweat? To show them? they have more money than they do?
Why would you even consider condoning that type of behavior? Do you also go along with shoot first and ask questions later?

And if you think for one minute it is okay for FEDHEADS to go to a personal blog that was reaching out for support and to vent her frustrations with this horrendous treatment done to her family and allow FEDHEADS to post such dispicable things like Chris is a thief and a criminal knowing full well he wasn't - well go right ahead and join that club. The blog has been open to all comments for awhile now - as painful as it is for Prinna to have her and her family read such vicious venomous postings. The FEDHEADS got their say but they had nothing new to say. And the more they say the more risk they take. The evidence is piling up - against them.
When the real truth comes out I don't think I will be the only one thinking this is a big bad insurance company. No human being should be treated the way this family was treated.

As one poster commented:
This Federated Mutual Insurance-initiated 'aktion' is almost Kafkaesque.

Twice investigators went to Chris’s place of employment and, while all his co-workers looked on, they searched Chris’s office and computer looking for some evidence that Chris had “stolen” Federated information. I can only surmise that Federated is putting pressure on the commissioner to make sure Chris remains unemployed. They achieved their goal—Chris was fired last Thursday. During the search, the only thing the agents could find was an email from my sister who had asked about some cheaper auto insurance. Based on that email, agents determined on the spot that Chris was in violation of his temporary restriction on selling insurance. How malicious!"

(and that was a YEAR after the lawsuit was filed!)

Who pays for all this bustle and hustle by those investigators?

Before performing these searches did they "read him his rights"?

Good grief, did I just say, "almost Kafkaesque"? What an overwhelming use of police power - and all this for Federated Mutual Insurance?

In August of 2008, ten ARMED and uniformed officers showed up at my parents’ house with a warrant to search their house for information Chris had allegedly stolen from Federated. They didn’t simply take a look at computers and files, they confiscated and hauled away virtually all electronics and storage devices from their home after a 3 hour long search. My father is a physician—they took confidential patient information and private financial records residing on his computer. They took my mom’s work computer and all of her documents, leaving her unable to do her job. They took video tapes and camera chips with our personal pictures, many of them of Sophia. I should mention here that my parents did not receive their property back for about two months. We still do not have my laptop back despite several promises on Federated’s end to do so. We spent the first anniversary of Sophia’s death without her pictures, video and letters we had written to her.

http://docs.google.com/View?id=dgkfb3z7_328m4mzvd6

Is it that you LIKE Federated and no matter what they do, you are going to be the first in line to make them look like the big GOOD insurance company. Do you know them personally?

For a SMALL town Owatonna sure does have some BIG problems cropping up. And I believe what you are seeing now is just the tip of the iceberg and I am not just referring to the Federated case. History is repeating itself.

The Real Truth will come out.

By: secretsquirrel on 11/27/09
Call me naive but I have a lot of faith in our courts. They get it wrong sometimes and I never expect perfection when I enter one. Yet, I can truthfully say that I have never felt like any judge was biased because of who was in front of him or her.
Been through a lot of courts over the years and have yet to find a judge that was wholly incompetent, dishonest, questionable or simply unfair.
I love following cases and seeing how things play out. Is justice always served? Well... yes but sometimes it's on a paper plate and ice cold but it's justice.
I am sure there is truth on both sides of the table. The issue is merely one of which truth is the most verifiable.
Guilty or innocent, if Federated does not prove it's case against Mr. Boudreau, their financials will be a little less rosy next time. So, they need to be on solid ground before pursuing something like this.
So, no matter where any of us fall on the matter, the outcome will assuredly be interesting to read.
I do not know enough about the Boudreaus, or Federated to draw any gut level 'conclusions.' So, I won't.
The courts are not there to persecute Mr. Boudreau, they are there to prosecute him.
Federated is not the evil empire until proven to be in this case.
I can think of no judge in Steele county who would earn my distrust or bring their fealty to the justice system into question.
So, no matter how big a company is, they are still tasked with convincing a seasoned judge of their veracity.

By: SportsMom on 11/27/09
Like I said earlier, I believe that his wife and their friends and family believe that he is innocent and her blog expresses her feelings about Federated. That is completely normal. But to "cut and paste" sections of her blog doesn't make it the "Gospel Truth", it is her truth and what she believes. I believe that what he is accused of doing is a lot more than stealing "mundane BS that any monkey could acquire through rudimentary research". As, as far as "FEDHEADS posting dispicable things like Chris is a thief and a criminal knowing full well he wasn't". Well, I don't know full well that he isn't. Eventually we will all find out, won't we? Maybe Federated will come out smelling like a rose or be the horrible company you believe them to be. Time will tell.

By: secretsquirrel on 11/27/09
I am not saying he is guilty or innocent SportsMom and I agree with you: “Time will tell." Actually, I think you you phrased it beautifully when you referred to Mrs. Boudreau's conviction of her husband's innocence as "HER (My caps applied for illustration) truth and what she believes." That does matter because sometimes it's all we have left to cling to. Her simple and unyielding faith in her husband, a man she knows well and obviously holds in high esteem is swaying but not conclusive.
My past experiences with insurance companies in a courtroom are different from this only in it's a criminal rather than a civil (term used loosely) proceeding.
In every civil proceeding I have participated in, I have caught them in incredible lies and malicious tactics each and every time. But, a person has to remember that the lawyers do most of the speaking, not the plaintiffs. Most lawyers are basically honest but given enough incentive, some of them are going to bend things a little because they HATE to lose. Losing is expensive.
The beauty of the court is that every word spoken becomes another thread to pursue and verify. Each time a witness opens his or her mouth, they open another door to the truth. Eventually, whether lies or facts, the truth becomes readily apparent.

With regard to my 'monkey' comment.... I pretty much stand by it. You would have to be pretty naive to think it impossible much less difficult to acquire sensitive information from Federated's or anyone else's computers.
I learned more from a 17 year old hacker after someone hacked into my home computer years ago than I would have ever imagined he could know.
I run commercial security software that I consider to be top shelf and I STILL had some dipstick nosing around in my business one time since.
Now that could be a testament to the quality of education in America or just some kids with a little time on their hands but the point is that it's done all the time by unschooled people.
Anyone posting on this thread could very easily be exposing themselves to intrusion.
People ping your computer all the time, probing for weaknesses and vulnerabilities. Most people do not update their firewalls or protection figuring that if the security is on and running, it's good forever. That is WHY manufacturers recommend that you update your antivirus and firewall software weekly at a minimum.
Anyway, I tend to root for the little guy... but only if they're innocent. Having no way of knowing whether or not he is, I will simply root for the truth.

By: therealtruth on 11/28/09
"you would have to be pretty naive to think it impossible much less difficult to acquire sensitive information from Federated's or anyone else's computers."
How difficult could it be when marketing reps leave the passwords attached to the top of their laptops!
http://datalossdb.org/primary_sources/0000/2191/20081223_federated_insurance.pdf

"STEPS YOU HAVE TAKEN OR PLAN TO TAKE RELATING TO THE INCIDENT
Upon discovery of the incident, the building owner contacted local authorities to report the theft of several electronic devices in the office space. We have no evidence that the information has actually been used for fraudulent purposes. The laptop was secured using industry-standard password and encryption tools. However the password to the laptop was attached to the laptop
and with technical expertise could be utilized to access the personal information. As outlined in our notice, we offer credit counseling services at no charge. In the event of actual evidence of identify theft, we will work with the individual to rectify the situation. To prevent further
incidents, we maintain current encryption and password software and continually educate our
workforce to keep passwords confidential."

I root for the little guy as well. And my work for the past 5 years involves doing due diligence on companies that bully and take advantage of the little guy. Until now (with Federeated) just publicly traded companies. Federated has basically been "tagged" by a group of cybersleuths. Brought to their attention when Federated tried to silence a blogger for showing support for Prinna's Story.(of EFF related interest). Information is being gathered.
Anyone that has done research on publicly traded company would not see the information posted by me as "insider" information as referred to by occamsrazor. It's what I do. It is information readily available to anyone that knows where to look for said information. Some of the same places Wendy probably got her information for his story - Owatonna Courthouse, Waseca Courthouse, Minnesota Dept. of Commerce (Federated examination 2006),Pacer (lawsuits), Insurance Commission, and a whole lotta GOOGLE'ing.

And as for lawyers lying - yes it happens all the time - just review the SEC litigation releases and adminstrative proceedings and you will find quite a few cases of lawyers behaving badly.

By: therealtruth on 11/28/09
Sportsmom, just curious - when you say "Gospel Truth" ( I assume in light of recent events it's ok to mention religion!) are you suggesting that the things I cut and paste were NOT truth? That there was no search and seizure or raid on Chris' office (now former office)? Or the other events on the blog did not take place? What about the holding of the photo's of their deceased daughter in exchange for thousands of dollars or an "agreeable statement" written by Federated for her blog? You are not suggesting these are all fabricated are you? Her "truths" are not the same as Federated "truths". Her "truths" revolve around the behavior of Federated as a result of Federated's supposed "truth". Are you saying that they were all DESERVED treatments if Federated is telling the "truth"?
Have you thought about why the prosecutor NEEDED to come up with an additional 5 years for perjury a year later - that putting him away for 40 years wasn't enough?
Pretty simple IMO actually - If they don't say Boudreau LIED in his testimony, that would make them the LIARS. Pretty curious they are still on a fishing expedition over a year later to get something, anything to stick?

And after the Criminal case then comes the Civil case (now on hold) and on and on and on - the wheels of Justice turn S-L-O-W-L-Y - while this family's life is on hold until the REAL truth is told.

There is no turning back now. Unless of course as SecretSquirrel has mentioned - LOGIC takes over and the whole thing gets tossed. Or the people involved in this fiasco representing Federated get tossed.

Time will tell and it should be an exciting case to watch and play armchair lawyering. At least Federated got the publicity and the message sent out to all workers - "You work for Federated or you don't work!" This could happen to you! They don't even need to win. This case alone makes them the "winner" - they got to make an example out of someone that should last for years. They made him sweat, they showed him. Real ROSY indeed!

I see nothing wrong in showing a bit of the other side of this story. A little armchair lawyering shouldn't hurt Federated's "case" if they indeed have one. It's not a perfect world and the fact that I choose to be empathetic to the little guys plight and want to have their version heard shouldn't be seen as EVIL either.
Time will tell - eventually.

Looks like we slid off the most viewed list - so see you after the next December hearing article!!! It's going to be a LOOOOOONNNNGGGG winter!

By: therealtruth on 11/30/09
Sportsmom - were you aware of the costs to Federated's bottom line EVERYTIME an employee leaves? Do you understand the paranoia one must feel when an employee leaves? Do you understand why they might go to extreme lengths to stop the bleeding?
Bill Daly (Chris' boss that set this in motion) gives lectures on just this thing.
Management Education Workshop
The Private BONUS Plan

DATE:
Tuesday, November 10
TIME:
11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.
PRESENTED BY:

Bill Daly, Federated Insurance

DESCRIPTION:
Could you lose key employees to a better offer from another company? Losing a key employee that has a noticeable impact on your bottom line is expensive. Very expensive! Did you know there is a cost effective and legal way to treat that key employee different from the others? Did you know you can set up a plan to make them feel valued and special to your firm that has deductibility when paid out to them, and only them? Come learn how your firm can take advantage of a PLAN before it’s too late!

p10
Scratchpad
Newsletter of Minnesota Precision Manufacturing Association
September 2009
http://www.mpma.com/pdfs/Scratchpad/Spad_Sept09.pdf

Chris Boudreau had planned to stay with Federated - all his actions prove that (see Annexstad Letter on blog)- only an very unfortunate sequence of events took place that forced him into the decision to leave. He put his family first - and now he is paying one heck of a price. Shame on him.
A 10 year loyal Federated employee to a criminal overnight. tsk tsk

By: therealtruth on 12/4/09
SecretSquirrel! I would love your input on that new posted information on the Fed Up With Federated blog.

By: therealtruth on 12/9/09
http://siliconinvestor.advfn.com/readmsg.aspx?msgid=26148572

By: therealtruth on 12/9/09
Anonymous said...
The link to the insurance commerce site is an interesting one indeed!
Do you realize it was posted not once but TWICE on your Rollercoastering story at the Star Tribune? I was so horrified I reported it immediately given that your story had absolutely no mention of your last name or the lawsuit. And this malicious guy sees fit to post that very same link in the comment section of your story.
(Both were deleted)
http://www.startribune.com/blogs/55741972.html
--------
thetruth
http://www.commerce.state.mn.us/consent/379.PDF

posted by thetruthab on Aug. 31, 09 at 1:35 PM
--------
http://www.commerce.state.mn.us/consent/379.PDF

posted by thetruthab on Oct. 13, 09 at 9:48 AM |

=================
Not only that - that asst city attorney from St.Paul that calls himself "JFXJ" over on the Owatonna People's Press forum has posted the EXACT same link. Now why would an attorney feel the need to do such a thing??
Not to mention this guy "JFXJ" posted other pretty questionable things about Chris - which he quickly deleted when he was called out. You can find those posts if your google "JFXJ owatonna" - they have been documented on that Silicon Investors board.

"Member Opinions:
By: Belleve on 7/16/09
Visit www.fedupwithfederated.blogspot.com for the other side - since they didn't bother to include it in this article.

By: jfxj on 7/24/09
The blog mentioned above is intentionally misleading and removes posts that attempt to correct misstatements. For those interested in the facts about Boudreau's activities (i.e. prior criminal record, pleading the 5th 88 times and lying on his application for insurance) please review a public document of the Insurance Commissioner at: http://www.commerce.state.mn.us/consent/379.PDF

The DELETED post by the Attorney:

By: jfxj on 10/15/09
Therealtruth. You should learn the difference between a criminal and a civil case. Mr. McIntosh only handles criminal cases. The only parties in a criminal case are the defendant and the State of Minnesota. Private persons and companies are not parties. They can't decide who gets charged or what their punishment is. That is up to the police and the legislature.
Your friend Mr. Boudreau was charged with 3 serious felonies for theft. Recently, he was charged with another felony for perjury (lying under oath). The State's Commissioner of Insurance has also suspended Boudreau's license to sell insurance because of the theft and Boudreau's failure to disclose his prior criminal record. You can find information about that here: http://www.commerce.state.mn.us/consent/379.PDF
therealtruth, you sound like an angry defendant who was or is being prosecuted by Mr. McIntosh! Not sure anyone is interested in your perspective.

-------------------
Yes he is an attorney - he said so in an earlier post:
http://www.owatonna.com/news.php?viewStory=110836

By: jfxj on 10/15/09
Unlike the vast majority of you bitter people, I actually KNOW Mr. McIntosh and have seen him at work in the courtroom. As a fellow attorney I can state that he is an exceptional lawyer. His calm, highly ethical, evenhanded approach in representing the State of Minnesota is second to none. If he brings this same skill set to his new position as the County Attorney the people of Steele County will be very well served."

OLD news JFXJ - is that all you have?