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July 24, 2011 09:15 PM UTC

Military Imposter Chameleon Rick Strandlof Does It Again

  • 50 Comments
  • by: nancycronk

Political news followers may recall a story from ’09 about a Colorado mental patient named Rick Strandlof who pretended to be a decorated Veteran named Rick Duncan, rose to the top in the Veteran’s advocacy community, and made political allies with many of the state’s top legislators and candidates, on both sides of the aisle. Later, after the national news picked up the story and he was interviewed by Anderson Cooper, Rick Strandlof was tried for impersonating military personnel under the “Stolen Valor Act”. The case was dismissed by a federal judge who ruled that the Stolen Valor Act violates free speech protections.

As the story unfolded, it became clear Rick Strandlof had a long history of posing as people he was not, networking with leaders in each of his fake identities. In his latest incarnation, Rick Strandlof has become Oil and Gas Attorney Rick Gold, an observant and active member of Denver’s young Jewish professionals community.

I remember when I met Rick Duncan (Strandlof) at a political event in 2009. I talked to him for a good while about his endorsement of Colorado Congressman Mike Coffman in ’08, when he (as Duncan) was the Chair of the Colorado Veterans Alliance, a group he said represented 32,000 veteran members. We were at a meet-and-greet for a Democratic candidate for Congress in ’09, and I recognized him from across the room. Our conversation went something like this:

“Hey, I recognize you!” I said.

“You do?” he says, almost choking on his mimosa.

“Yeah, you’re the guy in the photos posing with Congressman Mike Coffman last year. You’re a head of a Veteran’s group in Colorado, aren’t you? I’ve been trying to reach you through your website to find out more about veteran’s concerns.”

“Yes, yes, I am. I am Rick Duncan”, he lies. Nice to meet you in person” .

I continue, “I can’t believe you’re here. I thought you were a Republican?” I pry.

“I’m committed to veteran’s issues — veteran’s rights. I think this candidate is right on the issues, so I am going to back him .”

Intrigued, I could not leave it alone.

“Really! How has Mike Coffman disappointed you –disappointed veterans? I want to hear all about it! I’d love to see him out of office, and I think we need veterans to stand up and tell their story about how the GOP is using them for votes, then not delivering, especially after they’ve been injured. It’s so obvious!”

Rick knew his stuff. He told me details about votes, and was disgusted that the troops were not getting the necessary supplies they needed to fight in Iraq and Afghanistan. As a wounded veteran, he said, he had opinions about the Veteran’s Administration, as well.

Strandlof appeared charming, knowledgeable, and articulate. Still, there was something almost-too-good-to-be-true about him. I called the campaign manager for the candidate who held the meet-and-greet, and asked, “How well do you know Rick Duncan?”

“He is one of my best friends”, he said. Later, I learned this was not true, but that the young campaign worker (whose identity I will never reveal) was trying to impress the volunteers with his grass-top’s connections.

Not long after, I got a call from another campaign volunteer warning me not to ever talk to Rick Duncan again, and to make sure I never link his name with any candidate. “Delete whatever photos you may have of him with any candidates, legislators, or campaign staff, okay? This guy is a fake, and is being investigated by the FBI.”

Immediately, I went back to Coffman’s website. I couldn’t understand how someone could pretend to be the President of a group with 32,000 veterans, and my Congressman, a proud veteran, did not know he was a fake. Apparently, Coffman’s office learned Strandlof’s true identity before we did. Photos and mentions of Rick Duncan (Strandlof) had already been deleted. Any references to the Colorado Veteran’s Alliance endorsement were also deleted. Hours later, former CO GOP leader Dick Wadhams’ posse was all over the news saying Strandlof was associated with Democrats like Congressman Jared Polis and Senator Mark Udall.

The next time I saw Rick Duncan/Strandlof/Gold, he was being interviewed by Anderson Cooper on CNN. Despite the ocean of legal trouble he was in, he eagerly answered questions, admitting who he really was. Clearly, the man appears seriously mentally ill.

As the story unfolded, many newspapers and television programs told the rest of Strandlof’s bizaree story. In 1997, he was Richard Glenn Pierson, charged with forgery and bad-check charges and sent to prison for five years in Montana. Later, he started a foundation in Reno, Nevada to advocate for open-wheel racing and children’s charities. His Linked-In profile as Rick Strandlof still lists him as the owner of the Reno Tahoe Grand Prix. Strandlof then spent nine months in Washoe County jail for stealing a car. Numerous other stories about Strandlof also emerged, each more colorful and interesting than the last. Apparently, he had hoodwinked hundreds of people, over many years.

Fast forward to today. An article appearing in Denver’s main daily rag is titled “Man unmasked as fake military hero in Springs reappears as “lawyer” in the Highlands“. The article tells of Strandlof posing as a young Jewish lawyer from the trendy Highlands neighborhood, who was able to hide the fact that he is bipolar, schizophrenic, homeless, and none of the things he pretended to be.

I immediately looked up Rick Gold on Linked-In. Sure enough, there is Strandlof, posing with one of Colorado’s members of Congress. Listed on the resume portion of his Linked In account, it says this:


Summary

Knowledgeable in 1031 exchanges, Section 29 credits, tax partnership agreements, unrelated business taxable income issues, mineral titles, leases, leasing, seismic agreements, exploration agreements, drilling contracts (IADC and custom), joint operating agreements (AAPL and AIPN), farmouts and farmins, gas balancing, oil and gas sales contracts, natural gas transportation agreements, gas processing agreements, dedication contracts, crude oil processing and exchange agreements, LNG contracts, pooling and unitization, and indemnification and anti-indemnification statutes.

Specialties

Various types of badassery.

According to today’s newspaper story, Senator Udall’s office also confirms the identity of the man in the photo as Rick Standlof.

On social networking site Plancast, Strandlof is listed as Rick Gold with a bi-line of “G-d, Country, Baseball. Not necessarily in that order”. It also indicates he is planning to attend a future event with Tom Tancredo.

I urge the Obama administration and all legislators and candidates to google this man’s story and images and beware. He is a master chameleon, one who researches and absorbs details of professional positions he pretends to hold. He is able to convince people of his falsely important standing, and gains access at high-level political events. Until now, he has been non-violent, but his interest in politics, the military, and community leaders shows he cannot be trusted.

(Author’s note: Sadly for the Denver Post, I cannot link to their articles due to their history of legally harrassing Colorado Pols. A number of them contain great investigative research into Strandlof’s long career of lies. My sources for this blog diary are from my own on-line investigation.)  

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50 thoughts on “Military Imposter Chameleon Rick Strandlof Does It Again

  1. I’ve known about Rick’s latest persona for a while…and the authorities were (supposedly) working to set up a sting to put this lowlife back into a jumpsuit and shackles.

    Let’s get one thing straight – Rick is a con-man. He doesn’t have any of the self-diagnosed mental illnesses he claims in interviews with the media. He wasn’t bipolar when we ran a con about race in Reno, he wasn’t when he was a lefty wounded Iraqi war vet, and he certainly wasn’t when he was a rightie Jewish Oil & Gas Lawyer.

    He didn’t even have the courage or responsibility to show up for his Appeals Court hearing on the Stolen Valor act – when he saw the collection of vets going into the courthouse (myself included), he stayed outside in the rain.

    Lastly, he has NOT been harmless. He’s done incredible harm to the issue of veteran advocacy, fundraising for veteran charities, but most especially to vets who need help.

    One of the vets I try REPEATEDLY to get to go to the Vet Center or VA for help with his PTSD refused to go, because he doesn’t want to be called a “fake Marine like Rick.”

    If that vet harms himself or others because of the stigma that Rick as attached to any veteran with PTSD or TBI, the blood is on his hands!

    1. Your points are well-taken. I hesitated when I wrote “harmless”. What I meant to say was “non-violent”. Clearly, he has hurt people with his lies. I will make the correction. I am sorry I used the wrong word.

      1. into someones life/organization so that he can get a “big score”.  Dan was lucky that his old organization didn’t deal with large amounts money that Strandlof could have just walked off with.  

        He was probably casing the Jewish community looking for a mark when this all came out.  You can’t just walk into a synagogue and “act Jewish”, he had to do serious research and learn enough Hebrew to fool the community.  That is not the act of a mentally ill person.

        What is interesting is that he tried to pull this in the same area that he was working in before, after being exposed with a lot of publicity.  He always left town and set up shop in another state after things fell through before this.

        And keep in mind, like Leonard Smalls said earlier, someone like this will do harm to another person without even a moments hesitation if they would see a clear advantage from it.  

          1. Maybe because there are actual charges against him this time he has to stick around.  He may not want to become a fugitive with federal charges hanging over his head.  That would make it harder for him to keep doing these scams.

        1. .

          Ever watch a TV show called “The Daily Show ?”

          The lead character, “John Stewart,” is played by a Black woman from Jamaica.  

          When I’m runnin’ that particular scam, instead of copping to TBI, I excuse my slip-ups by claiming to be Sephardim.

          .

    2. I have to say it sounds like you are absolutely right about this guy SSG_Dan. This doesn’t sound like the actions of someone with bipolar disorder or schizophrenia, it sounds like the actions of a cold, calculating sociopath claiming to have those illnesses in a bid for self-preservation when he’s caught.

      People like this need to be locked up with the key thrown away. Aside from the massive damage he’s already done, people like this are perfectly willing to commit violent crimes if they think it will benefit them somehow and they can get away with it.

        1. The only person that’s claimed he has undiagnosed bipolar disorder or any other mental health symptom is RICK.

          Go thru anything posted anywhere on the web, on blogs or in the Stolen Valor Federal court docs – NO behavioral health professional has EVER backed up Rick’s self-diagnosis.

          The press keeps repeating his claim as gospel – but the only time it’s ever been mentioned was by himself in the various jailhouse interviews.

          Point blank – he’s a congenital liar who acts like a con artist. He’s admitted to that on national tv. He deserves to be treated as criminal, not a patient.  

            1. I have yet to see or hear about a single eval done at the request of the court or by his lawyer. Until someone can point that being done, Rick is pissing up a rope.

      1. ..but there’s seems to be a need to blab to the press, even when it’s been advised that shutting up and playing along with have a better outcome.

        Military people call it OPSEC. That’s why I posted what I did…

          1. behind his back, right?  

            Quote: “As always, we encourage readers to not be gratuitously insulting to one another”

            Unless you’re Ralphie.

            by: nancycronk @ Sun Jul 24, 2011 at 13:17:04 PM CDT

            Ignore him to his face, stab him in the back. It’s the Christian thing to do, I guess.

            And for the record, I don’t it’s unseemly at all for you to put this diary up. It’s the front page story on today’s Denver Post West and Channel 9 News is reporting on it at 10:00 p.m. tonight.

            Basically, all you did was regurgitate a story that has already been written elsewhere and gave it a wider readership so I don’t see why you’re getting crap for that. I suggest folks read the Denver Post story; it’s depressing how many folks this guy has ingratiated himself with under false pretenses.

            Like Dan said, this guy is a scam artist who has been scamming folks since he was old enough to figure out how.

              1. Aside from pointing out that you were taking part in the same kind of passive-aggressive (or just plain aggressive) back and forth you were apparently deriding at the same time, MOTR was defending you.

                Maybe it’s you who should give it a rest. Or just rest, period.

        1. About how they ran this story in the print edition today, which went to press well before Nancy diaried.

          (I know. I know. You’re not trying to make a legitimate criticism. You’re just mean. Love you anyway.)

    1. I don’t know anyone who was not outraged.

      There is a difference between committing a criminal act (or what most people would consider one) because you are sane and want to hurt people, and committing a criminal act because you are insane and a pathological liar. I give Strandof the benefit of the doubt that he must be mentally ill rather than evil. Why? Because “innocent until proven guilty” seems to be a decent standard.

      Clearly, the man is not well. What motive did he have to pretend he was a politically conservative, Israeli-born, observant Jew for almost two years? If you read the D.P. article, it says he made a lot of friends, learned Hebrew and observed tradition. If you’ve met him, you would probably also agree he seems like a really nice guy. So far, he has never robbed anyone or anything — at least not that we know of.

      I am not defending this guy’s actions. They are deplorable, and he has clearly hurt a lot of people. SSG_Dan and a whole lot of other people have every right to be furious. I just think he might be one of the many homeless people who are mentally ill.  

      1. He slipped into the Jewish social circles last October, not two years ago.  I can understand you wanting to be on the side of compassion Nancy, but you are off base here.  If he was mentally ill, to the point that he needed help, he would not be able to keep up the pretenses that he has.  He uses the brain injury stories to explain any discrepancies that may slip out over time.  In grifters parlance, he plays the long game, and a head injury is one of the oldest tricks in such scams.  

        Understand that the best con artists will become the best friend you have, because it’s easier to steal from someone who trusts you completely than a stranger.  Dan was not taken in by Strandlof because he is gullible, foolish, or stupid, he is none of those things.  He and others in the CVA were taken in because Rick Strandlof is a highly talented con artist, who knew exactly how to insinuate himself into their circles and confidences.  

        1. is having a hard time understanding how someone could be both sick and guilty at the same time. Nobody who commits crimes of this nature is well, obviously. But it’s almost more deranged to suggest that such crimes shouldn’t be punished and abhorred, rather than met with the ultimate force of the law.

          Calling what this guy did, and has continued to do despite being caught red-handed, purely the work of a mentally ill mind in need of hospitalization and psychological treatment is doing a disservice to his victims.

          Nancy, listen to Cologeek and Dan. This guy is a scumbag. Don’t play into his mind games.

        2. Either that, or he’s told that lie so often he believes it himself. Here is a blog diary from 2005 I just found while searching “Rick Strandlof Jewish”. The half-of-a-face photo definitely looks like him. http://tahoehomo.blogspot.com/

          There is also this from his blogger account: http://www.blogger.com/profile

          He says he is a professional pornographer.

          If you click on his screen name, spazmasterfunk, you can also go to an epinions.com profile of someone named Rickur Piersson who lives in California. http://www.epinions.com/user-j

          It says he is just the “average”, “all American type guy” from Missoula, Montana.

          Whatever his truths are, public officials need to keep an eye on this guy.

      2. I’ve worked with vets struggling with Post-traumatic Stress Injuries, Major depression, substance abuse…you name it.

        None of them attempted to squeeze money out of people in a long con.

        None of them hosted a “fundraising party” in a ski rental and skipped town the next day.

        None of them told their “donors” they needed $25,000 to visit the troops in AFPAK, then went on vacation on the west coast.

        I still hold out hope that I’ll get to testify against Rick in a Federal Court, and state in precise detail the days he told me “these scrambled brains have a Purple Heart” and “I could’ve worn my Silver Star but that might have been too much for some of these guys” so that he can go to Federal Prison. Probably not…

        But I can and will state to anyone who will listen that this assclown is a con man. Not ANYTHING else.

        1. I obviously have not followed his history as close as you have. I have not seen articles about the ski rental fundraising party or the $25,000 for AFPAK. Why don’t they get him for fraud?

          If you can post any of those links, I would appreciate reading more.

          The thing that fascinated me the most about him (and perhaps you can attest to it too) is, when I met him in person, he was all smiles — happy, energetic, outgoing, friendly. The video with Anderson Cooper shows a somber, serious, nonsmiling guy. My first thought was, “He’s got to be bi-polar”. What were your impressions?

          I do hope you get to testify against him in Federal Court. You seem to know a lot more than anyone else, and he has betrayed you most. I hope you win, Dan.

          1. By late 2005, Strandlof was living in Incline Village, on the north shore of Nevada’s Lake Tahoe. He formed a foundation that promised to return open-wheel racing to the streets of Reno while also supporting programs for local children and the poor.

            On Dec. 31, 2005, according to Reno Magazine, he held an auction that netted $25,000 for his Reno-Tahoe Grand Prix Foundation. In early 2006, Strandlof told Nevada Appeal newspaper columnist Roger Diez that he had secured $3 million from a “venture capital group in the Silicon Valley” to fund the purse for the race he planned over the July 4 weekend in 2009.

            Months later, Diez acknowledged in a column that he probably had been duped by Strandlof. The race website was down. Strandlof’s phone was disconnected.

            the others I hope to testify about in court someday…

        2. ever took him to be anything but a con man after the phony vet stuff came out in the first place. I would guess there are very few you need to worry about convincing.  As far as Nancy’s obsession with the evil (?!?) that is Ralphie in her perception, that’s something she might want to talk to a professional about. Jeesh!

          1. I counseled people at a suicide prevention and crisis center for several years. I met many homeless people who were mentally ill, as well as many people who were depressed or down-on-their-luck, but mentally okay. Some of them believed they were the President of the United States. Usually, they were only a harm to themselves. Very occasionally, they were dangerous to others.

            I’ve already said twice now that Rick Strandlof did despicable things (uh-oh, someone call the redundancy police!). He may be evil and mentally ill. He may be neither or both. Until someone makes him have a psych evaluation, no one knows for sure.  

          2. It’s kind of a complicated thing. From one point of view, I think anyone who is willing to use a gun against another person is mentally ill. I just don’t see how you can function sanely in society when you view that as a solution to a problem. I think this puts me in a small minority.

            A guy who cons lots of people for personal gain without regard for the consequences sounds to me like a sociopath, and that again is a form of mental illness. It only really matters in the sense of punishing the guy for defrauding people, but in my mind it’s not a trivial thing. Should you give up on sociopaths? Or do you think they’re redeemable with the proper treatment? I honestly don’t know one way or the other, but I think both sides have reasonable arguments.

            As for the grudge against Ralphie, I think I was responsible for inculcating that, and I apologize. Everyone on this blog has their own problems and nothing is more pointless than getting angry at another blog commenter.

            Anyway, I’d prefer if people not make jokes about other commenters’ mental health since it trivializes this whole debate, and I think it’s one worth having.

            Of course, I would say that since I’m ka-raaaazy.

            1. counseling is often helpful to people who have issues that fall far short of mental illness.  

              As for sociopathy, many individuals who commit crimes are sociopaths. They are incapable of feeling remorse for their crimes because they are incapable of empathy and no treatment has yet been found for instilling a conscience in those who just don’t have one. Punishment under the law is the only practical means of dealing with sociopaths. They can’t be counseled into feeling things they can’t feel.  

              1. my fed-up-ness with Ralphie and another poster have nothing to do with you, sxp151. Thanks for tryting to take the fall. I can’t stand bullies. There is no rationale or excuse for them. I don’t care which side of the political aisle they’re on.

                I agree that a person’s conscience is definitely part of their total mental health picture. Anyone who uses violence or intimidation instead of dialogue has a screw loose in my opinion, too. Whether or not that person is more likely to be treated in a prison system or a mental health facility is hard to know. Sadly, without state-funded health care for all, many people, particularly those who are unemployed and/or homeless, may go untreated for mental health issues for decades. It is sometimes at our peril we allow that to happen.

                I think we all agree Rick Strandlof is a guy to watch, and if we can find a legal way to get him off the street, all the better.

                1. we no longer insist that insurance companies offer it and largely the public has gone along with this. I actually thought after Reagan was shot by a deranged individual that this might change for the better but it hasn’t. Rather than that, the right is upset that John Hinkley has improved and his mental health pros actually want him to become part of society again. Mental health has many success stories. Like a lot of other things, the justice system for instance, it is the failures that we remember.

                  1. Very true! After Columbine, the Gifford’s shooting, and now the tragedies in Norway, you’d think mental health would be somewhere near the top of our public funding priorities! Tragically, even the people who have decent insurance for medical issues usually do not have coverage for mental health.  

      3. .

        no disrespect to SSG Dan,

        but I have been around pretenders all my life.  

        Their war stories typically start:

        “There I was, knee-deep in hand grenade pins, … ”

        Some of the same folks who hated me when I wore the uniform when the war Overseas Contingency Operation in Southeast Asia was still going on, after it ended, they wanted to share in the “glory.”  

        They would even get unit tattoos.

        Whaddaya gonna do ?  Carry an Order of Battle with you every time you stop in somewhere for a drink, and quiz ’em on it ?  

        Let it go.  

        .

        1. ….it’s not about the fake war stories…it’s about someone who did a lot of harm to veterans issues. And I’m afraid, a few vets who now have a new reason (excuse) not to go in for help.

          Do I go around VFW bars and smack everyone I think is a phony? No…but the ones that run a long con at the expense of veterans? I intend to stay after Strandlof until he’s gone from Colorado. That can be in an orange jumpsuit, or fleeing south on a greyhound bus.  

    1. He friended me and I complimented his pic with Mark Udall.

      Definitely not a liberal, but I know that Mark Udall is a good man and does a good job for the people of Colorado.

      Think Fox News+BravoTV.

      Thanks for the message!

      😉

      That was his reply. I recall thinking some of his reviews were REALLY odd in that his tales of Israeli parents didn’t jibe with my experiences, but I figured I was the mistaken one since I’ve never been to Israel.

      This is my SECOND weird-ass Strandlof experience. I was scheduled to interview him for a blog shortly after he ended up getting exposed the first time. The interview was for his veterans’ group, so it obviously got canceled, and one of the people deceived by him had to call me and explain–poor guy.

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