Hero Restoration, Anyone know the latest? 27 27

[MAY1979]

^ kudos on being someone who has kept up confidence/trust positivity. That type of outlook is truly a recipe for a longer lifespan.

Hope your books are ones the law was able to recover

Edited August 23 by MAR1979

[Mr. Zipper]

On 8/23/2024 at 2:39 PM, MAR1979 said:

 

Edited August 23 by Mr. Zipper

[Neo "The One"]

On 8/23/2024 at 3:03 PM, Mr. Zipper said:

Gee, thanks for the condescending response that assumes I’m a child. Shove it.

Mr. Z - I don't blame you for what it is worth.  Mike was very good at what he did. I like to believe that most people are good and generally honest.  Of course everyone has lied or stretches the truth on ocassion, but most people are not out there to screw everyone (and I mean everyone) over.  

[Mr. Zipper]

On 8/23/2024 at 3:20 PM, Neo "The One" said:

Mr. Z - I don't blame you for what it is worth.  Mike was very good at what he did. I like to believe that most people are good and generally honest.  Of course everyone has lied or stretches the truth on ocassion, but most people are not out there to screw everyone (and I mean everyone) over.  

I deleted my response because it was ill tempered. It’s a sensitive spot for me… Cause I feel like I was manipulated by someone who I thought was a friend.

There’s a big difference between giving a someone who you thought was a friend for many years the benefit of the doubt… And being suspicious of a stranger. That’s the difference with Mike. He wasn’t some unknown snake oil salesman to many of us. I’d like to think that most of us would give a friend the benefit of a doubt (against unknown accusers) before throwing them under the bus. 

[mmm68]

Did Mike actually restore a single comic between 2015 and 2023? Does anyone know? I know he did pressing and cleaning but did he actually restore anything?

[JollyComics]

Admittedly, I didn't read all posts here but I read the posts for about 20-30 pages.

There are plenty of evidences, outstanding arrests and countless filed complaints.  Did the police have the search warrant and raid/impound his business?   I hope he is in the jail indefinitely.

It seems that he goes on with all problems outside the courthouse.  It looks like the problems are endless.

Edited August 23 by JollyComics

[Mr. Zipper]

On 8/23/2024 at 4:15 PM, mmm68 said:

Did Mike actually restore a single comic between 2015 and 2023? Does anyone know? I know he did pressing and cleaning but did he actually restore anything?

If I recall correctly, his Instagram had videos and before and after photos of some restoration jobs. Unfortunately, it’s gone now. His website also listed a woman who was on staff as a “colorist.“ So I believe the answer is “yes,” but it may have been simpler restoration work. From what we’ve seen here, obviously he was not competent in more complex techniques. 

[CJ Design]

On 8/21/2024 at 2:00 PM, Copy801 said:

Thanks! I got very very lucky. This is a photo of some books Hero restoration was working on in 2022. I don't know if you saw this or if it has anything you weren't aware of. 

Glad you followed up

[mmm68]

On 8/23/2024 at 4:45 PM, Mr. Zipper said:

If I recall correctly, his Instagram had videos and before and after photos of some restoration jobs. Unfortunately, it’s gone now. His website also listed a woman who was on staff as a “colorist.“ So I believe the answer is “yes,” but it may have been simpler restoration work. From what we’ve seen here, obviously he was not competent in more complex techniques. 

Those comics are not graded and some could be photocopies.

Edited August 23 by mmm68

[Flanders82]

The bail may have been increased, although I believe his bail should be denied. He's a danger to the community due to his alcohol abuse and has no value to society.

Here's what I see on the Linn County Sheriff's website. The bail may now be a total of $70,000. 

 

[Neo "The One"]

On 8/23/2024 at 8:25 PM, Flanders82 said:

The bail may have been increased, although I believe his bail should be denied. He's a danger to the community due to his alcohol abuse and has no value to society.

Here's what I see on the Linn County Sheriff's website. The bail may now be a total of $70,000. 

 

Wow I hope this is the case! 

[KCOComics]

On 8/23/2024 at 4:12 PM, Mr. Zipper said:

I deleted my response because it was ill tempered. It’s a sensitive spot for me… Cause I feel like I was manipulated by someone who I thought was a friend.

There’s a big difference between giving a someone who you thought was a friend for many years the benefit of the doubt… And being suspicious of a stranger. That’s the difference with Mike. He wasn’t some unknown snake oil salesman to many of us. I’d like to think that most of us would give a friend the benefit of a doubt (against unknown accusers) before throwing them under the bus. 

For what it's worth, I appreciated your perspective throughout this thread. You're defensive of him was always thoughtful and respectful and you were giving a perspective, based on personal experience. 

If this were a friend of mine,  I would like to think I would have taken a similar approach.

I always try to see the best in people. When this all started,  I reached out to Mike and offered to help press, pack and ship comics, if he was in NY. I believed the sob story that his health made even these simple tasks difficult and i wanted to help someone in our community facing a difficult time....

Then the Flash #1 story came to light and more and more stories followed that showed this wasn't isolated to when he got sick.  This had been going on for a decade.... I lost hope and he lost credibility. 

That was soon followed by the threats and the first thread getting locked.  There was no accountability. And even still,  I never imagined he would stoop so low as to sell people's comics... but he did. And had been doing it for some time. 

It's an awful situation and I'm glad to see him facing consequences. But that won't make victims whole. The thousands of dollars paid for services never rendered and all the people who had books sold.  

Edited August 24 by KCOComics

[Steven Valdez]

On 8/24/2024 at 4:09 AM, Neo "The One" said:

"Not a violent crime"

Did you see what he did to those 2 early Action Comics???

[altair43]

 

 

I was one of the last customers who dechellis scammed in late 2023.  I had an AF-15 that was in my family for 50 years and wanted it restored.  I belonged to CGC but I never really looked at the chat boards for a recommendation on professional restorers so I went on you tube and a Comic Tom interviewed dechellis and I went to the Hero Restoration site and decided to give dechellis a call.  Well, this guy painted such a wonderful picture about how great he was and would give me a wonderful deal so I sent him my AF 15 and $4500.  He then kept giving me excuses and said he could not start work for another year.  I begn to sweat and just happened to go on to the CGC chat board and to my horror I saw numerous complaints and the lame excuses of a crook.  As time went on,  I contacted the Sherriffs office in Linn county and also did a lot of investigation about where abouts of this guy.  A concerned party started the ball rolling by organizing us and asking all to send our complaints to Linn County.  I am overjoyed that dechellis was finally caught and I hope the judge's final decision will be a harsh one.  I did receive my AF15 back from dechellis but none of my $4500.  I have absolutely no sympathy for this guy who knowingly stole books and money from customers.  For those of you who say you hope dechellis can turn his life around,  you can put an arm around him and say you sympathize, but he will, for sure,  stick his hand in your back pocket and steal your wallet.  Dechellis is a rat and I hope that he uses his comic press to press licence plates while he is in prison for a very long time.

 

Edited August 25 by altair43
something incorrect

[Poka]

On 8/24/2024 at 2:08 AM, Neo "The One" said:

I hear he's getting out.  I emailed them a lengthy statement why I feel like he should not be and Cantina201 called them, but sounds like we were too late.  They gave me 2 deadlines.  1 11:30 PST and 10:30 PDT.  Full of typos, but I sent it by 10:30 their time.  Justice is deaf blind and dumb.  

I have said it in the forum across the "street" now states, but if you check the Judge's background - she is a very lenient judge

[Mr. Zipper]

On 8/23/2024 at 8:25 PM, Flanders82 said:

The bail may have been increased, although I believe his bail should be denied. He's a danger to the community due to his alcohol abuse and has no value to society.

Here's what I see on the Linn County Sheriff's website. The bail may now be a total of $70,000. 

 

Thankfully he’s not in a state that has cashless bail, i.e., no bail for non-violent crimes. 

[Mr. Zipper]

On 8/23/2024 at 9:49 PM, KCOComics said:

 

Then the Flash #1 story came to light and more and more stories followed that showed this wasn't isolated to when he got sick.  This had been going on for a decade.... I lost hope and he lost credibility. 

Same. I gave him the benefit of the doubt, but that is not a limitless blank check. Once more evidence surfaced like the Flash #1, I made it my mission to spread the word on Facebook and direct as many people as I could to this thread for more information.

I know the victims will never be made whole, but hopefully seeing Mike prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law will deliver some sense of justice. I’m concerned the judge will buy the substance-abuse sob story and let him off easy.
 

[crassus]

On 8/23/2024 at 8:25 PM, Flanders82 said:

The bail may have been increased, although I believe his bail should be denied. He's a danger to the community due to his alcohol abuse and has no value to society.

Here's what I see on the Linn County Sheriff's website. The bail may now be a total of $70,000. 

 

I have been following the thread throughout, and I remember others posting about suspected drug or alcohol abuse, has this been substantiated? I am not suggesting this has any bearing on responsibility or accountability, just curious as to the foundation. 

[mmm68]

On 8/24/2024 at 1:10 PM, crassus said:

I have been following the thread throughout, and I remember others posting about suspected drug or alcohol abuse, has this been substantiated? I am not suggesting this has any bearing on responsibility or accountability, just curious as to the foundation. 

People are speculating based on the DUII. Which I believe he got before these charges. I don’t know all the detail I assume he was charged and released. Then the police could not find him. It could have been a one-time thing or a pattern, of substance abuse, we don’t know enough to say. Oregon only has (DUII) Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants so it could be either drugs or alcohol or both.

He was also charged with Driving While Suspended (DWS). Does anyone know if he got a second DUII at the sametime?

https://www.jaredjustice.com/dui-vs-duii/

Edited August 24 by mmm68

[MatterEaterLad]

On 8/24/2024 at 6:07 AM, Mr. Zipper said:

Same. I gave him the benefit of the doubt, but that is not a limitless blank check.

I don't know Mike aside from a few phone calls regarding a book I ultimately (and fortunately) did not send to him. On the phone he was a great guy. So when this started to blow up, I was hoping it was some kind of horrible misunderstanding, not because I like the guy but because there are so few people who do this work and the community needs that expertise. But...wow...it unraveled so quickly and horribly. Around the time this all started to unfold I talked to Brandon Daza, who worked for Mike for a while. Brandon knew Mike was selling lots of his equipment and wasn't sure how Mike could actually do the work anymore. It just got worse from there as everyone's fears were confirmed. I'm glad he's behind bars and hoping everyone can get their books back in a timely fashion and not having them in a box in some evidence room forever.