A few years ago, I filed a bunch of complaints with the Attorney General of the State of Washington about a spammer. I know, how dumb is that right? But it was one of those spams which made it look like I was sending it out. And the address it used was an address I used for Left Coast Crime stuff, so I was horrified to think that anyone might get this crap and think I'd sold or somehow given anyone their email. And I got it over and over. And the fake business (with fake website) was supposed to be based in Seattle. So I wrote complaints.
Some time later, I received email telling me that as a potentila victim, I was entitled to know that the spammer was going on trial, and that while my presence was not required - it's not like I was to testify or anything - I should know that he was on trial in the US District Court based in Seattle.
Some time after that I received notice that if I wished to file for victim compensation, I could do so and was provided two forms - a statement and a financial worksheet to fill out and return to the judge in the case. So I wrote a far-too-long explanation of the mystery convention, of LCC, of why this was a problem. It was not like we lost money or had to start over with a new email or anything, but the guy wasted my time, gave me huge angst and potentially damaged my reputation and that of Left Coast.
Then I tried to quantify how much he'd cost me. Not easy given that it was a volunteer gig and there was, to my knowledge, no actual harm to measure, but he had cost me time and energy, immeasurable worry and concern (and I didn't know if recompense would include exact damage or punitive or what. I know a little bit about law. But not much.) So I researched and asked and carefully checked around to determine what I would maybe have been paid as a meeting planner (boy are those guys underpaid!) and filed a claim for what I thought might be a laughably small amount but what the hell. And I wrote this stuff up, printed it (because I can't fill out forms legibly) and sent it on. That was in June, 2008.
So Monday night, as Stu and I were unpacking, decanting and otherwise catching up from our trip to San Francisco, I was looking through my mail - the packages (aka books), bills and otherwise. And in the otherwise was something that looked for all the world like a check. From the US District Court.
It was. Not for the entire amount, and I haven't worked out the formula, but for substantially what I claimed. Something, I think, like 87 percent of what I stated in my victim compensation worksheet. I could not work it out at first what this was and then, up in the corner was reference to the case of US v the Spammer.
I'm still researching everything but from what I saw in some preliminary web searches, this guy was required to repay (as part of his plea deal) some $700,000 of which a teeny tiny amount was paid to me. So. There. Hah. Kreegah. I am mighty, am I not?