Shoot Not to Kill

by Daniel L Stephenson

  “Sonny, huh. Well, our turnover for the city is about 200 employees a year, so that’s a pretty stiff order. Letter carries are the most frequent that roll over, too. Yes, letter carriers can get pretty easy access to the post office boxes. We have a pretty sophisticated distribution system here, and the stuff I’ll need is where his route was located, dates, and any personal information. It may take me awhile to sift through this,” Birch said. “I think we just truncated storage, too. It went central for old records, and we digitalized most of it.”

  Geech’s ears picked up with the idea that the data was digital. “The digital data is here in the facility?” he asked.

  “Don’t think so. We hired it out and came back on CD.”

  “Was it done locally?” Geech pursued.

  “Don’t know. You’d have to go to contracting for that information, but I believe we may have a copy.”

  Geech felt a wave of relief come over him and coolly said, “Is there a chance we can scan it for dates and names?”

  “I can’t say, I use a computer to play on EBay, and that’s the extent of it. Here, you can see, there’s no computer, there are other folks that do the data input. Hold on a minute,” Birch said. He picked up the phone, “Billie, you got a minute? Yeah, come on up. OK.”

  “Billie Rollins is coming up. He’s our local whiz,” Birch said.

  “That’s great.”

  “So, what did this guy do?” Birch queried.

  Geech had schooled his answer and said, “I can’t really talk about it. That’s the official answer. The other answer is, it looks like he interfered with the mail.”

  “That dog don’t hunt, Mr. Geech. We’d be using the internal Inspector General if that was all there was to it, but I know you likely can’t talk about it,” Birch said as he smiled.

  “I wish I could tell you more, but I will tell you this, when I know something firm, I can let you know. You have been helpful for me, and I’d be happy to tell you whatever I can.”

  “That’s a deal. Here’s Billie,” Birch said as he stood again.

  Geech stood and turned. Geech looked down at a man in a wheelchair that had a sparkle in his eyes and a spring in his step, even in a wheelchair.

  “Billie, this is Mr. Paul Geech. He’s from the FBI, and he wants to know some information from the CD we did on old records. Do you think you can help him?” Birch asked.

  “I’ll get the Miner on it. Hi, Paul, follow me,” Billie said as he twirled his streamlined wheelchair around and rolled away.

  “Call me Geech, that’s what I’ve been called since I can remember. Billie, you called it the ‘Miner,’ might that be the Diamond Miner?” Geech asked as he tried to keep up.

  “That’s the one. You a miner?” Rollins asked.

  “No, but I know of it from prior work.”

  “There’s an international organization now of data miners. It is just called the Miner’s Informatic Society, and you have to show the guys that you’re good to get in. I’m what they call a yellow disc, means I’ve just passed the muster for paying dues, got blue, red, and black to go. Fun stuff. What are you looking for?” Rollins asked.

  “I’d rather talk about it over the monitor, not here in the hall,” Geech said as Billie scared several pedestrians out of the hallway.

  “Gotcha,” Rollins said as they rolled into a small cubicle.

  “OK, let me log on,” Rollins said as he busied himself getting his computers running. There was a bank of routers set up along the back wall. These routers were under glass with special environmental systems along one side.

  “Wow, that’s impressive,” Geech said as he inspected the system quickly.

  “You a hack?” Rollins asked.

  “Been, now just a gumshoe.”

  “That’s the western half of the United States. We’ve passed through several doors that are very secure, and we’re in the inner sanctum. OK, we’re online. I’ve got the CDs on memory here. What data do you need?”

  “I have a name and picture that I’d like to match from a dude that was a letter carrier several year ago on a route here in St. Louis.”

  “Should be OK. Male, name is what?” Rollins asked as he developed a search field on a complex graphic page.

  “Gets tough here. All I have is Sonny as a name, male. He’s now forty-four years old. Would have had to register somewhere around thirty-eight when he applied six years ago. That’s all I have,” Geech said as he put the picture of Dr. Bishell on the desk.

  “Not much. Sonny his name or nickname?” Rollins asked.

  “Don’t know.”

  “OK,” Rollins said as he typed and entered data. “I’m going to paint with a broad brush. You have a social security number on him?”

  “No way. Likely he’s using a fake,” Geech said as he regretted not having copied those numbers from the file on the outside chance Bishell was foolish enough to use his real social security number.

  “OK, we’ll take the age range of thirty-five to fifty. Name Sonny will be placed in a second-phase relationship. That means the Miner will not use it as a protocol for rejection but take it as an additional matrix for identification.”

  Geech blinked and smiled, realizing geek talk when he heard it.

  “OK, I have about 610 hits for male hires in the last twenty years. I need more parameters. Sonny was a wash. Trims down to 189 hires in the last six years”

  “Can you refine the dates? Go from twelve years back to six years back?” Geech recommended.

  “OK, we’ll see,” Rollins said, then worked on the screen for a few minutes. “OK, down to sixty-six hits.”

  “Hum, OK. All males and all possible. What else do you have in the record?” Geech asked.

  Billie turned the monitor to face Geech and pulled up the Miner’s data entry menu. “Looks like I have age, race, gender, disability code, veteran status. I can do more work to get marital status. Then I can query the pay vouchers for other information such as whether they were insured, did they contribute to the Combined Federal Campaign, did the have health insurance. Finally I can look at termination status. Did they quit, get fired, get laid off, were they seasonal hires, stuff like that there.”

  Geech considered the process of going through the sixty-six records. “How can I look at each record?”

  “Can’t say. I’d have to go to my boss and see what you would need to enter. My bet is that I will have to print the records for you after I get the OK, and give them to you,” Rollins said as he closed the menu page.

  Geech was looking at the collated list of names when his eye caught one. It was Clinker Jones. “Well I’ll be damned. That gutsy bastard. Can you pull this one for me?” he asked, pointing to that name.

  “Sure, let me get out of this box. Jones 3554, got it,” Rollins said as he backed up to a template for queries. He typed in the information and a record appeared. “Here you are. If you do not take it from the office, I’ll print it. If you take it, I just need approval and a signature.”

  “OK, print it, if I need it, I’ll let you know. It won’t take long. Do you have a picture on the file?” Geech asked as he leaned back.

  “Don’t know. That stuff would be in the security file. I’ll look around. Here’s the record.”

  “OK, I’ll look here. Can you look for a picture?” Geech asked.

  “Yeah, I’ll call around,” Rollins said as he handed the file to Geech.

  Geech was absorbed in the record as he listened absently to Billie calling the security office for pass and ID photographs. He was unaware of the arrival of someone carrying a picture until Rollins passed it to him. It was Bishell. Older, hairier, but Bishell.

  “That’s our mark. I need you to copy this and get your approval for me to keep these data,” Geech said.

  “I’ll need to call some folks,” Rollins said as he leaned back in his wheelchair and spun around facing his monitor.

  It turned out to be a much more complicated process than a simple phone call, but
Geech was impressed and pleased there were extra steps. The post office called the local FBI and verified his identity, a step he did not anticipate, but appreciated. He left with the file and pictures of Dr. Bishell, postman.

  “Trudy, there’s our mark, he was a postal agent here for a year, then quit. He’s listed here as Clinker Jones, if you can believe that. What a fool.”

  “Tony says the average criminal is either a lot smarter than we are or a lot dumber. Sometimes they’re a mixture of both. Looks like that description fits this guy. Here’s a social. I’ll run it. Just take a few minutes, we’re linked to the IRS,” Trudy said.

  Geech called Michelle on her cell number. The bureau had special cell phones that appeared entirely normal but had a blue key on them that encrypted the voice. “Hey, we have a match on a local from the post office. Guess what? Damn fool was working on the name Clinker Jones. Yeah, can you beat that? What a deal. What are you coming up with in Indiana?”

  “Nothing. Same switch routine here, but he likely ran it from St. Louis since he was controlling the mail for that office. I’m flying out of here in an hour. I’ll see you tomorrow. Keep up the good work. Maybe we’ll find something yet,” Michelle answered.

  Geech checked back in with Trudy, who said, “Social’s a dead end. Registered to a guy that is a veterinarian in South Carolina. Guy’s name is Steve Winchell. You want to call him and see if he knew Bishell?”

  “Good idea, yeah. I’ll call from my workstation.”

  Geech called the work number listed for Dr. Winchell.

  “My name is Paul Geech, and I am with the FBI. I need to speak with Dr. Winchell concerning one of his clients please. I can hold,” Geech said after he called the veterinarian’s office.

  “Hello, this is Steve Winchell. Whom am I speaking to, please?” the male voice at the other end said gruffly.

  “My name is Paul Geech. Sir, I am on a special task force investigating Medicare fraud, and you may be able to help me,” Geech said, feeling somewhat resigned to getting nowhere with this call.

  “Mr. Geech, I do not know why Medicare would be interested in a humble large animal veterinarian, but ask away, and I’ll tell you what I can.”

  “We are investigating someone that used your social security number for work about three years ago, and I would appreciate you telling me if you have any idea who this individual is.”

  “We’ve been through this at the audit. Are you with the FBI or the IRS? Not that there’s likely much difference these days,” came the gruff reply.

  “You were audited in that time frame?” Geech asked.

  “Look, I have a million-dollar horse just going under general anesthesia. I have no clue who you are, and you’ll have to do a better job identifying yourself before I talk with you on this one. So thanks, and good-bye.”

  “Bishell.”

  “What?”

  “Bishell. Mean anything to you, sir? Name of the dude we’re trying to track.”

  “That little son of a bitch got me in trouble again?” Dr. Winchell asked.

  “Looks like it. Do you know the name?” Geech asked, pushing a recording button on his phone.

  “Yeah, prick got me busted in the army. Lost a stripe. Seems like twenty-five years ago now. Was when Bishell told me he was going to cover guard duty for me and we switched. He didn’t show, and I trusted the little shit to change the roster. Lost a stripe and never got it back. Germany was better than Vietnam.”

  “Sir, did you travel with Bishell during your tour there in Germany?” Geech asked.

  “Yeah, some. Why?” Winchell asked.

  “Did you keep a copy of your military records, sir?”

  “I have pay stubs from basic training in Fort Polk. I keep everything, even the name of the auditors that screwed me on the audits. I had to pay a penalty for unreported income until I was finally able to convince the IRS I was never out of the state. Yeah, I’ve got records, but you’ll have to have someone with a valid ID and letter to get them. I don’t mean to be an asshole about this, but these records have my social security … so that’s where the little prick got my social security number. He got it from old military orders. You get someone here, and I’ll do my damnedest to help you. I’ll need a couple days, those records are under lock and key at my bank,” Dr. Winchell said. In a voice off from the phone he said, “I’ll be right there, get him on his back and pad him up. Listen, I have to get going. Team is ready. What the little prick do to get the feds after him?”

  “I’m sorry, I’ll have to add you to a list of other individuals that want the scoop on him. I’ll have an agent there in a few days, if you could have a copy in your office Friday.”

  “Make it Monday, Friday I have field clinic,” Dr. Winchell said. “Sorry to be so rough, but I’ve had my share of the government.”

  “No worries, I’ll be looking for your data in a week. Thanks,” Geech said as he hung up and cut the recorder.

  So now it was clear to Geech how Bishell found a social security number. He had copied it from the group orders the military used when troops were moved on common orders. Geech doubted if the military would be able to provide much information on Bishell this far out, but if Dr. Winchell’s orders had any other individuals on them, it would be possible to contact others and get a fairly accurate reconstruction of the possible names and social security numbers that would be available to Bishell. This could get real complicated, real fast.

  Chapter 34

  Social Security Numbers

  The meeting room seemed charged with the information Geech and Michelle provided. Tony had several ideas, and Trudy brought in some information from Medicare.

  The regional offices and Fargo billing offices did have a Doctor Ballows that fit the names and places. The billing was incomplete, and only suggested there had been activity. The listing for the identification number showed several hospital billings, the most recent was three months old. The record did not show a great deal of billing activity.

  “Trudy, how is Bishell being billed, as a partner in a clinic or is it independent?” Tony asked.

  “He is not filing independently, no corporate identifiers or modifiers. He does not have enough billings to live on here, and I’m wondering if he’s not billing for his work under the bogus identifiers and taking a salaried slot so the hospitals do not catch up with the billing problem until after he’s gone. He may be using providers and names that he’s stolen. He’s been able to create two identities that we know of, what would be to stop him from developing more, and getting paid? Medicare has files on nearly six million billing identities, and we all know what the records look like,” Trudy said.

  Another agent offered a suggestion. “We know he’s a surgeon. Maybe we get the codings for surgery cases in the areas he’s suspected to practice, pull identifications numbers, and run them against the data bank. If we hit the same name working two sites, it will be a locums or our mark. If it is a locums, the names should be easily backtracked to licensing. If it is Bishell, we’re going to be seeing bogus names.”

  Tony nodded then said, “I’ve got one for you. What if Bishell’s not his real name, and he was already on the lamb when he came to LA?”

  Geech piped in, “Winchell’s story suggests Bishell’s a good name.”

  “Right, good point, Geech. So, Mark, can you do that search for surgery codes at the regions he’s working?” Tony asked.

  “I can, but what hospitals, times, and such will make it a pretty weak inquiry. We’re looking at pretty scant information, and he is moving around a good bit. There must be a way we can clarify our search,” Mark asked as he looked at the ceiling, stretching back. “What about tracing payments he has made. We’ve got some records of activity, how does he pay his bills? Is there a credit card number somewhere?”

  Trudy piped in, “No, all payments on postal money orders, I tracked that.”

  Geech knocked his desk and said, “We need the orders from the vet, Winchell. If he’s got copies
of orders with other names and social security numbers, we can search those individuals, see if they have had any run-ins with the IRS, and then track where the payments were made to the social security system with those numbers. My bet is he’s got a list of numbers, and he’ll work down that known list. Maybe we can flag numbers that have not been used and get the quickest response when that number comes across.”

  Tony nodded but said, “We’re going to need a lot of time on the IRS machines to get these data. Good that we have a link that is secure and open here, but this may take awhile. Geech, did you say Winchell was going to have the copies next Monday? I’ll get someone down there from Raleigh. Next we run all the social security numbers, then contact those individuals for any copies they might have. This may require reconstructing the whole unit, but if it’s his pattern to run from one social security number to another, you might just be on target.”

  By Tuesday, they had copies of Dr. Winchell’s files. There were three social security numbers printed for travel orders, one of which was Bishell’s, and four new social security numbers on an award for overseas service. Geech and Michelle ran a search on these numbers and found four were active, two deceased. They made the cold calls and were able to find three of the individuals. One would not cooperate, simply saying he was not interested in talking to anyone. Of the remaining three, one had every record he’d ever received and within three more days the agency had copies of all his records. This went on for another two weeks and finally Michelle and Geech sat down to a list of thirty former soldiers.

  Trudy helped as they ran these thirty soldiers. Two of them had been targeted with audits for unreported income that appeared to fit Bishell’s pattern. The good news was that these two individuals along with Dr. Winchell all appeared on one set of orders for a short tour of temporary duty to Berlin. There were two more soldiers on these orders whose records were clean, but one of the names resulted in an individual that had died a few years prior.

  Geech and Michelle were going over the information one Friday.