General Services Administration Sale of Historic Coast Guard Cutter Storis A Disgrace

Dr. John Bryan - Co-owner of US Metals Recovery, LLC.

You really have to hand it to the GSA - General Services Administration, for some of the people they choose to do business with in their online auctions. Take the former Coast Guard Cutter Storis, for example. A retired cutter listed on the National Registry of Historic Places after an impressive 64-year service record which includes being the first vessel to circumnavigate the north American Continent.

In June of 2013, the GSA put the Storis up for auction with a minimum reserve price of $100,000. On June 27, 2013 when the auction closed, there had been two bids submitted with the highest bid being $70,100, far less than the reserve. The GSA bent their own rules and accepted the bid of $70,100, submitted by US Metals Recovery, LLC. of San Diego. 

Company records have revealed that US Metals is barely two years old but, extensive research has not found a phone number listed for the company. There has been no records found that lists a physical address for the business. 

Records list the companies co-owners as Mark Jurisich and Dr. John R. Bryan, both of San Diego.

The California Secretary of State shows the LLC's status as:   Franchise Tax Board (FTB) Suspended/Forfeited

The GSA's terms for the buyer of the ship stated that the merchandise was to be removed within 10-business days from the date of the sale. The removal date was grossly ignored by not only Jurisich but, the GSA as well when a total of 120 days passed before Jurisich sent a tug to pick her up.

ONE HUNDRED and TWENTY DAYS! 

There must have been a valid reason the GSA could allow such a blatant breach of contract but, several calls and emails to the GSA seeking answers all went un-answered.

Perhaps the GSA would have declined to accept the bid from US Metals Recovery had they known that the young company was not an active California business. Perhaps the GSA would have scrutinized the integrity of the bid, the company and the two owners, Mark Jurisich and Dr. John Bryan.

Perhaps the GSA would have opted to reject the bid had they checked court records. If they had looked into it they would have discovered that US Metals Recovery, Jurisich and Bryan had been sued in San Diego County in April of this year. It comes as no surprise that Jurisich ignored the terms of the contract with the GSA because, the Plaintiff filed suit against them for.... Breach of Contract/Warranty. See the court record below.

Case Title:	NEXTGEAR CAPITAL INC VS. U S METALS RECOVERY LLC [IMAGED]
Case Number:	37-2013-00044031-CU-BC-CTL	Case Location:	San Diego
Case Type:	Civil	Date Filed:	04/12/2013
Category:	CU-BCW	Breach of Contract/Warranty

Plaintiff/Petitioner
Last Name or Business Name	First Name	Primary (P)
NEXTGEAR CAPITAL INC		P

Defendant/Respondent
Last Name or Business Name	First Name	Primary (P)
U S METALS RECOVERY LLC		P
U S METALS RECOVERY LLC		P
USMR		P
BRYAN	JOHN RODNEY
JURISICH	MARK ROBERT

Imaged Case

Documents are available for viewing online,

and at all Register of Actions Kiosks

Select [File Location] button above for location details

Microfilm
Microfilm ID	Location	Reel Number	Frame Number
This case has not been microfilmed.

The information below shows the company status with the California Secretary of State.

Business Registration | California (Foreign State)
California Secretary of StateData updated October 29, 2013Business Details

Business Name:	U. S. METALS RECOVERY LLC
Citizenship:	Foreign
State of Incorporation:	NV
Business Type:	Limited Liability Company
Mailing Address:	2102 HANCOCK STE 200 SAN DIEGO, CA 92110
Status:	Franchise Tax Board (FTB) Suspended/Forfeited
Secretary of State ID:	201009110222
Incorporation Date:	02/26/2010
Business Description:	USED CAR DEALER

Amendments

Number of Amendments Filed:	1
Total Pages Filed:	3

Note the business type they are listed under is "Used Car Dealer."
The GSA must have thought they were dealing with upstanding citizens, I would assume. It turns out that Mark R Jurisich was not born in the US and allegedly commented to the Storis preservation group that he did not care about the history behind the ship nor those trying to save it.

Going back a few years in the court records shows what might be considered a pattern of un-professional behavior with one of the owners, John Bryan. Public court records show Bryan as a Defendant in a civil suit for.... Breach of Contract. (see below)

Primary Name  BRYAN,JOHN	Party Type  Secondary or other defendant	Case Number  N10229	Filing Date  Apr 21 1978
Opposing Name  KERN & HEROLD INC	Case Type  Breach of Contract	Case Category  Civil Complaint	Court Code  North County

Court records also show Bryan named as the Defendant in a separate civil suit filed a year later for..... You guessed it, Breach of Contract. (see below)

Primary Name  BRYAN,JOHN	Party Type  Secondary or other defendant	Case Number  430346	Filing Date  Feb 14 1979
Opposing Name  DEIMLING,NORMAN	Case Type  Breach of Contract	Case Category  Civil Complaint	Court Code  San Diego

Had the GSA known what type of people they were dealing with, it would be noble of them to claim that people change and deserve a second chance. Note: Nothing suggests the GSA did anything to obtain any background information on the buyers. Had they looked, surely they would have discovered the civil law suit in 1996 where John Bryan was named as one of the Defendants in a case he was accused of.... FRAUD!  (see below)

Primary Name  BRYAN,JOHN	Party Type  Secondary or other defendant	Case Number  701638	Filing Date  Jul 5 1996
Opposing Name  ALLARD,BENSON L	Case Type  Fraud	Case Category  Civil Complaint	Court Code  San Diego

The GSA really should be commended for bending their own rules with the sale terms for the former Coast Guard Cutter Storis.
While the GSA had the option to turn the cutter over to the non-profit group Storis Museum, who had been working since 2007 with its plans to obtain the ship in order to make it into a museum and training tool for Naval Cadets... They chose to deny the group the chance to secure a piece of American history in favor of bending their own rules to do business with two men with histories of being sued for breach of contract and fraud!

The result of the GSA's choosing to conduct business with criminals has been the literal destruction of the former cutter Storis as it was delivered to Ensenada, Mexico on October 29, 2013 where it was sold for scrap.

To the General Services Administration I can only say... "Thank You! We expect nothing less of you."
(the previous statement was purely sarcasm.)
On a serious note, I will say in all seriousness....

"The GSA's handling of the historic Storis was an absolute disgrace and should be held accountable."

Former Coast Guard Cutter STORIS Putting Up A Fight For The Right To Go Home

Cutter Storis as it is towed out of the Bay Area
Photo by Tony O'Neill - Oct. 25, 2013

If the legacy of the 64-year service record for the former Coast Guard Cutter Storis, a ship on the National Registry of Historic Places, isn't enough to make a 2-hour made-for-TV movie about... The events that have transpired in the past 24 hours will  be worthy of a movie by itself.

The Storis is currently en route to a Mexican scrap yard in Ensenada. The ship is being towed by the tugboat A.N. Tillet of Pacific Tugboat Services and has just passed the half-way point of the trip, approximately 600 miles.
Just about everyone who had been supporting or following the events that have happened after the ship was sold June 27, 2013 had accepted the fact that there was no hope in saving the Galloping Ghost of the Alaskan Coast.

Former crew member Tony O'Neill who works on a tug in the Bay Area, was waiting on the Carquinez Bridge for his last chance to see the Storis as she gets pulled out on her way to the scrap yard in Ensenada. He got a few last pictures of the ship but, as the tug and Storis were moving away

Coast Guard Cutter STORIS - Her Final Voyage

This picture may be the last taken of the STORIS.
Photo by Tony O'Neill

Friday, October 25, 2013, is a sad day. 

The former Coast Guard Cutter STORIS was removed from the Mothball Fleet in Suisun Bay, California where the ship had been kept since being decommissioned in 2007 after providing 64-years of service.

The STORIS was the first ship ever to circumnavigate the north American continent and she was rewarded in 2012 when she was added to the National Registry of Historic Places.

A former member of the Coast Guard who served on the STORIS, Tony O'Neill, took this picture of the STORIS as she was being towed out of the Bay Area  on her way to Ensenada, Mexico.

As a former crew member of the STORIS, I want to say this to her....

"Goodbye, Old Girl... and Thank You!"

Steve Frailey V.P. of Pacific Tugboat Services: A Stand-Up, Class Act

Tugboat assigned the task of towing CGC Storis 

Earlier today Scott Abgekurtz posted the name of the tug company on Facebook that has contracted to tow the Storis to Mexico. I had intended to lump them in with the Storis owners and immortalizing them on this blog. I wrote an email to the tug company and copied it to every person listed on their site. I also copied it to the greasy owner of the Storis, Mark Jurisich. Shortly after I got a response from Steve Frailey, V.P. of Pacific Tugboat Services. It was actually sent to Scott and forwarded to me but, the email quickly changed my mind and I wanted to pass it along to the group as I think it would change other people's opinions as well. I sent him a reply to ask for his permission to publish his email on my Storis blog and he got back to me with his permission to post it.

The email he sent with his permission to publish his email was actually more impressive than the email seen directly below. I have posted his follow up email following the one below. I highlighted part of it in bold text.
______________________________________________________________

From: Stephen Frailey [mailto:steve@pacifictugboats.com]
Sent: Thursday, October 24, 2013 11:55 AM
To: Scott Abgekurtz; tstrat002-facebook@yahoo.com
Cc: grant@pacifictugboats.com; steve@pacifictugboats.com; bob@pacifictugboats.com; deno@pacifictugboats.com; tom@pacifictugboats.com; pat@pacifictugboats.com; jim@pacifictugboats.com; wayne@pacifictugboats.com; ralph@pacifictugboats.com; jessica@pacifictugboats.com; keith@pacifictugboats.com
Subject: Re: US Coast Guard Cutter Storis

Good morning Scott,

I appreciate your letter and the moving story behind it. The pictures are priceless and the video is breathtaking. I too am a veteran (US Navy) so I can relate to your bond with the Storis as a fellow sailor. My first ship out of boot camp was USS Lewis B. Puller, FFG-23. She was still under construction and the crew was hand-picked when I got orders to report for duty. I and my shipmates became proud plank-owners as we commissioned "Chesty" Puller and ran her through her paces. It was a formative time in my life and one that created strong bonds and fond memories. Years later I sadly attended the de-commissioning ceremony in San Diego and the transfer to the navy of a middle-east ally. To me this meant a disrespectful name change and certain decline toward slow death for a very special vessel and namesake. 

I still have my plank-owner certificate framed on the wall at home. Now I am a member of the USS Lewis B. Puller Facebook page and I have pictures, hats and my memories that keep the ship and her crew as spiritually ready for action as we were in reality back then. Since I now work with the Navy as part of job I see the ships of the fleet often. I even see sister ships to "Chesty" and wonder why they were spared when my beloved ship was not. Also as part of my job I have been involved in successful projects to save ships to become museums. The USS Midway is a fine local example despite many financial, permitting and political obstacles. 

Sadly I have also been part of the last days of storied ships that touched many lives over many years. It is always with a measure of regret that a legend passes from existence. 

You are correct that we have a business to run and commitments to uphold. We are professional, reliable mariners. Fortunately it is rare that we are tasked to tow a vessel on her final voyage. The USCG Cutter Storis is one the few times we have had the honor to tow such a ship. While we have no right or basis to refuse to perform our duty to our customer, we can promise to carry out our duties with respect and to honor the legacy of the Storis on her final voyage. 

Economics and time are impersonal forces that cause the demise of great ships. I hope that you and your shipmates can continue to celebrate the many lives that were made better having been touched by the Storis. It's the steel and paint that are passing, not the stuff that made her and her crews a legend. If during our upcoming voyage we can take pictures or conduct any particular honor please let me know.  We would also be happy to pass along your sentiments to our customer if you wish.   

Respectfully,

Steve Frailey

_________________________________________________________

I sent a reply to Mr. Frailey to ask permission to publish the email (posted above) and I got a reply from him that was to me personally and I was even more impressed with what he said to me in the second email (posted below).

Here is the 2nd email I received from Steve Frailey,V.P. Pacific Tugboat Services.

_________________________________________________________

Mr Watkins, Jim if I may,

You have permission to use my e-mail as you see fit. Further, if you wish to call me my mobile number is: (619) 840-**** (edited by JW).
We are a small business. We all know each other like family and our maritime community is an extension of that family. I wish we had not been contracted to this job having now learned the story leading up to it. Now that we have been contracted and are bound to our duty, I hope that we can fulfill this obligation in a manner that does the Storis proud.  
I have left our captain a voice mail and I hope to hear from him this evening as he gets into cell range. As I was unaware of the nature of this tow assignment until today I am very limited in my ability to change the situation. I can and will however convey to our captain and his crew our intent to conduct ourselves as professional mariners, privileged to see this voyage through safely, with dignity and respect for the Storis and those whose lives have been changed by her for the better.
This day and these circumstances remind of a poem that I would like to share with you, although you may know it already, I think it fits:
 The Unknown Shore by Bishop Brent
"A ship sails and I stand watching till she fades on the horizon and someone at my side says She is gone. Gone where? Gone from my sight, that is all. She is just as large now as when I last saw her.Her diminished size and total loss from my sight is in me, not in her. And just at that moment, when someone at my sidesays she is gone, there are others who are watching her coming over their horizon and other voices take up a glad shout -There she comes! That is what dying is. An horizon and just the limit of our sight. Lift us up O Lord, that we may see further."
Steve
--
Stephen FraileyVice President/PrincipalPacific Tugboat Service(800) USE-R-TUGwww.pacifictugboats.com

Coast Guard cutter heads to a Mexican scrap yard this week

Note: This article was written by the Daily Mirror Staff and published on October 24, 2013 by the Kodiak Daily Mirror.
___________________________________________________________

The end has come for the Coast Guard cutter Storis. 
Built in WWII and decommissioned in 2007, the icebreaking cutter was a mainstay for the Coast Guard in Alaska for 50 years. On Friday, it will be towed from the federal government’s mothball fleet in Suisun Bay, Calif., bound for Ensenada, Mexico, and scrapping.

The Storis Museum, a group dedicated to preserving the ship, announced the news on its Facebook page Wednesday afternoon. “We tried everything within our power to save the ship from this ignoble fate. It is so unfortunate and utterly heartbreaking that this magnificent and proud ship gave so much over her 64 years of commissioned service and the very government that she served ultimately let her down in the end and sold her off for scrap rather than promote her preservation,” wrote Jon Ottman, a volunteer with the museum.

Wednesday’s news ends years of attempts by volunteers to turn the Storis into a museum. As originally planned, the Storis would have occupied a permanent berth on the Juneau waterfront. In June, the Storis volunteers joined The Last Patrol, a Toledo, Ohio-based group, to try to bring the ship to that freshwater city.

All attempts at preservation were dealt a blow when the Storis Museum failed to convince the federal government to donate the ship for preservation. The Storis was then sold at auction for $70,100 to an unidentified bidder later confirmed to be a scrapper.

The Storis became the first American-flagged ship to travel the Northwest Passage when it did so in 1957 as part of a convoy of 96 ships.

After that, it was stated in Juneau and Kodiak, performing rescues and Arctic work with the US Coast Guard. It became the “Queen of the Fleet,” the oldest Coast Guard ship in commission, before it was taken out of service in 2007.

The Storis, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, isn’t the only prominent warship consigned to the scrap yard this week. On Tuesday, the US Navy announced it had sold America’s first supercarrier, the USS Forrestal, to a Texan scrapper for 1 cent.

The low price of the sales can be attributed to the expense of converting a warship to civilian use. Any buyer is required to tow the ship away, then remove all hazardous material — PCBs, asbestos and chemicals — before either scrapping it or turning it into a museum.

Sinking ships as artificial reefs is commonly done with civilian vessels, but the sinking of the aircraft carrier USS Oriskany cost more than $13 million, deterring further projects along those lines.