Today the federal court sentenced convicted fraudster John Rimmasch to 30 months in prison. He has to report by 9-6. He will have 3 years of supervised release after that. No fine, but restitution and a special assessment has to be paid. He also has to do 100 hours of community service. Court document attached.

I won't pretend to be sorry....

Does this mean that "Railmech3" will stop posting for that time?

My overriding emotion is sadness that such a talented man would throw away his career by knowingly cutting corners especially considering the potential for serious harm should one of the improper repairs fail.

For his family's sake I hope he will use his 30 months in prison to get his head on straight and when he comes out do his best to walk the straight and narrow.

There but for the Grace of God go any one of us.

Ross Rowland

I hope that this will serve as a wakeup call to the others in our industry who try (and often succeed) to pass off substandard and sometimes dangerous work to often unsuspecting customers.

I wish that they all would quit while they are ahead and take up careers elsewhere.

I don’t plan on it but thanks for the concern. Matter of fact I’ll post on the Seventh of September just to prove it.

For about a year and a half, I worked on the fiscal side of corrections. Corrections employees are classified by the type of interaction they have with inmates. (Care, custody, contact) Accountants and budget analysts are generally "contact" only, but in the event of a riot, you are classified as staff and are expected to assist in regaining order, so I still got to attend classes at the old Elizabethtown children's hospital on topics such as inmate behavior and physical suppression techniques.

I don't take glee in any person's incarceration, even if they earned it. I still have nightmares about driving up to the entrance tower, knowing that until I presented my ID and got the wave, there was a 30-06 pointed at my left temple.

While I suspect that as a non-violent offender, Rimmasch won't be going to the "worst" place, part of the assignment will be based upon a pysch profile and other factors and there isn't any facility that's going to be mistaken for a monastery.

Some inmates see the light, some harden, but they all age, because of the constant stress and anxiety.

If you are the type of person who is inclined to thank the police or military for their service, add CO's to your list. You can't believe what they endure-not only from the inmates-but the top brass that will throw them under the bus if an extraordinary action such as a cell extraction is required and goes wrong.

Who is John Rimmasch and what did he do?

Set aside some time and put "Rimmasch" in the search box up and to the right.

Too many criminals - both white and blue collar - look at prison as getting a advanced degree in their chosen crime area.

I just look the case on Wikipedia, that sad to see the railway preservation be involved in criminals affairs

I see the former UP steam program director Steve Lee work for Wasatch. What happens to Steve Lee??

I look too the WRC was involved in the 4420 project also the project for an expanded visitor's center at the Union Pacific railyards in Cheyenne.....

I wonder if he'll want to do his community service at a railroad museum... too soon?

In reality though, I am glad to see that something was done about the whole situation. I have to agree with Ross here, hopefully that will give him some time to mull over the consequences not even just on himself and the lives that could have been at risk, but also consider the emotional impact to his family.

Wikipedia. Wow, didn't know about that. The references seem pretty thorough.

I take exception to this. It's not 'grace of God' that keeps most of us from going there, it's our own morals and values that keep us away from jail.

I find it hard to believe he had no warning signs, opportunities to change or repent before it was a criminal matter. If was really somehow that naive, innocent, maybe he learned accounting and locomotive repair from tiktok videos. Surly someone said something at some point....long before criminal charges were the only remedy.
On the other hand, perhaps he knew, and approved, top to bottom, of the poor business practice. Which means that even when the road signs were smacking him in the face, he was still too arrogent, considered himself too smart, to think he would get caught.

Thread locked in 3.....2......1.....

Was John involved in a lemphor exhaust project on one of the UP steamers?