Westside Metals Michael Gorge Michael Durham John Loveti Fraud! Owes $6950 in freight charges Tomball Texas

I was contacted on 11/8 to arrange trucks to haul miscellaneous scrap metal from Artesia, NM to Houston, TX.  "Michael Gorge" said he got my number from a fellow acquaintence in the brokerage business.  

"Michael" with "Westside Metals" out of Tomball, TX said he was a scrap buyer and was looking for trucks.  He sent a list of references and the references on the list all said that he was a man of his word.  When I asked him what his payment terms were he said he would send a cashiers check for the first 2 loads and then every few loads he would send another.  He was good to his word.  He text me pictures of a cashiers check and the receipt from fedex for overnight delivery to my address.  He did this before the first 2 trucks were even dispatched so I thought we were off to a good start.  We loaded 1 truck the first day, had to hold the 2nd truck off until the 2nd day (resulting in more charges).  The 3rd and 4th days we loaded 3 trucks each day.  He said that as soon as they got everyone loaded that he would go in to town and send off a check as they were loading scrap metal on a drilling site a ways outside of town.  The 2nd check for the remainder of the freight never got sent.  "Michael" supposedly had a heart attack according to his counterpart "Mike".  Since that day "Michael's" phone of 713-297-7557 has been shut off.  "Mike" will occasionally answer on 281-709-7123, and occasionally "Michael" will answer 888-754-9333.  I was given Accounts Payable information of John Loveti at 832-745-6464 who never has answered.  

After a couple months of failed attempts to get money out of this company I finally got the time to start digging deeper in to him to find the person responsible for this money.  After looking on the TX Secretary of State website, I see the address that I was given is the address he used to have.  The business "Franchise tax involuntarily ended" and instead of Michael Gorge, the registered agent's name is Michael Durham.  

This company and individual is a fraud.  Because of him we have changed the vetting process for our customers and will do everything in our power to not have this happen again.  I only hope we can get him arrested before he does this to other hard working individuals.