South Florida Copycat Locksmith David Merkatz STILL in Business

As a blogger I have been following the locksmith scam for a little over two years now.

I've been keeping up as possible, reading and posting comments elsewhere, but today I stumbled across something that is just beyond the pale.

It involves what has occurred to a legitimate locksmith in Coral Springs, Florida in 2008. The legitimate locksmith is Richard's Locksmith and Safe.

The SCAM locksmith who also advertised as Richard's Locksmiths, is David Merkatz, or David Katz. He is STILL operating as a locksmith in South Florida.

First, let's look back on David Merkatz/Katz history.

In 1982, Merkatz/Katz thought he could drum up business for his car window replacement business by shooting out the windows of more than a thousand cars. Yes this indeed is the same David Merkatz/Katz.
http://www.nytimes.com/1982/12/19/nyregion/follow-up-on-the-news-big-glass-shootout.html

Follow up: Merkatz spent four months of weekends in Rykers
http://www.nytimes.com/1982/12/19/nyregion/follow-up-on-the-news-big-glass-shootout.html

In 2000, Merkatz/Katz shot and killed a dog while walking with his wife. No charges were pressed against him at the time.
http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2000-09-15/news/0009150008_1_loose-dog-two-dog-bites-animal-clinic

Although Merkatz had lost his license to carry a gun in Florida in 1988, he appealed that decision and won in 1990.
http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2007-01-30/news/0701290462_1_license-carrera-broward/4

BUT.........

The state revoked the license again in December 2003 after Merkatz pleaded guilty in Broward Circuit Court to grand theft and criminal mischief, felonies.

A Fort Lauderdale police report says Merkatz glued the locks of a state Department of Transportation office seven times. Unaware of who was causing the damage, the DOT called Merkatz, a locksmith, to make the repairs, the report states.

HOWEVER, in Florida the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services issues gun licenses. If you google "David Merkatz" "Department of Agriculture and Consumer Service" you will come up with PCA's Released 4/27/05 4D04-352-David Merkatz v. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Division of Licensing. Evidently the State of Florida reissued his gun license. Or so it appears. Great.

In 2002 he had a bit of a run in with law enforcement again when he was caught by a private investigator, "masked, wearing a long coat" injecting glue into a lock of a business.
http://sheriff.org/about_bso/admin/media/newsdetails.cfm?pk=396&sType=M

I cannot find any follow up on the masked/long coat/glue case.

In November 2003 he was the driver of a "weaving car" which overturned on an offramp. He was sent to the hospital, one of his passengers died. (Scroll down to Fort Lauderdale)
http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2003-11-08/news/0311080014_1_miami-police-bank-robbery-exit-ramp

Why was the car weaving?

Now, before you watch the below video of what occurred to the real Richard's Locksmith, let's investigate a little further. David Merkatz, according to the NBC report, is operating as Boca Security Services.

Let's go to Sunbiz and look up David Merkatz, chronologically.

Foreign Profit Corporation

A ABBEY LOCKSMITH, INC. Filing Information Document Number F05000004666 FEI/EIN Number NONE Date Filed 08/11/2005 State NV Status INACTIVE Last Event WITHDRAWAL Event Date Filed 08/22/2005 Event Effective Date NONE Principal Address 5379 LYONS ROAD #124 COCONUT CREEK FL 33073 Mailing Address P.O. BOX 970020 COCONUT CREEK FL 33097-0020 Changed 08/22/2005 Registered Agent Name & Address None FL US Registered Agent Revoked: 08/22/2005 Officer/Director Detail Name & Address Title PST MERKATZ, DAVID 5379 LYONS ROAD #124 COCONUT CREEK FL 33073 Annual Reports That company, A Abbey Locksmith is no longer active. Go to Sunbiz to see if the name David Merkatz is listed currently as owning a business and you will not find him. With a little looking, googling Boca Security Services you will come up with http://www.bocasecuritylocksmith.com/ Taking that address to "who is" and BINGO, here you have it, David Merkatz is now going by David Katz and he is STILL in business even after the REAL Richard's Locksmith, Jack caught Merkatz/Katz on tape who "came by Jack's shop and shot out his van windows (with the gun Florida gave him back his license to carry), cut his gas lines and put and bullet through Jack's shop window". Updated: 3 hours ago Registrant: Abbey Locksmith, Inc. David Katz P.O. Box 970020 Coconut Creek, Fl 33097 US Phone: +1.9549490776 Email: @bellsouth.net Registrar Name....: Register.com Registrar Whois...: whois.register.com Registrar Homepage: www.register.com Domain Name: bocasecuritylocksmith.com Created on..............: 2006-04-08 Expires on..............: 2011-04-08 Administrative Contact: Abbey Locksmith, Inc. David Katz P.O. Box 970020 Coconut Creek, Fl 33097 US Phone: +1.9547463838 Email: @bellsouth.net Ficticious business name http://www.sunbiz.org/scripts/ficidet.exe?action=DETREG&docnum=G05210900246&rdocnum=G01192900309 But the who is directory lists David Katz/Abbey Locksmith which is bocasecuritylocksmith.com whereas David MERkatz was the owner of A Abbey Locksmith. Coincidence? I don't think so. Abbey Locksmith, Inc. David Katz P.O. Box 970020. Coconut Creek, Fl 33097. http://www.meytan.com/tr/www.bocasecuritylocksmith.com A Abbey Locksmith, Coconut Creek Florida, owner David MERkatz. David Merkatz is operating per the video as Boca Security Services. David Merkatz is STILL doing business in South Florida and can come to any city in the area any time you make the MISTAKE of calling one of his MANY listed "locksmith" numbers. Now for the video. Note, Merkatz/Katz has been charged but the case has still not come to trial. Why is this man still operating in South Florida? Do you know that currently Florida does not license locksmiths but that the Florida Locksmith Services Act is currently in committee? Read this and see if you agree: http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:T27KVhoKK40J:www.adlocks.com/Blog/Docs/FL%2520HB%2520107%2520TALKING%2520POINTS.doc+Florida+Locksmith+Services+Advisory+Council&cd=2&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&client=firefox-a In the mean time, there are many other phony locksmiths operating out there . Beware. A good tip is to plan ahead. Find a legitimate locksmith when there is no emergency. If possible, go to the actual address.Put the number in your phone book and cell phone. Should an emergency arise you already have the number of a legitimate locksmith in your area. Find one that operates 24 hours. That way, even if you aren't in that area, you can call the legitimate locksmith and ask if they will refer you to a LEGITIMATE locksmith where you need them. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. There are literally thousands of locksmith scams operating nation-wide. For more information you can do a Google search yourself using the term "locksmith scams". MORE:  David Merkatz/Katz has another website as well, it is http://www.browardsbestlocksmith.com/ Looking up the domain:   Administrative Contact:       Abbey Locksmith, Inc.       David Katz       P.O. Box 970020       Coconut Creek, Fl 33097       US       Phone: 1-954-7463838       Email:

David Merkatz/Katz/cashkatz also has a nice video for "Richard's Locksmith" to watch
http://revver.com/video/1137650/richards-locksmith-954-752-4114-richards-locksmith/