Coda Audio Video based in San Francisco is running a fraudulent operation

UPDATE:

Mr. Hutto has disappeared from my standpoint. He is nothing more than a common thief. The plot is so thick it should be made into an Investigative Discovery episode.

I finally got Mr. Hutto to sign and notarize a promissory which detailed a payment plan where I would be paid back money I sent to Coda...hard to believe, he did not make a single payment.

Ms. Tessmer finally made contact with me. She seems to be making a good faith effort to refund my money. Of course this will take many months. I have proposed that she pay a one time ~4% "fee" since this money would in a brokerage account collecting on average ~ 6% if it were back in my pocket tomorrow (which it won't be). I felt this was fair and reasonable if I have to accept payments over 18-24 months. She states Mr. Hutto will never pay me back. I have yet to hear a response to my proposal. I would be curious to everyone's thoughts on my proposal of a one time "fee" (I consider this repayment plan to be the equivalent of an unsecured personal loan which she will be paying back.

Based upon what I read about small claims court and California law, as long as there is some effort to repay, small claims court would be deferred. And of course a Judgement wouldn't equal payment unless wages were garnished (not even certain if this can be invoked through small claims court).

I told her that as long as she is honest with me from this point going forward and makes a good faith effort to pay me back, I will accept some kind of payment plan. I received $500 at the end of November.

I did a lot of digging around. Amazing what you can find out if you work at it. Mr. Hutto carries a Tennessee DL. He has been arrested twice in San Francisco for domestic assault, one of those arrests occurring in October (so when he said he was hospitalized with health problems, he was actually in Jail. He has a restraining order against him which I can confirm he violated (he signed for a package addressed to Ms. Tessmer at her home while this restraining order was in effect).  Mr Hutto is due in San Francisco criminal court Jan 12, 2017 1:30pm (case 16013663 and case 16018029) for a  pretrial hearing. Plot thickens...

My best assessment of this entire mess: Mr Hutto desired to open the business (Coda Audio Video) which opened around March 2016. VCoda was opened by Ms. Tessmer for Mr. Hutto  to operate (due to his lack of credit, he had not the capitol to open said business). He was left to operate the business. Mr. Hutto then acted as himself and as Ms. Tessmer (assuming her identity in communicating with customers), this implicating her in his scam. The individual operating Standard Sound joined Coda (and brought his antecedent audiogon reputation into what became Coda Audio Video, lending street cred to Coda before it even existed). Around the second arrest of Mr. Hutto in October, the individual operating Standard Sound severed ties with Mr. Hutto and Coda, hence the name change here on audiogon.

Coda was, I am told, supposed to demo Radiho speakers at RMAF in October but obviously no showed to that event which hurt Raidho.

I remained in contact with Raidho all along from the time of my initial contact (confirming that my speakers were never ordered by Coda). Mutliple emails were exchanged between myself, Raidho and Justin Hutto.  I eventually worked out a deal with Raidho directly and have my D 3.1's but only $500 of my $17,500 back in my pocket. For the record, I am satisfied with how Raidho treated me. There is little they can do about Mr. Hutto. He never intended to obtain my product or return my money...I am certain he spent it either on his own attorney's fee or on expensive toys for himself. He is the lowest of low life crooks.

Apparently, consideration was made to report this entire thing to the FBI and Mr. Hutto blames everyone else in a way only a classless individual could.

I tell you, those speakers, even out of the box, are amazing. Fast as any panel I ever heard, great base, and tremendous clarity. The Acoustic Zen Crescendo's (which were replaced by the D 3.1's) were mighty fine speakers...the D 3.1's are just another level. It's hard to imagine how something so good can be improved upon. 

So I think Raidho got screwed, I got screwed, Dr. Franklin got screwed, Standard Sound got screwed, Ms. Tessmer, albeit partially to blame, also got screwed and many others through the acts of Justin Blake Hutto. Ms. Tessmer seems to be making an effort which will hopefully last. If it doesn't, I will keep you all posted. 

 
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oleschool, you are right - can't squeeze blood from a turnip - or from someone who's in prison. Legal fees for a non-small claims court case would be prohibitive, even if just for the principle, and again, a judgement does not necessarily translate into repayment.

Judge Judy would have a field day...highest rated show ever.

Ms. Tessmer has remained in touch and seems eager to work out a payment plan.

I just wish I knew how to translate this cautionary tale into a global audiophile warning so nobody ever gets bamboozled like we have. Mr. Hutto should be banned from any/all audio shows and there should be a banner at the top of audiogon, ticker tape fashion, mentioning his name over and over again right next to the work crook.

Unfortunately, given the fact that he has used someone else's name to represent his actions, it may be impossible to stop him if he creates or reimagines another high-end audio store under another pseudonym. I am just lucky that this won't hurt me too badly.

And of course then next big issue really is, how do you properly vet a new audio store? I have done business with Katli Audio. The owner, Fred Katli, runs his store out of his home in Chino Hills and is a complete gentleman and a  great dealer. I once auditioned and purchased from a home based audio store in Verona Wisconsin - another gentleman audiophile and great dealer. So in my mind, just because you run a business form your home or apartment, that doesn't make you a de facto risk (at least, not in my mind) .

I do think that any NEW entity or business should not be allowed to come into audiogon with pre-existing feedback due to a merger - that might have prevented at least some of the issues here.