But after paying Mazdeh a few visits, Monroe received a letter from John Vos, Mazdeh's attorney. Mazdeh had filed bankruptcy, and under the law Monroe was not to contact him again. It would be like digging for an empty treasure chest. Still not satisfied, Monroe went to the Fremont police, who he says sent him straight back to his attorney. According to Alameda County Assistant District Attorney Richard Klemmer, contract deals gone bad require an intent to commit fraud in order for the matter to be considered criminal.
People enter into contract negotiations all the time, and when something goes sour they back out.
Unless there's circumstantial evidence, it's very hard to get into somebody's mind and prove what they intended to do unless they confess. But you have to be persistent. The police department should commence an investigation or turn it over to a regulatory agency like the DMV or a consumer affairs office. Ultimately, Monroe sought help from Juan Sevillano in the DMV's Hayward investigations department, where seven investigators handle complaints from most of the Bay Area. Sevillano has been working to gather enough evidence to convince Klemmer that Mazdeh's actions justify a criminal case.