In the interests of ensuring no one else is taken in by this charlatan, I’m sharing this with permission from the original author. This is an ongoing scheme that he’s tried in several states and appears to still be attempting it.
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid02MVdPjouCQV9ZJey2XnxXCQPXBPEDzq3oqJzd2xqXduyPPSJeup3eJ3NmALNH5Habl&id=513318602
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If you have an hour and a half, the parties involved just released a podcast about the situation. I’ve had my own experiences with this guy and the whole thing is truly bizarre.
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I might have to listen to the podcast for the discussion about Heartland, since similar thoughts have crossed my mind many times. Lol.
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Oooh, will have to read! I actually went to go checkout Oakmont back in September. I called Shane and he seemed okay. When we arrived, Shane was no where to be found and I never met him. The barn manager was a super nice guy but admitted he had no experience managing a barn.
Rumour was that the guy had an online GF who had since ghosted him, so the money stopped… he definitely defrauded several people here in VA. Glad I wasn’t one of them but it’s unfortunate it’s happened to others!
Look out for a British guy! His number was 804-456-8300 but I’d bet he’s changed it if he’s moved on.
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That rumour is semi-true; my friend is the person in question. She wasn’t financially involved per se, but she purchased things for the farm and did a lot of the legwork of getting things up and running. He strung her along promising the world and she was emotionally invested until it became obvious that he was never coming and had no intention of paying the bills he was racking up.
Both she and the BM got screwed big time in the end. He’s a super nice guy and apparently dumped a ton of $$ into the deal thinking he was going into business with a friend, but once the creditors started calling, Shane vanished and he got left to try and pick up the pieces.
Ugh, I’m so sorry to hear that - I read that post earlier and really felt for the BM, his daughter, and anyone else involved… I was hoping that rumour was 100% untrue. 
My husband and I could definitely tell that the relationship between Shane and the BM was rocky but the BM and his daughter were really putting a crap ton of effort into cleaning up the barn (it looked great!) and preparing it for boarders who never came. Damn, I know he probably was never paid a cent either and it sucks even more knowing he put money into it, too. Screw that guy for real.
Wonder if anyone has ever actually met him face-to-face. I called him at like 3pm EST on a Wednesday and it sounded like my call woke him up (still weirdly early for BST, which I did consider)
The BM has, but it’s apparently been several years. I know he has several burner SIM cards and changes his number to match wherever he’s trying to scam people, but based on the times he’s kept my friend in the phone for hours he’s either in the US or just never sleeps.
In this region, we’ve seen a large influx - over the past few years - of what I can only describe as “UK Gypsies”. Individuals and groups - mostly male, it seems - coming from the UK or thereabouts and taking up illegal residence here, going up and down the coast or all over the country, engaging in a variety of thefts and scams for quick profit. I can’t help but think he’s tied into that, after the things I’ve read.
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@LexInVA, gonna gently recommend finding a different descriptor. There’s an extraordinarily long history of stereotyping & discrimination tied to that one and, unless this guy is actually Romani, it has nothing to do with what’s going on here.
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That was one crazy story! I’m by nature a skeptical person and would have thought scam a lot sooner than these two ladies. But I can see how being able to talk a good game can fool people. The Heartland part and wanting the stall cleaners to wear breeches was nutso!
Wait, what??
Now I’m really going to have to listen to it. Lol.
He’s managed to fool some pretty savvy folks into buying into his schemes. I’ve spoken to one of the ladies, she was 95% leaning towards scam until she talked to the property owner who had done (what he thought was) due diligence and it seemed legit. He allegedly faked documentation which convinced one party, and then used that as evidence down the road.
My British friends have said they basically get a huge status upgrade in Canada whatever their accent. Former colony and all that. Likely true in the US East Coast as well, especially for horse world
@SinMiedo I just listened to the podcast - is it true that there were horses who were neglected and had died at that barn?? I wonder if that was before or after I visited - the horses there looked in terrible shape but not Byrd terrible… Was Troy involved in that? I think his daughter had her horse there?
I’m also still honestly so confused what the end game was! Deposits on shows that would never happen?? I feel like board is small potatoes.
That freaking wingnut. Told a friend of mine he was buying up horses in Germany to import and sell and in negotiations with HITS to buy their culpeper dates and run something akin to WEC in central VA.
I’m not 100% clear on the horse that died, the story I got is that he colicked and was PTS. They supposedly found a congenital bowel issue on necropsy, but that could have just been another Shane story to avoid culpability.
Apparently he was dictating feeding instructions and insisting on using certain brands, amounts, etc. All the horses there came straight off the track, so I can’t imagine he had clue one when it comes to that.
Oh, gotcha - still, so sad… they all looked like skinny hard to keep TBs to me, and I figured they just didn’t know how to keep weight on them. I suggested Fat Cat to Troy (not understanding all of the context behind why they were skinny) and he was super excited to try it, even wrote it down right in front of me. I hope he’s doing well, he seemed to be a kind soul… can’t imagine all he’s gone through.
Hope this asshole gets caught before he fleeces anyone else. Seems like maybe his name wasn’t widespread before but this time he’s pissed off the wrong women.
Troy is absolutely good people. He and his daughter ended up with a couple of the horses and they’re in training and doing well now.
I feel like most of the people he’s scammed previously were embarrassed and/or didn’t have the reach to effectively spread the word. This time he made the mistake of involving people who have established good reputations and I’m so freaking glad they’re using their reach to out him
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