Steve Munson – What a Guy

We now return to everyone’s favorite faux-environmentalist, Steve Munson. You may remember that I mentioned that we had more court documents to shed light on Munson’s record…feast your eyes on these.
 
Some juicy sex/gender discrimination and harassment allegations from the late 1990s, filed against Munson and Vulcan Power by Munson’s former secretary. The complaint has some astounding stuff:
 
- On the plaintiff’s first day of work, Munson allegedly said he couldn’t believe he was “paying these girls this much and not getting f*cked.”

- Munson allegedly threw a book and a pile of his laundry at the woman.

- Munson allegedly verbally abused the woman, calling her “f*cking stupid,” a “f*cking idiot” and a “f*cking moron.”

- Munson’s son allegedly told the woman, “Quit your f*cking coughing, bitch,” because his father called the woman a bitch “so why couldn’t he.”
 
The complaint also hints that this kind of thing wasn’t new for Munson – his business partner, Frank Cariglia (he of Wikipedia deleting fame) allegedly told the plaintiff that Munson’s “mouth had gotten him in trouble twice before” and that “you think he would have learned by now.”  The complaint doesn’t indicate whether one of the previous incidents that Cariglia mentioned was a settlement with a former female employee in which Munson allegedly claimed to have “jewed the bitch down” from $75,000 to $35,000 in her claim. Very classy.
 
As far as the case goes, the record shows that both parties eventually stipulated to the dismissal of the case (read: settled). I wonder how much Munson paid out to get this one to go away.
 
For those keeping track at home, that’s a pretty nice list: animal neglect charges, assault charges, weapons charges, sex discrimination/harassment allegations, $100K tax liens and even some DUIs for good measure (see the comments in that last link).
 
Yet he thinks he’s part of the avant garde of the environmental and renewable energy movements! As Jerry once said to George: “And you want to be my latex salesman.” This guy shouldn’t be allowed within 100 miles of a good cause.

59 comments:

  1. So where is Mr. Green now? I hear he is in Texas, doing the same thing all over again? Wow, if that isn't the definition of insanity! 35 years of the same behavior, getting the same results...

    ReplyDelete
  2. Not surprised. I am among the many that used to work for this loser. Enough said.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Then you will be happy to know that he is losing all his lawsuits, has burned through every dollar he made, has not honored any agreements with his supporters, so they've filed bankruptcy against him, and now he's filed his own bankruptcy to protect himself. At least he won't continue doing this to other people with his new venture in Texas. They will not do business with him. He really needs to seek help and get medicated.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Filed his own bankruptcy? Did he really?

    ReplyDelete
  5. In Texas We know how to deal with guys like this.
    Get a rope!

    ReplyDelete
  6. looks like he is capable of bringing his own rope

    ReplyDelete
  7. I have known Steve since the early 1980s when he tried to get the Hot Lake Hotel running in La Grande, Oregon. I know intimately of his trials and travails since then and have been involved in some of them. I have seen him at his best and at his worst

    A lot of the crazy stuff he has done has not shown up in court or on blogs like this. This includes pulling a pistol on an employee and holding it to his head demanding the employee lie at an upcoming meeting with potential investors. His waving a loaded gun around and pointing it at folks he disagreed with was a regular occurance and probably still is, now that he is in Texas.

    In my opinion and those of folks that have known Steve for a long time, he is, at the very least, an untreated manic depressive, prone to psychotic rants, usually with a loaded weapon involved. At the other end of the spectrum he may actually be psychotic. He is also a mysoginist, homophobic, alcoholic, cocaine-addicted and self-serving egotist that has never succeeded in bringing a single project to fruition...never. Every time his projects have failed (which are many), he drags well-meaining investors and employees down with him. It is always due to his own failings, though he will always point out that he is always the victim and never the one responsible. In Steve's universe, the world revolves around him.

    Steve has amazing talents for raising money and having some pretty good ideas. He has no talent for managing projects or people. The main problem is he is a truly sick person and should be on meds and kept away from firearms and sharp objects. I am amazed that people still haven't seen through him for the sick puppy that he is...they still keep giving him money.

    ReplyDelete
  8. As a family member, I can tell you that every word of the May 4, 2011 post is accurate. Steve is Bipolar, it is inherited. He has no concept that other human beings have needs. Thus, we determined long ago that Steve is also a narcissist. In addition, the post is also accurate that Steve is antisocial, and defers all blame to others. Nothing is ever his fault. He is a walking contradiction...the crazy over-generosity he shows at times is useful to BUY people's loyalty and trust me, there is ALWAYS a serious price to pay for accepting anything from him. First hand experience. It has always been such a tragic drama and such a loss of his incredible potential. He subconsiously destroys everything he builds, usually just at the peak of success, when his projects are actually about to finally work and make money. Then Steve always sabotages. Until he seeks therapy, from a psychiatrist, and gets medicated, he will always be like this. It is serious and getting worse. He stands to lose everything and will lose everything shortly, thus reaffirming his deep belief that he is not worth having anything, no one loves him and no one can be trusted. Sad, very sad, and it could all be helped.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Isn't the email posted below really showing of the people that Gradient Un-Resourceful have put out. The new CEO Craig Mataczynski and his croneys are worse than steve would ever be. Virgil Welch, Ken Bonin, Craig are a part of a scheme to get every dollar and leave investors pennyless.

    "From: Virgil Welch
    Sent: Thursday, February 10, 2011 2:40 PM
    To: Mike Collins
    Subject: FW: Brave Man Jokes
    Virgil Welch | Vice President of Drilling | Gradient Resources Inc. | We’ve changed our name!
    9670 Gateway Dr Suite 200 | Reno, NV 89521 | We’ve moved our headquarters!
    T: Reno-775-284-8842 | T: Fallon-775-423-2159 | M: 775-217-0813
    E: vwelch@gradientresources.com
    Virgil Welch | Manager | Rocket Drillco
    270 South Maine Suite 8&9 | Fallon, NV 89406
    T: 775-423-3697 | F: 775-423-8845 | M: 775-217-0813
    E: vwelch@gradientresources.com
    From: virgbr549@aol.com [mailto:virgbr549@aol.com]
    Sent: Thursday, February 10, 2011 2:41 PM
    To: Virgil Welch
    Subject: Fwd: Brave Man Jokes / These are just awful....

    BRAVE MAN JOKES


    1 How do you turn a fox into an elephant?
    Marry It!

    2 What is the difference between a battery and a woman?
    A battery has a positive side.

    3 What are the three fastest means of communication?
    1) Television
    2) Telephone
    3) Telawoman

    4 How are fat girls and mopeds alike?
    They're both fun to ride until your friends find out.

    5 What should you give a woman who has everything?
    A man to show her how to work it.

    6 Why is the space between a woman's breasts and her hips called a waist?
    Because you could easily fit another pair of tits in there.

    7 How do you make 5 pounds of fat look good?
    Put a nipple on it.

    8 Why do women rub their eyes when they wake up?
    Because they don't have balls to scratch.

    9 Why did God create woman ?
    To carry semen from the bedroom to the toilet.

    10 Why do women fake orgasms?
    Because they think men care.

    11 What do you say to a woman with 2 black eyes?
    Nothing, she's been told twice already.

    12 If your wife keeps coming out of the kitchen to nag at you, what have you done wrong?
    Made her chain too long

    13 How many men does it take to open a beer?
    None. It should be opened when she brings it.

    14 Why is a Laundromat a really bad place to pick up a woman?
    Because a woman who can't even afford a washing machine will probably
    never be able to support you.

    15 Why do women have smaller feet than men?
    It's one of those 'evolutionary things' that allows them to stand closer
    to the kitchen sink.

    16 How do you know when a woman is about to say something smart?
    When she starts a sentence with 'A man once told me...'

    17 How do you fix a woman's watch?
    You don't. There is a clock on the oven.

    18 Why do men pass gas more than women?
    Because women can't shut up long enough to build up the required
    pressure.

    19 If your dog is barking at the back door and your wife is yelling at the front door, who do you let in first?
    The dog, of course. He'll shut up once you let him in.

    20 What's worse than a Male Chauvinist Pig?
    A woman who won't do what she's told

    21 I married a Miss Right.
    I just didn't know her first name was Always.

    22 Scientists have discovered a food that diminishes a woman's sex drive by
    90%..
    It's called a Wedding Cake.

    23 Why do men die before their wives?
    They want to.

    24 Women will never be equal to men..
    until they can walk down the street with a bald head and a beer gut, and still think they are sexy.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Thats the kind of responsibility they own up to. Sick!

    ReplyDelete
  11. I work at a University library and checked out some books to this guy. He talked to me a little bit and gave me his card in a casual maybe work for me way, clarifying that he wasn't hustling me (as I am female and he was recently talking about the millions of dollars he's made). That led me to wonder what his deal was. Of course, this blog post was only a Google search away. Life is too absurd sometimes.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Word of the wise, stay away from him. He did the same to me.

    ReplyDelete
  13. I worked for him at tumalo ranch he screwed myself and others out of their pay making promises that he new he would never keep, as to his demeanor while working and hoping to get paid he still treated me like crap. Still waiting to get paid since 2010. He did not file for bankruptcy it forced upon him.

    ReplyDelete
  14. His numerous companies were all scams.

    ReplyDelete
  15. megmwilder@yahoo.comJune 6, 2015 at 12:33 PM

    So glad I read this. I was supposed to meet him for dinner to discuss a possible job. Wow what a fucked up world this is

    ReplyDelete
  16. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Yes, he lives in Bend, Oregon with his wife Marianne Thomas. He hides behind her skirts, but travels a lot still trying to get geothermal going in Texas. His address if you'd like to drive by is: 65725 Gerking Market Rd, Bend, OR 97701. He is still married to her and he still lives there, it is his only owned property. You just have to watch for him, like all of his creditors and process servers do.

    ReplyDelete
  18. http://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/index.ssf/2015/11/bend_businessman_accused_of_ph.html#incart_river

    ReplyDelete
  19. He is currently setting up an office in Santa Monica, he is trying to get my girlfriend to work for him, he sounded sleazy and this has confirmed my suspicions!

    ReplyDelete
  20. How can people constantly trash someone who dedicates their life to reducing carbon pollution?

    ReplyDelete
  21. Oh good GRIEF, Anonymous from May 5, 2016. He's never been dedicated to anything in his entire life except his own pleasure, getting rich off the backs of those he steals from, and being the center of attention. He is a narcissist and he is a sociopath. And by the way, Steve Munson does not even recycle his own garbage and never has. He's a total FRAUD. And he has mastered the art of telling people exactly what they want to hear. There are thousands of us who hope he rots in prison the rest of his life, and thanks to the IRS, that just may happen.

    ReplyDelete
  22. I saw a Steve sighting yesterday ... the old truck towing a travel trailer of livable size. The plates from Colorado made me second guess my instincts but when I passed in front of him and saw the glasses and long grey hair with our eyes locking for a brief moment, I decided it was him. Looking him up on the web to see what he's been up to lately since I haven't seen him in 10 years, I found this. I worked for him for years and all I can say is that I hope some day he gets the help he needs, it's all very sad to me.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Where was your "Steve sighting", may I ask? Was it in Central Oregon? (This is to Anonymous on November 1, 2016.) It is sad, a complete waste of human potential, but he has destroyed so many lives, it has to stop.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Stephen Miles Munson (AKA Steve Munson of former Vulcan notoriety), is changing his plea to GUILTY in the IRS vs Munson tax fraud FELONY case. His plea will be changed this coming Monday, December 12th, 2016, at 2:00 PM in Courtroom #16, Multnomah Federal Courthouse. Finally!

    ReplyDelete
  25. Stephen Miles Munson (AKA Steve Munson of former Vulcan notoriety), is changing his plea to GUILTY in the IRS vs Munson tax fraud FELONY case. His plea will be changed this coming Monday, December 12th, 2016, at 2:00 PM in Courtroom #16, Multnomah Federal Courthouse. Finally!

    ReplyDelete
  26. Stephen Miles Munson pleads guilty to IRS Tax Fraud and Bankruptcy Fraud. Sentencing on June 9, 2017. Must pay restitution of over $9.2 MILLION. http://www.ktvz.com/news/bend-businessman-admits-to-federal-tax-fraud/209061466

    ReplyDelete
  27. Stephen Miles Munson pleads guilty to IRS Tax Fraud and Bankruptcy Fraud. Sentencing on June 9, 2017. Must pay restitution of over $9.2 MILLION. http://www.ktvz.com/news/bend-businessman-admits-to-federal-tax-fraud/209061466

    ReplyDelete
  28. Stephen Miles Munson pleads guilty to IRS Tax Fraud and Bankruptcy Fraud. Sentencing on June 9, 2017. Must pay restitution of over $9.2 MILLION. http://www.ktvz.com/news/bend-businessman-admits-to-federal-tax-fraud/209061466

    ReplyDelete
  29. I have had limited experience as a businessman with Steve over 40 years, going back to his lender representative days. We have touched base as fellow businessmen on several occasions and yes, I invested in Vulcan and still own stock. After reading all of these negative statements I wonder if you have looked in the mirror before you made your comments. With all of his faults he is a man who has employed hundreds of workers and represented smart ways to provide power and other clean energy products to the nation. His faults prove he is human. Do yours?

    ReplyDelete
  30. Good Grief! Steve may have employed hundreds of people, and almost ALL of them have been stiffed by him. He has had a 100% turnover with his employees every six months. That's an AVERAGE. Some years when he was really nuts, it was in 3 months or less. He's pulled guns on employees, groped or sexually threatened almost every female employee. He has never put ONE DIME OF HIS OWN MONEY into Vulcan Power, he uses other people's money and spends it as fast as he gets it. He got $11 million when he was forced out of Vulcan. Every dime was gone in one year, then he committed the IRS Tax Fraud, filed bankruptcy and even the Court said he was defrauding THEM, so they did not allow his bankruptcy to go through. So now he's up for Bankrupcty Fraud also. He stole over $1 Million from me and my friends. So if you have Vulcan Stock, use it for toilet paper. That's what it's worth. Munson had EVERY CHANCE IN THE WORLD TO SUCCEED AND HE HAS BLOWN IT EVERY TIME AND WORSE, TAKEN DOWN EVERY PERSON WHO EVER BELIEVED IN HIM, so get real and understand the entire story. He is a crook.

    ReplyDelete
  31. Good Grief! Steve may have employed hundreds of people, and almost ALL of them have been stiffed by him. He has had a 100% turnover with his employees every six months. That's an AVERAGE. Some years when he was really nuts, it was in 3 months or less. He's pulled guns on employees, groped or sexually threatened almost every female employee. He has never put ONE DIME OF HIS OWN MONEY into Vulcan Power, he uses other people's money and spends it as fast as he gets it. He got $11 million when he was forced out of Vulcan. Every dime was gone in one year, then he committed the IRS Tax Fraud, filed bankruptcy and even the Court said he was defrauding THEM, so they did not allow his bankruptcy to go through. So now he's up for Bankrupcty Fraud also. He stole over $1 Million from me and my friends. So if you have Vulcan Stock, use it for toilet paper. That's what it's worth. Munson had EVERY CHANCE IN THE WORLD TO SUCCEED AND HE HAS BLOWN IT EVERY TIME AND WORSE, TAKEN DOWN EVERY PERSON WHO EVER BELIEVED IN HIM, so get real and understand the entire story. He is a crook.

    ReplyDelete
  32. I worked for him as a consultant in 1980-81-82 and every comment on this site is true. He has not changed. He was PROUD to stiff employees, clients, creditors and the government. And he had a disgusting personality. Only person I have every HATED, and I still do. I will not be satisfied until he is dead or in prison for life.

    ReplyDelete
  33. Amen, Anonymous from March 31, 2017. I'm a family member and he is hated by his whole family on both sides except for brother Doug who still defends Steve. He used to get money from Steve, which of course means the money was stolen from someone.

    ReplyDelete
  34. Amen, Anonymous from March 31, 2017. I'm a family member and he is hated by his whole family on both sides except for brother Doug who still defends Steve. He used to get money from Steve, which of course means the money was stolen from someone.

    ReplyDelete
  35. How could a woman be married to him, I'll never know.

    ReplyDelete
  36. Unknown May 27, 2017: That indeed is the real question. Marianne Thomas does not know all of it, or his lifelong history, but she knows most of what he's done recently. Whether or not she knows that SHE was living off of elderly people's monthly money wires that Munson was getting to stay alive, is unknown. But clearly, he was supporting her and she has been living off of dirty money for a long time.

    ReplyDelete
  37. Unknown May 27, 2017: That indeed is the real question. Marianne Thomas does not know all of it, or his lifelong history, but she knows most of what he's done recently. Whether or not she knows that SHE was living off of elderly people's monthly money wires that Munson was getting to stay alive, is unknown. But clearly, he was supporting her and she has been living off of dirty money for a long time.

    ReplyDelete
  38. Wasn't Steve scheduled to be sentenced in June in the US District Court in Portland? If so, is he in jail now?

    ReplyDelete
  39. Wasn't Steve scheduled to be sentenced in June in the US District Court in Portland? If so, is he in jail now?

    ReplyDelete
  40. No he got a continuance by the oldest ploy in the book...He fired his attorney at the last minute. So he has a Status Hearing next week, Monday, August 14th at 10:00 in Judge Mossman's Courtroom in Portland. You can keep tabs on it through "Pacer.Org" online.

    ReplyDelete
  41. would you explain more about how to keep tabs on it thru pacer.org? looked at the website and didn't see anything that looked like court info.

    ReplyDelete
  42. There is no way his wife could not know that she is married to a liar, thief and personal without any morals what so ever. She almost has to be just like him. As a person that has known Steve Munson for a long time I can tell all of you that everything bad that people have wrote about him in this blog is absolutely true. Steve belongs in a home for blind mice.

    ReplyDelete
  43. As a person that has agreed to work for Steve Munson in his company Green Cloud I can tell you that I did a fair amount of work for him and he never paid me. I can also tell you theat his company Munson Geothermal was no success. He took a prospect that was already proven by Magma Power and made a complete disaster out of it. It was not until ORMAT took over the property a developed it right that Brady's Hot Springs became a success, NO THANKS TO STEVE MUNSON. At the Patua Hot Springs near Hazen, Nevada the storey is much the same but in this case the INSANE MUNSON was thrown out of the company and paid over $10 million to leave, but he had undoubtedly already done so much damage that Vulcan Power or Gradient Resources was forced to go bankrupt. Also to add to the mix is the fact that the Patua Geothermal Resources is a very low-grade resource that should have never been developed.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. What’s the latest on Munson? Is he behind bars?

      Delete
    2. No he's not, not even close. Hahaha.

      Delete
  44. I WANT THE MONEY OWED TO ME FROM A JUDGEMENT ON THIS LOSER. ANYONE KNOW HOW TO MAKE THAT ONE HAPPEN? I HAVE BEEN EXCLUDED FROM BEING LISTED ON HIS BANKRUPTCY, SO I'M ENTITLED TO MY MONEY.

    ReplyDelete
  45. I worked for him as an explanation geologist with Renewable Energy, 1981-84 and Munson Geothermal in 1984. He couldn't be trusted with company fund, which he used as his personal piggy bank to pay for his lavish lifestyle, including high end call girls.

    I had gotten out of Renewable Energy in time, but several close friends got burned.

    While at Munson Geothermal, I hid a bail out fund in the exploration budget. We had friends in the the office updating me on the company funds. When the funds were running out, I used the funds to pay the exploration team and we all went home. Never mess with a veteran

    ReplyDelete
  46. Why are you all anonymous? Nobody trusts anonymous proclamations. There's a reason why people hide behind anonymity - they are usually lying. Otherwise why hide?

    ReplyDelete
  47. Steve Munson plead guilty to tax fraud in exchange for the IRS dropping bankruptcy charges. It's all on Google and filed at the Oregon Attorney Generals office. Steve left Oregon to go back to Nevada wearing an ankle bracelet. 10 years of parole and one year hime confinement. Only because of his age and Covid outbreaks did he avoid prison. It's all in the court transcripts.

    ReplyDelete
  48. Unpaid wages become debt forgiveness income. So do notes to investors


    ReplyDelete
  49. He's back in Central Oregon saw him ranting in a coffee house in Bend

    ReplyDelete
  50. Steve is back at it in north east Nevada. He’s hitting all the land owners. True snake oil salesman. Start with the dream of endless geothermal power making landowners rich. Then offering a piece of the action on top of it. You can invest and have your very own stock in this great startup company. Please don’t fall for this.

    ReplyDelete
  51. Munson is never going to stop. It's surprising somebody hasn't put him out of his misery. At last count he has burned through over 50 million of other people's money with the geothermal scam. He has never yet produced one kilowatt of power even though he had contracts to do so. He is the biggest self-saboteur on the planet and only next to Donald Trump is the second worst narcissist on the planet. Munson cannot be fixed and he is going to continue scamming until he's planted six feet under. Disgusting human being with no conscience whatsoever.

    ReplyDelete