But that is exactly what Robert Charles Luse Jr. is charged with doing.
On Friday morning Luse, owner of EZ-Filer Systems - a software company with a $36,000 per year contract with Warren County - was handcuffed and taken into custody by Front Royal Police at his Kendrick Lane office on a Jan. 1 warrant issued in Shenandoah County. That Class Five felony warrant charges Luse with threatening to burn his father's Mt. Jackson home to the ground on New Year's Day.

Late Friday afternoon Luse was served with two Warren County felony warrants for passing bad checks locally. Both of those checks, for $250 to Chris Ramey and $1,500 to Charles "Chuck" Grant, are related to a "Clothes for Tots" Christmas event Luse sponsored on Dec. 23 and 24 in vacant office space adjacent to EZ-Filer's office in the former American Viscose/Avtex Administration Building.

Personal checks written by Luse on an account at a Mt. Jackson BB&T Bank to both Ramey and Grant were returned with either "account closed" or "closed to all transactions" stamped on them.

During a Tuesday bond hearing in Warren County General District Court on the check charges Luse told the court that Grant had portrayed Santa Claus at his company's two-day Christmas event. Luse's bounced check to "Santa" was dated Christmas Eve.

In his complaint, Ramey said he had driven a truck full of toys from Winchester to Front Royal for Luse, who paid him with a $250 check, also dated Dec. 24.

In a Dec. 24 article published in a local daily newspaper, Luse claimed his company would spend a total of $20,000 to purchase clothing and toys for underprivileged children over the course of the two-day event. Luse was also quoted as referring to the EZ-Filer office as "the Southwest North Pole."

However, Warren County Commonwealth's Attorney Brian Madden said Luse estimated his personal cash assets at about $1,000 during an emergency bond hearing held Friday in Warren County General District Court on the Shenandoah County charge.

That hearing was held in Warren County because a judge was not available in Shenandoah County. A $25,000 secured bond was set at that hearing by Judge W. Dale Houff.

Luse was transferred later on Friday to Shenandoah County, where he is still being held.

Based on information that Luse may have mental problems a commitment order was attached to the Shenandoah County warrant. It alleges that Luse made a verbal threat to burn down his father's home after the two got into an argument when Luse went there on Jan. 1 to retrieve some belongings.

Houff ordered Luse to take all his prescribed medication and keep up with all scheduled doctor's appointments.

At the Warren County bond hearing on Tuesday, Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Nick Manthos agreed to a $5,000 unsecured bond on the bad check charges.

Clothed in the bright yellow inmate's jumpsuit of the Shenandoah County Jail, from which he had been transferred to appear in Warren County General District Court, Luse then asked if Houff would reduce his Shenandoah County bond. The judge said that matter was now being handled in Shenandoah County court.

Luse then asked Houff to allow him to post his annual $36,000 digital filing system contract with Warren County as collateral on the Shenandoah County bond. Houff reiterated that the issue must now be taken up in the Shenandoah County Court system.

Luse also told the court his corporate attorneys - Thomas Moore Lawson and Todd D. Bunn of Lawson and Silek - are seeking to retain a private criminal attorney for him.

Luse was transferred back to the Shenandoah County Jail, where he remains incarcerated.

Luse faces from up to a year in jail and/or a $2,500 fine or from one to five years in prison on each bad check charge and from one to 10 years in prison or up to 12 months and/or a $2,500 fine on the threat charge.

Closed for business?
The EZ-Filer office has remained closed during several attempts to visit the Kendrick Lane office this week. David Edwards of Norton, Va., was referred by the EDA as a source of information about its tenant's status. Contacted by phone on Tuesday, Edwards described his relationship to EZ-Filer as that of a "contractor." Asked about the company's situation in the wake of Luse's arrest Edwards, would say only "no comment."

An Internet check of several area court dockets indicated several financial claims filed recently against Luse or EZ-Filer. Those included one by Fork Motor Credit Company filed in Rockingham County and one from Delay-Winget LLC filed in Warren County.

Ford was awarded a garnishment against Luse in November. The Delay-Winget claim is scheduled for chancery trial in Warren County Circuit Court in April.

Reached Monday, Delay-Winget principal Jim Winget - who is a member of the Warren County Airport Commission - confirmed he had worked as a contractor for EZ-Filer and that his company's 2005 claim involved unreceived compensation.

Winget also said based on his experience, Luse classified most if not all EZ-Filer employees as "contractors."

During Tuesday's Warren County bond hearing Luse's previous record was said to include two felony check charges in Shenandoah County and from nine to 12 other charges that were either dismissed or not prosecuted.

County contract
EZ-Filer was the first tenant of the Front Royal-Warren County Economic Development Authority at the renovated American Viscose Administration Building at 400 Kendrick Lane.

Then EDA Board Chairman Ron Mabry's company worked with EZ-Filer on a consulting basis at the time EZ-Filer approached the county about locating in the first redeveloped building of what is to become the Royal Phoenix Business Park. In a move that split the EDA board, EZ-Filer was granted its first six months' rent at no charge.

Contacted Monday, Mabry - now a member of the Warren County Planning Commission - said he had no comment on Luse's situation and that his professional relationship with EZ-Filer ended about 14 months ago.

Luse, whose address is listed as 234 Paradise Lane in Bridgewater, has provided software services to the Warren County Social Services Department under a heavily discounted system-developmental contract for about four years.

With Mabry's professional help and a positive recommendation from Social Services Director Ron King, Luse pitched his EZ-Filer system to the county. Effective July 1, 2004, EZ-Filer was contracted for three years at a $3,000 per month maintenance fee after waiving any installation charges for his digital, "paperless" filing system.

However, according to an internal Warren County government report obtained by The Warren Sentinel, the county is considering cancellation of the EZ-Filer contract due to a variety of software, service and training issues raised by county and school system personnel.

"Excluding the cooperation from Alvin [Pettit] and Jae [Hinson] during the last six months the overall experience we have had with EZ-Filer as a company has not benefited the government of Warren County as initially promoted," the Jan. 9 county report stated.

That report went on to recommend cancellation of the EZ-Filer contract so that staff could pursue other avenues on software and service options "that will allow us to become to some extent more 'paperless' and to manage our digital information in an user-friendly, efficient and cost effective way."

Contacted for comment, County Administrator Doug Stanley said only that "we were initially pleased with the potential of the EZ-Filer program."

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