Gilbert Rainault, aka Tim Gibson, fake Green Beret, lifelong criminal and con man…
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Grab a coffee, this is a long read,
On 2/9/18 @ 1320 Guardians of the Green Beret received the following email:
I received your contact info from the Green Beret Foundation. I’m hoping you can help me out. I’ve been working with a man who claims to have served 1994-2010 in 3rd SF Group ODA 352. His name is Gilbert Rainault. Would you be able to verify.
We don’t really make it a habit of doing random checks for people but since they were sent by the GBF and mentioned a GBF employee by name, we took it on. In a matter of 15 minutes we knew the name Gilbert Rainault had never serve from 94-10 on ODA 352 as he claimed. You see, we posted that info in SF Brothers and within only minutes we had almost every year covered by guys that were there during those years.
We responded to the email and received further info that he also used the name Tim Gibson. We tossed that name back in SF Brothers and again, two thumbs down.
As dialog continued it became apparent that we needed to get records ASAP. You see, this Gilbert Rainault aka Tim Gibson aka Fake Green Beret, seems to have weaseled his way into the SF community and was able to convince a female angel investor to go into business with him. She contributed a huge (said as yuuuge using my best Donald Trump voice) sum of money to help him establish ODA Tactical & Apparel. They sold tactical gear and t-shirts. Gilbert seems to have done his research when it comes to knowing what to say to who as a number of legit SF were helping him get his business off the ground.
When we went on record to the angel investor that he was not on that ODA during those years, she confronted him and he quickly realized the gig was up. Within hours, he was on the run with a few $1000 worth of company gear he had taken along with the investor’s dog. He was subsequently charged with embezzlement, criminal impersonation, and weapons possession by a felon.
As we continued to research this fraud and con man, many came forward having heard him claim to be a GB in the 3rd, 7th, and 10th depending on who he was lying to at the time, and also having stated he was an 18D (Special Forces Medic).
We also found a life history of criminal activity and charges. It looks like he has an active warrant in Florida as we write.
With the life history of criminal activity, we did both the standard FOIA request via NPRC and an emergency request. Within a day, we knew no record of him existed with the Army. He was also not showing in the VA system, meaning he probably never served in any service. Before we went with an official “He never served in the military period," we had to wait on the official FOIA letterhead to arrive. We can now state he never served a day in the Military.
His time on the run was short lived, as after only 10 days, they found him in a hotel parking lot and arrested him without incident. Here is the FOX21 News article about his capture
From the angel investor:
Twitter was the first point of connection I had with “Tim Gibson". He portrayed to me that he was a wounded Green Beret with PTSD/TBI in need of a service animal. Tim was depressed and suicidal and I purchased him a German Shepherd through VonRief Shepherds in Black Forest CO. As we continued to get to know one another Tim revealed to me he wanted to own his own business but didn’t have the funds to do it. Because I had means I offered to become business partners and together we opened up ODA Tactical & Apparel (a Special Forces owned company) in May 2017 (I did a background check on Tim Gibson-nothing turned up).
We ran ODA Tactical & Apparel from our respective homes in NJ & Colorado. However because of the large military presence in Colorado we found ourselves doing many promotional events throughout the state to make our name known. At this point it made financial sense for me to rent a home in Colorado. Tim had told me prior that he was involved in a lawsuit and couldn’t have his name on our business or a property lease. I secured a lease under my name and allowed Tim to stay in the home upon breaking up with his girlfriend. Shortly after moving in there was an incident at my place that required 911. Upon learning the police had been called Tim forced me to drive him to Colorado Springs where we spent the night. I pushed him on why we needed to leave and Tim told me it was because he had an outstanding warrant in Florida that he was working with his lawyer on clearing up. I accepted what he told me and flew back to NJ shortly thereafter.
Tim told me he was going to head to Florida for a bit. Something did not sit right with me and I began to do my own research. Through Facebook I established who his mother is (XXXXXX XXXXXX) and the mother of his child is (XXXXXXX XXXXXX). And through one of their conversations they referred to Tim as “Gil”. This gave me pause for thought and through further research on Facebook I determined his name was in fact, Gilbert Rainault. From there I did another background check and learned of his criminal history. He had a terrible temper when questioned but I confronted him about the false/real name issue. Tim told me he had had such a difficult time transitioning to civilian life that he had gotten into trouble with the law and left for Colorado to establish a new life. And with this new life he needed a new name to start afresh. I accepted this as truth but red flags continued being raised. Why when there was the slightest issue with Kilo (the German Shepherd) did Tim need to rush to the vet? Medics are trained in basic veterinary care. Why was Tim asking me basic medical questions for wounds, blood pressure, sickness? He was an 18D. Why couldn’t he translate verbatim a political slogan I showed him in French? After all, he spoke French and Russian. Two languages, like all SF guys. And just why was he having so many issues sighting in my AR? He was a soldier.
Too many things made me raise my eyebrows and I reached out to the Guardians of the Green Beret to inquire about Gilbert Rainault’s service. They assured me no one under that name ever served. At this point I knew I had been thoroughly and completely scammed. I text Tim and told him to get out of the house I rented. I instructed him to leave all of our inventory including the night vision and firearm we had purchased for our demo tables. He begged me, saying he would pay rent and work for free. I told him under no circumstances was I perpetuating his fraud of ODA Tactical & Apparel being a Special Forces owned company and for him to remove himself from the premises.
I thank you from the bottom of my heart for shedding light on who Gilbert Rainault truly is. As of the latest totals he’s cost me over $100,000 and a considerable knock to my pride but nothing compares to the portrayal of stolen valor. It’s appalling and reprehensible. I thank you for your help, your service and what you continue to do.
Regards,
XXXXXX XXXXXXX
From another very close to the case and also the fraud Gilbert Rainault, fake Green Beret:
Gilbert Rainault aka Tim Gibson
Around May 1st, 2017 I had contacted the person I knew as Tim Gibson. I contacted him asking to use one of the ODA Tactical & Apparel t-shirt designs that I had found on the internet. This was my initial introduction to ODA T&A and Tim Gibson. I did meet with him and we started hanging out together. He was living in Manitou Springs with Niki XXXXXXX. I did use the Bearded Bastard design on my prosthetic leg, as Im an above the knee amputee. I am a US Marine and former law enforcement officer of 9 years, I am also a 100% Service Connected disabled Veteran.
As I met with Tim, he had told me numerous times that he was in the Army from 1996 through 2011, and that he was an 18D with 3rd Group. He had stated that he had been discharged due to being injured resulting in a TBI. I had no reason at that time to suspect anything different from what he was telling me. He introduced me to several other Veterans and law enforcement officers in Manitou Springs who had also believed that Tim was also a former 3rd Group member as an 18D. Niki, his girlfriend at the time, had also told me that she appreciated me being around to help him deal with the PTSD from the things that he had seen and gone through. I had no reason to question his statements at the time.
I was involved immediately with the company ODA T&A making contacts and attempting to sell merchandise. I had also purchased several different types of equipment and supplies from Tim, who would take the cash from me. Tim had purchased level 4 trauma plates for a tactical carrier, in which I had then purchased the same thing from him giving him cash. I then met the owner of the company, Kristin XXXXXX, who had flown out to Colorado several different times for some of the shows and vending events that was planned out over the summer. We had gone to numerous events in Colorado Springs as a vendor, in which Tim had told many people that we had met that he was an 18d and was with 3rd Group. This also included Grunt Fest in Colorado Springs.
During one event to which I was invited, I was told that they wanted me to be a guest of honor. I politely declined and offered them to use Tim instead as he had told me that he was Army SF, an 18D, had done several tours in Afghanistan and Iraq, and that he was discharged because he had received a TBI. He stated that he didn’t want that to happen and did not go to the HALO event with me.
Gilbert Rainault, aka Tim Gibson, you’ll now be added to Guardians of the Green Beret Hall of Zeroes (Fakes, Frauds, and Phonies)
#timgibson, #gilbertrainault, #guardiansofthegreenberet