We've been conducting a 16 month investigation on a person of interest who has been operating in the St.Pete/Tampa, Bradenton, Sarasota, Venice, Englewood, and North Port Florida areas for several years.
Watch this video first: WWSB news clip on Ran Papica.
Our local assets in the area have uncovered many stories about the "mysterious" and "cryptic" RAN. We can confirmed with rock solid sources the following claims made by this individual:
Bushido Master, Samurai Warrior, United States Navy SEAL, C.I.A. Operative, PURPLE HEART RECIPIENT, United States Army Officer (Major and a Captain at the same time) in the Rangers, Airborne Jump Master, Delta Operator and Special Forces. Mr. Papica claims his amputated leg happened while on a Special Forces secret mission.
Interestingly, Mr. Papica has told various people (who we have talked to) that his leg injury was caused by an IED, RPG, or from an automobile accident, depending on who he was talking to. It was none of the above. It was because he stepped on a rusty nail and the resulting complications associated with diabetes and infection because he never sought medical care. This was confirmed by his pastor to us over the phone. His pastor also confirmed that Ran Papica claimed to be in Special Forces for 14 years.
Furthermore, we made contact with two dojos that Mr. Papica had agreed to "offer his services" to. One in St. Petersburg and one in Sarasota, Florida. It came as no surprise to us that the leadership at both gyms knew "right away" that Mr. Papica's claims of being a "Samurai Warrior trained in the “Bushido Way" were complete nonsense. Both Dojos asked him to leave. The Sensei from the Dojo in St Petersburg said Ran Papica claimed to have been Philippine Special Operations for years before coming to the States. This was also confirmed by us over the phone.
We sent for his military records and the only Papica that came back in the results was a Korean war era vet. Ran Papica NEVER served a single day in the military.
On a side note, when we reached out to our friends at the POW Network, they produced a SEAL request from 2008, when they had sent to a SEAL contact they use asking if Ran was a SEAL. It seems in 2008, he had come under the radar of others as Ran Papica was claiming to be a SEAL.
We made contact with Ran Papica’s landlord and he also confirmed that Ran has claimed to be a secret squirrel SF operator for the time he knew him…… Ran has since bolted the area and left no forwarding address or contact info.
Ran has the history of asking people in places he is a member of for money, this has been confirmed by multiple people that would like to stay off the record. He’s been asked to leave those places because of his actions.
The Sarasota Sky Bar and Cafe held a fundraiser for Ran Papica based on his claims. They were holding a second, yet Ran got wind of our investigation and they canceled it.
ROMEO ANTONIO NOEL "Ran" PAPICA III, you’ll for ever be added to the Guardians of The Green Beret website as a Fake.