Tristan Jimerson: A Dish Best Served Cold - The Moth

Podcast Summary: "The Moth" – Episode Featuring Tristan Jimerson: "A Dish Best Served Cold"

Introduction

In the December 31, 2012 episode of The Moth, Tristan Jimerson shares an enthralling personal narrative titled "A Dish Best Served Cold." Recorded live at the Fitzgerald Theater in St. Paul, Minnesota in 2011, Tristan recounts his tumultuous journey from a struggling art student to a determined "private eye" seeking justice after falling victim to identity theft.

Background: Struggles in Minneapolis

Tristan's story begins with his move to Minneapolis, a period marked by a series of unfortunate events:

Academic and Personal Setbacks: He transferred to a small art school, faced a breakup when his girlfriend wrecked his car, and had to contend with a condemned living situation.
Financial Hardships: Working a minimum-wage job at a comic book store while attending night classes, Tristan found his only solace in the anticipation of spring break—a week he had been saving for over six months to escape his current hardships.

The Turning Point: Identity Theft Unveiled

After completing his final exams, Tristan eagerly prepared for his spring break:

Moment of Realization: Upon depositing his last paycheck at the bank, Tristan discovered his account was overdrawn by $536, with unauthorized charges totaling $1,000, including $600 in Western Union transfers and a $400 charge to inmatecanteen.com (Timestamp [00:05:36]).
Initial Response: The bank assured him the funds would be restored within a week, but Tristan was left disillusioned by the lack of immediate support and the ease with which his identity had been compromised.

Initiating the Investigation

Determined to reclaim his savings and confront the perpetrator, Tristan embarked on a personal investigation:

Connecting the Dots: He traced the unauthorized charges back to local establishments and identified that his last legitimate transaction was a Domino's pizza order on the night of his finals.
Suspicions Arise: Realizing that his credit card might have been compromised at Domino's, Tristan suspected an employee exploited his information, especially poignant given his background as a delivery driver where he upheld strong ethical standards.

Deepening the Investigation

Tristan's relentless pursuit led him to several critical steps:

Confronting Domino's: He visited the local Domino's multiple times, eventually obtaining delivery tickets from the Green Mill restaurant, where some fraudulent orders originated (Timestamp [00:13:20]).
Stalking the Suspect: Observing a woman matching the suspect's description at Green Mill, Tristan meticulously documented her appearance and behavior, even recording her cell phone number for further investigation.
Unveiling Personal Details: Utilizing online platforms like eBay, Flickr, and MySpace, Tristan uncovered extensive personal information about the suspect, including her favorite food—pizza—a detail that underscored the personal betrayal he felt (Timestamp [00:18:45]).

Climactic Confrontation and Resolution

Tristan's efforts culminated in a dramatic resolution:

Police Involvement: Despite initially stalling, the police eventually acted on the evidence Tristan provided, leading to the arrest of the suspect at Domino's during her shift (Timestamp [00:22:30]).
Unexpected Apology: The CEO of Domino's personally reached out to apologize and reimburse Tristan for his losses. Instead of seeking compensation, Tristan requested measures to prevent future incidents, emphasizing the need for ethical conduct among employees.

Aftermath: A Transformative Experience

The resolution of the case had a profound impact on Tristan:

Restoration and Recognition: He received letters confirming the suspect's guilty plea and a personal thank-you from Domino's CEO, along with the reimbursement he sought.
Personal Growth: More than recovering his lost funds, Tristan gained a sense of empowerment and resilience. He reflects, "I wasn't the pathetic, depressed art student. No, for that week, I was Tristan Jimerson, private eye." This transformation highlights the profound effect that taking action and seeking justice can have on one's life.

Notable Quotes

On Identity Theft and Personal Loss: "They only take the good parts. You know, they don't take the rat trap apartment and the Depression and... And the shitty job." ([00:07:15])
On Persistence and Obsession: "And the thing about going crazy is you can't stop." ([00:13:45])
On His Transformation: "I wasn't the pathetic, depressed art student. No, for that week, I was Tristan Jimerson, private eye." ([00:22:50])
Closing Reflection: "Revenge, like delivery pizza, is best served cold." ([00:23:15])

Conclusion

Tristan Jimerson's story on The Moth is a compelling testament to resilience and the pursuit of justice. Faced with significant personal and financial setbacks, Tristan's determination not only restored his finances but also transformed his self-perception, illustrating the profound impact that proactive problem-solving and unwavering resolve can have in overcoming adversity.

Transcript

Dan Kennedy (0:00)

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Tristan Jimerson (1:09)

Welcome to the Moth Podcast. I'm Dan Kennedy. This week's story by Tristan Jimerson was told when the Moth visited the Fitzgerald Theater in St. Paul, Minnesota back in 2011. Here's Tristan Live at the Moth.

Tristan Jimerson (1:28)

When I first moved to Minneapolis, everything in my life went horribly wrong. I transferred to a small art school and my girlfriend wrecked my car. Said girlfriend became an ex girlfriend and the house I was living in was condemned. I was working for minimum wage in a comic book store during the day and going to my night classes at art school. It was not a high point in my life, but the only thing that kept me going was the thought of spring break. Just one week back home with my parents and friends and away from this life. And I'd been saving. I'd been saving for six months for this trip because when you make minimum wage, saving for anything takes a really long time. And so I finished my last final at school and I went home and celebrated my new bachelorhood by ordering a Domino's pizza, eating it off napkins, and playing video games all night. And two days later I was packed and I was ready to go home. All I had to do was drop my last paycheck off at the bank. And I went into the bank and I handed the teller my check and I got the receipt and I flipped it over and on the back my account balance was negative $536 and I felt all the life just drain out of me because I couldn't catch a break. And so I asked to see my balance statement. And there they two $600 Western Union money transfers, a bunch of random delivery orders, and a $400 charge to a website called inmatecanteen.com and so I sat down with the banker, and she saw that the charges were false and went about trying. Trying to reverse them. And while she was doing that, I went and I sat in the lobby, and I started thinking about how unfair identity theft is, because when somebody steals your identity, they only take the good parts. You know, they don't take the rat trap apartment and the Depression and. And the shitty job. No, they just take the one thing that I had been looking forward to for the past six months. And while I'm mulling this over, the banker comes back and she tells me that the bank is going to give me all my money back, but it's going to take about a week of processing. And so I go home, and I can't get it out of my head because the bank wasn't going to do anything about this, and the police weren't going to do anything about this. And these people that rob you, they don't get caught. Nobody cares enough. But this identity theft was different because this person had messed with the most dangerous type of person that exists, which is someone with limited options and a lot of free time. And so I decided to start my own investigation. And so I took my bank records and I started going through them, and I called Western Union, and they were no help. And I went to inmatecanteen.com and I called the support number, but it was disconnected. And so all I had were these delivery charges. And I noticed something, which is that they were. They were local. And then it hit me. The last charge that I had made on my own account was the last night of my finals, the night that I ordered that Domino's pizza. And I realized that when I read my credit card number over the phone, the woman at Domino's must have written it down and used it again. The woman at Domino's robbed me. This was more upsetting because this was someone that could live six blocks from me, who spoke to me on the phone and heard my voice, someone who I trusted. I mean, I trusted Domino's. Out of all the people or things in my life that could betray me, Domino's was not on the list. And lastly, because I spent years as a delivery driver, and this broke the code of ethics. So this wasn't just a theft. This felt personal. And so I had a suspect. And the next day, I marched into that Domino's, and I demanded to know who was working the night my identity was stolen. And the manager on duty passed me to his manager, who passed me to his manager. And eventually they told me to come back later and they would have the names for me. So I continued my investigation, and I went to a place called the Green Mill, which was a restaurant where some of the delivery. The false delivery charges had taken place. The manager there was really helpful because there was nothing else to do. And he gave me a week's worth of delivery tickets. And I started digging through them, looking for a match. And after about 30 minutes, the phone rang, and he picked it up and started taking down an order. And then he picks up a piece of paper and starts waving it back and forth. And I come over, and on the paper is a credit card number, and it's my credit card number. And the person who stole my credit card is on the other end of that phone. And the manager is looking at me like, well, what do we do now? And I look him straight in the eyes and I say, give me a topper, a hat, and I will take that delivery. And he looks at me and he says, and that will get me fired. And I say, okay, maybe that wasn't the best idea. Tell them that your driver is out sick and that it's pickup only. And so he does, and he hangs up, and he looks at me, and he says, they'll be here in 15 minutes. And so I grab a newspaper, and I sit down in a booth, and I prop it up, and I sit down for my very first stakeout. And an agonizing 17 minutes later, a car pulls in. A woman gets out and comes inside and asks for her pickup order. And I start writing down every detail. The fact that it's a white lifted Chevy Tahoe, the license plate number, what she's wearing and what she looks like. And meanwhile, she's having a conversation with the manager, and he's saying that the card was declined and he needs to run it again. But she says she doesn't have it on her, and it's in her car. And she leaves the restaurant and doesn't come back. And so I asked the manager to do me one more favor. I asked him to star 69, the number she called from. And I add that cell phone number to my growing list of evidence. A couple hours later, I receive a call from a man who introduces himself as the head of Domino's security. And he was Calling to apologize, to thank me for my help in the investigation, and to know that once I filed a police report that Domino's had my back. He had also pulled the hours I wanted and had them waiting at the original Domino's shop. So I went back and I picked him up, and I started asking questions there. And I asked if anyone there drove a white lifted Chevy Tahoe. And the daytime driver said that a girl who worked the night shift did. A girl who matched the description of the person who came into the Green Mill, who was also working the night that my identity was stolen. Lastly, I took the cell phone number and gave it to the manager because I didn't want to call it myself and arouse suspicion. So he called it, and she answered and confirmed her identity, condemning herself. So next I. Next, I asked to see her application, because those places always keep those things on file. And at first, the manager was wary of the legal things with that. But once I assured him that this was for the police report, he relented. And so after I've copied down this information, now I have her first, middle, and last name, her date of birth, her Social Security number, her driver's license number. I know her car make and model and the license plate number. I. I know where and when she works and where she lives and her previous job references and her email address. And so I go home and I just. I'm in a frenzy and I can't stop. And so I Google her email address. And when you do that, you can pull up all of the accounts that you've created with that email address. And so I found her ebay account and her Flickr account and her MySpace. And her MySpace was set to public, and I can see her pictures and her comments and her blogs, and I realize that I am going crazy. Crazy. But the thing about going crazy is you can't stop. And so I open one of her blogs called 50 Things About Me, and the very first question is, what is my favorite food? And she wrote, pizza. And so by the time I'm at the end of this list, I realize that I know more about this woman than probably than most of her co workers and friends, and that this is a real person that I would be sending to jail. But she broke the code. And so I call the cops, and the next day they send out a police officer to take my report. And the fraud report starts out normal. It's just how much money was stolen and when was it stolen? And is the bank reimbursing you? And then the last question Almost as an afterthought was, do you have any additional information which might benefit the case? And I said, why, yes, I do. And I start listing things, and the confusion on the officer's face turns to laughter when she hears the full story. And she says that, well, you've done my job for me. And I agree. Later on that day, I receive a call from the detective now working this case case. He says that with all my information, he cross checked it with DOT records and the criminal database and that it all checks out and that by the end of the day, there will be a warrant out for this woman's arrest. I tell him that she's going to work tomorrow at Domino's at 5. And after a pause, he says that he'll have a squad car waiting for her. And so lastly, I asked the detective if I can be there because I'd done a lot of work on this, and I kind of wanted to see the look on her face, that same look of shock and horror that I had when I was standing in that bank. And I flipped that receipt over and saw everything I'd saved gone. But he said that was impossible. He did say that if I happened to be walking across the street at around 5 o'clock, that no one would probably be the wiser. So I got to go undercover one last time. And I found myself standing across the street from that Domino's at 5:00 squad car parked in back and two officers inside. And I saw that white lifted Chevy Tahoe come around the corner and park and her get out and go through the front door. And I could see her back arch up. She froze and saw the officers because she knew she was caught. And then they handcuffed her, put her in the back of the squad car, and they drove away. Case closed. But then a couple hours later, I received one of the most surreal phone calls I've ever gotten in my entire life. The man on the other end of the line introduced himself as the CEO of Domino's. He was calling to personally apologize, thank me for my help in the investigation, and I assume, avoid a giant lawsuit. And so he asked me how much money was stolen and told me that Domino's would reimburse me for everything. And I told him that the bank was already doing that and that it wasn't about the money. And so he asked me what I wanted. And up until this point, I hadn't really thought about it. But what do you say? I mean, free pizza for life. A pizza named after me? No, I. I'd lost my taste for pizza at this point. No. I told him I didn't want this to happen to anyone else. I told him that I wanted him to pursue this to the furthest extent of the law and that every new Domino's employee that gets hired would hear this story that if you fuck with credit card information of customers, that you will go to jail. And he said he could do that. And later, I received two letters in the mail. The first was a letter that said the woman had pleaded guilty to all charges and would be serving a short prison sentence. The second, a personal thank you letter from the CEO of Domino's. A check for the exact amount of money stolen and 500 Domino's bucks. And I realized that I actually did get everything back that was stolen. The money, yes. But for that week, I wasn't the pathetic, depressed art student. No, for that week, I was Tristan Jimerson, private eye. The gumshoe that knows that revenge, like delivery pizza, is best served cold. Thank you.