Oklahoma Judge Aletia Timmons’ Grudge Against Moshe Tal Leads to Unjust $1.6M Payday for Andrew Hedrick

Hedrick’s Deceit and Tal’s Legacy

Our last post was about the court-sanctioned theft of $1.6 million from inventor Moshe Tal by Andrew Hedrick, a self professed born-again Christian.

We discussed Hedrick’s bankruptcy and how he kept his home and defaulted on his creditors. Frank Report suggested someone learn more about his methods by examining Hedrick’s sketchy bank loan applications.

We described how Moshe Tal is an American and Israeli hero while Hedrick has all the signs of an American hypocrite.

We discussed how Tal spent forty years developing, manufacturing, and selling TK7. His fuel additive increases engine performance by boosting fuel octane performance, providing upper cylinder lubrication and valve seal protection.

We learned about how Tal and Hedrick signed a five-year contract for Hedrick to be able to have right to have sell TK7, provided he did not represent himself as the manufacturer of the product, but as a distributor, and how that contract had expired and Hedrick tried to steal Tal’s brand name, his website and his business.  And how Hedrick stiffed his friend Doug Switzer out of $250,000, which Hedrick borrowed under pretenses that most would consider criminal fraud.

Contract Expired: Hedrick Steals TK7 Name and Sells Fake Products With Phony Promises

While Hedrick and Tal made money with Tal manufacturing TK7 and Hedrick, through Awesome Enterprises LLC, selling TK7, their five-year contract expired in 2020.

Tal sent Hedrick a new Non-Disclosure and No-Use Agreement for Awesome LLC for another five years. Hedrick returned a signed contract, but changed the name of his company on the contract from Awesome Enterprises LLC to TK7 Products LLC, taking for his new company name, Tal’s trade name, which Tal created in 1982.

They were making money, and it was hard to stop abruptly. However, Tal refused to sign an agreement with Hedrick using a company that used his trade name and product brand name. Tal did not sign the contract with Hedrick’s TK7 company. He refused to sell him any more TK7 fuel additive.

Hedrick, at first, did not care. He printed labels mimicking Tal’s TK7 labels, advertised he had TK7, and bought random fuel additive. He even published phony studies mimicking results that the real TK7 produced.

However, the business did not go well since Hedrick’s counterfeit TK7 did not work anywhere near as well as the real TK7.

Pandemic Profiteering: Hedrick Duped the Government with Fake Fuel Additive Company

Then COVID arrived, as it seemed to Hedrick as an answer to his prayers. Hedrick secured a PPP loan from the federal government for his fictitious TK7 Products, LLC.  He deceitfully presented his bogus TK7 Products LLC as a fuel additive manufacturing business. Hedrick secured a COVID loan by exploiting this ‘manufacturer’ status. But Hedrick never manufactured one gallon of fuel additive. He bought his product from manufacturers.

Hedrick later applied for conversion of the loan to a grant, which the US government consented to, and Hedrick never paid a dime back.

But his expenses were high, and his skills were weak. Hedrick was soon out of money. But he knew the Lord provides.

Hedrick Exploits Ailing Tal with Baseless Lawsuit, Banking on No-Show Default Win

He heard Tal suffered from a series of mini-strokes, which led to an open-heart triple bypass surgery. Hedrick took this as a sign from heaven and sued Tal for breach of contract based on his complaint that Tal refused to sell him TK7 in violation of a contract his company, TK7 Products LLC, had with Tal.

The only hitch was there was no contract between Tal and Hedrick or his fake TK7 Products LLC.  The only contract was with Awesome Enterprises LLC, and it had expired.

Tal had refused to sign a contract with Hedrick using his brand and trade name.

But Hedrick figured the old man was too sick to dispute.  He would not show up in court, and his failure to appear could lead to a default judgment where the case’s merits are never heard. And to guarantee that outcome, Hedrick would ensure Tal was never properly served.

Hedrick Enlists Lawyer, Exploits Feuding Judge to Fabricate Case Against Tal in Oklahoma City’s Court Circus

Hedrick operated on the theory that God helps those who help themselves to other people’s money.  To assist the Lord in helping him, Hedrick hired the legendary lawyer Lief Swedlow, known for taking advantage of everything his clients could win, steal, or con from their adversaries—and, if that failed, taking from the clients themselves.

While most attorneys would demand proof of an actual contract before suing for breach of contract, Swedlow sued Tal for breach of a contract that didn’t even exist.

One might wonder how anyone could expect to win. Even if Tal didn’t show up, wouldn’t you need an actual contract?

Not in Oklahoma City.

Lief Swedlow selected a judge who had an old feud with Tal dating back to before she was a judge: Judge Aletia Timmons.

Judge Timmons’ Grudge Paves Way

Now it was Timmons’ chance at payback.  She could also help her friend Swedlow, and as everyone in the know can attest, he knows how to repay favors.

At first, Judge Timmons concealed the fact that she had an “abusive and hostile encounter with Mr. Tal, which predates her service on the bench,” as she later described it.

Tal was physically unwell and did not attend the hearings. Hedrick, who was unwell in another way and wise in his own conceit, did not notify Tal that he was attempting to deceive his way into a judgment against him.

On Wednesday, May 12, 2021, Hedrick applied for a default judgment, since the ailing Tal had not shown up in court. Tal was unaware of the court proceedings as he fought for his life.

Courts typically do not quickly grant default judgments just in case there is a valid reason, such as illness or lack of notice regarding a lawsuit that caused the defendant not to appear.

Judge Timmons must have relished the idea of payback more than she relished the law. She decided not to notify Tal about Hedrick’s application for default or give him time to respond as the law required.

Hedrick applied on Wednesday, May 12, and Timmons granted Hedrick a default judgment the following day, Thursday, May 13.

Note this on your Corruption Calendar: On May 13, 2021, Judge Timmons issued an unusual ex parte Default Order, which granted Hedrick victory in a lawsuit for breach of contract. This occurred even though there was no contract, and it involved a man with whom she had a personal grudge.

A month later, on June 14, 2021, Tal, perhaps more dead than alive, managed to get himself into court and though in pain and weak, he questioned Judge Timmons about her illegal ex parte default order. He said there was no contract between him and Hedrick, and everyone in the courtroom knew Hedrick was unable to provide one – for the simplest of reasons — one never existed.

But why should that matter? In Judge Timmon’s court, it did not matter. With an expression that looked almost like gloating, Judge Timmons ruled her Default Order would stand.

Post Ruling Recusal

Later that same day, Judge Timmons informed Hedrick’s lawyer, Swedlow, that she was recusing herself from the case. Judge Timmons claimed she had a longstanding grudge against the old man. Tal had no idea she held a personal grudge against him dating back to her days before she was a judge.

He repeatedly stated he can’t remember having any “abusive or hostile” encounter with her. He filed a request that she explain her “facts findings” leading to her rulings.

Judge Timmons declined to respond, leading to a novel concept: that a judge who feels a need to recuse herself from a case because of a personal relationship with a party can recuse herself after she makes her rulings. Normally a judge who needs to recuse would do so before not after she makes her decisive ruling in a case.

To complete the picture of judicial arrogance, and lawlessness, the judge feels she need not even explain her rulings, or what kind of personal animus she had with Tal that might have colored her ruling.  She rules in favor of the adversary of a man she claims she had a hostile and abusive relationship or incident with, then exits the case without an explanation, leading one to suspect everything she says. Is it possible that there was no hostile encounter years ago between Tal and Timmons?

Was Judge Timmons recusal just an excuse to get off a case with a lot of “hair” on it, if not criminal fraud, which she understood and knew was criminal fraud, and share the rest of the task – of aiding Swedlow in swindling an old man with another judge, who could take the rest of the swindle across the finish line?

 Judges Timmons and Mai Cement Unjust Ruling

Judge Timmons had fulfilled her duty by assisting her friend Swedlow in cheating an elderly man.

Now, it was time to share blame.

In an old Oklahoma judicial tactic, judges split the responsibility when planning to cheat a party in a lawsuit. This way, any observers—especially the gullible media—will believe the decision was made by not only one judge, but two who independently concurred on the matter.

To ensure Swedlow was paired with another judge of his preference, Judge Timmons allowed him to navigate the reassignment of the case to Judge Natalie Mai, who was known for her accommodating nature.

Swedlow spent two hours assembling the paperwork and personally delivering it to complete the switch from Judge Timmons to Judge Mai.

On June 21, 2023, a hearing was held before Judge Mai to address the case involving the theft from an elderly man. Judge Mai needed to uphold Judge Timmons’ default judgment and determine a monetary value for Swedlow and Hedrick, who had become partners in the scam.

Tal again did not appear in court. He was recovering from open-heart surgery.

During the hearing, Judge Mai, to protect herself on the record, falsely claimed Tal had never filed a response to Hedrick’s claim. This allowed her to grant Hedrick a default judgment in the breach of contract lawsuit without a contract.

If Tal never responded, he automatically loses.

Judge Mai, if she took the time to review the docket, would see that Tal did respond in a motion to dismiss on February 12, 2021. He did not fail to challenge Hedrick.

 Judge Mai’s Windfall for Hedrick Raises Eyebrows Amid Dubious Claims and Tal’s Prime Property

It was time to decide on an amount to give to Hedrick. To justify her actions, Judge Mai claimed she was merely enforcing Judge Timmons’ default order.  

There was no evidence there was a contract to base assumptions about Hedrick’s loss. Judge Mai was forced to pull a number from out of the air, or out of some other region, or perhaps a little birdie or a lawyer whispered the amount in her ear. She came up with $1.6 million in damages Tal owed to Hedrick.

How perfect it was. Hedrick knew Tal had a warehouse in a prime area of Oklahoma City. Now he had a judgment for $1.6 million. If Tal did not pay in cash, and they knew he wouldn’t even if he could, Hedrick and Swedlow could force the sale of the warehouse through a sheriff’s sale.

The two – cheater and his shyster lawyer – would collect $1.6 million, and split it in a way not readily known. The old man got what he deserved, they thought, for not letting Hedrick steal his brand name or in the alternative for not dying a long time ago.

Tal Fights Back Against Judge Mai’s Intimidation Tactics

Tal finally arrived in court, but Judge Mai refused to schedule hearings on his motions to dismiss the case as required by law.

Instead, she yelled at Tal and refused to let him speak or finish his presentation. There was ample reason to yell and interrupt. She did not want it on the record that there never was a contract.

She understood there cannot be a breach of contract if a contract never existed. She understood that handing $1.6 million to Hedrick required keeping that off the record.

Tal has filed a motion to disqualify Judge Mai before the chief judge. He plans to submit a Writ of Mandamus to the Oklahoma Supreme Court to vacate all judgments made by Timmons and Mai in the case.

To be continued…

Frank Parlato

Frank Parlato is an investigative journalist, media strategist, publisher, and legal consultant.

Frank Parlato

Frank Parlato is an investigative journalist, media strategist, publisher, and legal consultant.

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