Richard "Keith" Latman Criminal Case Ends

Thanks for the continued emails and the kind words. It's amazing to me that over the past 7 years not many folks have forgotten me or Microworkz. Interestingly enough some of you have apparently been watching my registrations with the PTO and ICANN. All I can officially say is that a return to hardware is in the works, although it won't be quick. While I can't go into detail yet, you can bet the product will be sold under this brand name and that it will be something special. I can tell you that, like always, my focus is closing the"Internet Divide" (familiar for those of you from the MWZ days) and finding ways to empower the millions that have little or no access to the benefits the web can provide from academia to shopping.

I few weeks ago I got this letter from a young guy who was very instrumental in making Microworkz the selling powerhouse that it was. Take a read:

From: Scott [mailto:scott@hidden.com]
Sent: Monday, December 11, 2006 10:57 PM
To: keith@latman.org
Subject: part of the old gang in Lynnwood...

Hi Keith….  Remember the long haired asian kid that used to help run the sales team at Microworkz?  How’s it been Sir?  Looks like you bounced back and have things on steady ground.  Very very happy for you.  I read Jason’s email as well on your posting and indeed I think many of the staff that had the opportunity to work at Microworkz have found happiness in many of their life’s endevours, including myself.  After working for you several years back and reading about the lawsuits that you were facing, I always wondered how you were going to come out of it.  I checked in on the old Microworkz domain and did google searches every other year or so, just to feed my curiosity about the “old boss” that got my career started.  Happy to finally see that you are blogging and talking to the public.  Must be part of the “healing” process?  In any case, its great to see that happiness has found its way back to you, and your little ones are growing up. 

I think you nailed it on the head with your postings about “WHY” Microworkz failed.  And as a former sales guy on the team on, we never thought about NOT selling a computer to anyone when they called, I think we all trusted that manufacturing would ramp up or we would have been able to land a deal with another manufacturer to produce the machines for us.  Over the years I have recounted the trials and tribulations of that company, how I might have played a role in any of the hardships that the customers or business partners may have went through and lastly the lessons that it served me when it came to business and dealing with people.  Those were the craziest times back then and I think I’m a better person for having worked at MWz. 

As for me, shortly after finishing up with you and the gang, I moved from Seattle to San Francisco to work at another dot com where everyone in the city had their eyes set on IPOs and becoming a millionaire before they were  30 years old.  I was not one of those success stories…but my time in SF and working at Microworkz had showed me that perhaps it was time to make a change in life.  I decided to move to Japan which made a new chapter in my life.  I spent three years their working at an asian fusion restaurant.  Funny thing was, I used to work with a pastry chef from Switzerland that was a dead ringer for you.  I always chuckled working side by side with him and thinking you were making Chinese food.  Anyways…I am now the Executive Sous Chef/sushi chef for a newly opened restaurant in Hawaii and doing very well. 

Best of luck to you Boss, and I wish you and your family a “happy holiday”.   

Yours truly,

Scott Kihara

Thanks Scott for the kind words, and if you have been reading the BLOG you know Richard "Keith" Latman has been doing a lot of thinking as well. For the past 7 years I've spent a ton of time finding folks who lost money, buying computers and healing from the damage. You know the criminal trial, unrelated to Microworkz for hiding my ex-wife's wedding ring during my bankruptcy, makes you reexamine who you are and sets your moral compass straight big time. Even before they announced the charges last year for an incident that occurred over 6 years ago I had spent a lot of time reflecting and to be honest, changing. The Keith Latman you knew (probably the Rick Latman you knew) is gone, replaced by a version that is older, wiser and although willing to break some new ground, doesn't blur the line anymore. We were hyper-aggressive then and I think the adrenaline kept us going more than Starbucks. Today I'm still thinking outside the box and Alisa would tell you I'm just as passionate about my ideas. No doubt I have learned the hard way that the execution has to be there as well. iMagicLab is a runaway hit because our CRM tools reinvented the marketplace and we injected the Internet into a business that was stuck in the dark ages. Different than Microworkz, the idea, planning and execution all came at the same time and it was a recipe for success.

I mentioned a minute ago about the criminal trial (United States v. Richard "Keith" Latman) and I am pleased to announced that the case is over, I've plead guilty to one count of hiding assets from the bankruptcy trustee (my ex-wife's wedding ring) and a sentence of probation has been imposed. I am so pleased to have worked with Assistant United States Attorney Don Currie and the very professional people at the Department of Justice to negotiate and reach a just conclusion to a case that has spanned 7 years. I've come to realize that there is no such thing as a victimless crime, even if nobody is hurt directly by your actions. Today I wrote a significant check to the U.S. Trustee to cover her legal costs in this case and it makes me feel good that nobody will lose a dime due to my actions.

See you all soon,

Keith