Mutiny at Operation Underground Railroad

Tim Ballard’s Sister Tevya Ware and Jon Lines form Anti-Human Trafficking Non-Profit with Former Head of Washington State Patrol’s Missing & Exploited Children Task Force

There is an old saying, idiom, perhaps it should be a proverb that a wise man once said, “They left, like rats fleeing a sinking ship” and it appears current and former officers, employees and even Tim Ballard’s own flesh and blood is doing just that.

There is also the old code of the sea. A captain should go down with his ship. Now in the modern world the captain should be the last one to get off the ship should anyone alive be on it. If not and depending on the circumstances, he could be prosecuted in most countries and modern admiralty laws. Though just allegory, this will never happen. Tim Ballard’s ego, own self importance and well, let’s just say a narcissist would never do such a silly thing. Remember, in Tim Ballard’s supporter’s minds the Lord, or in Mormonspeak, “Heavenly Father”, appointed him after asking him first to save the children. If anything, he should be the first off a real sinking ship.

“…I know it’s in Texas, probably in Tennessee—that says, ‘Fool me once, shame on…shame on you. Fool me—you can’t get fooled again.'”
-W (Dubya)

These is another old proverb, “fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me”. That saying, there is actually a good story behind that it when I first heard it in the 4th grade from Warren Smith, my then principal. Just had a flashback and all these emotions came flooding back in.

That’s for another day.

Coaxion Global… This Time It’s Real!

Operation Underground Railroad’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Tim Ballard’s sister; Tevya Ware has rejoined forces with OUR’s former President of Operations Jon Lines and Carlos Rodriguez who resigned from Operation Underground Railroad this past November to form Coaxion Global, a new [anti-human trafficking] nonprofit organization “of trusted professionals fortifying law enforcement with tailored resources, methods, and strategies to keep our children safe.”

Tevya Ware after serving as CFO of Operation Underground Railroad since nearly its inception, will serve as Coaxion Global’s Chief Executive Officer. Jonathan Lines essentially will be reprising his role as Chief Operations Officer (COO) while Carlos Rodriguez will serve as Chief Program Officer (CPO).

What there is no mention of on their website, their prior affiliation or involvement with Operation Underground Railroad, its founder and CEO Tim Ballard who along with Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes that is currently swept up in two criminal investigations focused primarily on fraud. Previously a former employee claimed she believes that Ware was one of the unnamed cooperating witnesses in the investigation into Operation Underground Railroad and her brother Tim Ballard. Most that are familiar with the situation and have been following the story- brushed that off as another unsubstantiated claim.

That all changed when we learned that Ware, along with Jon Lines who was fired by Tim Ballard last year and Carlos Rodriguez who resigned from OUR formed Coaxion Global. In fact, Coaxion Global and Tevya Ware has made no public statement whether or not she still serves as Operation Underground Railroad’s Chief Financial Officer and there is no record of her publicly declaring her resignation and why. There is also no mention of her role in the investigation or whether or not she was cooperating, but regardless, any donors and partners should be made aware and Ware should not take part in any organization until she has been formally cleared in the investigation into Operation Underground Railroad which encompasses not only all current and former employees, but specifically Tim Ballard and current and former officers of the beleaguered organization.

Most importantly, Ware and Lines have repeatedly refused to go on record regarding Tim Ballard, his conduct and what their knowledge or part is in any of Operation Underground Railroad activities. Especially those that are the subject of a criminal investigation.

One thing is for certain, it appears these former OUR officers are shedding the “right-wing Christian Moral Crusade” image and philosophy, this “21st Century White Man’s Burden” and focusing now on reality. Real human trafficking- a subject Rodriguez and I spoke about at length when both Lynn Packer and I interviewed him.

Unfortunately for Tevya Ware and Jon Lines, it might be too little… too late.

For Carlos Rodriguez he has more pressing issues. He was individually named as one the defendants in a lawsuit along with Operation Underground Railroad and Washington State Patrol in the NetNanny stings.

But first…

Look Closer…

In speaking with those with internal knowledge of OUR, Ware and Lines really wanted to go “legit” or “straight” for a long time. If that is the case and they are aware that their program, a multi-million dollar non-profit is operating outside of ethics and the law, then they were complicit. It’s really just that simple.

According to Teyva’s bio on Coaxion’s website:

*Teyva Ware’s bio under “Our Story” on the Coaxion-Global website*

Notice there is no mention of her being a founder and the Chief Financial Officer of Operation Underground Railroad that is currently under two, possibly three criminal investigations revolving around the August 2019, Whiteboard meeting. They’ve also been the subject leaks and scandals that has eroded the legitimacy of the organization.

While the details of the investigations are ongoing, therefore confidential, we do know that the investigations are centered on OUR’s finances, alleged fraud and embezzlement. Ware was and possibly remains the Chief Financial Officer of Operation Underground Railroad, which means aside from Tim Ballard and Sean Reyes, she is a primary target of the investigation, unless she is a cooperating witness. Ware was very much in control of OUR’s finances and known to be micromanager by all witness accounts.

In fact, when Jon Lines came down to “rescue” Karlie Guse, he and local search volunteers would learn of a university (who does not wish to be named in this article or ones prior, but previously confirmed) with an experimental drone research team with a search and locate program. The drone would take rapid photos of terrain and a program would scan looking for anomalous colors and shapes such as flesh, bone, clothing, human remains, vehicle parts, clothing, tools, etc… and then add the coordinates to a map to be investigated further. An Inyo County government official would be the one to secure authorization from OUR’s then CFO Tevya Ware for OUR to reimburse the university drone research team for their travel expenses (they were not paid for their time, equipment use and/or expertise) and Ware then cut the check.

*Jon Lines’s bio under “Our Story” on the Coaxion-Global website*

According to all sources, Lines was one of the most respected members of Operation Underground Railroad, not only with partners and the public, but volunteers and employees. Aside from his conduct in the Disappearance of Karlie Guse (which according him was simply to appease a donor) It was Lines who created and nurtured Operation Underground Railroad’s domestic operations and brought them to national recognition. establishing their legitimacy after partnering with Washington State Patrol’s MECTF Unit in Operation Net Nanny ran by then detective Carlos Rodriguez.

For years Jon Lines was the one primarily in control of OUR’s domestic operations and desperately tried to steer Operation Underground Railroad away from the dangerous and proven ineffective “crusader” model of anti-human trafficking non-profit, to a “support” model and strategy for domestic law enforcement agencies. Lines had proven to be so effective at establishing relationships on the domestic front, that after a few close calls and missteps in foreign operations Tim Ballard had briefly stepped down as CEO and direct involvement outside of fundraising.

That was short lived.

Lines conduct and behavior would be the catalyst that ultimately led to ACJ’s investigation into Operation Underground Railroad resulting in our Derailed series. When ACJ announced in January of 2020 that we would be releasing the text messages between Lines and members of the Bishop community, Operation Underground Railroad hired Kirton McConkie, the LDS Church’s legal sword and shield to threaten to sue American Crime Journal for defamation. They threatened this despite the fact that by OUR’s previous attorney’s own admission, they had received over a half-dozen complaints from residents of the Bishop community regarding Jon Lines conduct in the field. Ultimately Lines abandoned the Karlie Guse simply because a community would not tolerate his misogynist views and conduct. At the time of Lines involvement, there was material thought to be that of Karlie Guse’s, however, shortly after a connection was ruled out by Mono County Sheriff Ingrid Braun, Lines then split. Rather than apologizing or explaining himself, OUR hired Adam Becker to serve the Inyo County government official a cease and desist.

But again, despite all that success and thousands of children allegedly rescued by Operation Underground Railroad- there is no mention in Jon Line’s bio about the years he spent as OUR’s President of Operations.

*Carlos Rodriguez’s bio under “Our Story” on the Coaxion-Global website*

Following his retirement with Washington State Patrol, Carlos Rodriguez would join OUR in February of 2020. According to Rodriguez, he was under the impression that he was focused on the domestic operations and would be working under Jon Lines, who he has “immense respect for”.

“The Jon Lines you speak of, the experiences those people [in the Karlie Guse case] had with him, I have not experienced or witnessed personally or professionally. If Jon Lines called me right now and said ‘Carlos, I have put together an organization…’ I would definitely consider it”.

Rodriguez did have some loose ends in Washington and his work with Lines seemed legit, but he quickly learned there were three sides to OUR. In his eyes, Jon Lines was a more of a loner or outcast at odds with everyone else at Operation Underground Railroad.

“I was with Jon Lines, we did our work mostly travelling to police departments and would give presentations. Everyone else was focused on the foreign operations, the rescues. But there was a third side, what everyone including Tim’s own family called ‘AT&T’ We[ Carlos and Jon] would literally get a call, and they’d say there was ‘an AT&T project’ and we’d immediately have to show up somewhere. After a I heard that a few times I asked, what is all this about AT&T? Am I missing something?”

“All Things Tim”

In a fairy tale or Pink Floyd album, this would have been a fitting end- right where they started. Operation Underground Railroad rose to national prominence that gained them legitimacy in 2015 when they began propagating that they were partners working with Washington State Patrol’s MECTP unit in Operation Net Nanny. Occasionally, WSP would thank OUR in press conferences and in press releases, but in reality, their involvement was not essential and not what Operation Underground Railroad perpetuated at fundraisers. The cold hard truth is, OUR’s involvement and contribution to Operation Net Nanny was strictly financial. A little over $200.000 in donations over the course of five years to an organization that has an annual operating budget well into the billions. For Ballard, it was just an “investment” that legitimized OUR, and it could be used for propaganda at fundraisers.

For the next four or five years Tim Ballard would use Net Nanny to posture himself as the “nation’s leading expert on child exploitation and human trafficking”. Unfortunately, this would do irrevocable damage for years in the United States. It would be some of Tim Ballard’s beliefs and ideation during fundraising that would plant the seeds that would eventually grow into the Q Anon movement.

When I asked if there was something in the works, Carlos could not go on record.

“The Coaxion Difference”

In a previous video, I went over what human trafficking is, how it is defined based on the United States and United Nations. Those definitions were formed out of the Palermo Protocols twenty years ago and today listed on Coaxion’s website as a core fundamental.

The Palermo Protocols provide governing principles for countries to develop anti-trafficking laws and counter-trafficking strategies within the legal framework of each country. Coaxion is committed to creating an organic convergence of the 3 primary disciplines to combat exploitation of the vulnerable — Prevention, Prosecution and Protection. Coaxion supports those who work in the “prosecution” pillar and have the mandate and authority to act as the first line of defense against sex trafficking and child exploitation.
-Coaxion Global’s website

According to their “mission”:

“Coaxion is a non profit, non-governmental organization that works to unite, support, and fortify those serving individuals impacted or vulnerable to sex trafficking & child exploitation. Coaxion recognizes that law enforcement agencies and critical service providers don’t always have the necessary resources to immediately address the complexities of human trafficking and child exploitation. Coaxion works with law enforcement and survivor treatment providers to promote a coalescence of all multidisciplinary professionals involved in the complex processes of child protection and healing.“

“Coaxion is an organization of professionals committed to ending child exploitation and sex trafficking. We fortify those who have the mandate to keep our children safe. We have dedicated our lives and efforts to this cause”

Their approach? Well that’s what they call “The Coaxion Difference”

We promote collaboration among teams comprised of varying child-saving disciplines to develop tactical and strategic plans to immediately, proactively, and sustainably protect children and help them become whole again. We equip law enforcement through cutting edge training that is based on decades of direct experience and the knowledge of subject matter experts. In addition to consultation and training, we provide equipment, tailored resources, and operational funding as needed to facilitate customized solutions. There is no cost to law enforcement other than their time and commitment.

There Are No Getaways

While it is obvious Coaxion Global wants to shed themselves of the controversies, possible crimes and the evolution of Operation Underground Railroad, who for about seven years stayed off the radar, as they were able to pass themselves off as a legitimate organization due to their affiliation with WSP in the Net Nanny stings and their fabricated and exaggerated role with the operations, after reading hundreds of pages of emails and speaking with several people involved with the task force and those within Operation Underground Railroad, OUR’s involvement was a series of donations to help fund the operation. Outside of that, OUR would ask hundreds of times if they could publish the “results” of the stings on their website with their logo and WSP’s logo together. Since the WSP isn’t funded by fundraisers, but taxpayers, OUR needed the sting to appear as if they actually assisted operation by training police officers, supplying tactical and strategic guidance, and provided logistical support through the entirety of the NET Nanny stings.

The most important thing missing is missing is their denunciation of Ballard and Operation Underground Railroad and their reasons for leaving OUR. What was the the lessons learned and why did it go on so long with OUR and for Lines and Ware to stay onboard until Ballard fired Lines.?

It Tevya Ware still CFO of Operation Underground Railroad or not?

They lack transparency- the very same core value they claim is vital not only to effectively combat human trafficking, but securing law enforcement and the public’s trust. It is one of their core values, yet they think they can pull a fact one making no mention of OUR, their deep connections being interwoven with OUR. That is before getting into all the mistakes, misdeeds and possible criminal acts carried out by OUR.

There is something suspicious about this move and just is not right. As one SLC reporter told me when we spoke last week, “for all we know could be just a façade, another one of his [Tim Ballard’s] shell non-profits elaborate to launder money to Lines and Rodriguez to silence their cooperation

In reality, OUR simply paid WSP to advertise the stings as their own. OUR provided WSP a little over $200,000 over the course of five years to the MECTEP task force.

The task force was so critical, that the Washington State Patrol wouldn’t fully fund it. If the mission was so critical, why wouldn’t an agency with an annual budget into the billions not properly fund it? Sad truth is, the stings were a knock off of To Catch a Predator with Chris Hansen. in which there was no child, but a police officer posing as a decoy. Tim Ballard, Paul Hutchinson, Jon Lines, Matt Osborne, Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes would then perpetuate that “trafficking victims were rescued” in these stings.

She is absolutely correct, what exactly is going on? We sure the hell don’t know, so that means donors and the general public haven’t got a clue. We have three individuals from an organization that’s legitimacy is in question and is the subject of multiple criminal investigations. Not only that, but Operation Net Nanny which propelled Operation Underground Railroad onto the national stage, is now under fire.

One thing I know for certain, at the very least someone at Coaxion Global was a cooperating witness with one of the criminal investigations. Now it looks like there were two.

While it appears that Coaxion Global wants to go the legitimate route now, mature and get away from peddling the human trafficking myths, Tim Ballard’s dangerous yet hilarious relationships with people like Michael Flynn, Sidney Powell, Lin Wood and introducing Jim Caviezel to the popular myth of adrenochroming while also embracing fringe political and most of all, two criminal investigations, there are no clean getaways.

Until Tevya Ware and Jon Lines are both cleared not only of any wrong doing or having prior knowledge of Tim Ballard’s potential criminal activities, then Coaxion Global is just another scheme masterminded by the group that ran Operation Underground Railroad. Since they’ve refused to denounce and explain why they left OUR and why it took them so long to do so, then they haven’t learned a damn thing. At the same time, if they claim they were unaware and also a victim of Ballard’s charisma, ego and fraud, then they are incompetent leaders. This could be a scheme to secure Tim Ballard’s legal defence.

Regardless, something definitely is not right.