Peter Beagle recently lost his apartment as a result of abuse by his ex manager, Connor Cochran.
“I just found out that due to some influence his last agent had over his lease that Peter S. Beagle lost his home and is now in substandard housing…”
Cochran watched this happen while enriching himself with movie shows that pay Peter nothing. Where does Last Unicorn sale money go? It pays Cochran’s lawyers to attack Peter, deny his rights and delay justice. Meanwhile Peter is forced to have a fundraiser sale.
In the latest money grab for Cochran’s scam operation, The Last Unicorn movie played in one Florida theater on 3/27/16. Fans were misled to ask if Peter would appear, without knowing about his lawsuit against those profiting from the show. But the wrongdoing can’t be suppressed. Media watchdogs have picked up the story and are carrying it where it needs to go – to the awareness of every fan.
From VICE: “The Sad, Strange Legal Battles of ‘Last Unicorn’ Author Peter S. Beagle”. The Onion A.V. Club: “The Last Unicorn author locks legal horns with his manager”.
You can help. Share these articles on social media and add hashtags #LastUnicorn and #TakeBackTheUnicorn. (Share sources: Facebook, Twitter 1, Twitter 2). Also thank the journalist and ask for more coverage of the wider story about cheating against Peter’s fans.
@VICE sad indeed. would be interesting follow up to see how many fans were charged for products that they never received from this publisher
— Rachel Beckman (@rachabeck) March 26, 2016
The elder abuse revealed by Peter’s lawsuit shows that fame and devotion is no guarantee of safety. Mickey Rooney and Harper Lee had similar stories about them.
apparently Peter S. Beagle, author of the Last Unicorn, has been defrauded by some dickhead named Connor Cochran https://t.co/0PATVmab5v
— e l i z a (@3liza) February 26, 2016
the public assumption that famous artists are rich is calculated to obscure the way artists and their works are exploited by capitalists fyi
— e l i z a (@3liza) February 26, 2016
Readers call “bullshit” on Cochran.
After Peter was abused, Cochran’s countersuit doubled down with a heinous attack at Peter’s girlfriend. He pretends she’s a gold-digger in their 17 year relationship. It’s a strategic smokescreen and punishment to emotionally defeat Peter, cut him off from support, and keep him under Cochran’s thumb. In Cochran’s bully mind, he’s yanking the choke chain on a disobedient dog. It’s the pattern the caused Peter’s lawsuit:
41 Defendant Cochran deliberately defamed Beagle, not just to the public or to business associates, but specifically to his children and to his close personal friends. He refused to stop including Beagle’s children and friends on his emails to Beagle, despite repeated requests to do so. On one such email, dated June 23, Cochran claimed that he didn’t “have any reason to make stuff up”, but this is clearly not true. As long as Beagle could be portrayed as an ill, incompetent, and alcoholic old man to his family and friends, Beagle would lack their support at a time when he was in critical need.
With all of the evidence of Cochran’s wrongdoing, nobody on any of the links has fallen for claims against the girlfriend. He’s struck out after years of lying and manipulation. Peter’s fight is winning. Here’s what readers really think.
These readers nail it.
“The other side of the story is very deceptive and all sourced from the manager. It’s known that the children were not part of the movie tour. Peter Beagle’s internet presence and facebook and twitter pages are owned by his manager, and there’s been a high amount of deletion of comments. Meanwhile all of the other complaints and lawsuits against the manager outweigh the excuses by a huge amount. It really is a story with a right side and a wrong side.
Copying a top post to the VICE piece on social media –
Beagle’s lawsuit was reinforced by another lawsuit at the same time by the Last Unicorn Movie Tour investors. His manager stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from them too, and he refused to tell them where it went. LA Superior Court case BC605386.
This story has a clear villain and a clear victim. Nobody has a bad word to say about Peter Beagle. His manager Connor Cochran has a decades long reputation for scams and fraud. Just google it.
Cochran claims Beagle is crazy, like many other targets he called crazy to get away with cheating them. But Beagle’s lawsuit gives medical exhibits that he’s in excellent health for his age. Cochran also is targeting Beagle’s life partner with legal attacks that claim she’s a gold digger. She’s been with Beagle for 17 years since before there was any gold. It’s an absurdly flimsy hit tactic/smokescreen. You can read the entire lawsuit at Beagle’s support site. http://supportpeterbeagle.com/wordpress2/
Please update this in a while because Cochran sure isn’t going to avoid paying huge damages. It takes a lot of attention for the audience who have been following all the shifting stories and lying about his scamming, but just read the piles of horror stories to get informed.”
Nice hashtag here – it deserves to be shared.
I’m sorry, but I have to say it: If my father lost his home and was struggling with his basic needs, whether or not I thought he was suffering from an age related illness, I would take him in until he got back on his feet. Further more, if my dad were in a legal battle with some stranger he allowed to take over his business, you bet I would do my research: I’d come across this site, and, plain as print, there is evidence… I can read what customers are saying.
Look, my dad owned a big business, he got in legal battles with people I had known for years, people who had worked for him & betrayed him. Well, of course, I was on his side. WHY would I believe their crap?
I guess I’m wondering if blackmail is involved to get the family to assist the wrong side. And if family help is possibly being withheld to get Peter to drop the lawsuit.
Who knows :/
Also, I want to add that if Connor is right about the character of the author’s girlfriend and lawyer, it still doesn’t make scamming customers okay. Maybe the kids don’t like the girlfriend, and Connor has promised to secure the rights so she’s out of the picture—–But guess what? That still doesn’t make scamming customers ok, nor turning a blind eye to it. If the girlfriend is bad, well, Connor is just as bad: There are victims (hence witnesses) galore to prove that, too.
Peter is probably the nicest man I’ve ever met. He was kind and sweet when I met him at Otakon twice. I can’t believe he’s been conned so bad. I want to know if there is a way to help him. I feel bad that my favorite author is in such a situation 🙁
how can we help more? Are you sure it is enough – to share and repost?
[…] debated posting this for a while now, and when I found this most recent article on the FANSAGAINSTFRAUD page and also now a VICE piece, I knew I could be silent no longer. I could […]
Robin, thanks for the story.
Honestly, if I were in Connor’s shoes right now I think I would take the following actions: 1) I would get a legitimate job and shut down that online store. 2) I would attempt to reach a settlement regarding those court cases (and surrender the rights of the story back to its author) 3) I would ship off the undelivered goods or refund the money with written apologies.
4) I would then change my name, clean up my act, and get on with my life.
Connor, you strike me as having enough professional skill and charm to live comfortably without having to resort to criminal activity. I don’t know why you are addicted to manipulation, but it’s a mistake to think you’ll never be caught.
So I guess none of the kids siding against him are letting their Dad sleep over. That’s sweet. These are the same kids that let their 70+ year-old Dad go on a hobo tour where he was expected to sleep over at strangers houses that they met online?