VTI Lawsuit Surfaces

Funny thing about lawsuits, they always seem to pop up when it’s the most inconvenient.

Our Whispers staff received a photocopy of a lawsuit that was filed in Benton County Circuit Court on Dec. 21. The suit was filed by a group of private investors against Vision Technologies Inc. of Rogers, its President and CEO Robert Lee Thompson and his son, Robert Lee Thompson Jr.

You may remember that VTI makes rugged cameras for military use and has been pursuing defense contracts.

The suit was so scurrilous we went looking for any attachments that may have been filed in answer, but the suit had been sealed by order of Judge Xollie Duncan.

Out of respect for Judge Duncan, we won’t wade into the details – some 19 allegations in all. At least not now.

Basically, the group is calling for the resignation of both Thompsons.

The plaintiffs’ lawyer, Kenneth Shemin, did not return our call. We were able to track down the defense lawyer, David Matthews, and he had no comments about the suit other than he and his clients are “vigorously defending” it and that a review hearing had been set.

Matthews did say he was “flabbergasted” someone would violate the sealed order by passing us a copy of the suit.

By the way, the plaintiffs named on the suit are: the Laura Duke Revocable Trust, Dr. Michael Lee McCracken, Robert Thornton, Bill Schwyhart, Richard Dunleavy, James Phillips, Rusty Hames, Terry Johnson, Jim Neill, the Jeannie Fleeman Revocable Trust, Billie Jean Reeves, Bart Wayne Fleeman and John Tood Fleeman.

We happen to know that’s not all of the investors who’ve got a stake in VTI.