Ben Owen

so that case got adjudicated they gave me diversion they dropped the felony terrorist threat and they gave me diversion which i completed uh through community service at the red cross in north carolina they let me move my probation up there um so it got deleted there's no criminal record associated with it like it's it's like it never happened as soon as i took that deal the restraining order was lifted but my parents and i had already been talking because after i moved to charlotte

I didn't know this, but Lauren, Aaron's sister, had called my parents to say, you know, hey, just want you to know Ben's here. He's trying to get sober. He's alive.

I didn't know this, but Lauren, Aaron's sister, had called my parents to say, you know, hey, just want you to know Ben's here. He's trying to get sober. He's alive.

I didn't know this, but Lauren, Aaron's sister, had called my parents to say, you know, hey, just want you to know Ben's here. He's trying to get sober. He's alive.

Aaron's the girl. Lauren's her sister. So my parents knew where I was. I didn't know they knew that, but I thought I had just gone no contact. And that was my plan. I was going to go no contact until I could come back with something saying, here's what I've done. You know, I'm not a piece of shit, see? And so I was looking at getting back into school.

Aaron's the girl. Lauren's her sister. So my parents knew where I was. I didn't know they knew that, but I thought I had just gone no contact. And that was my plan. I was going to go no contact until I could come back with something saying, here's what I've done. You know, I'm not a piece of shit, see? And so I was looking at getting back into school.

Aaron's the girl. Lauren's her sister. So my parents knew where I was. I didn't know they knew that, but I thought I had just gone no contact. And that was my plan. I was going to go no contact until I could come back with something saying, here's what I've done. You know, I'm not a piece of shit, see? And so I was looking at getting back into school.

I was working this job as this guy who did electronics recycling. He was paying me like $7 an hour or something ridiculous. But... As I'm watching the way this business operates, I notice a lot of stuff goes in the dumpster that looks like it's probably valuable, like computer servers and hard disk drives and all sorts of stuff like this. I started talking to them about it.

I was working this job as this guy who did electronics recycling. He was paying me like $7 an hour or something ridiculous. But... As I'm watching the way this business operates, I notice a lot of stuff goes in the dumpster that looks like it's probably valuable, like computer servers and hard disk drives and all sorts of stuff like this. I started talking to them about it.

I was working this job as this guy who did electronics recycling. He was paying me like $7 an hour or something ridiculous. But... As I'm watching the way this business operates, I notice a lot of stuff goes in the dumpster that looks like it's probably valuable, like computer servers and hard disk drives and all sorts of stuff like this. I started talking to them about it.

Come to find out the way their business operates, they do asset recovery. So if you lease, let's say you lease these lights and these microphones from somebody. Well, the person you lease them from is writing that off. And then when it's done with, they're supposed to throw it away. or give it to an electronics recycler. So the guy's explaining to me, all of this stuff's already paid for.

Come to find out the way their business operates, they do asset recovery. So if you lease, let's say you lease these lights and these microphones from somebody. Well, the person you lease them from is writing that off. And then when it's done with, they're supposed to throw it away. or give it to an electronics recycler. So the guy's explaining to me, all of this stuff's already paid for.

Come to find out the way their business operates, they do asset recovery. So if you lease, let's say you lease these lights and these microphones from somebody. Well, the person you lease them from is writing that off. And then when it's done with, they're supposed to throw it away. or give it to an electronics recycler. So the guy's explaining to me, all of this stuff's already paid for.

I don't give a shit. It's going in my dumpster. And I was like, well, could I list it on eBay and take a cut of it? And he's like, go ahead. Your idea's dumb, but go ahead. The idea was not dumb. I started, like, printing mine. It was going really well. And my parents decided that I had been doing good enough to go back to college, and they were going to help. We had a kid now.

I don't give a shit. It's going in my dumpster. And I was like, well, could I list it on eBay and take a cut of it? And he's like, go ahead. Your idea's dumb, but go ahead. The idea was not dumb. I started, like, printing mine. It was going really well. And my parents decided that I had been doing good enough to go back to college, and they were going to help. We had a kid now.

I don't give a shit. It's going in my dumpster. And I was like, well, could I list it on eBay and take a cut of it? And he's like, go ahead. Your idea's dumb, but go ahead. The idea was not dumb. I started, like, printing mine. It was going really well. And my parents decided that I had been doing good enough to go back to college, and they were going to help. We had a kid now.

And so I moved from— How did they feel about the kid? They were just overjoyed.

And so I moved from— How did they feel about the kid? They were just overjoyed.

And so I moved from— How did they feel about the kid? They were just overjoyed.

Not at first. But the fact that it was with Erin, and my parents have known Erin since she was a little girl. They know Erin's mom. They thought this is the turnaround Ben needed. And I did too. I really did. I think we all thought that the hopes were high. Let's put it that way. Ben finally has some stability.