Chapter 3 - Working out the details

He that deviseth to do evil shall be called a mischievous person.
The thought of foolishness is sin: and the scorner is an abomination to men.

Proverbs 24:8-9

(Editors note: Unless specified otherwise, the use of the terms “Derosas” or “Derosa family” are in reference to Pete Derosa and his family. Tom Derosa is of no relation to Pete Derosa.)

The summer of 2001 was a busy one for Creation Studies Institute(CSI) as they worked out the details concerning dinosaur digs on the Forbes ranch. Tom DeRosa would have to present his proposals to his board to get their approval. CSI was a small ministry who generated less than $75,000 a year and the Forbes dinosaur digs represented a huge step for them. CSI had plans to build a small hands on Creation Museum at Coral Ridge and these dinosaur dig tours and excavations would provide bones for the CSI museum.

Tom DeRosa and Pete DeRosa worked very closely together during this time and by accident; Tom DeRosa happened to see one of Pete DeRosa’s business cards bearing the name “Creation Expeditions”. Tom DeRosa was very surprised and asked Pete DeRosa about it. Pete DeRosa told Tom DeRosa it would be a better way for him to keep track of his expenses. Tom DeRosa arranged for CSI to make any checks for Pete DeRosa’s services, payable to Creation Expeditions. Tom DeRosa had a great deal of faith in Pete DeRosa as Pete DeRosa and his family had made a commitment to CSI as volunteers. Tom DeRosa appointed Pete DeRosa as the CSI field Director in August of 2001 for the Forbes project. Together they worked out the many details and these were all compiled into a business plan.1

Pete and his family were involved with other parts of the CSI ministry as well as the bi-annual fossil floats on the Peace River. Pete was responsible to bring the CSI bone display to conferences and churches.

As field director for CSI, Pete DeRosa became the communication hub between CSI, Joe Taylor and the Forbes. Pete DeRosa had not yet told Tom DeRosa that he had promoted his own interests to the Forbes in May 2001. Back at that May 2001 meeting, Pete DeRosa began representing himself to the Forbes as having connections to financial backers for the project. Pete DeRosa had access to CSI’s connections and reputation, and he was financed by CSI during this time as he traveled with Tom DeRosa.

The Forbes were counting on the connection with CSI through Pete DeRosa to provide the financial backing for the digs. After connecting with CSI, Dana Forbes abandoned his own tour business, Dinosaur Excavations, that he had planned on opening that summer. With the Forbes tour business on hold and Dana Forbes without a job, his family was without any other income. The Forbes understood they were to get the dig site prepared for the fall visit from CSI personnel Dana Forbes was expecting $6,000 by the end of August as promised by Pete DeRosa for the considerable loss of business while holding the property for CSI.2

On August 21 and 22 of 2001 Pete DeRosa emailed copies of contracts showing a three way percentage split, to both the Forbes and Joe Taylor and asked for their approval ASAP. The printed copy of the document is dated 8/20/02 but the email dates it as being sent on 8/22/01. Pete DeRosa has a program that appears to automatically insert the current date each time the document is opened.3 Taylor has stated that he always thought Pete DeRosa was CSI’s agent. CSI was not mentioned in this contract.

During the Dr. Baugh May 2001 dig the DeRosas invited Angela Hudson and her two sons to visit them in Florida. Hudson decided to accept the DeRosa’s invitation and arrived in Florida around July 27, 2001. Hudson and her boys were invited to stay at the DeRosa’s home. The two families had a great time of fellowship as they visited the sites of Florida together. Hudson is a wealthy woman and she was very generous to the Pete DeRosa family.

During Hudson’s visit, things were really heating up with the Forbes/CSI negotiations. Forbes had tried to get a local teaching job during the summer, but it had fallen through. The Forbes needed the $6,000 promised by Pete DeRosa and the end of August was fast approaching. Angela Hudson relates that on August 1st the DeRosas and the Hudsons were gathered in the DeRosa dining area. Pete DeRosa was on the phone pacing back and forth conversing first with Tom DeRosa at CSI and then with the Forbes. Pete DeRosa was visibly shook up. When he hung up the phone, Hudson inquired of Pete DeRosa what was wrong. Pete DeRosa told Hudson that his hard work getting CSI involved in the Forbes project was going to fall apart. Pete DeRosa claimed Tom DeRosa couldn’t raise the money by the date it was needed to secure the lease with the Forbes. Pete DeRosa explained that Tom DeRosa had lots of red tape to go through with his board. Hudson asked how much money Pete DeRosa needed to secure the lease and was told that they needed $6,000. Hudson told Pete DeRosa she could do that and brought out her checkbook and wrote check #2086 for $6,000. She was told to make the check out to Creation Expeditions. Her check bounced, so she then wired the money directly to Creation Expeditions. This money never made it to the Forbes or CSI.4, 5, 6, 7, 8

Around the same time, Buddy Davis, a member of AIG’s staff and a friend of Joe Taylor called Taylor about hunting. During the call, Taylor told Davis about the Forbes Dig. Davis became interested in the Forbes Dig and recommended the dig to AIG.

On August 23, 2001 Taylor sent Pete DeRosa a tools list for the Forbes project that Pete DeRosa had requested, along with a note recommending a press release.9 Curiously, Pete DeRosa told Taylor not to send out a press release. On August 26, 2001 Joe emailed AIG and CSI maps to help them find their way to the Forbes property.10

Tom DeRosa was invited as a guest ministry to the annual Answers In Genesis (AIG) creation seminar in Kentucky, August 30th-Sept 2 by Stephanie Zovath. Pete DeRosa was enlisted to transport the CSI bone display to the conference. Tom DeRosa and another CSI staff member, Tom Rabolli flew to the Kentucky conference and arrived before the conference began. Before Tom DeRosa left Florida, Dana Forbes’ uncle, an attorney representing CSI, told Tom DeRosa it would take a year to research the project before they could move ahead.

At the conference, Tom DeRosa spoke with AIG vice-president Mike Zovath, who oversees AIG field projects for them and Buddy Davis about the Forbes project and Tom invited them to join him in September to visit the Forbes site. Zovath was very interested in the possibilities as potential partners in the project. CSI and AIG were already working on a partnership to bring people on a CSI sponsored fossil float. The Forbes dig would be a similar project that would compliment both ministries.Tom DeRosa and Mike Zovath worked out details for this joint venture and arranged to visit the Forbes ranch to see the property the end of September. On their visit that September they would see the previously discovered dinosaur sites and be shown the potential for their respective ministries.

Taylor was to be paid $2,000 for his team to develop a plan and prepare the site for the September visit by AIG and CSI. Taylor wanted to show AIG and CSI the dig potential. He was not expected to do any actual excavation on that date. He did plan to reinforce under the Allosaur spinal column that had been undermined by a college student the year before. Taylor’s team would also ready the site for winter.11

Mike Zovath offered the help of the AiG legal team to expedite the project after Tom DeRosa explained the attorney’s recommendation for more research. Zovath arranged for Tom DeRosa to present the Dragon’s Den Dino Dig project to the AiG board and the AiG lawyers helped to draft the AiG/CSI/Forbes lease option at that time. Pete DeRosa did not mention the agreement he had transmitted to both the Forbes and Taylor on August 21 & 22 to either Tom DeRosa or Zovath, nor did he tell them that he had received $6,000 from Angela Hudson to help the project go forward.

Pete DeRosa called the Forbes and told them that he was at a creation conference in Kentucky and had linked up with folks from AiG. This was the first the Forbes heard of AiG’s involvement. The Forbes thought Pete DeRosa sounded frantic as he told the Forbes Tom DeRosa had called threatening to cancel the September dig. Pete DeRosa told the Forbes he had people from AiG lined up to come out and look at the property in September and if Tom DeRosa cancelled they would look like fools and no one would want to come out there again. The Forbes thought that AiG was Pete DeRosa’s contact.12 ,13 ,14

The Forbes wrote to their uncle, who was also the attorney helping Tom DeRosa with the Forbes project, on August 29th after Pete DeRosa ’s call. They thanked him for speaking with them that morning and tried to outline the history of the dinosaur site. The letter reads in part, “Dr. Baugh brought his whole group and they proceeded to look the area over. By Thursday, Pete DeRosa, Joe Taylor, and Don Ensign (Joe’s helper) were in our living room talking with us. This is our understanding of what happened in that conversation. We were told that if we as landowners would be willing to take 10% of the gross sale of any articulated skeletons that they thought that they could come up the investors who would be willing to take the risk of backing the project. Joe Taylor would be the project director, coordinator, [and] paleontologist. It was very important to us that he handled the dig, it still is. He is a, if not the, premiere creationist paleontologist. His restoration work is sought in both circles. We trust him to handle the site in a scientific and godly manner. He is someone that puts us very much at ease and we require that in a working relationship that involves our home.”15

The Forbes explained to their uncle “We felt at the time that Pete was a representative of CSI. We remember though that he indicated that if CSI was not able to back the project, maybe others would … We were not sure how the details were going to be worked out, but it seemed like it was going to be three-sided: The diggers (Joe Taylor), the backers (CSI through the efforts of Pete DeRosa and Tom DeRosa), and us as landowners.”15

They end the letter; “We were extremely disappointed that the September dig has most likely had to be cancelled.15

  1. January 2005 Video Interview with Tom DeRosa[↩]
  2. E-mail from Dana to Pete dated January 20, 2003[↩]
  3. Letter from Shannon Norris to Don Hart dated 2/26/03[↩]
  4. Action by Angela Hudson against Pete DeRosa dated 01/23/03[↩]
  5. Angela Hudson check #2086 for $6,000 written on August 01, 2001[↩]
  6. Calendar page showing from Angela Hudson showing the check and wire to Creation Expeditions[↩]
  7. Angela Hudson wire to Creation Expeditions[↩]
  8. Angela Hudson’s check record showing check numbers and dates of checks written to Pete DeRosa[↩]
  9. Tool List from Joe Taylor[↩]
  10. Map of Northwestern Colorado near dig areas[↩]
  11. E-mail from Joe Taylor to ICR Radio dated 10/13/02[↩]
  12. 2003 Forbes letter to Ed Watt[↩]
  13. 3-8-02 letter to attorney in Grand Junction.[↩]
  14. Video interview with the Forbes[↩]
  15. Letter from Dana Forbes to his uncle dated August 29, 2001[↩]