Lynn Marie Snyder, 63, of Zelienople, PA, contacted me late summer, 2006 looking for a horse for her young students to take lessons on… at least, that is what she said she wanted the horse for. Not knowing her true intentions, & after visiting her facility, talking with long time boarders, and upon finding nothing that would deter us from adopting to her, we adopted Beta to Lynn on Novermber 8, 2006.
We visited Beta at Lynn’s in 2008 and thought she was a bit thin. I suggested to Lynn that she have her teeth checked. She said she would do so. This woman was a USEF judge, and a local fixture in the community for years. Unfortunately, I took her at her word that she would do so. I visited Beta again in the summer of 2009 and she was a bit thinner. Her feet hadn’t been done in some time, and neither had those of the second horse Lynn had adopted from us. He also looked thinner than he should (Beta was a Henneke 4 and Charmer was a 4.5). There was no one at the facility when I stopped. I went home, and sent Lynn our annual update form which required her to provide contact information for the farrier and dentist and to list when each one saw the horses last. She completed the forms immediately as I received them back within a week. She had no information for the dentist on one, and on the other, she wrote “various”. She said the horses’ feet had last been done three days prior to the day she returned the forms.
I asked her who the dentist was, and she became upset, saying that she knew “how to check teeth” an that their teeth didn’t need done. I told her I still needed the contact information. She said, “My farrier is my dentist.” That was a red flag. I called the farrier. He said he was out that day to do one of the horse’s feet, and he was going back that night to do the other. I asked him if he’d been there the prior week to work on either horse and he said no, that it had been awhile since he’d been there.
I then asked him about their teeth. He was confused as to why I was asking that. He said he had nothing to do with their teeth. I contacted Lynn again. I provided her with the names and phone numbers of three dentists who were local to her. I also gave her ten days to schedule with one of them and send me a receipt. The night of the 9th day, I called each of the dentists and asked if they’d heard from her. None of them had. The morning of the 10th day, I hooked up the trailer, went to her property and picked up the horses. It took two weeks for her to contact me about them. I still wonder if it took her that long to realize they were missing.
But this is just the tip of the iceberg. Remember… Lynn adopted Beta on November 8, 2006. On November 18, 2006…just ten days later, she sold Beta to Dr. Ashim Dayalan and his wife for $800 (the same amount she’d paid to adopt Beta). Dr. Dayalan and his wife thought they had just purchased a horse for their 9 year old son. They boarded Beta at Lynn’s RoyL Lane Stables from 11/18/2006 through the date we repossessed Beta (9/1/2010).
I knew nothing of the Dayalan family, and they knew nothing of Bright Futures Farm until we had repossessed Beta. Then, a mutual friend told the Dr. that she saw Beta on our web site. Dr. D. immediately contacted Lynn & asked what was going on. You see… when Beta “went missing” from Lynn’s boarding facility, Lynn told Dr. Dayalan and his wife that Beta died in the pasture and she buried her there! Now, this wonderful family, who thought they’d purchased a horse for their son found out that Lynn had sold them a horse she had never owned! Lynn didn't even care that this was going to be a young boy's first horse! By the time Dr. Dayalan and I talked about this, I had already adopted Beta to another family. I felt horrible that we hadn’t connected sooner. And, I was angry that Lynn had adopted Beta under false pretenses. If you look at the documentation below, you’ll see that she wrote “her” transfer of ownership to Dr. D on the adoption certificate we issued to her! Lynn knew full well that Bright Futures Farm held ownership of Beta for life and that she could not transfer ownership. I went over that contract with Lynn, in person, in her kitchen the day I delivered Beta to her.
Dr. Dayalan contacted New Sewickley Township Police, and Lynn was criminally charged with Theft by Deception – Fail to Correct. On -25-2010 the case was transferred from Magisterial Court to the Court of Common Pleas in Beaver County, PA.
On December 21, 2010, Lynn pled guilty to the charges, and was issued an order of ARD (Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition Order). The arresting officer said that she was given ARD since it was her first criminal offense. She was required to pay Dr. Dayalan restitution for monies he paid to purchase Beta and the cost of board and other various expenses he incurred while she was at Lynn’s. Restitution was completed on 1/11/2011.
Unfortunately, Dr. Dayalan, his wife and son no longer have Beta, and I can tell after meeting them that they loved her dearly and were wonderful caregivers. Their young son most likely knows that Lynn lied to him and his parents regarding Beta's death, and Lynn continues to operate RoyL Lane Stables, although I know of several boarders who left that property once the news of her criminal activity was made public.
Links to documentation regarding this incident.
Lynn Snyder Illegal Bill of Sale Beta
http://ujsportal.pacourts.us/DocketSheets/CPReport.aspx?docketNumber=CP-04-CR-0001261-2010
http://ujsportal.pacourts.us/DocketSheets/CourtSummaryReport.aspx?matterID=201850953