That single fact could trigger federal tax-evasion charges on top of everything else.
The technical strategy session felt like planning a military operation.
We had financial evidence, witness testimony, recorded harassment, and documented fraud.
But Agent Torres wanted something bigger.
She wanted to catch Karen in the act of actively committing crimes.
"The best way to build an airtight case," she explained, "is to create a situation where the suspect's criminal behavior is captured by law enforcement in real time. We need her to incriminate herself on camera."
That's when Chuck suggested the perfect setup.
"The attorney general has been looking for an opportunity to announce new HOA reform legislation. What if she held that announcement at Marcus's cabin? It's symbolically perfect. Protecting homeowner rights in the exact location where those rights were violated."
Sarah's eyes lit up.
"And if Karen's pattern holds, she'll absolutely try to disrupt any suspicious activity at Marcus's property. Her need to control the situation will override her common sense."
We spent the next week preparing for what Agent Torres called a controlled confrontation scenario.
Professional recording equipment hidden throughout my cabin.
Undercover officers positioned around the lake.
Multiple law-enforcement agencies coordinated for rapid response.
The community coalition had grown, too.
Local media was alerted to potential breaking news.
Social-media campaigns were ready to counter any false narratives Karen might try to spin.
Support networks were activated for the post-confrontation period.
My old union training kicked in.
When you're planning a complex job, you prepare for every possible scenario and always have backup systems.
We had backup plans for the backup plans.
The trap was set.
Karen's pattern of behavior was so predictable that we could practically script her next move.
All we had to do was wait for her to kick down the door.
Literally.
Karen must have sensed the walls closing in because her behavior went from calculated harassment to full-blown sabotage.
It was like watching a cornered animal lash out in every direction, getting more dangerous as her options disappeared.
The first sign was my solar panels mysteriously malfunctioning on a Tuesday morning.
I'd wake up to dead batteries and error codes flashing on the inverter display.
When my electrician buddy Jake came out to investigate, he found clear evidence of tampering.
Wire connections loosened just enough to disrupt the system without causing obvious damage.
"Marcus, this is professional-level sabotage," Jake said, photographing the evidence with his phone. "Whoever did this knows electrical systems. They wanted to cause problems without leaving obvious fingerprints."
But Jake was smarter than Karen gave him credit for.
He'd installed a hidden security camera near the electrical panel after the first incident.
Two nights later, we caught her red-handed, creeping around my property at 3:00 a.m. with a screwdriver and wire cutters.