Mark-1 Plumbing Truck - A Texas plumber is being bombarded with calls and threats after pictures of one of his old traded-in pickup truck being used by terrorists in Syria went viral on social media.
The picture of Mark Oberholtzer's truck being used as an anti-aircraft gun in the Syrian civil war was posted by on Twitter on Monday by Islamic extremists Ansar al-Deen Front.
The photo shows militants standing on the back of black Ford-250 truck, which has a Mark-1 Plumbing emblem and phone number on the door.
But Oberholtzer says he has no terrorist ties and is as shocked as everyone to find his truck being used in the Middle East. He said he had been operating Mark-1 Plumbing in Texas for over 30 years.
"We had no intention or no idea that this would eve happen," Oberholtzer 's son Jeff said.
Oberholtzer revealed that he had traded-in that truck because it was old. He traded the pick-up truck to a Houston dealership named AutoNation in Oct. 2013.
Oberholtzer added that before trading-in his old trucks he usually takes off the logo. However, he left this one thinking that AutoNation would get rid of it.
"They were supposed to have done it and it looks like they didn't do it," Oberholtzer said. Adding that how the truck made its way to Syria and to the hands of the extremists is beyond him.
"To think something we would use to pull trailers now is being used for terror, it's crazy" Oberholtzer said. "Never in my lifetime would think something like that."
An AutoNation manger reportedly refused to comment on the matter and the dealership's sale history.
Reports indicate that the plumber's militant truck picture has gotten Mark-1 some unwanted attention.
Oberholtzer says people started calling to inquire about the picture and if he was aware and had any affiliation with the militants.
He revealed that by Thursday morning Mark-1 had been flooded with over a thousand calls and faxes about the picture of his old truck.
"I just want it to go away, to tell you the truth," Oberholtzer said. He said he doesn't want this kind of publicity of his business, and only wants to inform the public that the truck was no longer his and he had no idea how it landed in brutal Syrian conflict.
"A few of the people are really ugly," he said about the treats he had been receiving.
"We have a secretary here. She's scared to death," he said. "We all have families. We don't want no problems."
Texas police say Mark-1 had not officially reported being threatened, and as such they were unaware of the situation. However, officers are expected to reach out to Oberholtzer concerning the situation.
Meanwhile, Mark-1 has hired an attorney and aim to legally compel Twitter to remove the photo of his old plumbing truck from it platform.
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