Brian Harnois of “Ghost Hunters” Accused of Stealing from Fans

We’re not big fans of Ghost Hunters here at The Occult Section, and normally I wouldn’t give this knucklehead the time of day. But I think this story needs to be brought to light, and I think it’s interesting to see what is starting to happen to former TV “para-celebrities.” Back in December, Brian Harnois of the Syfy Channel series Ghost Hunters (as well as Ghost Hunters International) wrote a very public suicide note (the “suicide attempt,” as it turned out, appeared to be staged in order to get attention or revenge on his ex, or some such nonsense), which garnered lots of attention and sympathy for him. Now it appears that he’s using that to scam his fans even further. This story is from the Examiner, so I apologize in advance for the typos and mistakes you might encounter (I mean, two words in and they call the show “Ghost Hunter”).

Former “Ghost Hunter” star Brian Harnois is under attack from fans today. The paranormal investigator is being accused of stealing money from some of his supporters. Last year the ghost hunter allegedly faked a suicide attempt to get back into the infrared spotlight. Currently he is on tour and featured at various ghost hunting events.

Harnois is no stranger to modern drama. During his three-season stint on “Ghost Hunters” he was the show’s drama king and a fan-favorite. Nearly every one of the 36 episodes Harnois was in, it seemed he was at the center of some sort of chaos.

Sunday, December 9, 2012, Harnois wrote and posted a cryptic message on his Facebook page that some people believed was a suicide note. His wife, Michelle Harnois filed a missing person report the same day with the Warwick Police Department after not seeing him for a few days. Harnois was found safe the following day.

“I do not know the details but Brian has been found safe and is currently on his way to get mental treatment.” Michelle Harnois said in a post about the incident on her Twitter page.

A lot of people in the paranormal community believe that Harnois staged the incident to get attention and build buzz for a comeback. He even lashed out at some fans regarding his December disappearance.

Earlier this year, Harnois announced his “Dude, Run! Tour” and some fans that have supported him in this venture are allegedly getting ripped off. A few of them have tried to reach out to him on his various Facebook accounts but he either ignores them, censors their comments, or insults them.

Fans that have paid Harnois for items still have yet to receive them. One fan, Cheryl Bericko even accused him of stealing her payment and claimed that he refused issuing a refund for an upcoming event.

“Man up and stop removing posts that show the truth. My husband posted where you posted anyone can get a refund if they cancel with in seven days before the event,” Bericko posted on Harnois’ Facebook page.

“Everyone I owe T-shirts, DVD’s, or 8 x 10s to will be getting them this week or the following week. I’ve had a very big problem with getting everyone’s information together because of lack of a computer and misinformation.” Harnois attempted to do some damage control by posting an excuse on his Facebook fan page.

“So if anyone thinks he is a nice guy, he is a thief. Check RI court records. He has a world of court trouble coming this week for ripping people off and most likely will be arrested again.” According to Bericko, this isn’t the first time Harnois has stolen from fans.

On April 3, 2013, the Warwick Police Department issued a bench warrant for Harnois regarding an alleged theft in 2012. Some folks think that Harnois is using the money from fans to pay the rest of his overdue court costs.

Harnois’ paranormal comeback might be short-lived if he keeps continuing to treat his fans bad. Jenn Mitchell, one of Harnois’ public relations representatives recently jumped ship because she was allegedly being mistreated. Soon his fans might just do the same.

If allegations are true, people need to beware of Brian Harnois and his company B Ware Productions. Dude and dudettes, run! Definitely.

The internet is a creepy place full of cowards who muster all of their courage in the privacy of their home office, so I’m not sure how true any of these allegations are. But it seems as if there are a number of people who are complaining, and the fact that he posted a disclaimer of sorts says a lot. I do feel bad for the guy in a sense, as he was thrust into the national spotlight, Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson called him “family,” and then he was unceremoniously discarded along with most of the original TAPS team in favor of younger, more attractive actors paranormal investigators. But on the other hand, this reminds me a lot of child stars, kids who are propelled into fame and fortune way too soon and don’t know how to deal with it once the spotlight isn’t on them anymore. I have a feeling we’ll be seeing a lot more stories like this in the years to come, unfortunately.