FINAL UPDATE:
I am shocked at how this turned out and also disappointed in what it means for sellers and buyers in the future as, apparently, you can basically own a broken piece of gear, order it on Reverb, take the parts you need then claim the gear you ordered was "damaged" or "modded" and Reverb will let you keep the gear and reimburse you (although, they are allowing me to keep the funds as well) - it seems it's a scammer's world out there and the "good guys" are merely along for the ride at the whim of the middle man (Reverb):