Last I heard (granted I have been out of the BB community for a few months) is that if you don't have the password, no one can help you (not even RIM). Once you enter the wrong password enough times (usually 10) the device will be wiped and you can move on from there. I hope this wasn't your phone to begin with, because unless you can remember your password your contacts, messages, etc. are gone.
This is one reason why the Blackberry is used in the public sector. The security based on them are secure enough where the public sector trusts them. That's a rare thing and take that from someone that knows.
If I was a betting man, I'd think maybe the BB's former owner was a betting man. Like the commercial says, know your limits. Gambling your BB is like gambling a child. Yes there's some quiet time afterwards, but is it really worth it?