Bert sends us a link to CNN which reports that four people were arrested in New Albany, Indiana for scamming well-meaning folks with their phony charity named the Wounded Warrior Fund (not the better-known Wounded Warrior Project) out of over $150,000. The four are Joanie Watson, Thomas Johnson and Amy Lou Bennett led by 44-year-old James Linville;
Linville worked with three associates to defraud more than 1,000 victims and collect more than $150,000 in traceable donations over six years, according to investigators. The indictment alleges they told donors 100% of their contributions would go to veterans and their families. Investigators say no money went toward veterans.
The Justice Department publicly announced the charges Friday morning. “The acts of these fraudsters have eroded the trust and good will of those who want to contribute to legitimate fundraising organizations, including those that support our veterans,” US Attorney Josh Minkler said in a statement on Friday. “Our American veterans have dutifully served this country through many wars and deserve better than to be deprived of donations from giving donors,” Minkler said.
The four are suspected of using aliases to make cold calls and flyers and to seek business donations to help veterans and active-duty service members and their families in need — payable in cash, checks, gift cards or in-kind donations, according to law enforcement.
The Secret Service told CNN that none of the four had ever served in the military, even though Linville made cold calls identifying himself as “Sergeant Bob Davis”. They each face 20 years for 227 counts of wire fraud, mail fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit mail fraud.
They are also accused of calling local businesses to have food, hotels and services “comped” for veterans. “The free hotel rooms were often used for members of the conspiracy and others to engage in drug activity,” a law enforcement source with knowledge of the case tells CNN.
Those non-cash donations added up, said Clark County Sheriff Jamey Noel. “This organization — this fake organization — was asking people for food donations, for hotel rooms for veterans, for donations from different businesses that would be raffled or organized off for this, what people thought was a legitimate organization,” he said.
Linville, who has a criminal history that includes drugs, check fraud and domestic battery, left threatening messages for investigators;
In July 2017, Linville told the detective, “You’ve got some problems coming, bud…you’ve got major problems…put me in jail, I dare you.”
Linville did not stop. “I’ll make a mockery of your court. I’m a sovereign citizen, mother***er. American born sovereign citizen.
Your f*****g state laws don’t apply to me in any way,” Linville told the detective on his recorded voicemail. “I will make a mockery of your f*****g court. And I’ll destroy the sheriff’s department.”
I wonder how he’s getting along with LEOs today.
Dumbass.
