Could it be that they want an elder to be the POA instead of a inactive or ex-jw? Then they would have to sign but to insist that be the choice is legally out of line. But what has stopped an elder before.
The elders want a JW to be my Mother in law's POA instead of her own son
by Younglove1999 35 Replies latest jw friends
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bobld
What is it with these POA/DPA cards,is it mandatory that every J.W.fill one out and have only J.W.sign the POA/DPA?Did not J.W. have no blood cards before that were legal?Why the push now?Does it have something to do with LAW SUITS?
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blondie
DPAs are stronger legally and the WTS made it more detailed as to the "'choices" jws can make. They need only be filled out once not every year unless you move to another state or choose a new proxy. Some elders do micromanage these, others don't. A local no-blood clinic had a meeting with the local jws, elders and "publishers" asking them to have a DPA on file long before they might need surgery. After the meeting, no DPAs were filed which showed the concern elders and other jws really have leaving things like this to the last minute.
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bobld
Thanks,Blondie
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dogisgod
Man, this is one of the worst things I have heard. I guess I shouldn't be surprised. Stealing from widows and the elderly is common among false religion. Why in the world would this be brought up at all...for their records?????? Give me a brake.
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mann377
A caution to all who have parents in the org.: I have a mother who is up in years (90's) and has money. I go and get the mail for her and was shocked to find letters from the WTBS thanking her for money and in a round about way asking for more. I had a talk with her and informed her that she should inform me of any gifts of more than $500. I once caught the Circuit Overseer telling her that the money she leaves to her childern will only be taxed away and therefore suggested leaving it to the WTBS and having the local elders with POA!
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Nathan Natas
From "Acts of The Elders in the Last Days":
U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C.
Litigation Release No. 19764 / July 17, 2006
Securities and Exchange Commission v. Renaissance Asset Fund, Inc., Ronald J. Nadel, and Joseph M. Malone, Civil Action No. SA CV 06-661-JVS (C.D. California)
The Commission filed civil fraud charges today against Renaissance Asset Fund, Inc., Ronald J. Nadel, and Joseph M. Malone. The Commission's complaint, filed in the United States District Court for the Central District of California, alleges that Renaissance and its principals raised over $16 million from more than 190 investors nationwide. Many of the victims were elderly and were solicited through Jehovah's Witnesses congregations.
According to the complaint, from at least March 1999 through April 2004, the defendants raised funds for multiple purported projects, including a general fund, an outlet mall, an international currency exchange, and a Swiss bank. Some of the purported projects did not exist, and others were unsuccessful. The defendants misrepresented to investors that their investments would earn returns ranging from 10% to 25% in as little as four months. The defendants also sent quarterly account statements to investors setting forth the fictitious profits their investments had purportedly earned. Based on the representations in these account statements, many investors reinvested their principal and purported profits in other Renaissance projects.
The defendants operated Renaissance's programs as a Ponzi scheme, paying earlier investors with funds raised from later investors. Nadel also used investor funds to pay for lavish expenses, including country club memberships, car leases, and retail purchases. The majority of investors in Renaissance never received the interest or return of their principal the defendants had promised.
Based on this conduct, the complaint alleges that Defendants Renaissance, Nadel and Malone violated Section 17(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 (Securities Act) and Sections 5(a), 5(c) and 17(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 thereunder. The complaint also alleges that Nadel and Malone violated Section 15(a) of the Exchange Act. The complaint seeks final judgments permanently enjoining the defendants from violating or aiding and abetting violations of the antifraud and registration provisions of the federal securities laws. The Commission also seeks disgorgement of ill-gotten gains with prejudgment interest, an accounting, and civil penalties.
In related SEC proceedings, Senior Resources Asset Fund LLC and Kenneth Baum have consented to the issuance of cease-and-desist orders for their role in selling Renaissance investments. The Commission ordered both Senior Resources and Baum to cease and desist from selling unregistered securities, and ordered Baum to cease and desist from acting as an unregistered broker-dealer. Senior Resources and Baum consented to the issuance of the order without admitting or denying its findings. For further information, see Securities Act Release No. 33-8723 (July 17, 2006).
SEC Complaint in this matter
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Nathan Natas
more from "Acts of the Elders..."
Miami Field Office
Federal Bureau of Investigation----------------------------------------------------------------------------
16320 N.W. 2nd Avenue
North Miami Beach, FL 33169
(305) 787-6409----------------------------------------------------------------------------
For Immediate Release
November 1, 2002FORMER CHURCH ELDER CONVICTED OF MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR SECURITIES FRAUD SCHEME
Marcos Daniel Jiménez, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida; James K. Belz, Postal Inspector in Charge, United States Postal Inspection Service, Miami Division; and Hector M. Pesquera, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, announced today that on October 31, 2002, a federal jury in Miami convicted Raymond L. Knowles, formerly of Opa Locka and Pembroke Pines, Florida, of all counts charged in the indictment in this case. This case involved a multi-million dollar securities fraud scheme that victimized over 50 investors, primarily elderly and financially unsophisticated investors. Many of these investors were members of Knowles' religious congregation where he served as an Elder.
Mr. Knowles was convicted of 16 counts of mail fraud, 4 counts of wire fraud and 4 counts of securities fraud. Knowles faces a maximum of 5 years of imprisonment with respect to each mail and wire fraud count and a maximum of 10 years of imprisonment with respect to each of the securities fraud counts. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for January 9, 2003, before United States District Court Judge Donald L. Graham.
Using his position as an Elder, Knowles fraudulently sold several million dollars' worth of promissory notes to fellow members of his religious congregation. Among other things, Knowles falsely represented that the promissory notes, which were risky investments dependent upon Knowles' shaky real estate holdings, were in fact, safe and sound investments for elderly, widowed and disabled people, and would return annual yields of 8.5% to more than 20% without any risk. To perpetuate the scheme over a number of years, Knowles, in a "Ponzi" scheme fashion, used funds obtained from later investors to make payments to early investors. He also diverted investor funds to lease luxury cars for his and his wife's personal use, and to pay personal, business and other expenses, including trips to South Africa and Disney World.
Mr. Jiménez commended the investigative efforts of the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, as well as the cooperative efforts of the Southeast Regional Office of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Richard Hong and Luis M. Pérez, and former Special Assistant United States Attorney Trisha Sindler.
South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Jan. 26, 2003
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
By Jenni Bergal, Business WriterIn her church, trust among members was a given.
So when Elizabeth Morgan came into a large chunk of money from her late husband's life insurance policy and a malpractice settlement from his unexpected death, she felt comfortable putting it in the hands of a Jehovah's Witnesses elder to invest in real estate.
She bought $764,000 worth of promissory notes from Raymond L. Knowles, a financial consultant and former missionary whom she'd known for many years from the congregation. Knowles assured her that her investment would be safe and that she'd get a high interest rate, Morgan said.
For two years, she received monthly interest checks. But then the checks started coming late, and finally, not at all. Morgan pleaded with Knowles to get her investment back, but it never happened.
Federal officials say Morgan was a victim of one of the most popular types of white-collar crime in recent years: religious affinity fraud.
These investment scams exploit the trust, friendship and tight-knit structure of people in religious groups, regulators say. The perpetrators often are members or claim to be members or enlist respected leaders to spread the word about a financial deal.
"I lost everything," said Morgan, 55, of Lauderdale Lakes. "That was money I had to live off for the rest of my life. I was forced to sell my house and declare bankruptcy."
In October, a federal jury found Knowles guilty on 16 criminal counts of mail fraud, four of wire fraud and four of securities fraud in a promissory note scheme in which prosecutors say he ripped off at least $2 million from Morgan and more than 50 other Jehovah's Witness members, many of them elderly or disabled. His sentencing is scheduled for later this month.
"The theme in these types of cases is that the perpetrators make faith in God synonymous with faith in their investment plan, and you can't separate the two," said Joseph Borg, director of the Alabama Securities Commission and past president of the North American Securities Administrators Association. "Religious affinity fraud is a huge problem, and it's phenomenal what's been occurring all over the country."
Among the cases:
In Philadelphia, the Securities and Exchange Commission filed a civil fraud suit in November against a Georgia businessman and two of his companies, alleging they had raised at least $3 million from more than 1,000 small, mostly black churches nationwide, including more than two dozen in South Florida. Pastors were promised a return of $500,000 for every $3,000 they invested, SEC officials say. The money was supposed to have been invested in a chain of Christian-themed vacation resorts, which were never built.
In Tampa, the founder of Greater Ministries International Church, his wife and three others were found guilty of conspiracy, money laundering and wire fraud in a $448 million financial scam. They used Bible verses to persuade thousands of people to invest in the belief that God would double their money. The church promised big returns from investments in foreign currency and gold and diamond mines. In 2001, the founder was sentenced to 27 years in prison.
In Phoenix, five former executives of the Baptist Foundation of Arizona were indicted on fraud, racketeering and theft charges after state investigators alleged it had raised $570 million from thousands of Baptist investors across the nation in a "Ponzi" scheme, in which money from new investors is used to pay off old ones. Investors who bought securities from the foundation were attracted by high rates of return and told their profits would be spent on church activities. Instead, investigators said the foundation allegedly hid losses and misrepresented its financial condition. The foundation declared bankruptcy and shut down in 1999.
In Boston, the SEC filed civil fraud charges against two companies and four men who allegedly raised $22 million in a securities scam aimed at members of the Christian Science Church. Regulators said they promoted bogus investments in an international trading program that did not exist, and told investors they would earn profits of 48 to 60 percent a year. A federal judge ordered two of the men to pay a $30 million judgment and penalties after they failed to respond to the SEC's complaint.
"These are all people who use a criminal enterprise to commit fraud and tack on religion as a cover," securities director Borg said.
Abuse of trust
Regulators say religious affinity fraud is particularly abhorrent because scam artists use people's faith to prey upon them.
"They're promising those beliefs will be furthered by the investment. They often quote from the Bible and promise parishioners that their money will be spent to further the Lord's work," said Susan Wyderko, the SEC's director of investor education in Washington, D.C.
Some officials say the stock market collapse and the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks might have made religious affinity fraud more popular than ever.
"With the down markets and no one able to make money and people worrying about terrorism and war, many people turn to religion, and the scam artists know that," Borg said. "They dust off the old Ponzi schemes."
Scammers need only to persuade a few influential people to trust them and their investment, regulators say. Often they rely on word-of-mouth or recruit a religious leader or member of a church, who promotes the investment, usually unaware that it's fraudulent.
Morgan said she believed in Knowles because he had been a longtime elder and was well known nationally among Jehovah's Witnesses, especially for his work as a missionary in Africa and a speaker at district conventions.
Federal prosecutors say that between 1993 and 2000, Knowles and his company, All Diversified Financial Services Inc. of Opa-Locka and Pembroke Pines, defrauded investors by issuing risky promissory notes. The company invested in dilapidated properties, which it bought at foreclosure sales and resold or rented. Knowles told investors their money was safe, when, in fact, the company was in debt, according to prosecutors.
Prosecutors said he was running a classic Ponzi scheme and used some of the investors' money to lease two vehicles for himself and his wife and to pay business, personal and other unrelated expenses.
Attorney Miguel Caridad, a federal public defender who represents Knowles, said his client did not want to comment but has denied the charges. "He believes he's innocent, and we're going to appeal," Caridad said.
`We were destroyed'
Jeanette Howison, another of Knowles' victims, says she doesn't believe any of Knowles' claims or protests anymore.
She and her husband, William, both of Hialeah, say they knew and trusted Knowles completely.
When William Howison, a maintenance worker for Miami-Dade County, received a work-related settlement after suffering heat stroke on the job, the couple turned to Knowles for financial advice.
"We were scared silly of stock markets because of the risks we heard about," said Jeanette Howison, 72.
Knowles persuaded them to sign over $70,000 in promissory notes, explaining that he would be investing the money in real estate and it would be perfectly safe, the Howisons said. They ended up losing $55,000.
"We were destroyed financially," Jeanette Howison said. "This was our nest egg."
Her husband, 76, said he suffered from serious depression after their money disappeared. "It's a terrible thing that he used the church," he said.
Not all religious affinity frauds rely on reputation or word-of-mouth, however. Some find investors through the Internet, often appealing to sites popular with religious groups.
"The Internet is a fabulous way for fraudsters to reach a lot of people quickly," said the SEC's Wyderko.
Tangled Web
In South Florida last fall, one man pleaded guilty to conspiracy and wire fraud and another to conspiracy in a scheme in which their Internet service provider, Families On Line, raised more than $3.7 million from hundreds of investors, some of them fundamentalist Christians, by selling shares of stock through an unregistered securities offering. The men, both from Fort Lauderdale, are awaiting sentencing.
Federal officials said the company billed itself as a moral and safe alternative to the uncensored Internet for parents, religious organizations and schools. It offered subscribers "filtered" access to the Internet that would remove content involving sex, violence or gambling.
Mark Cecil Thurman, the chief executive officer, and Robert Fiene, the chief operating officer, used false information to raise money from investors, such as claiming their company was affiliated with Trinity Broadcasting Network, a Christian broadcast ministry, and providing a phony letter of support from the network's president, federal officials said.
The company also distributed a prospectus that projected a first-year subscriber base of 2.5 million people, when, in fact, it never exceeded 150 users.
Prosecutors say the men allegedly withdrew at least $1.6 million in investor funds for their own use, which included a $40,000 custom-designed motorcycle, a Hawaiian vacation, a BMW, jewelry and adult novelty items.
Thurman's attorney, Irwin G. Lichter, of Miami, said neither he nor his client wanted to comment. Fiene's attorney, Hampton Peterson, of Fort Lauderdale, could not be reached for comment, despite several phone messages left at his office.
For the victims of Families On Line and Raymond Knowles, the sentencing hearings won't be soon enough.
Jeanette Howison said she hopes to speak directly to Knowles at his hearing, scheduled for Jan. 31.
She plans to start by saying: "All of us trusted you as a brother, spiritual shepherd and one who would die for his sheep, not fleece them."
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Nathan Natas
double post, sorry!
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Nathan Natas
more...
Niece's questions reveal massive scam
By VERA HAFFEY Montana Standard
ANACONDA - At 101, Una Anderson has her own ideas on serving up justice for two former church elders who stole her life savings of $6 million: lock 'em up in prison - the old territorial prison in Deer Lodge, that is - and throw away the key.
Then charge tourists a nickel a head so people can see what the white-collar criminals look like.
That way, she may eventually get back some of the money the pair drained from her bank account in a lengthy, involved "befriend and betray" sting operation, she says.
Former Jehovah's Witnesses church elders Dale A. Erickson, 53, of Missoula, and Darryl K. Willis, 63, of Helena, pleaded no contest to theft, securities fraud and two counts of conspiracy, all felonies, in Powell County District Court earlier this month in connection with the disappearance of Anderson's trust estate. They await sentencing.
Their undoing in what prosecutors call "the biggest single theft case in Montana history" was the result of intervention from a family member who noticed something was awry at the Anderson residence, then notified the state's Adult Protective Services.
Anderson just wasn't herself when her niece paid a visit to the family home, a modest, single-story dwelling on the outskirts Deer Lodge, in September 2001. Instead of her spirited, self-sufficient aunt, Sarah Kelson was greeted by a confused, disoriented woman too addled to recognize her own relatives. To Kelson's surprise, the aging but able-bodied ranch wife who'd also taught school then run the Jens post office and store for some 30 years appeared unable to tend to her daily affairs.
Strangely, the change hadn't shown up in the regular phone calls Kelson made to Montana to check on her aunt's well-being. Everything seemed fine during those brief conversations.
But after a trip to her aunt's home, she knew something wasn't right.
"When I came to visit, I could see that things were going downhill rapidly," Kelson said. "On the phone she said, everything's fine. Not a word about all this stuff that's going on in her life. On the phone, I couldn't tell, but when I got here, I could tell that things were really, really wrong."
But little by little, Anderson opened up, offering details about people and events of the past few years, including her friendship with a pair of church elders and the coerced sale of the 6,400-acre ranch near Jens where she and her late husband Eric had lived.
And the whereabouts of the life savings she amassed during nearly a century of Spartan living was unclear.
"My aunt told me that they had sold her ranch without permission," Kelson said. She dug deeper, and, "everything I found out made things worse."
After that visit, Kelson grew so concerned that she gave her employer two weeks' notice, left her position at an Arizona college, and moved to Deer Lodge to look after her aunt, who was nearly alone in the world, save a handful of nieces and nephews. Her only son died more than 30 years ago.
With Kelson's care, Anderson regained her lucidity and began functioning normally in a short time. The signs of "mid-stage dementia" she feared Anderson was suffering vanished.
To help unravel the story of Anderson's financial exploitation, Kelson called Janel Pliley, a social worker from Adult Protective Services.
Pliley began an initial investigation after speaking several times with Anderson. She became Anderson's personal advocate, making sure the senior citizen was safe and well cared for. She uncovered enough information to warrant contacting the Powell County sheriff and the county attorney, who expanded the investigation.
When Powell County Attorney Chris Miller learned of the magnitude of Anderson's loss, and given the limited resources of the county, he asked for help from the state attorney general's office. The office provided the services of two state lawyers - Mark Murphy and Melissa Broch - and Reed Scott, a special investigator from the state Justice Department's Division of Criminal Investigation.
Willis and Erickson were charged in Powell County District Court in the summer of 2002 in connection with the fleecing of the elderly woman through a series of investment schemes over a seven-year period, beginning in 1995.
Pliley said part of her job as an advocate is to give "permission" for role reversals where younger family members take on a mentor position, guiding their aging relatives with decisions and care.
She helped Anderson and her niece through that process, and sparked the criminal investigation.
It's a scenario often repeated in many families during the aging process, she said.
"When parents get to the point of incapacity, the parents need their kids to be the parent, and the parent needs to be the kid. They need to be comfortable with that, or it will fall on the shoulders of the state," she said.
Today, Pliley describes Anderson as "a pistol," witty, bright and alert, yet like many senior citizens, vulnerable to tactics of unscrupulous characters, and in need of intervention and guidance. After months of her niece's care and companionship, Anderson has her spark back.
She celebrated her 101st birthday at a party earlier this month, and is good-natured, bright and quick to give a witty reply. She also knows what happened to her family fortune, and feels the same emotions that other elderly victims feel after being violated - anger, disappointment and betrayal.
"She's very well aware of what happened in this case," Kelson said, adding that she believes the problem is common. "Since I've been around Una, I have talked to more and more people and have done research into it. It's a very prevalent thing."
Pliley said the team effort that began with Kelson's phone call to Adult Protective Services cinched the case.
"I think this is an excellent example of how all the different agencies work together," Pliley said. "She was lucky to have a niece that could come and change her whole life and be there for her."
Kelson advised anyone with similar problems to seek out help immediately.
"The moral of the story is, don't wait so long to call Adult Protective Services," Kelson added. "This is why people really need to pay attention to their older relatives."
Go and visit in person, because, "just phone contact is not enough."