'3 Hebrew Boys' fraud trial to start

[mrs. jackson]

'3 Hebrew Boys' fraud trial to start
Jury selection to begin in $82 million investment scheme
By ANDREW SHAIN - ashain@thestate.com   E-Mail
 :'(Jury selection is scheduled to start today in the federal case of three Columbia-area men accused of running the $82 million "3 Hebrew Boys" investment scheme.

The men are accused of luring at least 7,000 investors from two dozen states, including many from military bases, with promises of returns up to 500 percent, authorities said.

The men told investors the money would go into foreign currency exchange markets. Instead, the group's leaders are accused of investing less than $40,000 and going on shopping sprees, authorities said.

   
 
From left to right, Joseph Brunson of Hopkins, Timothy McQueen of Blythewood and Tony Pough of Columbia are shown in this composite image of photos taken during a civil court appearance July 20, 2007, in Columbia on charges of fraudulent investing by their company, Three Hebrew Boys.

- File photograph/Lindsay Semple /The State


The assets
Major assets linked to the Three Hebrew Boys and associated companies according to a court-appointed receiver. Some items have been sold to help recoup money for investors if three organizers are convicted of leading an alleged Ponzi scheme:

Sold

Jet: 1969 Gulfstream GII-B

Luxury boxes: Two at Georgia Dome and one at Bank of America Stadium

Vehicles: 2006 BMW 750Li sedan, 2004 BMW X3 2.5I, 2006 Cadillac CTS, 2006 Cadillac DTS, 2007 Chrysler 300 Touring LXL (2), 1999 Dodge Durango, 2007 Dodge Ram truck (2), 2007 Dodge Sprinter van (2), 2006 Ford E456, 2005 GMC Sierra, 2007 GMC Yukon Denali, 2007 Lexus LS460L, 2007 Lexus RX350, 2005 Mercedes SL500 and 2006 Saab 95

Seized and for sale

Condos: Three in Atlanta's Buckhead neighborhood

Homes: Two near Walt Disney World in Kissimmee, Fla.

Land: 20 acres in Orangeburg County

Lots: About 12 in the Columbia area, with half in the Hastings Point subdivision just north of the city

Motorcoach: 2006 Prevost

Offices/warehouses: North Main Street and Horseshoe Drive in Columbia

Stock: S.C. Community Bank shares worth an estimated $2.16 million in June 2008

Vehicles: 2006 Ford Excursion, 2007 Lexus LS 460L and 2006 Lexus GS

Returned to Dealer

Vehicle: 2007 Mercedes SLK 280

Not found

Vehicles: 2007 Dodge Charger, 2007 Dodge Ram Laramie truck, 2007 Lexus LS 460L, 2007 Mercedes SL600R, 2007 Mercedes Roadster AMG, 2006 GMC Envoy and 2006 Mercedes CLS500C

SOURCE: 3hbreceiver.com
Their purchases included a $5 million jet, homes, condos and luxury stadium boxes, authorities said.

Accused of federal mail fraud charges: are Joseph Brunson of Hopkins; Timothy McQueen of Blythewood; and Tony Pough of Columbia.

The trio has denied any wrongdoing and said at rallies their work is faith-based and does not fall under securities laws.

On Monday, the three men, on their own, filed an answer to the indictment that said the government's case is fraudulent because they are not citizens of the country.

Instead, they are ancestors of people who lived in what's now the United State before the European colonists arrived.

The men also said since they have not damaged the plaintiff in the case, the United States of America, federal prosecutors have "failed in their duties" to protect the constitution.

They also accuse the U.S. attorney's office in South Carolina of 83 "unlawful actions," including racketeering, armed assault, theft of public funds, treason and failing to prevent apartheid and genocide. The actions are punishable with fines from $250,000 to $2 million each, they wrote.

"We Declare the vicious lies, fraudulent accusations, and unlawful assertions made by the invading parties on Ancestral lands to be without any merit," they wrote.

They said they sent copies of the filing to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner.

In the meantime Monday, attorneys assigned to Pough and McQueen asked for the case to be dismissed.

Efforts to reach the men Monday were unsuccessful. Attorneys for Pough and McQueen as well as federal prosecutors declined comment.

It's not unusual for the men to file motions saying that U.S. law does not apply to them. Last year, they filed a counterclaim against the government asking for $1 trillion or 1 billion ounces of ".999 percent silver," whichever is greater. A prosecutor called the filing "nonsensical."

Just last month, however, Brunson - who underwent a court-ordered 45-day mental evaluation last year - apologized to prosecutors and the judge in separate letters.

"Please forgive me for any inconvenience or offense I may have caused you," Brunson wrote to Federal District Judge Margaret Seymour. "I consider you an honorable person. It is clear that you are a fine judge and public servant and I have erred. I only have two words for my misconduct, 'FORGIVE ME.' "

Three days before the apology, however, Brunson petitioned to fire his attorney.

The men were first arrested by state officials in 2007 for selling unregistered securities. They were indicted on federal charges a year later.

They could get up to 20 years in prison if convicted on 35 federal counts of mail fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud.

They also face up to 20 years on state charges of securities fraud, failure to file state income tax returns and selling unregistered securities. The state cases are expected to follow the federal trial.

Authorities said last year they hope to return about $18 million recovered in bank accounts to investors of the firms known as 3 Hebrew Boys and Capital Consortium Group.

More money has been raised by selling some items seized from the accused and their companies: a private jet, three stadium luxury boxes in Atlanta and Charlotte and 17 vehicles - including a Mercedes and a BMW, according to the Web site for the court-appointed receiver.

The receiver is still trying to sell two Atlanta condos, two homes near Walt Disney World, a motorcoach and stock in a Columbia bank worth more than $2 million last year.

[Heavenzsun]

Why are they labeled hebrew boys?
Tryna put a stain on em huh?

[Tariq]

they call themselves the hebrew boys.  i attended some of the meetings that capital consortium group held.  i also "invested" with them. not too much but enough to follow there case.  it was about three years ago when all of this began, i even met tony pough's mother. she is a good teacher on history and healing.  the FBI contacted all of us about writing statements, but im not sure how many people helped them out.  im still undecided about the whole thing.  i not sure if the hebrew boys are crooks or not, but i do know that i dudnt get my money back! the claims of them not being citizens seems to be the hebrew boys using "good knowledge" to lure people into something that they know nothing about.  i only blame myself for not being informed more about what the hebrew boys company was offering.  after re-reading the article posted if they claimed not to be american, they damn sure tried to live the american dream.  they where showing way too much money for the feds not to take notice. anyway, imma have to just chalk it up and learn from it

[Nakih]

they call themselves the hebrew boys.  i attended some of the meetings that capital consortium group held.  i also "invested" with them. not too much but enough to follow there case.  it was about three years ago when all of this began, i even met tony pough's mother. she is a good teacher on history and healing.  the FBI contacted all of us about writing statements, but im not sure how many people helped them out.  im still undecided about the whole thing.  i not sure if the hebrew boys are crooks or not, but i do know that i dudnt get my money back! the claims of them not being citizens seems to be the hebrew boys using "good knowledge" to lure people into something that they know nothing about.  i only blame myself for not being informed more about what the hebrew boys company was offering.  after re-reading the article posted if they claimed not to be american, they damn sure tried to live the american dream.  they where showing way too much money for the feds not to take notice. anyway, imma have to just chalk it up and learn from it

Tariq, are you from Columbia?  That's my hometown, I remember when this story broke. 

[mrs. jackson]

no,but my husband and i both went to benedict college,and we stayed.

[Tariq]

Nah, I was in Charlotte, NC at the time.