Found at the "Las Vegas Review-Journal" web site search page at:
====================
Businessman arrested in LV indicted
Associated Press
PHOENIX -- An Arizona businessman was indicted Wednesday in one of the
biggest dollar fraud cases ever prosecuted by the Arizona attorney
general's office.
Benjamin Franklin Cook III, arrested in October in a Las Vegas casino,
was charged with 37 counts of racketeering, fraud and theft in
connection with an investment scheme run by his company, Dennel
Finance Ltd. The indictment alleges that Cook defrauded more than 300
investors of a total of $41 million.
Five different government agencies investigated Cook's plan, which
promised investors that their money would be placed in a European
trading program.
The agencies alleged he used the money to buy luxury items such as
cars, airplanes, a house and other real estate properties. Also, Cook,
of Carefree, Ariz., donated $1.8 million to the Church of Scientology.
The attorney general's office has seized $11 million of Cook's assets,
which will be used to reimburse investors.
Cook is in a Texas detention facility on federal contempt charges
after ignoring court orders in a lawsuit brought against him by the
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. U.S. Marshals arrested him in
October in a Las Vegas casino.
[Note: The
Scientology®
organization has at best estimate approximately
45,000 to 50,000 followers world wide -- contrary to the 8 million figure
that the organization has been claiming for the past few years or so.
While that number continues to drop (thanks in part to the Internet) few
of the remaining followers are even aware of the unending series of police
raids, indictments, and prison terms their leaders and fellow cultists are
subjected to routinely. Few are allowed to know about their organization's
criminal history, or its current racketeering activities. Even fewer of
the cult's remaining followers are privy to their messiah's written
policies which dictates the criminal behavior that keeps getting their
organization raided (see Xenu.NET for
suitable references of Scientology policy) Scientology management
is the problem, not the thousands of honest believers who are good,
honest citizens; themselves victims of Scientology - flr]
The name "Narconon"® is trademarked to the Scientology organization through one of their many front groups. The name "Scientology"® is also trademarked to the "Church" of Scientology. Neither this web page, nor this web site, nor any of the individuals mentioned herein assisting to educate the public about the dangers of the Narconon scam are members of or representitives of the Scientology organization.
E-Mail Fredric L. Rice / The Skeptic Tank