Posted on 11/15/2007 12:05:00 PM PST by smoothsailing
Liberty Dollar office raided
Staff report
Originally published 01:42 p.m., November 15, 2007 Updated 01:42 p.m., November 15, 2007
The future of an Evansville-based company that produces a "private voluntary barter currency" known as the Liberty Dollar is in question after federal agents raided the facility this week, according to an e-mail sent by its founder.
Federal agents reportedly raided the group's headquarters, located in a strip mall at 225 N. Stockwell Road, early Wednesday morning.
FBI Agent Wendy Osborne, a spokeswoman for the FBI's Indianapolis office, directed all questions on the raid to the Western District of North Carolina U.S. Attorney's Office. A spokeswoman there said she had no information on the investigation.
Bernard von NotHaus, the group's monetary architect and the author of the e-mail, did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment.
Von NotHaus developed the Liberty Dollar in 1998 as an "inflation-proof" alternative currency to the U.S. Dollar, which he has claimed has devalued since the Federal Reserve was established in 1913. The silver medallions are produced by a private mint in Idaho on behalf of Evansville-based Liberty Services, which also issues paper notes which the group says are backed by silver reserves.
Liberty Dollar employees were at the office this morning cleaning up after the raid. They referred all questions to von NotHaus.
According to the e-mail, about a dozen agents arrived Wednesday morning and seized gold, silver, platinum and nearly two tons of recently delivered Ron Paul Dollars. They also took all the files, all the computers and froze the group's bank accounts, the e-mail said.
"We have no money. We have no products. We have no records to even know what was ordered or what you are owed," von NotHaus wrote in the e-mail, which was sent to Liberty Dollar customers. "We have nothing but the will to push forward and overcome this massive assault on our liberty and our right to have real money as defined by the US Constitution. We should not to be defrauded by the fake government money."
The e-mail said the gold and silver that backs up the paper and digital currency was confiscated, as were the dies used to mint the Liberty Dollars themselves. As a result, it warns that recent orders placed for Liberty Dollars may not be filled and it encourages supporters to band together for a class action lawsuit.
The e-mail repeatedly defends the Liberty Dollar as a legal tender.
"You did nothing wrong," von NotHaus wrote. "You are legally entitled to your property. Let us use this terrible act to band together and further our goal to return America to a value based currency."
- Gavin Lesnick
Scripps Newspaper Group — Online © 2007 The E.W. Scripps Co. Privacy Policy | User Agreement
Yes, you did, Dummy! It's called Counterfeiting.
I wonder if someone will be using fiat dollars to post bail?
It’s amazing the number of people who profess allegiance to the Constitution, yet who have never actually read the thing.
“We have no money. We have no products. We have no records to even know what was ordered or what you are owed,” von NotHaus wrote in the e-mail, which was sent to Liberty Dollar customers.”
Then how does he know who/whom to send the e-mails to?
It's amazing how many of them can be found at an L.Ron rally.
Is Ron Paul trying on victimhood or was his money being cleaned?
I have some Disney Dollars leftover from last trip to Orlando. Hell, with the crappy valued dollar, they may be worth more. :)
So in other words, we STILL have no confirmation of any of this. EVERYONE is reporting from the same email.
I believe it was our good FRiend dighton who pointed out earlier today that the moonbat running this operation was accepting fiat Federal Reserve dollars as payment.
Sometimes irony can be so damn ironic.
Round Two PING! ;)
Shouldn’t this be over in breaking news where the privious version already is?
Sure, we do... the FBI gave no comment... that means it must be true. Journalism 101
It’s not legal tender. They should know that.
However this shows the power of the government when you defy it. The power to break in, to arrest, to take property. Obviously there were guns available to the agents. This is why we must not let Hillary get elected. (for those of you in Rio Linda, Hillary will impose unreasonable fascist laws on all of us and use the power of government against those who don’t comply)
Bernard von NotHaus, the group's monetary architect and the author of the e-mail, did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment. Key part of the story. There is no confirmation.
Headquarters in a strip mall. That instills confidence.
This broke on FR 3 hours before the local media picked it up, possibly because my fellow Evansville FReepers and I called and asked about it.
Is that how Ron Paul raised so much money? He made it himself?
The FBI is zip-lipped about it so far according to the article:
FBI Agent Wendy Osborne, a spokeswoman for the FBI's Indianapolis office, directed all questions on the raid to the Western District of North Carolina U.S. Attorney's Office. A spokeswoman there said she had no information on the investigation.
Huh? Are you joking?
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