Free Republic

Thoughts On The Liberty Dollar Debacle By Brandon Smith of Alt-Market.com I was in the midst of the Save America Convention in Tampa, Florida when I heard, first, that Libya was under bombardment by the UN (led by U.S. forces), and, that Bernard von NotHaus of Liberty Dollar had been convicted of “counterfeiting”. It was a stressful day, to say the least. For those not familiar with the Liberty Dollar incident, In November of 2007, federal officials raided the group’s headquarters nestled in a strip mall and seized all documents and the gold and silver that backed up the paper...

The leader of a group that marketed a fake currency called Liberty Dollars in the Asheville area and elsewhere has been found guilty by a federal jury of conspiracy against the government in a case of “domestic terrorism.” Bernard von NotHaus was convicted Friday at the conclusion of an eight-day trial in U.S. District Court in Statesville. The jury deliberated less than two hours, according to the Department of Justice. Charges remain pending against William Kevin Innes, an Asheville man who authorities said recruited merchants in Western North Carolina willing to accept the “barter” currency, according to court records. Innes...

Bernard von NotHaus, creator of the Liberty Dollar, was found guilty on two counts this morning in his counterfeiting trial at the federal courthouse in Statesville, N.C. He was found guilty of making counterfeit coins and an intent to defraud. Sentencing will be held in several months. The jury reached its decision in less than 90 minutes. In this week's four days of defense testimony, von NotHaus maintained that his "medallion" was not legal tender. He said each piece contained the NORFED name and telephone number, but the government pointed out that the silver pieces bore a very strong resemblance...

This thread is linked to a PDF document containing the seizure warrant executed against the property of the Liberty Dollar corporation and the bearers of its negotiable warehouse receipts. The justification lists charges of money laundering, mail fraud, and wire fraud. Guilty until proven innocent, apparently.