Posted on 05/14/2004 3:43:32 AM PDT by calcowgirl
Prometheus Methods Tower Services Inc., the business that cost Nick Berg his life in Iraq, has no records with the Pennsylvania Department of State.
The company that specialized in building communications towers never registered with the Pennsylvania Corporation Bureau, said Brian McDonald, spokesman for the state department.
McDonald conducted a search of the bureau’s online list of registered businesses, but found no matches.
The same search done by a Daily Local News reporter produced the same results -- several businesses contained the word "Prometheus" in their names. Only one is located in West Chester, and it is not related to Berg’s business.
Companies are not legally required to register with the state, but McDonald explained it is usually the first step an owner takes.
"You’d be very foolish not to register your business with the department," he said. "It is nearly impossible to exist without doing it."
Registering allows an owner to set up his business’s tax structure. It also establishes how the business is run, for example, whether or not it is for-profit or nonprofit.
"It is basically the infrastructure by which businesses are set up in the commonwealth," McDonald said.
McDonald added it is possible the business could be listed in the bureau’s records under a different name.
Searching the statewide yellow pages online found two company names containing the word "Prometheus" in Philadelphia. One is an Internet consulting business.
An employee at the second one, which is called Prometheus Radio Project, said it was not affiliated with the business owned by the local man slain in Iraq by members of al-Qaida.
Officials at the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue and the Internal Revenue Service said state and federal laws prohibited their agencies from providing any records they had of Prometheus Methods Tower Services -- even whether the company had ever filed a return.
"Any information that we get or is contained on a tax return I can’t release," said Steve Kniley, press secretary for the state revenue department. "It is considered confidential under tax law."
Tax records become public information only if a lien is filed against a business. According to Kniley, there are no liens against Berg’s company.
Bill Cressman, spokesman at the IRS’s Philadelphia office, said the only companies with public tax records are nonprofit corporations.
At least one person claims he can confirm Prometheus’ existence.
Jay Shur, who works at the radio station WCHE 1520 AM in West Chester, said on Wednesday he was in the process of hiring Berg to build a communications tower for the station when news of his death came out.
The station was awaiting approval of plans from both the borough and an environmental agency before construction could begin, according to Shur.
"There’s a lot of paperwork to go through, and the area we were looking at was a marsh- land so we had to get clearance," he said."When I do get the OK, I’ll have to look for another contractor."
Michael Berg briefly spoke about Prometheus during a press conference Thursday morning outside his home.
"My son was not over there to make money," Michael Berg said. "My son’s business, which was very profitable before he went to Iraq ..I will make good on anything the company owes anybody, but it’s pretty much going to be defunct."
It is unclear how many employees Prometheus had. Michael Berg spoke of a "foreman" during the press conference. However, Nick Berg traveled to Iraq alone.
Staff Writer Jill Nawrocki contributed to this article.
Naive.
Are you part of Operation Wolverines?
Anyways, you say you remain unconvinced? But then you say you don't know Nick Berg was guilty of any wrongdoing?
Well, technically speaking, shouldn't you have to choose one or the other.
Like presume innocence, but remain open to new evidence? As of now, without any acquaintances or family or any evidence really, except an email account, he's innocent. When someone produces something of substance, then I'll change my mind.
But unlike some, I can actually change my mind. There seem to be a few, not you necessarily, that will never think aything other than "guilty."
In a way, this thing reminds me of a much more serious and important Kobe Bryant debate.
I don't have the time to read through all 457 or so posts so far, but I will put my two cents in quickly. I live in PA and I have had businesses as a sole proprietor, S-Corp, and C-Corp. Any business that is an S-corp or C-corp in PA must pay tax - income or not. You may be registered in another state, such as a tax friendly state such as DE or NV, but as a corporation operating in PA you still have to pay a foreign corporation tax. (That is foreign to PA, not the US.) As it turns out, it just about negates any tax advantage of being registered in another state and doing business in PA. It is a possibility that Berg had a LLC and personally I do not know the laws on that one. I do know that Berg operated in PA, because of local news reports interviewed people who used his services.
What's your agenda that you are DISCOUNTING every bit of unfavorable info???
No, I know a lot more than you do. I have done the research. All you have done is assume this guy is a traitor and look for specualative innuendo to prove it. I know this guy's dad is a traitorous commie. There is no evidence to suggest that "like father, like son." Unlike you I'm not going to manufacture it.
I started out this thread, like you and everyone else, thinking that Nick Berg was dirty, that there were too many "coincidences" in conjunction with his death. I found no evidence to suggest that he was dirty. What I found was that he was well respected in his field and was a go getter and an all american entrpenuer. That is where the evidence led me. You have no evidence to counter it. So don't tell me you know as much as I do. You don't.
When you produce some solid evidence that Nick Berg was dirty, I will look at it. Unlike you I have an open mind. If you don't believe it, then follow my posts on these threads and see where I was yesterday and where I am now on this subject.
But don't go off sullying the name of a man who can no longer defend it. The only thing protecting Nick Berg's good name is the evidence that he was a good guy. I find no evidence to contradict that. And you have no evidence either.
Has anyone noticed the language in the video was in Russian instead of Arabic?
You are correct in your questioning. He also went to Uganda or Ghana.....and maybe Iran..Gadfly????
No, unfortunately I did not have the pleasure of participating in Operation Wolverine.
Like I said, I hope to God he is all he first appeared to be and I will be the first to apologize to ....whomever....for questioning his motives.
But I think the questions should be asked and answered (no pun intended). It's a very strange case.
I've spent much time in the Middle East. Americans are Americans no matter how much they try to "blend in". A Koran and beard won't cut it but it will raise suspicion on both sides, the Iraqi and the American. That Israeli passport stamp may have been the kiss of death and NOBODY who is planning to travel to a Muslim country would allow that to happen. At least, the poor guy was very innocent and naive. I pray for the eternal rest of his soul.
You want to know what my agenda is? This guy was slaughtered by a bunch of animals crying Allah Ahkbar...
And people like you are looking under every nook and cranny looking for evidence that he sliced his own throat. Well he didn't. He was murdered by the same people that flew planes into the Twin Towers. Have you finished digging up dirt on all 3000 of them?
.......little reason..... huh....you are a most Un-curious person.
What role did the liberal media play in Nick Berg's death?
the "prometheus radio project" is a bunch of pathetic "I'm a lesbian because my dad makes money!" with no allegiance to the country whose capitalism allows them to exist comfortably while doing nothing productive.
Sorry, looks like I didn't understand what you were saying. I need to go to bed. My eyes are starting to cross and my ehad hurts!
The anti-Bush LIBERAL Radical dad said that his kid was Al Qeada's bet friend!!!! What don't you understand about this????
See my first post on this:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1135005/posts?page=877#877
I have seen nothing to change my mind.
I do wonder about his father's explantion of the e-mail and no mention of a girl friend.
We aren;t in a court of law here! Do you not have any IDEAS on your own???? And you call yourself a Freeper...come on.....Get a LITTLE bit curious.
Freepers googled all states...no record of this company. You SHOULD have read all 457 posts...there is MUCH info.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.