3 men's assets targeted

Justice wrote:

<quoted text>
Joe Sr has turned into a little bitch as of late with that pathetic apology letter to the judge. You talk about no self pride. Madoff went out like a real man and took his punishment. Brunson is writing please forgive me letters. Hey Joe Jr that is your father. What a pathetic role model lol.

LMAO!!!

Does anyone have any information about what happen in court today.If so could you please share your information.

Fraud trial presents contrasting pictures of '3 Hebrew Boys'
Prosecutors call trio predatory; defense says they were trying to help others
By Meg Kinnard • The Associated Press • November 11, 2009

Comments (0) Recommend Print this page E-mail this article Share Del.icio.us Facebook Digg Reddit Newsvine Twitter COLUMBIA — Three men with no business expertise promised to help clients get out of debt, but instead collected millions and spent it on luxury items for themselves, federal prosecutors said Tuesday.

The trio called themselves the “3 Hebrew Boys” after the biblical tale of brothers who survived an inferno because of their faith. They are on trial in federal court on nearly 60 federal charges, including mail fraud and money laundering, and face decades in prison and millions in fines if convicted.

Prosecutors say Joseph Brunson, Tony Pough and Timothy McQueen preyed on debt-plagued investors, luring church congregants and even U.S. soldiers serving overseas to invest a total of more than $80 million with their group. They promised daily returns up to 500 percent.

“These men have no financial training or background, but they claim to have figured out how to make all this money,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Winston Holliday said in opening statements in Columbia.“The problem is, none of it turned out to be true.”

Defense attorneys argued their clients didn't defraud anyone and said they used the money to buy investment properties and pay out more than $30 million to their investors.

“He has gone through the trials that we all go through in life ... and he set out to assist people just like him,” said Louis Lang, who represents McQueen.“My client never intended to cheat or steal or deceive anyone.”

The men told clients their money would be invested in foreign currency markets and forced them to sign confidentiality agreements that carried $1 million in penalties if they discussed the deal with anyone, Holliday said Tuesday.

But prosecutors said the men kept the money for themselves, spending it on items like a Gulfstream jet, vacation homes and limousines, as well as luxury boxes at professional sports arenas, making some payouts to their initial customers using funds given to them by later clients.

“This wasn't an investment program,” Holliday said.“This was a Ponzi scheme.”

For a year after their arrests, the three defendants unsuccessfully argued that they be allowed to represent themselves at trial. Several judges repeatedly shot down rambling motions.

The trial is expected to last three weeks and attorneys have not said if the defendants will testify.

Prosecutors: SC trio promised unrealistic returns
By MEG KINNARD (AP)– 10 hours ago

COLUMBIA, S.C.— Three South Carolina men accused of bilking investors out of millions made anyone with ties to law enforcement or attorneys leave their seminars, and threatened investors with $1 million in fines if they told anyone about the massive returns they were making, a former bookkeeper testified Tuesday.

"If you are affiliated with any legal entities ... would you please leave?" Somera Samuels said one of her bosses, Timothy McQueen, said at seminars he hosted with his two business partners.

The trio called themselves the "3 Hebrew Boys" after the biblical tale of brothers who survived an inferno because of their faith. They are on trial in federal court on nearly 60 federal charges, including mail fraud and money laundering, and face decades in prison and millions in fines if convicted.

Prosecutors say McQueen, Joseph Brunson and Tony Pough preyed on debt-plagued investors, luring church congregants and even U.S. soldiers serving overseas to invest a total of more than $80 million with their group. They promised daily returns up to 500 percent.

"These men have no financial training or background, but they claim to have figured out how to make all this money," Assistant U.S. Attorney Winston Holliday said in opening statements in Columbia. "The problem is, none of it turned out to be true."

The men with no business expertise promised to help clients get out of debt, telling clients their money would be invested in foreign currency markets.

But Samuels — the trio's only employee — said she never spoke with a foreign currency trader or saw any evidence money was being invested with one. And prosecutors say the men kept millions for themselves, spending it on items like a Gulfstream jet, vacation homes and limousines, as well as luxury boxes at professional sports arenas, making some payouts to their initial customers using funds given to them by later clients.

"This wasn't an investment program," Holliday said. "This was a Ponzi scheme."

Her bosses were so concerned that authorities would find out about their investment plan that they threatened investors with $1 million in fines if they spoke with anyone in law enforcement about the program, Samuels said. The three also required that she use private shipping companies instead of the U.S. Postal Service to ship documents "so the government couldn't look at them," she said.

Samuels said she left the 3 Hebrew Boys in 2007 after they refused to answer her questions about why none of them paid income tax for the money they were making.

"I did not like the way that things were going," Samuels said. "They would say one thing in front of the people (at the seminars), but behind closed doors, they was doing different things."

Defense attorneys argued during their opening statements Tuesday that their clients didn't defraud anyone, saying they used the money to buy investment properties and pay out more than $30 million to their investors.

"He has gone through the trials that we all go through in life ... and he set out to assist people just like him," said Louis Lang, who represents McQueen. "My client never intended to cheat or steal or deceive anyone."

For a year after their arrests, the three defendants unsuccessfully argued that they be allowed to represent themselves at trial. Several judges repeatedly shot down their rambling motions.

The trial is expected to last three weeks and attorneys have not said if the defendants will testify. Testimony is set to resume Thursday, after a one-day recess for Veterans Day.

Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved

M in Columbia wrote:

Prosecutors: SC trio promised unrealistic returns
By MEG KINNARD (AP)– 10 hours ago
COLUMBIA, S.C.— Three South Carolina men accused of bilking investors out of millions made anyone with ties to law enforcement or attorneys leave their seminars, and threatened investors with $1 million in fines if they told anyone about the massive returns they were making, a former bookkeeper testified Tuesday.
"If you are affiliated with any legal entities ... would you please leave?" Somera Samuels said one of her bosses, Timothy McQueen, said at seminars he hosted with his two business partners.
The trio called themselves the "3 Hebrew Boys" after the biblical tale of brothers who survived an inferno because of their faith. They are on trial in federal court on nearly 60 federal charges, including mail fraud and money laundering, and face decades in prison and millions in fines if convicted.
Prosecutors say McQueen, Joseph Brunson and Tony Pough preyed on debt-plagued investors, luring church congregants and even U.S. soldiers serving overseas to invest a total of more than $80 million with their group. They promised daily returns up to 500 percent.
"These men have no financial training or background, but they claim to have figured out how to make all this money," Assistant U.S. Attorney Winston Holliday said in opening statements in Columbia. "The problem is, none of it turned out to be true."
The men with no business expertise promised to help clients get out of debt, telling clients their money would be invested in foreign currency markets.
But Samuels — the trio's only employee — said she never spoke with a foreign currency trader or saw any evidence money was being invested with one. And prosecutors say the men kept millions for themselves, spending it on items like a Gulfstream jet, vacation homes and limousines, as well as luxury boxes at professional sports arenas, making some payouts to their initial customers using funds given to them by later clients.
"This wasn't an investment program," Holliday said. "This was a Ponzi scheme."
Her bosses were so concerned that authorities would find out about their investment plan that they threatened investors with $1 million in fines if they spoke with anyone in law enforcement about the program, Samuels said. The three also required that she use private shipping companies instead of the U.S. Postal Service to ship documents "so the government couldn't look at them," she said.
Samuels said she left the 3 Hebrew Boys in 2007 after they refused to answer her questions about why none of them paid income tax for the money they were making.
"I did not like the way that things were going," Samuels said. "They would say one thing in front of the people (at the seminars), but behind closed doors, they was doing different things."
Defense attorneys argued during their opening statements Tuesday that their clients didn't defraud anyone, saying they used the money to buy investment properties and pay out more than $30 million to their investors.
"He has gone through the trials that we all go through in life ... and he set out to assist people just like him," said Louis Lang, who represents McQueen. "My client never intended to cheat or steal or deceive anyone."
For a year after their arrests, the three defendants unsuccessfully argued that they be allowed to represent themselves at trial. Several judges repeatedly shot down their rambling motions.
The trial is expected to last three weeks and attorneys have not said if the defendants will testify. Testimony is set to resume Thursday, after a one-day recess for Veterans Day.
Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved

Notice Samuels was the Boys only employee...very reminiscent of Bernie Madoff and his single accountant scam.

Posted on Wed, Nov. 11, 2009
3 Hebrew Boys case laid out
By ANDREW SHAIN
ashain@thestate.com
Somera Samuels had been the bookkeeper for the 3 Hebrew Boys for about two years when she said she saw something that struck her as funny.
Joseph Brunson, a church pastor also known as Hebrew No. 3, was hunched over a computer taking a training course in foreign currency exchange.
"That's not what he does," Samuels said in court Tuesday. "He wasn't business savvy. He was the ministerial side of it."
The Columbia-based 3 Hebrew Boys are accused of collecting $82 million from more than 7,000 people and promising to pay lifetime annuities or pay off loans by investing in the foreign currency exchange.
Instead, authorities said, little of the money actually was invested, while a portion was spent on a personal jet, cars, condos and stadium luxury boxes.
The accused - Joseph Brunson of Hopkins, Timothy McQueen of Blythewood and Tony Pough of Columbia - are facing sentences of hundreds of years in prison if convicted on 58 counts of mail fraud, check fraud and money laundering.
The 3 Hebrew Boys, who took their name from a story in the Book of Daniel, recruited investors in churches as well as on military bases. Two of the three were ministers.
The business the trio set up had "overtones of a ministry," Assistant U.S. Attorney Winston Holliday told jurors during opening arguments Tuesday.
"It was not an investment program," he said. "It was a Ponzi scheme."
Last year, the 3 Hebrew Boys had promised to pay investors $1.1 billion but had just $17 million in bank accounts, Holliday said.
Defense attorneys told jurors the trio just were trying to help people out of debt.
Even the $23 million in investors' money spent, in part, on condos, homes, limos, land, construction and trucking companies, and dollar discount stores was spent to raise more cash for what the group called its "depositors" or "constituents," defense attorneys said.
"They were acts done in good faith," Parks Small, a federal public defender representing Pough, told jurors.
Samuels, the former bookkeeper, testified she recalled the 3 Hebrew Boys offering investment returns only from foreign currency exchange investments.
Despite having no financial training, the trio offered to pay off $200,000 mortgages and $30,000 car loans with investments of as little as $2,500, Holliday told jurors. Company representatives also offered lifetime annuities of 10 percent a month for investments ranging from $500 to $200,000, prosecutors said.
The organization said it would earn money for depositors by investing in overnight foreign exchange markets that could generate "hundreds of percent" in daily interest, Holliday said.
Investors were told this was the secret way that banks made huge profits but were required to sign confidentiality agreements with a $1 million penalty for violating them, Holliday said.
They banned those with law enforcement ties from attending investment workshops, Samuels testified. And they often used overnight carriers to deliver checks to avoid regular mail that might be monitored by authorities, she said. They used DHL so often they called the company's yellow delivery vans the "cheese trucks," she said.

The trio invested less than $100,000 of the money they raised in the foreign exchange market - and lost all of it, Holliday said.
Defense attorneys said $31 million of the $82 million raised in the nearly three years that 3 Hebrew Boys operated has been returned to investors.
An additional $23 million was spent on "assets," including the companies, land and condos - all meant to raise more money. With the $17 million recovered from bank accounts, investors will benefit from $71 million of what they gave the trio.
Attorney Louis Lang, who is representing McQueen, did not say what happened to the other $11 million.
The men named their group after the Old Testament story in which God protected three Israelites thrown into a furnace after refusing orders to bow before a golden idol.
"These gentlemen have been through a number of trials themselves," Michael Duncan, the attorney appointed to represent Brunson, told jurors. They all had suffered debt and job losses in their lives, defense attorneys said.
Like the other defendants, Brunson had no intent to defraud anyone, Duncan said. "That's what was all in his mind here, to help the downtrodden."
The trial is expected to last about three weeks.

M in Columbia wrote:

The trio invested less than $100,000 of the money they raised in the foreign exchange market - and lost all of it, Holliday said.
Defense attorneys said $31 million of the $82 million raised in the nearly three years that 3 Hebrew Boys operated has been returned to investors.
An additional $23 million was spent on "assets," including the companies, land and condos - all meant to raise more money. With the $17 million recovered from bank accounts, investors will benefit from $71 million of what they gave the trio.
Attorney Louis Lang, who is representing McQueen, did not say what happened to the other $11 million.
The men named their group after the Old Testament story in which God protected three Israelites thrown into a furnace after refusing orders to bow before a golden idol.
"These gentlemen have been through a number of trials themselves," Michael Duncan, the attorney appointed to represent Brunson, told jurors. They all had suffered debt and job losses in their lives, defense attorneys said.
Like the other defendants, Brunson had no intent to defraud anyone, Duncan said. "That's what was all in his mind here, to help the downtrodden."
The trial is expected to last about three weeks.

I notice two key points of these articles. One Samuels. It appears that is the smoking gun that will put these clowns away for a while. Second, they keep mentioning Joe Brunson Sr. seperately. Does he have his own attorney? Is he about to plea bargin? They made it sound as if he didn't know. Hmmmmm.....I smell a pig on this one. Here is the smoking gun:

Her bosses were so concerned that authorities would find out about their investment plan that they threatened investors with $1 million in fines if they spoke with anyone in law enforcement about the program, Samuels said. The three also required that she use private shipping companies instead of the U.S. Postal Service to ship documents "so the government couldn't look at them," she said.

drake wrote:

<quoted text> I notice two key points of these articles. One Samuels. It appears that is the smoking gun that will put these clowns away for a while. Second, they keep mentioning Joe Brunson Sr. seperately. Does he have his own attorney? Is he about to plea bargin? They made it sound as if he didn't know. Hmmmmm.....I smell a pig on this one. Here is the smoking gun:
Her bosses were so concerned that authorities would find out about their investment plan that they threatened investors with $1 million in fines if they spoke with anyone in law enforcement about the program, Samuels said. The three also required that she use private shipping companies instead of the U.S. Postal Service to ship documents "so the government couldn't look at them," she said.

I cannot believe we are finally at this moment!!! I also find it funny that not 1 supporter is on here still defending this scam. Hey KKKK, hey Loyalty/Joe Jr. where are you at?? Not stand up enough to face the music and the I told you so's?? Where are the morons who circled the church???

drake wrote:

<quoted text> I notice two key points of these articles. One Samuels. It appears that is the smoking gun that will put these clowns away for a while. Second, they keep mentioning Joe Brunson Sr. seperately. Does he have his own attorney? Is he about to plea bargin? They made it sound as if he didn't know. Hmmmmm.....I smell a pig on this one. Here is the smoking gun:
Her bosses were so concerned that authorities would find out about their investment plan that they threatened investors with $1 million in fines if they spoke with anyone in law enforcement about the program, Samuels said. The three also required that she use private shipping companies instead of the U.S. Postal Service to ship documents "so the government couldn't look at them," she said.

Michael Duncan represents Brunson. So far, Pastor Brunson has been the only one of the three to apologize to Judge Seymour and ask for forgiveness.

Justice wrote:

<quoted text>
I cannot believe we are finally at this moment!!! I also find it funny that not 1 supporter is on here still defending this scam. Hey KKKK, hey Loyalty/Joe Jr. where are you at?? Not stand up enough to face the music and the I told you so's?? Where are the morons who circled the church???

None of the supporters will come on here anymore including Joe Jr. They have egg all in their faces and eating do-doo burgers.

If they do come on here posting, they will be rambling about how the govt is doing wrong, and keeping the black man down. I guess they are refering to President Obama since he is the President and responsible for our govt.

Judgement day is coming real soon for the 3 crooks. They don't have a snowball chance in hell to get out of this fire. The Government will WIN this case without breaking a sweat.

Today, Nov. 15th, is the second anniversary of the Boys' first press conference at the their church. At the time, they denied any wrongdoing and asked the authorities "...to do the right thing..." It appears the Boys will soon be firsthand witnesses to "the right thing."

"Three Hebrew Boys" protest indictment in investment scheme
Updated: Nov 15, 2007 6:33 PM EST
COLUMBIA, SC (WIS)- Three men charged in an investment scheme say they're innocent. Speaking out for the first time Thursday, the Three Hebrew Boys claim they didn't target investors, but that they're wrongfully being targeted by authorities.

A packed Free Gospel Church held people in support of the Three Hebrew Boys.

"I want the world to know that the God the Three Hebrew Boys serve is able to deliver us," said Pastor Joe.

Now, inviting media to their church, the Three Hebrew Boys speak out for the first time, saying their mission was simply to help the poor.

"We have committed no crime, we have done nothing wrong. But as Tim said, the real crime is you have three young black men in Columbia, South Carolina who have $17 million dollars in the bank. If we were crooks, who in their right mind would keep $17 million in the bank?" Brunson told the crowd.

"This is not an investment company, and the reason they're trying to charge is with selling unregistered securities is because they classify it as an investment," said McQueen.

"We had multiple systems we used to generate returns," McQueen told the crowd.

And he says all were legal. Many in the room say they signed up, and the three Hebrew boys always delivered.

"Every contract, every piece of mail I was supposed to receive in the time I was supposed to receive it was brought directly to my doorstep. Believe in what these guys are doing. God bless the Three Hebrew Boys," says an investor.

The men say they hope authorities will hear their message and quote, "do the right thing."

Reported by Dan Tordjman

Posted by Logan Smith

It is amazing that since this meeting in 2007 there are people that still believe in the "3 Hebrew Boys". Although, I did not invest I've been following this case and I can't wait to see the final outcome. Most of all I can't wait to see the "Boys" reaction.

INTERESTING wrote:

It is amazing that since this meeting in 2007 there are people that still believe in the "3 Hebrew Boys". Although, I did not invest I've been following this case and I can't wait to see the final outcome. Most of all I can't wait to see the "Boys" reaction.

I think Joe Brunson's apology to the judge was to little to late. He has made a mockery of the court proceedings, and has insulted the judge way to many times for his apology to hold weight. I think his apology actually pissed off the judge even more. Does he actually think the judge has short term memory?? I think it is only fitting that justice will be served with the holiday's fast approaching. Hey Joe was being a millionaire for a day really worth it?? You now will rott in jail, and you also turned your son into a convicted felon at such a young age, great father!!!. Your wife will no doubt find another man. Look she will visit you, but she is human like the rest of us. She will have a man pleasure her from time to time and you will never know. 10 years, 3,650 days in jail will cripple your soul!! Was it really worth it fake man of god?? Using gods name while stealing will only insure the rath that is coming your way. May you and your family rott in hell!!

M in Columbia wrote:

Today, Nov. 15th, is the second anniversary of the Boys' first press conference at the their church. At the time, they denied any wrongdoing and asked the authorities "...to do the right thing..." It appears the Boys will soon be firsthand witnesses to "the right thing."
"Three Hebrew Boys" protest indictment in investment scheme
Updated: Nov 15, 2007 6:33 PM EST
COLUMBIA, SC (WIS)- Three men charged in an investment scheme say they're innocent. Speaking out for the first time Thursday, the Three Hebrew Boys claim they didn't target investors, but that they're wrongfully being targeted by authorities.
A packed Free Gospel Church held people in support of the Three Hebrew Boys.
"I want the world to know that the God the Three Hebrew Boys serve is able to deliver us," said Pastor Joe.
Now, inviting media to their church, the Three Hebrew Boys speak out for the first time, saying their mission was simply to help the poor.
"We have committed no crime, we have done nothing wrong. But as Tim said, the real crime is you have three young black men in Columbia, South Carolina who have $17 million dollars in the bank. If we were crooks, who in their right mind would keep $17 million in the bank?" Brunson told the crowd.
"This is not an investment company, and the reason they're trying to charge is with selling unregistered securities is because they classify it as an investment," said McQueen.
"We had multiple systems we used to generate returns," McQueen told the crowd.
And he says all were legal. Many in the room say they signed up, and the three Hebrew boys always delivered.
"Every contract, every piece of mail I was supposed to receive in the time I was supposed to receive it was brought directly to my doorstep. Believe in what these guys are doing. God bless the Three Hebrew Boys," says an investor.
The men say they hope authorities will hear their message and quote, "do the right thing."
Reported by Dan Tordjman
Posted by Logan Smith

Copy and Paster Media In SC..Just-Nutts will talk about you later..

Justice wrote:

<quoted text>
I think Joe Brunson's apology to the judge was to little to late. He has made a mockery of the court proceedings, and has insulted the judge way to many times for his apology to hold weight. I think his apology actually pissed off the judge even more. Does he actually think the judge has short term memory?? I think it is only fitting that justice will be served with the holiday's fast approaching. Hey Joe was being a millionaire for a day really worth it?? You now will rott in jail, and you also turned your son into a convicted felon at such a young age, great father!!!. Your wife will no doubt find another man. Look she will visit you, but she is human like the rest of us. She will have a man pleasure her from time to time and you will never know. 10 years, 3,650 days in jail will cripple your soul!! Was it really worth it fake man of god?? Using gods name while stealing will only insure the rath that is coming your way. May you and your family rott in hell!!

The same goes for you family hopefully worst. Justice lives for these forums..

GIPACCG wrote:

<quoted text>
Copy and Paster Media In SC..Just-Nutts will talk about you later..

Not this time, copy and paste away. The latest news is joy to my ears. Any update is like cumning on your moms tits lol

GIPACCG wrote:

<quoted text>
The same goes for you family hopefully worst. Justice lives for these forums..

I think Joe Brunson's apology to the judge was to little to late. He has made a mockery of the court proceedings, and has insulted the judge way to many times for his apology to hold weight. I think his apology actually pissed off the judge even more. Does he actually think the judge has short term memory?? I think it is only fitting that justice will be served with the holiday's fast approaching. Hey Joe was being a millionaire for a day really worth it?? You now will rott in jail, and you also turned your son into a convicted felon at such a young age, great father!!!. Your wife will no doubt find another man. Look she will visit you, but she is human like the rest of us. She will have a man pleasure her from time to time and you will never know. 10 years, 3,650 days in jail will cripple your soul!! Was it really worth it fake man of god?? Using gods name while stealing will only insure the rath that is coming your way. May you and your family rott in hell!!
GIPACCG
Atlanta, GA

GIPACCG wrote:

<quoted text>
The same goes for you family hopefully worst. Justice lives for these forums..

Joe Jr,
Sounds like you are mad that this case has gone to trial. You and your cult Moorish followers are no where to be found. The gig is up...you boyz are going to jail. Where are your friends/followers? Don't worry....I am sure you will come on with different usernames claiming that the support is alive and well. LMAO!