Liberty Dollar - Final Nail?

[Peter Thoenen]

http://charlotte.fbi.gov/dojpressrel/pressrel11/ce031811.htm

Anybody have the court records? (John??)

For Immediate Release
March 18, 2011 	United States Attorney's Office
Western District of North Carolina
Contact: (704) 344-6222

Defendant Convicted of Minting His Own Currency

STATESVILLE, NCbBernard von NotHaus, 67, was convicted today by a 
federal jury of making, possessing, and selling his own coins, announced 
Anne M. Tompkins, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North 
Carolina. Following an eight-day trial and less than two hours of 
deliberation, von NotHaus, the founder and monetary architect of a 
currency known as the Liberty Dollar, was found guilty by a jury in 
Statesville, North Carolina, of making coins resembling and similar to 
United States coins; of issuing, passing, selling, and possessing 
Liberty Dollar coins; of issuing and passing Liberty Dollar coins 
intended for use as current money; and of conspiracy against the United 
States. The guilty verdict concluded an investigation which began in 
2005 and involved the minting of Liberty Dollar coins with a current 
value of approximately $7 million. Joining the U.S. Attorney Anne M. 
Tompkins in making todaybs announcement are Edward J. Montooth, Acting 
Special Agent in Charge of the FBI, Charlotte Division; Russell F. 
Nelson, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Secret Service, 
Charlotte Division; and Sheriff Van Duncan of the Buncombe County 
Sheriffbs Office.

According to the evidence introduced during the trial, von NotHaus was 
the founder of an organization called the National Organization for the 
Repeal of the Federal Reserve and Internal Revenue Code, commonly known 
as NORFED and also known as Liberty Services. Von NotHaus was the 
president of NORFED and the executive director of Liberty Dollar 
Services, Inc. until on or about September 30, 2008.

Von NotHaus designed the Liberty Dollar currency in 1998 and the Liberty 
coins were marked with the dollar sign ($); the words dollar, USA, 
Liberty, Trust in God (instead of In God We Trust); and other features 
associated with legitimate U.S. coinage. Since 1998, NORFED has been 
issuing, disseminating, and placing into circulation the Liberty Dollar 
in all its forms throughout the United States and Puerto Rico. NORFEDbs 
purpose was to mix Liberty Dollars into the current money of the United 
States. NORFED intended for the Liberty Dollar to be used as current 
money in order to limit reliance on, and to compete with, United States 
currency.

In coordination with the Department of Justice, on September 14, 2006, 
the United States Mint issued a press release and warning to American 
citizens that the Liberty Dollar was bnot legal tender.b The U.S. Mint 
press release and public service announcement stated that the Department 
of Justice had determined that the use of Liberty Dollars as circulating 
money was a federal crime.

Article I, section 8, clause 5 of the United States Constitution 
delegates to Congress the power to coin money and to regulate the value 
thereof. This power was delegated to Congress in order to establish and 
preserve a uniform standard of value and to insure a singular monetary 
system for all purchases and debts in the United States, public and 
private. Along with the power to coin money, Congress has the concurrent 
power to restrain the circulation of money which is not issued under its 
own authority in order to protect and preserve the constitutional 
currency for the benefit of all citizens of the nation. It is a 
violation of federal law for individuals, such as von NotHaus, or 
organizations, such as NORFED, to create private coin or currency 
systems to compete with the official coinage and currency of the United 
States.

Von NotHaus, who remains free on bond, faces a sentence of up to 15 
yearsb imprisonment on count two of the indictment and a fine of not 
more than $250,000. Von NotHaus faces a prison sentence of five years 
and fines of $250,000 on both counts one and three. In addition, the 
United States is seeking the forfeiture of approximately 16,000 pounds 
of Liberty Dollar coins and precious metals, currently valued at nearly 
$7 million. The forfeiture trial, which began today before United States 
District Court Judge Richard Voorhees, will resume on April 4, 2011 in 
the federal courthouse in Statesville. Judge Voorhees has not yet set a 
date for the sentencing of von NotHaus.

bAttempts to undermine the legitimate currency of this country are 
simply a unique form of domestic terrorism,b U.S. Attorney Tompkins said 
in announcing the verdict. bWhile these forms of anti-government 
activities do not involve violence, they are every bit as insidious and 
represent a clear and present danger to the economic stability of this 
country,b she added. bWe are determined to meet these threats through 
infiltration, disruption, and dismantling of organizations which seek to 
challenge the legitimacy of our democratic form of government.b

The case was investigated by the FBI, Buncombe County Sheriffbs 
Department, and the U.S. Secret Service, in cooperation with and 
invaluable assistance of the United States Mint. The case was prosecuted 
by Assistant United States Attorneys Jill Westmoreland Rose and Craig D. 
Randall, and the forfeiture trial is being prosecuted by Assistant 
United States Attorneys Tom Ascik and Ben Bain Creed.