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Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Dear Liberty Dollar Supporters,
Usually at this time of the month, it is the deadline for the Liberty Dollar News, our monthly newsletter that has chronicled the Liberty Dollar for over nine years.
Of course all that came to a screeching halt when the g-boys raided the Liberty Dollar just two weeks ago on Wednesday, November 14. 2007.
So now I am running from the government, afraid for my life and trying to figure out what the hell to do next! Right? Wrong! Nothing could be further from reality. Please read these quick bulleted (no pun) items for a quick review of the latest developments:
IMPORTANT: If you have not received your order and you paid for it with a bank card, please call your bank immediately, cancel the transaction, reversing the transaction and GET YOUR MONEY BACK. Don’t let the government steal your money!
1. First I am not running “from” the g-boys. It is just the opposite. I am running “to” the government. I see the current situation as an ideal opportunity to validate the Liberty Dollar. Otherwise they will have to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that I am guilty and the Liberty Dollar is the scourge of the country. Luckily, my favorite FBI Agent “Andy” just called me yesterday... on my private cell phone. Well the cell phone is suppose to be “private” as most people don’t know the phone number. So I complimented Andy on his resourcefulness and he responded that he was the “FBI”. Now that impressed me and gave me a good secure feeling... because if the FBI could not find my cell phone number, we would really be hurting. In any case, Andy and I had a very “friendly” discussion for about 10-15 minutes. Seems that he wants to “talk” to me. I took that to mean that he wants to arrest me. So I asked about that and sure enough... a Grand Jury, indictment and arrest seems to be a given at this time.
Later in our discussions, when Andy was forth coming with other info, I complimented him on his “friendliness”. To that Andy told me that he (that’s the gov) would be as “friendly” as I was. Well, what is a poor boy to do, especially one in hot water with the feds... but be friendly. So trust me, I intend to be very “friendly”. Seriously, I told my favorite FBI Agent Andy (who I am sure is reading this and can reply if he is so moved...) that I took the government’s raid “very seriously.” To which Andy replied, “And well you should... because the government takes it very seriously too.”
So there you have it, my second call with my very Special Agent Andy. For the record, I spoke briefly to Andy shortly after he and his gang invaded the peaceful Liberty Dollar offices and raided it of everything. And as required, we received an inventory of the all confiscated material. Unfortunately, it was not as detailed as really required... simply stating 500 pounds of silver, without regard to year, weight, denomination or design was way too sloppy for this detailed pone arrestee-in-waiting.
Again, I am running “to” the government to absolve the Liberty Dollar as a legal, private, voluntary, barter currency as soon as possible. I want to get your property back ASAP. Please note this complete post for more important info on how you can help us get your property back.
2. Our first mission is to get your confiscated property back. Please don’t call it stolen... yet. It will only be “stolen” if we lose this case. And God help us all if the Liberty Dollar is found guilty. So please take two actions: First sign up for the Class Action Lawsuit and encourage other people to do so. We need thousands and thousands of people demanding the return of their “stolen property”. Second, we are launching a Legal Defense Fund to defend your right to use Gold and Silver any way you chose. It would be a very dangerous first step if the government started limiting the way you can use your own gold and silver. Please don’t let this happen! Please donate $10 or more to this very serious movement.
Currently we cannot accept donation via a bank card... but we can accept checks, money orders and cash. It is OK to mail your donation to the same old address: Liberty Dollar. 225 N. Stockwell Road. Evansville. Indiana. 47715. Every single dollar, FRN or Liberty Dollar is greatly appreciated.
Stay tune for more exciting ways to donate as we ramp to drive this out of control government back to reality. We can do it... and we need your help.
3. Now lets get serious. Did you read the 35 page Affidavit filed by Agent Andy to show ‘probable cause’ for the issuance of the Search Warrant? If not please go to: http://www.libertydollar.org/legal/pdf/libertyaffidavit.pdf and read it! Read it very thoroughly. And while you do... ask yourself, “Where’s the crime?” Where is the crime?!!! Usually in such an Affidavit there is all sorts of names, dates, offences, and other info. None of that is in this Affidavit! It seems that I am guilty of selling a t-shirt to Karen, our favorite kinda-undercover agent who was well known from the get-go. Where is the crime? And the idea we were “laundering money” is almost a joke... if it was not such a serious matter. Trust me, this is a serious matter and is being taken most seriously.
4. Equally serious, is your fear that some good natured, smiling, Agent Andy is going to raid your home and confiscate your Liberty Dollars. I know paranoia is rabid. And many of you have good cause to be alarmed. The government’s assault on our liberties and property has been way over the top. And many of us have lost property in the past. But this should only toughen our resolve for this case. But please don’t fear a raid on your place or home. There is no way the government has the resources to mount such an attack with $20 million Liberty Dollars in hundreds of thousand of hands all over our great country. Take precautions, diversify your holdings is prudent for everyone.
While it is not the time to relax and be happy, paranoia is no friend. Good communication is our best companion. So if you hear of some related action, please report it to me directly and stay focused so we can get all our property back.
5. Towards resolving this testy matter, we are interviewing federal criminal attorneys and hope to secure good, dedicated, successful counsel asap. As I mentioned to Agent Andy, I wouldn’t want to meet him without counsel.
6. I was encouraged when Agent Andy told me that he would call me when he knew the schedule so I could “turn myself in”. I thought that was real “friendly” and thanked Andy, as I am obviously not hiding out and prefer that this matter be handled in a gentlemanly way. I just hope the arrest does not interfere with my other commitments. I will be in Evansville on Thursday, attorneys in DC, family for the holidays and please join me for a rare performance as the keynote speaker at the Liberty Forum in Nashua NH on Friday, January 4. Please consider coming to the Liberty Forum... just mention Liberty Dollar and get 10% off. Trust me this is going to be wild... just a couple of days before the big Presidential Primary!!! Come to New Hampshire. Even Agent Andy is welcome. But lets find a convenient time for the arrest...OK?
7. Surprise!!! Speaking of commitments. I will be in Evansville this Thursday, November 29! Open to all. Pot Luck at 6:00. Meeting at 7:00 and out for a beer at 9:00. Everyone is welcome. Please join me at the Liberty Dollar office: 225 N. Stockwell Road Evansville Indiana. 47715. Plenty of free parking. Just off the Lloyd Expressway. Just ask Agent Andy he found us. But I don’t’ think he will be there on Thursday.... but then again... maybe Andy can come out and play... and he might be there.
8. Plus... if you did not catch my interview with Glenn Beck on CNN or with Larry Kudlow on CNBC... please visit http://www.libertydollar.org/ld/legal/raid.htm. Who would have thought that the raid would generate national news... let alone two shows on the same night and at the same time! The little Liberty Dollar just amazes me.
9. While doing the two national shows was good fun, it was not all the coverage. In fact, there are dozens of newspaper articles. The most amazing coverage came from a most amazing source, The Washington Post. Not only did the Post cover the raid, it was featured on the Front Page, plus it included a image of the Ron Paul Dollar! And if all that was not enough, the article was quite large and REALLY GOOD. It all started when Jan Salsbery, one of many fiery RCOs in California, referred Alec MacGillis, a reporter with the Washington Post to call me. As usual, Alex sounded like a very bright, very young reporter. And as I explained with a certain amount of contempt, you might write a good (truthful) article, but it will be sausage when the editors get done. But very late Friday night Alec called me and said the “editors” liked the story and was going to give it “some space.” Well who would have thought ... Front Page for the Liberty Dollar and Ron Paul?! Now who could image that he will be our next President... I for one! And hope you agree! Our country really needs Ron Paul. As the silver Ron Paul Dollar states: VOTE FOR TRUTH.
PS: To Alec’s credit, he followed up with a call on Monday, and subsequently wrote an additional outstanding article: http://www.libertydollar.org/news-stories/pdfs/1195598713.pdf
10. The local television and newspaper also provided very good coverage. It is amazing how many people are interested in the Raid on the little Liberty Dollar and the confiscation of two tons of Ron Paul Dollars. Of course your support is critical to our success. BIG Thanks for all you have done!
11. And finally have you seen the prices of the Ron Paul Gold, Silver and Coppers Dollars. One day the copper is a buck and the next day $65 or more on eBay! Silver is in the $250 to $450 range! Just crazy! And that is not even for the special numbered or hallmarked editions. Are you hip to the Hallmarked Ron Paul Silver Dollars? The Hallmark features a micro scroll with BOR denoting Ron’s respect for the Bill of Rights.
Quite simply, there is a lot to be thankful for. When we started the Liberty Dollar we did not get an instruction manual. We did not know how the Liberty Dollar was going to save the country from a monetary crisis. But we vowed not to let our great country falter without trying. We all, even Agent Andy, have a civic duty to our country. We are commanded by the Declaration of Independence: We hold these truths to be self-evident... That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. We shall not let this country fail to live up to the ideals upon which it was founded by our Founding Fathers. Let us each vow that our country will not falter on my watch!
Now as I face eminent threat of arrest and possibly many years in prison, you have my sincere thanks for supporting the Liberty Dollar that exemplifies those very ideals. Our Founding Fathers fought and died for them, we shall do nothing less.
Remember it is only by banding together and adopting a free and independent currency that provides us with “just weights and measures” will we be able to throw off the yoke of a manipulated monetary/tax system and generate a peaceful and prosperous society.
Change the money / Change the country / Change the world. Do it now!
Bernard von NotHausMonetary Architect/EditorNovember 27, 2007
Click HERE to be added to furture alerts.
Thursday, November 15, 2007
LIBERTY DOLLAR RAIDED - JOIN CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT!!!
Dear Liberty Dollar Supporters:
I sincerely regret to inform you that about 8:00 this morning a dozen FBI and Secret Service agents raided the Liberty Dollar office in Evansville.
For approximately six hours they took all the gold, all the silver, all the platinum and almost two tons of Ron Paul Dollars that where just delivered last Friday. They also took all the files, all the computers and froze our bank accounts.
We have no money. We have no products. We have no records to even know what was ordered or what you are owed. 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.
But to make matters worse, all the gold and silver that backs up the paper certificates and digital currency held in the vault at Sunshine Mint has also been confiscated. Even the dies for mint the Gold and Silver Libertys have been taken.
This in spite of the fact that Edmond C. Moy, the Director of the Mint, acknowledged in a letter to a US Senator that the paper certificates did not violate Section 486 and were not illegal. But the FBI and Services took all the paper currency too.
The possibility of such action was the reason the Liberty Dollar was designed so that the vast majority of the money was in specie form and in the people’s hands. Of the $20 million Liberty Dollars, only about a million is in paper or digital form.
I regret that if you are due an order. It may be some time until it will be filled... if ever... it now all depends on our actions.
Everyone who has an unfulfilled order or has digital or paper currency should band together for a class action suit and demand redemption. We cannot allow the government to steal our money! Please don't let this happen!!! Many of you read the articles quoting the government and Federal Reserve officials that the Liberty Dollar was legal. You did nothing wrong. 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.
Please forward this important Alert... so everyone who possess or use the Liberty Dollar is aware of the situation.
Please click HERE to sign up for the class action lawsuit and get your property back! If the above link does not work you can access the page by copying the following into your web browser.
http://www.libertydollar.org/classaction/index.php
Thanks again for your support at this darkest time as the damn government and their dollar sinks to a new low.
Bernard von NotHaus
Monetary Architect
http://www.libertydollar.org/classaction/index.php
I sincerely regret to inform you that about 8:00 this morning a dozen FBI and Secret Service agents raided the Liberty Dollar office in Evansville.
For approximately six hours they took all the gold, all the silver, all the platinum and almost two tons of Ron Paul Dollars that where just delivered last Friday. They also took all the files, all the computers and froze our bank accounts.
We have no money. We have no products. We have no records to even know what was ordered or what you are owed. 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.
But to make matters worse, all the gold and silver that backs up the paper certificates and digital currency held in the vault at Sunshine Mint has also been confiscated. Even the dies for mint the Gold and Silver Libertys have been taken.
This in spite of the fact that Edmond C. Moy, the Director of the Mint, acknowledged in a letter to a US Senator that the paper certificates did not violate Section 486 and were not illegal. But the FBI and Services took all the paper currency too.
The possibility of such action was the reason the Liberty Dollar was designed so that the vast majority of the money was in specie form and in the people’s hands. Of the $20 million Liberty Dollars, only about a million is in paper or digital form.
I regret that if you are due an order. It may be some time until it will be filled... if ever... it now all depends on our actions.
Everyone who has an unfulfilled order or has digital or paper currency should band together for a class action suit and demand redemption. We cannot allow the government to steal our money! Please don't let this happen!!! Many of you read the articles quoting the government and Federal Reserve officials that the Liberty Dollar was legal. You did nothing wrong. 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.
Please forward this important Alert... so everyone who possess or use the Liberty Dollar is aware of the situation.
Please click HERE to sign up for the class action lawsuit and get your property back! If the above link does not work you can access the page by copying the following into your web browser.
http://www.libertydollar.org/classaction/index.php
Thanks again for your support at this darkest time as the damn government and their dollar sinks to a new low.
Bernard von NotHaus
Monetary Architect
http://www.libertydollar.org/classaction/index.php
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
List Your Business Here by Supporting the Defense Fund!
We would like to extend an invitation to all Liberty Dollar supporters who own or operate businesses throughout the States. If you would like to donate a small amount of money electronically or through the mail, we would be happy to list your business name, website, city, and state, and perhaps more, on a big list of supporters! Let's show everyone who stands behind the Liberty Dollar and REAL MONEY.
Just send a donation, and specify the business name, website (if applicable), city, state. We will list it immediately. If you've already donated, and want to add your name in, please send an email via the email account associated with your donation, to accountabilitydept@gmail.com and we will post things :)
Thank you all!
Just send a donation, and specify the business name, website (if applicable), city, state. We will list it immediately. If you've already donated, and want to add your name in, please send an email via the email account associated with your donation, to accountabilitydept@gmail.com and we will post things :)
Thank you all!
Friday, October 19, 2007
Liberty Dollar Arrest Fund Raising
A young couple, now married, were arrested in May for using Liberty Dollars in
Shaun and Lana have begun a fund raiser, which can be found at www.LibertyDollarArrest.com, and are asking for any other concerned citizens who support real money to donate to their legal defense fund. Shaun and Lana can accept both FRNs (checks, money orders, PayPal, credit card, etc) or real silver and gold money. Plase visit the above website today for more information on the arrests, the fund raiser, and other ways you can help out! Free trade, real money, and justice are at stake here today. Trial is currently scheduled for Lana on Nov. 8th and 9th. Please take action today and help this brave and patriotic couple.
Monday, October 1, 2007
CCW Deemed Unconstitutional in WI
Judge Throws Out Concealed Weapon Charge
Katie DeLong
Associated Press
MILWAUKEE - A judge has found the prosecution of a pizza driver on concealed weapons charges to be unconstitutional.Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Daniel A. Noonan agreed Monday with defense attorneys' contention that Andres Vegas, 46, needed the gun to protect himself in his chosen work, citing state Supreme Court decisions that found justified exceptions to the state's concealed-carry ban.
The ruling means Vegas will not face criminal charges in the nonfatal shootings. Prosecutors had filed a misdemeanor count of carrying a concealed weapon after the second shooting, in January, and said Vegas had been warned after a July 2006 shooting not to carry a concealed gun while driving for his job.
"Given Vegas's experience, he has a need for a gun at a moment's notice," the judge said in his decision. "Enclosing and unloading the weapon is not a reasonable alternative to secure and protect his safety.
"Plus, Vegas while delivering pizzas enters and exits his car constantly; it would be unreasonable for him every time that he enters his car to require him to unload it and place it in a case and then reverse the process every time he exits. This defeats the purpose of having the gun for security and protection."
Craig Mastantuono, one of two lawyers who represented Vegas, said the weapons ban had presented Vegas with untenable choices of either carry a gun illegally or else go unarmed on delivery runs in the same central-city neighborhoods where he has been robbed four times.
"Mr. Vegas's situation may seem unique, but given the gap between the rights that are afforded Wisconsin citizens in the right to bear arms amendment and the prohibitions that restrict Wisconsin residents in the concealed-carry general ban that was never updated by the Legislature, I think it's going to be a recurring situation, quite frankly," Mastantuono said.
Vegas became a delivery driver in a Milwaukee suburb after the charge was filed, Mastantuono, and is now a cook.
"Mr. Vegas felt required by circumstances -- not only of threats to his safety but being prosecuted for defending himself -- he felt required to change careers," Mastantuono said.
Milwaukee County Deputy District Attorney Kent Lovern said his office has no plans to appeal the decision.
Saturday, September 15, 2007
Story Covered by a Paper
Illegal tender: Couple accused of using 'barter currency'
(Published Saturday, September 15, 2007 01:38:52 AM CST)
By Mike Heine/Gazette Staff
An Illinois couple arrested this spring may be the first to try and use a "private barter currency" in Walworth County, District Attorney Phil Koss said.
Shaun A. Kranish, 22, and Svetlana V. Dudnik, 24, both of Rockford, Ill., are accused of using and trying to use "Liberty Dollars" at three Walworth businesses.
The U.S. Mint says the currency is illegal to use, but its creators say it's OK if both parties agree.
Kranish and Dudnik recently posted their story a new local blog site, walworthcorruption.blogspot.com.
They claim they were harassed by police, booked into jail and thrust into the court system for doing nothing wrong.
On May 6, Kranish attempted to pay for his meal at the Dari-Ripple in Walworth with a $20 "fine silver Liberty Dollar." Shortly after he gave it to the clerk, a police officer arrived and started asking him questions.
"I tried to explain that it was not against the law, that I was offering silver for trade ..." a writer claiming to be Kranish wrote on the blog site.
Kranish and Dudnik-who now are married, according to the blog posting-were arrested and taken to jail.
Kranish is charged with four counts of party to misdemeanor theft by fraud, and Dudnik is charged with three counts of party to misdemeanor theft and one count of party to attempted misdemeanor theft.
Kranish also was arrested for carrying a concealed weapon. He had a .45 caliber handgun in a CD case in his car May 6, and he was wearing an empty holster, according to the criminal complaint.
Passing the buck
Walworth police had been tipped off about Liberty Dollars. They were notified of Liberty Dollars being used at the Walworth Landing gas station, Daniels Sentry and again at Dari-Ripple, all in late April, according to the complaint.
Dudnik told police she was with Kranish when he used the coins at the three locations, according to the complaint.
The cases are pending.
"I've spoken to many lawyers since this has happened, and they have all said the same thing-Walworth County, Wisconsin, is the most corrupt county in the state," Kranish wrote on his blog.
"They nail people, especially people from out of town or out of state. It's a huge racket, just like everywhere else. But in Walworth, they do whatever they want with impunity."
Kranish wondered why he couldn't get the silver pieces back from the stores and give them U.S. currency, as he had done before in Rockford, according to the posting.
Barter currency
Bernard von NotHaus, creator of the Liberty Dollar, argues the coins and paper currency are legal.
The company's Web site says the money can be used if both the seller and the buyer agree to use them as payment.
Von NotHaus even sued the federal government, claiming damage to his business from warning publicized by the U.S. Mint against using Liberty Dollars.
"The Liberty Dollar is a 'private voluntary barter' currency, which is not and has not been represented as 'legal tender,' 'coin' or 'current money' in the United States," according to the lawsuit.
The company, which says the currency is backed by silver and gold reserves, has "encouraged persons who utilize the barter currency to offer it to merchants as barter payment for goods and services but not as 'legal tender' or 'current money.'"
The company's Web site reminds users that Liberty Dollars are not U.S. currency, but it says to offer them "with the confidence that it will be accepted." It even gives a 12-step "how to use the Liberty Dollar" guide.
A spokesperson for the company did not reply to requests for interviews.
Is it legal?
Using Liberty Dollars as circulating currency could be a federal crime, according to the U.S. Mint. The federal government warned consumers and businesses last September that using the coins is a crime.
"They are not genuine United States Mint bullion coins and are not legal tender," according to warning on the Mint's Web site. "These medallions are privately produced products that are neither backed by, nor affiliated with, the United States government."
Kranish and Dudnik are facing charges in Walworth County because by using the coins they were "intentionally deceiving the persons with a false representation," according to the complaint.
After being told of the federal warning and U.S. Mint's stance, which is backed by the Department of Justice, Koss said the case theoretically could have gone to federal prosecutors.
The U.S. Mint says only the government may pass or create "any coins of gold or silver or other metal, or alloys of metal, intended for use as current money."
The Mint also says the company is confusing consumers by saying Liberty Dollars are "legal" and "constitutional."
A spokeswoman from the U.S. Mint said she cannot comment about Liberty Dollars because of the lawsuit, but she said the situation was big enough that the Mint issued a rare consumer alert.
Rare here
The company says 100,000 Americans are circulating $20 million in Liberty Dollar currency. Few are around here.
Within a 50-mile radius of Janesville, only seven Wisconsin businesses and three in Illinois-none of which are retail outlets-are willing to accept the Liberty Dollar, according to the company's Web site.
Most of them also appear to be exchange outlets where people can turn in their Liberty Dollars for regular currency or vice versa.
Comments:
The federal government does not prosecute people who engage in trade. It doesn't matter if it's used bubble-gum, curling irons, toothpicks, or anything else you can name. No law can prohibit men and women from engaging in free trade like this. The government does not have a monopoly on the minting of gold and silver bullion medallions. A "coin" is a medallion issued by government. The Liberty Dollar is not, and never has claimed to be, a "coin." Shaun and Lana have never said they were "coins" either.
Why are the locals prosecuting a case that should be taken up by the federal government? This is because they no no crime has been committed -- but they still want to extract money from Shaun and Lana -- or should I say more money from the newly-wed couple.
The next confusion technique being used by this newspaper, the feds, and perhaps the locals, would be the use of the term "legal." "Legal" means created by law. However, we commonly use "legal" to mean "abiding by all laws." The actual word that should be used for this is "lawful." Something can be both illegal and perfectly lawful at the same time. For example: walking three dogs down the street. There is probably no law anywhere in the country that says you may specifically walk three dogs down the street. This means this act is illegal. However, since there is no law that says you may not, this act is also perfectly lawful. You may not be cited for walking three dogs down the street, just because no law says you can. Luckily for us, our rights are not created by law or government -- but rather bestowed upon us all equally at birth.
The U.S. Mint says only the government may pass or create "any coins of gold or silver or other metal, or alloys of metal, intended for use as current money."
"They are not genuine United States Mint bullion coins and are not legal tender," according to warning on the Mint's Web site. "These medallions are privately produced products that are neither backed by, nor affiliated with, the United States government."
Indeed, by definition of "coin," only the government may create a "coin." It would literally be incorrect to suggest that anyone but a government can create a coin. However, this is not to say that all circular pieces of metal used in trade are "coins" -- this would also be incorrect. The Liberty Dollar has never claimed to be a coin of any type. So the mint is not lying here, but they are trying to mislead you into think you may not trade valuable gold and silver. They would like a monopoly on the creation of round metal discs to be used in trade -- this is their business. Thankfully and most fortunately, we have still retained our right to mint and trade medallions of our own. Our government does not use precious, valuable metals -- they use the cheapest stuff they can get away with. Silver and gold are precious and valuable -- this is why people like Shaun and Lana use and promote the Liberty Dollar.
So, we've established that they aren't "coins" created by the government. The Liberty Dollar is quite happy to admit this -- after all, the whole point of using this currency is that it is not created by government!
Within a 50-mile radius of Janesville, only seven Wisconsin businesses and three in Illinois-none of which are retail outlets-are willing to accept the Liberty Dollar, according to the company's Web site.
It was good of this paper to be forthcoming about the source of this. Although few businesses are listed on the Liberty Dollar website, many businesses, presumably hundreds or thousands, will accept the Liberty Dollar in both states. Shaun and Lana had quite a few businesses in their own town that happily accepted the currency -- vendors and retailers that appreciated receiving something of value in trade.
Kranish also was arrested for carrying a concealed weapon. He had a .45 caliber handgun in a CD case in his car May 6, and he was wearing an empty holster, according to the criminal complaint.
How can one be arrested for carrying a weapon when it's in one's car? This is equivalent to being arrested for having open liquor in your car when it's in your refrigerator at home! According to our research, one statute in Wisconsin says that no firearms may be concealed. Another statute says that when you are transporting a firearm in your car, you must conceal it by putting it in some sort of container. This is very similar to the statutes in Illinois (Wisconsin and Illinois are the only two states that forbid citizens from carrying concealed firearms for personal protection). These two statutes in Wisconsin are obviously at odds with each other. According to the courts -- when it comes to transporting in a car -- the statute that requires a citizen to put it in a container overrules the other statute.
So...how did Mr. Kranish violate this statute. Mr. Kranish is the founder and executive director of a gun rights organization in Illinois. According to him, he has spent years researching the statutes and understanding them. He has also never been convicted of anything other than a traffic offense. He's never victimized anyone. This means he's not a criminal, but rather a law-abiding citizen. Why are they trying to prosecute him when he's going further than many people do and being careful to follow the statutes and avoid trouble?
While we're on the subject, how did the officer have probable cause to search the car anyhow? Kranish certainly did not consent to a search! After having been illegally and unlawfully arrested for offering solid silver in exchange for some food (what kind of moronic store attendant would refuse such an offer?), the officer then searched his car without warrant or probable cause? HOLY CRAP!!! Kranish's bumper stickers and empty holster must have made officer Kjendlie drool at the prospect of fishing for more "offenses" to create with the flick of his pencil -- offenses that would result in financial extraction(extortion) from Kranish and his family.
Offering Liberty Dollars cannot be a crime, unless you falsely represent them. Kranish knows the rules -- he has never said they were anything that they were not. There is no evidence -- indeed, nothing even in the charging documents that mention anything about a false representation (other than the name of the statute used for the charge). So where is the crime? Who is the victim? No crime ever even occurred -- let alone having been perpetrated by this innocent couple. There is no law that forbids the wearing of an empty holster. Kranish proved that well in Illinois when he won a criminal case and then smacked his college with a civil suit for having arrested him for wearing such a harmless device.
No victim. No crime. No probable cause. Yet they arrest, search without warrant, interrogate, hold in jail, bring before a judge and extort money on the pretenses of FELONY CHARGES that were never even charged! Thousands of dollars in bond money -- $5,200 total -- was extorted from this couple because the judge told them they were charged with felonies. They were never even charged -- they never received anything with felony charges. As far as we can tell -- no felony charges were ever filed.
WALWORTH COUNTY WISCONSIN HAS A CRIMINAL, CORRUPT, UNLAWFUL, ILLEGAL, EXTORTION RACKET UNDERWAY AND SHAUN KRANISH AND SVETLANA DUDNIK HAVE BEEN VICTIMIZED BY IT!!!
(Published Saturday, September 15, 2007 01:38:52 AM CST)
By Mike Heine/Gazette Staff
An Illinois couple arrested this spring may be the first to try and use a "private barter currency" in Walworth County, District Attorney Phil Koss said.
Shaun A. Kranish, 22, and Svetlana V. Dudnik, 24, both of Rockford, Ill., are accused of using and trying to use "Liberty Dollars" at three Walworth businesses.
The U.S. Mint says the currency is illegal to use, but its creators say it's OK if both parties agree.
Kranish and Dudnik recently posted their story a new local blog site, walworthcorruption.blogspot.com.
They claim they were harassed by police, booked into jail and thrust into the court system for doing nothing wrong.
On May 6, Kranish attempted to pay for his meal at the Dari-Ripple in Walworth with a $20 "fine silver Liberty Dollar." Shortly after he gave it to the clerk, a police officer arrived and started asking him questions.
"I tried to explain that it was not against the law, that I was offering silver for trade ..." a writer claiming to be Kranish wrote on the blog site.
Kranish and Dudnik-who now are married, according to the blog posting-were arrested and taken to jail.
Kranish is charged with four counts of party to misdemeanor theft by fraud, and Dudnik is charged with three counts of party to misdemeanor theft and one count of party to attempted misdemeanor theft.
Kranish also was arrested for carrying a concealed weapon. He had a .45 caliber handgun in a CD case in his car May 6, and he was wearing an empty holster, according to the criminal complaint.
Passing the buck
Walworth police had been tipped off about Liberty Dollars. They were notified of Liberty Dollars being used at the Walworth Landing gas station, Daniels Sentry and again at Dari-Ripple, all in late April, according to the complaint.
Dudnik told police she was with Kranish when he used the coins at the three locations, according to the complaint.
The cases are pending.
"I've spoken to many lawyers since this has happened, and they have all said the same thing-Walworth County, Wisconsin, is the most corrupt county in the state," Kranish wrote on his blog.
"They nail people, especially people from out of town or out of state. It's a huge racket, just like everywhere else. But in Walworth, they do whatever they want with impunity."
Kranish wondered why he couldn't get the silver pieces back from the stores and give them U.S. currency, as he had done before in Rockford, according to the posting.
Barter currency
Bernard von NotHaus, creator of the Liberty Dollar, argues the coins and paper currency are legal.
The company's Web site says the money can be used if both the seller and the buyer agree to use them as payment.
Von NotHaus even sued the federal government, claiming damage to his business from warning publicized by the U.S. Mint against using Liberty Dollars.
"The Liberty Dollar is a 'private voluntary barter' currency, which is not and has not been represented as 'legal tender,' 'coin' or 'current money' in the United States," according to the lawsuit.
The company, which says the currency is backed by silver and gold reserves, has "encouraged persons who utilize the barter currency to offer it to merchants as barter payment for goods and services but not as 'legal tender' or 'current money.'"
The company's Web site reminds users that Liberty Dollars are not U.S. currency, but it says to offer them "with the confidence that it will be accepted." It even gives a 12-step "how to use the Liberty Dollar" guide.
A spokesperson for the company did not reply to requests for interviews.
Is it legal?
Using Liberty Dollars as circulating currency could be a federal crime, according to the U.S. Mint. The federal government warned consumers and businesses last September that using the coins is a crime.
"They are not genuine United States Mint bullion coins and are not legal tender," according to warning on the Mint's Web site. "These medallions are privately produced products that are neither backed by, nor affiliated with, the United States government."
Kranish and Dudnik are facing charges in Walworth County because by using the coins they were "intentionally deceiving the persons with a false representation," according to the complaint.
After being told of the federal warning and U.S. Mint's stance, which is backed by the Department of Justice, Koss said the case theoretically could have gone to federal prosecutors.
The U.S. Mint says only the government may pass or create "any coins of gold or silver or other metal, or alloys of metal, intended for use as current money."
The Mint also says the company is confusing consumers by saying Liberty Dollars are "legal" and "constitutional."
A spokeswoman from the U.S. Mint said she cannot comment about Liberty Dollars because of the lawsuit, but she said the situation was big enough that the Mint issued a rare consumer alert.
Rare here
The company says 100,000 Americans are circulating $20 million in Liberty Dollar currency. Few are around here.
Within a 50-mile radius of Janesville, only seven Wisconsin businesses and three in Illinois-none of which are retail outlets-are willing to accept the Liberty Dollar, according to the company's Web site.
Most of them also appear to be exchange outlets where people can turn in their Liberty Dollars for regular currency or vice versa.
Comments:
The federal government does not prosecute people who engage in trade. It doesn't matter if it's used bubble-gum, curling irons, toothpicks, or anything else you can name. No law can prohibit men and women from engaging in free trade like this. The government does not have a monopoly on the minting of gold and silver bullion medallions. A "coin" is a medallion issued by government. The Liberty Dollar is not, and never has claimed to be, a "coin." Shaun and Lana have never said they were "coins" either.
Why are the locals prosecuting a case that should be taken up by the federal government? This is because they no no crime has been committed -- but they still want to extract money from Shaun and Lana -- or should I say more money from the newly-wed couple.
The next confusion technique being used by this newspaper, the feds, and perhaps the locals, would be the use of the term "legal." "Legal" means created by law. However, we commonly use "legal" to mean "abiding by all laws." The actual word that should be used for this is "lawful." Something can be both illegal and perfectly lawful at the same time. For example: walking three dogs down the street. There is probably no law anywhere in the country that says you may specifically walk three dogs down the street. This means this act is illegal. However, since there is no law that says you may not, this act is also perfectly lawful. You may not be cited for walking three dogs down the street, just because no law says you can. Luckily for us, our rights are not created by law or government -- but rather bestowed upon us all equally at birth.
The U.S. Mint says only the government may pass or create "any coins of gold or silver or other metal, or alloys of metal, intended for use as current money."
"They are not genuine United States Mint bullion coins and are not legal tender," according to warning on the Mint's Web site. "These medallions are privately produced products that are neither backed by, nor affiliated with, the United States government."
Indeed, by definition of "coin," only the government may create a "coin." It would literally be incorrect to suggest that anyone but a government can create a coin. However, this is not to say that all circular pieces of metal used in trade are "coins" -- this would also be incorrect. The Liberty Dollar has never claimed to be a coin of any type. So the mint is not lying here, but they are trying to mislead you into think you may not trade valuable gold and silver. They would like a monopoly on the creation of round metal discs to be used in trade -- this is their business. Thankfully and most fortunately, we have still retained our right to mint and trade medallions of our own. Our government does not use precious, valuable metals -- they use the cheapest stuff they can get away with. Silver and gold are precious and valuable -- this is why people like Shaun and Lana use and promote the Liberty Dollar.
So, we've established that they aren't "coins" created by the government. The Liberty Dollar is quite happy to admit this -- after all, the whole point of using this currency is that it is not created by government!
Within a 50-mile radius of Janesville, only seven Wisconsin businesses and three in Illinois-none of which are retail outlets-are willing to accept the Liberty Dollar, according to the company's Web site.
It was good of this paper to be forthcoming about the source of this. Although few businesses are listed on the Liberty Dollar website, many businesses, presumably hundreds or thousands, will accept the Liberty Dollar in both states. Shaun and Lana had quite a few businesses in their own town that happily accepted the currency -- vendors and retailers that appreciated receiving something of value in trade.
Kranish also was arrested for carrying a concealed weapon. He had a .45 caliber handgun in a CD case in his car May 6, and he was wearing an empty holster, according to the criminal complaint.
How can one be arrested for carrying a weapon when it's in one's car? This is equivalent to being arrested for having open liquor in your car when it's in your refrigerator at home! According to our research, one statute in Wisconsin says that no firearms may be concealed. Another statute says that when you are transporting a firearm in your car, you must conceal it by putting it in some sort of container. This is very similar to the statutes in Illinois (Wisconsin and Illinois are the only two states that forbid citizens from carrying concealed firearms for personal protection). These two statutes in Wisconsin are obviously at odds with each other. According to the courts -- when it comes to transporting in a car -- the statute that requires a citizen to put it in a container overrules the other statute.
So...how did Mr. Kranish violate this statute. Mr. Kranish is the founder and executive director of a gun rights organization in Illinois. According to him, he has spent years researching the statutes and understanding them. He has also never been convicted of anything other than a traffic offense. He's never victimized anyone. This means he's not a criminal, but rather a law-abiding citizen. Why are they trying to prosecute him when he's going further than many people do and being careful to follow the statutes and avoid trouble?
While we're on the subject, how did the officer have probable cause to search the car anyhow? Kranish certainly did not consent to a search! After having been illegally and unlawfully arrested for offering solid silver in exchange for some food (what kind of moronic store attendant would refuse such an offer?), the officer then searched his car without warrant or probable cause? HOLY CRAP!!! Kranish's bumper stickers and empty holster must have made officer Kjendlie drool at the prospect of fishing for more "offenses" to create with the flick of his pencil -- offenses that would result in financial extraction(extortion) from Kranish and his family.
Offering Liberty Dollars cannot be a crime, unless you falsely represent them. Kranish knows the rules -- he has never said they were anything that they were not. There is no evidence -- indeed, nothing even in the charging documents that mention anything about a false representation (other than the name of the statute used for the charge). So where is the crime? Who is the victim? No crime ever even occurred -- let alone having been perpetrated by this innocent couple. There is no law that forbids the wearing of an empty holster. Kranish proved that well in Illinois when he won a criminal case and then smacked his college with a civil suit for having arrested him for wearing such a harmless device.
No victim. No crime. No probable cause. Yet they arrest, search without warrant, interrogate, hold in jail, bring before a judge and extort money on the pretenses of FELONY CHARGES that were never even charged! Thousands of dollars in bond money -- $5,200 total -- was extorted from this couple because the judge told them they were charged with felonies. They were never even charged -- they never received anything with felony charges. As far as we can tell -- no felony charges were ever filed.
WALWORTH COUNTY WISCONSIN HAS A CRIMINAL, CORRUPT, UNLAWFUL, ILLEGAL, EXTORTION RACKET UNDERWAY AND SHAUN KRANISH AND SVETLANA DUDNIK HAVE BEEN VICTIMIZED BY IT!!!
Sunday, September 9, 2007
You can help by calling!
We would ask that you take a minute or two out of your day and call the numbers listed on the left side. These are the three businesses that were allegedly "victimized" -- two of them freely accepted the Liberty Dollar and one of them called the police. None have sought a simple solution -- such as asking Shaun to give them federal reserve notes instead!!!
We ask that you be as polite as possible and simple ask them to look into this matter and try to resolve it in a simple way, by asking for paper instead of silver. They may also wish to post that they don't accept the Liberty Dollar or train their employees to let patrons know. Just like many stores don't accept credit cards -- Dari Ripple included -- they can simply let people know. Having them arrested and/or pressing charges is ludicrous!
Thank you for standing with us!!!
We ask that you be as polite as possible and simple ask them to look into this matter and try to resolve it in a simple way, by asking for paper instead of silver. They may also wish to post that they don't accept the Liberty Dollar or train their employees to let patrons know. Just like many stores don't accept credit cards -- Dari Ripple included -- they can simply let people know. Having them arrested and/or pressing charges is ludicrous!
Thank you for standing with us!!!
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