Thread: FBI Confiscates "Ron Paul" coins in Idaho Raid

FBI raids seize dies, records in CdA

Operation targets 'Liberty Dollar'
Bill Morlin
Staff writer
November 16, 2007

As part of a nationwide investigation, FBI agents raided three Coeur d'Alene business locations on Thursday, seizing records and dies used to make the so-called silver "Liberty Dollar" sold throughout the United States by anti-government patriot groups.

The Coeur d'Alene raids coincided with similar raids by FBI and U.S. Secret Service agents, on Thursday at the Evansville, Ind., headquarters of organization called NORFED – the National Organization for the Repeal of the Federal Reserve Act & Internal Revenue Code.

For a decade, the organization led by a self-described "monetary architect" and harsh critic of the Federal Reserve System has pumped out an estimated $20 million its own currency, reportedly backed by silver coins minted and stored in Coeur d'Alene. The raids Thursday are the first head-on federal challenge to that operation.

Since 1998, the NORFED silver coins were manufactured at Sunshine Minting, a private Coeur d'Alene business which makes a variety of precious metal products. The silver coins backed up paper currently in $1, $5 and $10 denominations marketed by NORFED.

The organization was about to begin selling and distributing "Ron Paul" dollars, supporting the candidacy of the Republican congressman from Texas who's seeking the GOP nomination for president. He previously ran for president as a Libertarian.

Dies used to produce the coins reportedly were seized at the Coeur d'Alene minting company and accounting records were seized with warrants served at two Coeur d'Alene accounting firms, according to law enforcement sources.

"They took a lot of stuff out of there," one source said of the serving of a federal search warrant at Sunshine Minting, located at 750 W. Canfield, not far from the Kootenai County Sheriff's Office.

Officials with the sheriff's office were unaware of the raids. Federal authorities in Idaho referred inquiries to the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Western District of North Carolina, where the federal investigation apparently is being spearheaded. Those officials couldn't be reached Thursday afternoon.

The raids were confirmed by three other sources who asked not to be identified.

Tom Power, the current owner of Sunshine Minting, did not return telephone calls Thursday, but other employees said he was at the company located at 750 W. Canfield, north of Coeur d'Alene, shortly after federal search warrants were used to confiscated various items.

The Coeur d'Alene company was producing the Liberty Dollars under a contract with Bernard von NotHaus, a self-described "monetary architect" and critic of the Federal Reserve System who started NORFED while he lived in Hawaii in the late 1990s. His organization had tax-exempt, nonprofit status.

"We never refer to the American Liberty as a coin," von NotHaus told The Spokesman-Review in 1999. "The word 'coin' is a government-controlled term. This is currency that is free from government control."

"When the people own the money, they control the government," he said. "When the government owns the money, it controls the people."

Since then, his anti-government coin-producing operation reportedly has put $20 million of its "Liberty Dollars" in circulation. They can be used at merchants willing to accept them as legal tender or so-called "redemption centers" located in most states.

A man claiming to be von NotHaus posted notice of the federal raids Thursday on the Internet.

"I sincerely regret to inform you that about 8 this morning a dozen FBI and Secret Service agents raided the Liberty Dollar office in Evansville," the posting said.

"For approximately six hours they took all the gold, all the silver, all the platinum, and almost two tons of Ron Paul Dollars that were just delivered last Friday. They also took all the files and computers and froze our bank accounts," the statement said.

It asked purchasers with pending orders to be patient.

"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 U.S. Constitution," it said.

"We should not be defrauded by the fake government money," according to the statement.

The United States Mint recently issued a statement saying "prosecutors with the Department of Justice have determined that the use of these gold and silver NORFED 'Liberty Dollar' medallions as circulating money is a federal crime."

"Consumers who are considering the purchase or use of these items should be aware that they are not genuine United States Mint bullion coins and they are not legal tender," the U.S. Mint statement said.

In a 1999 interview with The Spokesman-Review, von NotHaus claimed his money was not only legal, but much-needed competition for the government. At the time, Federal Reserve and House Banking Committee officials collectively scratched their heads when asked if von NotHaus' coin business was illegal.

"We're going to be to the Federal Reserve System what Federal Express was to the Postal Service,'" the "monetary architect" told the newspaper.

At the time, von NotHaus owned the Royal Hawaiian Mint, which had contracts with Sunshine Minting Co. in Coeur d'Alene to manufacture the American Liberty silver coins.

Von NotHaus said his paper currency – in $1, $5 and $10 denominations – was backed with equal amounts of the $10 coins, stored in a vault in Coeur d'Alene.

Audits of the silver in the vault were done by an unidentified Coeur d'Alene accounting firm and are posted on NORFED's extensive Web site ( www.norfed.org), according to a 1999 news story published in The Spokesman-Review.
http://www.spokesmanreview.com/breaking ... p?ID=12398


What I don't understand is how they can confiscate gold coins made from special metals mined and owned by Sunshine mining who has been in Coeur d 'alene for over 100 years What do you think??

Feds raid 'Liberty Dollar' operations in Idaho and Indiana
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

COEUR D'ALENE, Idaho -- Federal agents have raided sites in Idaho and Indiana linked to the "Liberty Dollar," a silver coin used by groups that oppose the Federal Reserve System and the federal income tax, a newspaper reported.

FBI agents seized records and dies for casting the coins at three locations Thursday in this north Idaho resort town, and FBI and Secret Service agents also raided the headquarters of the National Organization for the Repeal of the Federal Reserve Act & Internal Revenue Code, known as NORFED, in Evansville, Ind.

The raids were confirmed by four sources close to the investigation who asked not to be identified, and a notice was posted on the Internet by NORFED founder Bernard von NotHaus, according to The Spokesman-Review of Spokane.

NORFED has produced an estimated $20 million its own paper currency in the past decade, claiming the $1, $5 and $10 bills were backed by silver coins stored in Coeur d'Alene. The raids were the first direct federal challenge to that operation, the newspaper reported.

NotHaus, a self-described "monetary architect" and Federal Reserve System critic, started NORFED while he lived in Hawaii in the late 1990s as a tax-exempt, nonprofit organization.

"We never refer to the American Liberty as a coin," von NotHaus told The Spokesman-Review in 1999. "The word 'coin' is a government-controlled term. This is currency that is free from government control."

Since 1998 the coins have been made at Sunshine Minting, which also produces a variety of precious metal products.

"When the people own the money, they control the government," von NotHaus said. "When the government owns the money, it controls the people."

The organization reportedly was preparing to sell and distribute "Ron Paul" dollars to support the Texas congressman in his campaign for the Republican presidential nomination. Paul previously ran for president as a Libertarian.

Law enforcement sources told the newspaper that dies used to produce the coins were seized at the minting company and records were taken from two local accounting firms.

Kootenai County sheriff's deputies said they were unaware of the raids. Federal authorities in Idaho referred inquiries to the U.S. attorney's office in the Charlotte, N.C., which could not be reached for comment late Thursday.

Tom Power, owner of Sunshine Minting, did not return telephone calls Thursday, but other employees told the newspaper he was present at the time of the raid.

The Web notice, purportedly issued Thursday by von NotHaus, said, "I sincerely regret to inform you that about 8 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 were just delivered last Friday. They also took all the files and computers and froze our bank accounts."

Purchasers with pending orders were asked to be patient.

"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 U.S. Constitution," the notice said.

The U.S. Mint recently issued a statement saying "prosecutors with the Department of Justice have determined that the use of these gold and silver NORFED 'Liberty Dollar' medallions as circulating money is a federal crime."

"Consumers who are considering the purchase or use of these items should be aware that they are not genuine United States Mint bullion coins and they are not legal tender."

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/642 ... ource=mypi

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"federal crimes" Not Good

The organization was about to begin selling and distributing "Ron Paul" dollars, supporting the candidacy of the Republican congressman from Texas who's seeking the GOP nomination for president. He previously ran for president as a Libertarian.

Remember RON PAUL had NOTHING to do with this, this is someone supporting his canididacy. He can not be held responsible for what others do.

What bothers me is it almost looks like someone did not want these coins circulated, but I could be wrong, just a guess! He is making great strides.

..."We never refer to the American Liberty as a coin," von NotHaus told The Spokesman-Review in 1999. "The word 'coin' is a government-controlled term. This is currency that is free from government control."

Since 1998 the coins have been made at Sunshine Minting, which also produces a variety of precious metal products.

"When the people own the money, they control the government," von NotHaus said. "When the government owns the money, it controls the people."...

All true Patriots in the USA should be outraged and email their representatives. The Neocons are going to far with their "control" agenda and to eliminate competition! Where are the "do gooder" liberals who supposedly support freedom?

Originally Posted by SOSADFORUS

The organization was about to begin selling and distributing "Ron Paul" dollars, supporting the candidacy of the Republican congressman from Texas who's seeking the GOP nomination for president. He previously ran for president as a Libertarian.

Remember RON PAUL had NOTHING to do with this, this is someone supporting his canididacy. He can not be held responsible for what others do.

What bothers me is it almost looks like someone did not want these coins circulated, but I could be wrong, just a guess! He is making great strides.

agreed
but would he take the money

Originally Posted by GREGAGREATAMERICAN

Originally Posted by SOSADFORUS

The organization was about to begin selling and distributing "Ron Paul" dollars, supporting the candidacy of the Republican congressman from Texas who's seeking the GOP nomination for president. He previously ran for president as a Libertarian.

Remember RON PAUL had NOTHING to do with this, this is someone supporting his canididacy. He can not be held responsible for what others do.

What bothers me is it almost looks like someone did not want these coins circulated, but I could be wrong, just a guess! He is making great strides.

agreed
but would he take the money

Sunshine mines has been in business for over one hundred years in Coeur D'Alene, I live here, and as far as I know a private owned mine can produce any kind of object they want with their Gold , Silver or whatever,except to counterfit U.S. coins, which these are not. Sunshine mines had nothing to do with the paper money, other than store the gold that backed it. A gold coin is worth it weight in gold, I don't know why it would be a problem for Ron Paul to accept money made from gold collector pieces, the gold is not counterfit. There has been 20 million dollars worth of the liberty dollar circulated.

These People are not trying to pass gold coins off as currancy, They are an investment, a collectors item, and a good place to have your money if the dollar ever takes a dive.

I don't know but from what I hear the FBI was trying to keep it quiet and it was put out on the internet pretty fast.
Will be interesting to see if we here more about it!!

I heard about this yesterday and it is my understanding the Ron Paul silver dollars were to be sold as souvenirs to raise money for Ron Paul's campaign which I would think is perfectly legal.

It does seem odd the raids coincided with the release of the Ron Paul Silver Dollar.

It will be interesting to see what trumped up charges they will use to justify the raids.

On a positive note this shows the neocons in Washington DC are scared of Ron Paul. Ironically as litigation against the federal government proceeds this may benefit Ron Paul. Citizens will now know more about the coins and may donate to Ron Paul's campaign in protest of the government's interference with an independent business entity.

Originally Posted by SOSADFORUS

FBI raids seize dies, records in CdA

In a 1999 interview with The Spokesman-Review, von NotHaus claimed his money was not only legal, but much-needed competition for the government. At the time, Federal Reserve and House Banking Committee officials collectively scratched their heads when asked if von NotHaus' coin business was illegal.

No money is illegal, it's undocumented!!!!