Innocent until proven guilty, but this does not have a pretty look:

Michael Winans Jr. told investors they could double their money in 60 days. Detroit police identified and interviewed at least 180 investors, but state regulators say the actual number is higher.

“Our investigation found that Michael Winans Jr. orchestrated a scheme that resulted in hundreds of Detroit residents losing millions of hard-earned dollars,” Ross said in a release. “Promising sky-high, guaranteed returns, these scammers unscrupulously fleeced unsuspecting churchgoers who let their financial guard down.”

SOURCE

Thanks to Greg for story lead

Be careful that you don’t allow your compassion to cause you to give to the wrong organization, as the vultures and scam artists are out there. Be careful in deciding which charity to give to, in terms of the Haiti tragedy. Check out the video below for help in making a choice:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

By:  Lynn Green

  A few days ago my husband sent me an article regarding a silly and money hungry man in Leamington who fell victim to the Nigerian scam.

Back in August, 2007 I wrote an article titled, When the Hunter is Captured by the Game  (Link here to past article ) and warned everyone to steer clear of the Nigerian scammers, as scamming is their area of expertise. Their scams have also been highlighted on national television.

I’m wondering how it is that John Rempel is the only person on the planet who was not aware of the Nigerian scammers? Could it be that his greed was so intense that he hoped against hope that there was a possibility he would truly receive $12.8 million in return for the $150,000 that he tricked his friends and family members out of?

Foolishness is as foolishness does.

A Leamington man has fallen prey to international scam artists who strung him along for more than a year with the promise of millions in cash, but ultimately bilked him and his family of $150,000.

John Rempel said he quit his truck driving job, lost friends, borrowed money and crossed the globe in pursuit of a non-existent inheritance, after he was contacted by e-mail in what is known as a Nigerian 419 scam.

Rempel said he borrowed $55,000 from an uncle in Mexico and his parents gave him $60,000 on credit to cover fees for transferring $12.8 million into his name.

“They’re in it now because of me,” said Rempel, 22, breaking into sobs. “If it wasn’t for me, nobody would be in this mess. You think things will work out, but it doesn’t. It’s a very bad feeling. I had lots of friends.

“I never get calls anymore from my friends. You know, a bad reputation.”

Again, he never thought to ask around? And I’m wondering about his family and their willingness to fall for this nonsense.

If it looks too good to be true, it probably is!

GO HERE to read remainder of this pitiful tale

P.S. – Hey Diva….DeeLove, either of you have any tissues for John?

By:  Lynn Green

I cannot confirm the truth of what I am about to say but Thad Matthews is reporting that Bishop Edward Stephens is asking his church to donate a complete week of their salary to his church as he celebrates the church anniversary.

I will say this. If they are stupid enough to give up a week’s salary, knowing that it will financially put them back and keep them from paying bills, they deserve exactly what they get!

Stephens drives a Bentley and lives in a $1,207,500 home located at 973 E. Timberlake Dr. And owns another home at 9386 Forest Station in Collierville valued at $566,000. Hopefully the members of Golden Gate will take the shears out of the hands of this pulpit pimp who has clearly fleeced them. By the way he passed out a form ( which I will post tonight after I received it from one of his members) asking them if they would like to have a ATM machine placed in the lobby.

Golden Gate Cathedral

Hat tip to Ginny for lead

By:  Lynn Green

  This has been a bad couple of weeks for Jewish people. First we discover that Madoff made off with over a billion dollars from his fellow Jewish brethren. Then we discover that Israel is at war with Palestine for the n’th time.

And today I learned the following:

The publication of a holocaust memoir called “Angel at the Fence” has been canceled. It was written by Herman Rosenblat, a holocaust survivor, but his story was too good to be true.

“I saw a little girl on the other side of the barbed wire,” Herman Rosenblat said.

Twelve-year-old Herman was a prisoner, the girl on the other side, he said — his savior.

“She took out an apple out of her jacket and she threw it over the fence,” Herman said. “I grabbed the apple and I ran.”

Years later Rosenblat, now an adult, said he met that same girl on a blind date in New York.

“And that was it,” Herman said. “I knew right then and there we were going to get married.”

Cute story, huh? Oprah certainly thought so. She had this hoaxter on her show twice. It was all a big hoax in an effort to dupe movie producers to buy the story and pay him money—big money. In fact his book has been canceled. $25,000,000  book advance gone. What a JERK!

SOURCE

By:  Lynn Green

 Photo courtesy of CNN

I was wondering when the rich and famous would start taking themselves out over money. I thank God that my life means more to me than a buck. [The LOVE of money] indeed is the root of all evil.

If you lost any money in the Madoff scandal, please don’t kill yourself. Doing so won’t solve your problems. In fact doing so will simply make your problems eternal.

Besides, Madoff is not in jail and he has no plans on dying any time soon. That sociopathic monster is on house arrest, relaxing, eating, watching t.v. …and caring NOTHING about those whom he destroyed.

Can someone explain to me why that crimal thug is not in the big house, behind bars?  If he were black, he would be there. Why does he get a free pass?

A source told NBC News Tuesday afternoon that Rene-Thierry Magon de la Villehuchet slit his wrists with a boxcutter and bled to death. He was sitting at the desk in his office at 509 Madison Ave., and sleeping pills were found nearby, the source said.

de la Villehuchet was despondent after having lost as much as $1.4 billion in Madoff’s alleged Ponzi scheme, according to a French business newspaper, which quoted a family member of de la Villehuchet: “(He) could not cope with the pressure following the outbreak of the scandal … This is a farewell from someone who had done nothing wrong.”

source

By:  Lynn Green

When you consider the fact that the sociopathic Bernie Madoff stole and scammed $50 billion out of his victims, one has no choice but to ask where the money all went. Where is it hidden?

And quite frankly, what was it about him that caused his victims to turn over their life savings to him?

Many professionals had questions and raised eyebrows regarding Madoff  over the years, but dared say anything—for fear of being accused of “anti-semitism”.

  This is the face of a criminal

Bernard Madoff, the former Nasdaq chairman who was charged on Thursday with massive fraud, was long considered to be quirky. Employees at the offices of his eponymously named brokerage firm in midtown Manhattan’s Lipstick Building had to follow strict rules for what they kept on their desk. Family photos were allowed but only if they were displayed in a simple black frame.

Now it looks like Madoff, who went by Bernie, may also have been a crook, and quite possibly one of the largest Wall Street has even seen. According to the U.S. Attorney’s office in the southern district of New York, Madoff admitted to defrauding clients for up to $50 billion in a massive Ponzi scheme that was committed over a number of years.

GO HERE to read entire article

VIDEO HERE

by Deputy Diva

Update:  If you have any problems at all voting today please call and report the problem to both of the following numbers:   1-877-462-6608 (CNN Voter Hotline) & 1-866-OUR-VOTE.

 There are a lot of people out there who apparently will go though great lengths and extraordinary measures to ensure that a black man does NOT become the next President of the United States.

I listened to a radio program yesterday which reported that in Florida, residents reported receiving Robo-calls stating that they could vote by telephone.  (Press 1 for John McCain & 2 for Barack Obama).

In Virginia and some other states, fliers have surfaced claiming because of the large voter turnout, there will be TWO elections… One for Republicans on Tomorrow, and the Democratic one will supposedly be on Wednesday. 

Folks, know that the devil is a LIAR!

Anyone who attempts to confront you with this low down, diabolical trickery – please rebuke them in the name of JESUS!

Click HERE to see some of the other scams being used to thwart this election.  And don’t be intimidated by nonsense like this HERE.

If you encounter ANY issues at all tomorrow, DO NOT leave the polling place.  Call 1-866-OUR-VOTE immediately, or Click HERE for more resources on how to make your vote count.  Also, if there is a legitimate problem, don’t hesitate to ask for a Provisional Ballot.

Lynn Green

2:33 EST - SHE CONFESSED!

VIDEO

Police tell KDKA that a campaign volunteer has now confessed to making up a story that a mugger attacked her and cut the letter B in her face after seeing her McCain bumper sticker.

SOURCE

———————————————————————-

2:29 EST

I belive that Hicktown Press is the FIRST blog on the internet to say outright that this “the black man did it” story appeared totally fake.

If you are not visiting Hicktown daily, you are missing out on the most complete source of uncut, raw material and news out there.

Now an hour ago, there was an update that says that Ashley’s story is falling apart quickly and police are investigating inconsistencies.

I will follow this to its conclusion. But I have a question for Ms. Ashley. Ashley, on your MySpace page you bragged that lying is the most fun a person can have with their clothes on.  Have you ever considered the consequences of lying on the lives of the person being lied on?  What is your difficulty in telling the truth?

Your “black eye” looks like it was drawn on by an eyebrow pencil.  You have told the police several versions of your tale and this is not looking good for you. It really isn’t.

IF you have truly perpetrated a hoax, I’d like to see you arrested. And it’s not looking good for you at this moment.

Hicktowners, have we added anyone to our Bozo the Clown section lately?

UPDATE

by Deputy Diva

The City of Troy, New York should be highly embarrassed and if not, allow me to embarrass you right here for this nonsense.  As highly publicized as this Presidential race is, in this day and age no one realized that the hundreds of absentee ballots that were printed first and THEN mailed to hundreds of voters had the Democratic Nominee’s name wrong?

This is what taxpayers’ money goes to - Incompetant people at the Board of Elections who allow gross errors like this?  

In an upstate New York county, hundreds of voters have been sent absentee ballots in which they could vote for “Barack Osama.”

The absentee ballots sent to voters in Rensselaer County identified the two presidential candidates as “Barack Osama” and “John McCain.” In the United States, the best-known person named Osama is Osama bin Laden, leader of the al-Qaida terrorist group.

Commissioners for the Rensselaer County Board of Elections say they regret the error but do not acknowledge in a statement exactly what the error is.

The botched ballots were first reported by the Times-Union of Albany.  SOURCE

Are you Serious?