Issue: archive index
  

International Cultic Studies Association
Article News Summaries

Vol. 1, No. 1, 2002

News Summaries: December 15, 2001 to January 15, 2002

First Amendment

Church Ponzi Scheme Not Shielded from Prosecution

Religious organizations that innocently profited from a Ponzi scheme are not shielded by the Religious Freedom Restoration Act or the First Amendment when a bankruptcy trustee demands they return all payments they received within the previous four years, a federal judge has ruled. In Liebersohn v. First Baptist Church of Collingdale [PA], Senior U.S. District Judge Clarence C. Newcomer of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania rejected arguments that two sections of the Bankruptcy Code and the Pennsylvania Uniform Fraudulent Transfer Act infringe on the religious freedom of several churches.

To attract investors, David Burry, who later pleaded guilty to criminal charges, falsified sales records, balance sheets, income statements and accounts receivable listings. The investors were paid back through a pyramid scheme in which proceeds from new investors were given to old investors, creating an illusion of legitimate profit-making.

A lawyer for the churches argued that requiring them to pay back the money would "curtail significantly their religious activities and divert their supporters' regular donations to return those donations to the trustee." (Shannon P. Duffy, The Legal Intelligencer, 1/4/02, Internet)

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News Summaries - group

News: by organization ∆* News: added: 2002 - 03.01 ∆†*News: by topic ∆‡* News: by group ^ Last, First x. Ph.D.: "Title" ∆‡ Attleboro sect: "Judge Keeps Corneaus in Jail" - posted: 03/28/02 ∆‡ Aum: "New Aum, (Aleph) Leader / Japan" - posted: 03/28/02 ∆‡ Aylmer Church of God (posted 3/28/02) ∆‡ Falun Gong: "Falun Gong Hijacks TV Time " - posted: 03/28/02 ∆‡ Falun Gong: "Foreign Protesters Detained / China" - posted: 03/28/02 ∆‡ Hare Krishna (posted 03/28/02) ∆‡ House of Prayer (posted 03/28/02) ∆‡ Kashi Ashram (posted: 03/28/02) ∆‡ Life Space (posted 03/28/02) ∆‡ Operation and Reconnaissance Agents (posted: 03/01/02) ∆‡ Raelians (posted: 03/28/02) ∆‡ Rasheen Nyah Family (posted: 03/28/02) ∆‡ Scientology: "Photo Exhibit on Scientology Founder" - posted: 03/28/02

___________________________________________^

Issue: archive index
  

International Cultic Studies Association
Article News Summaries

Vol. 1, No. 1, 2002

News Summaries: December 15, 2001 to January 15, 2002

First Amendment

Church Ponzi Scheme Not Shielded from Prosecution

Religious organizations that innocently profited from a Ponzi scheme are not shielded by the Religious Freedom Restoration Act or the First Amendment when a bankruptcy trustee demands they return all payments they received within the previous four years, a federal judge has ruled. In Liebersohn v. First Baptist Church of Collingdale [PA], Senior U.S. District Judge Clarence C. Newcomer of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania rejected arguments that two sections of the Bankruptcy Code and the Pennsylvania Uniform Fraudulent Transfer Act infringe on the religious freedom of several churches.

To attract investors, David Burry, who later pleaded guilty to criminal charges, falsified sales records, balance sheets, income statements and accounts receivable listings. The investors were paid back through a pyramid scheme in which proceeds from new investors were given to old investors, creating an illusion of legitimate profit-making.

A lawyer for the churches argued that requiring them to pay back the money would "curtail significantly their religious activities and divert their supporters' regular donations to return those donations to the trustee." (Shannon P. Duffy, The Legal Intelligencer, 1/4/02, Internet)

_____________________________________________ ^

News Summaries - group

News: by organization ∆* News: added: 2002 - 03.01 ∆†*News: by topic ∆‡* News: by group ^ Last, First x. Ph.D.: "Title" ∆‡ Attleboro sect: "Judge Keeps Corneaus in Jail" - posted: 03/28/02 ∆‡ Aum: "New Aum, (Aleph) Leader / Japan" - posted: 03/28/02 ∆‡ Aylmer Church of God (posted 3/28/02) ∆‡ Falun Gong: "Falun Gong Hijacks TV Time " - posted: 03/28/02 ∆‡ Falun Gong: "Foreign Protesters Detained / China" - posted: 03/28/02 ∆‡ Hare Krishna (posted 03/28/02) ∆‡ House of Prayer (posted 03/28/02) ∆‡ Kashi Ashram (posted: 03/28/02) ∆‡ Life Space (posted 03/28/02) ∆‡ Operation and Reconnaissance Agents (posted: 03/01/02) ∆‡ Raelians (posted: 03/28/02) ∆‡ Rasheen Nyah Family (posted: 03/28/02) ∆‡ Scientology: "Photo Exhibit on Scientology Founder" - posted: 03/28/02

___________________________________________^

Issue: archive index
  

International Cultic Studies Association
Article News Summaries

Vol. 1, No. 1, 2002

News Summaries: December 15, 2001 to January 15, 2002

First Amendment

Church Ponzi Scheme Not Shielded from Prosecution

Religious organizations that innocently profited from a Ponzi scheme are not shielded by the Religious Freedom Restoration Act or the First Amendment when a bankruptcy trustee demands they return all payments they received within the previous four years, a federal judge has ruled. In Liebersohn v. First Baptist Church of Collingdale [PA], Senior U.S. District Judge Clarence C. Newcomer of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania rejected arguments that two sections of the Bankruptcy Code and the Pennsylvania Uniform Fraudulent Transfer Act infringe on the religious freedom of several churches.

To attract investors, David Burry, who later pleaded guilty to criminal charges, falsified sales records, balance sheets, income statements and accounts receivable listings. The investors were paid back through a pyramid scheme in which proceeds from new investors were given to old investors, creating an illusion of legitimate profit-making.

A lawyer for the churches argued that requiring them to pay back the money would "curtail significantly their religious activities and divert their supporters' regular donations to return those donations to the trustee." (Shannon P. Duffy, The Legal Intelligencer, 1/4/02, Internet)

_____________________________________________ ^

News Summaries - group

News: by organization ∆* News: added: 2002 - 03.01 ∆†*News: by topic ∆‡* News: by group ^ Last, First x. Ph.D.: "Title" ∆‡ Attleboro sect: "Judge Keeps Corneaus in Jail" - posted: 03/28/02 ∆‡ Aum: "New Aum, (Aleph) Leader / Japan" - posted: 03/28/02 ∆‡ Aylmer Church of God (posted 3/28/02) ∆‡ Falun Gong: "Falun Gong Hijacks TV Time " - posted: 03/28/02 ∆‡ Falun Gong: "Foreign Protesters Detained / China" - posted: 03/28/02 ∆‡ Hare Krishna (posted 03/28/02) ∆‡ House of Prayer (posted 03/28/02) ∆‡ Kashi Ashram (posted: 03/28/02) ∆‡ Life Space (posted 03/28/02) ∆‡ Operation and Reconnaissance Agents (posted: 03/01/02) ∆‡ Raelians (posted: 03/28/02) ∆‡ Rasheen Nyah Family (posted: 03/28/02) ∆‡ Scientology: "Photo Exhibit on Scientology Founder" - posted: 03/28/02

___________________________________________^

Issue: archive index
  

International Cultic Studies Association
Article News Summaries

Vol. 1, No. 1, 2002

News Summaries: December 15, 2001 to January 15, 2002

First Amendment

Church Ponzi Scheme Not Shielded from Prosecution

Religious organizations that innocently profited from a Ponzi scheme are not shielded by the Religious Freedom Restoration Act or the First Amendment when a bankruptcy trustee demands they return all payments they received within the previous four years, a federal judge has ruled. In Liebersohn v. First Baptist Church of Collingdale [PA], Senior U.S. District Judge Clarence C. Newcomer of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania rejected arguments that two sections of the Bankruptcy Code and the Pennsylvania Uniform Fraudulent Transfer Act infringe on the religious freedom of several churches.

To attract investors, David Burry, who later pleaded guilty to criminal charges, falsified sales records, balance sheets, income statements and accounts receivable listings. The investors were paid back through a pyramid scheme in which proceeds from new investors were given to old investors, creating an illusion of legitimate profit-making.

A lawyer for the churches argued that requiring them to pay back the money would "curtail significantly their religious activities and divert their supporters' regular donations to return those donations to the trustee." (Shannon P. Duffy, The Legal Intelligencer, 1/4/02, Internet)

_____________________________________________ ^

News Summaries - group

News: by organization ∆* News: added: 2002 - 03.01 ∆†*News: by topic ∆‡* News: by group ^ Last, First x. Ph.D.: "Title" ∆‡ Attleboro sect: "Judge Keeps Corneaus in Jail" - posted: 03/28/02 ∆‡ Aum: "New Aum, (Aleph) Leader / Japan" - posted: 03/28/02 ∆‡ Aylmer Church of God (posted 3/28/02) ∆‡ Falun Gong: "Falun Gong Hijacks TV Time " - posted: 03/28/02 ∆‡ Falun Gong: "Foreign Protesters Detained / China" - posted: 03/28/02 ∆‡ Hare Krishna (posted 03/28/02) ∆‡ House of Prayer (posted 03/28/02) ∆‡ Kashi Ashram (posted: 03/28/02) ∆‡ Life Space (posted 03/28/02) ∆‡ Operation and Reconnaissance Agents (posted: 03/01/02) ∆‡ Raelians (posted: 03/28/02) ∆‡ Rasheen Nyah Family (posted: 03/28/02) ∆‡ Scientology: "Photo Exhibit on Scientology Founder" - posted: 03/28/02

___________________________________________^

Issue: archive index
  

International Cultic Studies Association
Article News Summaries

Vol. 1, No. 1, 2002

News Summaries: December 15, 2001 to January 15, 2002

First Amendment

Church Ponzi Scheme Not Shielded from Prosecution

Religious organizations that innocently profited from a Ponzi scheme are not shielded by the Religious Freedom Restoration Act or the First Amendment when a bankruptcy trustee demands they return all payments they received within the previous four years, a federal judge has ruled. In Liebersohn v. First Baptist Church of Collingdale [PA], Senior U.S. District Judge Clarence C. Newcomer of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania rejected arguments that two sections of the Bankruptcy Code and the Pennsylvania Uniform Fraudulent Transfer Act infringe on the religious freedom of several churches.

To attract investors, David Burry, who later pleaded guilty to criminal charges, falsified sales records, balance sheets, income statements and accounts receivable listings. The investors were paid back through a pyramid scheme in which proceeds from new investors were given to old investors, creating an illusion of legitimate profit-making.

A lawyer for the churches argued that requiring them to pay back the money would "curtail significantly their religious activities and divert their supporters' regular donations to return those donations to the trustee." (Shannon P. Duffy, The Legal Intelligencer, 1/4/02, Internet)

_____________________________________________ ^

News Summaries - group

News: by organization ∆* News: added: 2002 - 03.01 ∆†*News: by topic ∆‡* News: by group ^ Last, First x. Ph.D.: "Title" ∆‡ Attleboro sect: "Judge Keeps Corneaus in Jail" - posted: 03/28/02 ∆‡ Aum: "New Aum, (Aleph) Leader / Japan" - posted: 03/28/02 ∆‡ Aylmer Church of God (posted 3/28/02) ∆‡ Falun Gong: "Falun Gong Hijacks TV Time " - posted: 03/28/02 ∆‡ Falun Gong: "Foreign Protesters Detained / China" - posted: 03/28/02 ∆‡ Hare Krishna (posted 03/28/02) ∆‡ House of Prayer (posted 03/28/02) ∆‡ Kashi Ashram (posted: 03/28/02) ∆‡ Life Space (posted 03/28/02) ∆‡ Operation and Reconnaissance Agents (posted: 03/01/02) ∆‡ Raelians (posted: 03/28/02) ∆‡ Rasheen Nyah Family (posted: 03/28/02) ∆‡ Scientology: "Photo Exhibit on Scientology Founder" - posted: 03/28/02

___________________________________________^