Fleecing The Flock - Cdn. in fraud case allegedly targeted Christians
Pastor Dale Morgan
Fleecing The Flock - Cdn. in fraud case allegedly targeted Christians*
Updated Tue. Mar. 13 2007 7:04 PM ET
Canadian Press
VANCOUVER -- A Canadian arrested in Spain and suspected of helping
finance Islamic terrorist activities has a history of trouble with
Ontario and B.C. securities regulators and faces a lawsuit in Nevada
that claims he targeted Christian congregations for his alleged scams.
Brian Anderson appeared before Spanish investigative magistrate Baltasar
Garzon at the National Court on Tuesday and said he was not opposed to
being extradited to the U.S. where he is wanted for fraud.
A website set up by investors who say they have lost money to Anderson
claims the man has used Christianity and fraudulent schemes to scam
hundreds of Canadian and Americans out of tens of millions of dollars.
The site, which includes links to the B.C. and Ontario securities
regulators proceedings against Anderson, says he is an ordained minister
and self-proclaimed born-again Christian and includes pictures of
Anderson and his family.
It also features a 2005 lawsuit filed against Anderson and several
others in the U.S. District Court in Nevada alleging fraud, negligence
and racketeering.
The lawsuit accuses Anderson of persuading investors to put their money
in a Bible-based public trust that would then become a data exchange
that would be backed by gold.
The lawsuit, which includes claims that have not yet been proven in
court, demands $20 million from each defendant.
The 61-year-old Anderson was jailed on Saturday after he was found at a
Madrid hotel by a joint operation of Spanish authorities and the FBI. An
extradition request from the U.S must arrive at the Spanish court within
40 days.
The Spanish Interior Ministry said he is wanted by U.S. authorities for
fraud that amounts to US$23 million and is believed to have helped
finance a training camp in Afghanistan.
It said Anderson is thought to be linked to a New York businessman,
Abdul Tawala Ibn Ali Alishtari, 53, who was charged last month with
terrorism financing, material support of terrorism and money laundering.
Alishtari has pleaded not guilty in the U.S. District Court in Manhattan.
Anderson's father helped found Peace Portal Alliance Church in Surrey,
B.C., and was the church's first pastor.
Brian Thom, senior executive pastor at the evangelical church, said as
far as he knew Anderson never attempted any of his alleged schemes at
his church.
"He attended here and I think five or six years ago he withdrew from the
church and left,'' Thom said. "I believe this has to be devastating for
Brian's family.''
The B.C. Securities Commission has also accused Anderson of bilking
investors of millions of dollars using a business called Frontier Assets
and another investment program called the Alpha program.
However, the commission said Tuesday there was no evidence of terrorism
financing at a hearing two weeks ago into the allegations.
Under the Frontier Assets investment, the commission alleges, investors
paid about $7 million to Anderson in a plan that would see them receive
substantial monthly returns and the return of their initial investment.
The commission said some payments were made to some investors, but their
principal was never returned.
The commission also alleged Anderson redirected at least $725,000
provided by investors as part of the Alpha program investment involved
the sale of a seat in a new commodity exchange that would see investors
receive their principal back and a monthly return on their investment.
The trouble with the B.C. regulator follows a settlement with the
Ontario Securities Commission in 2004 in which Anderson was reprimanded
and agreed to pay $10,000 after an investigation into a plan involving
the sale of desks in something called a flat electronic data interchange
that was purportedly backed by $50 billion in gold.