Gordon Hall indicted

[Demosthenes]

Gordon L Hall

represented by Benjamin Thomas Stepp
Federal Public Defender's Office (Gvle)
Two Liberty Square
75 Beattie Place
Suite 950
Greenville, SC 29601
Designation: Public Defender or Community Defender Appointment

Pending Counts
Disposition
18:371 CONSPIRACY TO DEFRAUD THE UNITED STATES and Forfeiture
(1)
18:1343 and 18:1349 ATTEMPT AND CONSPIRACY TO COMMIT MAIL FRAUD and Forfeiture
(2-3)

Highest Offense Level (Opening)
Felony

Plaintiff
USA represented by William J Watkins , Jr
US Attorneys Office (Gville)
55 Beattie Place
Suite 700
Greenville, SC 29601
864-282-2100
Fax: 864-233-3158
Email: bill.watkins@usdoj.gov
LEAD ATTORNEY
ATTORNEY TO BE NOTICED

Date Filed # Docket Text
03/12/2013 2 INDICTMENT (Sealed Grand Jury Ballot attached) as to Gordon L Hall (1) counts 1, 2-3, Benton T Hall (2) counts 1, 4. (Attachments: # 1 GJ Ballot) (awil, ) (Entered: 03/13/2013)
03/12/2013 6 ORDER FOR ISSUANCE OF INDICTMENT WARRANT as to Gordon L Hall. Signed by Magistrate Judge Kevin McDonald on 3/12/13.(awil, ) (Entered: 03/13/2013)
03/13/2013 11 TEXT ORDER SEALING INDICTMENT as to Gordon L Hall and Benton T Hall entered by Magistrate Judge Kevin McDonald on 3/13/2013.(ncha, ) (Entered: 03/13/2013)
03/14/2013 18 Arrest of Gordon L Hall in Arizona. Clerk notified by: receipt of transfer paperwork from USDC, Arizona. (ncha, ) (Entered: 03/29/2013)
03/15/2013 13 TEXT Order to Unseal Indictment as to Gordon L Hall, Benton T Hall after ORAL MOTION by the USA. Entered by Magistrate Judge Kevin McDonald on 3/15/13.(awil, ) (Entered: 03/15/2013)
03/29/2013 20 Rule 5c3 Documents Received as to Gordon L Hall (Attachments: # 1 Arizona Commitment To Another District, # 2 Arizona docket sheet)(ncha, ) (Entered: 03/29/2013)
04/08/2013 23 Rule 5c3 Documents Received, ORDER OF DETENTION PENDING TRIAL, as to Gordon L Hall (ncha, ) (Entered: 04/08/2013)
04/08/2013 25 Warrant Returned Executed on 03/14/2013 in case as to Gordon L Hall. (tmayo-USMS, ) (Entered: 04/08/2013)
04/08/2013 26 NOTICE OF HEARING as to Gordon L Hall, Benton T Hall: Arraignment set for 4/10/2013----- 01:00 PM------ in Greenville #1, Clement F Haynsworth Fed Bldg, 300 E Washington St, Greenville before Magistrate Judge Jacquelyn D Austin. (ncha, ) (Entered: 04/08/2013)
04/10/2013 27 Minute Entry for proceedings held before Magistrate Judge Jacquelyn D Austin: Arraignment as to Gordon L Hall (1) Count 1,2-3 and Benton T Hall (2) Count 1,4 held on 4/10/2013. Defendants present in custody with Attorneys Jessica Salvini and James Loggins. Defendants refused to participate in arraignment proceedings. J. Salvini conditionally appointed to represent Defendant Benton Hall and Federal Public Defender conditionally appointed to represent Defendant Gordon Hall. Defendants to be incarcerated at separate facilities if possible. Defendants ordered to complete a mental health evaluation; Evaluations to be conducted at separate facilities if possible. Evaluation orders forthcoming. Arizona detention order is adopted. Court Reporter FTR Courtroom 2. CJA Time 1 hour. (ncha, ) (Entered: 04/10/2013)
04/10/2013 28 ORAL ORDER APPOINTING FEDERAL PUBLIC DEFENDER Benjamin Thomas Stepp for Gordon L Hall entered by Magistrate Judge Jacquelyn D Austin on 4/10/2013.(ncha, ) (Entered: 04/10/2013)
04/10/2013 30 NOTICE, captioned as "Motion for Order Release Appearance of Defendants Request for Bail" by Gordon L Hall, Benton T Hall (ncha, ) (Entered: 04/10/2013)
04/10/2013 32 ORDER FOR PSYCHIATRIC EXAM as to Gordon L Hall signed by Magistrate Judge Jacquelyn D Austin on 4/10/2013.(ncha, ) (Entered: 04/11/2013)
04/11/2013 34 ***DOCUMENTS E-MAILED: as to Gordon L Hall, Benton T Hall re 32 Order for Psychiatric Exam, 33 Order for Psychiatric Exam to BOP Medical and USM (ncha, ) (Entered: 04/11/2013)
04/15/2013 36 MOTION for Discovery by USA as to Gordon L Hall, Benton T Hall. Proposed order is being emailed to chambers with copy to opposing counsel(Watkins, William) (Entered: 04/15/2013)
04/15/2013 38 Case Reassigned as to Gordon L Hall, Benton T Hall to Judge Honorable J Michelle Childs. Judge Unassigned - CRI no longer assigned to the case. (pcas, ) (Entered: 04/16/2013)
04/16/2013 37 ORDER granting 36 Motion regarding Discovery as to Gordon L Hall (1), Benton T Hall (2) signed by Magistrate Judge Jacquelyn D Austin on 4/16/2013.(ncha, ) (Entered: 04/16/2013)

[Demosthenes]

The indictment:

http://www.cheatingfrenzy.com/gordonhall2.pdf

[AndyK]

Damn. 4-1/2 hours away from me. Too far to commute and I seriously doubt if they'd let me park my RV in the courthouse lot for the duration of the trial.

Now, if we could come up with something in Savannah or Charleston, I'd be happy to be the official Quatloosian observer,

[wserra]

Unless things have changed in the nearly twenty years since I was there, the only courthouse parking is for court personnel.

[Judge Roy Bean]

Wilson's farm/store and contents are on the auction block:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set ... 9f518a94ba

[Demosthenes]

Gordon has quite the scam history in his past. This is from his 1997 case in New York.

The defendant is hereby committed to the custody of the United States Bureau of Prisons to be imprisoned for a total term of 87 months. Upon release from imprisonment, the defendant shall be on supervised release for a term of 3 years.

18:1962(d) RACKETEERING CONSPIRACY
(1s)
18:1962(c) RACKETEERING
(2s)
18:371 CONSPIRACY TO DEFRAUD THE UNITED STATES
(3s)
15:78j(b),78ff,18:2 SECURITIES FRAUD
(4s)
15:77q(a),77(x);18:2 SECURITIES FRAUD
(5s)
15:78j(b),78ff;18:2 SECURITIES FRAUD
(6s)
18:1343,1346,2 WIRE FRAUD
(7s)
18:1343 WIRE FRAUD
(8s)
18:1343,1346,2 WIRE FRAUD
(9s-10s)
18:1343 WIRE FRAUD
(11s)
18:1343 WIRE FRAUD
(13s)

[Demosthenes]

Ten years later, he tried to pay his restitution in that case using his phony baloney notes.

08/05/2008 461 ORDER as to Gordon Hall. Defendant Gordon Hall purports to pay the outstanding restitution in this case. Attached to the letter are a number of documents, including a purported "Secured Promissory Note" issued by "Gordon LeRoy Hall & Company" in the amount of $4,800,000,000 and a "Secured Funding and Offset Bond" issued by "Gordon LeRoy Hall & Company" in the amount of $5,400,000,000. First, the documents are rejected and are not accepted for filing. These documents are improper. The originals are being returned to Mr. Hall with a copy of this Order. Second, even if the papers were to be accepted for filing, they do not constitute payment of his outstanding restitution. A promise to pay is not payment. Furthermore, a bond issued by "Gordon LeRoy Hall & Company" does not constitute payment. SO ORDERED. (Signed by Judge Denny Chin on 8/5/08)(jw) (Entered: 08/05/2008)

[Demosthenes]

And in his California case...

18:371 - Conspiracy to commit securities fraud, wire fraud, and commercial bribery
(1s) Dft sentenced to the custody of the BOP for a term of 60 months, two yrs to rum consecutive to the sentence imposed in 97cr1215-009 and three yrs to run concurrent with the sentence imposed in 97cr1215-009. Supervised release for a term of 3 yrs, to run concurrent with the supervised release term imposed in 97cr1215-009. No fine. $100 p/a. Pay restitution in the amount of $933,510.86, interest waivedm through the clerk of the US District Ct to the victims. SUPERVISED RELEAES REVOKED ON 7/10/2008. Custody of the BOP for a term of 4 months. Unsupervised/Supervised release for a term of 2 years

[Demosthenes]

And then there was that 2011 stint in the pokey when he failed to show up at his contempt hearing in his civil tax case.

[Demosthenes]

Interesting article on his 1997 racketeering and fraud criminal case.

http://www.nytimes.com/1997/12/18/busin ... tml?src=pm

Appearing yesterday in Federal District Court in Manhattan, Mr. Hall pleaded not guilty to fraud and racketeering charges in what the authorities describe as a stock manipulation scheme that involved members of the Genovese and Bonanno crime families and half a dozen brokers.

[notorial dissent]

Interesting CV, if you want to call it that. A real pearl without price.

I'm impressed he was still around to go to jail if he was screwing around with "the Genovese and Bonanno crime families", they tend to not have much of a sense of humor and to take losing money very seriously.

Obviously NOT one of the sharpest knives in the drawer.

[Number Six]

That and that the NY area justice department are a pretty humorless group, this puppy chose the wrong laws and people to violate....

[notorial dissent]

They say life is supposed to be a learning experience, obviously this one has been hiding out in the back of the classroom sleeping or something.

[wserra]

Bringing the Hall saga up to date: Back in April, Hall and his codefendant brother filed this pro se bail application in which they babble about "receivers" and "accommodation parties". The Court promptly - the same day, in fact - orders a competency examination for Gordie. Since proceedings continue without an explicit determination, it appears that he was found competent.

Last week, the Halls make a generous offer to "settle" the case: $200,000,000 in "private registered setoff bonds", two pieces of property in lovely Laurens County, SC, and some stuff the govt has already seized.

So far, the govt has not taken them up on it.

[notorial dissent]

Gee, can't imagine why.

Usual collection of sovrun/con artist jibber jabber. I assume the "bonds" came from CA since they are so lax about registering financing statements and the like. What a waste of paper.

[LightinDarkness]

I know on the internet when you say LOL you rarely are laughing out loud, but I just did when I read their offer to pay - appropriately titles the "FORGIVE US REQUEST."

I have casually observed that - at least when sov'runs are writing their own paperwork (as opposed to doing something like using forms from sov'run websites) - the more in trouble a sov'run gets with the government, the more bizarre the paperwork becomes in terms of the random gibberish terms that end up on it.

This one has quite an extensive record it seems, and on the first page alone I see:

THIS IS A PRIVATE COMMUNICATION
NOTICE TO TO AGENT IS NOTICE TO PRINCIPLE
NUNC PRO TUNC
AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVES OF <TRUST NAME IN ALL CAPS>

Considering that the first page in court filings is always general boilerplate info like your case number, that is quite a lot to fit in!

It really is cargo cult law where they seem to think the more magical words you can insert into your court files will increase your chances of winning the case.

[notorial dissent]

I've noticed over time, that there seems to be some deeply held conviction that "NUNC PRO TUNC" has some super significance when used repeatedly in a pseudo legal sounding documents. Latin is magic you know, so let's use lots of that, even if we really don't know what it means. Just like the bits and pieces of pretend UCC that always get thrown in.

I do think you are right, about it being cargo cult law, dependent on magic words and using them in just the right "secret" order. The problem, of course, is that none of them know really know what the secret order is so they keep failing, miserably.

[erwalkerca]

Gordon and Benton Hall's trial is apparently scheduled for 9-12 Dec 2013 @ 09:30 AM in Greenville #1, Clement F Haynsworth Fed Bldg, 300 E Washington St, Greenville before Honorable J Michelle Childs.

http://www.plainsite.org/flashlight/cas ... id=2543085 item #134 filed 9 Sep 2013.

[Judge Roy Bean]

Let's hope a relatively rookie judge doesn't suffer fools gladly.

[wserra]

Gordon and Benton Hall's trial is apparently scheduled for 9-12 Dec 2013 @ 09:30 AM in Greenville #1, Clement F Haynsworth Fed Bldg, 300 E Washington St, Greenville before Honorable J Michelle Childs.

Not exactly. But welcome to Quatloos, erwalkerca.

The last entry in the docket, from two days ago:

NOTICE OF HEARING as to Gordon L Hall, Benton T Hall: Change of Plea Hearing set for 12/10/2013 10:00 AM in Greenville #1, Clement F Haynsworth Fed Bldg, 300 E Washington St, Greenville before Honorable J Michelle Childs.

Are Beavis and Butthead gonna plead guilty? Maybe yes, maybe no.

Maybe yes: the Court denied their application to be pro se after a Faretta hearing, so they are represented. It's hard to picture the Court setting a date for a guilty plea without defendants, through counsel, having reached an agreement with the govt first. Those agreements are typically in writing.

Maybe no: despite Judge Childs' orders, the Halls have continued to file pro se documents. The last one they filed, last week, was this so-called "Entry of Plea of Nollo (sic) Contendre (sic)". In that document, the Halls purport to be willing to enter a plea of "nollo" "as set forth in this Court's Docket pursuant to ECF # 82". That filing was one of the Halls' pieces of nonsense. In fact, it contains the "offer" I described above, including the "private registered setoff bonds". I somehow don't think that's what the govt would have in mind. And a nolo plea requires the govt's consent, which it almost never grants.

So is this plea for real, or more Hallshit™? Guess we'll find out.