Peter Hendrickson's legal problems - past & present

[Famspear]

I have been going through Pete Hendrickson's losthorizons.com web site and for some reason I am having a hard time finding a lot of information on his prior criminal convictions and prison time. I wonder how many of his current readers are aware that he is an ex-con.

I am also having a problem finding information on his web site about his current federal income tax problems. Before he reworked his web site a few months ago, he did have some information on his Sixth Circuit appeal of his defeat in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan (the government's erroneous refund suit against him). This is the case where his "Cracking the Code" theory was defeated, and he was ordered to return the erroneous tax refunds to the Internal Revenue Service. For some reason he is not making a concerted effort to trumpet the defeat of "Cracking the Code" on the current version of his web site where he offers it for sale. Does anyone know why that would be?

I am wondering how many of the people who now post at losthorizons even realize that Cracking the Code didn't even work for Hendrickson in his own federal income tax case. Once he loses his appeal at the Sixth Circuit, I am wondering how what kind of explanation he will provide to his readers. And, assuming he petitions the Supreme Court, how will he explain what will inevitably happen there?

Also, does anyone know whether Pete has disclosed his court defeats in the IRS summonses cases around the country? What percentage of his current readers are aware that he is under investigation?

[Dr. Caligari]

I used to post at LostHopes, but got banned for posting one of his losses.

[Disilloosianed]

I'm fairly sure that being an ex-con gives one "street cred" on Lost Horizons.

[Famspear]

Dr. Caligari wrote:

I used to post at LostHopes, but got banned for posting one of his losses.

Ah, but maybe that was just a clerical error - yah think? I mean, would Peter Hendrickson actually be trying to mislead his readers about the legal validity of his theories by covering up the information about his past and his losses?

Why, if any of his posters just happened to read this thread, it would be terrible if they got the wrong impression about Pete.

You, know, I'm thinking that the fact that I can't find a mention, on Pete's web site, of any legal or accounting credentials that he might have, and the fact that I can't find any mention by Pete that he has lost every single attempt to block the IRS from obtaining bank records, etc., in connection with the government's investigation of him, including this case which went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, on which the Supreme Court again rejected him on February 25, 2008, in ''Peter E. Hendrickson v. United States'', No. 2:2006x 50394 (E.D. Mich. June 2, 2006) (''petition denied''), ''aff'd'', No. 06-1870 (6th Cir., April 10, 2007), ''reh'g denied'', Aug. 8, 2007, ''cert. denied'', No. 07-624 (Jan. 7, 2008), ''reh'g denied'' (Feb. 25, 2008) -- well, maybe that's just an oversight on his part. I'm sure he wouldn't want to mislead his readers - especially since he continues to try to sell his book, "Cracking the Code" -- although the fact that "Cracking the Code" was a loser for Pete in his own tax case last year is troubling to me somehow. But, oh, never mind.

I'm sure that Pete will disclose all that very soon to his readers.

Oh, has anyone found the place on his web site where he discloses the prior criminal convictions, for the tax-related offense, and for conspiracy in connection with placing an incendiary device at a U.S. postal facility that injured two people? I guess he must have that information somewhere at losthorizons -- it's just hard for me to find.

Maybe some losthorizons posters who happen to read this thread can help us locate all these disclosures on Pete's web site. Maybe they'll even start a discussion about it over there . . . I'm sure such a discussion wouldn't get deleted by Pete, except maybe accidentally.

[Famspear]

But, wait Captain. Are you saying that Pete hasn't disclosed any losses suffered by his followers in court? Wow.

But wait, maybe that's just an oversight. I'm thinking that when he reworked his web site a few months ago, he probably meant to put that stuff in the web site, to make sure that his readers and posters have all the facts, but it just hasn't quite made it into losthorizons.com, just like the mention of Pete's criminal background and the information about his loss on his "Cracking the Code" theory in his own tax case just haven't been posted yet (or maybe it's there but it's hard to find for some reason). I mean, something as important as losing your own tax case under your own theory propounded in your own book, "Cracking the Code," is so important that Pete wouldn't just intentionally leave that kind of information out of the very web site where he's selling the book. And, if it is posted, I'm sure it would be posted there CONSPICUOUSLY so everyone could easily find it and DISCUSS IT IN THE FORUM OVER THERE. Otherwise, Pete's readers might get the wrong impression if they found out about stuff like that from, say, reading Quatloos - so Pete wouldn't be silly enough to try something underhanded like not disclosing that sort of thing. No, it's probably one of those computer glitches or something.

Yeah, I'm sure that's it.

[Famspear]

the Captain wrote:

[ . . . ]I doubt very many of his fans read Quatloos [ . . . ]

Unfortunately, I think you're right.

I'll be quiet now.....

[Cpt Banjo]

Here's his spin on the post office bombing matter. It's not easy to find -- you have to use the search engine on the main LH page.

http://www.losthorizons.com/tax/PressRelease4-17-06.htm

[Dezcad]

On LH, I found some refunds claimed by CTC'ers on the Victories page, but I couldn't find the updated information about those people having to thereafter return those funds to the USA (IRS) after losing in court. See generally, http://www.usdoj.gov/tax/txdv06219.htm.

Must have been an oversight on Pete's part.

The seven people sued in addition to the Hendricksons are Sharon K. Artman of Largo, Fla.; Michael J. Dowling of San Diego; Joy M. Ferguson of Henderson, Nev.; Melvin L. Gerstenkorn of Topeka, Kan.; Larry B. Golson and Debra G. Golson of Montgomery, Ala.; and James A. Spitzer of Winter Park, Fla. Copies of all seven complaints will be posted with this press release today at http://www.usdoj.gov/tax/taxpress2006.htm.

nor could I find this information:

The judgment against James A. Spitzer was affirmed by the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals, and sanctions were imposed for bringing a frivolous appeal. United States v. James A. Spitzer, 2007 TNT 163-5, No. 07-11073 (11th Cir. 8/21/2007), aff'ng No. 06-00479-CV-ORL-22JGG (U.S.D.C. M.D. Fla. 2/13/2007) (erroneous refund of $16,614 ordered repaid). In a later order, the District Court also ordered Spitzer to pay double attorneys' fees to the United States, in the amount of $16,285.35, "as a sanction for his frivolous and bad faith defense of the entire case." Id., at Docket #49 (7/25/2007).

[Joey Smith]

The "CTC Method" is no more than filing blatantly false returns with the IRS, similar to writing a hot check and cashing it. Nobody has ever "won" with CTC, although the IRS has with its bureaucratic ineptness sent improper refunds to quite a few people. While the IRSs' checks cleared, this didn't make the CTC'ers' returns any more legal and anybody who has used this method is a criminal who probably has some pretty good odds of being indicted and convicted (particularly if they were dumb enough to post their checks on LostHeads).