Wacky Bio of an 80-Year-Old

Overview
Married 42 years to a wonderful woman. Father of 8. Grandfather of 27. As of this writing, a great-grandfather of 17. Widowed. Host to 10 exchange students from various countries over time. Extensive international travel. Partner with another remarkable woman the past 15 years. Versed in ancient history, world religions, science, geography, world affairs, economics, with extensive experience in barter, and non-currency exchange

Former CEO of both public and private companies, venture capitalist, trust manager, public speaker, previous board chair of a small, accredited, matriculating college established by Governor Dan Evans of Washington State for advanced degrees. Syndicated radio show host. Author of newsletters, magazine articles, CD lecture series, historical and archeological papers, philosophical essays, and nine books. Numerous book awards.

Economic advisor to the prime ministers of several island nations. Worked with congressional officials, presidents, prime ministers, governors, and governors-general.

Palenque Ruins

Numerous archeological field trips over 4 decades. Visits to over a hundred archeological sites investigating Olmecs, Mayas, Mixtecs, Zapotecs, Toltecs, and the ancient high culture of Teotihuacan. An explorer and student of ancient history, world religions, and spirituality that loves learning, cultures, social interaction, furry and feathered animals, and marine biology.

History

Entrepreneurship has been a lifetime endeavor. As an adult it began in the 1960’s with a US typewriter dealership. Over the next several years, the business expanded into copiers, calculators, and government service contracts with 23 offices in 10 US states. We developed and operated coin and dollar bill actuated plain paper copiers for libraries and universities in multiple states.

Moving to Vancouver Island, Canada, we bought a waterfront home and an island on the Inside Passage. We bought and resold Shearwater Island three times over the next few years. From the Canadian Bankruptcy court we purchased Bones Bay, a fish cannery on West Cracroft island, which included docks, buildings, and a hydro-electric dam.

Meadow Lake Airport - Southern Approach
Housing at the Northern End

Two years later we traded an airplane, an island, and cash for a house, hangars, land, and a part interest in a paved airport in Colorado. Now known as Meadow Lake Airport it has become a large facility. A jewelry store and gemstone business were acquired in Colorado. Previously we had exchanged a Washington home and acreage for a suitcase of gemstones prompting me to enroll in the gemologist program with GIA. (Gemological Institute of America.) A trade exchange business was purchased in Colorado about the same time, then merged into BXI, a California based Nasdaq company. Some years later we would acquire control of this company.

An international barter company was formed. Over the next dozen years, it grew to over 200 offices throughout the US and other countries. Primarily through 78 mergers and acquisitions. The company was eventually taken public and traded on the Nasdaq stock market. During this period, (before the personal computer), we acquired the Travel Agent’s Hotel Guide and a licensed travel agency. It expanded into new markets along with our trading company. A working gold mine in Montana was acquired about the same time. Simultaneously, a national radio syndication business was formed, and a specialty music company was established. Both of the latter were also publicly traded companies. A 25-year-old book publishing company in New York was purchased out of bankruptcy, as was a 30-year-old gold and silver fabrication mint in Idaho. Land grants and mineral claims with geologist evaluations were acquired and consolidated into trading blocks.

Singapore, The 2nd Largest Harbor in the World

A private shipping company was established in Singapore, at the request of the Singapore government who provided a number of economic inducements. Singapore sought access to our non-currency trading technology. Two freight broker polyglots, one from Greece, the other from Lebanon, joined the shipping company as minority partners to handle cargo sales and logistics. Within a year we had ten time-chartered ships (large freighters) handling European, Asian and African cargos.

Sometime later five licensed offshore trust firms were formed in different countries, along with two fully audited and licensed offshore banks, and the first online stock brokerage firm in the Caribbean. This was prior to US brokerage firms going online. A gold and silver digital currency was formed in Switzerland, operated from the Caribbean, using new internet banking software from Sweden. We formed two US corporate formation companies earlier in Reno, Nevada; a third, Laughlin Associates, based in the state capital, was purchased from an estate after the unexpected death of the 2nd generation owner. A yacht charter business in Mexico has been the focus the past 15 years.

Crowne Gold

Governmental Abuse

Corrupt US officials seized $22,800,000 in cash from a single bank account, plus millions more in cash, securities, gold, silver and other assets as possible evidence of a potential crime. The senior revenue agent responsible for seizures and false testimony, was subsequently caught when operating a similar scam two years later. Agent Walker was charged with conspiracy, fired by the IRS and sentenced to 40 months in prison. I was not informed of this development until years beyond the period of appeal.

At the time, I was placed under a continuing gag order preventing me from any public statements in my defense. Years of continual threats, allegations, and constant harassment followed. Unable to come up with any charges that would hold up in trial, the agent Walker along with a US prosecutor threatened me in two separate private meetings with my lawyer present, that they would indict six of my married children and my wife, (who was terminally ill with cancer), if I refused to sign a plea agreement. I had refused to negotiate a plea of any kind up until these threats were made.

Officials emphasized that although family members might eventually prevail in court, they would be arrested in handcuffs and held in jail until a probation hearing. They would be bankrupted with legal fees, and their lives smeared as a federal indictment would be on the record the rest of their lives. I was put under a 2nd gag order, sealing me from explaining any details of these threats to my family or anyone other than my wife and lawyer.

My lawyer received a certified letter releasing each of the children and my wife by name, when I signed their unethical agreement. The plea agreement alleged that a book I had written constituted a conspiracy to defraud the government, notwithstanding legal opinions to the contrary. I was eventually made to self-surrender to federal prison.

The senior federal court judge in Oregon stated in open court that the plea agreement was a TRAVESTY OF JUSTICE. The judge could not understand why I signed the plea. He was openly suspicious of government manipulation. Two years later, as the judge prepared to retire, he intervened and arranged my early release from the prison camp where I was being held. He then arranged for me to receive a new passport, then demanded that the FAA reinstate my pilot’s license, which they normally would not do, and thereafter waived the 3-year mandated parole. Judge Haggerty notified US Immigration in writing that I was free to travel worldwide.

No cash, bank holdings, gold, silver, stocks, land assets, documents, photos, logbooks, computers, etc., that were seized were ever returned.