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Afghan Murder Suspect Bales 'Took My Life Savings,' Says Retiree
Yahoo/ABC ^

Posted on 03/20/2012 3:53:40 AM PDT by nuconvert

Robert Bales, the staff sergeant accused of massacring Afghan civilians, enlisted in the U.S. Army at the same time he was trying to avoid answering allegations he defrauded an elderly Ohio couple of their life savings in a stock fraud, according to federal documents reviewed by ABC News.

"He robbed me of my life savings," Gary Liebschner of Carroll, Ohio told ABC News.

Financial regulators found that Bales "engaged in fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, churning, unauthorized trading and unsuitable investments," according to a report on Bales filed in 2003. Bales and his associates were ordered to pay Liebschner $1,274,000 in compensatory and punitive damages but have yet to do so, according to Liebschner.

(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Front Page News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: afghanistan; robertbales
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To: nuconvert
It says Bales and his associates....That changes the story right there.

It's a huge amount so why wasn't it in the news before??

21 posted on 03/20/2012 5:23:11 AM PDT by Sacajaweau
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To: nuconvert

http://www.newsnet5.com/dpp/news/Soldier-who-allegedly-killed-16-Afghans-accused-of-financial-fraud-in-Ohio1332176001033


22 posted on 03/20/2012 5:29:06 AM PDT by Sacajaweau
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To: xzins; Sacajaweau

Mrs. Liebschner said that her husband was ill, so she decided to sell some of their stocks through Bales’ company to pay for medical fees.

She says that’s when Bales started pocketing their money.

Thanx for the link, Sacajaweau


23 posted on 03/20/2012 5:39:55 AM PDT by nuconvert ( Khomeini promised change too // Hail, Chairman O)
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To: Dusty Road

I thought they said he was 38.


24 posted on 03/20/2012 5:42:41 AM PDT by org.whodat
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To: nuconvert; Future Snake Eater; Sacajaweau
In that very same article linked by Sacajaweu is this line buried at the very end:

Seven other individuals and companies are listed in the arbitration and accused of the same charges.

What do you think it means "seven other individuals and companies"?

What do you think if means "accused of the same charges"?

Finally, why is this relevant to Bales' guilt or innocence more than a decade later in Afghanistan?

To me, the only reason this is published is to prejudice readers against this soldier.

The sure didn't publish it when he won his purple hearts, did they?

25 posted on 03/20/2012 5:49:46 AM PDT by xzins (Retired Army Chaplain and Proud of It! Pray Continued Victory for our Troops Still in Afghan!)
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To: nuconvert

These folks sued 7....seven....companies. How strange is that?? Are these folks senile?? Who do they know??


26 posted on 03/20/2012 5:49:52 AM PDT by Sacajaweau
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To: xzins

“Finally, why is this relevant to Bales’ guilt or innocence more than a decade later in Afghanistan?
To me, the only reason this is published is to prejudice readers against this soldier.”

It isn’t relative to his guilt or innocence per se....but all the background info coming out, shows his character.
Of course the media wants to smear him.
It may not be what we want to hear about him, but if it’s the truth, why deny it? Should everyone go on thinking he was just a great guy if he wasn’t?


27 posted on 03/20/2012 6:02:18 AM PDT by nuconvert ( Khomeini promised change too // Hail, Chairman O)
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To: Sacajaweau

Hard to say what the facts are regarding the other people & companies without further investigation


28 posted on 03/20/2012 6:08:36 AM PDT by nuconvert ( Khomeini promised change too // Hail, Chairman O)
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To: nuconvert

I call BS. If this couple were awarded money from arbitration, the broker-dealer would have beenon the hook as well as the brokers. FINRA, SEC, SIPC insurance, E&O insurance all exist for a reason. Bernie Madoff’s portfolios were fiction and his investors are still getting some money back.


29 posted on 03/20/2012 6:17:25 AM PDT by jdsteel (Give me freedom, not more government.)
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To: nuconvert

Well, if this soldier really is a twerp, maybe he did this killing to cause Obama to pull out the troops. You know, to cause such an uproar that the public demands the speedy return of all soldiers. Then Obama could say he had no choice. I pray this was not it, but these days you never know. For someone to go into a village and shoot 16 people, then walk back and turn in his weapon? Sounds suspicious to me. I’m not a conspiracy nut, but we still need to be careful what we take at face value.


30 posted on 03/20/2012 6:19:45 AM PDT by Shery (in APO Land)
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To: nuconvert; Future Snake Eater

Does his saving the skin of his platoon leader speak about his character?

Does his voluteering to be the lead soldier in dozens of dangerous missions speak to his character?

Do purple hearts speak to his character?


31 posted on 03/20/2012 6:25:39 AM PDT by xzins (Retired Army Chaplain and Proud of It! Pray Continued Victory for our Troops Still in Afghan!)
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To: xzins

They all do. But we can’t just ignore the negative stuff.


32 posted on 03/20/2012 6:27:27 AM PDT by nuconvert ( Khomeini promised change too // Hail, Chairman O)
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To: jdsteel

“If this couple were awarded money from arbitration, the broker-dealer would have beenon the hook as well as the brokers. FINRA, SEC, SIPC insurance, E&O insurance all exist for a reason.”

“In 2003, Bales was ordered to pay $637,000 as compensatory damaged, plus interest at the Ohio statutory rate of 10 percent until the date of payment in full, $637,000 as punitive damages, $216,500 as attorney’s fees, $375 to reimburse the Liebschners’ filing fee, and several other small damages.”

The company & other brokers were sued. I think I read somewhere that it had been settled since then, so someone paid up.


33 posted on 03/20/2012 6:31:15 AM PDT by nuconvert ( Khomeini promised change too // Hail, Chairman O)
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To: nuconvert

yes we can. If it is brought up to prejudice an entirely different case it is irrelevant.

Also, I directly showed the quote that said Bales was part of a financial group of individuals and businesses, so the fact that he happened to be their financial advisor is no different than if he’d been their insurance man.

Your State Farm guy is who you know, but that man is NOT State Farm.


34 posted on 03/20/2012 6:31:29 AM PDT by xzins (Retired Army Chaplain and Proud of It! Pray Continued Victory for our Troops Still in Afghan!)
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To: xzins

We have no idea how involved the rest of the company was, or if he was skimming all the $ on his own.
With the details in the arbitration naming him specifically, it sounds like he wasn’t just an innocent broker working for a crooked company, but a combination of a crooked broker working in a crooked company.


35 posted on 03/20/2012 6:37:03 AM PDT by nuconvert ( Khomeini promised change too // Hail, Chairman O)
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To: xzins

Exactly!...Just piling on.....to draw sympathy away.


36 posted on 03/20/2012 6:37:03 AM PDT by Guenevere (....Whom God calls,... He equips......Press On Santorum!)
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To: xzins

Exactly!...Just piling on.....to draw sympathy away.


37 posted on 03/20/2012 6:37:17 AM PDT by Guenevere (....Whom God calls,... He equips......Press On Santorum!)
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To: nuconvert

What I know is that the original actual accusation included 7 other individuals and companies.

I don’t know it was skimming, I don’t know what it was to be honest with you. I do know that many financial firms charged both front end loads, back end loads, and fees.

How did they collect those? I have no idea.

For all we know it was just BAD PRACTICES in the same way as the mortgage industry a decade ago was pushing adjustable rate and interest only loans. Many were sued successfully for bad advice, but that doesn’t mean at the time they thought they were doing anything illegal...and they weren’t.


38 posted on 03/20/2012 6:43:26 AM PDT by xzins (Retired Army Chaplain and Proud of It! Pray Continued Victory for our Troops Still in Afghan!)
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To: nuconvert

Another very implortant point is it goes to his veracity. I strongly suspect he’ll argue temporaty insanity brought about by the interaction of his present stressful situation and a traumatic brain injujry he earlier received caused his actions. In my own family I’ve seen how an old traumatic brain injury can lead to a present psychosis that results in suicide, meaning it could be a very strong defense. If the prosecution can prove Bales was an accomplished grifter who conceived and executed a $1,000,000+ scam, it would cast a huge cloud over his otherwise strong temporary insanity defense.


39 posted on 03/20/2012 7:54:57 AM PDT by libstripper
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To: xzins

Yes and no, Ted Bundy was a nice guy, so they say, and a boy scout. You seem to be the one wanting to decide before the trial. If he killed even one of those kids. Cook him in the chair.


40 posted on 03/20/2012 8:35:55 AM PDT by org.whodat
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