Posted on 01/05/2006 1:33:17 PM PST by Rebelbase
CHARLOTTE (AP) — Federal prosecutors have indicted a contractor on charges of conspiracy and tax fraud — and allege he illegally used millions of dollars of his company's money to further a romantic relationship with another builder.
David Boone, 51, intends to plead not guilty to charges of conspiracy and tax fraud, said his lawyer, Peter Anderson.
"He denies being involved in any conspiracy," Anderson told The Charlotte Observer. "Mr. Boone fully expects to be acquitted at trial and looks forward to his day in court."
If convicted, the charges could bring a prison sentence of up to 38 years and a fine of up to $1.1 million.
The new indictment — the latest to emerge from a case that begin with the 2001 disappearance of the former chairman of the Mecklenburg County Democratic Party — alleges that Boone and builder Jim Myers co-founded JACO Construction in 1995 and began building churches across the country for the Washington-based United House of Prayer for All People.
Myers already had a business that did construction work for the church — United Building Contractors, which he started in Charlotte in the early 1990s. United House of Prayer is one of the nation's largest black denominations.
The indictment alleges that Boone and Myers, an unindicted co-conspirator, schemed to hide JACO profits from the IRS.
In 1996, the government said, the men used company profits to buy a home in Laurinburg where they "could spend personal time together."
A former colleague told The Observer it was known that the men, both of whom were married, had a romantic relationship.
"It was open knowledge within the company," said Robert Scherer, 60, who worked for United Building Contractors for more than six years as project manager and corporate development manager.
Lawyers for both Myers and Boone declined to comment on the relationship between the men.
By mid-1997, according to the indictment, there were problems between Boone and Myers and the men decided to split their share of JACO's profits, with each creating a separate account and not reporting the money to the IRS.
The indictment also claims that between 1996 and 2000, Boone spent more than $3.8 million in JACO money on personal expenses and other companies he owned, always reporting the spending as "job costs" or "loans."
The new indictment comes in addition to charges for which Boone was already awaiting trial — three counts of falsifying federal tax returns.
It marks the first time prosecutors have laid out a possible romantic relationship between him and Myers.
Andrew Reyes, the former county party head who disappeared in 2001 and was arrested at the Mexican border 18 months later, was an accountant for both JACO and UBC and was one of Charlotte's first openly gay public figures. He has served prison time for fraud and tax evasion and another UBC accountant, Joel Wilson, has also served a sentence for tax evasion.
Both men also are named as unindicted co-conspirators in the latest Boone indictment.
Despite a criminal record that included felony sentences in the 1970s and more recent assault charges, Boone was elected mayor of the Scotland County town of Gibson in 2003.
Brokeback Contractors.
Brokeback Builders
Brokeback Construction Company.
I damn thee
Talk about laying pipe
A former colleague told The Observer it was known that the men, both of whom were married, had a romantic relationship.
Sounds like the sequel to Brokeback Mountain is writing itself.
But-but-but I thought that's what we were supposed to be celebrating, the beautiful story of two gays sneaking away from their spouses to have a romantic rendezvous! Someone get these guys a movie contract, stat.
First the cowboys now the builders. Where does it end?
Excuse me while I throw up.
"Where does it end?"
Sure you want to contemplate that?
Laying a floor
AC/DC
Nailing
Backfill
Sill Cock
Screws and Nuts
Rim Joist
Butt Joint
Blow Insulation
Tools
or Stud Finders
Maybe they'll do a series, each movie based on one of the Village People guys. So next we'll have a critically acclaimed movie about the tender relationship between two male cops, sailors, bikers, or indian chiefs. ;)
Final straw. I'm moving to, to, to.... Ah, never mind.
All I can do is shake my head.
A hide-a-way love nest in Laurinburg? What were they thinking?
Couldn't they find a lake side retreat or something?
OMG...............this has everything, doesn't it?
A movie in the making... And this barely touches on the Reyes part of the story...
Andrew Reyes comes out of nowhere and impresses the "minority-starved", pro-bussing Mecklenburg County Dems. He takes over the party within months of arriving in town (because the Meck Dems are so obsessed with equal rights, and had been dreaming about having a Latino involved with the party leadership). He also has these "investment businesses" going on in town. Long story short, he's throwing money at every Dem campaign using his business clients' funds and robbing his clients in the process. (We're talking about $3.5 million dollar embezzlement by this shyster.) He's a regular Robin Hood, alright, helping those needy Dem candidates on the backs of his "rich" clients.
Now did I mention that Reyes was the organizer of some of these bizarre gay orgies?
So Reyes gets found out and just as they hand down an indictment, he evaporates into thin air.
Eventually they capture him trying to cross the Mexican border loaded down with ooooodles of cash and a girlfriend. Apparently the gay thing was just part of his scammer persona.
What is it with Challot? Take me back to the Jim Bakker years.
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