False Prophet Ronald Weinland

False Prophet Ronald Weinland cut it short in Dallas yesterday.  The entire dis-services was just under one hour instead of the normal two hours, including the announcements and opening and closing prayers by his US evangelists Terry and Johnny.  People traveled from far and wide to hear his abbreviated sermon From outside of Texas: Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Ohio, Washington, Kentucky, Germany, and Moldova (since I have ancestors who lived there, I already knew it was a small state on the Black Sea near Odessa, Ukraine).  Ron blathered on and on with his interpretation of Daniel’s 70 years in ancient Babylonian history.  Perhaps Ron quit early being anxious to get the party started at a local member’s open house later in the afternoon.  Or maybe Laura said that she wanted to spend extra time with her childhood friend Lori Williams (now living in Mississippi) while she still has the opportunity, as being the Silent Witness is scheduled to be killed in 4 months on May 23rd at the hands of the beast power.

Ron reminded people of the significant date of January 7, 1972.  That was the end of Herbert Armstrong’s second 19-year time cycle which must be in the Bible somewhere as it’s so significant.  (A solar calendar such as the Gregorian calendar we use and a lunar calendar such as the Jewish calendar will approximately synchronize to within hours every 19 years .)  One of Weinland’s signs and lying wonders is that it is exactly 40 years from Herbie’s January 7 to his own January 7 of this year, the end of his 6th shortened half-a-280-day-time.

Not so fast Ronnie.  You don’t get to use the Gregorian calendar as a sign.  Turns out that Jan 7, 1972 was Tevet 20 on the Jewish calendar.  Jan 7 of this year was NOT Tevet 20.  Tevet 20 this year was last Sunday.  What significant event happened on these dates?  On Tevet 20, 5732 (January 7, 1972), Herbert W (doesn’t stand for anything) Armstrong was exposed as a liar.  Exactly 40 years later on Tevet 20, 5772 (last Sunday), Ronald Eugene Weinland was judged as a liar on this blog as to his “truth” that Joseph Tkach died 40 weeks to the very hour after delivering his sermon in Atlanta on 12/17/94.

In his blog posting of November 26 responding to the indictment, Ron stated “I have been waiting to find out the full details of the indictment and it has been somewhat unsettling as it simply takes time to receive all the information that it is based upon.”  His attorney’s filed a motion on December 22 with the court to obtain notes of investigation interviews with other people. The government’s case appears to be based on the testimony of others as to Ron’s activities in explanation of all the transactions covered in the 5000+ pages of discovery Ron has already been provided. The US attorney’s response to the defense motion was that under the Jencks Act it was not required to provide this information unless and until the inteviewee testified in court, and that the government did not want to volunteer this as discovery before being required to under law.

The trial judge, Danny C. Reeves, agreed with the government in an order issued on Thursday — Ronnie doesn’t get this additional discovery. So if Ronnie is really curious, he’s going to have to take the matter to trial and see who the government places on the witness stand and what they say.  I’d like to see him do that and lose as it would be further exposure of whatever he did plus he would get a longer sentence.  But he has the option of negotiating a plea agreement for lesser charges and a reduced sentence.  However, he has to get that in place during the week prior to the pre-trial conference scheduled for March 12.  Perhaps Ron is considering this, as yesterday he didn’t repeat his prophecy of Christ’s return on Pentecost.

I, Mike (DDTFA) now have a sign about a lying wonder, and I prophesy that Christ will NOT return on Pentecost.  Bow down to me and don’t forget to send me your tithes.

Last week was pretty active on this blog with both False Prophet Ronald Weinland and his most public critic (yours truly) both having media interviews, followed by exposure of at least one and possibly two false very-hour claims by the Insane Lying False Prophet.

On the legal front, the two sides have traded motions, with Weinland’s talented legal team filing a motion for the government to maintain and make available as discovery the original notes from investigatory interviews of Weinland and others.  The government responded by providing the notes of the two IRS Special Agents from their confrontation with Ron and Laura on July 2, 2008.  (This was on a Wednesday, and in the following Saturday’s sermon Ron talked about “that being” (Satan) being stirred up as the result of his having given the 50th truth sermon, but wouldn’t get into specifics.  Now we know).  As far as interviews of other people, the government has refused to provide any memorandum as discovery since under the federal law and rules of evidence they don’t have to provide this information unless and until a particular witness testifies (that would be testifying with actual words, Laura) in court.

Back to the media front:  In Ronnie’s latest blog posting, he writes:

But with our recent advertising, as of today, I have only had a request for three interviews, one of which I turned down because of the attitude of the producer and host at WGN in Chicago (assuredly, one of the first in the Church that was scattered to ever turn down WGN).

As it turns out, I had a hand in the WGN episode.  Since Ron has had 4 interviews with talk show host Mike McConnell when he was on WLW in Cincinnati, I thought they both might like to have a fifth interview.  I contacted Mike’s producer in December and pointed out Ron’s ad.  Mike’s producer was interested and wanted to have him on the program that day (a Thursday).  Ron gave Mike’s producer the brush off saying he couldn’t do it that day.  So the manifestation of the host’s (Mike McConnell’s) attitude would have been at the time of the last interview, nearly 3 years ago.

Now, although I am Ron’s critic, I am not a stalker and didn’t do this to stir things up.  Three weeks after putting out the ad and no interviews, was curious as to what he’d have to say. I thought that Ron might really want the publicity and would be comfortable dealing with Mike McConnell.  But I have a feeling that Ron knows that the other Mike also has his number by now.  Best to have your interview on a secondary market station with a host who never heard of you and your past failed prophecies so you’d have a recording to post as a sign to your deluded followers.  Who instead of asking you about other failed prophecies, would have asked you about your own.

And who knows, might have even been aware of you mixing up your own signs, saying the first trumpet blew in November of 2008 instead of December of 2008, and that the first trumpet is the economy instead exactly one-third of all plant life.  And that you predicted “nukular” explosions in US port cities 45-90 days after the blowing of the first trumpet, then changed it to within a year from March of 2009, and immediately waffled saying that God might give a little more time.

I wonder what happened to the third request that he didn’t characterize?

In Ron’s posting last week he said:

As a matter of other dates that God revealed to me, through Jesus Christ, it was given earlier that Trumpets of 2008 was the beginning of the 1335 day count in the Book of Daniel that leads up to the return of Jesus Christ on May 27, 2012.

I wonder if this was the same God who gave him the first timeline?  Has God explained why we don’t have jack-booted German soldiers marching down our streets, now less than 5 months before Pentecost?  And when this timeline fails, will he find a third God to give him yet another timeline?

I leave you with a few points from someone who was a minister for Herbert Armstrong before Weinland but who isn’t competing with Ron for followers:

• Please do not let Ron Weinland chide you for your lack of faith in his opinions.
• Please understand that the way he sees and filters the Bible through his brain is his opinion.
• Please understand that if you are to ‘prove all things’ then you have no proof that Ron is in touch with God nor God with him in any real way that can be proven.
• Please realize that any real God is not out to trick or deceive you and that these theological disasters in the making is merely due to the lack of wisdom and common sense of your pastor.
• Please give if you must.  If that is where your treasure is then let your heart follow, but please use your own common sense and provide for yourself and your own “just in case.”  Just in case is not a sin.  It is being responsible.  You know…’if a man provides not for his own household he is less than an infidel..” or something like that.
• Learn to say directly to Mr. Weinland, should the need arise, “please mind your own business on how I perceive my family responsibilities should this really be the end of the age or really not.”
• Please find a way to disconnect the ring in your nose that Ron has the lead firmly attached to.  Follow if you must but follow on your own terms.  Ron can never prove to you that his ways alone are God’s ways or that your caution is unbiblical or a total lack of faith.  Remember, Ron is actually asking you to have faith in him while he makes it sound like you are denying your faith in God.  Apples and oranges…

Dennis Diehl’s entire article can be read on the Banned! blog.

False Prophet Ronald Weinland just updated his “Seeking a Response FAQ”.  Here is what the intro used to say:

Due to an ever-increasing number of people who desire a response from the Church of God – PKG, we are now handling all requests in the following manner. Any who want to debate beliefs or who are seeking to express their own ideas will not receive a response. Such e-mail will simply be deleted.

Those who can receive more direct contact with God’s Church are those who are genuinely seeking help and desire a closer relationship with the Church. If you are one of these people, then you must be patient and closely follow the instruction given in the steps below.

You must be willing to search out answers through your own efforts. For nearly all questions, you can receive answers if you will do more searching and digging on your own with the resources we have made available to you, and as you do this you will be led to more direct contact with us.

You have before you all that is needed in order to properly respond to God’s calling, if you are genuine about your desire to repent and change your life, so that you might have the opportunity to live into the new age that is now coming to this earth. If you follow the steps outlined below, you will have all that is needed, at this time, to properly equip yourself for the coming of Jesus Christ.

Here’s what the new introduction to “Seeking a Response” says {with commentary}:

This article is being written to specifically address issues that will surface in this last five month period of this end-time that ends on May 27, 2012. {How about addressing the lack of the beast power that was to be tormenting the US by now?}

As stated in 2008 – God’s Final Witness, we do not know the day that the Second Trumpet will sound, nor the time that the following five trumpets will sound. {Let’s see, the 5 trumpets that follow the 2nd one are the 3rd through 7th. Yes it’s true. Ron doesn’t know when any of them are to sound, including the 7th. The 7th trumpet will NOT sound at sundown at the start of Pentecost in Jerusalem.  But you’re getting ahead of things, Ron — we’re still waiting to see all the exactly-what-it-means-destroyed-plant-life of the First Trumpet.} But we do know that as this sequence of events unfolds, people in ever increasing numbers are going to be drawn to God as they seek the answers to why such horrible events are happening in this world. {Actually it’s the opposite. PKG members will leave the church as non-fulfillment of Ron’s prophecies continue.}

If you want answers and seek a response from the Church to your questions or desire baptism then we urge you to closely follow the guidelines of this article. As conditions worsen and larger numbers of people begin to turn toward God, {only in your fevered imagination, Ron} we are going to have a more difficult time responding to all who are wanting help due to our small number of ministers throughout the world. {Made smaller by the no-show of the 3000 ex-WCG members who were to join your church by now.  And it will be even harder if you end up being imprisoned for criminal tax fraud.} Therefore, it is all the more important that you follow these guidelines so that the likelyhood of a response to your questions can be answered.

Any who want to debate beliefs or who are seeking to express their own ideas will not receive a response. Any such e-mail we receive will simply be deleted.

What will be telling is what Ron does over the next couple of months.  Ron has until around the 8th of March to negotiate a plea arrangement for a reduced sentence.  If the church’s legal team and investigator are not able to put together a defense, he might decide to do that.  By now, they’ve had about two months to look over the discovery and may have a pretty good idea.  If Ron decides to make a plea, we may have the 58th truth rolled out in the next few weeks to suspend the current timeline and prepare the church for an extended absence of their spiritual idol.  Interested observers will be listening for clues in upcoming sermons. Ron can turn things on a dime. Back in 2008, he was still talking great tribulation in May, by mid-June he aborted the first timeline and rolled out the 50th “truth”.

In the meantime,  you may remember Harold Camping’s May 21st date for the rapture last year.   Media interest in this year’s false-prophet-with-an-end-date-in-May has been sparked by this posting on the God Discussion site.  Their posting has been reposted and referenced on dozens of blogs over the past few days.  The God Discussion website has a live PodCast on Thursday evenings beginning at 9 PM Eastern/6 PM Pacific time.  Yours truly is scheduled to be interviewed about Weinland during the show, probably about an hour into the show for about 15 minutes.  The topic probably will not include a discussion as to whether Ron is mentally ill — I am not a mental health professional and have limited qualifications in that area.  Will provide more details on this Sixth Thunder event as I get them.

There is a common misconception that False Prophet Ronald Weinland will easily escape his legal troubles by just paying his taxes.  Comments like these have appeared on blogs recently:

• “It is likely that RW will be required simply to pay back taxes with a percentage dollar penalty — and only after there is either a convinction or (more likely) an IRS judgment against him.”
• “But even if he has no real problem with the I.R.S. (and presuming he will be cleared, he would not),…..” {this from Thielogical Bob, who thinks an IRS Criminal Investigation is the same as an audit.  And: No, Bob.  The IRS does not investigate to clear someone. Also, IRS policy is to cease any civil audit while a criminal investigation is underway.}
• “He probably will avoid actual jail time, he will pay a hefty fine….and probably ask the members for help with it.” {Now I agree with the last part.}
• “I agree that he probably won’t do time. What does the government gain, except for making an occasional example to put fear in others, from expensively incarcerating someone like him?” {To the first sentence: based on what?  To the second sentence:  Well ….. yeah!!!}

Some think that after the IRS develops a criminal case, the accused can make it go away by simply saying “Well, OK you caught me.  So I’ll pay what I owe and go on.”  It doesn’t quite work that way.  Referring to the last comment quoted above — yes, that’s exactly the “gain” they’re looking for — to put the fear in others against cheating on their taxes.  The above comments are misinformed speculation without basis.  What I have below is based on research of actual source documents, and while I am not a lawyer I think what I have is a lot, lot closer to reality.

IRS Criminal Investigation has spent over 41 months investigating the case and the assigned special agent has likely worked thousands of hours.  Additional effort was required by the Department of Justice to dispute Weinland’s motion to quash summonses in 2008 and to enforce the summons on Weinland’s daughter Audra and church bookkeeper in 2009.  The case has been extensively reviewed by others in the Internal Revenue Service before a decision was made to refer the case to the Department of Justice.  The DoJ Taxation Division has reviewed the case before referring the case the US Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, who has reviewed it.  And then it was further reviewed by the grand jury which returned an indictment with 5 charges.

So after all that effort, the Government is going to want its pound of flesh from taxpayer (or perhaps not) Ronald Weinland who is incidentally the Spokesman Witness and a False Prophet of the God of Abraham.  After it gets its pound of flesh, the government will only then go after whatever taxes are owed.  So long as a criminal case is under investigation or prosecution, the civil case (audits, etc) is put on hold, but once the criminal case is dispensed with anywhere along the line (ranging from a criminal case dropped due to lack of prosecution potential to the ending of a criminal prosecution whether or not successful) the civil case resumes.  The IRS will go after whatever taxes it feels is due them plus civil penalties.  And there may be civil proceedings even if the criminal case falls apart, since the element of willfulness is not part of a civil case and the burden of proof is less than in a criminal case

The “pound of flesh” would be criminal penalties imposed following the successful prosecution of False Prophet Ronald Weinland in a court of law.  The penalties in the indictment (5 years in prison and a $250,000 fine) are for each and every of the 5 counts.  A total of 25 years in prison and a $1.25 million dollar fine. Many associated with abused PKG members will be disappointed, because in reality Weinland won’t face anything near that penalty from the court if convicted.

The following discussion is derived from the 2010 Federal Sentencing Guidelines Manual {PDF File}.  As I am not a legal professional, I may have misinterpreted it, so others are encouraged to review the material.  The following discussion also is moot unless and until False Prophet Ronald Weinland is actually convicted or pleads guilty in US federal court, which has not happened at the time of this posting.

The sentencing guideline has a formula or process.  First, the severity of the crime is assessed to determine the “Offense Level”.  For tax offenses, the table below is used, with the amount of tax loss in dollars determining the “Offense Level”:

Next adjustments are made based on other factors and a sentence is determined based on the offense level and prior criminal history.  The table to the right shows the sentence in months for each offense level.  The sentence is selected to the column corresponding to the number of prior convictions.  As far as I know, Weinland has no prior convictions so the first column (“I”) would be used.

Adjustments downward to the offense level may be made.  From the sentencing guidelines: “If the defendant clearly demonstrates acceptance of responsibility for his offense, decrease the offense level by 2 levels.”  I believe this applies if the defendant pleads guilty to the charges before trial, which is the outcome for most cases in which an indictment is returned.  But Ron must make that decision known during the week prior to the pre-trial conference in mid-March.

Adjustments upward may also be made.  From the sentencing guidelines: “If the offense involved sophisticated means, increase by 2 levels. If the resulting offense level is less than level 12, increase to level 12.”  and: “Conduct such as hiding assets or transactions, or both, through the use of fictitious entities, corporate shells, or offshore financial accounts ordinarily indicates sophisticated means.”  Weinland’s Swiss bank accounts might fit this definition, although he may argue that in his case this was not a sophisticated means since he disclosed their existence in various sermons to his church.

The total of the evaded taxes charged in the indictment of Ronald Weinland was $357,065.  That is offense level 18 (more than $200,000).  If 2 points are added for “sophisticated means” (the Swiss bank accounts), then he would be sentenced at offense level 20.  From the sentencing table shown on the right, offense level 20 has a sentence ranging from 33 to 41 months.  A sentence of 40 months within these guidelines seems appropriate for a convicted lying false prophet (if he is indeed convicted).

On the other hand, perhaps False Prophet Ronald Weinland is not inclined to take his chances at trial and wants to negotiate a plea agreement.  Let’s say that the Assistant US Attorney is willing to re-arraign the Spokesman Witness on just one of the counts.  DoJ policy for plea agreements requires the accused plead guilty to the count with the highest offense level, which is the count for tax year 2008 (that year seems significant for some reason, I’m trying to remember what that is ) and the amount evaded during that year as charged in the indictment is $133,023.91.  That’s offense level 16.  Let’s say that he is able to persuade them not to add 2 points for “sophisticated means” and to take off 2 points for “thinking differently” about his actions, putting him at offense level 14.  That’s a sentence of 15 to 21 months.  A 15-month sentence would get him out in July of 2013, too late to deliver the Pentecost sermon from the Netherlands.  He would have to wait until 2014 to do that.  Or perhaps go to Jerusalem and lay his corpse in the street for 3 & 1/2 days prior to Pentecost 2 years behind schedule.

So the offense levels would be in the range of 14 to 20 with a sentence ranging from 15 to 41 months.  If Weinland could manage to limit his offense level to zone C (offense level 12 or 13), as a first offender he would be eligible for a split sentence, as little as one-half served in prison and the remainder on probation.  Home detention would be an option.

But if convicted within a range of offense levels of 14 to 20, Ron would be incarcerated for the full sentence.  Except the sentence can be reduced for good behavior by up to 54 days for each year served.  That is Ron must serve about 85.2% of his sentence.  So for a 15-month sentence he could be out in about 13 months, possibly in May of 2013 if beginning incarceration this coming April.  Maybe even in time to do the Pentecost bit in 2013.

Then there are criminal monetary penalties (fines).  The table to the left gives the range of fines.  An offense level of 14 has fines ranging from $4,000 to $40,000.  An offense level of 18 has fines ranging from $6,000 to $60,000.

The fines imposed may be at the higher end of the ranges.  According to the sentencing guidelines, the costs of incarceration are to be considered.  According to Wikipedia, “In 2001 among facilities operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons, it cost $22,632 per inmate {per year}, or $62.01 per day.”  There’s been a bit of inflation since 2001, so the costs would be even higher.

Additionally, Weinland would be subject to an additional $100 assessment for each of 5 counts if convicted.

If Weinland takes this to trial and is convicted, he could be required to pay the costs of prosecution.  That would be at minimum the $40 per day paid to each of the jurors and government witnesses along with their travel costs, maybe $700 to $1000 per day for 12 jurors, a couple of alternates, and a couple of witnesses.  The costs for the prosecutor, judge and court staff, and courtroom could be added for the trial time along with the time needed to prepare.  The estimated length of trial is 7 days, not including the time for the jury to deliberate.

The amount of the fines may pale relevant to civil penalties.  Weinland would be expected to pay the $357,065 in taxes owed.  But it could be a lot more with civil penalties.  And could be even more based on the original taxes.  The charges include only the amounts they feel that they can prove that Weinland “willfully” evaded, so they may be conservative as to the amounts.  When pursuing him for amounts owed on a civil basis, the burden of proof is much, much less.  If Weinland is judged unfavorably there could be a lot more that he’ll need to levy from his tithe slaves.    And let’s not forget the cost of Weinland’s legal defense, which includes a great team of lawyers with 2 attorneys and an investigator.

Note: the motion hearing scheduled today for Ronald Weinland has been delayed until February 17.

False Prophet Ronald Weinland was given a new title in a recent court filing by his defense team: “Defendant Ronald E. Weinland”.  There are actually two defense motions that were filed last week.  One motion was to extend the deadline for filing motions by at least two weeks, until January 5 or later.  The other motion was to require that the government preserve notes made by its agents which could be discoverable under the Jencks Act.  The Jencks act requires the government to provide as discovery any prior statements made by witnesses who appear at trial, or any material to which those witnesses may refer as part of their testimony during the trial.

We learn a few interesting things about the government’s case from these filings.  The Weinlands first learned about the case on Wednesday, July 2, 2008, when an IRS special agent confronted Ron and Laura for an interview. I wonder if the IRS special agent is sufficiently honored to have met the Two Witnesses of Revelation chapter 11.  In Ron’s sermon the following weekend (July 5, 2008), he mentioned great trials the prior week from a stirred up being.  A week later, on July 9, 2008, the IRS special agent began issuing 12 summonses to financial institutions for financial transaction records relating to Ron, Laura, and the church.

On July 29, 2008, Weinland filed a motion to quash these summonses arguing that they were overly broad because (1) they included tax year 2008 for which a filing wasn’t yet due and (2) included records for Laura and the church who weren’t under investigation.  On September 2, 2008 the government and Weinland reached a settlement on the issue of the summonses, with the government agreeing to drop tax year 2008 from the summonses.  The government did not agree to remove Laura or the church from their investigation.  Since the indictment charges Ron with a count for tax year 2008, the government must have reissued the summonses for 2008 transactions after Ron’s 2008 income tax filing was due (but not made).  In the end, the only thing Ron’s filing of the motion accomplished was to bring the criminal investigation to public view in 2008  — and this was a result of his own court filing which is a public record (the IRS is prohibited from publicizing investigations).

From the recent filings we also learn more about the government’s case.   The discovery provided is over 5000 pages and covers bank and credit card account transactions through numerous personal and church accounts.  The case against Weinland is based on an analysis of those transactions to assess whether they were legitimate church expenses or should have been treated as Ron’s personal income on which he would have been required to pay taxes.  As part of this assessment, the government conducted interviews of Ron and other individuals associated with the church.  One of those individuals would have been Audra Little, Ron’s daughter and the church bookkeeper.  Audra tried to evade answering any questions from the IRS and had to be ordered to do so in federal court during November of 2009.  The defense is seeking to discover before trial not only the summary memoranda of the interviews of Audra and others, but also the rough notes made by government agents during the interviews.

At one point, Ron mentioned investigators asking questions of church members.  Besides Audra, I imagine that Terry Wrozek and Johnny Harrell were interviewed.  If Ron takes this to trial, I expect that the government’s case-in-chief during the trial will include not only government agents and analysts, but also various PKG members.  I wonder if they’ll be willing to answer the questions put to them when they believe that Ron could “breathe fire” on them to prevent their testimony.

If you get next year’s calendar, and start counting days with day #1 being January 31, when you reach the count of day #50 you will be at March 20.  January 31 is the date that False Prophet Ronald Weinland’s criminal trial for tax evasion was scheduled during the arraignment.  March 20 is the new scheduled date determined yesterday afternoon during the hearing to consider Weinland’s motion to continue.  Note: in later court action, the trial was continued yet again, to June 4, 2012.

————-  Text of Judge’s Order ——————–

On December 12, 2011, this action was called for a hearing on the defendant’s motion to continue the trial scheduled to begin January 31, 2012. The United States was represented by Assistant United States Attorney Robert McBride. Defendant Ronald E. Weinland was present and represented by Robert Webb, retained counsel. The proceedings were recorded by official court reporter, Lisa Wiesman. The Court having heard counsel and being sufficiently advised, it is hereby ORDERED as follows:

1. The defendant’s motion to continue [Record No. 14] is GRANTED. The trial date of January 31, 2012, is vacated and the jury trial is rescheduled for March 20, 2012, beginning at 10:00 a.m., with counsel to be present at 9:30 a.m.

2. The pretrial conference previously scheduled for January 17, 2012, is continued until March 12, 2012, beginning at 3:30 p.m., at the United States Courthouse in Covington, Kentucky.

3. Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 3161(h)(7)(B)(iv), the time period between January 31, 2012, and March 20, 2012, is excludable delay under the Speedy Trial Act. The Court finds that failure to grant a continuance of the length outlined above would deny the defendant reasonable time necessary for effective preparation, taking into account the exercise of due diligence. Further, the ends of justice served by continuing the trial date in this case outweigh the best interest of the public and the defendant in a speedy trial.

4. The defendant shall remain on bond and conditions of release previously imposed.

This 13th day of December, 2011. /s/ Judge Reeves

———— End of Judge’s Order —————-

That’s an additional seven weeks for Weinland’s legal team to march around the Jericho of the governments case ….  Oh, heck.  I’ve been listening to Weinland for too long.  I’m starting to spiritualize and look for numeric significance in everything.    The 49-day delay is somewhat less than the 180 days requested in the motion to continue.  But hey — Ron has his daughter/senior elder/bookkeeper Audra to help the defense team sort through all those financial transactions — it ought to be a snap.

With the continuance, Ron now has until March 8th to reach a plea agreement with a reduction in sentence based on “thinking differently”.

With Passover on the evening after sunset on April 5, only 2 weeks and 2 days after the trial’s new start date, the trial and jury deliberations will need to proceed apace and Weinland’s lawyers need to have a winning case for Ron to be able to conduct Passover “down under” as he had planned.  And it doesn’t look like he’ll be going to Toronto in February.

Following that will be Ron’s motion to continue the return of Jesus Christ.

The federal court has established a timeline for the criminal trial of Ronald Weinland, with a series of procedural deadlines and a pre-trial conference on Jan 17 with the actual trial scheduled to start on Jan 31. Weinland seeks to change that timeline with a motion filed by his attorneys last week. Here is text from that motion:

————- Motion to Continue Trial ———–
Defendant Ronald E. Weinland, through undersigned counsel, respectfully moves this Court, pursuant to Local Criminal Rule 12.1(b) and 18 U.S.C. § 3161(h)(7), and with sufficient cause, for an Order continuing the trial date in this matter, currently set for January 31, 2012, at 10:00 a.m., for at least 180 days to such dates that are convenient to the Court. Mr. Weinland respectfully requests this continuance due to the unusual and complex nature of the case. As a result, it is unreasonable to expect adequate preparation for any pretrial proceedings or for the trial itself within the time limits established by the Speedy Trial Act.

{The rest of this posting is “below the fold. ” There is also a posting below about yesterday’s split sermon from his two leading evangelists flunkies Wayne and Johnny.}

(more…)

Last Saturday, Weinland spoke of traveling to Canada.  So I reviewed the conditions of his pre-trial release.  (to see a larger size of these pictures, you can click once to see it in a new page and then again to see a larger version)

The first page lists his upcoming court appearances, and his $20,000 bond which he has to pay only if he doesn’t show up. Set your alarm clock, Ron.

The top of the second page requires him to surrender his passport.

Took a closer look at the bottom of the second page.

That gave me some concern, as it seems to say that Ron can travel internationally so long as the destination country has an extradition treaty.  Seems contradictory with his being required to turn in his passport.

But then I found another document:

So Ron had to turn in his passport after all.

Also looked into what travel documents are required for US citizens to travel to Canada.  The last time I went there was as a youth and no travel documents were required to go to the Canadian side of Niagara Falls other than a driver’s license.  Travel rules have changed since then because of the reaction to 9/11.  While Canada doesn’t require a passport to be in the country, the US requires a passport for readmission.  So Canada will not allow you to enter without a passport because they want you to return home.

So Ron must be quite optimistic if he thinks he’s going to Canada in February.  Has he gained his fire-breathing ability all of a sudden?  Does he think his talented team of lawyers hired by the church to defend him will get him off?  Time will tell.  As of right now, the itinerary on his “Trips” page has domestic travel planned up through Jan 28, the weekend prior to the beginning of his jury trial in criminal court.