Monday, April 23, 2012

House, Plane, and Businesses

Updating our blog, we received a letter from the Department of The Treasury - IRS dated April 11th that requested copies of all records and/or documentation regarding our investment with the individuals and/or entities under investigation.  Needless-to-say we're in the process of gather the information to try and facilitate the investigation.

Of more interest is what we found on the knoxnews.com web site.  Good picture of Charles D Candler's last home and some interesting facts about his less than honest business practices in the past.  Interesting article and our thanks to knoxnews' Jim Balloch.

Sunday, April 15, 2012

The news trickles in. Here's a summary of the knoxnews.com report. 

IRS agents in South Carolina seized a corporate jet airplane linked to Charles D. "C.D." Candler, who committed suicide amid a federal probe into allegations of a multistate mortgage and investment fraud scheme.

The airplane is registered to a fictitious firm with a Knoxville address linked to Candler. It was seized in Greenville, S.C., where at least one of Candler's firms had an office.  Candler bought the used plane in 2009 and ONE of his firms now under investigation, Benchmark Capital Investments LLC, is the listed owner. 
The airplane's registration number N70HL is currently assigned to "J. Allen Inc.," with the same Merchants Center Boulevard address as Candler's Knoxville office. Tennessee Department of State records show the only firm by that name was at a different address and dissolved in 1994.  The Blount County (TN) accounting firm J. Allen and Associates is part of the federal probe. Owner Joyce Allen was unaware that Candler had placed the jet in a name so similar to her own legitimate company, her lawyer said Friday.
"Joyce Allen did know that Candler had a plane, and we believe that he has placed that airplane in the name of 'J Allen Inc.,' " said lawyer Ralph Harwell. "However, Candler did not ask her (if he could), or even tell her that he was going to register the plane in that name. She has never done business under the name 'J Allen Inc.'"

On March 1, Candler, 67, drove his silver 2007 Mercedes-Benz into the Greenwood Cemetery and shot himself to death. The Knoxville Police Department final report states that Candler purchased a funeral plan exactly one month earlier.  "Lying on the console/middle arm rest of the car was a note and funeral plans for Mr. Candler," the report by Investigator Michael Booker states. "The notes gave his name, his wishes after his body was discovered, and a suicide note addressed to Candler's wife."  A laptop computer, memory discs and various documents in the car, were turned over to an investigator with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the IRS has taken possession of the Mercedes-Benz.

knoxnews.com

aero-news.net

The Honorable Way Out?

Here's another link that really doesn't provide any new information but it has an interesting intro.  "It's curious, how someone who lived so dishonorably suddenly decided to take the honorable way out...."
Greenspans Body Count - Charles D Candler

By the way, we recieved more information from the investigating agencies today via US mail.  More on that later.

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Where Our Story Starts

It might be worth a little background on this blog in order for some to appreciate the drive to create such a blog.

On March 29, 2012 I stopped at the mailbox on my way out for the day.  As usual the mailbox contained assorted fliers with coupons (which I use often since going into semi-retirement) and a couple of pieces of non-descriptive mail from the USPS.  My thoughts were, "Junk mail. Toss it.", but I threw it to the passenger's seat and continued on with my day.  Toward that afternoon while waiting on someone I decided it was a good time to sort through the junk mail.  In both pieces of mail from the USPS was a single page letter explaining in short detail that as a client / investor with either Benchmark Capital, Inc., Benchmark Capital Investments, LLC., J. Allen and Associates, Inc., Charles D. Candler (a.k.a C. D. Candler), Cornerstone Mortgage, and/or Southern Bankers, we were possible victims of a fraudulent investment scheme.  These entities were under a joint investigation by the IRD-Criminal Investigation Division, US Postal Inspection Service, and the FBI.
Unfortunately we indeed had investments with Benchmark Capital in the form of a Home Equity Annuity (a portion of our equity receiving dividend) and an Investment Annuity (our retirement).  With some quick research via the Internet we determined that Charles D. Candler had been found dead in the Greenwood Cemetery on March 1, 2012 from an apparent self inflicted gun shot wound.  Apparently, in February 2012 some investors in the Home Equity Annuity did not receive their dividend checks which prompted at least one person to call the Knoxville Police Department to inquire.  After Candler was found dead at the cemetery from a self inflicted gun shot wound, Federal agents entered his Knoxville office to continue what was an ongoing investigation. 

On a more personal note, we now sit with our retirement in a state of unknown.  Money earned 33 years prior from my first job after college, inheritance from money earned by my wife's father - an honest, hard working blue collar worker, and other money tucked away for our 'twilight years' - seemingly gone.  A large part of our children's inheritance gone. 

Feel free to comment, provide feedback or information.  Hundreds of lives are most likely touched and our prayers go out to each family who must now face this seeming tragedy.

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

The Beginning

After some comments and feedback from our 'trave blog' we have active, we have decided that it appears worthwhile to devote some time to a more specific blog associated with Benchmark Capital, Inc. and Charles D. Candler (C. D. Candler). 

Our goal is to provide a forum for passing information along and providing support to those victims of what appears to have been potential fraudulent investment scheme. 
To begin, here are a few reports from various news sources and their respective reports.

knoxnews

wbir

wyff4

Please feel free to post your comments, new sources, and general information associated with this tragedy.