Michael Hand of Nugan Hand found

[Peter Lemkin]

He just resigned from his knife company TOPS in October to 'care for his wife'.....(or he knows he was sprung and is moving to a new undeclared location with new ID and new Social Security number this time)

The two 60 minute sections were interesting and Hand didn't look very happy at being located, but I'm sure he knows nothing with happen do him. He may loose some acquaintances who didn't know who he was, but he'll be just fine, sadly. He may have to move to another town - but America is full of them and he may need a disguise and, as Magda pointed out, a new name and social security number, etc. That's easy stuff for his protectors - they do that all the time, even plastic surgery to alter the face and fingerprints at times. As for his company, it will continue and he'll still be making the money from it. Crime does pay, in fact, it usually pays quite well if you have the right forces protecting you and even bankrolling you!

I'd be interested to know if this will create any demand in Australia for some heads to roll and for Hand to be extradited. He won't be, but even an attempt would embarrass the USA and the powers that be in Oz. Isn't it just pathetic that someone like Hand and LPC can live lives of calm grace, while real heroes like Manning, Assange and Snowden are trapped - as are many others who've even gone to prison for doing the RIGHT thing, let alone these criminals who don't get any punishment for doing the WRONG/EVIL things. It is an upside-down world, all too much run by those on the dark side.

[David Guyatt]

[quote=Magda Hassan]
Isn't it just pathetic that someone like Hand and LPC can live lives of calm grace, while real heroes like Manning, Assange and Snowden are trapped - as are many others who've even gone to prison for doing the RIGHT thing, let alone these criminals who don't get any punishment for doing the WRONG/EVIL things. It is an upside-down world, all too much run by those on the dark side.

Yep, the world certainly is upside down. These days lying is respected and flourishes, and the truth is openly mocked and degraded.

It is a frightening thought that man also has a shadow side to him, consisting not just of little weaknesses- and foibles, but of a positively demonic dynamism. The individual seldom knows anything of this; to him, as an individual, it is incredible that he should ever in any circumstances go beyond himself. But let these harmless creatures form a mass, and there emerges a raging monster; and each individual is only one tiny cell in the monster's body, so that for better or worse he must accompany it on its bloody rampages and even assist it to the utmost.

On the Psychology of the Unconscious" (1912). In CW 7: Two Essays on Analytical Psychology. P.35, Jung.

[Magda Hassan]

I'd be interested to know if this will create any demand in Australia for some heads to roll and for Hand to be extradited. He won't be, but even an attempt would embarrass the USA and the powers that be in Oz. Isn't it just pathetic that someone like Hand and LPC can live lives of calm grace, while real heroes like Manning, Assange and Snowden are trapped - as are many others who've even gone to prison for doing the RIGHT thing, let alone these criminals who don't get any punishment for doing the WRONG/EVIL things. It is an upside-down world, all too much run by those on the dark side.

Yes, it will be interesting. There are a few things. Many people don't know about Nugan Hand or what it was doing. They just weren't around. They shrug their shoulders and go 'meh'. On the other hand people hate banks. And hate them with a passion. So they don't want any bank to be getting a free ride. Also, even though our politicians are a bunch of craven US lap dogs most bought and paid for the same love of Yankies is not universal in the population. Also, there is a whole new crew of police who are much more professional. There were many police involved in the drug dealing and associated with Nugan Hand. Even the previous state Premier had his offices next door to the bank in Sydney and was friends with Frank Nugan. There was a later Royal Commission into Police Corruption and one third looked the other way and hoped for the best and one third of the NSW police force resigned and of the one third left many turned informant and a good chunk of the rest went to jail or committed suicide. They had to import a British rozzer to be the Police Commissioner as they couldn't trust any one here not to be up to their eyeballs in it. So the police force has gone through a lot of changes. The Federal Police say they will consider any new evidence but the point is there is already a ton of old evidence which he has never had to answer for. There is a lot of buzz in some areas and the reporter has been on touch with me and I've suggested a couple of further leads and we are all busy going through various cables and such (god bless you Chelsea Manning and Wikileaks). There is a still secret volume from the Joint Task Force into Drugs that will likely shine some light in to all this and I see it is still suppressed http://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Search/Home?...=all&limit[]=&submit=Find&page=1 I put it on the Wikileaks wish list so fingers crossed. https://wikileaks.org/wiki/Draft:The_Mos...ks_of_2009

[Anthony Thorne]

I was looking through the NLA online listings of Nugan Hand materials last year. There do seem to be a bunch of collections available, one a privately desposited one at a library in NSW, and more listed under the restricted archives of a Labor Party branch if I remember correctly.

I'm personally not expecting any local authorities to do jack shit with this latest info, but I'd be happy to be surprised. 60 Minutes report Ross Coulthart has seemingly being following the Nugan Hand tale for years. The now defunct Channel 9 Sunday show had a website years ago with a special whistleblower page where Ross had an email address for people to send him info if they had anything on certain subjects of interest, and he'd listed Nugan Hand high up on the topics he was seeking more info about.

[Peter Lemkin]

The most surprising thing to me was not that he was found (others knew about him in Washington State before he moved to Idaho not far away) is that the three-letter agency protecting him didn't warn him about his being tracked. One can only speculate that NSA doesn't have 'hand' as a keyword, but certainly Nugan-Hand must be!'. I'm sure that anyone on the trail of Nugan-Hand persons or money or the real story would also be closely watched both in Oz and the USA, which share both intelligence and the exact same Five-Eyes Electronic Intelligence system.

I know of someone who knows a bit about what happened (saw some parts of it with their own eyes), but will NOT be coming forward with that information, as they 1 - were never in a decision-making position regarding this matter and were always low-level; 2- take their secrecy oath seriously, 3 - they like to stay alive and well. 4 - and they were officially tasked to rub elbows with some involved in this matter, and they thus have always been known to those who can see top secret documents. ::drwho::

There is more than enough information out there publicly already to prosecute many - and the Nugan-Hand Bank scandal connects to many other scandals from Whitlam to Murdoch and everything in between. So, I'm quite sure this won't be touched, as it would unwind the polity and official myths [of democracy, independence, sovereignty, rule of law, et al.] of Australia (and a few other countries) - i.e. not in the 'National Security' interest. ::

[Magda Hassan]

While today is Remembrance Day here it is also the infamous day that the Whitlam government was overthrown 40 years ago. Lot's of buzz around about it and the hand of the CIA.

[Peter Lemkin]

Australian mystery man found in Idaho Falls

• By Michael H. O'Donnell modonnell@journalnet.com
  
• Nov 9, 2015
  
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An Australian "60 Minutes" reporter, right, greets a man he believes is Michael Hand in Idaho Falls. The program says Hand has been linked to international spying and money laundering, but has been missing for 35 years.

• Sydney Morning Herald
  

Michael Hand

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IDAHO FALLS A former Australian banker and U.S. Green Beret who Australia's television show "60 Minutes" said has lived in hiding since 1980 is an Idaho Falls resident.
The TV show, Australia's version of CBS' "60 Minutes," said Michael Hand is now an Idaho Falls resident, age 73, living under the assumed name of Michael Jon Fuller. The show said Hand has been linked to international spying and money laundering. Two former business associates also wound up dead. And Hand has been missing for 35 years.
When the Australian television crew confronted Fuller in the parking lot of an Idaho Falls Smith's store Sunday, he refused to answer any questions and drove off.
A story that was published Monday in the Sydney Morning Herald states that Hand (Fuller) manufactures tactical weapons for U.S. Special Forces, special operations groups and hunters in Idaho Falls. Fuller is the owner of TOPS Knives in Idaho Falls.
Bonneville County Sheriff's Office Sgt. Bryan Lovell said no warrants for Fuller's arrest have ever come through the sheriff's office.
"Typically, if he was wanted by an agency, they would get a hold of us," Lovell said. "No one has contacted us."
Lovell did say if an arrest warrant was out of a foreign country like Australia, the U.S. Marshal Service would likely handle it. The sergeant added that the county sheriff normally would be notified of any actions involving the U.S. Marshal.
"We'd get wind of that," Lovell said. U.S. Marshal Brian Underwood said there are currently no warrants from Australia involving Michael Hand or Michael Jon Fuller. He said if that country issues a provisional warrant, his office would act upon it.
"Right now we have nothing," Underwood said.
The current events Australian television show relied heavily on information published by Australian author Peter Butt in his book, "Merchants of Menace" to produce its Sunday program on Hand.
A promotion for the Australian television show said: "The collapse of the infamous Nugan Hand Bank wiped out tens of millions of dollars, most of it from mum and dad investors. When Frank Nugan, one of the founders of the bank, was found dead it meant just one man knew where the money was, and the answer to many more questions. Then he disappeared vanished from the face of the earth."
According to the Australian national newspaper "The Australian," after Hand served in the Vietnam War, he and a partner, Frank Nugan, set up the Nugan Hand international merchant bank based in Sydney. Eventually that bank came under investigation by Australian authorities amid rumors of its involvement with the American Central Intelligence Agency and organized crime. Allegations included that the bank was a front for anti-communist covert activities during the Cold War.

Hand disappeared after Nugan was found dead beside a rifle in his car near the Australian city of Lithgow on June 19, 1980. The death was ruled a suicide at the time, but Hand could not be found.
The bank collapsed and left a debt of more than $50 million, according to the Australian newspaper. No criminal charges were ever filed against anyone involved with the bank's collapse.
The Sydney Morning Herald reported Monday that William Colby, director of the CIA from 1973 to 1976 and the chief of CIA Southeast Asian operations in Vietnam during the war, served as a legal adviser to the Hand Nugan bank. Colby died in April 1996 while on a solo canoe trip in Maryland and his death was ruled accidental.
The Sydney newspaper article said author Butt thought Hand had been protected since fleeing Australia in June 1980.
"It turns out that the FBI could have dealt with Michael Hand long ago. A simple background check reveals Fuller's Social Security number is identical to the one allocated to Michael Hand in New York in 1960," Butt said. "The fact that Hand has been allowed to live the free life in the United States suggests that he belongs to a protected species, most likely of the intelligence kind."
The Idaho Repository shows only three traffic infractions filed against Michael Jon Fuller of Idaho Falls. They were failure to use a seat belt charges in 2010 and 2003, and a failure to maintain liability insurance in 1999. The no-insurance charge was dismissed and Fuller was found guilty of the seat belt violations and fined $10 each time.

[Peter Lemkin]

"Australian Fugitive", Michael Jon Fuller statement {and someone call for John Armstrong - we've got another doubleganger!} ::rofl::

Chelsea Brentzel

POSTED: 11:47 PM MST Nov 09, 2015 UPDATED: 11:40 PM MST Nov 09, 2015


Michael Fuller Statement

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho -An Idaho Falls man has lived here quietly building his business, but now he's accused of being Australia's most wanted fugitive.
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• One of Australia's most wanted fugitives found living in...
  

It's a story that dates back 35 years.
Australia media says Michael Jon Fulller is a fugitive on the run after a corporate scandal at one of that countries most notorious banks. Thousands of miles away, that supposed fugitive has been living under a false identity in Idaho Falls for decades.
It's a crime story you would only expect to see in the movies or read in a spy thriller. But it's making headlines around the world.
Local News 8 exclusively obtained a statement from a representative for the company Fuller owns in Idaho.

TOPS Knives is owned by Michael Jon Fuller.

"A recent news story has surfaced from 60 Minutes Australia condemning Michael Fuller as a criminal because of an incident that occurred in Australia over 35 years ago. This is untrue and inaccurate. While we empathize with those who lost money, as with any investment, Michael Fuller is not to blame.
Michael Fuller was a Green Beret in the US Army during the Vietnam conflict and earned the Distinguished Service Cross in honor of his service to the USA and his bravery in combat.
After serving in the US Military, Mike lived in Australia for a time and when a business that he was a part of collapsed, he left the country due to numerous death threats that he and his wife had received. He was never charged with any crime or arrested and has not been extradited because he did not commit any crimes in conjunction with this incident.
Michael Fuller has not been in hiding in the US. He has had to work hard and long hours to make a living just like anyone else. Since living in Idaho, he has been running a small business, which started out in a garage with minimal tools and materials, and with money that was invested by people that helped to design the first knives the company made. The company has been successful due to the hard work and dedication of Mike and his staff as well as the quality of the tools and craftsmanship.
Leo Espinoza is the current President of TOPS Knives. He has been working as the Vice President for several years. Mike has allowed him to make most, if not all, of the company's decisions over the last 3-4 years. His recent retirement is due to his failing health as well as that of his wife, not because of Australian reporting. TOPS Knives has always and will continue to operate with honesty and integrity."

Mr. Hand, on a scale of zero to 100 on the believability scale, I'd rate your statement as a paltry 1.....::cuckoo::

[Peter Lemkin]

Interview with 60 Minutes Australia's Ross Coulthart

Mr. Coulthart is a bit too kindhearted IMHO - suggesting that Hand just relax and write his life story....

[Peter Lemkin]

IN PLAIN SIGHT

11.10.151:00 AM ET
FOUND After 35 Years: CIA's Fugitive Banker

How Michael Jon Hand, who founded an Australian bank with ties to American military and intelligence officials that defrauded depositors and investors, was tracked to Idaho.
By Raymond Bonner, Special to ProPublica
It was one of the greatest disappearing acts of modern times.
Amid a swirl of allegations and rumors that the Nugan Hand Bank was involved in arms smuggling, drug-running, and covert operations for the CIA, the institution's American founder vanished from Australia. Thirty-five years later, that man, Michael Jon Hand, was tracked to a small town in Idaho where he has been living under the name of Michael Jon Fuller.

Hand was found by an Australian writer, Peter Butt, whose just-released book, Merchants of Menace, discloses Hand's whereabouts after decades of mystery.
If finding Hand, now 73, solves one mystery, it raises another. How could he have lived in the United States so long without being detected? He changed his name only slightly, from Hand to Fuller, and did not get a new Social Security number, according to Butt.
Hand's company, G.M.I. Manufacturing, is registered with the Idaho secretary of state. The company "now manufactures tactical weapons for US Special Forces, special operations groups and hunters,'' Butt writes. Has Hand/Fuller been brazen, foolish, or, as Butt asks, does he belong "to a protected species, most likely of the intelligence kind?"

Two years after fleeing Australia, in 1982, when the CIA was involved in a covert operation to overthrow the left-wing Sandinista government in Nicaragua, Hand was working as a military adviser in the region where the anti-Sandinista "contras" were based, according to an Australian intelligence document, which was declassified earlier this year.


The FBI did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The CIA has previously denied it had any links to Hand.
Hand had been a Green Beret in Vietnam and a CIA operative in Laos before moving to Australia, where he and Frank Nugan, a wealthy playboy, established the Nugan Hand Bank in 1973, with $80. Hand fled Australia seven years later, after Nugan was found dead inside his Mercedes-Benz, his left hand holding the barrel of a .30-caliber rifle a few inches from his head, his right hand near the trigger.
During an inquest into Nugan's death, Hand testified that the bank was insolvent, owing investors large and small some $50 million. The inquest ruled Nugan's death a suicide, a finding many Australians found dubious.

With depositors and law enforcement authorities in pursuit, Hand, with assistance from a former CIA officer, secured a forged Australian passport, donned a false mustache and beard, and fled Australia in June of 1980. He flew to Fiji, then on to Canada, from which he could cross into the United States without a visa.
The Sydney Morning Herald first reported on Butt's findings on Monday. In a segment that aired Sunday night, Australia's 60 Minutes filmed Hand/Fuller emerging from a pharmacy at a shopping mall in Idaho Falls. He has a full beard and neck brace, and was wearing sunglasses and a blue checked shirt. He refused to answer any questions or speak at all when confronted by 60 Minutes reporter Ross Coulthart.
Suspicions about the bank's links to the CIA arose almost immediately after Nugan was found dead. His wallet contained the business card of William E. Colby, who had been director of the CIA from 1973 to 1976.

Hand told colleagues that it was his ambition that the bank "become a banker for the CIA."

Colby was forced to resign when it was reported that the agency had been engaged in illegal spying on American citizens. He became a legal adviser to Nugan Hand, and on the back of his business card were handwritten dates when someone, presumably Colby, would be in Hong Kong and Singapore.
As reporters began digging into Nugan Hand, they found that Colby wasn't the only individual with an intelligence or military background involved with the bank.
"Nugan Hand had enough generals, admirals, and spooks to run a small war," Jonathan Kwitny, an investigative reporter at The Wall Street Journal, wrote in the definitive book about the bank,The Crimes of Patriots: A True Tale of Dope, Dirty Money, and the CIA.

The president was a retired Navy admiral; the head of the Manila branch, a retired Air Force general; the head of the Washington office, a retired Army general; another retired Army general ran the office in Hawaii.
In a review of Kwitny's book in The New York Times, Howard Blum asks: "Why were so many honorable men working for such a blatantly corrupt organization?"
Several former CIA operatives also had links to the bank of one kind or another, including Frank Terpil and Edwin Wilson, who were indicted for selling explosives to Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi. (Terpil fled to Cuba, where he still lives**. Wilson, who was convicted and sentenced to prison, died in 2012.)
In Australia, the collapse of Nugan Hand was the subject of several high-level investigations in the 1980s. They found, generally, that the bank was engaged in money laundering, tax evasion, and violation of Australian banking laws. One investigation found links between Hand and the CIA, while another did not. At the time, Australian investigators complained about the lack of help from the FBI.
Hand, who was raised in the Bronx, studied forestry for a year before enlisting in the Army in 1963. He was sent to Vietnam, where he was awarded a Purple Heart, Silver Star, and the Distinguished Service Cross, the second-highest combat medal. At some point, he became a contractor operative for the CIA and did work for Air America, the agency's front airline, according to one of the Australian investigations.
He visited Sydney on "R&R""rest and recuperation," the once-yearly out for American soldiers in Vietnamand eventually emigrated. He hung out at the Bourbon and Beefsteak Bar, in King's Cross, then and now Sydney's seedy vice district, where he met Frank Nugan. They began selling real estate, primarily to American servicemen in Southeast Asia, then trading in silver bullion, before opening the bank.
Nugan wrote the bank a check for $980,000, then covered it by writing a bank check to himself for the same amount. "Through this elementary accounting fraud, Nugan could claim that the company's paid-up capital was a million dollars," Alfred W. McCoy writes in The Politics of Heroin: CIA Complicity in the Global Drug Trade.
From those humble and corrupt beginnings grew a global goliath that attracted investors with promises of 16 percent interest on deposits, in off-shore accounts. By 1979, Nugan Hand had 13 branches around the world, and many of its depositors were drug traffickers, according to Australian investigators.
Hand told colleagues that it was his ambition that the bank "become a banker for the CIA," according to the findings of one of the Australian investigations.
Efforts to reach Hand were unsuccessful. ::trenchcoatspy::

**That is news to me and very strange place for him to be.....!!! Must be quite a story behind that!