Hillbillies fall for Nigerian scam, sue their bank for their own stupidity
Hillbillies fall for Nigerian scam, sue their bank for
their own stupidity
Source: http://newsgroups.derkeiler.com/Archive/Alt/alt.politics/2007−03/msg04206.html
• From: "Kickin' Ass and Takin' Names"
• Date: 28 Mar 2007 04:01:37 −0700
These folks are Fred Thompson supporters.
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Couple file $22 million suit against First Tennessee Bank claiming
conspiracy in connection with Nigerian bank scam
Published 03/22/2007 By JEFF KEELING
JOHNSON CITY − A man charged with obtaining nearly $500,000 by fraud
was aided through a conspiracy involving First Tennessee Bank
employees, a recently filed lawsuit claims, and the alleged victims in
the case are seeking more than $22 million from the bank and its
parent company.
Filed March 16 in Washington County Chancery Court, the suit alleges
that bank officials knew Richard Fregosi was bilking Donnie and Brenda
Persinger in a "Nigerian bank scam." Bank officials concealed their
knowledge, the suit alleges, in hopes of profiting from management of
a $6.5 million trust fund Fregosi claimed belonged to a relative of
his living in Africa.
Fregosi, 71, was arrested in January.
Neither Charlton Devault Jr., the Kingsport attorney representing the
Persingers, nor First Tennessee officials or counsel would comment on
the case. Devault did say the defendants − First Tennessee Bank
National Association, First Horizon National Corp. and First Tennessee
Bank − have 30 days from receipt of the complaint to file a written
response unless they ask for and receive an extension.
Devault alleges in the 25−page complaint that bank officers conspired
with Fregosi through much of 2006 as the Persingers ultimately spent
more than $100,000 on Fregosi's fraudulent activities. The suit
alleges that the bank then convinced the Persingers to repay money
they had borrowed from a home equity line of credit by, among other
means, cashing in an $89,000 annuity. The couple also wrote several
checks to Fregosi during a time, the suit alleges, when bank officials
Hillbillies fall for Nigerian scam, sue their bank for their own stupidity 1
Hillbillies fall for Nigerian scam, sue their bank for their own stupidity
knew the misdeeds that were afoot.
The suit lists a litany of wrongs allegedly committed by the bank and
its officers, including fraud, conspiracy and "intentional infliction
of emotional distress." It specifically names mall bank branch manager
Leslie Huff, operations manager Becky Anderson and trust officer Todd
Jones as among those who cooperated with Fregosi in the scam.
The suit claims Donnie Persinger began "loaning" money to Fregosi in
December 2005 to help fund the move of Fregosi's heiress relative,
Sonia Edis, to Johnson City. It explains that the Persingers had been
friends with Fregosi since 2001, and he had helped them on a number of
occasions and attended church with them for several years in "a
friendship which plaintiff Donnie Persinger believed was genuine."
From December 2005, the suit alleges, a variety of loans, wire
transfers to London, fake postal money orders and various fraudulent
activities involved the bank and Fregosi. It even claims that bank
officers deceived the Persingers into an additional loan to Fregosi so
the bank could recoup $26,000 it had advanced on a $56,000 check they
allowed Fregosi to deposit before discovering it was a counterfeit.
"The bank fraudulently deceived the plaintiffs by deliberately
concealing from them the fact that bank managers and officers had
repeatedly discussed the illegal and fraudulent nature of the
'Nigerian bank scam' with co−conspirator Fregosi before, during and
after the time the bank was wiring the plaintiffs' money to overseas
designees," the suit claims.
Devault contends the bank fraudulently and unconscionably enriched
itself at the Persingers' expense.
The suit seeks at least $180,000 in restitution. It also seeks $1
million in compensatory damages for Donnie Persinger and the same
amount for his wife, and $10 million for each spouse in punitive
damages.
http://www.timesnews.net/article.php?id=3743705
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Hillbillies fall for Nigerian scam, sue their bank for their own stupidity 2