Alan Bird gets 24 years for securities scam

September 5, 2008

"Hallelujah," one victim said after a judge sentenced Hamilton Alan Bird to 24 years in prison Friday for ripping off hundreds of Colorado Springs investors, including churches.

Bird, 45, had pleaded guilty to two felonies - securities fraud and theft - as part of a plea agreement with the Colorado attorney general.

Fourth Judicial District Judge J. Patrick Kelly sentenced Bird to 12 years in prison on each count, the maximum, after listening to stories of victims losing their retirement and children's college funds.

"From all the testimony I've heard, the best way to describe you is as a parasite who clings to these victims' good will and their good fortune," said Kelly, who also ordered Bird to pay $6.6 million restitution to 330 victims.

"The only thing that will stop Mr. Bird from taking other people's money, trading it and losing it, is for Mr. Bird to get a lengthy stay at the Department of Corrections," said Jean Woodford, first assistant attorney general.

Bird said his attorneys ordered him not to make any statements, but that he's sorry for what he did.

"I couldn't express remorse, but that doesn't mean I couldn't feel remorseful," Bird told Kelly. "Is my remorse great? Great enough that it has caused me extreme health issues.


Former Colorado Springs pastor Douglas Alan Scott, 48, was sentenced earlier this year to 15 years' probation and ordered to pay $1.4 million in restitution for being part of the same scam. An El Paso County jury convicted him of theft and securities fraud. The former pastor of the now defunct River of Life Church helped recruit investors for XL.

Thank you and praise the lord that justice is finally done!

I am one of the people who Alan took money from. I have known Alan almost all my life. It is regretful that he took from so many. My losses are little compared to others. May God help him in prison, and me in life. He will never know the harm he has done to so many, nor will he know how many people's reputation's were hurt based upon his actions.

[judg4]

We have heard so many very sad stories.

Thankfully he is now to spend his time in prison.

In July 2007 he persuaded a woman in Equador to send him $10K and a woman in Phoenix, AZ who sent him $5K, then another woman in the UK to send him $20K. I know because I was one of those women. We did not know he was being persued for fraud, so I can assure you if he were free, he'd probably still be defrauding money from other people.

It's appalling how often people claim that Jesus is their Lord, but it's nothing more than manipulation. I and several I know have been pitched to like this. HYIP's, mortgage elimination, technology companies who promise 500 times ROI and take peoples money for years but never sell anything, etc..

Obviously, Christians are seen simple, easy marks that will forgive and forget anything, and certainly never tell the authorities out of fear of reprisal. So why not take take their money and encourage them to sell the idea to their friends, family, and loved ones too?

My hat goes off to those who stood up to this, gave their witness, and helped the judge and jury bring justice. I hope and pray that we all gain the wisdom, strength and courage needed to confront other fraudsters and stop them before they get this far.

hallelujah

I TOO WAS TAKEN IN BY DAVE NEWTON AND ALAN BIRD. IT IS HARD TO TRUST OTHER CHRISTIANS NOW. TERRY MACALMON AND HIS MINISTRY IS DEFUNCT NOW, THEY TOOK PART IN ALAN BIRD'S PURCHASE OF A JET BY USING IT. I KNOW VENGANCE IS OF THE LORD BUT I AM GLAD HE IS IN JAIL AND I WISH DAVE NEWTON WAS ALSO.

And for what reason was this nonsense posted?

Originally Posted by Unregistered And for what reason was this nonsense posted?

The reason is obvious, the moral is clear:


"Birds of a feather flock together".