White supremacist pleads guilty to Navy pension fraud (USA)

Self-proclaimed white supremacist August Kreis III, 56, pleaded guilty Tuesday to lying to Veterans Administration officials to get pension money he was not entitled to, prosecutors said.

He could face five years in prison and a fine of $250,000 the U.S. Attorney’s office in South Carolina said in a statement.

Kreis, a onetime resident of Lexington County, served for nine months in the Navy during the Vietnam War. Despite the short time of service and early discharge, Kreis was receiving what’s called an “improved pension” because of demonstrated need and because he served during wartime. A condition of the augmented pension program requires recipients to report all outside income.

Because of widely publicized comments made after the 9-11 attacks that he and his followers wished to join Al-Queda in its jihad against the U.S. government, he came under the scrutiny of federal law enforcement.

“Mr. Kreis has the first amendment right to make whatever statements he wants,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Dean Eilchelberger said. But it’s also fair to say that Kreis’ statements raised concerns about violations of federal law which resulted in increased scrutiny and a financial review, he added.

During an examination of his financial records to investigate whether he had given material support to al- Queda, officials discovered more than $33,000 in unreported income in 2005.

Kreis was arrested in Tennessee earlier this summer. He will be sentenced by U.S. District Joseph F. Anderson Jr. at a future date. Eichelberger said the U.S. Attorney’s office has agreed not to seek the maximum penalty because of Kreis’ health. Kreis is wheelchair bound and suffers from diabetes.

Kreis is well known to organizations such as the Southern Poverty Law Center, which follows white supremacist groups in the United States. They describe Kreis as a “hot-tempered, longtime white supremacist and Christian Identity minister” who “heads one of a handful of competing splinter factions of the once-mighty Aryan Nations.”

The State

Hate crimes ‘not reported to police’ (UK)

 More than 9,000 hate crime incidents could be taking place in Wales every year – almost five times the number of cases reported to police, a charity has claimed.

According to latest figures, 1,900 cases of hate crime were logged by police in Wales between January and December 2009. Safer Wales said one-in-10 cases of disability related hate crime and 25% of homophobic and racist hate crime are reported.

The charity yesterday joined all four police forces in Wales and the Welsh arm of the British Transport Police to launch a poster and leaflet campaign raising awareness of ways in which hate crime can be reported.

Wales Online

BNP activist told he is liable for unpaid debt (UK)

Adam Walker

A judge has ruled a North- East BNP activist is personally liable for unpaid debts following a county court hearing which could have far reaching consequences for the cash-strapped party.

District Judge David Robertson ruled that Adam Walker, of Spennymoor, County Durham, must pay £21,000 out of his own pocket to the party’s former graphic designer, Mark Adrian Collett.

A case brought by Mr Collett against the BNP itself, thought to be £700,000 in debt, was dismissed, but the judgement against Mr Walker could still spell disaster for the party.

It paves the way for other creditors to take action against activists, who could be declared bankrupt and therefore barred or even stopped from holding political office at any level.

Durham County Court heard on Monday that Mr Collett, 30, was employed as the extreme far right party’s principal graphic designer and Mr Walker was a senior officer and staff manager.

The BNP was described as an unincorporated association with no corporate identity which left senior officers responsible for contracts.

An agreement was made on September 9, last year, between Mr Collett and both Mr Walker and the BNP, which Mr Collett said had been breached.

Mr Collett said he only received £750 from the BNP, instead of the £7,500 he claimed was due at the time and, as a result, said the full amount of £15,750 was now liable.

District Judge Robertson awarded Mr Collett £14,250 plus £7,333.60 costs against Mr Walker, but dismissed Mr Collett’s claim against the party.

The BNP’s money woes were highlighted last year when former chief fundraiser James Downson wrote letters to creditors, seen by The Northern Echo, offering 20 per cent settlements.

Mr Dowson told Newton Press, a printing firm in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, which is owed £16,500 for printing its newsletters, that the finances were like a “shipwreck”.

Newton Press confirmed last night that the debt was still outstanding.

Mr Walker, 42, of Winchester Court, Spennymoor, said last night he respected the judge’s decision and would do his utmost to comply with the judgement.

He added: “The contract was signed in good faith as party manager and at that time that was my job. I’m not the treasurer and I don’t decide where the money goes.”

Mr Walker, who represented himself against a barrister and a senior solicitor, said he was grateful the judge dismissed an application for the senior solicitor’s fees.

The former teacher said: “To anybody else in a similar position, I would say they should be very cautious about legal fees.”

Northern Echo

We'll march against the far right, vow anti-racism campaigners (Scotland, UK)

Anti-racism groups are mobilising a major counter-protest after the right-wing Scottish Defence League vowed to go ahead with a demonstration in Scotland's capital despite it being banned by the city council.

Activists on the SDL's Facebook page have revealed the event will take place the day before the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks in the United States.

Councillors threw out the group's application last week, claiming they were worried about risking disorder and violent confrontations, despite police saying they had "no objections" to the march.

The SDL, an off-shoot of the anti-Islam English Defence League, is already promoting the planned protest on 10 September. Details of the route and location of any rally are being kept under wraps, after an SDL meeting in a Royal Mile pub in February 2010 was ambushed by dozens of anti-racism protesters, leading to scuffles in the street.

But the SDL has received messages of support from across the UK after announcing some form of demonstration in Edinburgh would go ahead regardless.

One post stated: "The march is banned. We are having a static demonstration. And most likely the police will have to march us if they want rid of us."

The SDL spent weeks negotiating with police and council officials over its planned demo, which was due to leave from Regent Road, near the American consulate, and include a rally at the Wellington Statue at the east end of Princes Street.

Councillors said the threat of a "significant risk" of disorder outweighed concerns about flouting principles of freedom of speech by banning the march.

The protest had attracted more than 1,000 complaints from politicians, anti-racism groups, community organisations and trade union leaders, who were concerned the group would trigger racial unrest.

SDL representatives told the council the group had distanced itself from more hard-line members and the EDL, but left councillors unconvinced.

No-one from the SDL was available to comment yesterday.
Luke Wright is spokesman for the Unite Against Fascism group, which is organising a public meeting in the city tomorrow to rally support for a counter-demo.

He said: "We've applied to the council for a counter-demonstration on 10 September after we spotted quite a bit of online activity about the SDL going ahead with a demo despite the council's decision last week.

"Despite enormous public opposition including a wave of complaints to the council, and despite political opposition it seems that the SDL still do not understand Edinburgh does not want their violent racism."

The Scotsman