Man Accused of National Navy Veterans Charity Scam Begins Trial

Brian Albrecht at the Cleveland Plain Dealer  Dealer offers a piece on the trial of "Bobby Thompson," who is accused of running a national veterans charity scam

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Selection of the people who will determine the fate of Bobby Thompson,  accused of running a national veterans charity scam, is scheduled to start today in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court.

Authorities say that Thompson is a stolen identity used by John Cody, a fugitive from IRS fraud charges, when he was head of the U.S. Navy Veterans Association (USNVA) and swindled more than $100 million from donors nationwide from 2002-2010.

Thompson disappeared in 2010 after investigations revealed that the charity was largely a collection of hired telemarketers, bank accounts and rented mailboxes. He was tracked to Portland, Ore., where he was arrested in 2012, and has been jailed since then in Cuyahoga County.

Thompson faces charges including identity fraud, engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity and money laundering. 

You can read the rest of the piece via the below link:

http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2013/09/bobby_thompson_trial_begins_wi.html

Note: The above U.S. Justice Department photo shows the hunt for "Bobby Thompson."

You can read an earlier post on the accused crook via the below link:

http://www.pauldavisoncrime.com/search?q=Bobby+Thompson 

Mister X: U.S. Marshals Arrest Suspect In Navy Charity Scheme

ABC News reports on the arrest of the alleged con artist who is suspected of ripping off veterans through charity schemes.

Authorities revealed today that they believe "Bobby Thompson," the man accused of using a fake veterans charity to swindle more than $100 million and to rub shoulders with top-level Republicans, is actually a former military intelligence officer named John Donald Cody.

Officials said Cody has been on an FBI watch list for 25 years after being accused of various frauds and was wanted for questioning related to an espionage investigation.

U.S. Marshal Peter Elliott told reporters that he discovered Cody while searching through old FBI Wanted posters. He said details about the two identities kept matching up, from his unusual hairstyle, his history in the state of Arizona, and his knowledge of the law. Cody, Elliot said, had graduated from Harvard Law School.

The Marshal said Cody spent years evading arrest before he assumed the Thompson persona.

You can read the story and watch the news report via the below link:

http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/feds-notorious-alleged-con-man-bobby-thompson-military/story?id=17365035