Larry Jones OK’d hidden mikes, Oklahoma City police told
Prosecutors ask for further investigation of Feed The Children incident
BY NOLAN CLAY
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Published: November 1, 2009
Modified: October 31, 2009 at 10:18 pm
Modified: October 31, 2009 at 10:18 pm
Copyright © 2009 The Oklahoman
Police have been told Feed The Children founder Larry Jones authorized putting hidden microphones in the offices of three top executives, The Oklahoman has learned.Multimedia
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Installing microphones
The charity’s then-vice president of information technology, Jerrald Buchanan, contacted Travis Voice & Data, an Oklahoma City company, to install the microphones and a recorder. The company’s owner, Greg Mantia, talked with police Sept. 9. He told police his employees never could get the recorder to work and the microphones had been removed. He also told police Buchanan explained that Jones wanted to be able to turn the devices on and off so Jones could record conversations only when he was in the executives’ offices.
Mantia also told police he talked with Jones in September after The Oklahoman reported police had begun an investigation. Mantia told police Jones commented that he didn’t intentionally commit any wrongdoing.
Mantia hired Mack Martin, a criminal defense attorney, before talking with police.
"We have cooperated 100 percent with police and will continue to cooperate in this ongoing investigation,” Martin said.
The attorney said Travis Voice & Data is a big supporter of law enforcement statewide and helped the attorney general create the state’s "No Call” list.
"They haven’t done anything wrong,” Martin said. "The representation was that what they were doing was lawful because it was authorized by Larry Jones and the recordings were to be done in a lawful manner.”
The charity’s directors fired Buchanan in May over other issues. He is suing over his termination. His attorney in the civil lawsuit has contacted police to set up an interview.
"We believe that Larry Jones is the person who authorized any equipment to be installed,” Buchanan’s attorney, Mark Hammons, said. "We believe that it was always intended solely to record conversations which he was a party to, which is not unlawful, even if it’s surreptitious and no notice is given.”
The attorney said he can understand how Jones might have thought there was a necessity to record his own conversations because of the serious internal fights within Feed The Children.
"The bottom line is he does have the legal right to do that,” Hammons said.
Feed The Children is conducting an internal investigation. The board of directors could discipline Jones, even if prosecutors decline a criminal charge. Jones in August gave up operational control of the charity as part of a settlement of the legal dispute over who was in charge.
The private investigator who made the discovery in August told The Oklahoman microphones had been removed but cables remained hidden just above the ceiling tiles. He said the cables led back to a phone room where a recorder could have been set up for conversations.
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I never gave this organization a dime, so count me out. BTW, did you and cletus ever have the time to get those warts checked?
I started knowing of Brother Roloff when I was kid....funniest thing,now that I am 59 yrs old,his hair is darker now than then.
What I have left is Gray or White....(Must be all that "Perfect living").
Guess I need to send money somewhere.
Anybody have sugestions ????
He looks like a crooked snake oil salesman.
I stated in an article concerning this organization 3 months ago to "look for indictments" and it appears we're getting closer to seeing them.
Another crooked okie, hiding behind the cloak of "bible thumping and Christianity" duping thousands of you idiots, playing you like utter fools.
To me, the AG, needs to look closely at Larry's "intent" not just what he wants us to believe.
Logic tells me that Larry did this without approval of or knowledge of the Board to whom he was accountable. To me, this shows Larry's total disrespect for the legal authority of the Board and his historic lack of accountability to their authority.
It is quite reasonable to assume Larry intended to "spy" on the officers and also "spy" on their conversations with the Board of Directors.
Wonder if Larry's lack of respect for the Board goes without discipline from them.
Still think some other "respectable" non-profit needs to "take over" control of FTC otherwise FTC cannot survive.
Time will tell and I suspect it will be rather quickly. The IRS has got to be in the middle of all this so hold on to your hats.
Stop giving money to a "religious" scheme.
i took clothing donations to an indian reservation . i was appalled at what they packed for these kids. high heel shoes,adult prom dresses, and a john deere tractor. the leaders of the tribe wanted me to load the stuff back up and throw it in a dump. the tractor would not even run.
the next thing i did was send hay to starving cows in montana . the hay was wheat straw. they had all the news channels film this. not one person brought up the fact that animals can't eat wheat straw.
so i quit. they never paid me my last 4 weeks wages.....i had to go to channel 9 to get attention. they gave me 1 week.
"Hey Steve-Check out Gary Waits and Waits Investigations on Google-they are "pros". Entire building has been occupied for over 20 years by FTC. And, I wouldn't use the word-STRANGE I'd use the word-FELONY. Leads one to ask-"who had the motive "AND" the opportunity "AND" the authority to do such a thing?" Also, since the "old board" and previously "fired" key employees authorized the search, can't imagine why they'd do so if they had "bugged" the place."
Bill, denver - Aug 23, 2009 at 1:12 pm"
Sorry to say this but to believe Larry "turned-on", "listened to" or "recorded" ONLY the conversations he was a party to is terribly NAIVE!
There are many reasons I say this but for example, remember that Larry sent his guy from OKC to LA to perform a "residential robbery" (police statement) in the home of his daughter LarriSue when he knew she was in OKC to be "fired". BTW-Larry's "guy" took her computer and her files.
For the police/DA to prove other-wise however will likely be difficult to prove.
I'm very sad to say that this "bugging" is, in my opinion, just one of the multiple legal mis-deeds the OKC police, Michigan legal authorities, Oklahoma County DA, Oklahoma Attorney General, multiple DA's and AG's from other cities and states will be investigating over the coming months possibly years.
Unfortunately Larry and Madoff have WAY to much in common.