Guerra & Ingram Sentenced to Federal Prison

 

Francisco Guerra and Jason Ingram (pictured) have been sentenced to federal prison in an elaborate bribery scheme. Guerra, a one-time stage magician who owns the multi-faceted Guerra Holdings in Lexington will serve five years for his part in the illicit plan.

The 47 year-old Ingram, whose online bio states he's a Lauderdale County High School grad who owns SNC Auto in Rogersville and is vice president of Guerra Defense, will serve two.*

* Amended from three years at 2:20 on 5/24.

He Gave "Snowmasters" New Meaning

 

Lexington's own "multi-millionaire" will soon be leaving the area. Charged three years ago with 39 counts of money-laundering, Francisco Guerra has pleaded guilty to one count of attempting to bribe a government official.

While his sentencing date hasn't been set, Guerra faces up to five years in federal prison, a fine of 250K, and forfeiture of 280K he acquired through illegal means. 

Currently, Guerra is promoting Pi cryptocurrency. While it's free to join his possee, experts say it's a pyramid scheme benefiting only a few: Scam.

Who will run Snowmasters, etal., while Guerra vacations in Club Fed? We'll post updates when available.

The Fall of Francisco Javier Guerra - Part II

 

Many called Fran Guerra "the Snowman" or "Mr. Snow." It was, after all, his artificial snow machine that put him on the map. The TimesDaily is calling him "Mr. Torres," seemingly not understanding family name protocol in Latin countries. Yet his associates say he was nothing if not Anglicized in his attempts to get ahead in business.

After his snow machine, other inventions followed, along with a long chain of marriages. Enemies and detractors also came with the lifestyle. We asked a highly placed citizen from Eastern Lauderdale County to give an objective opinion. This is what we received:

...always acting like he had SO much money and SO many businesses and had all this power. But not one single time have I ever witnessed him contributing any of those riches to help the school, the town, the fire dept, the senior citizens, the band, or any civic group.....NEVER!!! Not one thing. He always talked like I should know where he has been and all the magical things he has been doing. The only thing I ever heard of him doing is marrying one girl after the next and it lasting 3-6 months and boom, they are divorced. I think he has been married at least 6 times, maybe 7. Hello, red flag anyone?? 

He has always drawn red flags around everyone that I know of that he has approached about doing business. He is a fast talker, always trying to get you to agree with whatever he is saying and buy into his ideas. But whenever outside of town and his name comes up, the first question people ask is "you don't have anything to do with him, do you?" and they have this frightened look on their face, like....scary man!!!

We all knew there would come a day of reckoning for old Fran, the snowman. We just didn't know that all of these agencies were watching him and evidently been watching for a long long time. There is no way the FBI, the ABI, the Department of Homeland Security. US Marshals, AND the Department of Defense all zeros in on a business in small little Lexington without there being some major issues going on at a very very serious level. To have the US Marshals take your butt to Huntsville to process you for arrest should scare anyone to death. Not big Fran, he denies and claims that it was nothing to worry about....apparently they got the wrong guy. He was set up.

It will be very interesting to follow the legal maneuvering in this case...

The Fall of Francisco Javier Guerra - Part I

 

Francisco Guerra was born in Cuba in 1968. Now 52, Guerra has lived in this country since he was six years old and is an American citizen. The former refugee is a long time resident of Lauderdale County, having lived in both Anderson and Lexington. He may soon have a new address involving a long personal identification number.

Guerra is the owner of at least eleven companies registered to do business in Florida. It would appear that our local entrepreneur also has a home in West Palm Beach, as well as several bank accounts with highly fluctuating balances. Getting a picture here?

On Thursday, Fran Guerra was served with an arrest warrant involving 39 counts of money laundering. It's also been alleged that there were other warrants served at the same time, but no public announcements. Ostensibly, all 39 charges involved money laundering, a type of racketeering. It seems logical to anticipate the IRS entering the fray with accusations of tax fraud. The word embezzlement has also be batted around.

Guerra was initially processed by federal authorities in Huntsville, but he will soon be required to report to federal court in the Southern District of Florida for an initial hearing. At that time, more details of his alleged crimes should come to light.

While many in Lexington and Rogersville had anticipated Guerra's arrest, others were completely gobsmacked. It seems that Fran, according to his bio, is a reserve police officer in Rogersville. He often flew the city's rescue helicopter...to Cracker Barrel?

Guerra has often made mention of his helicopter and his huge Mercedes SUV, often attributing at least part of his wealth to sales of his life story This Is How You Do It, Kid. His autobiography is his only offering on Amazon or Smashwords. At $12.95 a copy, our local entrepreneur would earn about $4.55 on a single sale. In June 2017, Guerra reported to Facebook fans that he used a month's royalties to purchase a 130K G-Class Merc SUV. Did Guerra actually sell over 29,000 copies of his book in one month, or was this merely a smokescreen to explain his elaborate purchases on his publicly stated salary?

Yet for all his real or pretend wealth, Guerra rarely helped the Lexington community. Tomorrow we'll have part two this story. It's an eye opener...

Matrimony: Holy & Unholy/Date Rape Safety

Former Lauderdale Circuit Judge Jimmy Sandlin & Former C.I.T.Y. Director Rhonda Bogus

Oh, the irony...Jimmy Sandlin runs for Lauderdale County Circuit Judge on the platform or saving marriages and divorces his wife. He then becomes a divorce mediator/facilitator and marries his long time girl friend. Wonder if he's found her a government job in Huntsville yet?

Related post: Huntsville Mediation

*****

More irony on the marital front: Legal eagle sources tell us that Malana Gay Grissom White, currently under indictment for the attempted murder of her husband's former wife and mother-in-law, will plead not guilty and accuse her victims Christy and Mona Tucker of custodial interference.

It will be interesting to see how the Lauderdale District Attorney's office handles that defense. It was after all the charges of custodial interference that helped in the conviction of Neler Keeton in the manslaughter death of his former son-in-law Anthony Hunt.

*****

Apparently Lexington's answer to Thomas A. Edison has met a road block in the sales of his Date Rape Coasters. Francisco Guerra and partner Brian Glover had invented an index card size detector that supposedly identified the presence of GHB and ketamine, common date rape drugs.

Michael Ioffe of the Tel Aviv University has now invented a much smaller device that is 100% effective in identifying the same two drugs and will send a notice to the tester's cell phone if the results are positive, as well as providing color changes for those who don't mind holding the ultra small strip up to the light in a crowded club. Perhaps the answer is not to frequent those clubs in the first place?



Shoalanda

The Truth Hurts, but It's Good for Us...

How does that old joke go? Atlanta envies New York, Birmingham envies Atlanta, Huntsville envies Birmingham, and Florence & the Shoals envy Huntsville. We're here to tell you that after reading the TimesDaily the past few months, Florence and the Shoals should envy...Florence and the Shoals.

There may be some crime; there may even be a modicum of bickering among local leaders, but there's no true recession here. Jobs are plentiful in most fields, and if they aren't in yours, stick around because they will be after a few more months of SEDA recruiting.

The National Alabama rail car plant is set to explode--just tell them when. The Alabama Music Hall of Fame now has a second group to solicit funds for the HOF. According to TD staff writer Russ Corey, the formation of a foundation to seek additional funding for the Tuscumbia boondoggle is a positive thing. If you refuse the first one to ask for a contribution, you'll feel bad and contribute to the second one? We wonder how many will now give to neither since the whole situation smacks of a family feud?

The new year will also see a new Internet company based in Lexington--we're guessing because the Snow Masters company has so much more experience in that sort of thing than AT&T. Heaven forbid the TD portray such a project as anything short of the second coming. It will only be when National Alabama, the Hall of Fame, a Francisco Guerra company, or a similar endeavor goes under that the local press will be missing in action.

For real news concerning the local economy, look at the obituaries--that's right, the local obituaries. Those of a certain age who pass on have fewer and fewer children...at least living in the Shoals. If they do have resident children, their grandchildren have migrated to the lush economic pastures of larger cities. Even those who stay here for personal reasons are quick to paint a bleak picture of life in northwest Alabama. The Shoals is saturated with attorneys, nurses, and accountants. Many in these highly skilled professions barely eke out a living, at least compared to their colleagues in other geographical areas.

Nevertheless, we can rejoice because Florence will now have one of the top five school systems in the state...and not leave any child behind to do so. How do we know this? The TimesDaily has told us so. Belief in one's self is essential, but it takes more to make the system work. If local stores took inventory in the same manner the TD takes stock of local industry, we're afraid most would go bankrupt very quickly.

*****

Hard words are often necessary. We've recently encouraged readers to write those in state and national government to request a link to the interstate highway system. We still think that should be the number one project for the area, but what would be the second?

Several things come to mind, but the easiest is community clean-up. Would you want to put a restaurant in the East Florence Entertainment District (whatever that may be)? Would you want to open a large chain store in downtown Sheffield? Would you want to place an upscale art gallery in downtown Leighton?

We're betting you answered no to all three questions. If the answers are ever to change to yes, local governments are going to have to treat the offending property owners in a fair, but extremely strict manner. Junk is junk, no matter who owns it.

We'll add that the City of Sheffield should appoint Steve Wiggins to head a monumental clean up campaign. The city should give Steve authority to do what it takes to clean up what used to be a beautiful town. There are only two choices, and those who choose to do nothing should expect nothing. Think about it.

*****

It's Christmas Eve, and the above subjects of urban and economic decay in the area, while necessary, aren't exactly uplifting. If you're looking for a treat on your afternoon off, we suggest you take a look at Remembering Florence. If you haven't visited Larry Fisher's Facebook page recently, you'll be amazed at the added material. There are now over 300 photos of Florence and the surrounding area. Thanks again to Larry for creating and monitoring this wonderful sight.


What's up with this: It's 12/24 and we haven't heard from J. J. Ray. Will Santa escape Rhea Fulmer Michael Tays' evil plot to ruin Christmas? Let's hope everyone has a joyous and fantastic holiday!

Shoalanda

Lexington? No Business/Cherokee? Monkey Business

Lexington, Your Lexington

A Guest Commentary By

Bailey Quarters

I've never been to Lexington, Alabama, and I don't feel I've missed that much. Do I think Lexington has no worthwhile citizens? No, I'm sure it does. I just think there's nothing in Lexington that would make it a veritable tourist mecca.

So why am I writing about Lexington? The town tries too hard and makes all the wrong decisions for all the wrong reasons.

Some time ago I worked with a woman from Lexington. She told me of a new "biker shop" in Lexington and how the people in that town would make short work of it, send it packing so to speak. When I asked her about it some months later, she replied that everyone in Lexington loved having it there because of all the tax dollars it generated.

Was the biker shop bad to begin with? Probably not. Was it less bad because it produced tax dollars? Definitely not. Money doesn't change something from bad to good, but it does seem to change the way some people in Lexington look at it.

That brings me to the new Internet service in Lexington. Is it a good thing? I've always thought competition was a great thing, so Francisco Guerra's new business is certainly not bad in itself. It's just that if all I knew was what Guerra's press release stated, I would think there was no real Internet in Lexington. There is. Will Guerra's Internet be better than anyone else's? We doubt it, but it will produce tax dollars for Lexington and that seems to be what matters most to them.

As for Francisco Guerra himself, he stated that he moved to his Lauderdale County location because so many people need jobs and they are willing to work hard. You could call that statement either good or bad, depending on how Guerra uses his workers.

Guerra seems to like to do things for himself. It would be good if both Guerra and Lexington could hire a professional to promote them. Then their attempts at making the news wouldn't look so shallow.

*****

From Lexington, we travel southwestward to Cherokee; here's C. R.'s report:

Opposites do not Attract

The Cherokee Town Hall is located in the old Cherokee Middle School. By the actions of the Town Council and Town Clerk the Town Hall should be moved to the Cherokee Elementary School. A few weeks ago the Town Council changed the locks of the Town Clerk’s Office and Mayor Chuck Lansdell later changed them back. The Mayor hired a part time secretary and the council refuses to pay her salary. The mayor fires the mother-in-law of Councilman Steve Glover because she turned in her resignation and was never hired back properly. The council illegally hires the mother-in-law back and at a later Town Council meeting the council had to fix their mistake. I could go on and on about the misdeeds of the council.

Refuses to Take Orders

On several occasions the mayor has given Town Clerk Melinda Malone items to put on the Town Council meetings agenda and she failed to include the items. The mayor has asked Melinda to work on the grant paperwork or make a copy of the town’s minutes and nothing is ever done in a timely manner.

Monday was a holiday so all agenda items had to be put on the agenda by the close of business Friday. The mayor sent an e-mail addressed to several people Friday. The e-mail addressed to the town clerk, town attorney, mayor’s secretary, mayor’s attorney, and the mayor himself instructed the Town Clerk to put several issues on the agenda. Everyone received the e-mail except the town clerk. Even the town’s attorney stated he received the e-mail.

Consequences

A few months ago the Mayor of Cherokee decided he would stand up to the misdeeds of the council and he would undo anything done improperly or illegally. The mayor hired a part time secretary to work on the town’s grants because the town’ clerk stated she is so busy and does not have the time to work on them. The secretary’s job would also include reviewing the town’s minutes and finding anything done improperly or illegally.

When Melinda Malone decided to not open the mayor’s e-mail the mayor decided to not play the council’s game anymore. At the beginning of the Town Council meeting the mayor decided not to call the meeting to order. The mayor informed the crowd that the town clerk failed to put his agenda items on the agenda and he was not going to call the meeting to order. Councilman Steve Glover asked the town’s attorney could he call the meeting to order. The mayor informed the town attorney to make sure he knew what he was going to speak about because he already done the research. Glover was informed by the town attorney that if the mayor is present he could not. When the council got up to leave the room the crowd clapped loudly.

Sources close to the situation state that the mayor’s attorney has given the mayor a green light to fire Melinda Malone. Melinda is failing to obey the orders of her boss and can be fired for it.

Work Session

Before each council meeting there is a work session. All agenda items are addressed and talked about. During the agenda item concerning the town’s bills the town’s attorney fees were addressed. The $240.00 bill paid by the town was just not for a 10 minute council meeting. It seems that the council has been calling the town's attorney concerning their ethics issues and other things. The mayor informed the council members that they would have to pay back the taxpayers of Cherokee because it is not their responsibility to pay for their attorney.

*****

Role Models

We don't usually touch on national politics or events; there are bloggers who do it so much better and have so much more influence. We're going to make an exception today and comment on role models. Why?

Yesterday we found the time to read last week's USA Weekend, the Sunday supplement supplied to TimesDaily readers because, we suppose, Shelton Publishing already had a contract with the mag when they purchased the TD. In this particular issue were two very telling articles.

First was an article written by Anderson Cooper, the CNN news presenter of wealthy parentage and uncertain sexuality. We'll inject here that we don't care what his sexual orientation is--we just get tired of Cooper straddling the fence on the issue in order not to alienate viewers. In his article on the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Cooper mentions "an ugly reminder of the city's segregationist past," the name Francis T. Nicholls etched in a cornerstone.

We'll be the first to confess having only the foggiest idea who Nicholls was. A quick Google search proved him to be a Confederate Brigadier General and later in life a governor of Louisiana who, per Wiki:

...believed in having less government through lower taxes and fewer official functions. During his first term, he battled political corruption...

Nicholls chaired the Louisiana Constitutional Convention of 1879, and returned the state Capitol from New Orleans to Baton Rouge. He also accepted an appointment from President Grover Cleveland to the Board of Visitors for the U.S. Military Academy.

After his tenure as governor closed, Nicholls became Chief Justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court in 1892, a post which he held until 1911.

Well, his later years certainly sound uneventful and not worthy of emulation. We in 2010 need real role models who will encourage us to strive for the worthwhile things in life. Let's flip a few pages and find one--Heidi Klum.

Here we can find out how she "eats, shops and diets." Yep, role model central right here in print coming to us every week courtesy of the TimesDaily.


Shoalanda



Get Connected in September!

Helen Keller Hospital Afraid of Roaches?

We hear that staff at Helen Keller Hospital in Sheffield has been carrying roach spray around the halls of the hospital. Is the medical facility infested with the buggy buggars?

No. Apparently it's just the staff's way of warning new Coffee Health Group CEO Joe Roach to stay away. At a recent Rotary gathering, Roach was quoted as saying Keller's board members were short-sighted, fearful, and stupid.

Strong language, but it very well may be true. Just who are Keller's board members? Oddly, while the website for the hospital frequently mentions the board, the nine member panel isn't named. A recent article in the TimesDaily identified Larry Collum as the board president.

Another recent TD article commented on Keller's rejection of RegionalCare as a suitor--a move of which the Colbert County Commission approved. Among the three commissioners quoted was Rex Burleson. You may remember Mr. Burleson for his recent comments concerning the great success of the National Alabama rail car plant in Barton.

Do we think RegionalCare is the savior of health care in the Shoals? No, but neither do we think sending patients from the Shoals to Huntsville will improve the status quo. We have to wonder why Keller is so eager to align itself with a hospital out of the immediate area while it shuns any contact with a similar facility just across the river.

*****

Lexington lacks high-speed Internet? One would think so if he/she read Francisco Guerra's recent blurb for his new company Front Porch Communications. While Lexington does lack cable in many neighborhoods, high-speed Internet is readily available via BellSouth/ATT and the Dish Network.

Obvisously, not every home has a land line in this era of cell phone communication, but one would think obtaining a television cable service for Lexington would be the top priority for its elected officials.

*****

Locust Hill: Looking for a copy of Mary Wallace Kirk's book? Here's at least 95 of them--Link


Shoalanda



Get Connected in September!

Success and Shame

A number of years ago we read an article on shame in the United States. The exact title and name of author have long been lost in the cobwebs of our memory, but we vividly recall the article's premise. Today we're glad to stand in a public place and use vile language for all to hear, but we're ashamed that we carry an extra twenty pounds around the middle. We're happy to ostracize the penitent person who committed a victimless crime, but we laud those who have broken up multiple homes and bring endless heartache to innocent wives, husbands, and children. In short, our sense of shame is twisted.

We recently published a column entitled Guerra & Konig: A Tale of Two Entrepreneurs. The theme of the blog was irony: One man who should have been successful in a tried and true business failed due to conditions beyond his control, while a second man made a success of an unorthodox endeavor against all odds. Now the former works for the latter.

A few of our faithful readers misunderstood the point of our article. Lest any doubt our admiration for such a man as Bernard Konig, let us offer this sad codicil. Last week, Brigitte J. Guerra filed for divorce from her husband Francisco, owner of Snowmasters and several other prosperous companies in the Lexington, Alabama, area. Bernard Konig remains married to the wife of his youth, continuing to be an example to us all. To paraphrase Bobby Bare, that makes him the winner.


What's up with this: Lauderdale Judge Jimmy Sandlin has obtained a $12,000.00 grant for his RAP program. Just think how much more he might have received had he thought of a longer acronym.

Shoalanda

Guerra & Konig: A Tale of Two Entrepreneurs

Francisco Guerra and Bernard Konig have a lot in common. The two are dedicated family men, close to the same age, and epitomize the ethic of hard work. In the early part of this decade both men brought their ideas to northeast Lauderdale County and set up shop; this is where the similarity ends.

In early 2000, the small town of Lexington was still waiting for the sandwich shop the new sewer system was tauted to bring to the area. Bernard Konig, a native of the Southeast, looked around the town at the handful of empty buildings, and an idea was born.

After completely renovating a dilapidated business on Highway 64, Konig opened Bernardo's, a pizza and sub shop. The original restaurant boasted only four tables, but they were usually filled, and soon Konig opened a second location in Loretto, Tennessee. With both restaurants doing well, a friend suggested to Konig that his restaurants had franchise potential; the friend eventually opened his own Bernardo's in Elgin.

As autumn of 2001 approached, a customer pulled into the parking lot of Bernardo's in Lexington and found it vacant of cars. Inside, no customers sat at the tables, but two employees were there to tell the story of the day's events on that September 11th. Bernardo's never regained the business it had built up before the terrorist attacks, and soon all three locations were closed, victims of circumstances beyond Bernard Konig's control.

In January 2003, Francisco Guerra, a Cuban native and former stage magician, decided he needed a more economical location for his business Snow Masters. Hearing of the cheap land in Anderson and that the natives "work hard," Guerra moved from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, and opened a new factory on Highway 64, just a few miles east of the old Bernardo's location.

Guerra has continued to expand his product line, adding "Flogos" and other novelties. Even in a time of recession, his business has boomed. An article in the November 1st TimesDaily featured Francisco Guerra's newest product and lauded the Latino immigrant for moving business from China to Northwest Alabama. The article went on to describe one worker who was soldering diodes for use with a snow machine. The name of the worker? Bernard Konig.

For every Francisco Guerra, we're sure there are ten who like Bernard Konig suffer business failure despite their best efforts. Our advice lies in the words of Winston Churchill: Never, never, never, never give up.


What's up with this: We're seeing quite a few signs in Colbert County for District Judge candidate Tim Milam--all red. Isn't blue the color of the Democratic Party?

Shoalanda