Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - May 31, 2001, Winnipeg, Manitoba Phi so my 2001 local a Bright numbers lured math trial told by Mike Mclntyre with each passing an off the Wall tax evasion trial is Only getting the latest twist came yesterday when jurors were treated to a television style infomercial allegedly produced by a Winnipeg Man who is accused of failing to declare millions of dollars he made through several travel related featuring Bright repeated shots of warm beaches and Eye pleasing beachfront upbeat background music and the soothing tones of a Slick the three minute video was used to captivate would be a former investor Josas a retired math and Sci ence teacher from red River said he bought into sir Daniel Lears sales pitch in 1997 and even started marketing his product to friends and family called the getaway travel the plan revolved around a Multi lev Elled scheme in which investors would pay recruit 14 new investors and then move up the ladder and receive Dis count travel to exotic five Star locales around the he the group was told Lear was part of a Caribbean based company with a net Worth claimed to be billion which had built a series of luxury resorts that needed to be filled with hungry i guess everybody got caught up in the Fli Flam of this said in explaining his reason for but undies said he quickly got in Over his investing in several other Busi Ness ventures which sir Daniel presented to him during breakfast meetings in downtown me and his wife cashed in their retire ment savings and invested off Shore after Lear promised they would receive 50 per cent monthly he 7 guess everybody got caught up in the Flim Flam of this thing Josas retired teacher the couple also recruited six friends to cough up an additional he undies said he realized the scheme was a scam when Lear brought a Large group of investors to Mexico in late 1997 to discuss business Lear claimed be discussed in undies said the seminar was a total waste of time and exposed the grave error of his i said there goes our Cash right Down the he undies said he has never recovered his despite numerous pleas to Lear and others involved in the com who has legally changed his name from Ralph is charged with failing to declare million in personal income and another million in business related income to Canada customs and Revenue Between 1993 and much of Lears profits were allegedly hidden in offshore Bank accounts in exotic locales like the grand Cayman turks and Raicos and the three month trial is Manitoba largest Ever personal tax evasion jurors have heard a bizarre series of testimony since it began in Early earlier this former Canadian foot Ball league player Alan Wilson told court How his family was duped into buy ing in to one of Lears other travel companies and believing they were going to travel in Wilson said the so called luxury resort in Mexico was a dive that his Chil Dren nicknamed the yellow earlier this Lears former per Sonal bodyguard testified about his unusual Lears former Secretary also testified How she became suspicious of his activities and started snooping through his jurors have also been told by Lears a wife How he lived the life of a King driving expensive owning a Man Sion just outside of Winnipeg from the profits he the woman also described an elaborate 1995 ceremony in in which Lear rubbed shoulders with a Prince and a Duke during his knighting jurors were shown pictures of the d strength in numbers the free press is read by 10 of Winnipeg adults at least once a week see the latest in transportation technology 2001 Canadian truck show truck fuel and Fleet enforcement recruiting opportunities and More if it has to do with trucking you ii find it at the Showl plus visit the performance with Pride show Shine on the show Ginunis june i and june f with participants from across Canada the us May 31 pm to pm june 112 noon to pm june 2 am to pm red River exhibition Park Winnipeg Manitoba Canada presented by the Manitoba trucking association Steve Earu to ;