Police have arrested Jerry Thorstad, 61, founder and president of
Constitutional Colleagues — a network marketing company that promotes
educational videos and audio tapes about the U.S. Constitution and
personal liberty issues — for extradition from Evansville, Indiana, to
Fresno, Calif., to face felony charges of setting up and running an
alleged illegal “pyramid scheme.”
Although a warrant for his arrest was issued in early January,
Thorstad was not taken into custody until late Thursday afternoon. At
no time during the intervening three months was any effort made by law
enforcement agencies in California to contact Thorstad either by fax,
phone or letter, according to members of Constitutional Colleagues in
Evansville.
Terry Greco, a distributor for the multi-level marketing company, was
talking with another distributor in the parking lot of the headquarters
building in Evansville when two city police officers arrived to make the
arrest.
“These two cops with huge flashlights showed up with another
gentleman,”
Greco recalled in a phone interview. “They went into the office, and two
minutes later they came out with Jerry in handcuffs. I asked what this
was about, where they were taking him, what they were doing, and they
said, ‘We’re just doing our job, ma’am.’ I was hyperventilating and kept
asking, ‘What are you doing?’ And they said, ‘There’s a warrant out for
him, so we’re taking him to jail.'”
Thorstad’s sudden arrest apparently springs from the determination by
the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office and district attorney to pursue the
prosecution of four local distributors of Constitutional Colleagues
materials.
The “Fresno Four” — as the defendants have been dubbed — were
arrested Jan. 5, but were not certain what charges they actually faced
until Apr. 13, when they were formally charged with violating Section
327 of the California Penal Code — that the defendants did “willfully
and unlawfully … operate an endless chain scheme … against the peace
and dignity of the people of California.”
At their request Judge Levis rescheduled the arraignment date for May
4, to allow them time to prepare a defense and select an attorney.
The case generated considerable interest and outrage when
WorldNetDaily broke the story nationally over three months ago,
describing the early-evening raid by the sheriff’s office against a
public meeting, sponsored by Constitutional Colleagues. Thirty-seven
flak-jacketed deputies, packing sidearms, stormed a community meeting
room at a shopping mall, arresting three of the defendants and detaining
the other attendees for questioning. A retired sheriff’s deputy was
later arrested at his home.
The deputies seized the collection of video and audio tapes — “The
Miracle of America” — which the group markets. The program was
developed by constitutional scholar Cleon Skousen, and is also marketed
directly by Skousen’s National Center for Constitutional Studies.
No explanation has been forthcoming as to why the prosecution was
given so much time following the arrests in which to prepare its case.
Nor is it clear why the prosecution waited so long to arrest
Thorstad.
Blaine Williams, one of the four defendants, offered this insight:
“My guess is that they they’ll time the extradition around our
arraignment hearing on May 4,” said Williams. “When they bring him
(Thorstad) in on the plane you can bet they’ll have the media there.
Based on what I’ve seen to date they’ll want to make a big media splash
before they start the proceedings with us.”
WorldNetDaily had talked with Thorstad in January at the time of the
Fresno arrests. Thorstad said then that he had heard from several
sources — though not from any law enforcement authority — that a
warrant had been issued for his arrest, and some of his friends had
suggested he go into hiding.
“I’m not going to do that,” Thorstad remarked. “I’ve not done
anything wrong; I’m guilty of no crime. I’m staying right here. If they
decide to arrest me, I guess they will. But I’m not going to run.”
True to his word, he didn’t.
Thorstad, therefore, wasn’t surprised that he was arrested, but has
told Greco by telephone that he was surprised no effort was made by law
enforcement officials in California to communicate with him.
“It’s not like he’s been in hiding,” said Greco. “The business has
been open and running for the last three-and-a-half months, but not once
did anyone from the DA’s office or sheriff’s department send him a
letter, give him a phone call, send him a fax — or send a subpoena.
“He would have gone voluntarily,” she said.
Greco also said that Thorstad, as of Sunday, has been told nothing of
the exact nature of the charges against him — only that he faces
extradition. It’s not even certain when he’ll be brought before a
magistrate. That’s supposed to happen within 72 hours following an
arrest, but Thorstad told Greco he’s learned that the time is sometimes
interpreted as 72 business hours: in other words, eight hours a day.
That means a whole week could go by before Thorstad goes before a
judge and asks for bail — if bail is even granted. Meanwhile, he sits
in his jail cell.
Contacted by WorldNetDaily on Friday, Fresno Assistant District
Attorney Bob Ellis said he was unaware the arrest warrant had been
served or that Thorstad was in custody. He also said he had no
information on why the warrant was served when it had been and not
earlier.
“I’ve not seen the paperwork yet,” said Ellis.
Ellis said that Thorstad will be brought before a judge and given the
option of agreeing to or opposing extradition.
“There is a process he can use if he decides to fight the extradition
order,” Ellis explained.
It’s unlikely Thorstad will do that. He and the other defendants have
decided to fight the charges “all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court if
necessary,” as Blaine Williams puts it.
Besides Williams, defendants include Madera resident Daniel Dana
Furtney, 51, who retired from the Fresno County Sheriff’s Department
last year; Peter Plitt, 44, a sheriff’s deputy and bailiff who was fired
last month from his position in the department; and Sharon Saunders, 54,
a 13-year administrative employee at St. Agnes Medical Center in Fresno,
who — like Plitt — lost her job because of participation in
Constitutional Colleagues.
A defense fund is being set up. Contributions can be made to “The Freedom Fund,” Union Bank of California, 840 E. Herndon Ave., Suite 102, Clovis, CA 93612.
Constitutional Colleagues can be reached at 812-473-5340.
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