3.26.2012

Greenspan's Body Count: Charles D. Candler

It's curious, how someone who lived so dishonorably suddenly decided to take the honorable way out:
On the afternoon of March 1, Charles D. (C.D.) Candler, 67, drove into Greenwood Cemetery on Tazewell Pike and shot himself to death, according to Knoxville Police Department investigators.

The next day, federal agents swarmed over his office, home to a shadowy operation that neighboring businesses say was never open to the public and had only paper signs on its door.

Investors from Tennessee, North Carolina and Kentucky have told the News Sentinel that they have lost heavily in a mortgage investment scheme by Benchmark Capital Inc., a Knoxville firm linked to Candler.

They said they invested money from the equity in their home with the understanding that their remaining mortgage payments would be paid by Benchmark, and that the investors would also receive dividend income.
Greenspan's Body Count stands at 212.

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

If this is same CD Candler who bought Printex Inc back in late '70's, he was a crook even then. There was a lock on doors of Printex and he /his boys took everything that wasnt nailed down and could be moved through the windows and took it to his business Cobra Mgf. on back streets of Wautuaga Ave. Word was he had mafia connections in Newport.He stole copyrighted art for his print business. Very arrogant.Paid men damned good wages for the era but paid the women minimum. A crook.

Anonymous said...

"Word was" makes it irrefutable I suppose. lol,
Mafia in Newport is an oxymoron. moron.

Anonymous said...

CD WAS paying investors like clockwork for over 10
Years. You can ask the investors. I was one. The payments only stopped when tue IRS froze all of the companies money. Just another example of the government making sure they get 'their share'.
I agree that saying "word was" is just heresay, and could have been anyone. That was 40 years ago. You really sound like you don't have your facts.

Anonymous said...

He was very smart. If people couldn't figure him out they thought he was a crook. He did do some good things for people.

Anonymous said...

No one knows what they're talking about. I love how the headline states that it was a scam. EVERYONE ALWAYS GOT THEIR MONEY! IT BECAME A SCAM WHEN PEOPLE STOPPED RECEIVING THEIR MONEY AFTER THE GOVERNMENT FROZE IT ALL. PEOPLE SHOULD GET THEIR FACTS RIGHT BEFORE JUMPING TO CONCLUSIONS

W.C. Varones said...

"Everyone always got their money!"

... until they didn't. That's how Ponzi schemes work. Everyone always got their money from Bernie Madoff for decades.

You may like the guy, or you may not want to admit you fell for a Ponzi scheme. So it's easier for you to believe the big bad government stole your money. If you have any evidence to back up this belief, please present it.

Anonymous said...

First, you are trying to argue in regards to a topic in which you have no knowledge of. 2nd, you can not base your opinions off the media and everything you read or hear. Especially considering the media has more than twisted and turned this story into something it never was. Like I said, everyone always got their money and all their money. The only reason others claim it's a scam is only due to the fact that AFTER he shot himself the IRS froze his accounts and investors checks began to bounce. DO YOU REALLY TRULY THINK THE GOVERNMENT CARES ABOUT THOSE INVESTORS? If so, you really need a reality check. The chances of those investors ever seeing their money again is very slim being that the government's main concern is getting their share.

W.C. Varones said...

First, the IRS doesn't seize client funds regardless of the tax liability of an investment manager. If Candler were running a legitimate investment fund, the clients' money would still be there in segregated accounts.

Second, these victims aren't buying your story:

During the past week we found that our Home Equity Annuity (a portion of our equity receiving dividend) and Investment Annuity (our retirement), all through Benchmark Capital, was a Ponzi scheme. Apparently orchestrated by Charles D. Candler from his Knoxville, TN office and somewhat ending for him in his death in Greenwood Cemetery on March 1, 2012.

It is our understanding that in February 2012 some investors in the Home Equity Annuity did not receive their dividend checks which prompted at least one person to call the Knoxville Police Department to inquire. After Candler was found dead at the cemetery from a self inflicted gun shot wound, Federal agents entered his Knoxville office.


That is an absolute textbook example of how a Ponzi scheme falls apart.

Anonymous said...

Columnists write stories and twist them to make a better story all of the time, that is their job. Some of the stories contradict each other even. You can't possibly know the true facts by reading what some asshole wrote for 8 bucks an hour. People like you are the reason they can get away with it.
I met him personally, invested and he was always available for me when I had questions. I always got my checks on time. I truly believe he would have cont to pay everyone if he were still alive.
Hey here's an idea, get a life and don't poke your nose where it doesn't belong. Anyone knows newspapers, media, etc make stories seem more interesting and hope for the worst (even tho they don't make sure it's true) so they "get all the dirt". Period.

W.C. Varones said...

Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt.

Look, people fall for Ponzi schemes all the time. Con men are persuasive. That's why they're called con men.

It doesn't make you stupid to have fallen for a Ponzi scheme. What does make you stupid, though, is to continue denying it was a Ponzi scheme when the facts are obvious.

Why, for example, did the feds just arrest two of Candler's accomplices for investment fraud if there was no investment fraud.

I can't wait to see the rationalization your deeply in denial mind comes up with for that. Wait, I know: it's a big government conspiracy to cover up the fact that the government stole your money from a completely legitimate investment account. Right?

W.C. Varones said...

Mark Twain had something to say about this.

Anonymous said...

I, frankly, don't care how you attempt to explain it...Ponzi scheme, government tax seizure, or hack story...the bottom line is that people were conned into investing their money because the everything seemed legit when really the bastard was stealing it...it just took time to for it to be revealed and now the bastard is dead...and those involved have no recourse...I just hope it's hot where he is!

Anonymous said...

I knew the man - I trusted the man and invested for 10 years never doubting that the money would always be there I was scammed just like over 500 people. Charles Candler was evil and is in Hell now for his deeds He ruined the lives of most of these victims including me. I understand his wife was never arrested and claimed she knew nothing. What a lie. She should be going to prison. Charles took the easy way out and shot himself. I would rather him still be alive and be sentenced to lifetime in prison but he had no guts. Just an evil man with no remorse but he is not laughing now at everybody. I agree the victims like me will probably get little or nothing back. What a shame. I feel like an idiot not getting money out before it was too late. Anonymous

Anonymous said...

In reference to the 03/28/2012 post that CD paid men better than the women for the Printex/Cobra era, that depended on the female employee willingness have sex with him. In that case he paid females very well.

Nailed it!

July 5 :