TIGHAR

Amelia Earhart Search Forum => News, Views, Books, Archival Data & Interviews on AE => Topic started by: Bill Lloyd on June 08, 2013, 08:07:32 AM

Title: TIGHAR Sued in Federal Court
Post by: Bill Lloyd on June 08, 2013, 08:07:32 AM

TIGHAR and Richard E. Gillespie are being sued in Wyoming Federal District for allegedly committing multiple acts of fraud in violation of 18 USC 1341 and 1343. It is alleged that Gillespie committed multiple acts of wire fraud and mail fraud to solicit contributions.

http://www.courthousenews.com/2013/06/05/58237.htm

The complaint is filed on PACER - Case 1:13-cv-00118-SWS

Title: Re: TIGHAR Sued in Federal Court
Post by: Ric Gillespie on June 08, 2013, 08:33:17 AM

Mr. Timothy Mellon was a major contributor to TIGHAR's 2012 Earhart search and participated in that expedition. Mr. Mellon has now sued TIGHAR and Executive Director Ric Gillespie alleging that, during TIGHAR's expedition to Nikumaroro in 2010, TIGHAR found the Earhart airplane but did not disclose the discovery and instead began to plan and fund-raise for its next expedition. In his suit, Mr. Mellon does not explain why he thinks TIGHAR or Gillespie would do something like that.

Mr. Mellon alleges that the wreckage of the Earhart airplane is clearly visible in high-defintion underwater video taken during the 2010 expedition. The video in which Mr. Mellon sees the plane is on the TIGHAR YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9NXJnwJmRY) channel.   In numerous public postings on TIGHAR's Amelia Earhart Search Forum (http://tighar.org/smf/index.php/topic,1038.0.html) Mr. Mellon presents annotated screen-captures from the video in which he points out what he believes to be not only components of the aircraft but also the dismembered remains of Miss Earhart and Captain Noonan; Ms. Earhart's banjo, violin and guitar; a flyswatter; and rolls of toilet paper.  Neither TIGHAR nor the forensic experts TIGHAR has consulted see anything in the video that can be linked to the Earhart disappearance.

TIGHAR respects Mr. Mellon's right to interpret the imagery we have made public in any way he chooses but the allegations he has made in his lawsuit are without merit.

We're not going to comment on this further.  I have locked this topic.