Jim Bakker Guilty on 24 Counts in Charlotte Trial UNC Students Working to Boot Tar Heel Editor Wells Says City Growth Not Sole I
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THE CHRONICLE FRIDAY, OCTOBER 6, 1989 DUKE UNIVERSITY DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA CIRCULATION: 15,000 VOL. 85, NO. 31 Jim Bakker guilty on 24 counts in Charlotte trial By PETER APPLEBOME when he started out, he was ear N.Y. Times News Service nest." CHARLOTTE — Jim Bakker, Federal District Judge Robert who built a multimillion-dollar Potter set sentencing for Oct. 24 religious empire on an image of for Bakker, the first major televi wholesome values and religious sion evangelist to be convicted of faith, was convicted Thursday on a felony in connection with his all 24 fraud and conspiracy ministry. The 24 counts on which counts he faced in federal court Bakker was convicted each carry here. a maximum penalty of five years, The tumultuous six-week trial although it is impossible to hinged on the government's con predict how much time he will tention that Bakker bilked fol serve. He also faces $5 million in lowers of his PTL Ministry out of fines. $158 million by offering promises Bakker's lawyers said they of lifetime vacations he could not would appeal the verdict. provide and that he used some of Bakker showed little emotion the money to support an opulent when the jury found him guilty lifestyle that included an air- on all 24 counts, although he conditioned dog house and a fleet tightly gripped the wooden table of Rolls-Royces. before him. The jury foreman, Ricky Hills, His wife, Tammy Faye, also said he had no problem deciding stayed calm until Potter, in that Bakker defrauded his fol deciding whether to allow Bak lowers. ker to post bond, compared Bak CLIFF BURNS/THE CHRONICLE "We kept looking for some ker's followers to the suicidal The Scarlet. er . Yellow Letter thing from the defense and devotees of the Rev. Jim Jones. couldn't find anything," Hills Members of the PTL Ministry 'A' marks the spot on this good old Army mule. Wonder what it did to deserve such a bright said. "The only thing I believed were "so zealous in their defense distinction. about his testimony was that See BAKKER on page 7 • UNC students working Wells says city growth not sole issue Editor's Note: This article is he worked as an accountant. In a to boot Tar Heel editor one in a series of profiles of the recent press release, Wells said four mayoral candidates. that as the general tax super By BRYAN GARNER visor, he oversaw the dents and having a "lack of By ERIN SULLIVAN "preparation, filing, and pay The editor of a nearby stu competent management" in a Robert Wells, a self-employed ment of over $45 million in non- dent newspaper may face a highly publicized advertising financial counselor, says he is income taxes, annually." recall election based on com scandal. running for mayor of Durham be Wells currently works as a plaints concerning her edito This last complaint refers to cause he wants to focus more on financial counselor specializing rial policy and competence. the DTH's printing of a Play human problems in the city, not in federal and state income Student Congress represen boy magazine insert in the just on development issues. taxes. He also teaches part-time tative Jeffrey Beall, a second- paper Sept. 8. Two different "The developers can't have at Durham Technical College in year graduate student at the women's groups who found their way all the time. The com the business administration and University of North Carolina the insert offensive petitioned munity can't have their way all accounting programs. at Chapel Hill (UNC-CH), the DTH asking for a public the time either. We need to build Wells has no experience in city Monday initiated a petition to apology. equity," he said. or county politics. But he serves recall Sharon Kebschull, edi Beall's accusations are "an Wells said his job experience as a commissioner for the Dur tor-in-chief of the Daily Tar attack on freedom of the will provide him with an effective ham County Human Relations Heel (DTH). press," said Kebschull, a se understanding of budgetary and Commission and has worked as CLIFF BURNS/THE CHRONICLE Beall issued a press release nior. "[Beall] is taking advan fiscal matters and an ability to office manager for the Durham Tuesday explaining the rea tage of the fact that we're a generate budgetary revenue. County campaign office that Robert Wells sons for his action. In it, he ac student newspaper and we Such revenue is critical to help sponsored Jesse Jackson's 1988 cuses the newspaper of refus receive student fees." Durham overcome its economic bid for the U.S. presidency. essarily increases the burden on ing to print letters to the edi The fact that Kebschull is problems and meet it s financial In a recent interview Wells ad taxpayers. tor expressing opinions con elected by the student body responsibilities, he said. dressed the future development He focused on how the city is trary to the paper's editorial "puts Jeff in a unique position A graduate of Florida A&M of Durham, stressing the division handling programs such as im stance, forbidding its report to have a great chance to at- University, Wells was employed provements in water and sewer ers to interview certain stu See RECALL on page 8 • at GTE Service Corp and GTE between controlled and uncon trolled growth. facilities that required by new South from 1976 to 1987, where state ordinances. Wells stressed that Durham's Wells suggested that rather tendency to finance city improve than "projecting increases" the IFC considers rush, pledge violations ment projects with bonds unnec- See WELLS on page 6 • By REVA BHATIA hours of community service for fraternity. The Interfraternity Council violating pledge rules, according "We were going to try to make (IFC) sanctioned the Theta Chi to Brian David, chair of the IFC sure he pulled it [a 2.0 GPA] out Inside Weather fraternity for pledge violations Judicial Board. second semester," he said. "We Sept. 26 and will consider allega The board determined that tutored him, but he had two labs Doggy heaven: Ever feel Bier & more bier: Drink tions of rush violations by the Al Theta Chi broke a rule requiring and he didn't manage to achieve lonely in church on Sunday? German beer to get into the pha Tau Omega (ATO) fraternity all pledges to maintain at least a the 2.0." Well now you can bring man's Oktoberfest spirit. Enjoy this afternoon. 2.0 grade point average. Accord Coleman called the sanction best friend to keep you com-, sunny skies and highs in the Theta Chi will have to pay a ing to Theta Chi president Der "fair," but said, "It's a little unex pany. See page 3. 80s as you celebrate surviving $200 fine to a campus service or rick Coleman, one student failed pected because the punishment midterms. ganization and perform 125 to earn a 2.0 while pledging the See SANCTIONS on page 4 • PAGE 2 THE CHRONICLE FRIDAY, OCTOBER 6,1989 World & National Newsfile Coup attempt involved Noriega's close advisers Associated Press By MARK UHLIG N.Y. Times News Service military headquarters where the coup at Panamanian soldiers raid: Sol tempt took place. diers firing tear gas broke into the PANAMA CITY, Panama — Among the Giraldi was widely credited with having building where Panamanian opposi rebellious officers who took part in the vi helped thwart a previous coup attempt in tion leader Guillermo Endara was olent coup attempt against Gen. Manuel March 1988. holding a hunger strike, but another Antonio Noriega were some of his close As the initial shock of the bloody upris opposition leader says Endara was advisers, including two officers directly ing began to wear off here Thursday, di safely spirited out before the raid. responsible for protecting the Panama plomats and local analysts pointed to the nian leader from such a betrayal, diplo participation or complicity of such high- mats and officials here said Thursday. COUP analyzed: The Bush admin ranking officers as evidence that the coup istration, viewing the Panamanian Contrary to early reports that ascribed attempt may have had much broader sup uprising as "our first bloodletting," the attempt to disgruntled junior officers, port than first understood. an official government communique made Such suggestions were reinforced by says it learned some lessons for future public Wednesday night said the officers crises, as Congress conducts its own widespread reports that officials of arrested in connection with the failed Noriega's handpicked civilian leadership, post-mortem of the U.S. response to coup included the head of Panamanian the coup attempt. including President Francisco Rodriguez, military intelligence, Col. Guillermo refrained from speaking out on the mili Wong, and two other members of tary leader's behalf on Tuesday morning UPI PHOTO More convoys leave: More than Noriega's high command. until it was clear that the coup attempt Manuel Noriega 600 East Germans rode Thursday to Among the rebellious officers who were had failed. the West on a train crossing Poland killed in the coup attempt was Maj. "It is incredible that President opposition candidate for vice president, and East Germany, a day after a simi Moises Giraldi Vega, who is believed to Rodriguez passed the entire morning Ricardo Arias Calderon, speaking at a lar exodus sparked a riot in one East have been responsible for security at the without saying one word," said a former news conference Thursday. German city and desperate bids to join Arias Calderon and Western diplomats what might be the last freedom con noted that an early communique from the voys.