When George Zimmerman was finally indicted I promised myself to leave the story alone until there was a trial. But this is too juicy to pass up. You probably heard that George Zimmerman’s bail was revoked a few days ago, for trying to hide assets from the court during his bond hearing. Now Mrs. Zimmerman also is arrested because the two of them conspired to hide assets, namely about $135,000 in donations raised on a private website and available to the Zimmermans.
Jeff Weiner writes in the Orlando Sentinel:
In an affidavit, prosecutors revealed new details about Shellie Zimmerman’s alleged efforts to hide money from the court.
Four days before she testified to having no knowledge of the funds, the affidavit says, Shellie Zimmerman began a series of transfers into her account — totaling $74,000 between April 16 and April 19.
The affidavit says about $47,000 more was transferred from George Zimmerman’s account to his sister’s. Shellie Zimmerman withdrew about $18,000 more cash, prosecutors say.
Prosecutors say the Zimmermans used a rudimentary “code” to discuss the money in recorded jailhouse phone calls — referring to $100,000, for example, as “$100.” At least two of the calls, the state alleges, were made while Shellie Zimmerman and her husband’s sister were at a local credit union making the transactions.
“In my account do I have at least $100?” Zimmerman asked. “No… there’s like $8. $8.60,” she replied.
Zimmerman told his wife to “pay off all the bills” with the money, prosecutors said, including an American Express card and a Sam’s Club card. He also instructed her on how to pay for his bail.
According to the affidavit, after her husband was released on bond days after the bond hearing, she transferred more than $85,000 back into his account. A branch manager at their credit union told prosecutors he knew the couple, and saw Shellie Zimmerman talking to her husband on the phone on April 16.
The manager said he’d helped Shellie Zimmerman transfer control of George Zimmerman’s account, at one point speaking directly to George Zimmerman by phone.
Since his defense largely hangs on a jury believing his version of events, in spite of a mess of sloppily collected evidence and contradictory witness statements, a perjury charge probably won’t help Zimmerman’s case, I suspect.
Rightie reactions range from calls for firing Zimmerman’s lawyer to the quaint theory that the prosecution is trying to drive a wedge between the Zimmermans and their version of events. I doubt the wife’s version of events would have been heard at trial, though.
To be blunt. extreme righties think it is just kool to kill niggers.
Some carry permit righties I work with think this thing needs to go to trial.
I am encouraged by that.
Here in Central Fl, we just went through the Casey Anthony circus, now we have to deal with Travon Martin and “Stand Your Ground” F- a duck!!!
What kind of person sets up a website to collect donation for their legal defense, because they are suddenly (in)famous, and then thinks they can hide the money? I realize that since the NASA cutbacks all the rocket scientists have left the state, but still, WTF? And using the money to pay off the Sam’s Club card?
So, what? Shooting black kids is now a profit-making enterprise and a way to pay your bills?
And if they’re willing to lie to the judge about the thousands they’ve just been given and squirreled away for their own use, what else are they lying about?
Heck, I’m starting to think maybe this guy really did think Trayvon was a threat, even though he chased Trayvon down with a gun. Zimmerman certainly seems to have a pattern of believing remarkably stupid stuff and acting like a colossal fool as a result.
A really stupid one? Just a guess. For that matter, what sort of person faces a murder charge and puts his own defense at risk with a stunt like this? Yeah, I’d like someone to hand me $135,000 for my own use, too, but not at the risk of spending the next several decades in a penitentiary.
Jeez, how sad for them that banks went from manual to computerized record-keeping systems, what, oh, just a couple of days or weeks before he shot that little Nigrah boy in self-defense, huh?
And leave it to the morons on the right to defend and send money to two of their own – a guy and his wife less likely to be members of Phi Beta Kappa and MENSA, and much more likely to be 1st ballot Hall of Fame candidates for We Brew Meth and DENSA.
To answer the eternal question of “How feckin’ stooooopid must you be to be a Conservative hero?
The SATASQ is, “THIS feckin’ stoooooopid!”
What dopes. WHAT MAROONS!!!
What I want to know is who are these donors? And does the state not have laws against making a profit off of a crime? This money has clearly been used for personal things and not the purpose of “defense” is that not fraud? I cannot wait to see if they claim it on their income taxes.
What kind of sick ass world are we living in where you can raise 150k for shooting an un armed black youth but health care for all is out of the question?