P 212105Z FEB 79
FM MEMPHIS (89-110) (P)
TO DIRECTOR (89-4286) PRIORITY
SAN FRANCISCO (89-250) SQ 10) PRIORITY
BT
UNCLAS EFTO
RYMUR
Re Bureau teletype, January 29, 1979, and Memphis teletype, February 12, 1979.
On February 20, 1979, Terri Buford was interviewed in the presence of her attorney, Mark Lane, [address deleted], and in regard to questions posed in the referenced Bureau teletype, she advised as follows:
Buford estimated the balance of Panamanian account number 121-00.135-A, as of September 1, 1978, as $7,500,000. She advised this amount includes funds from another Panamanian account, Associacion Religioso Pro San Pedro (ARPSP), which were transferred into this account. Buford stated she did not
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withdraw or transfer any funds from this account after September 1, 1978, and has no knowledge of anyone else making any withdrawals or transfers.
Regarding the account, ARPSP, Buford stated this account was established on an unrecalled date when Tim Stone [Stoen] left the People’s Temple. The account was set up on a format previously developed by Stone, and all funds from the previous Panamanian account, Associacion Evanjelico (phonetic) de los Americas, were transferred into the new account, ARPSP. The individuals listed on the previous account as officers were retained on the ARPSP account and were Senor Tapia, President; Eloy Alfaro, Vice President; and an unknown female, Treasurer, possibly named Gomez. Buford advised the new ARPSP account containing all assets of the original corporation, Associacion Evanjelico de los Americas, and also included some check or wire transfers from the People’s Temple in San Francisco. She advised this account was established only because of Tim Stone’s departure from the People’s Temple.
With regards to additional assets and property of the
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People’s Temple, she advised People’s Temple property was placed in the name of Charles Gerry’s [Garry] law firm, in the guise of legal fees to prevent the property from possibly being attached. One piece of property was an apartment complex in Los Angeles which was placed in Gerry’s name and subsequently sold. The cash from the sale went to the People’s Temple and the property was located at the intersection of Hoover and Alvarado (phonetic). She stated she believes a church is located at this intersection with an address of 1366 Alvarado, and the apartment complex is located behind the church. She believes the property sold for approximately $275,000, which sale may have occurred during the summer of 1978. She advised she has also heard that a ranch in Redwood Valley, California, called Happy Acres, has been placed in the name of Charles Gerry’s law firm and is valued at approximately $325,000 to $350,000, with income received from this property, approximately $15,000 per month, going to the People’s Temple.
She stated she had no other information regarding property or assets; however, the only people authorized to
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deal with the corporation, ARPSP, were Senor Tapia and Charles Gerry, as her authorization was taken away; therefore, property could have gone into the association without her knowledge.
BT