United States Department of Justice
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Memorandum
Date: 12/19/78
To: Mr. Moore
From: J. O. Ingram
Subject: RYMUR
On 12/15/78 at 9:30 AM Inspector – Deputy Assistant Director James O. Ingram, Section Chief W. Douglas Gow, and SA [name deleted], Criminal Investigative Division, met with Michael Abbell, Criminal Division of the Justice Department and Jim Hergen and David Epstein of the Department’s Civil Division, Office of Foreign Location. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss what immediate actions need be taken with regard to protecting the interests of the United States Government in location of assets of the Peoples Temple (PT).
The following bank accounts were given by FBI representatives to representatives of the Department based upon information telephonically furnished by Legat Robert Oglesby, Georgetown, Guyana, who has seen the letter signed by one Annie J. McGowan addressed to the Soviet Embassy in Georgetown, Guyana, dated 11/18/78. The letter enumerates the following bank accounts of Annie J. McGowan or the PT and designates that all of these funds are to be turned over to the Soviet Union for whatever use the Soviets deemed appropriate. The letter further asserts that “We are Communists.” The letter is in possession of local authorities at Guyana and it is not known if the letter will be made available to the Soviet Embassy.
Swiss Bank Corporation, P.O. Box 1370, Panama 4, Panama – Account #3357.
Deposit #1 – $557,000 (Time Deposit – Maturity date unknown).
Deposit #2 – $1,486,000 (Maturity 7/6/79).
Union Bank of Switzerland, P.O. Box 6792, Panama 5, Panama – Account #121-00-191A.
[Page 2]
Ingram to Mr. Moore Memorandum
RE: RYMUR
Deposit #1 – $300,000 (Maturity 5/31/79).
Deposit #2 – $200,000 (Maturity 7/5/79).
Deposit #3 – $1,623,000 (Maturity 7/25/79).
Deposit #4 – $1,000,000 (Maturity 8/1/79).
Deposit #5 – $82,536 (Maturity 8/29/79).
Deposit #6 – $1,036,000 (Maturity 9/21/79).
Deposit #7 – $1,000,000 (Maturity 7/20/79).
Business cards located indicate that the contact person at the Swiss Bank Corporation is Andre Mennet. The contact at Union Bank of Switzerland is Rudolf Keller, Assistant Vice-President.
All of the above monies are quoted in United States dollars.
Mr. Hergen (supra) stated that Mr. Gerard Charig, Department of Justice Legal Officer stationed at the American Embassy in Munich, is in Zürich, Switzerland, in an attempt to file appropriate papers in Switzerland to prevent monies maintained in accounts identifiable with the PT from leaving Switzerland. Mr. Hergen stated that at this time no further FBI investigation with regard to assets of the PT is required, however, based on the results of Mr. Charig’s activities in Switzerland, additional FBI assistance may be requested.
At the conclusion of the meeting Michael Abbell was given a true copy of a transcript of a tape recording made by Jonestown residents depicting the final hour of their existence during the administration of cyanide. Mr. Abbell was further advised that State Department had made a formal request of the FBI for this transcript and inasmuch as it represented evidence developed during a Federal investigation, dissemination to State Department was being left to the discretion of the Justice Department.