War Profiteering in Leavenworth

Bradley Manning was recently transferred US penitentiary in Leavenworth, Kansas.  Behind the scenes the city is being pressured to donate 15-30 acres of land by Tonya Evans ceo and 'co-founder' the American Fallen Warrior Memorial Foundation (AFWMF).  The AMFWMF plans to build an elaborate memorial to the fallen soldiers ranging from the Gulf War to ongoing conflicts today.  The AFWMF is in a state and federal lawsuit for alleged intellectual property theft from a non-profit organization in Texas 'the United States Fallen Heroes Foundation' (USFHF).  Allegations ranging from 'cybersquatting, trademark infringement, unfair competition and trademark dilution...deceptive trade practices, breach of contract breach of fiduciary duty, and intentional interference with prospective economic advantage.' [1]

Corruption rots at the core of the original USFHF where founder Evan Walter Coleman aka Walter E Coleman forged a document from the IRS misrepresenting the organization as an actual non-profit charity and representing himself as a veteran when he was not.  He resigned two days after a local news investigation.  The USFHF targeted small places like schools churches and local business's.  The Texas Attorney General charged Walter Coleman for unlawfully soliciting funds and diverting funds for personal use.  Walter Coleman was replaced by Marine veteran  Larry Summers.  The USFHF  is as of April of 2011 a legally registered tax-exempt charity.

Defendants in the USFHF vs AFWMF lawsuit and 'co-founders' of the AMFWMF are Tonya Evans aka Tonya Mundy and  Kathryn Taylor aka Kat Taylor.  Both of whom worked for the USFHF;  Evans a volunteer turned executive director and her executive assistant Kat Taylor.  Rumors became apparent to Larry Summers at an event in Tooele when people begain to inquire when he planned to resign.  More rumors inside the organization began about misuse of funds that were raised at the Tooele event.  Paperwork for the 'I Gave 50 cents' campaign fundraising from schools were not received.  Evans and Taylor had also not signed the USFHF's code of conduct along with the confidentiality and conflict of interest policies.  Tonya Evans and Kat Taylor where asked to cease all actions until the paperwork was received.  Evans and Taylor agreed to sign the paperwork, but instead of doing so they demand for Larry Summers to resign as president of the USFHF or they would quit.  Shortly after Taylor and Evans failed to take over the USFHF they started a smear campaign on Facebook alleging that funds were again being misappropriated by the USFHF. 

Taylor went on to base the AMFWMF upon the intellectual property of the USFHF.  Now Evans and Taylor are trying to bring the AMFWMF to Kansas asking the city of Leavenworth for an answer by tomorrow (May 30th).  As shown in a city commission study session and special meeting.  Just before the Bradley Manning rally scheduled on June 4th.  Other towns listed as being contacted by Tanya Evans include Topeka, Manhattan, Lawrence and Kansas City.

 image from Google Maps

A search on whether the AFWMF is legally a tax-except charity in guidestar and the IRS database has come up with no returns and calls to the business's were not answered.  This article is not about the memorial, nor is it about war, it is about the allegation of intellectual property theft and if this organization should be trusted.


 [1] Lawsuit USFHF vs AFWMF [PDF]
City of Leavenworth City Commission Meeting about the AFWMF [PDF]

Channel 8 investigation video on Walter Coleman [includes video]
Walter Coleman court documents [PDF]

Article is in the Creative Commons share remix reuse

Update: The meeting with the AFWMF in Leavenworth, KS is scheduled for July 5th.