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Retired Marine Sergeant Terry Stewart, who was to be sentenced in late April, petitioned the court and received a court-appointed lawyer in his sentencing trial.

Stewart applied for the lawyer after his first sentencing trial was continued. He also asked for the continuance after all of his motions before the court at the sentencing were denied, and it looked as if prosecutors would ask that Stewart be sentenced to life in prison.

Jack Stewart, an Asheville attorney and no relation to defendant Stewart, was appointed by Judge Lacy Thornburg to act as defense attorney. The case has also attracted the attention of the Omaha, Nebraska-based "Free the Innocent."

"Free the Innocent" is a national non-profit organization dedicated to helping those wrongly accused and/or convicted of crimes. A representative of the group has already met with Terry Stewart at the McDowell County prison where he's being held.

Along with "Free the Innocent" another group call AVIDD (American Veterans in Domestic Defense) is looking at the Stewart case to see if they wish to get involved.

AVIDD, a Houston, Texas-based group states that its mission "...is a simple one. We want to once again serve our country and help return the United States to the vision of our forefathers, under the Constitution and our Bill of Rights.

"As concerned veterans, AVIDD will search out and identify specifically who or what is causing the problems for America and neutralize the negative impact on our society. We will study the methods of these 'domestic enemies,' of the United States and plan a strategy to neutralize their destructiveness.

"Our plan is to be as diplomatic as possible, but as assertive as the law permits. AVIDD will encourage and support those individuals, organizations, and corporations who are upholding our laws under the Constitution, freedom, morality, Christian principles, etc.

"AVIDD will run interference for the good guys."

There are also three retired Marine Corp. generals and former commandants of the Corp that are also being apprised of Stewart's situation.

Stewart was convicted over several different charges in a case involving Banyon International, a company that was run by Phillip Mark Vaughan. The company specialized in investing for trusts, but government prosecutors said that the business was nothing more than a "ponsa" scheme.

The government also said that Stewart was a part of Banyon and the scheme in which investors lost millions of dollars, but Stewart has maintained that he was never a part of Banyon and has rejected any thought of plea-bargaining.

However, without a lawyer and due to, what the Stewarts say is a suppression of evidence and testimony, Stewart was convicted in 2001. Stewart has been in jail since then without being sentenced until this year, when the Tribune ran a series of articles.

 

Stewart related articles: Stewart Case Index of Tribune Articles