A former secretary of the Saladin Shriners in Grand Rapids, Michigan has just been charged with embezzling $1.39 million from the Saladin Temple's Children's Trust Fund. According to police reports, it seems Richard Ivan Williams has been siphoning off money from the Saladin Shriners ever since 2019 to buy real estate, line his own pockets, and (somewhat incredibly) to donate $275,000 to two of his college fraternities.
Because that was apparently so much more important than supporting the Shriners Children's' Hospitals or the transportation of disabled kids to facilities where they can be treated. He may be a crook, but at least he looked generous to his frat bros, I guess.
Oh. And he was an attorney at one time, so maybe he just wasn't aware of the laws. Or the definition of "trust."
Oh. And he was an attorney at one time, so maybe he just wasn't aware of the laws. Or the definition of "trust."
According to a video report on the WOOD-TV 8 website, Williams' bail was set at a mere $10,000, which means he would only have to personally post $1,000, despite the obvious evidence that he's a potential flight risk with access to enough cash to skip town. If convicted of all six counts, he faces perhaps 20 years behind bars.
As for making restitution? As Emily Dickinson wrote, "Hope is a thing with feathers."
He was never a lawyer he never passed the bar. Hes been known in masonic circles in Michigan as a habitual lier. He was also court martialed out of the US army for lieing and signing bogus citations and awards to servicemen. He didnt spend any time in prison over it because he ratted out all of the people in that ring. He was not welcomed in his blue lodge anymore so he transferred to another where they elected him Master this year but hes stepped down. He wasnt welcome in the Scottish Rite either. But as his method of operation when he wasnt welcome was to shift to another body. He went to the shrine and he made large strides there because people would believe his lies. And he had friends to back him because they believed him. He became a member of the Jesters but was kicked out. So he jumped to the York Rite and again made strides. So none of this is any great suprise to those of us who have been warning brothers about him. No one wanted to listen and here we are.
ReplyDeleteHe also at one point was a trustee at Imperial Shrine but was later asked to stepped down because they caught wind of his shenanigans in the Military and other red flags.
DeleteSo if it was so well known that he was a dodgy character, who the heck gave him the keys to the treasury? SMH...
DeleteHowwho wish to pass the west gate.did this joker ever manage to flimflam his way through the screening processes? The vetting process for candidates needs to be either re-evaluated or strictly followed. There are websites available that that allow one to research the backgrounds of a potential candidate, and they should be used as well in the screening of those who wish to past the west gate.
DeleteSounds like a brother in Florida. He has switched Lodges no less than 4 times in the past 8 years, serving as either Master or Secretary of each. They’re all small Lodges that need warm bodies to fill the chairs so they happily welcome the “help.” He hops from one appendant body to the other looking for openings in the officer lines. Abandoned one Grotto line when a Monarch position opened up at another. He was also a high ranking officer in the High Twelve International line until they caught on and expelled him before he became International President. Now he’s in line to be Grand Commander.
DeleteHis email signature lists all the Past Offices he’s held. It spans over 12 lines.
"American Freemasonry is position based". Brothers seek taking offices. This means we have to be very careful who is elected to serve in office because some Brothers are title chasers, and sometimes it is the Brother with the least desire to lead or be in the spotlight who may be the best qualified among us to lead.
ReplyDeleteSeems to be a trend in Michigan. Another Shrine Temple suffered a tremendous loss some years back....the amount was far more. Two Nobles were given too much authority and trust over the assets of the temple. One was allowed by Imperial to serve as Potentate while under suspension from the Grand Lodge of Michigan, the other continued fleecing the Temple. The Past Potentate filed for bankruptcy and the underling was convicted and pays $200 a year and has currently established a "church" in another state. Stealing from burned and crippled children....there is a special place for men like this.
ReplyDeleteMarch 31st is his next court date. I hope the Judge and prosecutors know about his military background. He’s a pathological liar. I wish I could tell about all the lies he’s told through the years, but the list would be a mile long. He’s not dumb, but Karma has finally caught up with him!
ReplyDeleteThe Shrine finance committee knew of this happening seance 2019 and covered it up. The same board is in charge now. I can’t believe the brothers are that dumb to believe that the financial committee was not involved.
ReplyDeleteThat is total BS. Get the facts right before you run you gums.
DeleteTotal BS. Get your facts straight before you start making accusations.
DeleteI can’t believe the financial committee was not involved. The same people who were responsible for the finance of the temple in 2019 are still in charge today.
ReplyDeleteHow about North Carolina GM
ReplyDeleteNot true. You don’t know what you’re talking about.
ReplyDeleteIn 2009‑2010 I was deployed to Iraq with this man who presented himself as a military lawyer for the 422nd Civil Affairs Battalion. He wore the insignia, ribbons, and medals of an experienced officer—everything that should have signaled credibility to anyone who saw him.
ReplyDeleteWhat I later discovered was far more disturbing: the entire “career” he flaunted was a fabrication. He had stolen the identity of a real soldier and built an elaborate lie around that person’s service record, complete with counterfeit badges and awards he never earned.
The cracks began to show when he met different people. To keep his story straight, he would swap uniforms and alter his narrative on the fly—something no genuine officer would ever need to do. The deception grew bolder over time; years after our deployment he started claiming he was a Marine Corps helicopter pilot, a role that required entirely different training and qualifications.
His conduct violated every core principle of military service:
Fraudulent representation – He pretended to hold ranks, qualifications, and decorations that were never his.
Defrauding the government – By cashing in on benefits, pay, and privileges tied to a false record, he stole from the very institution that protects us.
Betraying trust – Our unit relied on each other’s competence and honesty. His lies jeopardized that bond and could have cost lives had they been tested in combat.
Fortunately, his deceit never reached a battlefield where false credentials could have resulted in fatal mistakes. Still, the damage to morale and the erosion of trust were real. Someone who can so easily rewrite his own history deserves to face the full consequences of his actions—prison is the appropriate outcome.