BILLIE SOL ESTES

[Dealey Joe]

In the late 1950s, Estes was heavily involved in the Texas anhydrous ammonia business. He produced mortgages on nonexistent ammonia tanks by convincing local farmers to purchase them on credit, sight unseen, and lease them from the farmers for the same amount as the mortgage payment, paying them a convenience fee as well. He used the fraudulent mortgage holdings to obtain loans from banks outside Texas who were unable to easily check on the tanks.At the same time, United States Department of Agriculture began controlling the price of cotton, specifying quotas to farmers. The program included an acreage allotment that normally was not transferable from the land it was associated with, but which could be transferred if the original land was taken by eminent domain.Estes worked out a method to purchase large numbers of cotton allotments, by dealing with farmers who had been dispossessed of land through eminent domain. He convinced the farmers to purchase land from him in Texas and transfer their allotments there, with a mortgage agreement delaying the first payment for a year. Then he would lease the land and allotments back from the farmer for $50 per acre. Once the first payment came due, the farmer would intentionally default and the land would revert to Estes; in effect, Estes had purchased the cotton allotments with the lease fees. However, because the original sale and mortgage were a pretext rather than a genuine sale, it was illegal to transfer the cotton allotments this way.Eventually, Estes' schemes collapsed, and in 1964 he was tried and convicted on charges related to the fraudulent ammonia tank mortgages. Although Estes went to prison to serve a 15-year term, his conviction was later overturned by the United States Supreme Court in Estes v. Texas, 381 U.S. 532 (1965). His appeal hinged upon the alleged impossibility of a fair trial due to the presence of television cameras and broadcast journalists in the courtroom. He prevailed by a 5-4 vote.

[kenmurray]

The ESTES Documents:http://home.earthlink.net/~sixthfloor/estes.htm

[Bruce Patrick Brychek]

Dear JFK Murder Solved Forum Members and Readers:11.20.2011 - Mr. Joe Hall Posted this powerful Headline. Few today are aware of how strongly Billie Sol Estes was a Right Hand Man of LBJ.Ken Murray, in his usual excellent fashion, adds additional valuable information.A close personal friend of mine is a friend of Billie Sol Estes, and has been in direct, informative communications with him over the last several years. He was communicating with Billie Sol Estes while he was writing his own book.Billie Sol Estes strongly underscores LBJ's involvement in the whole JFK Event.I have not read or seen Billie Sol Estes' book yet. And I am overdue on acquiring, and reading it when I can obtain it, and find the time.Has anybody read Billie Sol Estes' book yet, which I have heard was published already ?Comments ?Respectfully,BB.

[Bruce Patrick Brychek]

05.16.2013Dear JFK Murder Solved Forum Members and Readers:Mr. Billie Sol Estes died this week.I can not underscore his importance with and to LBJ, and theJFK Assassination enough.I highly recommend that you analyze, read, research, study,and write about him in depth.Comments ?Respectfully,BB.

[kenmurray]

Billie Sol Estes: A Texas Legend available here in pdf form.....http://www.narrowbandimaging.com/incomi ... (2005).pdf