Anatomy of a Con

The H. Martin Foundation Exposed

Rey and Eva Bernardes of The Global Center for Success will coordinate and be the H. Martin

Foundation Representatives for Mare Island Projects—from proposal submitted to The City of Vallejo

By Marc Garman

12/15/09

Pastor Rey Bernardes still hopes to see all the financial challenges facing his Global Center for Success erased by The H. Martin Foundation (HMF). During an October 19, 2009 telephone conversation with Bernardes, he indicated that he remains in contact with HMF in hopes of securing funding. “They haven't asked for any money. I only go to meetings.” said Bernardes, who continued to add that seeking grant monies is his job as Director of The Global Center for Success. The Global Center is a humanitarian organization that helps the homeless and disadvantaged by providing training and job opportunities.

The H. Martin Foundation also claims to be an entity engaged in humanitarian efforts. A wealth of evidence presented by VIB in a series of previous articles more than calls the validity and intent of the H. Martin Foundation into question. Can they really have “Funds of Legendary Magnitude” as they claim?

Previous articles HERE

Link to HMF website HERE

Pastor Bernardes' faith in The H. Martin Foundation seems unshaken. He appears in promotional videos for the foundation, has hosted at least one HMF function at his Global Center for Success on Mare Island, and has been seen attending promotional events for HMF in Southern California. Telephone conversations with several individuals who have had interaction with the HMF describe Bernardes as “the go to guy” on the West Coast for the organization. Bernardes also claims to have met with H. Martin Foundation “founder and sole signatory of funds of legendary magnitude” Papa Eddy Tirwatadinata in the Philippines on more than one occasion.

VIB has made repeated attempts to set up a meeting with Bernardes in hopes that he would consider the implications of our continuing research and the potential damage to his reputation and the humanitarian work he is engaged in. Attempts were made to set up a presentation to the board of the Christian Help Center, of which Bernardes is a part. The meeting was precipitously canceled. During the October 19 telephone conversation when I indicated to Bernardes that VIB was in possession of exceptionally compelling evidence of criminal activity on the part of the H. Martin Foundation, he again refused to meet stating “You're not giving me a convincing reason.” and repeated, “They haven't asked me for any money.”

Additional attempts were made to reach Bernardes through Global Center board members as well as volunteer Elmer DeLeon and other employees, to no avail. VIB also contacted Bernardes via registered mail and encouraged him to speak with us. HERE

But if the H. Martin Foundation never asked him for any money, as Rey Bernardes claims, how could they be harming anyone? Or, in the words of Vallejo Mayor Osby Davis, who encouraged staff meetings in City Hall with the foundation, “If someone says they want to spend money in Vallejo, what's the harm in talking to them?”

“What's the harm?”

The Back Story

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Every good confidence swindle must have a compelling, yet hard to prove back story to draw in and entice the victims. The following cover story has been confirmed by individuals within the Global Center for Success who have had interactions with the H. Martin Foundation:

During the 1930's the United States was in the throes of the Great Depression. Us officials were desperate to find a way out of the extended financial crisis. They turned to the Sultan of Bogor, Indonesia, a figure known for both his astronomical wealth and his generous nature.

After a series of secret meetings with officials from the United States, The Sultan agreed to help the failing financial infrastructure of the United States of America. He allowed his massive reserves of gold to be placed in the Federal Reserve and accepted US Treasury bearer bonds and gold certificates from Wells Fargo and other Banks in exchange. These bonds and certificates were primarily issued in 1933-1935 and totaled approximately 700 Trillion Dollars.

The Sultan kept the bonds secret for many years, not wishing to cause shame to his friends in America, or create worldwide financial instability.

Upon the death of the wise and kind old Sultan, his wealth passed on to his equally benevolent son, Martin Eddy Hornido Tirwatadinata. The founder of The H. Martin Foundation.

Today, the son of the Sultan is preparing to convert the $700 Trillion fortune in bonds to cash, for distribution to worthy humanitarian organizations worldwide, funding them in perpetuity.

Those who have faith in the vision of the H. Martin Foundation, and are engaged in worthy causes are now being welcomed into the foundation as associates. When the distribution of the monies begins, these faithful will be held in high regard and put in positions of authority within the organization.

But remember. It's all a big secret. The United States must not lose face. The believers will be rewarded.

The Korean Connection

The first compelling documentation of actual criminal activity on the part of the H. Martin foundation came to VIB in the form of an article that appeared in The Incheon News in Korea. It was forwarded to us via an anonymous tip. Appearing only in Korean, the article failed to show up in any internet searches using English language parameters.

The article describes the arrest of H. Martin Foundation Global Vice Chairman Mr. Chun, a 62 year old Korean American, on March 21, 2006. Chun and three associates were attempting to smuggle counterfeit Japanese Yen bonds valued at 11 Trillion Korean Won and were detected by Korean customs officials at Incheon Airport. The article continues to indicate that Mr. Chun and his three associates were also involved in cheating a Mr. Yu of some 14 billion Korean Won in addition to counterfeiting and smuggling activities.

Mr. Chun is described as having started a fraudulent (or ghost) charitable foundation, The H. Martin Foundation, in Korea and having engaged in numerous scams. His accomplice and three other associates evaded authorities. VIB was unable to determine for certain whether Mr. Chun remains incarcerated in Korea. We have seen nothing to indicate his release.

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 The full article VIB had translated from the Korean here

Here is the article in the original Korean

Link to The Incheon News is HERE

Special thanks to our Korean associates for the translation, and for working with us on syntax.

Physical Evidence

VIB has been able to obtain a wealth of physical evidence in connection with fraudulent and illegal activities by The H. Martin Foundation, both in the United States and overseas. Overseas contacts also have indicated that the H. Martin Foundation is a front for potentially dangerous organized crime syndicates in the Philippines and Korea. We are therefore withholding the names, locations and other specific information associated with our overseas contacts. The individuals who have supplied us with documents and on the ground intelligence from overseas continue to do so at great personal risk. We can only thank them for their bravery.

Below are further images of actual counterfeit bonds, certificates and erroneous checks used by The H. Martin Foundation. These items are used in convincing the victims that the alleged “Funds of Legendary Magnitude” exist. They would not ever pass muster if someone tried to cash them at a bank. Merely part of the illusion.

Additionally, we have included images of actual notarized H. Martin Foundation contracts used in extracting funds from victims. Typically, the victim is compelled to put forward a down payment in expectation of tremendous returns. Of course, the big payoff never comes and the down payment disappears.

The web of deception is complex. The H. Martin Foundation network of fraud has carried out operations in The Philippines and Korea for sure as well as domestically in California and Nevada. There are possible operations in Canada, Japan and Europe as well.

Oh, and we have included a scan of “Papa” Eddy Tirwatadinata's passport which shows his place of birth as Cagayan de Oro, Philippines. Home of the infamous Trillion Dollar Gang (more on them HERE) and a known hotbed of treasury bond counterfeiting.

Here are the documents:

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The word FRAUDULENT has been added to images as necessary for legal purposes

Counterfeit Gold Certificates	Fraudulent Checks	Contracts	Passports	Other Documents

VIB has provided copies of all documents to the appropriate law enforcement agencies as well as additional material not yet published.

Stay tuned. We will provide analysis of the documents in future articles as well as testimony of victims and a closer look at affinity fraud and how shame plays a part in keeping victims silent. 

“I am realistic enough to understand the fact that people will not believe until they see the funding in real tangible form …. to see is to believe, as the saying goes,” Bernardes told FilAm Star, adding that he has personally met Tirwatadinata six times in the recent past. “The H. Martin Foundation is true and real.”