“Niggers” NOT Welcome at Fidelity Bank??? Even after a $Million Fine to Settle a HUD Complaint!!! Shelby Mayor Stan Anthony and Fidelity Official Rick Washburn(?) Flagged by Watchdog Group for “Questionable” PPP Loan ($350,000 to $1,000,000) as well as more discrimination against minority businesses??? Investigation called for at Fidelity Bank!!! Report, research, gossip, connections and arguendo by Robert A. Williams

The vicious circle of corruption and discrimination surrounding the City of Shelby, Shelby Mayor Stan Anthony and City Manager Rick Howell, has now expanded to include former Councilman Dicky Amaya, Councilman David Causby, City Employee Walt Scharer, Fidelity Big Wheel Rick Washburn (who is also on the City of Shelby Planning and Zoning Board), Fidelity Bank itself as well as The Cleveland County Commissioners, County Manager Brian Epley, Senior Superior Court Judge Forrest Donald Bridges and the Shelby Star. All spinning off the original discrimination of Mr. Willie Green. It certainly seems that Cleveland County and the City of Shelby should NOT have been taken off the Department of Justice’s Court Ordered “Watch List” due to systemic racism and violations of Voting Rights legislation of the Civil Rights laws of the 1960’s.

This article finds itself puzzled by just where to start. So, let’s start with the Shelby Star. A near defunct newspaper that is no longer located in Shelby.

The Shelby Star has written a number of articles that have resulted in a lawsuit against Shelby Mayor Stan Anthony for defamation. The Star has written a recent article stating that two lawsuits brought by Mr. Willie Green for defamation against Mayor Stan Anthony and City Manager Rick Howell have been “Shot down” by Judge Don Bridges and the NC Court of Appeals. The Star did NOT report that Rick Howell lost in his Motion to Dismiss Mr. Green’s lawsuit and appealed that ruling to the NC Court of Appeals-which took Howell’s side. The Star also did not mention the fact that Mr. Green’s has the same opportunity to appeal to the NC Supreme Court that Rick Howell has to appeal to the NC Court of Appeals. The Shelby Star also did not mention the fact that Shelby Mayor Stan Anthony threw Shelby City Employee Walt Scharer under the bus by stating that Scharer started the defamation and that Mr. Green now has the opportunity to file a lawsuit against Walt Scharer as well as the Shelby Star and the Shelby Star Reporter who published the defamation. And call Shelby Mayor Stan Anthony as a sworn witness for the Plaintiff. It is called the Re-publication Rule in North Carolina Media Law. That means that “both the reporter who accurately quotes the libelous statements of another person and the Publication (the Shelby Star) that prints the libelous quotes can be sued along with the source of the statements (Walt Scharer). The Shelby Star did not get the nickname “Shelby Daily Liar” for nothing. Perhaps it is time for somebody to round up all the offenders and sue them all. That would be a court trial worth watching. What a “Hoot” the City of Shelby and the Shelby Star have become.

The Shelby Star also has not reported any of the following:

Fidelity Bank settled a Federal HUD (US Department of Housing and Urban Development) complaint in 2016 that alleged unfair and discriminatory business practices against minority loan applicants by paying $1,000,000 over two years in minority “investments.”

Then a Governmental Watchdog Group “FederalPay” issued a warning report that Boomerang Design, owned by Shelby Mayor Stan Anthony had applied for a PPP (Paycheck Protection Program) Loan of between $350,000 t0 $1,000,000 through Fidelity Bank and the loan was approved in April of 2020. The report indicated that Boomerang Design appeared to have over-stated their losses due to the Coronavirus relative to the actual Boomerang employees that they had listed in the loan application.

But, don’t believe me. Here is the link: Read it for yourself.

The PPP Program has been long identified as ripe for fraud. The PPP Loan Program has also been accused of having bigger companies “sopping up” all the Federal Funding (that may not require repayment) and the small businesses and minority businesses the program was supposed to help have gotten very little to nothing of the COVID-19 assistance funding that was intended for them. I suspect we all will be hearing a lot more about that at a later date.

Since Boomerang Design and Shelby Mayor Stan Anthony are involved, as well as Fidelity Bank, who already has been caught up in discriminatory practices, I did a little search of Fidelity Bank for any likely connections with the City of Shelby. What I found was Mr. Rick Washburn is a Vice-President at the Shelby Branch of Fidelity Bank, as well as being Vice-Chairman of the City of Shelby Planning and Zoning Board. The same Shelby Planning and Zoning Board that approved Mr. Willie Green’s rezoning application for property Mr. Green owns at the intersection of East Dixon Boulevard and Main Street in Shelby. Not only that, but Mr. Rick Washburn actually lives in the neighborhood close behind Mr. Green’s property. And apparently never complained to the Shelby City Council about Mr. Green’s rezoning or joined with any of the others who were recruitted to complain by Councilman David Causby and former Councilman Dicky Amaya. That information regarding Causby and Amaya is included in sworn testimony provided by Stacy Heavner. Stacy Heavner being the outsider who stuck his nose in Mr. Green’s rezoning business and received a lawsuit against him filed by Mr. Willie Green for his alleged suborned meddling and his false statements. My understanding is the Court Trial for Mr. Heavner is coming up later this month.

Also, Shelby Councilman David White should be considered a competitor of Mr. Green’s in the building of new or renovated housing. No telling how that might tie Mr. White to the City of Shelby’s discriminatory practices against Mr. Willie Green. But something sure caused the Shelby City Council to turn on their own Planning and Zoning Board’s recommendation to approve Mr. Willie Breen’s rezoning application. Which is especially puzzling since City Councilman Eric Hendrick’s similar rezoning request was approved at about the same time that Mr. Green’s rezoning request was disapproved. And the City Council had only disapproved two rezoning requests in the past five years. Both those disapprovals from black business men. Mr. Green and Mr. Scotty Webber.

And, then there is the formal complaint made by the Southern Coalition of Equal Protection Under the Law (SCEPUL) asking Fidelity Bank to investigate their continuing association with the City of Shelby in discriminatory business practices against minorities and minority owned businesses. Once again, don’t believe me. The text of the SCEPUL Complaint to Fidelity is shown below:

https://www.federalpay.org/paycheck-protection-program/361187-boomerang-design-pa-shelby-nc

Ms. Mary W. Williams & Fidelity Bank Board of Directors,
The purpose of this email is a request that Fidelity Bank investigate serious fraud allegations committed by Mayor Stanhope O. Anthony of Boomerang Design, Shelby, NC.
After reviewing the company’s FR Y-6 Annual Report there are concerning details that place Fidelity Bank at risk for public and legal scrutiny. According to the above link, Boomerang Design, owned by the City of Shelby, NC Mayor Stanhope O. Anthony, III the company received a PPP Loan between the amount of $350,000 – $1 million. FederalPay.org indicates that in order for Mayor Anthony’s company to have received a PPP Loan of the minimal $350,000 all employees had to be paid over the $100,000 eligibility cap. Additionally, the required number of employees in 2019 should have been 16.8 with a payroll expense between $1.68 million and $4.8 million–the report indicates only six employees.
We are also concerned that connections between local Fidelity associates and the City of Shelby may have influenced unscrupulous favoritism to assure Mayor Anthony’s approval for the PPP loan.
The Southern Coalition for Equal Protections Under the Law (SCEPUL) is currently a movement that seeks to balance the powers between the government and common citizens. It is our hope to assist Fidelity Bank in any way possible to assure equitable and fair distribution of government funds with a particular interest in minority and underprivileged businesses throughout the nation.
Please contact me if you should have further questions.
Rev. Dante’ A. Murphy

There seems to be an explosion of information and suspect connections between the City of Shelby and various other entities, including the Court system in Cleveland County and North Carolina, where racial discrimination and related corruption appears to be the common denominator. We will let you know what we find and where we find it.

Stay Tuned!!!