Millions of Dollars in Food Aid Hanging By a Thread

U.S. Attorney Warns That Wilson Lucom’s $100 Million Donation to Children’s Charities in Panama At Risk of Vanishing, Thanks to Theft and Corruption

BOCA RATON, FL - The largest donation ever made in the history of Panama is on the verge of disappearing, thanks to an incredible case of corruption and government malfeasance in this Central American country.In 2006, Wilson Lucom, an American expatriate, willed the bulk of his estate – now estimated to be worth over $100 million – to be donated to help eradicate hunger-related deaths among poor children in Panama. However, a corrupt legal system and the refusal of the government to intervene has allowed this donation to be delayed for over two years by a multitude of frivolous lawsuits, while the family of Lucom’s widow, Hilda Arias, and their team of lawyers have launched a methodical effort to steal and partition the estate.

“The Wilson Lucom case is the most remarkable example of injustice I have ever seen in my three decades of practicing international law,” said Richard S. Lehman, a Florida-based attorney who serves as chief executor of the Lucom estate. “This country will never outlive the shame it deserves if the Arias family and their lawyers are allowed to steal this money from the poor children of Panama.”

After more than a year of being kept out of the country, threatened with arrest, being listed on Interpol’s red notice alert as a dangerous criminal and having to take extraordinary methods to stop the theft of over six million dollars in his client’s assets, Lehman has recently discovered that the Arias family, its lawyers, an affiliated real estate group and several California-based companies have been secretly destroying the only item of value still left in the multi-million dollar estate that was supposed to be donated to children’s charities – the 7,200 acre Hacienda Santa Monica.

This highly coveted parcel of land, located one hour outside of Panama City on the west coast, with roughly three miles of beachfront property, was appraised as high as $144 million by the formal administrator in the case.

During the two years that the Wilson Lucom will dispute has continued in the Panamanian courts, 100 acres of beachfront property in the Hacienda Santa Monica have been secretly partitioned – using a clever ploy involving several fishermen who were told to claim tenant rights – and sold to several California investment groups. These land sales are illegal, but nonetheless they will wreck the value of the estate and lead to years of litigation to resolve the estate’s true ownership rights. The partitioned hacienda will also prevent the original developer from continuing with plans to buy the property, in which the proceeds would have gone to charity – either in full, or by incorporating a lifetime real estate tax on the developed properties.

The multi-million dollar Lucom estate is now “hanging by a thread,” according to Lehman, as it is on the verge of becoming completely worthless. These illegal land sales could ruin any chance for the estate to donate millions of dollars, as Lucom wished, to the “poor children of Panama.”

Childhood malnutrition is a major problem in Panama, and this multi-million dollar donation is badly needed. According to UNICEF:

• Panama is one of two Central American countries that have experienced a significant rise in childhood malnutrition in recent years


• Roughly 19-percent of kids are affected


• More than half of indigenous children are severely underweight


• More than half of children under five live in poverty


• 2,000 children under the age of five die each year

More information at www.LucomChildren.com

About Richard Lehman

A former senior attorney for the IRS, Richard Lehman is a prominent U.S. attorney specializing in taxation and international law. In addition to U.S. law, Lehman is an expert on Panama's complicated and problematic legal system. Lehman is a graduate of Georgetown Law School and has a master's degree in taxation from NYU. Web site: www.lehmantaxlaw.com .

U.S. Attorney Richard Lehman, Announces Panama Supreme Court Overturns Illegal Arrest Warrant in Dispute over Food Aid to Poor Kids

BOCA RATON, Fla., Nov 21, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- An illegal Panamanian arrest warrant against U.S. attorney Richard Lehman has been overturned by that country's Supreme Court in a recent ruling that highlights the growing tensions between American interests and the country's alleged corruption-plagued lower courts, Lehman announces.

In its ruling, the Panamanian Supreme Court overturned a November 2007 ruling by the First Judicial Circuit of Panama that wrongly charged Lehman with defamation, slander and extortion in the high-profile Wilson Lucom case. The charges were made by a Panamanian attorney in an alleged effort to prevent Lehman from re-entering the country to defend Lucom's multi-million dollar donation to poor children in Panama. This is the second of two false arrest warrants and the last of 14 criminal charges that Lehman has had to overcome in his effort to defend his client's will in Panama.

"The Supreme Court's ruling, which adjudicates me of any wrongdoing, is a vindication of my legal crusade in Panama to defend the will of a deceased American expatriate against corruption and to protect his wish to donate millions in food aid to help the poor children of Panama," Lehman said.

In 2006, Wilson Lucom, an American expatriate living in Panama, willed the bulk of his estate -- now estimated to be worth over $100 million -- to be donated to help eradicate hunger-related deaths among poor children in Panama. However, due to aggressive efforts by Lucom's widow, Hilda Arias, and her attorneys -- including a multitude of lawsuits, criminal charges, arrest warrants and a false red notice alert on Interpol -- this badly needed food aid has been indefinitely delayed and is in danger of vanishing completely.

Lehman also recently uncovered alleged evidence of a widespread conspiracy by the Arias family and others to illegally claim ownership of a 7,200 acre beachfront estate that represents the bulk of Lucom's donation to charity.

According to Lehman, the Wilson Lucom legal saga is a prime example of the legal misconduct prevalent in the Panamanian courts which is often used against American expatriates and other foreign citizens, costing millions of dollars each year in legal expenses, fines, bribes and illegal detainment.

For more information about the Wilson Lucom case, visit www.lucomchildren.com, www.youtube.com/expatriatejustice or www.lehmantaxlaw.com.

SOURCE: U.S. Attorney Richard Lehman

Top Legal Risks for American Expatriates in Panama

BOCA RATON, FL – Panama is being called one of the most sought-after retirement destinations in the world, with over 30,000 Americans believed to already live there. But many in the U.S. have overlooked the serious legal risks posed by Panama’s corruption-plagued judicial system.

“There is often very little recourse for American expatriates in the Panamanian justice system, as it is highly susceptible to bribery and political interference” said Lehman, a U.S. attorney specializing in taxation and international law, who’s spent the last two years dealing exclusively with a high-profile legal case in Panama.

“There’s also a very low threshold for filing aggressive legal actions against foreigners, such as arresting persons in advance of a hearing and trial, or attaching preventive injunctions to an individual’s entire personal assets. This makes Americans extremely vulnerable in every civil case, regardless of its legitimacy.”

A number of international nonprofit groups have reported corruption levels in the Panamanian government and judiciary. Transparency International (www.transparency.org) ranks Panama 94th in the world in its 2007 Corruption Perceptions Index. The Heritage Foundation’s (www.heritage.org) 2008 Index of Economic Freedom gives Panama low ratings in two important categories: 31-percent for corruption and 30-percent for property rights.

According to Lehman, the top five legal risks facing expatriates in Panama are:

1. “Calumnia Y Injuria” – The country’s infamous defamation law is open to liberal interpretation and widely misused, particularly against foreigners.
2. “Preventive Injunctions” – The court system makes it easy for attorneys to file injunctions against a person’s assets, allowing them to be frozen with little due process.
3. “Ex Parte Proceedings” – Panamanian courts allow one party in a trial or civil suit to meet with judges and prosecutors without the presence of the opposing party. Private judicial proceedings without notice to the other party in the case. This means a party in a legal case may not have knowledge of all the actions being taken against them.”
4. “Preventive Detention” – The preventive detention law allows authorities to detain persons for long periods of time without any due process.
5. “Corruption” – Bribery, extortion and political interference are widespread.

Lehman has recently gained international recognition for his legal efforts in the Wilson Lucom case in Panama, for which he is fighting to ensure the validity of the American expatriate’s Panamanian will which gifted over $50 million to help eradicate childhood malnutrition in a country with a high mortality rate.

Millions of Americans are moving from the U.S. every year with no real knowledge of the lack of legal protections in other countries which could potentially put them in harm’s way. For more information, visit Lehman’s Web site at www.lehmantaxlaw.com or the Wilson Lucom case at http://www.lucomchildren.com

About Richard Lehman
A former senior attorney for the IRS, Richard Lehman is a prominent U.S. attorney specializing in taxation and international law. He is currently defending the Wilson Lucom will in Panama, which gifted $50 million to charity. In addition to U.S. law, Lehman is considered an expert on Panama’s complicated and problematic legal system, which often compromises the interests of U.S. businessmen, investors and retirees. Lehman is a graduate of Georgetown Law School and obtained his master's degree in taxation from New York University. Web site: www.lehmantaxlaw.com

International Herald Tribune

June 25, 2008 -- The Globe edition of the NY Times.

PANAMA CITY: In life, Wilson C. Lucom was not exactly child-friendly. The curmudgeon never had children himself, nor was he especially close to the offspring of his third wife, Hilda. When he opened his ample checkbook, friends say, it was more likely to finance a conservative political cause than to help underprivileged youth.

But Lucom, a native of rural Pennsylvania who spent much of his life in Palm Beach, Florida, surprised everyone in his will, which was disclosed upon his death two years ago at the age of 88. After doling out relatively small portions of his tens of millions of dollars to survivors, he left the rest to a foundation he had dreamed up in secrecy to aid the poor children of Panama, where he spent the final years of his life.

It would be one of the largest charitable donations, if not the largest, in Panama's history, but so far not a single child has had access to the money. The will has set off a vicious legal battle that is playing out in at least four countries. Criminal charges have been filed, insults traded and threats made. The number of law firms involved exceeds 20. READ FULL STORY

Interview with Hector Avila - June 18, 2008

He survived two shots at point-blank range.

"On May 16 I organized a march of children to the Supreme Court to deliver documents that will encourage compliance with Wilson Lucom, an expatriate American who left much of his fortune to help poor children in Panama. A week later I was the victim of an attack, which miraculously survived." - -Hector Avila

Read the full story

La Prensa Article May 22, 2008

link to online article: Widow of inheritance millionaire gringo fight to poor children Panama

These documents were presented to the jury for inspection

Browse full 500 page Legal Exhibit for Wilson Lucom case.
These documents were presented to the jury for inspection.
http://www.lucom-ninospobresdepanama.com/English/TOC.htm

This is a real story about Panama's most elite and powerful familes plan to illegally nulify the Last Will and Testament of American Wilson Lucom, which left the bulk of his $50 million fortune to feed the malnourished and starving poor children of Panama. This is TRUE, and happening right now.

Los millones de Lucom. Children of Panama Protest for Justice

Decenas de niños, con edades entre los 7 y 12 años, se manifestaron ayer en la sede de la Corte Suprema de Justicia. La protesta era para pedir a dicho Órgano que haga justicia en el caso de la herencia de $50 millones que dejó el norteamericano Wilson Lucom. Los infantes entregaron documentos al presidente de la Corte Harley Mitchell sobre el caso. /Foto Edward Ortiz /la estrella

Browse full 500 page Legal Exhibit for this case

Browse full 500 page Legal Exhibit for this case. These documents were presented to the jury for inspection. We only have the spanish version digitized -- browse it now.

UPDATED Report to the Attorney General Country of Panama

THE Estate of WILSON C. LUCOM
Legal Abuse in Panama Civil and Criminal

An Overview
The following is a Report of a list of legal abuses committed against the Estate of Wilson C. Lucom (R.I.P.), its beneficiaries and in particular, Richard S. Lehman, Esq. as the Executor of that Estate. The abuses against Lehman were committed in order to remove him as the sole Executor of a Panamanian Estate and to nullify the Last will and Testament of Wilson C. Lucom.

The Report discloses a plan to illegally nullify and defeat the Last Will and Testament of Wilson C. Lucom (“Lucom”), which left the bulk of his $50.0 Million fortune to feed the malnourished and starving poor children of Panama. The defeat of this gift would then result in the $50.0 fortune passing to one of Panama’s most elite and powerful families, the children of Hilda Arias and their attorneys, Hector Infante and Edna Ramos (“the Arias Group”).

Since Lucom’s Last Will and Testament could not be defeated in the Panamanian courts of law, the only way to steal this precious gift to Panama’s poor children was to get rid of Lehman. Lehman was appointed by the Panamanian Court as the sole Executor of Lucom’s Will. Therefore, he was the only person with the legal authority who had sworn an oath in Panama to protect the poor children of Panama.

The Report clearly shows not only a gross abuse of Panama’s civil law system which has resulted in the complete inability to administer Lucom’s Estate for 20 months. It will show a systematic use of the criminal legal system to resolve civil cases by the threats, terror and personal and financial ruin of the opponent.

It will show a legal system where one lawyer with impunity can file more than 13 fraudulent criminal allegations against Lehman in one year accusing him of crimes he never committed; the issuance of two illegal arrest warrants against Lehman in Panama and the issuance of two illegal indictments against Lehman. All of this as a result of the corruption of at least one and possibly two Panamanian Prosecutors.

The most recent attacks on Lehman and his lawyers resulted from the corruption of several Panamanian police agencies. In January of 2008 Lehman and his main Panamanian counsel, Victor Crosbie, were illegally listed as Red Notice criminals of the highest order by Panamanian Interpol. Then Lehman’s counsel was falsely
arrested by Interpol in Columbia and Panama.

Download full 33 page report now: English Version or Spanish Version

AUDIO

Click play and listen to radio interview with the Honorable Javier Tejeira. Download transcript