STOCKTON: Members of Yogi Bhajan’s 3HO organization are again in the news for alleged criminal activities. Kirpal Singh Khalsa, believed to be a top officer in Yogi Bhajan’s Inner Circle in LA was arrested for allegedly bilking hundreds of Senior Citizens of their pension checks. Documents received by W.S.N. show that two other members of the 3HO organization; Al Ellis and Gurujot Singh Kalsa, (who is really American born, Robert Alvin Taylor) were arrested for drug smuggling, money laundering and weapons charges dating from 1983 to 1988.

Scam to bilk senior citizens According to the “Monterey Herald,” Guru Bir Singh Khalsa, 42, is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit grand theft and fraud, one count of attempted grand theft and two counts of grand theft, according to the district attorney’s office.

Kirpal Singh Khalsa, 37, of Los

Angeles and Daniel Charles Attas, 27, of Belgium were also arrested on the same charges.

Ed Hazel, deputy district attorney, said that the alleged telemarketing scheme may have bilked older victims throughout the United States.

Guru Bir Khalsa recently gained publicity when he challenged the state’s new helmet law requiring motorcycle riders to wear the protective headgear. Khalsa, a Sikh, said the law interferes with his constitutional right to practice his religion because he would have to remove his turban to put on his helmet _

Kirpal Khalsa was arrested at a bank in Los Angeles, where investigators said he was about to withdraw a large sum of money from a safe-deposit box.

Investigators seized $360,000 in $100 bills and a $30,000 cashier’s check from the safe-deposit box, Hazel said. Investigators believe the money was profit from the telemarketing scheme.

The Better Business Bureau had received calls from elderly persons reporting they had been advised by representatives of C.A. Services that they had won a large cash prize, often in the hundred thousand dollar range, from the *Double Canadian Sweepstakes,” according to Hazel.

The elderly victims were also told that before they could receive their cash prizes, they would have to send C.A. Services certain sums of money, usually $1,200, to pay the so-called ‘tax.’ The victims sent the money but received no winnings.”

Hazel said investigators in his office discovered that “there was no such business as C.A. Services Corp.,” said Hazel. “Instead, the money set in by the elderly victims was directed to G.G.S.T. Trust Document Services in Monterey, a business allegedly operated by Guru Bir Khalsa.”

The three suspects were arraigned; Guru Bir Khalsa and Atlas were both released on their own recognizance. Kirpal Khalsa was being held in Monterey County Jail with bail set at $750,000.

Hazel said authorities believe Kirpal Khalsa was “most responsible for this thing” and bail was set higher for him because his activity in Los Angeles just prior to his arrest indicated he was about to flee.

Hazel said that he is not certain of the extent of the operation and that investigators are poring through thousands of pages of documents seized by authorities after obtaining search warrants in Monterey, Beverly Hills and Los Angeles,

“Our initial impression is that it is quite extensive,” he said.

He said officers from the Monterey County Sheriff’s Department, the FBI, the U.S. Postal Inspector’s Office, the Bank of America Loss Prevention Office and police departments in Monterey, Pacific Grove, Los Angeles and Austintown, Ohio, were involved in the investigation.

Guru Bir Khalsa said in an interview with The Herald late last year that he had lived on the Monterey Peninsula for the past seven years. An electrician by trade, he said he operated G.G.S,T, Trust Document Service, adding that it was a financial consulting business.

DEA stings Yogi’s followers

Affidavits revealed that as far back as 1983, and possibly before, Yogi followers Taylor and Ellis were involved in nefarious schemes.

D.E.A. (Drug Enforcement Agency) special agents relayed a complicated operation that is believed to have imported tons of marijuana from Thailand before falling to a sting operation involving millions of dollars and informants in Asia and America, According to affidavits, Albert and Robert Alvin Taylor, also known as Gurjot Singh Khalsa, of Great Falls VA were part of a multi faceted criminal operation to import marijuana and weapons from Asia to the U.S. and Canada, According to court documents, Taylor and Ellis were long time traffickers in multi-ton shipments of marijuana. After approaching an undercover DEA agent in Hong Kong to set up a “buy” the phones were tapped to gain more information about their operation. On separate occasions large pot shipments were supposedly awaiting off-loading in Vancouver and San Francisco. The criminals were arrested as they tried to conclude the big deal.

Both faced long prison terms for the criminal conspiracy charges. But Gunujot Khalsa (Taylor) was later given a suspended sentence; It is believed he had cooperated with the govt. in exchange for his release. For many years he has been a close confidant and contributor to Yogi Bhagan, He has been considered by many to be the “heir apparent” to Yogi Bhajan’ s position. Al Ellis who di at the time of Gurujat’s   arrest, is, still a fugitive from justice.

Article extracted from this publication >> Aug 21, 1992