- Mike Manuel
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Mike Manuel 
Mike Performing onstage at the ICGMA AwardsBackground information Origin Tennessee, U.S. Genres Gospel music, country, Christian music Occupations Christian Music singer, songwriter Instruments Guitar Years active 1972 – present Labels Jordan Records Mike Manuel is a Christian country music artist based out of Nashville, Tennessee.
Mike traveled with his brothers as the Manuel Family Band where they received a warm reception from the Gospel market with three single radio releases that climbed to the Singing News top forty. They were also charted as number one in the Christian Country and Country Gospel market. The brothers traveled and sang their original Inspirational Country music in hundreds of churches and concert halls across the United States and several foreign countries.
In 1996 Mike relocated his family to Nashville, Tennessee and entered a full time solo career with a progressive country sound and emphasis. Manuel had a succession of fifteen number one radio singles and over twenty awards from various music organizations, including the Country Gospel Music Association 1998 & 1999[1] National Entertainer of the Year, 1998 National Songwriter of the Year, 1999 CCMA Male Vocalist of the year.[2] Mike has also performed at the ICM Awards along with many other well-known Country artists such as Wynona Judd, Josh Turner, and Diamond Rio where he recently picked up the coveted 2006 Songwriter of the Year award.
Mike and his wife Tish involve themselves in humanitarian projects and are raising a family. they are active members of a local church in Franklin, Tennessee.
Today Manuel travels weekly entertaining country music audiences with a traditional, progressive country sound.
Criminal case
On May 30, 2008, the Manuel Brothers were sued in federal court for securities fraud. The action accused the Manuel brothers, Greg, Mark and Mike of setting up a ponzi scheme to bilk unknowing investors into giving them money with the promises of large returns. The Manuel's were accused of selling unregistered securities in the form of Investment Accounts and other instruments and for representing themselves as licensed investment professionals. It was Mark who persuaded people to invest in "offshore" investments both personally and professionally. It was set up in a way that they called themselves promoters or managers who were paid large commissions for getting others to invest. Neither the Manuels nor the managers were licensed investment professionals.[3][4]
On December 23, 2009, the Manuel's filed a motion in Federal Court asking for the charges to be dismissed. Judge, John Bryant dismissed the motion finding that it was based on legal nonsense and wholly legal merit. Both Mike and Greg filed the motion pro se. Both are listed as officers of MPire Holdings, LLC (a.k.a. MRI Holdings) which the complaints allege were set up as a front for a ponzi scheme.[5]
On February 5, 2010, WSMV-TV out of Nashville, TN ran a story that claims the Manuel brothers are declaring themselves as a "Sovereign Nation." The report accuses them of swindling over $200,000.00 from Debbie Smith, a former Christian singer.[5] Mike was quoted as saying, "This is a God thing." Smith claims that she received statements that showed her investment was earning money, however, when she and her husband tried to take some of the money out of the account, the Manuel's stopped answering her calls and she never received anymore statements. When reporters from WSMV-TV tried to interview the Manuel's they refused to answer their doors, but the reporters found notices posted on the doors that read, "No Trespassing by Order of the Sovereign Greg Manuel." A similar notice was found on the door of Mark Manuel. The report accuses the Manuel's of trying to dissociate themselves from their legal identities given to them by the American government so that they will not have to pay for anything the court deems them responsible for. Mike filed papers with the courts declaring that he himself lost money in the investments and that his brother sometimes earned money at investing, but also lost money as well.[6][7]
References
- ^ Country Gospel Music Association
- ^ Christian Country Music Association
- ^ "Ripoff Report: Greg Manuel, Mark Manuel, Netgreeters, Mpire, MRT, TMG, ALS Manuel Clan Sued for Securities Fraud: Mark Manuel, Greg Manuel & Mike Manuel are sued in federal class action litigation Brentwood Tennessee". http://www.ripoffreport.com/ORGANIZED-CRIME/Greg-Manuel-Mark-Man/greg-manuel-mark-manuel-netg-4378e.htm. Retrieved 2009-12-22.Manuel accused of Fraud
- ^ "The Pissed Off Consumer.Com - view-details | pastor-greg-manuel-brentwood-tn-lawsuit-against | investments | finance". Pissed off Consumers. http://www.thepissedoffconsumer.com/finance/investments/pastor-greg-manuel-brentwood-tn-lawsuit-against/view-details.html. Retrieved 2009-12-22.Fraud Case
- ^ a b "www.huntingtonnews.net". http://www.huntingtonnews.net/images/Digi_Manuel_reccd.pdf. Retrieved 2010-04-01.Court Papers denying Manuels request to dismiss
- ^ "Accused Church Leaders Deny Identities - Video - WSMV Nashville". http://www.wsmv.com/video/22481000/index.html. Retrieved 2010-02-06.Manuel's Depositions
- ^ "Church Leaders Accused Of Ponzi Scheme - I-Team News Story - WSMV Nashville". http://www.wsmv.com/iteam/22466434/detail.html. Retrieved 2010-02-06.Manuel's News Story by WSMV
External links
Categories:- Living people
- People from Nashville, Tennessee
- American country singers
- American performers of Christian music
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