Mike Manuel
Encyclopedia
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 National Entertainer of the Year, 1998 National Songwriter of the Year, 1999 CCMA Male Vocalist of the year. 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.
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.
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.
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. 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.
Christian country music
Christian country music is music that is written to express either personal or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music...
artist based out of Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
.
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
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
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 National Entertainer of the Year, 1998 National Songwriter of the Year, 1999 CCMA Male Vocalist of the year. Mike has also performed at the ICM Awards along with many other well-known Country artists such as Wynona Judd, Josh Turner
Josh Turner
Joshua Otis "Josh" Turner is a country music singer and actor signed to MCA Nashville Records in 2003, Turner has released four studio albums for the label. The first of these was 2003's Long Black Train, whose title track was his breakthrough single release...
, and Diamond Rio
Diamond Rio
Diamond Rio is an American Country music/Christian music band formed in 1984 in Nashville, Tennessee. Since its foundation, the group has comprised the same six members: Gene Johnson , Jimmy Olander , Brian Prout , Marty Roe , Dan Truman , and Dana Williams...
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
Franklin, Tennessee
Franklin is a city within and the county seat of Williamson County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 62,487 as of the 2010 census Franklin is located approximately south of downtown Nashville.-History:...
, 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 schemePonzi scheme
A Ponzi scheme is a fraudulent investment operation that pays returns to its investors from their own money or the money paid by subsequent investors, rather than from any actual profit earned by the individual or organization running the operation...
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.
On December 23, 2009, the Manuel's filed a motion in Federal Court
United States federal courts
The United States federal courts make up the judiciary branch of federal government of the United States organized under the United States Constitution and laws of the federal government.-Categories:...
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.
On February 5, 2010, WSMV-TV
WSMV-TV
WSMV-TV, virtual channel 4, is the NBC-affiliated television station serving the Nashville, Tennessee area. It broadcasts its digital signal on VHF channel 10. Owned by Meredith Corporation, its transmitter and tower are located adjacent to its studios on Knob Road in west Nashville, south of...
out of Nashville, TN ran a story that claims the Manuel brothers are declaring themselves as a "Sovereign
Sovereign
A sovereign is the supreme lawmaking authority within its jurisdiction.Sovereign may also refer to:*Monarch, the sovereign of a monarchy*Sovereign Bank, banking institution in the United States*Sovereign...
Nation
Nation
A nation may refer to a community of people who share a common language, culture, ethnicity, descent, and/or history. In this definition, a nation has no physical borders. However, it can also refer to people who share a common territory and government irrespective of their ethnic make-up...
." The report accuses them of swindling over $200,000.00 from Debbie Smith, a former Christian singer. 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
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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.