PHOENIX, Ariz. -- Synanon founder Charles Dederich, his son, daughter and three other Synanon members pleaded innocent Wednesday to charges of violating state securities law and were released on bond.
Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Roger Strand set trial for all six on March 22, before Mohave County Superior Court Judge Gary Pope in Kingman, Ariz. Five other defendants who pleaded innocent Tuesday face trial the same day.
Two others indicted in the case are scheduled to go court to plead on Jan. 21 in Kingman.
All 13 defendants have been released on bond, which ranged from $100,000 on Dederich to $5,000 for 10 other defendants.
Synanon members were indicted Dec. 14 by a state grand jury, which also cited Home Place Inc. in Lake Havasu, Ariz.
According to the indictment, Synanon leaders set up Home Place in 1978 to channel Synanon funds from California headquarters if California officials took action against the organization.
At the time, Synanon -- a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center - was under investigation for allegedly spending charitable funds illegally.
The Arizona indictment charges former Home Place officials misled the Arizona Corporation Commission when they sought to register Home Place stock in Arizona.
Charges also include conspiracy to sell and selling unregistered stock in Home Place from 1978 to 1980, and that unregistered salesmen sold the stock illegally.
Charles Dederich, 67; his son Charles Dederich Jr., 45; his daughter Cecilia Dederich, 32; and Dr. David Schwartz, 38; all pleaded innocent to one count of conspiracy, 54 counts of selling unregistered stock, and 54 counts of selling stock illegally through unregistered salesmen.
Former Home Place corporate officer Teresa Schwartz Bins, 40, pleaded innocent to one count of conspiracy, 48 counts of selling unregistered stock, 48 counts of selling through an unregistered salesman, and two counts of filing misleading information with the ACC.
Attorney Lyn Ehrnstein, 42, pleaded innocent to two counts of filing misleading information with the ACC.
Tuesday, five Synanon members pleaded innocent to charges of violating Arizona securities laws. They were chief financial officer David Ross, 37; investment advisor Russell Mumford, 41; Dr. Harvey Hecht, 45; former Home Place PresidentLouis Delgado; and former Home Place President Jack Harrison.
