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- [00:02]
Vanessa Richardson
Crime House exists because of listeners like you want to support the show and get the best listener experience. Subscribe to Crime House plus and get every episode of Conspiracy Theories, Cults and Crimes and the rest of the Crime House lineup completely ad free and early. Plus at least two exclusive Crime House bonus episodes every month with deep dives and cases you won't hear anywhere else. To join, go to crimehouseplus.com or if you listen on Apple Podcasts, tap try free on the top of the Conspiracy Theories, Cults and Crimes show page.
- [00:42]
Crime House Host/Announcer
This is crime house.
- [00:47]
Vanessa Richardson
In December 1940, Edna Ballard took the stand in a Los Angeles courtroom. In her 54 years on Earth, Edna had seen and done a lot. She'd been a professional concert harpist, edited an occult magazine, and co founded one of America's most popular spiritual movements. But now she was taking on her biggest challenge yet. She was fighting for her freedom and her late husband's legacy. For the last decade, Edna and Guy Ballard had been running the I Am Movement. They claimed that their teachings would allow their millions of followers to purify their souls by making contact with godlike Ascended masters. But the US Government had a very different perspective on the I Am Movement. They believed Edna and her husband had made it all up just to rip off innocent people. That's why federal prosecutors charged Edna and several other IM movement leaders with mail fraud in 1940. They alleged that the Ballards had stolen $3 million from members of the I Am movement, worth around $66 million today. In court, Edna's defense was unconventional. She argued that her movement was essential to defending America. She said that a few years ago, the Ascended Masters had alerted Guy that a large force of Japanese submarines was on their way to attack the United States. This was years before Pearl harbor, so nobody was prepared for the sneak attack except for Guy. Edna explained that he used his powers to summon a powerful invisible force known only as K17. At Guy's command, K17 went into the ocean, found the secret Japanese fleet, and destroyed all the submarines before they could reach America. When she'd finished her story, the prosecution didn't know how to respond. But Edna was confident the Ascended Masters had helped her become rich, famous, and powerful. And now they were about to help her win a landmark court case for religious freedom. From UFO cults and mass suicides to secret CIA experiments, presidential assassinations, and murderous doctors, these aren't just theories. They're real stories that blur the line between fact and fiction. Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, I'll explore the real people at the center of the world's most most shocking events and nefarious organizations. These cases are wild and I want to hear what you think at the end of each episode. Please leave a comment wherever you listen. Be sure to rate, review and follow so we can continue building this community together. And for early ad free access to all three episodes, subscribe to Crime House plus on Apple Podcasts. Today I'm diving into a cult that sprang up at the height of the Great Depression and at a time when tens of millions of Americans were struggling to make ends meet. The I AM Movement promised to make its members rich, both spiritually and financially. Nearly a century later, we're still wondering, did Edna and Guy Ballard actually believe what they told their followers, or was it all a ploy to line their own pockets? The answer to that question takes some twists and turns and ends with a landmark Supreme Court ruling, one that impacts how the government government treats cults to this day. All that and more coming up. Before they made contact with the Ascended Masters and started destroying submarines with spiritual warfare, Guy and Edna Ballard were just ordinary people. Guy was born in 1878 in 19 Newton, Kansas. After high school, he put up wallpaper in houses. Later he went back to school for a technical degree and found work as a mining engineer. Edna was born Edna Wheeler in Burlington, Iowa in 1886. Growing up, she trained as a musician, and by 1912 the 26 year old was living in Chicago, Illinois, where she worked as a professional harp player. Guy and Edna were living very different lives and working in wildly different fields, but they had one shared interest that eventually brought them together, a spiritual movement known as theosophy. Theosophy was just one of many new spiritual movements that popped up in the late 1800s, and there's a reason so many of them emerged. At the same time, more people could read than ever before, and groundbreaking scientific discoveries were changing how people understood the world. Darwin's theory of evolution was published in 1859, upending the way people thought about the origins of life. And scientists were developing entirely new fields like electromagnetism and thermodynamics to understand the natural forces at work on Earth. At the same time, advances in transportation and communication, things like railroads, the telegraph and photography made it easier than ever for people to connect with one another. Not only that, but they could experience other cultures, either in pictures or face to face interactions. All these changes meant that a lot of folks were starting to ask new questions about the world, questions that many existing religions weren't able to answer. This led to growing interest in New Age spiritual movements that blended all these new ideas with religion. One of the most popular New Age movements was called theosophy. Founded in 1875 by the Russian American mystic Halil Elena Blavatsky, Theosophy combined science, religion and philosophy. Blavatsky thought this melting pot of ideas would allow Theosophists to make contact with a race of all powerful supernatural entities called the Great White Brotherhood. She hoped that the wisdom of these enlightened beings would lead humanity into a golden age. Guy Ballard and Edna Wheeler were passionate followers of Theosophy. We don't know exactly how they met, but they probably bumped into one another at a Theosophical Society event. The two got married in Chicago in 1916. Shortly after that, Guy joined the military to fight in World War I. When the war ended in 1918, Guy came back to Etna, and that same year the couple had a son, Donald. Over the next decade, they were the epitome of a happy, ordinary American family. Guy worked as a mining engineer while Edna stayed home with Donald. But she wasn't just lounging around. During the 1920s, Edna was an editor for an occult themed magazine in the Chicago area and later worked at a New Age bookstore dedicated to Theosophical texts. But it wasn't until 1930 that guy and Edna went from practicing a New Age religion to creating their own. In 1930, 52 year old guy went on vacation to Northern California, where he went for a long hike up the side of Mount Shasta, a dormant volcano. After hiking all morning, he stopped for lunch beside a mountain spring. As Guy knelt to fill a cup with water from the spring, he was suddenly energized. A feeling he later described as an electrical current running through his body from head to foot. Then Guy realized he wasn't alone. There was a young man standing behind him. At first, Guy thought he was just another hiker. But Guy sensed that there was something more to this visitor than met the eye. He gave off a mystical aura which seemed to be the source of the electrical feeling Guy was experiencing. The visitor smiled and introduced himself as the Count of Saint Germain. Guy immediately recognized the name any student of Theosophy would. The Count of St. Germain was an adventurer, writer and philosopher who had traveled the world in the 1700s. He palled around with the likes of Voltaire and Casanova. He wrote books about alchemy and spiritualism that were considered sacred by modern day Theosophists. Helena Blavatsky even believed that The Count of St. Germain was a member of the Great White Brotherhood. The Count had died in 1784, so the fact that Guy was chatting with him on Mount Shasta in 1930 seemed like proof that he was a supernatural entity. And during their conversation, the Count offered to share his wisdom with Guy. According to Guy, the Count pointed to the cup he was holding and said, my brother, if you will hand me your cup, I will give you a much more refreshing drink than spring break water. Guy did as he was told, and a moment later, the cup was filled with a cream colored liquid. Guy gave it a taste. It was delicious. Not only that, but it made him feel smarter, more energized, and more connected to the world around him. According to the Count, this miraculous beverage was called the cup of Liquid Light. It contained the wisdom of the Great White Brotherhood and had granted Guy the gift of eternal life. And that was only the beginning. Guy said he and the Count talked for a long time, and during their conversation, the Count shared the secrets of the universe with him. He showed him visions of past lives and other planets. He explained how to manifest anything you wanted. All you had to do was ask the universe for it in the right way, with the right intentions. And most importantly, the Count said he'd chosen Guy to share this knowledge with the rest of the world. World. Guy returned to Chicago where he told Edna and their young son Donald everything. They believed every word of his story and promised to help him spread his message. Soon, Guy and Edna were traveling around Chicago and beyond, giving lectures about the Count's wisdom. Guy knew he needed a catchy name to market his teachings, so he seized on a line from the Bible, one that seemed to be about manifesting I am that I am, which can also be translated as I will be what I will be. Guy and Edna's lectures didn't draw a huge crowd, at least not at first. But in just a few short years, the I am movement would catch fire and start sweeping the nation. Guy and Edna had manifested a new life for themselves as spiritual gurus. But now they had to deal with a whole new set of problems.
- [12:01]
Crime House Host/Announcer
On this show, we're always digging for the truth. Yet modern healthcare remains one of the greatest mysteries of all. Everyone deserves real medical support. And that's why I want to talk about Mochi Health. Mochi is a nationwide platform that's bringing humanity and transparency back to healthcare by treating your unique biology. Not a fad. They've already helped 400,000 members lose over £5 million. And while they lead the way in weight loss, Mochi is now a full scale Marketplace for over 120 treatments ranging from hair and skincare to longevity, mental health and specialized men's and women's health. After you complete an eligibility form, you'll receive a telehealth evaluation with a partnered provider on Mochi's platform to build a plan personalized for your specific body and goals. You'll have 247 access to your provider and specialized medications from a network of licensed pharmacies delivered right to your door. No waiting rooms or hidden fees. You just pay for your membership and your medication. It's personalized care that actually treats you like a human being. Stop leaving your health up to an algorithm. Go to joinmochi.com Such an ordinary thing
- [13:17]
Keith Morrison
to walk home from high school. Her name was Mickey Costanzo. Just 16, she didn't have far to go. Seemed perfectly safe. Until it wasn't. What happened to Mickey? I'm Keith Morrison and this is five Miles From Home, an all new podcast from Dateline. Search five Miles From Home to start listening now.
- [13:46]
Vanessa Richardson
In 1930, mining engineer Guy Ballard had an encounter with the reincarnated spirit of an 18th century philosopher named the Count of Saint Germain. The Count shared his wisdom with Guy and instructed him to spread it to the rest of the world. Soon, Guy and his wife Edna were sharing those teachings at occult and theosophical gatherings around Chicago. They called their specific version of spiritualism the I Am Movement, and it turned out people really liked what they had to say. In their lectures, Guy and Edna talked about Guy's experience with the counter. Apparently the two had become close friends since Guy first met him on Mount Shasta. Now the long dead Count visited him regularly, sharing the secrets of creation, life, and the universe. The Ballards told their audiences that every human being was created from a tiny piece of God. According to them, that divine light lives on within all of us. Specifically within the pineal gland, a pea sized lump of tissue in the center of the human brain. But for most people, that light is clouded by sinful activities and negative thinking patterns. By following the tenets of the I Am Movement, Ganedna claimed that followers could purify themselves to harness this godly presence and unlock divine powers. According to them, a select few humans throughout history had embraced the wisdom of the I Am Movement so fully that they actually left the mortal realm. They had become powerful deities known as ascended masters. One of the most powerful ascended masters had been Jesus. The Virgin Mary was an ascended master too, along with the Count of Saint Germain, who the Ballards said had lived previous lives as the philosopher Francis Bacon and other Historical figures. Guy and Edna explained that this was a really rare accomplishment. But their followers didn't need to worry because according to Guy and Edna, all all souls undergo a constant cycle of life, death and reincarnation in their long term quest for purity. The Ballards were still on that journey too. Gaia claimed to have been George Washington in a previous life, while Edna said she had been both Joan of Arc and Queen Elizabeth I. But the whole point of the I Am movement was to help people purify themselves faster in this life. And Guy and Edna had a lot of recommendations for how to make that happen. The first key to purification was abiding by a strict code of conduct. Students of the I Am movement were forbidden from using drugs and alcohol, smoking, cigarettes, gambling, or eating meat. Sex was also against the rules, unless you were specifically trying to have a baby. Colors were important too. Guy and Edna told their students not to wear red or black because these colors allegedly blocked divine energy. Instead, followers were told to wear white, yellow and pastel colors, which reportedly amplified those same divine energies. But the most important part of the purification process was the prayer rituals, which they called decrees. During their lectures, Guy and Edna led attendees through rhythmic, repetitive chants which they claimed could transform the world by creating peace and harmony. Harmony. There were hundreds of these decrees, which students recited for all sorts of reasons. For example, if attendees were trying to improve their health, they might chant, I am the presence, charging this body with pure electronic energy. I am perfect health now manifest in every organ of my body. I am the perfect intelligent activity in this body. Some of these decrees were really long and filled with specific, complex language that Guy and Edna claimed was necessary for them to work. Sometimes decrees focused on world events. Ever since the Russian Revolution of 1917, many Americans were worried about a similar communist revolution happening in the United States. Because of those fears, I Am meetings often included decrees that were supposed to completely wipe out communism. That's because the I am movement was an explicitly patriotic, nationalistic organization. According to Guy, The Count of St. Germain told him that he wanted the United States to become, quote, a nation of ascended masters. That became pretty clear if you attended a meeting. Lectures began with the Pledge of Allegiance and the singing of the Star Spangled Banner. Members were encouraged to wear American flag pins to show their support. Support for the government. And they were taught to oppose what Guy and Edna considered to be the two biggest threats to American prosperity, labor unions and strikes. There were other signs that the leaders of the IM movement had some right wing political views. Edna had ties to William Dudley, Pelly a fascist writer and outspoken supporter of Adolf Hitler. Peli was the leader of a fascist movement called the Silver Legion of America. And many of the Ballard's early followers came directly from Peli's group. But most of the people who joined the I AM Movement weren't interested in fascism. They had more material concerns. And that, more than anything else, was the key to the IM Movement's success. Guy and Edna preached that students who properly followed their teachings would be able to manifest anything, including gold, money and diamonds. That was a winning message. In the early 1930s, when America was in the midst of the Great Depression. Tens of millions of people were out of work. Nobody had enough money. So when people heard that you could manifest money by chanting and wearing pastel colored clothes, a lot of them were willing to give the I AM Movement a chance. When Guy and Edna realized they had a receptive audience, they used every tool they had to grow their movement. The couple traveled all over the country giving lectures in rented halls and auditoriums to recruit new members. These appearances often sold out with standing room only. Crowds gathered to hear what they had to say. The Ballards also established their own publishing house called the St. Germain Press. Through this company, Guy published multiple books about his teachings with titles like Unveiled Mysteries and the Magic Presence. Guy's books sold so well that the St. Germain press began publishing a monthly magazine called the Voice of the Im, which was distributed to members nationwide. They also leaned into new technologies. The Ballards bought time on radio stations all over the country to preach their message to new audiences. And they started recording their lectures and decrees on phonograph records which they sold to their followers so they could worship at home. By the late 1930s, Guy and Edna claimed they had as many as 6 million members. And while that number's probably an exaggeration, the IM movement was undeniably one of the most popular spiritual organizations of the 1930s. There were at least 20 additional leaders and managers. The group had temples and reading rooms in major cities like Los Angeles, Philadelphia and San Diego. Local I Am Movement chapters sprang up from Denver to Little Rock. In 1935, Guy and Edna hosted a 10 day long national convention in Washington D.C. but the most obvious sign that the I Am movement was a success was the fact that Guy and Edna were getting filthy rich. By the end of the 1930s, Guy and Edna had made approximately 3 million million. That's roughly $66 million today. That money came from multiple sources. Every book Guy wrote was an instant bestseller within the I AM Movement. Community recordings of their lectures Also sold quickly. But Guy and Edna found other creative ways to profit from their organization. Once they became nationally known figures, they started selling merchandise to their followers, including custom jewelry and framed photographs of themselves. They even sold an electrical device called Flame in Action, which they claimed could help their followers achieve purity faster. In reality, it was just a battery hooked up to some colorful flashing lights. And while they publicly claimed that the I Am Movement never asked their students for money, the truth was the Ballards shook down their followers at every chance they got. Other leaders in the movement told members that the end of the world was coming. They advised them to take their life savings out of the bank and donate it to the I AM Movement in the form of, quote, love gifts. All this money flowed straight up to Guy and Edna, and they put it to good use for themselves. While the great depression raged on, Guy and Edna Ballard lived the high life with their followers money. When they went on the road to give lectures, they traveled by plane, which was extremely expensive at the time, and stayed in only the finest hotels. Back home in Chicago, Guy bought himself a fleet of four canary yellow Chrysler sedans. While Edna made public appearances dressed in all white designer clothes, wearing fancy jewelry. Their teenage son Donald started taking flying lessons and going on lavish hunting in fishing trips to Wyoming and Montana, all paid for with IM Movement funds. The Ballards also made some longer term investments. They started buying houses in Chicago and eventually acquired an entire city block. The family leased a Colorado ski lodge where they held secret meetings with other leaders in the organization. And when a wealthy follower donated a gold mine to the Ballards, they continued continued operating the mine and kept the profits for themselves. By late 1939, 61 year old Guy and 53 year old Edna were on top of the world. In less than a decade, they'd become millionaires. They were national celebrities, and they had an army of devoted followers who believed that they were immortal prophets. Despite their apparent otherwise worldly knowledge, the Ballards were totally unprepared for what was about to happen next. On December 29, 1939, the I Am movement faced an existential crisis that threatened to bring the whole organization to its knees. And suddenly it was painfully clear that Guy and Edna were just as mortal as the rest of us. Crime House exists because of listeners like you. And if you can't get enough of conspiracy theories, cults and crimes, there's a way to get even more and support the show. Subscribe to Crime House plus and get every episode of the show and every show across the Crime House lineup completely ad free. And early. No ad breaks, no waiting. Just the stories the way you want them. Crime House plus members also get at least two exclusive bonus episodes from across the Crime House lineup every month. It's the easiest way to go further down the rabbit hole and the best way to support the team behind the show. To join, go to crimehouseplus.com or if you listen on Apple Podcasts, tap try free on the top of the Conspiracy Theories, Cults and Crimes Show Page Crime House True Crime all the time 0 ads. By the late 1930s, Guy and Edna Ballard were living the high life as leaders of the I Am Movement. They told their millions of followers that Guy was immortal and that an 18th century philosopher had chosen Guy to share the secrets of the universe with the rest of the world. I Am Movement chapters sprang up in cities across the country. Every time Guy traveled to give a speech, he was greeted by thousands of devoted followers who were desperate to learn how to get rich and live forever. But all that changed on December 29, 1939, when Guy Ballard died of heart failure at 61 years old. Guy's death was a crisis for the Ballard family. Edna and her 21 year old son Donald were mourning the loss of a beloved husband and father. Father but it was also a public relations crisis. It wasn't just that Guy, who had spent the past decade claiming he was immortal, was now dead. The founding myth of the IM movement was that the Count of St. Germain had chosen Guy as his messenger on Earth. Everything the movement preached, from the books to the sermons to the decrees, was all based on wisdom the Count had shared with Guy. In the wake of Guy's death, the I Am Movement had lost its supposed link to the Ascended Masters. So Edna and Donald sprang into action to take control of the narrative. Days after Guy's death, Edna released a statement to her followers. In it, she explained that Guy hadn't actually died. Instead, he had undergone a spiritual process known as a bodily ascension. His soul had grown so pure that it had traveled to the spiritual realm to join the Ascended Masters, leaving his body behind on Earth. Edna assured her followers that nothing else had changed. She explained that she and Donald had also been in contact with the Count of St. Germain for years. In fact, they'd spoken to the count over 3,000 times. This meant they were perfectly qualified to continue spreading his wisdom and soliciting donations from followers. In January of 1940, Edna took over as the new leader of the I Am Movement. That same month, 21 year old Donald was elected President of the St. Germain Foundation. The Corporate entity that handled the cult's finances. Together, they were prepared to lead the I Am movement into the 1940s and beyond. But the US government had other ideas. During the 1930s, the rapid rise of the IM movement caught the attention of FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover. Hoover was always on the lookout for organizations and ideologies he thought could threaten American stability. And despite the patriotic branding of the IM Movement, Hoover was concerned that the group was up to no good. He was well aware of Edna Ballard's ties with Nazi sympathizer William Dudley Pelly and his Silver Legion. And he'd heard rumors of other Nazi activists activity at IM Movement meetings. Children in the movement were reportedly being taught straight arm salutes like the one used in Nazi Germany. And some members had allegedly speculated that Adolf Hitler was a member of the organization since he also didn't drink alcohol or eat meat. While America wasn't at war with Nazi Germany. Yet many people in the government correctly assumed that it was only a matter of time. And Hoover wanted to be sure that when that day came, groups like the IM Movement wouldn't be working to sabotage America from within. So Hoover started investigating the I AM Movement. He sent undercover FBI agents to the group's meetings and bribed high ranking members to tell him about the inner workings of the organization. Hoover's investigation didn't turn up a Nazi sleeper cell. Instead, it revealed an extremely efficient fraud. It wasn't a secret that the Ballards had made millions of dollars through book sales, merchandising and bullying followers into handing over their life savings. But the FBI investigation uncovered just how clever the Ballards had been about making that money disappear. The key was two of the businesses the Ballards operated. The IM Foundation's finances were handled by the St Germain Foundation, a non profit organization. That meant the organization didn't have to pay taxes to maintain its non profit designation. The St. Germain foundation had to prove that it was spending all its millions of dollars on business expenses. That's where the Ballard's other business, the St. Germain Press, came into the picture. The St. Germain Press, the publishing house for all of Guy's books, was a for profit company. And every year the St. Germain Press sold hundreds of thousands of Guy's books to the St. Germain foundation at highly inflated prices. On paper, this looked like a legitimate business expense for the St. Germain Foundation. But it was really just a way for the Ballards to funnel their followers money straight into their own pockets. It didn't take long for the FBI to put together all the evidence and less than A year after Guy's death, the Bureau was ready to take the I Am movement down. In August 1940, Edna and Donald Ballard, along with 22 other leaders of the IM movement, were indicted on 18 counts of fraud. Rather than focusing on the Ballard's shady business dealings, prosecutors took aim at the heart of the I AM Movement's teachings. The government claimed that Edna, Donald and their associates had made up all their stories about the Saint Germain and the Ascended Masters. Prosecutors argued that the Ballards had defrauded their followers by promising them supernatural blessings in exchange for donations. Even though the Ballards knew they could never deliver the miracles they promised, this case was a direct threat to everything the IM Movement stood for. Edna and her co defendants hired a crack defense team, but they also rallied their friends followers to their cause. The trial started in December in Los Angeles, which was where many of the movement's books and magazines were published. As the legal proceedings got underway, hundreds of members of the I Am Movement gathered in the streets outside the courthouse. Dressed in white and pastels, the mob chanted decrees to manifest a not guilty verdict. But the Ballard supporters weren't the only only people wearing white inside the courtroom. District Court Judge Leon R. Yanqic went out of his way to accommodate the IM Movement's beliefs. When he learned that the defendants believed that dark colors were harmful, he stopped wearing his black robe and instead showed up to court in a light colored business suit. Jankwic wasn't a believer in the IM Movement. He was just trying to be respectful. As the judge explained, quote, many people here honestly believe that light and bright colors have a favorable effect on their soul's welfare. And I'm not one to flout another's religious belief. End quote. But as the trial got underway, prosecutors went to work making their case that the Ballard's religious beliefs were just a shameless attempt to make money. The prosecution presented paperwork that showed how much cash the Ballards were making from the I Am Movement. But the most dramatic moments of the trial came when they called former members of the organization to testify about their experiences. One witness for the prosecution was Margaret Shaw, the widow of a United States senator named Thomas Schall. Senator Schall was blind, and in the early 1930s, he and Margaret learned about the I Am movement. Margaret was drawn in by the claim that followers could manifest miracle cures. She and her husband repeatedly met with Edna, who told Margaret to visualize a ray of light beaming down from the heavens into the senator's head and then shooting out from his eyes at right angles. Edna promised that this would grant him the protection of the Ascended Masters and cure his blindness. But she also suggested that donations would help speed the process along. In court, Margaret estimated that she spent over $650 on IM movement material and donations. That's around $15,000 today. But Senator Shaw stayed blind and he didn't seem to receive any spiritual protection either. He died in 1935 after being hit by a car. Later, prosecutors called another witness with an even sadder story. A 75 year old woman testified that she was told she'd be taken care of for the rest of her life and in the afterlife if she donated all her money to the I Am Movement. After she handed over the cash, the spiritual care never materialized. Instead, she fell into severe poverty. When prosecutors asked Edna if she felt any obligation to give this woman her money back, she was defiant. Edna replied, quote, we're no more obliged to return the money or pay her bills than any ministers would be. If she'd brought as much love and blessing into the world as I have, she wouldn't be in this fix. End quote. When it was time for the defense to make their case, the Ballard's lawyers called many loyal followers as witnesses. These students testified that they'd received physical and spiritual benefits from their involvement with the movement. Some even swore that they'd had visits from the Ascended Masters, including Jesus. Edna and other leaders also testified that the Image Movement was crucial to US national security. Edna claimed that before his death, Guy had called on the powers of the Ascended Masters to destroy a secret fleet of Japanese attack submarines. Other members swore under oath that the IM Movement's decrees were the only thing protecting America from communism and other dire threats. These were unusual arguments to hear in a court of law, but at least some of the jury must have found them effective. In January, after 90 hours of deliberation, the jury acquitted several of the group's leaders and deadlocked on whether Edna, Donald and the rest were guilty of fraud. Since the jury couldn't agree, the case ended in a mistrial. It was a temporary victory for the IM Movement, but their fight wasn't over just yet. In late 1941, the government put the Ballards on trial for fraud again. This time, they had more luck. In January of 1942, Edna and Donald were found guilty on several counts of mail fraud and conspiracy to commit mail fraud. But the punishment for stealing millions of dollars from their followers wasn't very harsh. Edna was given a one year suspended prison sentence plus one one year of probation and an $8,000 fine. That's close to $160,000 today. Donald also got a year of probation, along with a $400 fine. That's about $8,000 today. But the Ballards weren't ready to give up. They insisted that the teachings of the IM movement were real, so they appealed their guilty verdict. Over the next two years, their case worked its way up through the federal appeals court system until it finally landed in front of the U.S. supreme Court in 1944. In the landmark case of United States vs. Ballard, the Supreme Court ruled 5 to 4 that you can't put someone's religious beliefs on trial. The First Amendment doesn't allow a jury to decide whether a religion is true or false. Period. They sent the case back to the lower courts, and eventually the Ballard's convictions were thrown out entirely, part of the reason women had been improperly excluded from the jury. But the bigger takeaway was the principle. Courts can't decide whether someone's religion is real or fake. And that precedent, it still holds today. But by the time Edna and Donald won in court, the glory days of the IM movement were long gone. Thanks to years of negative publicity and steep legal fees, membership dwindled throughout the 1940s and 50s. Some followers walked away from the movement entirely, while others splintered off to form new cults inspired by some of the group's teachings. After the trial, Edna Ballard relocated to Santa Fe, New Mexico. There she rebranded the I Am movement as the St. Germain Foundation. For nearly 30 years, she continued to preach and write books about the wisdom she'd received from the ascended masters. Throughout her life, Edna insisted that St Germain had blessed her with the gift of immortality. When she died In February of 1971 at the age of 84, the St. Germain foundation waited several months to release a statement about her passing. Representatives later clarified that they don't believe in death. They said Edna had simply joined her husband and the other ascended masters in the Great White Brotherhood. Today, the Ballards might be gone, but their organization isn't. The St. Germain foundation still exists and has I am temples in cities all over the world. On their website, you can buy copies of Guy Ballard's books or sign up to take classes at the group's summer program in California. While the St. Germain foundation doesn't publish membership details, the organization seems to be a shadow of its former self. People who live near the temples say they rarely see anyone, just a handful of followers in pastel clothing coming and going over the years. Despite all that, we can't deny that the IM movement went to war. With the federal government and won. With a history like that, it makes sense that they don't believe in death. In Cult Watch this week I'm highlighting another group built around communicating with a group of all powerful masters on a higher plane, the Etherius Society. Founded in 1955 by English taxi driver George King, the Ethereus Society is the product of extreme Cold War anxiety. Members believe that Earth has been home to many advanced civilizations over the past several million years. All of these other civilizations wiped themselves out through nuclear war and the Aetherius Society is dedicated to keeping that from happening again. George King claimed to be in contact with a group of godlike, all knowing beings who he called the Cosmic Masters. Some of these cosmic Cosmic Masters were recognizable figures from human history, like Buddha and Jesus, who followers believe was actually born on Venus. The Cosmic Masters gave King advice on how to prevent the apocalypse and other global disasters, which King relayed to his thousands of followers in the UK and the US to protect humanity. Members of the group regularly gather to pray and chant mantras in front of a cross crystalline battery designed by King. The spiritual energy generated by these prayers is stored in the battery, then released at key moments to prevent imminent disasters. According to the Ethereum Society's website, energy releases like these have saved countless lives. The Society claims that their spiritual energy brought an end to the war between Greece and Turkey for the island of Cyprus in 1974, diverted a hurricane from hitting Texas in 1988, and prevented a nuclear war on the Korean Peninsula. George King died in 1997, but the Ethereum Society is still going strong and if the world feels chaotic right now, well, imagine how much worse it'd be without them and their spiritual battery. Thanks so much for listening. I'm Vanessa Richardson and this is Conspiracy Theories, Cults and Crimes. Come back next time. We'll hear another story about the real people at the center of the world's most notorious cults, conspiracies and criminal acts. Conspiracy Conspiracy Theories, Cults and Crimes is a Crime House original powered by Pave Studios. Here at Crime House, we want to thank each and every one of you for your support. If you like what you heard today, reach out on social media, rimehouse on TikTok and Instagram. Don't forget to rate, review and follow Conspiracy Theories, Cults and Crimes Wherever you get your podcasts, your feedback truly makes a difference. And to enhance your Conspiracy Theories, Cults and Crimes listening experience, subscribe to Crime House plus on Apple Podcasts. You'll get every episode early and ad free. We'll be back on Friday. Conspiracy Theories, Cults and Crimes is hosted by me, Vanessa Richardson and is a Crime House original. 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