The Persecution of Paul Pantone
Securities fraud charges. Forced institutionalization. Medical neglect. 3.5 years in a psychiatric facility.
Paul Pantone pled guilty to securities fraud in 2004. That is documented fact. What followed — 3.5 years of forced psychiatric confinement, longer than any prison sentence would have required — raises questions that deserve answers. This page presents the documented evidence. Draw your own conclusions.
The Legal Case Against Paul Pantone
The Charges (2003-2005)
The State of Utah brought criminal charges against Paul Pantone. According to court documents, he faced:
- Four second-degree felony counts of Securities Fraud
- One third-degree felony count of Securities Fraud
- One third-degree felony count of Selling an Unregistered Security
- One second-degree felony count of Pattern of Unlawful Activity
The prosecution alleged Pantone defrauded investors of more than $200,000 by selling shares in GEET-related ventures without proper securities licensing. Four investors testified that Pantone deceived or misled them, with some reportedly losing as much as $25,000 each.
The Plea Agreement
On October 8, 2004, Paul Pantone pled guilty to two counts of second-degree securities fraud. The remaining charges were dismissed as part of the plea agreement.
The Prosecutor's View
"Pure, unadulterated nonsense — the crackpot notions of a fraud looking to get rich quick."
— Richard Hamp, Utah Assistant Attorney General
Source: Salt Lake City Weekly
The Supporters' View
"Partners allegedly created fraudulent stock certificates specifically to implicate Pantone. The securities case was manufactured after Pantone refused to sell his patent rights."
— George Gaboury, Paul Pantone Defense Project
Source: ExtraOrdinary Technology
According to Hamp, the trial was a "zoo," with supporters picketing the courthouse and challenging the proceedings as a "witch hunt meant to tar the inventor who dared to challenge the status quo."
Forced Institutionalization
The Central Question
Why was Paul Pantone confined to a mental hospital for 3.5 years — far longer than any prison sentence he would have received for securities fraud?
The Competency Determination
As sentencing approached in late 2005, Pantone's legal situation took an unusual turn. Following advice from supporters, he claimed mental incompetence and inability to understand legal proceedings.
On December 12, 2005, Judge Royal Hansen of Utah's Third District Court ruled that Pantone was "not competent to receive sentencing" because he was not getting along with his public defender, Gil Atha of the Salt Lake Legal Defenders Association.
Under Utah Code 77-15-5(4-5), Pantone was ordered detained indefinitely at the Utah State Hospital.
The Psychiatric Evaluation
According to a psychiatric evaluation obtained by the Salt Lake City Weekly in 2007, psychiatrists found that Pantone:
"exhibit[ed] grandiose and persecutory delusions, complicated by a personality disorder and a history of substance abuse."
Consider this:
Pantone's "grandiose delusion" was believing his engine could run on water and alternative fuels. His patent (US Patent #5,794,601) describes exactly that. Thousands have replicated it. Was he delusional — or correct?
The Competency Evaluation Controversy
George Gaboury of the Paul Pantone Defense Project challenged the validity of the competency determination:
- A single 75-minute psychological evaluation deemed Pantone incompetent
- Professional standards typically require 3-5 days minimum for such evaluations
- The hospital allegedly denied visitation, intercepted mail, and attempted to administer medications Pantone refused
Duration of Confinement
Due to lack of available hospital beds, Pantone spent three and a half months in Salt Lake County Jail before being admitted to the male forensic unit at Utah State Hospital in Provo in March 2006.
He remained there for approximately 3.5 years — far longer than any prison sentence he might have received for the securities fraud charges.
Allegations of Medical Neglect
Pantone's son David and supporters made serious allegations about his treatment at Utah State Hospital. According to George Gaboury of the Tesla Society, writing in 2006:
"Some of Paul's teeth are broken in half. Some have fallen out. His mouth is swollen. He has bleeding skin sores contracted from other patients."
Reported Conditions
- Broken toe — untreated for over 1.5 years
- Untreated Hepatitis C
- Persistent migraines
- Skin rashes
- Rotten and infected teeth/gums
- Multiple broken teeth
Gaboury believed Pantone was "dying from medical neglect" because the hospital was not treating his Hepatitis C.
Counter-Perspective
A former Utah State Hospital psychiatric technician who worked there for six years expressed surprise at these allegations, stating: "I've never seen anyone denied medical care." Others argued that some of Pantone's medical conditions pre-dated his time in the facility and that his mental state led him to refuse treatment.
Source: Salt Lake City Weekly
Forced Medication Controversy
A significant legal battle arose over the state's attempts to forcibly medicate Pantone:
- Judge Hansen ruled that Utah State Hospital could forcibly medicate the inventor
- Attorney Justin Heideman filed an appeal of this ruling
- The appeal remained unresolved while Pantone lingered in the facility
- Pantone refused psychiatric medications throughout his confinement
Financial Destruction
According to supporter accounts, Pantone suffered catastrophic financial losses:
The 2000 Buyout Offer
According to multiple supporter sources:
"In the year 2000, Paul Pantone was offered many millions of dollars to sell off his rights to GEET. Paul was clearly threatened that there would be serious consequences to his future if he did not."
Pantone reportedly stipulated that any sale must ensure "the invention be used to help man." According to supporters, "each time the prospective buyers turned him down" on this condition.
Documented Threats and Harassment
George Gaboury documented the following alleged incidents in ExtraOrdinary Technology magazine:
1985 Death Threat
"A representative from a foreign oil company phoned and told me point blank to leave the automotive industry alone or they would be willing to pay millions to have me and my family killed."
Physical Attacks (Alleged)
- Cut brake lines on his vehicle
- Dynamite allegedly thrown at his vehicle
- Multiple failed prosecutions before the securities case
2015 Incident in Oklahoma
After his release, Pantone relocated to Stephens County, Oklahoma. In August 2015, months before his death:
Supporter Account
"Paul Pantone was attacked by armed gunmen on Tuesday. They held him at gunpoint for six and a half hours, while they loaded up all of his equipment, computers, records, and so on. They then took him off of his property, and dropped him some distance away. He honestly thought he was going to be shot in the back."
Source: Before It's News
Alternative Account
"Paul sold the rights of his company in January 2015 to an investor who also purchased the property for Paul to conduct R&D. Paul was given timelines to produce certain things and he failed in every area. The company then notified Paul that he was fired and he would need to vacate the property."
Source: Critics, as documented in supporter forums
The Invention Secrecy Act Context
While there is no evidence that the Invention Secrecy Act was directly applied to GEET, its existence demonstrates that legal mechanisms for suppressing technology do exist in the United States.
The Invention Secrecy Act of 1951
This law allows the government to impose "secrecy orders" on patents deemed threats to national security. Key facts:
- As of 2017, there were 5,784 patents under secrecy orders
- From 2013-2017, an average of 117 new secrecy orders were imposed annually
- Only about 25 orders were rescinded annually during the same period
- Categories include Power Supply, Propulsion Systems, and Unique Materials & Devices
- A 1971 document revealed solar photovoltaic technology was being restricted
Sources: Wikipedia, Federation of American Scientists, Slate
Compensation Issues
The system has been criticized for its treatment of inventors:
- Government is only required to compensate inventors for 75% of assessed value
- Inventors must demonstrate damages — nearly impossible when they cannot disclose the invention
- Critics describe the system as "lacking oversight and limiting avenues of appeal"
A Broader Pattern?
Pantone's case is often cited within a broader narrative of energy technology suppression. According to documents compiled by proponents of this theory:
Note: These statistics come from suppression proponents and should be evaluated critically.
Other Cases Frequently Cited
Stanley Meyer (1940-1998)
Claimed to have invented a "water fuel cell" for automobiles. Found guilty of "gross and egregious fraud" in Ohio court in 1996. Died suddenly on March 20, 1998, allegedly saying "They poisoned me." Coroner ruled death was from cerebral aneurysm.
Sources: Wikipedia, The Classic Car Trust
Tom Ogle (1950s-1981)
Created a vaporized fuel system allegedly achieving 100+ MPG. Died of drug and alcohol overdose in 1981. Featured in 2008 documentary "Gashole." Prototype and documentation allegedly vanished.
Source: EPCC Library Research Guide
Charles Pogue (1930s)
Invented a carburetor allegedly achieving 200+ MPG. Workshop burglarized, documentation and prototypes stolen. Withdrew from public life.
The Skeptical Perspective
Skeptics offer counter-arguments that should be considered:
"However appealing the free energy suppression theory might be, there is no evidence to support it. Many technologies proposed by this movement are prohibited by laws of physics (such as perpetual motion machines) or their feasibility has never been demonstrated."
"Psychologically, humans are inclined toward pattern recognition, even in situations where there is no hidden pattern or connection. This bias can lead people to link unrelated events."
Source: Wikipedia
The Release and Aftermath
On May 12, 2009, Paul Pantone was released from Utah State Hospital after approximately 3.5 years of confinement.
The state agreed to let Pantone leave without serving any additional jail time — he had already been confined longer than any potential sentence would have required.
After Release
After his release, Pantone:
- Opened a GEET training school
- Relocated to Stephens County, Oklahoma
- Established a compound offering paid instruction in GEET technology
- Made his engine designs publicly available under the condition they not be sold commercially
Death
Paul Pantone passed away on December 14, 2015, in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, after suffering from a long illness. He was 65 years old.
He died having never received the recognition or vindication his supporters sought. His patents are now expired and publicly available.
What Is Beyond Dispute
- 1. Pantone spent 3.5 years in a mental hospital for a crime that would have carried a shorter prison sentence.
- 2. The competency system kept him detained indefinitely with no clear path to release.
- 3. He was declared "delusional" in part for believing claims about his technology — claims his patent documents.
- 4. Thousands of people have successfully replicated GEET technology worldwide.
- 5. He died without vindication, but his technology lives on through those who build it.
Key Figures
Third District Court (appointed 2003, retired 2021). Named "Judge of the Year" by Utah State Bar in 2012.
Assistant Attorney General, prosecutor in the securities fraud case.
President of the San Francisco Tesla Society, led the Paul Pantone Defense Project.
Private attorney hired by supporters to secure Pantone's release.
Sources
Primary News Coverage
- Salt Lake City Weekly — "Inventor Paul Pantone's battle to escape the Utah state asylum"
- Southern Poverty Law Center — "Oklahoma Survivalist Claims Motor will Run on Anything"
- KFOR Oklahoma City — "The man with the magic motor"
- Deseret News — "Pollution-free device powered by amazing fuels, inventor says" (1996)
Supporter Sources
Legal & Patent Records
This page presents documented facts from multiple perspectives. Some allegations from supporters remain unverified. Critical readers should evaluate sources and draw their own conclusions about what happened to Paul Pantone.