Has smuggled money helped to finance Freemen backers?

Gold, silver and money orders smuggled out during the Montana Freemen's 1996 standoff with the FBI have helped finance sympathizers of the anti-government group for the past two years, testimony disclosed Friday.

Defense witness Randy Parsons, who helped establish the Freedom Center in Billings, said he used some of the gold and silver coins and money orders to pay for the center's expenses."I personally know of about 50 of the gold coins that ended up at the Freedom Center," Parsons said. "They were used for phone bills."