My name is Joshua Bingham but also known as Illuminated Ape. I am the current leader of the Wall Street Silver community and co-founder of Silver Wars — an independent project dedicated to exposing manipulation in global silver markets and restoring transparency to a movement that once stood for truth.

 Why I Need Your Help

After taking over Wall Street Silver to bring integrity and accountability back to the community, I became the target of a coordinated legal harassment campaign — the same kind of lawfare often used to silence whistleblowers and independent journalists.

This campaign has been led by James Morrison (formerly known online as Jim Lewis), a convicted felon who once controlled the Wall Street Silver brand. When I uncovered evidence of misconduct and financial irregularities, he retaliated through overlapping lawsuits filed in multiple Florida counties — all based on the same false claims. As of November 2024, Morrison has rebranded his X account to Wall Street Mav (@WallStreetMav).

⚖️ Documented Pattern of Abuse

I’ve been forced to defend myself pro se (without counsel) due to financial hardship, facing continuous discovery abuse and coordinated online smear and harassment campaigns.

This is not about ego or personal grudges — it’s about stopping the abuse of the legal system to silence truth-tellers and protect the integrity of a movement that represents ordinary investors.

Just like the banks use paper contracts to suppress silver’s price, corrupt actors use paper lawsuits to suppress truth. The weapon may differ — but the playbook is the same.

⚖️Personal Cases

⚖️My Attorney's Related Case

⚖️Past Related Cases

Background on the Corruption

Jim Lewis and Ivan Bayoukhi were once the public faces of Wall Street Silver.

A GoFundMe was launched under their leadership to fund billboards and promotions , with promises of full transparency. When the community later demanded receipts, posts were censored or users were banned for simply asking questions.

It was then discovered that Jim Lewis was not a real name — he was actually James Morrison, a convicted felon with a criminal history that included extortion and a charge of child abuse .

That revelation fractured the community. Many of us rebuilt under new leadership committed to transparency and honesty — and that’s when the retaliation began.

How You Can Help

Your contribution helps fund legal defense, protect free speech, and ensure that Silver Wars can continue to publish independent research on silver’s role in defense, energy, and the global economy.

100% of donations go toward legal defense and keeping Silver Wars active — continuing our mission to expose corruption in the silver markets, defend free speech, and document the military-industrial misuse of this critical metal.

Thank you for standing with truth and transparency!

*No raffles, sweepstakes, giveaways, or returns on investment are offered in exchange for any donations made to this GoFundMe."