Iowa Woman Who Filed Motion To Set Aside Forfeiture In ASD Case Is Listed As A ‘Founder’ Of Golden Panda Ad Builder

UPDATED 9:10 P.M. EDT (U.S.A.) Joyce Haws, an Iowa woman who filed a motion last week to set aside the forfeiture in the AdSurfDaily case, is listed in court documents as a “founder” of Golden Panda Ad Builder.

Haws and “her spouse” are listed on a roster of 34 Golden Panda “founders” who provided start-up money for Golden Panda, according to a sworn affidavit filed Aug. 29 by Golden Panda President Clarence Busby. The pro se document filed by Haws also includes Michael Haws as a litigant, and the docket report in the forfeiture case lists the Haws as claimants, listing their ASD member numbers.

Busby filed the affidavit after federal prosecutors brought a forfeiture action in August against assets tied to ASD and Golden Panda, amid allegations of wire fraud, money-laundering, selling unregistered securities and operating a Ponzi scheme.

In 1998, U.S. District Judge Thomas W. Thrash ordered Busby not to break securities laws after he was implicated in three “prime bank” schemes.

“Using misrepresentations and omissions in each of the three schemes, Busby raised money for purported trading programs in ‘prime bank’ notes by fraudulently representing to investors that the investments were risk-free and that the ventures would pay returns ranging from 750% to 10,000%,” the SEC said at the time.

“In total, Busby raised nearly $1 million from more than 70 investors,” the SEC said. “None of the investors earned the exorbitant returns promised by Busby.”

Busby has been a minister for 30 years, according to court filings. He also is in the real-estate business, and autosurf enthusiasts have said he has ties to BizAdSplash, a surfing company that debuted after the seizure of funds from ASD and Golden Panda.

Haws set up rallies for ASD in U.S. cities, ASD members said. Rallies in Ankeny, Iowa — the city Haws lists as her home — brought in $2.5 million last year, ASD member Mindy Bales told the Des Moines Register. One of the rallies was held in July 2008, the same month Golden Panda launched, and fetched $1.6 million.

Haws also organized ASD rallies Minneapolis (April 26, 2008);  Rochester, Minn. (May 17, 2008); and Las Vegas (May 31, 2008), an ASD member said.

Busby filed a motion yesterday to dismiss a racketeering lawsuit filed against him in January by ASD members. Through his attorney, Busby said in the lawsuit that ASD and Golden Panda were separate companies.

One of the assertions in the RICO case is that money that made its way into Golden Panda accounts had orgininated in ASD accounts.