EDITORIAL: ‘Meanwhile, Andy Bowdoin Was Negotiating’
Perhaps you’ve read that the AdVentures4U (ADV4U) autosurf suspended payouts on or about Aug. 28. The surf, which purports to be a professional communications firm, butchered its announcement message to such a degree that professional Ponzi promoters began to email their lists to explain what they thought ADV4U was saying.
Perhaps the only thing not ambiguous was a plea to members not to contact the offshore payment processors. The processors had the ability to trap the money and cripple operations, meaning ADV4U would not be able to dictate the haircut members were about to receive and that all financial decisions would be placed in the hands of the processors.
Trapping the money also meant that ADV4U also would not be able to get its hands on its own cash. Money needed to pay the bills could be trapped. So could money needed to carry out the master plan, irrespective of the fact members cannot say for certain what the master plan is. They can repeat GIGO only. Garbage comes in, and garbage goes out. Somehow it takes on a veneer of high truth.
Third-party accounts from “insiders” or people who know other people “in the loop” are never high truth. All you need to do to test this theory is read the Pro-ASD Surf’s Up forum.
Surf’s Up told you an insider with impeccable credentials knew for a fact that the government admitted behind closed doors that ASD was not a Ponzi scheme. The government then went out and mowed down ASD at an evidentiary hearing in which the prosecution did not call a single witness.
So much for “insider” news.
Not to be outdone, though, posters at Surf’s Up then wove the untrue tale that ASD was denied due process, that the government’s failure to call a witness at a hearing ASD specifically requested to present its evidence meant that it had no evidence. Over the months the untrue tale snowballed. It finally grew into a fantastically untrue tale in which the preposterous claim was made that the only reason Andy Bowdoin was not in jail and that Bernard Madoff was in jail is that the government had no evidence against Bowdoin. Zero. None.
This claim was made despite the fact that Andy Bowdoin had acknowledged in his own court filings that ASD was operating illegally, had given statements acknowledging the government’s material allegations all were true and even had signed a proffer letter in the case.
A few of Bowdoin’s most committed apologists then began to spin the fantastic tale that the rebirth of ASD might be only days away, that prosecutors had screwed up so royally that a federal judge issued an order commanding them to put up or shut up by Aug. 28.
This claim was made despite the fact Bowdoin’s own attorney announced publicly that Bowdoin was negotiating with prosecutors. The prosecution hadn’t been ordered to do anything. In fact, Andy Bowdoin had been on the receiving end of an order to instruct the court in no uncertain terms how he intended to proceed.
Still not to be undone, some ASD members spun the fantastic tale that:
- The U.S. Government has failed to produce any EVIDENCE of alleged wrongdoing.
- The U.S. Government has failed to produce any WITNESSES of alleged wrongdoing.
- The U.S. Government has failed to produce any VICTIMS of alleged wrongdoing.
- The action was based solely on the OPINIONS of the U. S. Government agents.
Interesting choice of words — “has failed.” What’s most interesting of all is that a trial date has not even been set in the case. Why not? Because Andy Bowdoin submitted to the forfeiture in January, more than two weeks prior to the scheduling conference in the case. The scheduling conference was canceled because Bowdoin submitted to the forfeiture, meaning the case nearly was litigated to conclusion because Bowdoin had given up his claims to tens of millions of dollars seized in a wire-fraud, money-laundering and Ponzi scheme case in which it was alleged that ASD was selling unregistered securities.
And he submitted to the forfeiture after signing a proffer letter and after telling the government that its material allegations were all true.
It therefore follows that ASD members also were selling unregistered securities and, perhaps, becoming unwitting participants in a criminal enterprise. The case was brought as a conspiracy. About the only unknown right now is the true depths of criminality within the organization.
The government plainly has acknowledged that there are thousands of victims. It announced a program to provide some degree of restitution after it had gathered all of the assets of the ASD enterprise, which very likely was hiding money in the individual accounts of co-conspirators as a hedge against the possibility that ASD was going to get caught.
Ever see these words?
“Don’t call it an investment. We can get in trouble for that.”
Those are the words that demonstrate the conspiracy. They show consciousness of guilt, especially when uttered by veteran players. The newbies don’t understand it’s a wink-nod conspiracy. If they discover later that they’ve been drafted into a conspiracy of silence and accept wink-nod as their duty to the enterprise, then they, too, are co-conspirators.
Various rebukes by the co-conspirators to the unknowing that they purchased “advertising” and that “rebates aren’t guaranteed” also are evidence of the conspiracy. What it really means is, “Don’t tell. All of us, including YOU, could get in trouble.”
Which brings us back to ADV4U.
It announced yesterday that payouts due yesterday to plenty of members would not arrive because somebody had blabbed to one of the offshore processors and the account was restricted.
There were stinging rebukes posted in various online venues by various ADV4U members to the blabbers.
Meanwhile, members said the compensation they had received from ADV4U via other offshore processors had amounted to only about 20 percent of their exposure to loss. They had been assured that they would be made whole and placed in profit — sort of. No one really knows what ADV4U is saying because the message is so mangled and because the purported owner’s words did not comport with what members were being told by customer service.
Which brings us back to ASD.
One of ASD’s purported customer-service reps also purportedly works for ADV4U. That, in itself, makes ADV4U downright dangerous.
Meanwhile, the name of one of the 25 recent pro se filers in the ASD case who claimed “The U.S. Government has failed to produce any EVIDENCE of alleged wrongdoing” popped up in a Skype chat last night about the ADV4U debacle. If it was, in fact, the ASD filer, it means she also has money in ADV4U and did not want to see it go missing.
If one looks at the transcript of the Skype chat, there is virtually no discussion about how disappointed members are about the prospect of losing their “advertising” outlet. Most of the discussion was about money and retrenchment plans of the same sort both ASD and AdViewGlobal had announced.
Some members were angry that other members had the unmitigated gall actually to contact AlertPay and subject the entirety of the ADV4U membership group to a haircut. Only a handful of people know what is real and what is fiction in this incredibly toxic, incredibly tangled web.
Meanwhile, Andy Bowdoin was negotiating with federal prosecutors.
Patrick, good article. I had wondered about the statement ADV4U had put out, sounded like they knew they were caught with a hand in the cookie jar. Hopefully, other processors were notified and the crooks will get caught. And all the while, Andy is negotiating.. to stay out of prison, probably.
Excellent article Patrick. You have touched on some points which are very sore points for both ASD and AV4U fans.
Since when did Alert Pay freeze accounts of legitimate bricks and mortar businesses who were complying with their Terms of Service or Sale? Sounds like they are having second thoughts about the AV4U business, in spite of the fact that they charged them a premium commission for handling their business.
Will be interesting to see what AP do and what excuses are made by “Steve Ray Smith” and his followers on this one.
(Yes the ASD tie was noticed)
Cant see STP or Strict pay reacting the same way – they are far too involved in all these schemes themselves and do very little legitimate business outside the online schemes.
What makes anyone think that anything “Steve Smith” says is, in fact, wholly or even partially factual ???
Does ‘Steve Smith” actually exist ???
Has anyone actually seen anything from AlertPay to verify a single “fact” regarding “Steve Smiths” story ???
In any event, why would anyone believe a single word from a “payment processor” so closely aligned with the HYIP ponzi “autosurf” world ???
Is it coincidental that the same “players” who complained loudly about the supposed involvement of the Bank of America in the ASD fraud are strangely silent about the continued and unashamedly promoted support of the HYIP “industry” provided by “payment processors” such as SolidTrustPay, Alertpay and StrictPay ???
The fact that there are still many ASD survivors who STILL don’t get “it” and STILL cling to the belief that ANY of it is “real” is testament to the skill of the fraudsters and how insidious and life destroying these scams really are.
Whether Steve Smith actually exists in that form will be left up to the authorities to determine. The fact remains that someone was collecting the checks in Missouri or having them forwarded from a physical address. The gold is being shipped there as well. In some form, there is a presence in Eminence, MO, even though it may be an agent. As for Steve Smith’s in Missouri, there are plenty and more than a few with criminal records.
While I hate to plug Watt’s site, the Skype chat log was illuminating as have been Courtney’s divining of the entrails (SRS’s “communications”).
Here’s a short snippet from the log file.
[10:06:04 PM] D.V.: With the 25% that Alert Pay did not freeze Steve, you
might want to consider sending some cashouts to a few Alert Pay accounts to
calm those with Alert Pay down. What do you think?
[10:06:09 PM] Hana: (nod)
[10:06:31 PM] Hana: cuz we’re the lucky ones, right Steve?
[10:06:36 PM] Jacqueline Poggioreale: (y)
[10:06:39 PM] Carl Nelson: Danvino… If he does that… then the others will think he is singling people out for payment… not a good idea…
[10:07:04 PM] Dorothy Kennedy: true carl
[10:07:09 PM] D.V.: No they won’t lazzaner they will be axiously waiting for
theres.
According to this log, only 75% of Alert Pay funds are frozen which leaves SRS capable of paying out a chosen few.
We have Dan Vino, a shill from Scam.com, chiming in that it would be helpful to send out some token payments to “calm people”. We have Hannah from ASD and AV4U hinting rather broadly that she won’t get screwed. Also in the mix is Jacqueline, a pro se filer in the ASD program, apparently agreeing that she is one of the “lucky ones”.
Carl’s just hoping to get paid.
Elsewhere in the chat log, SRS describes the gold program as legit which begs the question of what AV4U was. He states that he knows the owners of at least SP and STP so presumably they know what his game is beyond the fact that they are processors for a criminal industry. SRS also states that he knows the owner of Alert Pay so he’ll be able to unfreeze the 75% that’s frozen, but that begs the question of why the funds were frozen in the first place.
What’s obvious is that more than a few playas in AV4U are serial scammers and promoters from the customer service folks to the payment processors to the shills/promoters such as Watt and Courtney. What’s incredible is that it’s obvious that SRS is making “corporate policy” up as he goes along, taking his cues from experienced shills such as Courtney and Watt and documenting the conspiracy in a public chat room.
Incredibly, between the Skype and Meebo chat rooms, the most “rational” person I have seen is the notorious Uncle Festa. To be fair, there are a few people asking to be paid and they are, at times, quite upset and direct but they are fairly quickly mollified and quiet down, extolling the virtues of “P”.
What a warped industry. I hope it comes to a crashing halt soon.
alasycia.. I didn’t know ASD had put out a tie? Where can I get one of these ASD ties? I’ll add it to my collection.
* The U.S. Government has failed to produce any EVIDENCE of alleged wrongdoing.
Correct, The witnesses at the evidence hearing that testified for ASD provided that proof
* The U.S. Government has failed to produce any WITNESSES of alleged wrongdoing.
Correct, again, ASD supporters provided that evidence
* The U.S. Government has failed to produce any VICTIMS of alleged wrongdoing.
Incorrect, it was mathematically impossible for the all of the ads the ASD members paid for to be viewed, if you purchased more than 1,875 ad impressions, you were shortchanged, this before Andy and ASD quit running any of the ads.
Oh, you mean rebates? Why, rebates weren’t the reason you bought the ads, that was a just a bonus, it was never guaranteed, right?
* The action was based solely on the OPINIONS of the U. S. Government agents.
Technically correct. Of course, if I and 70,000 other eyewitnesses see a guy shoot the quarterback on Monday night football, it’s only our opinion until he’s been tried and convicted, I guess. If I toss a hammer off a roof, until it hits the ground it’s only my opinion that it’s not gonna grow wings and fly.
The All Star Team of Stupid, I tell ya.
If I toss a hammer off a roof, until it hits the ground it’s only my opinion that it’s not gonna grow wings and fly.
Of course its only your opinion and a pretty ill founded one at that, because, as everyone knows, it can be intercepted by a little green man from the NESARA spaceship and flown to safety to the land where Le/24/Vendetta and Andy Bowdoin will live happily ever after.
As little joe would say, you are showing your ignorance.
Actually, I had a math teacher in high school who could mathematically prove that the hammer would never hit the ground (her example was a parachutist). You just keep dividing the distance to the ground by half ad infinitum.
In Ponzi’s, the scammers just keep doubling the time between payments so they technically don’t “fail”, in their eyes.
In both instances, the theory does not hold up to practical reality.
Flying is rather easy, all you need to do is throw yourself at the ground, and miss…..
Douglas Adams
Jacqueline Poggioreale may be the person using the pseudonym “shadynapa”. “shadynapa” was an “investor” in “Highincomesurf.com, 5% Daily For 30days”, and “goldnuggetinvest.com”. Hardly a “victim” of the “evil government”, more like a serial ponzi player.
It seems that “shadynapa†is quite a busy person. She has expressed an interest in all these obvious ponzi scams:
bestinv.com
Payitforwardtraffic.com
Premiumadsclub.com
Silverlodge.net
Advglobal.com
Aggeroinvestment.com
Eagletrades.net
Goldensurfs.com
Centasiadevelopment.com
Mmoguls – Mymmoguls.com
Adgateworld.com
Centasiadevelopment.com
Ginginvest.com
Woip – Woip-service.com
Noobing.com
Tradelite.net
Some of those ponzi schemes will be familiar to many people.
TonyH,
You win the prize……shadynapa = Jacqueline Poggioreale.
She’s also a big promoter of the AdVentures4U Ponzi.
More information….
On Twitter, shadynapa uses the name Jacque and is linked to the following people as a “follower” on twitter: Terralynn Hoy, Donna Rougeau (the one who would SAVE AVG, right joe?), known Ponzi pimps ArronandShara, Bruce Disner, and Glenn Beck.
Her profile on yahoo.com says that ShadyNapa,s name is Jacqueline, and Jacqueline lives in Port St. Lucie, Florida.
Docket dcoument #84 in Judge Collyer’s court lists Jacqueline Poggioreale as living in Port St. Lucia, Florida.
twitwall.com (a site of twitter links) directly connects shadynapa and jacque Poggioreale.
Nice to know the government now has a signed confession from Jackie…..
Hi d_b,
It does, indeed, read like a preposterous fiction. If these things actually are occurring, then we’re observing a very strange reality.
Assuming it’s not a fiction and is, in fact, a reality, I’m wondering if the Master Plan is to gather enough gold to start a small country on paper.
I mean, the ASD case has featured litigation from a person who belonged to a sham country formed inside U.S. borders. And AVG appears to have asserted some sort of U.S. Constitutional authority in Uruguay, in effect creating a paper state.
Could it be that these surfs hope to declare a U.S.-like paper state offshore and establish a “Treasury” in the form of a payment processor backed by Gold — and then declare Ponzi schemes “legal?”
It’s a fair question. There are some pretty wild conspiracy theories out there involving the Federal Reserve and claims that paper currency is not “money” and that Gold and Silver coins are the only “real” money.
Some of the folks making these claims happen to be in the mortgage and/or underground credit-repair businesses and have attacked the legitimacy of banks’ rights to collect on debts by suggesting banks are lending credit — not real money — and that the banks are engaging in racketeering if they use the mail in bids to collect on loans.
This case was filed by a member of ASD who later was announced as a Trustee of AVG:
https://patrickpretty.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/rickyjacksoncomplaintchase.pdf
Patrick
Hi Tony H,
That’s quite a list — and I see Noobing is on it. Noobing members might want to see these stories:
https://patrickpretty.com/2009/09/03/breaking-news-judges-orders-offshore-assets-of-firm-associated-with-noobing-autosurf-repatriated-broadens-authority-of-receiver-to-pursue-recovery/
https://patrickpretty.com/2009/08/29/receiver-firm-associated-with-noobing-autosurf-charged-senior-citizen-in-search-of-housing-grant-995-for-three-names-and-addresses-of-providers-one-of-the-addresses-proved-to-be-regional-hud-office/
Thanks for the time you have taken to post, Tony.
Patrick
Hi Patrick,
You may wish to get up to speed on the Principality of Sealand.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Principality_of_Sealand
It’s a WWII gunnery platform off the coast of England which was “claimed” by an entrepreneurial fellow and is now a “nation” with its own coins, etc.
When the recording industry, movie industry and Swedes got serious about going after The Pirate Bay, the torrent type file sharing site, it was rumored that The Pirate Bay would buy Sealand and run their servers from that “nation”. Sealand was, independent of any sale, offering it’s services as an offshore data center.
In summary, the “nation” is available for purchase the last time I heard. Just like a pink sheet shell corporation.
dB
Sealand has a government headed by Prince Roy Bates.
http://www.sealandgov.org/About.html
And a rebel movement with its own site.
http://principality-of-sealand.eu/welcome_e.html
Yes, it was determined from posts made by “shadynapa” over at the ponzi cesspit known as Money Maker Group. Ponzi promoters TeamAaronShara were once moderators of MMG.
On the subject of mico-nations, the excellent Sealand News site tells of “The United Federation of Koronis”:
It makes the Arby Indians and the AdVentures4U-Ponzi-Nation sound almost sensible.
Back to AV4U. The latest is that they are starting up a gold dealing MLM! Now THAT should be interesting. How are they going to inflate the prices of gold to pay all those downline comissions? It is common practice and common knowledge that selling a product using the mlm method puts the price up.
Now that’s great if it is a unique product or has something special about it to make it worth your while. Avon has the added advantage of not having to spend gas on going to the store to buy your makeup and is fairly good quality. Gold however is traded on market rates and the price doesnt change because it is sold by Peter nor Paul. Sounds like yet another wierd episode of this very bizarre autosurf story.
Well, well, well.
Tomorrow is D-day for Andy. He needs to cop a plea or submit his objections showing why the proffer should not be accepted as is.
If Andy does not cop a plea, any guesses as to how long it will be before Judge Collyer tosses his motion? And what comes next? She has to reverse one of her previous rulings if Andy is to skate or decide that it does not apply for some reason.
How long until the civil side is done, at least in Judge Collyer’s courtroom?
Judge collyer already explained the difficulty of reversing a decision, in some detail and in very clear language , when she rejected the first batch of pro se litigants. It would be an enormous surprise if she did so now.