Tag: Homeland Security Investigations
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TelexFree Probe Continues; ‘Substantial Amount’ Of YouTube Video Content Sought In Search Warrant Served Oct. 16
The TelexFree probe continues in the United States, with prosecutors revealing today that federal agents served a search warrant on Google on Oct. 16 that sought a “substantial amount” of content on YouTube. Precisely what content prosecutors are seeking was not immediately clear. Google told agents that “compliance will take several weeks,” according to the…
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PONZITRACKER.COM: New Ponzi Scheme Uncovered Every 118 Hours; Alleged TelexFree Fraud Heads 2014 List
If you’re a student or educator or employee or boss with a traditional M-F schedule, chances are you’ll be hearing about a new Ponzi scheme before the final bell rings or the final whistle blows on Friday. During the first six months of 2014, a Ponzi scheme was discovered every 4.9 days (or every 118…
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Missouri Raised ‘Grave Concerns’ Over TelexFree
The staff of the Missouri Public Service Commission raised “grave concerns” that permitting TelexFree’s telecom registration to remain intact in the state could “assist in the perpetuation of a fraud on investors,” records show. Missouri approved the registration in March 2014. TelexFree applied for it the previous month, according to records. Those records included a…
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Purported ‘Sovereign Citizen’ Who Bizarrely Claimed His Authority Came From ‘The Vatican’ Convicted Of Issuing Bogus Diplomatic Credentials
EDITOR’S NOTE: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) are referenced in the story about purported “sovereign citizen” James T. McBride below. ICE/HSI also are involved in the investigation of the alleged TelexFree Ponzi- and pyramid scheme. Whether TelexFree had any “sovereign citizens” in its ranks is unclear. “Sovereign citizens,” however,…
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SPECIAL REPORT: Prior To Brazil’s TelexFree-Related ‘Operation Orion,’ United States Used Same Name In Sting; U.S. Department Of Homeland Security Has Office In Brasilia And History Of Cooperating With Brazilian Investigators
If you’ve been following TelexFree developments, you’ve probably heard about “Operation Orion,” the code name for the investigation that led to raids against TelexFree’s Ympactus arm last week by the Brazilian federal police. The Orion name was chosen, police said, because it fit splendidly within the context of a pyramid-scheme case. How so? The Pyramids…
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BULLETIN: Prosecutors Ask Judge Not To Release Money To TelexFree Figure James Merrill
BULLETIN: Federal prosecutors handling the criminal case against TelexFree figure and alleged co-owner James Merrill have asked a judge not to release $4 million Merrill says he needs to pay for his criminal defense. On July 1, Merrill asked for an evidentiary hearing aimed ultimately at securing “an order returning the identified funds” to him.…
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BULLETIN: Merrill, Wanzeler Charged With Wire-Fraud Conspiracy; Wanzeler Labeled ‘Fugitive’; Scope Of TelexFree Fraud ‘Breathtaking,’ Top Federal Prosecutor Says; Undercover Probe Had Been Under Way For Months, With ‘Intelligence Research Specialist’ Placing ‘Ads’ And Undercover Agent Mixing With Promoters
BULLETIN: (18th Update 8:15 a.m. EDT, May 10, U.S.A.) TelexFree figures James Merrill and Carlos Wanzeler have been charged criminally with conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Merrill, 53, was arrested in Worcester, Mass. Wanzeler, 45, of Northborough, Mass., has been labeled a “fugitive.” In similar prosecutions, U.S. authorities have notified INTERPOL about the subjects of…
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BULLETIN: U.S. Trustee Says ‘Compelling Evidence Of Fraud’ And ‘Reasonable Grounds’ To Believe ‘Criminal Conduct’ Occurred On Road To TelexFree Bankruptcy Filing
BULLETIN: (11th Update 2:35 p.m. EDT U.S.A.) The United States’ trustee who serves the region (Nevada) in which TelexFree’s bankruptcy case was filed on April 13 has alleged there are “reasonable grounds” to believe that “criminal conduct” occurred at TelexFree. Trustee Tracy Hope Davis, who works for a division of the U.S. Department of Justice,…
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UPDATE: In SEC’s TelexFree Case, Agency Says Department Of Homeland Security And Sheriff’s Deputy Stopped Nearly $38 Million From Leaving Firm’s Massachusetts Office During Execution Of Search Warrant; Money Is Now Frozen
EDITOR’S NOTE: See story from earlier today on the SEC’s complaint and fraud allegations against the TelexFree “program,” executives and key promoters. ** ______________________________ ** A Bristol County Deputy Sheriff at the scene of a Tuesday raid by the Department of Homeland Security at TelexFree headquarters in Marlborough, Mass., stopped nearly $38 million in cashier’s…