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Tag: Internal Revenue Service

  • Another ‘Ken Russo’ Disaster: Team Of Feds Hammers Alleged Operator Of ‘Program’ Pushed By Ponzi-Forum Legend

    breakingnews725UPDATED 7:51 EDT U.S.A. Let’s start by giving you the roster of federal agencies involved in the investigations and prosecutions of William M. Apostelos, 54, and Connie M. Apostelos, 50, his wife:

    (1.) The Office of U.S. Attorney Carter M. Stewart of the Southern District of Ohio. (2.) Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation. (3.) The FBI. (4.) The U.S. Postal Inspection Service. (5.) U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General. (6.) U.S. Department of Labor Employee Benefits Security Administration.

    In addition to the six federal agencies, the Ohio Department of Commerce Division of Securities joined in the probe that uncovered an alleged $70 million Ponzi scheme.

    So, how does Ponzi-forum legend “Ken Russo” fit into all of this? Here we’ll turn to a Nov. 1, 2014, story at BehindMLM.com. The story quotes “Ken Russo” on yet-another scam he is pushing. (Italics added.)

    I am very firm in my belief that this is the real deal and I get no sense whatsoever that any kind of scam is intended here. It is very seldom that we can find an opportunity as transparent and viable as the Genesis Acquisitions International, LLC. investment club.

    It turned out that William Apostelos was linked to Genesis Acquisitions and a sorry cast of other companies, including WMA Enterprises LLC, Midwest Green Resources LLC and Roan Capital.

    Connie Apostelos, also known as Connie Coleman, also operated and oversaw multiple companies in the Dayton area, including Coleman Capital Inc. and Silver Bridle Racing LLC, prosecutors said.

    “These companies were allegedly operated through improper use of investor funds to William Apostelos’ companies,” Stewart’s office said.

    From the statement (italics added):

    William and Connie Apostelos are charged with one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, eight counts of mail fraud and 13 counts of wire fraud, each crimes punishable by up to 20 years in prison. They were also charged with two counts of money laundering, which each carry a potential 10-year prison sentence. They were also charged with one count of theft or embezzlement from employee benefit plan, which carries a maximum penalty of up to five years imprisonment. Finally, Connie Apostelos is charged separately with one count of making a false statement, which carries a maximum penalty of up to five years imprisonment.

    See the PP Blog’s archive of story references to “Ken Russo,” perhaps the most prolific Ponzi pitchman on the planet.

    Visit a recent “Ken Russo”-related thread at the RealScam.com antiscam forum for a “program” known as “MyBinaryProfits.”

  • BULLETIN: Feds Say Man Filed False Liens For Tens Of Billions Of Dollars Against Federal Prosecutors, Investigators; Mark D. Leitner Indicted In Florida

    BULLETIN: It has happened again, this time in the Sunshine State.

    Mark D. Leitner has been indicted in Florida on charges of filing false liens against federal prosecutors, investigators and court personnel involved in his criminal trial last year on tax charges.

    Leitner, whose age and address were not provided in a Justice Department statement, was accused of filing liens for $48.489 billion against a number of federal employees. He was specifically accused of filing false liens, corruptly endeavoring to impede and impair the Internal Revenue Service and publicly disclosing Social Security numbers in the commission of illegal activity.

    In at least five instances, Leitner disclosed the Social Security numbers of federal officials, prosecutors said. Records at the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, meanwhile, show that Leitner unsuccessfully tried to sue the United States last year.

    Records at the Federal Bureau of Prisons show that Mark Daniel Leitner is an inmate at the Lewisburg federal penitentiary in Pennsylvania. His age is listed as 39.

    Mark Daniel Leitner was convicted in Pensacola last year in a tax case, according to federal records.

    The new case against Leitner is reminiscent of events surrounding the AdSurfDaily autosurf, which federal prosecutors described as a $110 million Ponzi scheme.

    ASD figures Kenneth Wayne Leaming and Christian Oesch unsuccessfully sought to sue the United States last year, apparently for the staggering sum of $29 TRILLION, after key court rulings went against the Florida-based company operated by Andy Bowdoin.

    Leaming and Oesch also used the U.S. Court of Federal Claims. As was the case with Leitner, their lawsuit bid was rejected.

    ASD is known to have members who define themselves as “sovereign” beings who are not answerable to U.S. law.

    In the Leitner case, prosecutors said that he  “filed and mailed numerous harassing and frivolous documents to the court and personnel.”

    Some ASD members claimed a federal judge owed tens of millions of dollars for her role in the ASD case. The U.S. Secret Service and federal prosecutors also were targeted with mail that demanded them to take certain actions.

    See earlier story that references Leitner and the Pensacola tax case.

    See earlier story on Kenneth Wayne Leaming. See another one. Leaming, who claims to practice maritime law but appears never to have attended law school,  has been sanctioned in Washington state for filing bogus liens, according to records.

    See December 2010 story about a false-liens case against Andrew Isaac Chance in Maryland.

    See an August 2010 story about a false-liens case against Thanh Viet Jeremy Cao in California.

    See a June 2010 story about a false-liens case against Ronald James Davenport in Washington state.

  • SPECIAL REPORT: Woman Blocked By Federal Judge From Filing Claim In ASD Case Notarized $9.2 Billion ‘Lien’ Against Hospital In Washington State; Kenneth Wayne Leaming Sought To Attach ‘All Tangible’ Property Of Franciscan Healthcare Facility

    Kenneth Wayne Leaming, also known as Kenneth Wayne.
    Kenneth Wayne Leaming, also known as Kenneth Wayne.

    UPDATED 8:03 A.M. ET (U.S.A., Nov. 23) A Washington state notary public stripped of her license last month notarized a purported “admiralty” lien for the colossal sum of $9.24 billion against Franciscan Heath Systems, the faith-based operator of St. Clare Hospital of Lakewood, Wash., according to records.

    The Franciscan tradition in Washington state traces its roots to 1891, when the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia founded St. Joseph Hospital in Tacoma. St. Clare is a 106-bed facility that serves Lakewood, Spanaway, Steilacoom, DuPont, University Place and other communities in Pierce County, according to records.

    The purported lien, acknowledged with the seal of notary Tina M. Hall, was in favor of her business colleague, Kenneth Wayne Leaming, according to records in Pierce County.

    Both Hall and Leaming are listed as officers of American International Business Law Inc., a Spanaway company some members of Florida-based AdSurfDaily say is performing legal work on their behalf.

    U.S. District Judge Rosemary Collyer of the District of Columbia has blocked bids by both Hall and Leaming to file pleadings in the ASD case. Hall lost her notary license last month after notarizing a string of bizarre documents in Washington state. The nature of the documents she sought to file in the ASD case, which is being prosecuted in the District of Columbia, has not been disclosed publicly.

    Some ASD members have said they intended to pursue an admiralty claim against the government.

    Leaming, using the notary services of Hall, sought in June 2009 to attach “all tangible and intangible property” of the hospital, including its fixtures, furnishings, motor vehicles, bank accounts, passbooks, saving certificates, stock certificates, lines of credit, inventories, promissory notes, office equipment, educational equipment — and even its mineral and water rights, according to records.

    Hall’s license was revoked about 14 months later. The precise reason for the revocation — and whether the documents filed against the hospital played any role in the revocation decision — was not immediately clear.

    Other records show that Hall has filed similar documents on Leaming’s behalf in other cases. One of them was for $10 million against members of the City Council of Puyallap, Wash.

    Hall also notarized documents for other clients, including a filing styled an “Affidavit of Alternative Obligation” for $100 million against a bank dubbed an “agent” for the Internal Revenue Service.

    Such scorched-earth filings have been referred to in other cases as “paper terrorism,” a litigation approach that is designed to rattle the nerves of judges, prosecutors, attorneys and courtroom opponents. ASD member Curtis Richmond has been associated with such filings in a separate case in Utah. In the Utah case,  Richmond was among a group of litigants sued successfully for racketeering after a purported “Indian” tribe with which they were involved placed a bogus lien against a county prosecutor for $250 million.

    Leaming, who was accused in 2005 of the unauthorized practice of law in Washington state, was dubbed “Postmaster” in the bizarre filing against Franciscan Heath Systems, the hospital, Pierce County Court Commissioner Mark Gelman and others.

    Members of law enforcement were expressly warned in the notarized document not to attempt to “negate” Leaming’s wishes to attach the property of the hospital and others. Parties who attempted to interfere “shall be deemed outlaws and/or felons and shall be prosecuted,” according to the filing.

    If filing liens against a hospital that has the responsibility for tending to the needs of entire communities were not enough, Leaming also filed liens or claims against the Washington State Bar Association, members of the Practice of Law Board and others.

    These liens were styled “commercial liens” or “admiralty” claims or “international claims.” On Oct. 16, 2009, a judge ruled them null and void and ordered Leaming to pay the attorneys’ fees and court costs of his targets. The judge also imposed a $10,000 sanction against Leaming to be paid to the Washington State Bar Association’s Lawyer’s Fund for Client Protection.

    See earlier story about the revocation of Hall’s notary license for “professional misconduct.”

    See earlier story about ads listing Leaming as an attorney being pulled from prominent websites.

    See earlier story about threatening email received by some ASD members.