It’s enough to fuel the AdSurfDaily conspiracy theorists for years: Pamela Marsh, who represented ASD President Andy Bowdoin in a pyramid-scheme case in state court in Florida, has been confirmed by the U.S. Senate as the new U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
Meanwhile, Jonathan Goodman, one of the attorneys who represented Bowdoin in the Ponzi-scheme forfeiture case filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, has been appointed a federal Magistrate Judge in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida.
At the same time, an attorney for Akerman Senterfitt — the firm that employed both Marsh and Goodman — has been appointed to unravel the alleged K. Wayne McLeod Ponzi scheme that targeted members of law enforcement.
Akerman Senterfitt’s Michael I. Goldberg already has begun his duties as receiver in the McLeod/Federal Employee Benefits Group case.
President Obama appointed Marsh U.S. Attorney in April. She was confirmed by the Senate June 22.
“Pam’s deep understanding of the law and commitment to excellence and ethics in her work made her a strong asset to the firm and she is the perfect choice to lead this important office,” said Andrew Smulian, chairman and chief executive officer of Akerman Senterfitt. “Pam has had great success in both the public and private sector and I am confident she will bring these impressive talents to her new role. We are particularly proud that Pam continues the tradition of Akerman attorneys who have made a special commitment to public service.”
Marsh and Goodman have considerable experience as both prosecutors and defense attorneys.
Bowdoin, 75, went on to fire an unclear number of attorneys representing him in state or federal court in ASD-related litigation, citing alleged incompetence and a conspiracy theory that his lawyers were only “looking out for the best interest of the government.â€
In 2008, federal prosecutors claimed Bowdoin had “followers.” In September 2009, they claimed he was “delusional.”
Court records suggest Bowdoin withheld key information from both his attorneys and ASD members. While claiming in court that ASD was broke and could not pay its rent, Bowdoin did not disclose that ASD had $1 million in an offshore account under a different name, federal prosecutors said.
He also claimed that “Ponzi” allegations against the company in Florida had been dropped, but the office of Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum pointed out that Bowdoin had never been accused by the state of operating a Ponzi scheme. The state brought pyramid allegations against the company.
Despite federal allegations that Bowdoin was using an appeal to religion and operating a $100 million Ponzi scheme through 10 bank accounts in his personal name and that ASD was buying real estate, cars, jet skis, a boat and marine equipment with criminal proceeds, followers by the thousands initially lined up to support him.
Some of his supporters said they associated themselves with a theory that the U.S. Congress met in secret session during the 1990s — a decade in which Bowdoin pleaded guilty to fleecing Alabama investors in a securities scheme — to pass secret legislation in anticipation of a visit by reptilian aliens.
Some supporters also said they believed President Kennedy was assassinated in 1963 because he was about to expose a banking conspiracy.
Eventually dozens of pro se litigants attempted to intervene in a forfeiture case brought by the U.S. Secret Service in August 2008. Some of them advanced a theory that prosecutors and judges were conspiring against Bowdoin.
Others claimed the government had neither evidence nor witnesses, claims that were publicly refuted in court filings even before the claims were made. At least one ASD member sought unsuccessfully to force the ouster of U.S. District Judge Rosemary Collyer, claiming she was conspiring with another federal judge to deny justice to ASD members and operating a “kangaroo court.”
The same member — Curtis Richmond — also sought unsuccessfully in 2008 to oust a federal judge in a separate case by claiming the judge owed him $30 million.
Bowdoin himself also tried unsuccessfully to oust Collyer. One of his supporters falsely claimed the government had invested the seized funds and recorded a profit of more than $1 billion.
In September 2009, Bowdoin claimed that his battle against the government was inspired by a former Miss America. He previously claimed the raid on ASD was the equivalent of the 9/11 terrorist attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people, and described the Secret Service and prosecutors as “Satan.”
