RICO

EDITOR’S NOTE: So-called “sovereign citizens” have made news in the AdSurfDaily Ponzi case and in other court actions across America. One of the hallmarks of sovereign citizens is the pro-se pleading, including pleadings in which the filers do not use their full given names. (Think “Kenneth Wayne” in the ASD case, as opposed to “Kenneth […]

UPDATED 2:25 P.M. EDT (U.S.A.) In a complex case unfolding in Florida, the SEC has filed fraud charges against two companies that allegedly sold unregistered securities and conducted a $27.5 million “investment scheme” involving “purported commodities contracts.” A receiver has been appointed to marshal the assets of the murky businesses, which are known as Commodities […]

UPDATED 9:28 A.M. ET (U.S.A.) On Dec. 1, a federal magistrate judge set bail of $350,000 for AdSurfDaily President Andy Bowdoin and ordered him not to commit a federal, state or local crime after his arrest by the U.S. Secret Service on charges of wire fraud, securities fraud and selling unregistered securities. Bowdoin, 76, was […]

Four egg-themed domain names used to drive business to HYIPs that ended in spectacular flameouts and foreshadowed a warning from the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) have gone missing. The domains — including one that redirected to an HYIP site known bizarrely as Cash Tanker, which used an image of Jesus Christ to promote a […]

EDITOR’S NOTE: This is a post in which the introduction is longer than the actual story (below). The story demonstrates the dangers of jumping on bandwagons before giving them careful thought. Longtime readers of the PP Blog will recall our coverage of Curtis Richmond, “Professor” Patrick Moriarty and ASD Members International (ASDMI). Each was a […]

Robert Guenther and a woman referenced as “Jane Doe” are listed as defendants in a shareholder lawsuit filed Feb. 2 in Arizona by investors in Cheyenne Mountain Games (CMG) and Cheyenne Mountain Entertainment (CME). Guenther is the de facto head of the ASD Members Business Association (ASDMBA), an entity that came to life in the […]

Disbarred Florida attorney Scott Rothstein has pleaded guilty to a racketeering conspiracy that included mail fraud and wire fraud, and to two separate counts of wire fraud. “Today’s guilty plea is an important step in bringing to justice those who perpetrated a $1.2 billion Ponzi scheme under the guise of operating a legitimate law firm,” […]

EDITOR’S NOTE: This list summarizes several programs pushed by members of AdSurfDaily, a Florida company implicated in an alleged $100 million Ponzi scheme. In some cases, the programs were pushed prior to the seizure by the U.S. Secret Service in August 2008 of 15 bank accounts linked to ASD or Golden Panda Ad Builder, one […]

UPDATED 5:24 P.M. ET (U.S.A.) Is the “joe” who posted here before being blocked for showcasing an utter lack of restraint the same “joe” who pitched four HYIPs on the Pro-AdSurfDaily Surf’s Up forum two days ago? We don’t know. We do know, however, that both “joes” have pushed Ponzi programs and displayed an astonishing […]

UPDATED 1:19 P.M. ET (U.S.A.) Former Fort Lauderdale attorney Scott Rothstein was arrested by the FBI this morning after being charged with racketeering and other offenses. The arrest occurred only days after Rothstein was disbarred by the Florida Supreme Court. Rothstein pleaded not guilty. He then was jailed without bail. Separately, federal prosecutors moved late […]

A federal judge has denied motions by Bank of America and AdSurfDaily attorney Robert Garner to dismiss a lawsuit in which ASD members alleged Garner and ASD President Andy Bowdoin had engaged in racketeering. Bank of America was not named a RICO defendant. Rather, the bank was accused of aiding and abetting ASD in a […]