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Tag: Secret Service

  • UPDATE: Robert Hodgins Still Wanted By Interpol; Co-Defendant In Narcotics Probe With Link To AdSurfDaily Case Sentenced To Prison; Colombian Drug Business Used Same Debit Card As ASD

    Robert Hodgins of Dallas-based Virtual Money Inc. is wanted by Interpol in an international money-laundering case that allegedly involves proceeds from the sale of narcotics. Virtual Money Inc.'s name is referenced in the AdSurfDaily autosurf Ponzi scheme case brought by the U.S. Secret Service and the PhoenixSurf autosurf Ponzi scheme case brought by the Securities and Exchange Commission. The case against VM and Hodgins was brought by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the IRS. PHOTO SOURCE: Interpol.

    A Colombian national implicated in an international conspiracy to launder drug money has been sentenced to 45 months in prison, federal prosecutors announced.

    Meanwhile, another figure in the alleged scheme — Robert Hodgins, the operator of Dallas-based Virtual Money Inc. (VM) — remains at large, prosecutors said. Hodgins is wanted by Interpol on a warrant issued by a federal judge in Connecticut.

    Hodgins is Canadian by birth and lived in the Oklahoma City area of the United States, according to records.

    VM’s name is referenced in the forfeiture allegations in the AdSurfDaily autosurf Ponzi scheme case brought by the U.S. Secret Service in the District of Columbia in August 2008. It also is referenced in the PhoenixSurf Ponzi prosecution brought by the SEC in Los Angeles in July 2007.

    Juan Merlano Salazar, 36, of Medellin, Colombia, was sentenced to 45 months Aug. 9 by U.S. District Judge Mark R. Kravitz of the District of Connecticut. Salazar is among five defendants convicted so far in the money-laundering case, which allegedly involved the use of debit cards provided by VM to launder drug proceeds at ATMs in Colombia, according to court filings.

    Hodgins also is alleged to have accepted $100,000 to launder drug proceeds in the Dominican Republic.

    The Colombian narco business used “stored value cards” to enable drug proceeds to be withdrawn from banks in Medellin as Colombian pesos, prosecutors said.

    Medellin was home base to the late drug lord Pablo Escobar.

    In August 2009, the PP Blog reported that VM’s name appeared in advertising materials for ASD in 2007. Records suggest that Hodgins or a VM designate attended an ASD function in Orlando in November 2006, about a month after ASD began its rollout.

    This 2007 ad for ASD promoted the VM debit card.

    Some ASD members have said they observed large sums of cash and briefcases full of cashiers’ checks at ASD “rallies” in U.S. cities in the spring and summer of 2008, which led to questions about whether ASD was laundering money for a drug cartel and international criminals.

    If the allegations against VM and Hodgins are true, it means the company that provided the debit cards ASD used was in the business of laundering money for at least one international narco business.

    On Aug. 1, 2008, the U.S. Secret Service seized more than $80 million in the ASD case. The money allegedly was tied to at least three autosurfs: ASD, GoldenPandaAdBuilder and LaFuenteDinero.

    ASD, which had operated under at least one other name and perhaps as many as three or more, claimed in 2007 that one of the reasons it could not make payments to members was that $1 million had been stolen by “Russian” hackers.

    Prosecutors said ASD never filed a police report — not even to report the theft of a huge sum of money. ASD instead relaunched as ASD Cash Generator. By the summer of 2008, it was gathering tens of millions of dollars per week.

    One bank account in the name of ASD President Andy Bowdoin seized by the Secret Service contained more than $31 million, according to court filings. Another account in Bowdoin’s name contained more than $23 million. Bowdoin was referenced as the “Sole Proprietor” of the accounts.

    All in all, the Secret Service seized more than $65.8 million from 10 Bowdoin bank accounts, and more than $14 million from at least five bank accounts linked to Golden Panda, according to records.

  • KABOOM! FTC Says ‘Medical Discount’ Hucksters Used Images Of Obama, Words From Congressional Speech To Fleece Customers; Receiver Already Has Seized Website; Feds, 24 States Launch Fraud Crackdown

    The FTC said today that images of President Obama were used to help a bogus "medical discount plan" trick customers into believing they were purchasing health insurance.

    EDITOR’S NOTE: Some readers will recall that one of the Secret Service’s allegations in the AdSurfDaily Ponzi case is that pitchmen tried to sanitize the scheme by making false claims that ASD President Andy Bowdoin had received an award for business acumen from President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney.

    Others will recall that Mantria Corp. — implicated in a Ponzi scheme by the SEC — used images of former President Clinton and other world figures to sanitize a “green” energy scheme.

    Now comes word that the FTC has brought a fraud case against a company amid allegations it used images of President Obama, the White House, the U.S. Capitol and lawmakers to sanitize a bogus “medical discount plan”  marketed as health insurance.

    Here, now, the story . . .

    A company that used images of President Obama and the White House — along with logos that resembled the logos of government agencies — has been charged by the Federal Trade Commission with marketing a bogus “medical discount plan” as healthcare insurance.

    At least two other firms and their operators and associates have been charged separately with running discount scams, and a nationwide crackdown involving at least 24 states is under way. The FTC has dubbed the sweep “Operation Health Care Hustle.”

    “With so many Americans struggling to deal with the costs of health care, these medical discount benefit plans sound appealing because they masquerade as health insurance,” said David Vladeck, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “But they are not insurance. They don’t offer the benefits of health insurance, and victims don’t know they’ve been ripped off until after they’ve tried to use the service and paid their bill.”

    The fraud case against Health Care One LLC and associated firms illustrates the dangers not only of promoting scams, but also of of trying to recruit customers into them by implying a product or service is endorsed by the President, members of Congress or the government in general.

    Indeed, Health Care One’s website already has been seized by a court-appointed receiver — and content that once appeared on the site and affiliated sites has vanished. In a remarkable news presentation today, the FTC released a video pitch used by the company.

    Healthcare One LLC used images of the White House while scamming customers, the FTC said.

    The pitch features video of Obama addressing Congress about healthcare issues on Sept. 9, 2009. Heathcare One makes Obama the star of the video, showcasing remarks in which the President stated, “No one should go broke because they get sick.” Vice President Joe Biden and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi are in the background of the video.

    The video then cuts away to a passage in which Obama said, “That is heartbreaking. It is wrong, and no one should be treated that way in the United States of America.”

    The video then quickly cuts away again to an image of the U.S. Capitol. Official-looking logos appear on the screen, along with the words “REGISTRATION NOW OPEN[:] NATIONAL HEALTHCARE DISCOUNT PROGRAM[:] FOR ALL UNINSURED AMERICANS.”

    A narrator simultaneously declares that “registration is now open for a national healthcare discount program.” The narrator — as an image of the White House replaces an image of the Capitol — goes on to say that “Citizens4Healthcare is now authorized to offer you savings of 20 to 60 percent on doctors, hospitals, prescription drugs and more.”

    As the video proceeds, the narrator declares that “there are daily registration limits for this program, so call now for immediate acceptance . . .”

    Healthcare One was specifically charged with claiming it sold health insurance when it did not — and of misleading the public into thinking it was affiliated with the federal government.

    “Defendants’ advertisements lead consumers to reasonably believe that Health Care One’s program is affiliated with, or endorsed or sponsored by, the federal government,” the FTC said.

    “It is not,” the agency said flatly in court filings, accusing the company of selling a scam.

    Read more about “Operation Health Care Hustle.” (Look in the upper-right corner of the screen when you land on the FTC page. You”ll find links to other cases announced today — and also a link to the video cited above.)

  • AdViewGlobal Website Offline; ‘Surfing’ Site With Close ASD Ties Suspended Cashouts A Year Ago

    The website of AdViewGlobal (AVG), an autosurf with close ties to the alleged AdSurfDaily Ponzi scheme, has gone offline.

    Why AVG’s site was offline was not immediately clear. One person told the PP Blog that the site had been “down for days.” AVG’s domain, which lists a registration address in Uruguay and appears to use a dedicated server that resolves to Panama, would not return a ping this morning.

    Aug. 1 was the two-year anniversary of the seizure by the U.S. Secret Service of tens of millions of dollars in the ASD case. AVG, fueled by the participation of ASD members, launched in the aftermath of the ASD seizure and the filing of a racketeering lawsuit against ASD President Andy Bowdoin.

    Promotions for AVG began to appear online less than a month after ASD lost a key court battle in November 2008. In January 2009, AVG graphics were seen on an ASD-controlled website, but AVG denied any ties to ASD. By February 2009, AVG was up an running, and some of the moderators of the Pro-ASD Surf’s Up forum started a forum to promote AVG.

    AVG, whose site remained online after the company suspended payouts in June 2009 and announced it was conducting an audit of itself, perhaps is one of the oddest autosurfs of all time.

    Although AVG denied any ASD ties, the person issuing the denial on behalf of AVG was a former ASD employee. Even while issuing the denial, the former ASD employee confirmed that Gary Talbert, a former ASD executive, was the chief executive officer of AVG.

    AVG later went on to form a purported “private association” purportedly based in Uruguay. The surf bizarrely claimed U.S. Constitutional protections despite the competing claim it operated on foreign soil.

    By June 25, 2009, AVG had collapsed — after running a virtually never-ending series of promotions that offered 200 percent bonuses to both existing members and the prospects they recruited. One promoter claimed that $5,000 placed with AVG turned into $15,000 “instantly!”

    The surf later said it was the victim of a $2.7 million theft.

    AVG went offline for a brief period in September 2009 after its domain-name registration expired. Records show that the domain name is valid until Sept. 22, 2010 — more than a month from today’s date.

    Read this story for the names of other autosurfs/HYIPs promoted by ASD members.

    Read this story on AVG threats directed at members and the media after its collapse.

    Read this story on a method an AVG member said would help other members qualify for bonuses. (Make sure you read the comments from readers below the story.)

  • BULLETIN: Another ‘False Liens’ Case Alleged; Feds Charge Thanh Viet Jeremy Cao With Targeting Federal Judges, SEC, IRS, Secret Service And Prosecutors In Paperwork Scheme

    BULLETIN: Yet-another bizarre paperwork attack on U.S. law enforcement has occurred.

    A California man has been charged with filing “false liens” in Nevada against federal officials and employees of the SEC, the Secret Service, the IRS, four federal judges and staff members of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California, federal prosecutors said.

    Thanh Viet Jeremy Cao was indicted by a federal grand jury in Las Vegas on charges of filing 22 false liens ranging from $25 million to $300 million against the officials, prosecutors said.

    He also sought $20 billion in fraudulent tax refunds, prosecutors charged.

    Cao resides in Orange County, Calif. If convicted on all counts, he faces up to 223 years in prison and a fine of up to $5.75 million.

    “Cao corruptly obstructed the administration of the federal tax laws, by, among other things, filing retaliatory false liens against IRS employees, filing and attempting to file with the IRS false Forms 1099-OID (Original Issue Discount) that claimed fictitious income tax withholdings, filing and attempting to file false tax returns that claim fraudulent refunds totaling approximately $20 billion, and preparing at least five false tax returns for third parties that claimed fraudulent income tax refunds totaling in excess of $1.1 million based upon fictitious income tax withholdings,” prosecutors said.

    In June, Ronald James Davenport of Deer Park, Wash., was charged with filing false liens against federal officials in Washington state.

    Davenport sought the spectacular sum of nearly $5.2 billion from each of the officials, including U.S. Attorney James McDevitt of the Eastern District of Washington, an assistant U.S. attorney, a court clerk and an IRS agent, according to court records.

    Prosecutors described Davenport as a “tax defier.” Davenport has described himself in court filings as a “sovereign.”

    Some members of the alleged AdSurfDaily autosurf Ponzi scheme and other HYIP schemes have been linked to tax-deniers and the so-called “sovereign” movement.

    See earlier story that references the Davenport action. (The story also provides some background on court filings and other actions by ASD members.)

    In a civil case that preceded the criminal indictment against Davenport, Senior U.S. District Judge Justin L. Quackenbush ruled in May that the liens “were filed to retaliate against the officers for their good-faith efforts to enforce the tax laws against Mr. Davenport.”

    Quackenbush struck the liens, which were filed in the form of UCC Financing Statements with the Washington State Department of Licensing, according to records. The liens not only were fraudulent, but also contained “sensitive personal information” that violated privacy laws, the judge ruled.

    Davenport also filed instruments dubbed “Notice[s] of Claim of Maritime Lien” with the Spokane County Auditor’s Office, according to records. Those, too, were struck.

    The act of filing false liens or sending “demand” letters to officials or litigation opponents in a bid to hamstring civil and criminal prosecutions has been referred to as “paper terrorism” and “mailbox arbitration.”

  • GO FINRA! Regulator Tackles Online HYIPs; Issues Warning On ‘Social Media-Linked Ponzi Schemes’; References P2P, Genius Funds, ‘Con Artists’ And ‘Bizarre Substratum’ Of Internet

    EDITOR’S NOTE: It has become increasingly clear that regulators and the law-enforcement community are rallying around a common theme that web-based promoters are using discussion forums and social-networking sites in bids to sanitize HYIP Ponzi schemes by positioning them as attractive investment opportunities and even a thrilling form of gambling that pays commissions.

    Today the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) launched an awareness campaign aimed at taking the lipstick off financial pigs and exposing them for the economy-killing, filthy hogs they are. FINRA did not mince words, calling the HYIP universe a “bizarre substratum of the Internet.”

    Here, now, the story . . .

    The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) has launched a public-awareness campaign and issued an investor alert on HYIP schemes that use social-media sites such as YouTube, Twitter, Facebook and online forums and “rating” sites to spread Ponzi misery globally.

    “HYIPs are old-fashioned Ponzi schemes dressed up for a Web 2.0 world,” said John Gannon, FINRA’s senior vice president. “Some of these schemes encourage people to bring in new victims, while others entice investors to ‘ride the Ponzi’ by attempting to get in and get out before the scheme collapses.”

    FINRA is supplementing its educational campaign with an advertising campaign.

    “By using Google AdWords, we are hoping to reach anyone searching the Internet for HYIPs before they fall into the hands of con artists,” Gannon said.

    FINRA’s campaign occurs against the backdrop of remarkable law-enforcement actions against the alleged Legisi Ponzi scheme pushed by Matt Gagnon of Mazu.com, the alleged Pathway To Prosperity (P2P) Ponzi scheme pushed on forums such as ASA Monitor, MoneyMakerGroup, Talk Gold and MyCashForums, and the collapse of an HYIP known as Genius Funds.

    It also occurs against the backdrop of “prelaunch” buzz surrounding a mysterious program known as WebsiteTester.biz, which is spreading virally on the Internet through electronic news releases, references on promoters’ websites and daily updates on Twitter.

    Promoters’ advertising is heavy for WebsiteTesterBiz, despite the fact the company’s domain name is registered behind a proxy, its purported parent company’s domain name is registered behind a proxy and there is a paucity of any verifiable information about either firm.

    FINRA specifically referenced the alleged P2P Ponzi in its educational materials. It also provided a link to information published about the collapsed Genius Funds HYIP by the British Columbia Securities Commission. Alarmingly, FINRA said the Genius Funds’ fraud costs investors a staggering $400 million.

    Federal prosecutors who filed criminal charges against P2P operator Nicholas Smirnow declared in May that “[a] large percentage, if not all, HYIPs, are Ponzi schemes.”

    In its resource material, FINRA is building on that theme.

    “[V]irtually every HYIP we have seen bears hallmarks of fraud,” FINRA said. “We are issuing this alert to warn investors worldwide to stay away from HYIPs.”

    P2P gathered more than $70 million. Legisi also gathered more than $70 million, according to court records.

    Separately, the alleged AdSurfDaily autosurf Ponzi scheme gathered at least $80 million and perhaps $100 million or more, according to records. Autosurfing is a form of HYIP fraud. The U.S. Secret Service acted against ASD in August 2008.

    In February 2010, an autosurf known as INetGlobal also came under investigation by the Secret Service. The SEC has acted against autosurfs known as 12DailyPro, PhoenixSurf and CEP, which gathered tens of millions of dollars combined — fueled by online promotions.

    Citing FBI statistics, FINRA said “the number of new HYIP investigations during fiscal year 2009 increased more than 100 percent over fiscal year 2008.”

    The regulator specifically warned about websites that “Rank the latest programs and provide details of ‘payout options.’” At the same time, it warned about sites that “Allow web designers to buy ready-made HYIP templates and set up an ‘instant’ HYIP.” Meanwhile, it warned about sites that “Blog, chat and ‘teach’ about HYIPs.”

    “Some HYIP ‘investors’ proffer strategies for maximizing profits and avoiding losses — everything from videos showing how to ‘make massive profits’ in HYIPs and ‘build a winning HYIP portfolio’ to an eBook on how to ‘ride the Ponzi’ and get in and out before a scheme collapses,” FINRA said.

    “Other HYIP forums discuss how to enter ‘test spends,’ how to identify new HYIPs to maximize one’s chances of being an early stage payee and even how to check when a HYIP’s domain name expires so you can guess how long it might pay returns before shutting down,” FINRA noted.

    One of the tips offered by FINRA was to be on the look out for “typos and poor grammar” in sales pitches.

    “This is often a tip-off that scammers are at work,” FINRA said.

    FINRA said HYIP scammers often don’t share critical information with investors.

    “HYIP operators cloak themselves in secrecy regarding who manages investor money, where the company is located or where to go to get additional information,” FINRA said.

    Claims about being “offshore” also are made, FINRA said.

    “Be aware that generally persons or firms offering securities to U.S. residents must be licensed by FINRA and registered with the SEC,” FINRA said.

    The sky often is positioned as the limit in the HYIP universe, which often relies on “online payment systems” — some of which “have been tied in recent years to criminal activity, including money laundering, identity theft and other scams,” FINRA warned.

    “High-yield investment programs (HYIPs) are unregistered investments created and touted by unlicensed individuals,” FINRA said. “Typically offered through slick (and sometimes not-so-slick) websites, HYIPs dangle the contradictory promises of safety coupled with high, unsustainable rates of return — 20, 30, 100 or more percent per day—through vague or murky trading strategies.”

    Read FINRA’s warning on HYIPs. (Make sure you click on the links in the body of the warning.)

    Read a PP Blog story about an alleged penny-stock scheme that was operated on Facebook and Twitter. Read a PP Blog story on P2P, and also one on Genius Funds and others.

    Read more about P2P. Read more about Legisi.

  • ASD-LIKE LITIGATION PLAYBOOK BACKFIRES: Washington State Man Indicted For Placing Fraudulent Liens Against Prosecutors, IRS Agent; Ronald James Davenport Faces Decades In Prison If Convicted

    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 mainstay in the AdSurfDaily autosurf Ponzi scheme case.

    Richmond, a member of a sham Utah “Indian” tribe, was sued successfully in 2008 under federal racketeering statutes for being part of a group that placed enormous financial judgments against Utah public officials in performance of their duties. The judgments were bogus. Richmond and other members of the sham tribe were ordered to pay damages and penalties totaling more than $108,000.

    Richmond has described himself in court filings as a “sovereign” being answerable only to Jesus Christ.

    Moriarty, now in federal prison in Missouri after pleading guilty in January to filing a false tax return, advocated Richmond’s legal theories in the ASD case. Among other things, Moriarty, who claimed to be skilled in the art of “karma restoration” and once sold fake academic degrees on eBay by explaining they were gag gifts, was part of a group — ASDMI — whose membership roster consisted of members of the now-defunct Surf’s Up forum.

    ASDMI came out of the gate by announcing a scorched-earth legal campaign against the government for its seizure of tens of millions of dollars in the ASD case. At least two federal prosecutors and at least one Secret Service agent became targets of a hectoring campaign that involved the use of certified mail. Surf’s Up championed the campaign, which was designed to demand a litigation result from the government by trapping the recipients of the certified mail into a contract to which they never agreed. The approach, which also was used by the sham Utah tribe in litigation separate from the ASD case, sometimes is known as “paper terrorism” or “mailbox arbitration.”

    Surf’s Up also championed a secondary campaign to write letters to Sen. Patrick Leahy, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Surf’s Up described the ASD case as a legal “travesty that was committed against the 100,000-plus members of ASD by US attorneys Jeffrey Taylor and William Cowden.”

    Richmond, fresh from his RICO rebuke in “Indian”-related litigation in Utah, then became a mainstay in the ASD case. He filed a series of pro-se pleadings accusing U.S. District Judge Rosemary Collyer and the prosecutors of crimes and threatening prosecution and lawsuits under federal racketeering statutes.

    Some ASD members cheered the filings. Richmond was dubbed a “hero” on Surf’s Up, and also on a forum some of the Surf’s Up Mods established to promote the AdViewGlobal (AVG) autosurf, which had close ASD ties. One of Richmond’s motions claimed that actions by Collyer, a court clerk and two prosecutors prevented an ASD member named Alana Holsted from “Collecting on an Entry of Default Affidavit for $30 million for each Defendant.” In the Utah “Indian” case, Richmond tried to force the federal judge presiding over the litigation to step down by claiming the judge owed him $30 million.

    It is believed that bogus payment claims against Collyer, the prosecutors and the court clerk by some pro-se litigants in the ASD case totaled at least $120 million. It is unclear if overt steps were taken to formalize the purported judgments by filing liens against the judge, the clerk and the prosecutors.

    Previously Richmond had been linked to a scheme to imprison federal judges and litigation opponents and had been declared in contempt of court in California for threatening and trying to intimidate judges.

    Although the story about Ronald James Davenport is not related to the ASD case, it demonstrates the risk of some of the approaches advocated by Richmond, Moriarty and ASDMI — and it shows the utter madness of the advocacy of the Surf’s Up forum. It was the type of advocacy that can land followers in prison for decades.

    Here, now, a brief on Ronald James Davenport . . .

    A Washington state man faces up to 40 years in prison if convicted on charges of filing fraudulent liens against a U.S. Attorney and other government officials, the U.S. Department of Justice said.

    Bogus liens filed by Ronald James Davenport of Deer Park sought the spectacular sum of nearly $5.2 billion from each of the officials, including U.S. Attorney James McDevitt of the Eastern District of Washington, an assistant U.S. attorney, a court clerk and an IRS agent, according to court records.

    Prosecutors described Davenport as a “tax defier.” Davenport has described himself in court filings as a “sovereign.”

    In a civil case that preceded the criminal indictment against Davenport, Senior U.S. District Judge Justin L. Quackenbush ruled last month that the liens “were filed to retaliate against the officers for their good-faith efforts to enforce the tax laws against Mr. Davenport.”

    Quackenbush struck the liens, which were filed in the form of UCC Financing Statements with the Washington State Department of Licensing, according to records. The liens not only were fraudulent, but also contained “sensitive personal information” that violated privacy laws, the judge ruled.

    Davenport also filed instruments dubbed “Notice[s] of Claim of Maritime Lien” with the Spokane County Auditor’s Office, according to records. Those, too, were struck.

    The government sued Davenport civilly in 2008 “to collect delinquent income taxes,” prosecutors said.

    Records show that Davenport responded by filing liens against the officials.

    “The indictment alleges that in retaliation for attempting to collect the delinquent taxes, Davenport made a series of fraudulent claims in December 2009,” prosecutors said.

    “Davenport filed liens against the property of these government officials, falsely claiming that each of them owed Davenport $5,184,000,000,” the Justice Department said.

  • Steve Renner Fires, Gets Restraining Order Against Donald Allen; Says Former VP Harassed Him, Tried To Extort $100,000

    Steve Renner

    Former INetGlobal CEO Steven Keough now has some company on the list of people alleged to have tried to extort money from the Steve Renner family of companies.

    Renner went to court yesterday in Minnesota to seek a restraining order prohibiting Donald Allen from harassing him. The order was granted after Renner asserted Allen tried to extort $100,000 and had engaged in a pattern of abusive behavior, including raising “havoc” with employees, threatening “to destroy him and his family,” posting libelous and defamatory material on the Internet and engaging in verbal harassment.

    Allen also was accused to taking pictures of Renner’s offices and employees without their consent.

    “[Allen] has attempted to extort $100,000 from Petitioner’s businesses [and] if not paid will go to the FBI and Secret Service,” Renner asserted.

    A judge ordered Allen not to harass Renner, not to have any contact with Renner and to stay away from Renner’s home. The judge also ordered Allen to stay one “city block” away “in all directions” from Renner’s businesses in Minneapolis.

    Should Allen violate the order, he could be arrested, jailed for up to 90 days and fined up to $1,000, according to the order. Subsequent violations of the order could result in stiffer measures, including the filing of felony charges that could land Allen in jail for for up to 10 years and force him to pay a fine of up to $20,000.

    Allen is referred to in court papers as a previous employee of a Renner company.

    In a story published yesterday on the PP Blog, Allen said he was cooperating with the U.S. Secret Service “100 percent” in a probe of Renner’s business practices. The Secret Service said in February that it believed Renner was operating a Ponzi scheme and engaging in wire fraud and money laundering.

    Renner has not been charged with a crime and denies wrongdoing. Allen was vice president at V-Newswire, one of the “V” entities in the Renner family of companies. The Secret Service said in February that Allen had given confusing information to a customer of INetGlobal, another Renner entity.

    Allen denies wrongdoing, and now says he has met with the Secret Service twice and is cooperating fully in the Ponzi probe. The first meeting with the Secret Service occurred Friday, after agents showed up unannounced at his home, Allen said yesterday.

    In March, Renner accused Steven Keough, the former CEO of INetGlobal, of trying to extort $500,000 from the company. Keough may be the government’s star witness if charges are filed.

    “This is the same move they tried on Steve Keough,” Allen said this morning.  “I never tried to extort anything.”

  • Prosecutors Ask Judge For Order To Disqualify INetGlobal Attorney, Saying They May Wish To Cross-Examine Him As Witness In Ponzi Case

    UPDATED 11:31 A.M. EDT (U.S.A.) Federal prosecutors have filed a motion to disqualify attorney Mark Kallenbach as counsel for INetGlobal and related companies, claiming that Kallenbach is attempting to be both a witness in the case and a lawyer for multiple clients involved in a Ponzi scheme, wire fraud and money-laundering probe.

    Kallenbach, prosecutors said, has made himself a subject of cross-examination because of an affidavit he filed last month. They added that wearing two hats in the same case might create a conflict with the Minnesota Rules of Professional Responsibility, a local rule of U.S. District Court in Minnesota and the “Court’s inherent supervisory authority over its bar.”

    “Should Mr. Kallenbach testify, he will be cross-examined,” prosecutors said. “The Court will have to decide whether Mr. Kallenbach’s voluntary assumption of the role of witness works as a waiver of the attorney-client privilege on cross-examination, or whether the government’s cross-examination of Mr. Kallenbach will be limited, in ways it might not be limited if the witness was not counsel to several parties, in order to preserve the privilege.”

    On April 2 — a week ago yesterday — prosecutors said INetGlobal had no attorney of record in the autosurf Ponzi scheme litigation. Kallenbach filed a notice of appearance for the firm and several related companies on Monday, three days after the prosecution’s filing.

    On Wednesday, Kallenbach filed a second affidavit (see subhead below) labeled a supplement to an affidavit he filed March 25.

    Prosecutors responded by saying Kallenbach’s second affidavit “heightens the government’s concern about Mr. Kallenbach attempting to serve as both lawyer and witness” and that he should be disqualified as an attorney for “any of the individuals or companies involved” in the case.

    “This motion is brought because Mr. Kallenbach has made himself a necessary witness in this case,” prosecutors argued. “This is a case in which Mr. Kallenbach conducted his own
    investigation and then voluntarily drew up a lengthy affidavit setting forth his observations.”

    Their claim is based on a 20-page affidavit and 12 additional pages of exhibits Kallenbach filed March 25 — before he entered his notice of appearance as INetGlobal’s attorney in court.

    In his March 25 affidavit, Kallenbach said he conducted an “investigation” and concluded that “Inter-Mark and its subsidiary iNetGlobal and its other subsidiaries are clean, legitimate and profitable businesses.”

    Kallenbach, in the March 25 affidavit, attacked an affidavit for a search warrant by the U.S. Secret Service and also challenged assertions the government made about V-Local, a company related to INetGlobal.

    Prosecutors argued that the affidavit and conclusions Kallenbach described as “true facts” make him a witness. Some of the information was woven into a memorandum of law filed March 25 by Jon Hopeman on behalf of INetGlobal owner Steve Renner, prosecutors said.

    The prosecution motion was filed by Assistant U.S. Attorney John Docherty, one of the prosecutors who handled the Ponzi case against Tom Petters. Petters was sentenced this week to 50 years in prison for operating a $3.65 billion fraud.

    U.S. Attorney B. Todd Jones of the District of Minnesota approved the filing of the disqualification motion. The main page on Jones’ website lists three major Ponzi probes the office has undertaken in recent months, including the Petters’ case, the case involving Minnesota Ponzi scheme figures Trevor Cook and Pat Kiley, and the investigation into the business practices of Renner at INetGlobal.

    Minnesota’s Ponzi Plague

    Ponzi schemes have plagued Minnesota. The Cook/Kiley case involves at least $190 million and investor losses of at least $139 million, according to court filings.

    Another big case in Minnesota involved Gerard Cellette Jr. Cellette was implicated in a $53 million Ponzi scheme last year by Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman.

    Meanwhile, Charles “Chuck” E. Hays pleaded guilty last year to charges in a $20 million Ponzi-scheme case in which the government seized a $3 million yacht.

    Separately, three members of a Minneapolis family were indicted last year on Ponzi and fraud charges. The case became known as the Kalin Thanh Dao case. Dao’s parents also were indicted.

    Dao and her parents pleaded guilty. Prosecutors said money was siphoned from the scheme to pay for gambling in Las Vegas.

    “Investors were promised that their money would be placed in investment programs targeted within specific markets and industries,” prosecutors said. “Investors were also told that Kalin Dao had a ‘partner’ who held a seat on the New York Stock Exchange, had contacts in the emerging Asian markets who had ‘inside’ information, and was associated with various Las Vegas casinos.”

    The Kalin Thanh Dao probe uncovered a web of deceit in which Dao’s father claimed nearly $3 million in losses for businesses owned by his daughter to eliminate his personal tax liabilities, and Dao’s mother claimed to be “single,” the “head of [a] household” — and also claimed a tax exemption for Dao.

    Kalin Thanh Dao was 32 years old and operated at least four companies, prosecutors said.

    “Instead of investing the investors’ funds as promised, Kalin Dao diverted substantial amounts of the funds for her own purposes, including gambling, lulling payments and personal expenses,” prosecutors said. “She also admitted that the fraud was between $2.5 and $7 million.”

    Also on the Ponzi front, AdSurfDaily, a Florida-based company implicated in a massive autosurf Ponzi scheme by the Secret Service in 2008, was popular in Minnesota. Some Minnesota members of ASD were among the staunchest defenders of ASD President Andy Bowdoin.

    The Secret Service referenced the ASD case in filings in the INetGlobal case, saying an undercover agent was introduced to INetGlobal by an ASD member who described the operation as a wink-nod enterprise.

    A federal judge in the District of Columbia has issued three orders of forfeiture totaling more than $80 million in the ASD case. Bowdoin is appealing. His appeal brief cites two other cases filed under seal and suggests that prosecutors subpoenaed at least two attorneys involved in the defense of ASD’s assets to appear at a grand-jury proceeding.

    It is unclear if the attorneys attempted to invoke attorney-client privilege. What is clear is that a federal judge ordered the attorneys to appear and that the order is being challenged in a federal appeals court.

    Kallenbach’s Second Affidavit

    Kallenbach filed a second affidavit April 7. The affidavit asserts that a Renner entity known as V-Media Marketing LLC “borrowed” all of the money that was placed in a bank account at Premier Bank Minnesota in early March, about a week after the Secret Service raid at INetGlobal’s offices in Minneapolis.

    Prosecutors, describing the INetGlobal case as a “major fraud and money laundering investigation,” said $47,400 was deposited into the account.

    “IMC Desperately Needs Working Capital To Pay Its Creditors,” Kallenbach said.

    He also described a webcast he attended April 5 that was “sponsored by one of IMC’s marketing consultants.”

    “At the April 5th Meeting, I learned, amongst other things, that many of iNetGlobal’s new customers have demanded refunds,” Kallenbach said. “The number of customers seeking refunds and the amount of such refunds is unknown. What is known is that as each and every day passes, without iNetGlobal being in business as usual, more of iNetGlobal’s customers will seek refunds.”

    He also asserted that “iNetGlobal’s marketing consultants are clamoring for commission payments that are legitimately due and owing to them,” according to the affidavit. “iNetGlobal has been unable to pay the commissions.”

    Kallenbach’s filing also suggested that, through negotiations, a little more than $1 million has been returned to INetGlobal and that the sum was now considered “unrestricted” cash. The affidavit did not disclose specific details about the negotiations

    In the March 25 affidavit,  Kallenbach argued that INetGlobal had no cash to operate.

    “At the time I signed my March 25, 2010 Declaration, I believed it to be true that iNetGlobal had no unrestricted cash meaning cash available for working capital. I have since learned that as a result of negotiations in which I was involved, on March 22, 2010 iNetGlobal netted approximately $220,000 from the return of restricted cash. As of the time my March 25, 2010 Declaration was prepared, I was unaware that this money had been returned to iNetGlobal.

    “After my Declaration was signed, approximately $795,000 of restricted cash was made available to iNetGlobel for working capital after close of business on March 25, 2010,” Kallenbach said. “As of today [April 7], iNetGlobal’s unrestricted cash is approximately $1,015,000. I arrive at this sum by adding $220,000 and $795,000 to reach $1,015,000.”

    Prosecutors said that, because Kallenbach has become an “essential witness” subject to cross-examination by the prosecution and direct examination by the INetGlobal side, there is a question about “whether Mr. Kallenbach’s clients can be provided constitutionally effective assistance.”

    “The government did not bring this situation about,” prosecutors contended. “[T]he government has not subpoenaed Mr. Kallenbach, or raised questions about whether he, and only he, can testify as to certain facts.

    “This is a case in which Mr. Kallenbach conducted his own investigation and then voluntarily drew up a lengthy affidavit setting forth his observations. Nor may Mr. Kallenbach, at this juncture, announce that he will henceforth act only as an advocate, because the choice to be a witness was made when the affidavit was filed.”

  • PROSECUTION: Renner Has No Standing To Contest Corporate Seizures In INetGlobal Case; ‘Major’ Fraud And Money-Laundering Probe Under Way; IRS Involved; No Media ‘Leak’ Occurred

    Steve Renner has no standing to contest the seizure of “the vast majority”  of the money and assets in the INetGlobal autosurf Ponzi case because the seized property was owned by corporations, not Renner, federal prosecutors said.

    Only $151,100 of the $26 million seized in the case came from accounts in Renner’s name, prosecutors said, arguing that bids to release the money were premature and that only an attorney for Renner — and not the companies — has filed a notice of appearance in the case.

    Meanwhile, in its response to Renner’s motion last week to challenge the seizure on Constitutional grounds and have $25 million returned, the prosecution said yesterday that his bid was a “thinly veiled attempt to force the government to reveal facts relating to an on-going criminal investigation.”

    A “major fraud and money laundering investigation is under way bearing serious criminal consequences,” prosecutors said.

    The government probe, which prosecutors now say includes the IRS, is in its early stages. Investigators to date have filed neither a civil forfeiture complaint nor criminal charges that seek the forfeiture of the funds, “and much of the evidence has only recently been seized and is needed for the investigation,” prosecutors said.

    “If the seized evidence is returned, it will not be available for the ongoing investigation,” prosecutors argued.

    Moreover, they argued, “If the Court orders the return of the seized funds, the money will be spent, and will be unavailable for future return to victims” should the government prevail.

    Prosecutors made similar arguments in the AdSurfDaily autosurf prosecution — and the arguments prevailed. In filings yesterday, the government once again cited the successful ASD prosecution, along with the successful prosecutions of the 12DailyPro and PhoenixSurf autosurfs.

    “iNetGlobal is not a one-of-a-kind scam, nor is it the first of its kind,” prosecutors said yesterday.

    Steve Renner was convicted on four felony counts of income-tax evasion in December, and is awaiting sentencing in the tax case.

    No ‘Leak’ Occurred: Gov’t Acknowledges Timing ‘Error’ In Posting Of Affidavit

    Prosecutors denied an assertion by Renner last week that the government had leaked the search-warrant affidavit in the INetGlobal case to the media.

    Under a bold subhead titled “The ‘Leak,’” prosecutors said the claim the document was leaked “is false, and has no bearing on the issues presented in this motion.”

    They added that the posting of the document on the government website was intended as a means of informing victims and witnesses efficiently, while trying to avoid a circumstance that occurred in the AdSurfDaily case: switchboards in prosecutors’ offices becoming inundated with telephone calls from people seeking information.

    Prosecutors said the government had explained its point of view to INetGlobal on Feb. 26, almost a month prior to Renner’s “leaking” claim filed last week. Renner’s claim specifically cited the PP Blog.

    “[T]he U.S. Attorney’s Office had planned, once the search and seizure warrants in this case were filed with the clerk’s office, to post a link to the affidavit on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office,” prosecutors said. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia was inundated with calls following their execution of warrants in the AdSurf Daily case, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Minnesota hoped to avoid this by efficiently getting information to victims, witnesses, and other interested parties by referring them to the affidavit.”

    “Through an error, an employee of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Community Relations Division mistakenly believed that the time had come to post the affidavit when it had not,” prosecutors said. “The affidavit was posted on the late afternoon or early evening of February 24th, and was taken down the following morning when the error came to light.

    “During the night, apparently, a single blogger found the affidavit and wrote a story about it,” prosecutors continued. “That story is reprinted in Mr. Renner’s motion papers. As noted, all of this was explained to Counsel immediately after the fact, and Counsel did not raise the issue of the premature release of the affidavit again until this motion was filed.”

    IRS Enters INetGlobal Probe

    Filings by the prosecution yesterday confirmed that the IRS has entered the case. An affidavit by an IRS criminal investigator asserts that an entity known as VMedia Marketing LLC opened a checking account at Premier Bank Minnesota on March 1, six days after the Secret Service executed search warrants in the INetGlobal case.

    “Steven M. Renner reserved sole signature authority on the account upon inception,” the IRS agent said. “On or about March 6, 2010, Matthew D. Renner was added to have signature authority on the account.”

    Matthew Renner is Steve Renner’s son. He has not been accused of wrongdoing.

    A total of $47,400 was deposited in the account, the IRS agent said. He listed the names of sources of the deposits. Two individuals with Chinese names wired individual deposits of $7,400 and $8,500 into the account.

    “Official checks” drawn on Wells Fargo bank and totaling $16,500 also were deposited in the account. These checks were made out to “V-Media or U-Media,” the IRS agent said.

    Meanwhile, the agent said, “a check made payable to Steve Renner in the amount of $15,000.00 from The Toronto-Dominion Bank was also deposited into the account.”

    At least 23 withdrawals were made from the account, the IRS agent said. He noted that the majority of these checks have either ‘week 3/1 – 3/5″ or ‘3/1 – 3/5 written on the memo line. In addition, one check was made payable to MEDA (Metropolitan Economic Development Assoc.) in the amount of $2,000.00. The memo section of the check made payable to MEDA stated ‘250 SECOND AVE #106A RENT.’”

    That address was one of the business addresses searched by the Secret Service Feb. 23.

    Prosecutors, saying Renner made “sweeping” assertions last week that he had no cash to pay employees, argued that the investigation by the IRS agent into the Premier Bank Minnesota account opened after the raid suggested otherwise.

    “Renner subsequently wrote 23 checks that appear to be payroll checks, plus a check for the rent on Suite 106A, 250 Second Avenue,” prosecutors said.

    Because the $15,000 deposit drawn on Toronto-Dominion bank was held until March 19, “several” withdrawals by check initially were returned to Premier Bank Minnesota, the IRS agent said.

    “Later on, Steven Renner came into Premier Bank Minnesota and had cashier’s checks issued to the same names indicated on the checks that had previously been returned to the bank,” the IRS agent said. “On or about March 23, 2010, the above indicated account was closed.”

    INetGlobal disclosed “none of this” in its arguments last week to release funds, prosecutors said.

    Moreover, prosecutors said the government “is attempting to work with the company” on the issue of payroll.

    Prosecution: INetGlobal ‘Omitted’ Names Of Employees

    “[T]here is concern that the company continues to have access to unseized funds with which to make payroll,” prosecutors said. “In addition, the first list of employees submitted to the government omitted several names of people the Secret Service had identified as employees of the company during the execution of the search warrants on February 23, 2010. A request that this issue be addressed elicited a response that was confusing; the government requested clarification and is awaiting a response.”

    Meanwhile, prosecutors claimed that Renner had placed “factual inaccuracies” in the record of the case, arguing that Renner’s claim that the seizure was “unreasonable” and that the Secret Service allegedly told “intentional and reckless falsehoods” in securing the warrant could not stand up to judicial scrutiny.

    “Such is the unsurprising reaction of a company accused of running a Ponzi scheme,” prosecutors said.

  • Ponzi Suspect Michael Greenberg Commits Suicide, Police Say; Florida Man Stood Accused Of Bilking Parents, Investors, Banks In New Scheme That Emerged After Prison Release

    Michael Greenberg, charged last week in a Ponzi scheme that allegedly bilked members of his family, investors, banks, a law firm and the U.S. Small Business Administration, has committed suicide.

    Greenberg hanged himself inside his home, police in Clearwater, Fla., told the Tampa Tribune. His body was found Wednesday. News of the suicide broke in the newspaper, which reported Greenberg was out on a signature bond of $50,000 after he was charged last week.

    On March 25, the U.S. Secret Service alleged that Greenberg was operating a Ponzi scheme that involved nine different company names and scammed investors and businesses out of more than $24 million.

    Among the victims in the case were Greenberg’s parents, the Secret Service said.

    Records show that Greenberg had been charged in a previous Ponzi scheme that bilked his father out of more than $1 million and resulted in a 46-month prison sentence.

    Within two years of his release from federal custody in 1996 — and while still on supervised probation — Greenberg started another scheme.

    Hiding behind a proxy and forming a corporation fraudulently, Greenberg ultimately was able to gather $53 million from investors and businesses and persuade banks to make loans, the Secret Service said.

    Greenberg stole his parents’ identities to get the loans, and also forged his wife’s signature on documents, the Secret Service said. The agency said the case also involved the theft of a notary’s stamp, forgery of the notary’s signature and the formation of “sham” corporations that existed “on paper.”

    Elizabeth Watts, a spokeswoman for the Clearwater Police Department, was not immediately available Friday afternoon to answer questions about whether the suicide investigation was closed.

    Greenberg used at least nine different corporations or business names to pull off the scheme, according to the Secret Service. He is accused of fleecing at least 30 investors and banks, and also is accused of swindling the U.S. Small Business Administration.

    Among the victims were a real-estate developer and a law firm whose office manager invested the company’s line of credit of $119,000 in the scheme, according to the complaint.

    Based on Greenberg’s fraud — and elaborate measures to cover it — he duped the Small Business Administration into backing $1.5 million in loans, according to the complaint.

  • Secret Service Busts Another Alleged Ponzi In Florida; Michael Greenberg Accused Of Using 9 Company Names To Bilk Investors, Banks, Law Firm, Small Business Administration

    A Florida man who spent time in prison for wire fraud and money-laundering in a previous Ponzi scheme embarked on a new scheme after his release, federal prosecutors said.

    Within two years of being released from custody in 1996 — and while still on supervised probation — Michael Greenberg, 50, started a new Ponzi and fraud scheme.

    The new scheme operated for more than a decade, gathered more than $53 million, fleeced investors and creditors out of more than $24 million and used the names of at least nine different companies, prosecutors said.

    Just days ago FBI Director Robert Mueller III warned Congress that white-collar criminals in the United States increasingly were relying on shell corporations to commit crimes and avoid detection.

    The U.S. Secret Service led the investigation, which is centered in Pinellas County, Fla. Greenberg has been charged with wire fraud.

    One of his companies existed for “no other purpose than to defraud banks and the U.S. Small Business Administration,” the Secret Service said. The agency described several of the companies as operating “on paper.”

    In 1992, Greenberg was sentenced to 46 months in federal prison after being convicted of operating a Ponzi scheme that fleeced his own father out of more than $1 million. Other investors also lost money in the scheme, according to records.

    After being released from prison, Greenberg started a company named Pure Class Inc., according to the Secret Service complaint. The business involved the need for an automobile-dealer’s license, something that might be a tall order for a convicted felon to obtain.

    Greenberg “hid behind a proxy in both forming the corporation and in obtaining the license,” the Secret Service said.

    ‘[A]ll business done with Pure Class from its inception was based on a fraud at its inception,” the Secret Service said.

    Because of the corporate deception and the proxy, the Secret Service said, persons conducting due diligence on the company would have been shielded from discovering Greenberg’s felony conviction and facts to help them make informed investment and business decisions.

    The agency painted a picture of an elaborate deception, alleging that Greenberg assumed the identity of a third person to trick at least one victim and created a bogus email account to correspond with the victim, as though Greenberg were a third party who could verify details about the business.

    Greenberg also assumed the identities of his parents to get a loan and created “sham” corporations to keep investors from learning the truth about his business operations, the Secret Service said.

    He is accused of creating false tax returns in his parents’ names, forging their signatures on a loan deal, stealing a notary stamp, affixing the stamp to the forged documents, and then forging the name of the notary.

    Greenberg formed at least nine different corporations or business names to pull off the scheme, according to the Secret Service. He is accused of fleecing at least 30 investors and banks, and also is accused of swindling the U.S. Small Business Administration.

    Among the victims were a real-estate developer and a law firm whose office manager invested the company’s line of credit of $119,000 in the scheme, according to the complaint.

    Based on Greenberg’s fraud — and elaborate measures to cover it — he duped the Small Business Administration into backing $1.5 million in loans — loans that were acquired at least in part because Greenberg forged his wife’s signature on documents, according to the complaint.