Tag: U.S. District Judge Timothy S. Hillman
-
BULLETIN: James Merrill of TelexFree Sentenced To 6 Years In Federal Prison
BULLETIN: (8TH UPDATE 3:57 P.M. EDT U.S.A.) James Merrill, the former president of the TelexFree Ponzi- and pyramid scheme, has been sentenced to six years in federal prison. U.S. District Judge Timothy S. Hillman ordered the sentence, which was four years less than what prosecutors in the office of Acting U.S. Attorney William D. Weinreb of the…
-
James Merrill, TelexFree’s President, Pleads Guilty
3RD UPDATE 2:56 P.M. EDT OCT 25 U.S.A. James Merrill, the president of TelexFree, has pleaded guilty to eight counts of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy in Massachusetts federal court. Merrill, 55, of Ashland, Mass., is scheduled to be sentenced in February. “The significance of a guilty plea in a case of this magnitude cannot…
-
DEVELOPING STORY: U.S. Attorney Carmen Ortiz ‘Has Been Recused’ From Prosecution Of TelexFree Figures James Merrill and Carlos Wanzeler
2ND UPDATE 6:27 P.M. EDT U.S.A. A government filing dated July 1 — a Friday before the long Independence Day weekend — says U.S. Attorney Carmen Ortiz of the District of Massachusetts “has been recused” from the prosecutions of TelexFree figures James Merrill and Carlos Wanzeler. The document does not say why Ortiz no longer…
-
TELEXFREE CLASS-ACTION: Judge Restrains Assets Of 2 Alleged Promoters, Including Scott Miller And ‘MyAdvertisingPays’ Pitchman Daniil Shoyfer
Let’s begin by pointing out that Daniil Shoyfer and Scott Miller have not been charged by the SEC in its 2014 TelexFree action. There are asset freezes aplenty in that government-brought case, including freezes against alleged promoters Sann Rodrigues, Faith Sloan, Randy Crosby and Santiago De La Rosa. The asset restraints imposed yesterday by U.S.…
-
SHADES OF ZEEK: Prospective Class-Action Defendant Tells Judge TelexFree Was Operating A Tax Scam
In October 2014, federal prosecutors alleged that the Zeek Rewards MLM “program” shut down by the SEC two years earlier was in part a scam that caused “victim-investors to file inaccurate tax returns for phantom income they never actually received.” Now, a year later, a member of the TelexFree MLM scheme shut down by the…
-
Judicial Panel Of United States Moves TelexFree-Related Lawsuits To Massachusetts
The United States Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation has moved TelexFree-related litigation pending in federal courts in other states to Massachusetts. A directive ordering the transfers for the sake of judicial efficiency was issued on Oct. 21. Some plaintiffs from outside of Massachusetts sued TelexFree and other defendants in federal courts in Florida, Georgia and…
-
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.…
-
BULLETIN: Judge Frees TelexFree Figure James Merrill On Bail, But Imposes Tight Restrictions
BULLETIN: (3rd Update 5:56 p.m. EDT U.S.A.) A federal judge in Massachusetts has permitted TelexFree figure James Merrill to be freed on bail, but has imposed tight restrictions. In granting Merrill bail, U.S. District Judge Timothy S. Hillman overruled U.S. Magistrate Judge David Hennessy, who agreed with federal prosecutors and ruled last month that Merrill…