As reportedin the Detroit Free Press, On Tuesday, the judge in the trial of Bobby Ferguson in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan granted the defense’s motion for a mistrial based on the jury’s inability to agree on any of the charges against Ferguson and his co-defendants after six days of… Continue Reading
Tag Archives: laundering
KY Attorney Bryan Coffman Ordered to Forfeit Millions from Oil-Drilling Scam
Posted in Forfeiture, FraudLexington, Kentucky, attorney Bryan Coffman was convicted last year in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky on eight counts of mail fraud, nine counts of wire fraud, two counts of securities fraud, 10 counts of money laundering and one count of money laundering conspiracy. His wife, Megan Coffman, was acquitted of the… Continue Reading
Diamond Store Owner Arthur Hiaeve Acquitted on Federal Money Laundering Charges on Venue Grounds
Posted in Acquittal, Forfeiture, VenueArthur "Avi" Hiaeve, owner of the Manhattan diamond store, Hiaeve & Co., was acquitted last Wednesday on money laundering charges in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York. According to Reuters, Senior District Judge Allyne Ross granted Mr. Hiaeve’s motion for judgment of acquittal on the seven counts of laundering drug… Continue Reading
Canadian Defense Attorney Acquitted on Money Laundering Charges
Posted in Money LaunderingCanadian defense attorney Jeffrey Root received the greatest Christmas gift ever when a judge acquitted him on the 21st of charges of conspiracy to launder money and to possess illegal proceeds, and attempting to launder money, according to the Niagara Review. Mr. Root had met with an undercover Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer and discussed ways… Continue Reading
Six Indicted for Alleged Medicare Fraud in South Georgia; Augusta Man Indicted for Alleged Fraud from Federally-Funded Meals for Children Program
Posted in Fraud, indictmentFederal criminal activity has been brisk in the Southern District of Georgia. First, six defendants were charged with conspiracy to defraud Medicare and money laundering, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The charges were the result of a nationwide investigation which included the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Department of… Continue Reading
Former Home Depot Employee Ian Jay Evans Acquitted on Conspiracy and Money Laundering Charges for Alleged Kickback Scheme
Posted in Money LaunderingIan Jay Evans of Mableton, Georgia, a former Home Depot employee, admitted to splittting $1.4 million in commissions with a product buyer for Home Depot, first to purchase rugs and other products from a vendor, and later to select Evans as a consolidator for rugs when Home Depot reset its rug department. He was charged in the U.S. District Court… Continue Reading
McDonough Man Sentenced to 30 Years for Conspiring to Import Cocaine, Heroin and Marijuana from Mexican Drug Cartel
Posted in Drug EnforcementOn Friday, Marlon Burton of McDonough, Georgia , was sentenced to 30 years imprisonment by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia for conspiring to distribute cocaine, heroin and marijuana, according to an FBI press release. Burton was alleged to have imported hundreds of kilograms of cocaine, heroin and marijuana to Atlanta from Mexican… Continue Reading
Tom Petters, The “Minnesota Madoff,” Gets 50 Years Out of Potential 335 Years for $3.7 Billion Ponzi Scheme
Posted in Fraud, Ponzi Schemes, SentencingFormer Minnesota billionaire and former owner of Polaroid and Sun Country Airlines Tom Petters was sentenced to 50 years imprisonment yesterday by the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota, according to the Associated Press. Petters, 52, was charged with a $3.7 billion Ponzi scheme–the largest in Minnesota history– which had over 500 victims and… Continue Reading
Eleventh Circuit Hears Arguments From NFL and Retired Players in Appeal Over Suit Arising From $11 Million Ponzi Scheme
Posted in Fraud, Noteworthy CasesToday’s Fulton County Daily Report contains a story concerning Tuesday’s oral arguments before the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals in an appeal by retired professional football players against the National Football League and the NFL Players Association. The former players are seeking to reverse a ruling last year dismissing the players’ suit against the NFL and… Continue Reading
Foreign Corrupt Practices Act Investigation of Aluminum Giant Alcoa for Alleged Bribery, Per WSJ Law Blog
Posted in Foreign CrimesAshby Jones at the Wall Street Journal Law Blog also notes the rise in Foreign Corrupt Practices Act enforcement actions by the government. In the latest instance, Jones cites U.S. and British authorities’ investigation of Alcoa, the third largest producer of aluminum in the world, based in Pittsburgh, for alleged bribery in negotiating contracts in… Continue Reading
Wachovia Enters $160 Million Settlement with DOJ Over Alleged Money Laundering Through Mexican Currency Exchange Houses
Posted in Money LaunderingAs reported by the Wall Street Journal, the U.S. Department of Justice and Wachovia Bank have entered into a $160 million settlement and deferred prosecution agreement to settle the DOJ’s allegations that Wachovia enabled drug traffickers to launder drug money through transfers of money from Mexican currency exchange houses to the bank. The bank has agreed… Continue Reading
Former Head of SK Foods Indicted for Food Fraud and Mislabeling
Posted in Fraud, Noteworthy CasesFrederick Scott Salyer, 54, former owner of California-based SK Foods, which grows, processes and distributes tomatoes, was indicted on Friday on charges of racketeering, wire fraud, mail fraud, money laundering and obstruction of justice. Tomatoes from SK Foods are widely used in tomato-based products including sauces, ketchups and juices. Salyer is alleged to have manipulated… Continue Reading
Rothstein Enters Guilty Plea
Posted in Fraud, High Profile Cases, SentencingOf course we knew it was coming, but disbarred Fort Lauderdale attorney Scott Rothstein, architect of a $1.2 billion Ponzi scheme selling phony interests in settlements in employment and civil cases, pled guilty today in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida to charges of racketeering, fraud and money laundering, as reported… Continue Reading
Government Drops Prosecution of Miami Attorney Ben Kuehne for Receipt of Legal Fees from Drug Kingpin
Posted in False Claims, Money LaunderingLast Wednesday, the Government, through Deputy Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Blanco, filed a brief Motion to Dismiss Third Superseding Indictment with Prejudice seeking to dismiss its indictment against Miami, Florida, attorney Benedict P. Kuehne, and also Colombian attorney Oscar Saldarriaga Ochoa, in the criminal action of U.S. v. Velez, 1:05-cr-20770-MGC, in the U.S…. Continue Reading
Columbus, GA, Attorney Acquitted; Middle District of Georgia Instruction on Money Laundering of Fees Paid for Legal Representation
Posted in Jury InstructionsMark Shelnutt, a distinguished attorney and member of the Columbus, Georgia, community, was found not guilty by a jury in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Georgia, the Honorable Clay D. Land, United States District Judge, presiding, on 36 counts brought by the government, including conspiracy, aiding and abetting a conspiracy to… Continue Reading
FBI Operation “Bid Rig” Nabs 44 Suspects in New Jersey Public Corruption, Illegal Organ Transplant and Designer Merchandise Schemes
Posted in False Claims, Fraud, High Profile Cases, Money LaunderingThe 44 public officials and other persons arrested in the massive sweep on Thursday by the FBI, the result of efforts by the convicted son of a rabbi, include: Daniel Van Pelt, State Assemblyman; Peter Cammarano III, Mayor of Hoboken, New Jersey; Dennis Elwell, Mayor of Secaucus, New Jersey; Anthony Suarez, Mayor of Ridgefield,… Continue Reading
Dreier Sentencing Next Monday: Defense Wants 10 to 13 Years/Government Wants 145 Years or Life
Posted in Fraud, High Profile CasesAs reported by Law.com, the sentencing of celebrity attorney and Ponzi schemer Marc Dreier is scheduled for next Monday, July 13. Dreier was arrested last December for defrauding investors and clients of more than $740 million through a series of schemes. A full history of the Dreier saga is set forth here. He pled guilty… Continue Reading
Indictment in the Sir Robert Allen Stanford Case/Stanford to Be Arraigned in Houston Today
Posted in High Profile CasesSir Robert Allen Stanford is scheduled to be arraigned today on conspiracy, mail and wire fraud, money laundering and obstruction charges in Houston in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas. Stanford is represented by attorneys Dick DeGuerin and Sean Ryan Buckley, of the Houston firm of DeGuerin and Dickson. According to… Continue Reading
Sir Robert Allen Stanford Indicted in Alleged Second Largest Ponzi Scheme in U.S. History
Posted in High Profile CasesThe writers of Federal Criminal Defense Blog have been busy writing on other matter and apologize for the brief hiatus. Much has happened in the sphere of white collar crime even during our short absence, most notably developments in the two largest Ponzi schemes in U.S. history, and we have some catching up to do…. Continue Reading
Syed Haris Ahmed Trial: Allegations
Posted in TerrorismBy way of background, the Government originally charged Syed Haris Ahmed in a sealed indictment filed on March 23, 2006. The Government obtained a Superseding Indictment on July 19, 2006. It has charged Ahmed and his co-defendant, Ehsanul Islam Sadequee, with one count of conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists, in violation of… Continue Reading
Syed Haris Ahmed Trial: Day 1
Posted in TerrorismThe trial of Syed Haris Ahmed is Georgia’s most significant terrorism case and we will collect for readers daily information on the trial and additional information. Today’s information on the Ahmed/Sadequee Trial comes from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, WSBTV and CNN. Ahmed is 24, an Atlanta area native and a former student at Georgia Tech…. Continue Reading
Justice Souter on Criminal Law
Posted in Noteworthy CasesSupreme Court Justice David Hackett Souter has announced his intention to retire at the end of the Court’s term in June. In his 19 years on the Court, Justice Souter has been a key vote in many cases and has written over 150 majority, plurality, concurring and dissenting opinions, including in many criminal… Continue Reading
Supreme Court Curtails Money Laundering
Posted in Noteworthy CasesSupreme Court holds that section 1956 money laundering applies to net profits, not gross receipts.
CEO Convicted in $150 Million Hedge Fund Scheme
Posted in Fraud, High Profile CasesKirk Wright founded and was Chief Executive Officer of Atlanta-based International Management Associates (IMA), which managed several hedge funds, as reported by the Atlanta Business Chronicle. By 2006, IMA had thousands of clients, had received more than $150 million in investments and also had offices in New York, Los Angeles and Las Vegas. However,… Continue Reading