Securities fraud, false financial statement and false entries charges were filed in Atlanta on Tuesday against Joseph Pacifico and Joseph M. Elles regarding their roles in accounting irregularities at the children’s clothing company, Carter’s Inc., which is based in Atlanta. Pacifico, the number two executive at Carter’s Inc., is accused of hiding a multi-million dollar… Continue Reading
Tag Archives: Mail Fraud
Wine Connoisseur Busted for Fraud
Posted in Mail/WIre/Honest Services FraudThe Los Angeles Times reported yesterday that one of the world’s leading fine wine collectors, Rudy Kurniawan, was arrested for wine fraud (well, they didn’t actually say “wine fraud”), apparently, the guy was arrested for mail and wire fraud related to fraudulently obtaining loans and attempting to sell counterfeit bottles of French Burgundy. Turning a wonderful… Continue Reading
Allen Stanford Guilty on 13 of 14 Counts
Posted in High Profile Cases, Money LaunderingAs previously reported here, there has been a dearth of media coverage of the Allen Stanford trial in Houston. Following almost 3 days of deliberation Stanford was found guilty on 13 of 14 counts in the indictment. Stanford, 61, was convicted on one count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud, four counts of… Continue Reading
Whither The Allen Stanford Trial
Posted in High Profile CasesSo, there’s been a dearth of news on the Allen Stanford trial in Houston this month and last, even though this has been a trial equally noteworthy of the Enron trial, which captured so much media attention throughout the nation. I think 2 things have contributed to the lack of media coverage. First, and somewhat… Continue Reading
Florida Executive Sentenced in $10.5 Million Embezzlement Scheme
Posted in Corporate Crimes, False Claims, Fraud, Money Laundering, Securities FraudAlthough it may be considered small change when compared with the fraud of fellow Floridian Scott Rothstein, according to an FBI press release, Gary Ernest Williams, former Chief Financial Officer for Marian Gardens Tree Farm (MGTF) in Groveland, Florida, was sentenced to eight years imprisonment on Monday in the U.S. District Corut for the Middle District of… Continue Reading
Fort Lauderdale Attorney Scott Rothstein Pleads Not Guilty to Information Alleging $1.2 Billion Dollar Ponzi Scheme
Posted in False Claims, Forfeiture, Fraud, High Profile Cases, Money Laundering, Securities FraudIn response to allegations uncomfortably similar to those against former New York celebrity lawyer and arch Ponzi-schemer Marc Dreier, Fort Lauderdale attorney Scott Rothstein, head of Rothstein, Rosenfeldt and Adler, P.A., appeared in response to a criminal information in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida on Tuesday. The information charges… 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
Trial of Bear Stearns Hedge Fund Managers Cioffi and Tannin Gets Underway
Posted in False Claims, High Profile Cases, Money LaunderingThe trial of Bear Stearns hedge fund managers Ralph Cioffi and Matthew Tannin got underway last week. As reported by attorney Jacob Zamansky in Forbes and the New York Daily News, the parties gave opening statements on Thursday. Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Sinclair argued that Bear Stearns financial officer Matthew Tannin allegedly told investors on… Continue Reading
Bear Stearns Hedge Fund Managers’ Trial Begins Today
Posted in False Claims, High Profile Cases, Money LaunderingThe trial of former Bear Stearns hedge fund managers Ralph Cioffi and Matthew Tannin begins today in Brooklyn, as reported by Bloomberg. A jury will be selected today. Cioffi and Tannin are charged with allegedly causing losses of $1.4 billion to investors by misleading investors regarding the health of two Bear Stearns hedge funds, the… Continue Reading
Bear Stearns Hedge Fund Managers Gear Up for Trial; Google Releases Manager’s Private E-mails
Posted in False Claims, High Profile Cases, Money LaunderingAs reported by Chris Herring over at the Wall Street Journal Law Blog, the trial of former Bear Stearns hedge fund managers Matthew Tannin and Ralph Cioffi is scheduled to commence next Monday. And now the government has obtained Tannin’s e-mails from his private Google account. Tannin had closed the Google account on the advice of his… Continue Reading
SEC Eyes Sir Robert Allen Stanford’s Upaid Gambling Debt
Posted in False Claims, High Profile Cases, Money LaunderingAs we check back with Sir Robert Allen Standford, the most noteworthy development is perhaps that the Bellagio, a Las Vegas casino and luxury resort, filed suit against Stanford last week in a Clark County Nevada district court for an alleged $258,480 in unpaid gambling debts.The lawsuit alleges that Stanford signed for 14 markers… Continue Reading
Bear Stearns Execs Head for Trial on Wire and Securities Fraud Charges
Posted in False Claims, High Profile Cases, Money LaunderingAs is well known, Bear Stearns, one of the largest investment banks in the world, was sold to JP Morgan Chase and effectively ceased to exist in March of 2008, after two Bear Stearns hedge funds invested in collateralized debt obligations—mainly subprime home loans—and once worth approximately $1.6 billion, lost nearly all of their value…. Continue Reading
Pfizer Enters Largest Healthcare Fraud Settlement in U.S. History
Posted in False Claims, Fraud, Health Care Fraud, Money LaunderingPharmaceutical giant Pfizer, inc., will pay $2.3 billion to the Federal government and 49 States to settle allegations that it violated federal regulations in promoting several drugs, as reported by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The settlement is the largest in U.S. history to date in a healthcare fraud case. Georgia will receive $21.7 million as part of… Continue Reading
Sister Testifies on Behalf of Alleged Atlanta Terrorist Ehsanul Islam Sadequee; Closing Arguments and Deliberations Today
Posted in False Claims, Money Laundering, TerrorismAs reported in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and the Associated Press, closing arguments have started in the terrorism trial of Atlanta area native and former Georgia Tech student Ehsanul Islam Sadequee. Sadequee is representing himself and will present his own closing argument. Sadequee called only two witnesses in his defense before resting his case, including his older… Continue Reading
Representative William Jefferson Convicted on 11 of 16 Counts
Posted in False Claims, High Profile Cases, Money LaunderingWe did not weigh in yesterday, but the biggest federal criminal defense news was clearly the conviction of U.S. Representative William Jefferson of Louisiana in his criminal trial in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, as reported by the New Orleans Times-Picayune. The jury of eight women and four men returned a verdict… Continue Reading
Alleged Terrorist Ehsanul Sadequee Delivers Prayer and Opening Statement; Alleged Co-Conspirator Testifies
Posted in False Claims, Money Laundering, TerrorismEhsanul Islam Sadequee, 23, nicknamed "Shifa," which means "Cure," is representing himself in his trial in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia on four counts of allegedly conspiring to provide material support to terrorism. As reported by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and the Associated Press, Sadequee began his 14 minute opening statement… Continue Reading
Second Alleged Atlanta Terrorist Ehsanul Islam Sadequee Begins Trial; Representing Self
Posted in False Claims, Money Laundering, TerrorismWe closely followed the trial of Syed Haris Ahmed, who was convicted for providing material support to terrorism in early June–all of our posts may be found here. The trial of Ahmed’s alleged co-conspirator, Ehsanul Islam Sadequee on terrorism charges began yesterday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia. Sadequee has… Continue Reading
Congress Considers Over-Criminalization and Over-Federalization of Criminal Law
Posted in False Claims, Legislation, Money LaunderingAs noted at White Collar Criminal Prof Blog and The Justice Fellowship, the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security held a hearing last week on "Over-criminalization of Conduct and Over-federalization of Criminal Law." Organizations which addressed the Subcommittee on issues of over-criminalization and over-federalization included the American Bar Association, the… Continue Reading
Jerry McDevitt on the Wecht Trial – Part II
Posted in Noteworthy CasesDr. Wecht’s attorney, Jerry McDevitt, comments on his trial strategy and ultimate victory
Gene Cauley, Arkansas Class Action Lawyer, Pleads Guilty
Posted in High Profile CasesArkansas class action plaintiff’s attorney, Gene Cauley, entered a guilty plea in federal court on June 1, 2009 to mail fraud and wire fraud.
Constructive Amendments to the Indictment in the Eleventh Circuit
Posted in Environmental Crimes, False Claims, indictment, Money LaunderingThe government’s case in many instances will evolve or shift to some extent over the course of a criminal prosecution. It may be a long time between indictment and trial, and the prosecution may come into possession of new evidence before trial, or may not have thoroughly reviewed the evidence which it does possess… Continue Reading
Supreme Court Overrules Michigan v. Jackson and Presumption that Waivers of Right to Counsel After the Right to Counsel Has Been Invoked Are Invalid
Posted in Environmental Crimes, False Claims, Fraud, Money Laundering, Right to CounselIn an opinion issued on Tuesday, Montejo v. Louisiana, — S.Ct. —-, 2009 WL 1443049 (2009), the Supreme Court removed a layer of protection of criminal defendants against coercive and badgering police interrogations by overruling, Michigan v. Jackson, 475 U.S. 625, 106 S.Ct. 1404 (1986), in which the Court had held that “if police initiate… Continue Reading
Judge Denies Motions to Dismiss in Miss. Judicial Corruption Case
Posted in High Profile CasesJudge Davidson denies motions to dismiss indictment in Mississippi judicial corruption case
The Rise and Fall of Marc Dreier: A Guide
Posted in High Profile CasesWe have tried to sum up for readers the labyrinthine facts and developments in the shocking and fascinating case of Marc Dreier, drawing upon excellent and thorough articles on the subject by Roger Parloff in Fortune Magazine and by Robert Kolker in New York Magazine. I. The Rise Marc Stuart Dreier grew up on… Continue Reading