Fraud

Application for the appointment of a Commissioner to collect evidence for a criminal investigation in Switzerland into Jean-Claude Lacote and others for suspected fraud, forgery and money laundering.

Five weeks after being exposed in the September 30, 2002 edition of OffshoreAlert, Washington state based Sterling forex LLC has stopped operating and its clients have incurred substantial losses.The firm sent its clients a letter on November 15 stating that

ARGENTINA Switzerland to investigate Menem's bank accountsSwiss judge Christine Junod will investigate whether beleaguered former president Carlos Menem had money in the country's banking system. Until now, Menem has escaped prosecution in spite of the fact that he has been

The British Columbia Securities Commission has scheduled a hearing for December 10 11, 2002 to consider applications to vary asset freeze orders relating to accounts at the Bank of Montreal in Vancouver that were frozen in 2000 as part of

Peddlers of "High Yield Investments" normally solicit business in hushed tones at churches and private offices, so dubious are their products.Not so International Management & Trust Services Inc., which has the words emblazoned in large, upper case letters on a

Imperial Consolidated's UK administrator is seeking an investigation into the sale of group assets to Imperial's ex management by accounting firm Pannell Kerr Forster.Mazars Neville Russell has also indicated that it may challenge fees that were paid to PKF for

A civil complaint alleging securities fraud has been filed in the United States against a firm whose unregistered shares are sold at offshore events.It is the latest in a long line of controversies surrounding Sunclear Energy Inc., its bankrupt affiliate

Arthur Andersen's Bermuda registered captive, Professional Services Insurance Company Ltd., is seeking to enter into a Scheme of Arrangement with its creditors.An order was issued at Bermuda Supreme Court on November 14, 2002 granting the firm's application to meet with

A Bermuda domiciled firm linked to fraud allegations involving over the counter stocks traded in the United States has voluntarily de listed its shares from the Bermuda Stock Exchange.In a press release on November 12, the BSX stated the shares

A suspected fraudster who has worked in the insurance industry in Bermuda and the Bahamas has gone on the run again despite being fitted with an electronic monitoring device.John Keith McGarrity was fitted with the monitoring device after being arrested

Naïve or cynical? That was a logical question to ask of United States Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton and Governor George Pataki after they teamed up with suspected fraudster Jerry C. Nims, whose Bermuda based business failures have cost investors millions

Claims in news articles that a British provider of Know Your Customer information to financial institutions had the names of 15 of the 19 September 11 hijackers in its due diligence database BEFORE the attacks are false, OffshoreAlert can reveal.Global

A raid on an alleged boiler room in Vancouver is further evidence that the Bank of Bermuda may have been conned out of $14.3 million when it invested in First Ecom.com Inc.

Baltimore based Agora Inc., which operates investment clubs and newsletters and claims to have tens of thousands of clients, has filed a complaint against the SEC, which is investigating one of its subsidiaries, Pirate Investor LLC. Agora, Pirate Investor and

The former General Manager of Lines Overseas Management (Cayman) has filed a civil complaint against an investment firm based in the Turks & Caicos Islands. Canadian national Terry McKolskey, who left Cayman in or around 1998 amid allegations of impropriety,

OffshoreAlert has established a link between a businessman suspected of committing fraud and money laundering in the United States and Costa Rica and a sham offshore Internet stock exchange. The connection between Tim Ray Sacora, of Deerfield Beach, Florida, and

Application for the appointment of a Commissioner to collect evidence for a criminal investigation in the United Kingdom into alleged tax fraud involving Seawise Insurance Consultants Limited.

Complaint in Dexia Credit Local v. Peter G. Rogan, Roger Ehmen, Braddock Management, LP, Bainbridge Management, LP, f.k.a. Braddock Management, LP; Bainbridge Management, Inc., f.k.a. Braddock Management, Inc., f.k.a. Waldo Point Management; Vital Community Health Services, Inc., and Access Community Health Services, Inc. at the U. S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.

Application for the appointment of a Commissioner to collect evidence for a criminal investigation in the United Kingdom into suspected fraudulent trading and money laundering by Philip Barton.

Canadian securities regulators and armed police have raided a Vancouver boiler room operation closely linked with Brek Energy, whose offshore investors, including the Bank of Bermuda and clients of Lines Overseas Management, have lost tens of millions of dollars in

Application for the appointment of a Commissioner to collect evidence for a criminal investigation in Belgium into Robert John Hart for alleged fraud and money laundering.

Advisory Warning against ABN Amerbank, Amerbank Ltd., Antilles Merchant Bank Ltd. and Privaty Bank Ltd. by the British Virgin Islands Financial Services Commission.

Application for the appointment of a Commissioner to collect evidence - pursuant to a request for judicial assistance from Finland - for a criminal investigation into Pekka Nurminen for alleged fraud.

ARGENTINA The bankers' parade Michael Smith, of HSBC, declared before judge Claudio Bonadío that bribes were somewhat customary in Argentina. Smith—a British citizen who has been only months in the South American country—was testifying in a new case of alleged

In the wake of action taken by Swiss authorities against the Zurich based Sovereign Finance Group, which is being investigated for money laundering involving Russia and the Caribbean, regulators in St. Vincent & the Grenadines are taking action against Sovereign

Another of the masterminds behind a massive investment fraud that cost the Bank of Bermuda tens of millions of dollars has been sentenced to five years in prison. Charles Richard Homa was also ordered to pay restitution of $157 million

Canadian national Gregory Pek has retired as President and CEO of loss making Brek Energy, formerly First Ecom.com, and been replaced by 57 year old Richard Jeffs.Pek stepped down only a few months after overseeing Brek's purchase for $770,000 of

Businessman Dennis Herula, who was jailed for fraud in Bermuda 11 months ago, has been imprisoned again, this time in the United States for contempt of court.Herula was jailed on October 24, 2002 by Judge Mary M. Lisi, sitting at

The Panamanian Securities Commission has issued an alert against an unlicensed mutual fund with links to The Harris Organization financial services group.In an advisory dated October 25, 2002, La Comisión Nacional de Valores warned that Tulip Universal Project S. A., d.b.a. the Tulip Fund, has no license in Panama to market securities.

The former General Manager of Overseas Development Bank & Trust, of Dominica, and three accountants in the United Kingdom have been arrested as a part of an investment fraud investigation.David Taylor was arrested and granted police bail in Leicestershire, England, in October, along with Shinder Singh Gangar, Alan White and Ian Collins.

Pressure from regulators in St. Vincent & the Grenadines has caused Omnicorp Bank Inc. to take steps to sell its investment portfolio, after which it is expected to lose its banking license.The local Offshore Finance Authority stepped in due to concerns about the solvency of Omnicorp, which had offered clients annual interest of up to 60 per cent.

In a collapse that is strikingly similar to The Genesis Fund, a Dominica-based group also purporting to trade foreign currency has informed its clients that virtually all of their funds have been lost.Russell Cline, "Head of Trading" of Orion International, posted a letter on its web-site at www.orionfx.com in August, 2002 stating that "in excess of 90%" of pooled money had gone.

An ordinary IBC in Nevis that operates as an unlicensed mutual fund has collapsed owing an estimated $50 million to approximately 1,100 shareholders.Approximately $100 million is believed to have gone into The Genesis Fund Ltd. but about half of it was repaid as interest payments, according to a client's representative.

A principal of an unlicensed mutual fund incorporated in the British Virgin Islands and managed in Florida was sentenced in October to serve six to 18 years in state prison in the United States.William J. Zylka, who helped to operate Evergreen Security Ltd., had previously pleaded guilty to multiple counts of grand larceny, fraud and conspiracy at New York State Supreme Court.

A well-publicized IRS investigation into the activities of U. S. citizen Jerome Schneider has done little to dampen his enthusiasm for aggressively promoting dubious offshore products.In October, OffshoreAlert was a recipient of a mass mailed, 24-page, color, glossy promotional brochure from Schneider titled "New Wealth Perspectives".

Application for the appointment of a Commissioner to collect evidence for a criminal investigation in the United Kingdom into alleged fraud by John Abrahamson, Geoffrey Brailey, Roger Eden and Jeffrey Fowler, who were all former directors of Corporate Services Group Plc.

First Amended Complaint in SEC v. Florida Stock Transfer, Inc., Vector Holdings Corporation, and Allen Weintraub at the U. S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida.

Application for the appointment of a Commissioner to collect evidence - pursuant to a request for judicial assistance from the British Virgin Islands - for a criminal investigation into Berton Smith, Derek Grant, Albion Hodge, Alvin Hodge, and others for suspected corruption involving contracts for the Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport.

Complaint in Glade W. James, individually and as Trustee; Kirt W. James, Intrepid International Ltd., HJS Financial Services, Inc., Shibewalt Management, Inc., Intrepid International SA, Oasis Entertainment, LLC, Oasis Entertainment's Fourth Movie Project, Oasis Entertainment Corp, and Glenneyre Capital Corp. v. Richard Day, American Registrar & Transfer Co., Greg Harry, Jeff Harry, Jenna Harry, William S. Stocker, J. Dan Sifford, Jr., Karl E. Rodriguez, Karl E. Rodriguez Ltd., JeffJena Ltd., Anneius Equity Management, Inc., Polyandrous Trading Group Ltd., Exim International Inc., Glenneyre Equity Group Ltd., Dana Leasing, Inc., Patagonia Development SA, Patagonia Commercial SA, Quicksilver Development SA, Marshall Worldwide Ltd., Titan Capital SA, B&V Union Technologies Inc., Jozette Jamie Lee, Pam Fernley, Gaynell T. Harry, The Leeward Family Trust, The Albright Living Trust, Laurencio Jaen, Leopoldo Kennion, Teodoro F. Franco, Nixia Aurora Zerna, Kevin Harrington, Tim Harrington, Reliant Interactive Media Corp., Union Bank of California, Union Securities Ltd., Dominic Busto, Madison Stock Transfer, Inc., Michael Ajzenman, Bank of Montreal, Deborah Caldwell, Equitrade Securities Inc., Don Carrig, Stephen H. Roebuck, Kim Carroll, Canaccord Capital Corp., Brad Scharfe, John Skinner, MJK Clearing Services, Royal Bank of Canada, West America Securities, Banco de Costa Rica, Yorkton Securities, Tar Financial Group Inc., Cal Meese, Tarja Mordo, Morgan Stanley Dean Witter & Co., Richard Frank, Emily Ysais, Global Securities, Steve Regoci, Dundee Securities, John Horword, ED&P Investments AG, Erwin Haas, MFC Merchant Bank SA, Marta Pardo, Michael Smith, Golden Capital Securities, Ltd., Mellon Securities Trust Corp., Swiss American Securities, Lines Overseas Management, Trevo Kidd, Cardinal Capital Management Inc., Chris Dorst, Bank August Roth AG, Credit Lyonnais (Schweiz) AG, Bank Sal. Oppenheim jr. & Cie. (Schweiz) Ltd., Public Securities, and Michael Bascetta at the U. S. District Court for the District of Utah.

Application for the appointment of a Commissioner to collect evidence for a criminal investigation in Finland into Ismo Sakari Pentikainen and Martti Untamo Sihvola for alleged embezzlement.

Application for the appointment of a Commissioner to collect evidence for a criminal investigation in Canada into Hercules Perez Abenojar, Rodolfo GonzalesGarcia, Ignacio Mateo Cruz, Alfonso Tui Go and Victor Eugenio Mateo.

Imperial Consolidated administrator Mazars Neville is warning victims of the Imperial fraud to be wary of approaches for money by Weddington Holdings Ltd., which may be an advance fee fraud.Weddington has been telephoning and emailing clients of Imperial and asking them for $2,500 each to purportedly fund an "Asset Recovery Program" outside of that being conducted by Mazars Neville.

Omnicorp Bank, of St. Vincent, is attempting to convert from an offshore bank to an investment fund in an attempt to stave off liquidation.Canadian national Nelson Bayford, who controls the bank, has been approaching depositors requesting that they convert their interest from debt to shares, said two sources.

Application for the appointment of a Commissioner to collect evidence for a criminal investigation in the United Kingdom into suspected investment fraud by William Booth Cook and Donald Nutter.

First Amended Complaint in Endovasc Ltd. Inc. v. J.P. Turner & Co. LLC, KCM Group LLC, The Keshet Fund LP, Sichenzia Ross & Friedman LLP, Keshet LP, Nesher Ltd., Talbiya B. Investments Ltd., Balmore Funds SA, David Grin, LH Financial Services Corp., Laurus Master Fund Ltd., Laurus Capital Management LLC, Celeste Trust Reg, and Patrick Power at the U. S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

Complaint alleging fraud in Commodity Futures Trading Commission v. Sterling forex LLC and Maurice L. Mills at the U. S. District Court for the Western District of Washington.

ARGENTINAMenem off the hook, for the moment Judge Julio Speroni concluded there is not enough evidence to indict former President Carlos Menem in the case of the illegal arms sale to Croatia and Ecuador. Judge Speroni added, though, that Menem

The Imperial Consolidated fraud has taken a further turn for the bizarre with the distribution in September of several press releases, masquerading as news stories, by a newly incorporated British company called Matrix International (Management) Ltd., whose commercial address is

Two lawsuits that may be winding up petitions have been filed against companies that are part of the Mutual Risk Management Group.Both actions were filed at Bermuda Supreme Court under The Companies Act 1981, according to a source. This is

Bermuda company director Paul Lemmon has been refused bail in the United States after the judge ruled there was a "serious risk" that he would flee or obstruct justice if released on bail."The weight of the evidence against the Defendant