Money Laundering

Offshore businessman Marc M. Harris, watched by his mother and represented by a public defender, was denied bail today in Miami, where he pleaded not guilty to 13 counts of money laundering."It's clear to me that the government has established by a preponderance of the evidence that he is a risk of flight," said Magistrate Judge William Turnoff.

The prospect of offshore financial services provider Marc Harris being charged with perjury to go along with 13 counts of money laundering was raised during his first court appearance in Miami today after being arrested and deported from Nicaragua yesterday. The clerk at Miami Magistrates Court reminded the prosecution of this option after drastically different accounts of Harris' occupation and finances were given during a hearing which lasted less than five minutes.

ARGENTINA Bad start for new president Néstor Kirchner, an obscure provincial governor, became Argentina's president elect by default when former President Carlos Menem withdrew alleging that there was "a systematic slander campaign" against him. Menem is on trial for several

Offshore banker William W. Cooper, who has so far avoided extradition to his native United States to face money laundering charges, has failed in a bid to have his assets unfrozen. Cooper's assets have been frozen since October 17, 2000

Application for the appointment of a Commissioner to collect evidence for a criminal investigation in Costa Rica into Osvaldo Villalobos Camacho, Luis Enrique Villalobos Camacho and Freddy Villalobos Camacho for allegedly laundering the proceeds of narcotics trafficking by Bertrand Henri St-Onge, Sandra Kerwin St-Onge, Luc St-Onge, Richard Rivers and Norman Denault.

Offshore banker William W. Cooper, who has so far avoided extradition to his native United States to face fraud and money laundering charges, has failed in a bid to have his assets unfrozen.Cooper's assets have been frozen since October 17,

Criminal Indictment alleging money laundering in USA v. Marc M. Harris at the U. S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida.

Application for the appointment of a Commissioner to collect evidence for a criminal investigation in Nicaragua into Byron Rodolfo Jerez Solis, Arnoldo Aleman Lacayo, Alfredo de Jesus Fernandez, Esteban Benito Duquestrada Sacasa, Jorge Solis Farias, Ethel Gonzalez de Jerez, Valeria Jerez Gonzalez, Alvaro Aleman Lacayo, Mayra Estrada de Aleman, Arnoldo Antonio Aleman Estrada and others for alleged corruption, fraud and theft.

Application for the appointment of a Commissioner to collect evidence for a criminal investigation in Ukraine into Pavlo Ivanovych Lazarenko, Mykola Ivanovych Agafonov, Petro Mykolayovych Kyrychenko and Igor Oleksandrovych Polozhentsev for alleged embezzlement.

Application for the appointment of a Commissioner to collect evidence for a criminal investigation in Switzerland into alleged fraud, theft and money laundering by Gunter Tschudin, Gabriele Borjan, Raymond Schmitt and Luigi Piffaretti.

Application for the appointment of a Commissioner to collect evidence - pursuant to a request for judicial assistance from Colombia - for a criminal investigation into Jairo Aparicio Lenis and Maria Mercedes Cardona for suspected money laundering.

Indictment in USA v. Sylvia Hermann and Ali A. Yawar at the U. S. District Court for the Central District of California.

Stock promoter Kevan Garner was sentenced to 87 months in prison at the U. S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida on March 25, 2003 after previously pleading guilty to money laundering. Garner, a Canadian national, is currently out on bail and must surrender to the authorities by May 27 to begin his jail-time.

A man suspected of operating an investment scam based in Colorado and Belize has been criminally indicted in the United States. Kenneth Roy Weare, 56, of Lakewood, Colorado, was indicted on March 25, 2003 for wire fraud, mail fraud and engaging in Monetary Transactions in Property Derived from Unlawful Activity.

A dentist and his accomplice who defrauded $1.2 million from clients of their Grenada-licensed offshore shell bank that was capitalized with just $300 have entered into plea agreements in the United States. Dr. Noel E. H. Tait and Douglas E. Castle each pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud at the U. S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania on March 14 and March 27, 2003, respectively.

Application for the appointment of a Commissioner to collect evidence - pursuant to a request for judicial assistance from Colombia - for a criminal investigation into Julian Garcia Sellek for suspected money laundering.

Bahamas-based businessman George L. J. Wilson has been released from prison in the United States on a technicality three years into a 20-year prison sentence after being convicted in 1999 of multiple counts of conspiracy to commit money laundering, money laundering, mail fraud, and engaging in monetary transactions involving property derived from specified unlawful activity, following a jury trial at the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas.

The Receiver of the Cash 4 Titles Ponzi scheme, which is estimated to have caused losses to investors of more than $300 million, has filed a lawsuit in the United States against three Bahamas-based firms. Leadenhall Bank and Trust Ltd., Axxess International Ltd. and Axxess International (Bahamas) Ltd. are defendants in an action filed at the U. S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois on November 27, 2002.

A part owner of the latest offshore bank to be closed down in Dominica has accused regulators of acting on incorrect information supplied by disgruntled management who had been fired only days before. "The government has made a dirty deal with the old management," said Ferdinand Hoischen, a German lawyer who beneficially owns Banc Caribe with Jonas Persson, of Sweden. "This is very political."

Two principals of a Grenada-licensed offshore bank whose directors included a former Governor-General, an ex-Prime Minister and two Justices of the Peace have been criminally charged in the United States. Noel E. H. Tait, a former staff dentist with the Department of Corrections in Washington D. C., and Douglas E. Castle were each charged with one count of wire fraud on January 30, 2003 at the U. S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

Application for the appointment of a Commissioner to collect evidence for a criminal investigation in Switzerland into Claudio Boscaro and Santo Maesano for alleged fraud, forgery and money laundering

Cayman's much-vaunted reputation for bank secrecy is in tatters after revelations that the island's senior anti-money laundering officer has been selling secrets to British intelligence since 1990. While Cayman was being promoted as a financial center where it was a criminal offense to reveal confidential information, Brian Gibbs was passing on virtually everything that came across his desk.

Certification that "bank statements, opening documents, and wire transfer records" for accounts associated with Juan Carlos Escruceria Gutierrez and his wife, Margarita Villegas Restrepo, were provided to the Central Authority in Spain pursuant to a request for judicial assistance, filed at the Southern District of Florida.

Court Docket regarding a request for judicial assistance from Spain for a criminal investigation into Juan Carlos Escruceria Gutierrez and Margarita Villegas Restrepo at the U. S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida.

Application for the appointment of a Commissioner to collect evidence from Asia, Europe and Americas Bank - pursuant to a request for judicial assistance from the United Kingdom - for a criminal investigation into "a high Yield investment scheme in which 8 investors made investments after having been promised up to 1200% return on their 9 funds, only to see the funds disappear without any return".

Two businessmen who operated high yield investment programs in Costa Rica have been placed on Interpol's list of 'Wanted' fugitives.Costa Rican national Luis Enrique Villalobos Camacho, 62, is wanted for fraud and money laundering, while Luis Angel Milanes, 52, who has Cuban and United States citizenship, is wanted for fraud.

Findings of Fact on Abuse of Process Application in The Queen v. Brian Cunha, Donald Stewart, Ivan Burges, and Judith Donegan at the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands, Criminal Side.

Application for the appointment of a Commissioner to collect evidence for a criminal investigation in Switzerland into Lothar Trinks and Christina Kaiser for alleged fraud, embezzlement, disloyal management of business, forgery of documents, and money laundering.

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.

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

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

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.

Application for the appointment of a Commissioner to collect evidence for a criminal investigation in Switzerland involving Tullio Pezzana.

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.

Application for the appointment of a Commissioner to collect evidence - pursuant to a request for judicial assistance from Colombia - for a criminal investigation into Luis Antonio Acevedo Galindo for suspected money laundering.

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

A bail ruling at Federal Court in Miami indicates that prosecutors believe a Canadian businessman may have been behind an alleged death threat against one of his co-defendants, Bahamas accountant Michael Hepburn.In a decision dated October 16, 2002, District Court Judge Ursula Ungaro-Benages allowed an appeal by the U. S. Government against an earlier order granting bail to 62-year-old Martin G. Chambers.

An attorney who has been associated with many investment scams over the years has been charged with money laundering relating to an offshore gaming business.David Hampton Tedder, 56, was arrested by IRS and FBI Special Agents after he landed at O'Hare International Airport, in Chicago, on October 21, 2002 following a flight from Atlanta.

Businessman Richard Hape has been convicted of two counts of money laundering involving offshore companies he established in the Turks & Caicos Islands, where he worked and lived.The 54-year-old Canadian national faces up to ten years in prison and is currently out on bail pending sentencing.

Application for the appointment of a Commissioner to collect evidence for a criminal investigation in Brazil into alleged corruption and bribery involving MetroRED Telecommicacoes Ltda., Overland Advisory Services, Agua Nova Comercio e Servicos Ltda, Caio Fabio D'araujo Filho, Paulo Sergio Rosa, Oscar de Barros, Jose Maria Teixeira Ferraz, Jorge Luiz Frederich Vital, Plinio Guilherme da Silva, Walter Coronado Antunes Filho, Reynaldo Emygdio de Barros and Celso Roberto Pitta.

Application for the appointment of a Commissioner to collect evidence for a criminal investigation in Belgium into Samih Ossaily, Aziz Nassour, Nora Vlasselaerts, Abbas Macky and others for suspected participation in a criminal organization involved in money laundering, arms dealing and illegal diamond trading.  

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.

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

Bahamas based accountant Michael Hepburn has been released on $100,000 bond at federal court in Miami, where he has been indicted on five counts of money laundering.Hepburn, 52, posted bond on September 5, 2002 and is residing at his daughter's

Richard F. Downes, a former director of Dominica licensed Overseas Development Bank & Trust, has been sentenced to 33 months in prison for conspiracy to commit money laundering. Downes has also been ordered to pay restitution of $48,339 and he

Thierry Nano, who is wanted in the United States on suspicion of money laundering, has filed a civil complaint in New York against the liquidator of his offshore banks.Defendants in the action are PricewaterhouseCoopers and Marcus A. Wide, a PWC

Antigua-licensed Stanford International Bank is being sued by two Mexican clients who had approximately $3 million forfeited to the United States authorities as part of a narcotics money laundering investigation. Two lawsuits have been filed in Miami by Juan Alberto Zepeda Mendez and Jorge Bastida Gallardo and their British Virgin Islands-registered IBCs, Radon Trading Ltd. and Kadir Overseas Ltd., respectively.

Judgment in a Criminal Case in USA v. Richard F. Downes at the U. S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida.