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Poll Results – Observations

Following our release yesterday of the results of a poll designed to determine the public's investment expectations when going offshore, several people sent us e mails expressing shock at the large number of people who expected risk free, high returns.In

OBNR Poll Results: Many investors believe in get-rich-quick schemes

Offshore Business News & Research, which publishes OffshoreAlert and InsideBermuda newsletters, has now closed its long-running Opinion Poll asking visitors to our web-site: "What annual interest rate can an offshore entity legitimately guarantee its clients?"

Insider Talking: April 30, 2001

Attorney David Hampton Tedder, 54, who has spent much of his career involved in offshore finance, including several dubious ventures, is no longer licensed to practice law in the United States. Records kept by the State Bar of California, where

Unusual trading in MRM stock before $112 m financing announcement

Trading in Mutual Risk Management shares displayed unusual patterns hours before the official announcement that the troubled firm had obtained a $112 million financing package, we can disclose.MRM's share price plummeted from above $5 to $3.40 in early trading on

Fraud lawsuit filed against Kenneth Weare and J&K Global Marketing

A civil complaint alleging fraud has been filed by the U. S. Securities and Exchange Commission against J&K Global Marketing Corp., its president, Kenneth R. Weare, a.k.a. Roy Weaver, and an affiliate, AAA Auction.com.In the complaint, which was brought at

Fraud case involving XtraNet Systems to move to lower court

More than two years of legal action involving parties related to Bermuda-based Mezzanine Capital has been wasted, with a US judge expected soon to rule that a lawsuit be moved from Federal to State court. Nevada-registered plaintiff Voice Media Inc., which has alleged racketeering against several defendants, intends to continue its civil action at the lower court, OffshoreAlert has been told.

Alleged Mid Ocean insider dealers settle with SEC

Two Tennessee stock brokers accused of profiting from insider trading in shares of Mid Ocean Ltd. prior to the announcement of its acquisition by EXEL in March, 1998 have settled an SEC lawsuit. Cristan Kinnard Blackman and Charles Ray Roberts Jr., who both worked for broker Morgan Keegan & Co. at the time, agreed to disgorge profits of $317,409 that they made from the trades.

Bahamas judge removes Receiver of Hawthorne-Sterling group

The Bahamas Supreme Court has ruled that the local Securities Commission does not have the legal authority to wind up a mutual fund if the fund is unlicensed and, therefore, operating illegally. Senior Justice Emmanuel E. Osadebay issued his ruling on April 11, 2001 in relation to a winding up application filed by the Securities Commission against firms known as the Hawthorne-Sterling group.

Windsor International Bank told to remove references to Merrion Re

A Grenada-licensed bank founded by a dentist has been told to remove references on its web-site to a reinsurer that purportedly "guarantees" the bank's high yield investment products. Darren Thomas, a Director of Merrion Re, of Dublin, Ireland, told OffshoreAlert that references to the reinsurer on the site of Windsor International Bank & Trust had been "put there in error".

Canadian regulator acts against Tri-West Investment Club

The British Columbia Securities has issued a Temporary Cease Trade Order against an offshore investment scheme run by Tri-West Investment Club that offers "risk-free" annual returns of up to 300 per cent. The Order relates to Tri-West Investment Club, its President, Jason Kingsley; Haarlem Universal Corp., its founder, Alex Haarlem, Alan Richards and Mark Goldman.

Jerry Nims and his 3D technology claim another victim

The curse of American businessman Jerry Nims and his 3-D camera technology, whose many failures over two decades have cost Bermuda-based investors millions of dollars, has claimed another victim. NimsTec North America Inc. filed for voluntary bankruptcy at the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Georgia on November 6, 2000.

Lincoln Fraser and Jared Brook resign from Imperial Consolidated

Three weeks after OffshoreAlert exposed their role in a failed hotel in England, Lincoln Fraser and Jared Brook resigned their positions with the UK-based Imperial Consolidated Group. The resignations of Fraser and Brook as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, respectively, of Imperial Consolidated was announced in a press release dated April 23.

Securities regulators act against Global Privacy Management Trust

On December 12, 2000, the Ontario Securities Commission has issued a Temporary Cease and Desist Order against Global Privacy Management Trust, whose web-site was registered to a Cayman Islands address, and its principal, Robert Cranston, who lives in London, Ontario.

United Nations body acts against latest scam run by former FIBG group officer

A new scheme run by former First International Bank of Grenada group officer Doug Ferguson has been denounced as a fraud by a representative of an organization within the United Nations. Ferguson has distributed promotional brochures in an attempt to raise "donations" for a "Foundation" to purportedly fund the G77 Chamber of Commerce & Industry of Developing Countries.

Eric Resteiner charged with defrauding Christian Scientists

Former Bahamas resident Eric Resteiner has been accused of defrauding at least 50 people of $22 million in a civil lawsuit filed at the United States by the Securities & Exchange Commission. Many of the alleged victims were members of the Christian Science Church, according to a lawsuit filed at the US District Court for the District of Massachusetts on April 16, 2001.

Robin Cotterell client subject to arrest warrant

A client of Nevis-based offshore provider Robin Cotterell is still on the run from US authorities nearly 12 months after being criminally indicted on racketeering charges along with members of the New York mafia. Joseph Andrew Mann, known as 'Andy Mann', was one of 120 defendants in securities fraud and RICO actions filed on June 14, 2000 at the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.

Elderly electrician pleads guilty to Omega investment fraud

Clyde Hood, the 66-year-old electrician who persuaded gullible investors to send him millions of dollars by promising 5,000 per cent returns, has pleaded guilty to fraud-related charges in the United States. Hood pleaded guilty on April 10, 2001 to one count each of conspiracy to commit fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering and filing a false tax return.

Cambridge International Bank officers charged with fraud

Six weeks after they were arrested in the United States, former Grenada bankers David Frank Rowe, 52, and Gerard Michael Burns, 52, were criminally indicted in San Jose, California on April 11. Rowe and Burns are being held in custody pending the outcome of their case, while a third indictee, Waylon McMullen, 54, is subject to an arrest warrant but has not been apprehended.

FIBG liquidator warns creditors to expect no dividend

Creditors of the First International Bank of Grenada have been informed by its liquidator that they might get back nothing from the liquidation. In a letter to creditors dated April 23, 2001, FIBG liquidator Marcus A. Wide, of accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers, wrote that "there will be a significant shortfall to creditors".

Elfindepan, Southern Financial Group and Calvin Dunlap held in contempt of court

Costa Rica-registered Elfindepan S. A., which, inter alia, provides debit card services to Nevis-based Liberty International Bank & Trust, has been held in civil contempt of court in the United States. Co-defendants Southern Financial Group and Tracy Calvin Dunlap Jr. were also held in contempt of court in a ruling issued on March 15, 2001 at the U. S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina.

Sterling International Bank fails to unfreeze assets

An offshore bank has failed to unfreeze US$540,000 of its assets that were frozen at the Bank of Montreal in Vancouver by the British Columbia Securities Commission as part of a stock fraud investigation. The provisional liquidator of Nauru-registered Sterling International Bank Inc., Graham R. Whiteside, had applied for the funds to be released so that he could proceed with the liquidation of the bank.

Regulators and offshore creditors act against SunState FX

Regulators in the United States have acted to close down a Florida-based investment firm weeks after two lawsuits were filed by offshore corporations alleging they were victims of fraud. The SEC and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission filed separate lawsuits against SunState FX Inc. at the U. S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida on April 18, 2001.

Attorney Jeffrey Matz and others found guilty of $64 million investment fraud

Six people have been convicted of criminal offenses relating to a $64 million investment scam that involved several offshore jurisdictions, including Antigua, Bermuda and the Bahamas. The convictions on April 13, 2001 followed a six-week jury trial at the U. S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida that focused on investment programs known as Hammersmith Trust, Microfund and Luxor Capital Markets.

Imperial Consolidated principals resign

Three weeks after OffshoreAlert exposed their role in a failed hotel in Morecambe, England; Lincoln Julian Fraser and Jared Bentley Brook have resigned as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, respectively, of the UK-based Imperial Consolidated Group, with immediate effect.

Suspicious trading patterns of MRM stock

News of Mutual Risk Management's infusion of $112.5 million from a consortium of XL Capital Ltd, First Union Capital Partners, High Ridge Capital and Century Capital Partners II seems to have leaked out yesterday before the deal was officially announced, judging by trading patterns on the New York Stock Exchange.

Mutual Risk Management shares continue to plummet

The collapse of the share price of Mutual Risk Management is continuing today, with the price down by 24 per cent to just $3.75 per share on heavy volume of 285,000 in the first two hours of trading on the New York Stock Exchange.

SEC v. Eric Resteiner et al: Complaint

Complaint in U. S. Securities and Exchange Commission v. Eric Edward Resteiner, Voldemar A. VonStrasdas, Miles M. Harbur, Charles G. Dyer, Resource F, LLC, and Bunker Hill Aviation, LLC at the U. S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts.

SEC files lawsuit against Wellington Bank & Trust

Thirteen months after being exposed by OffshoreAlert as a scam, the SEC filed a civil lawsuit against Grenada-registered Wellington Bank & Trust, its principals and affiliates. The lawsuit was filed at the United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana on February 27, 2001.

Newt Utopia: The relationship between HYIPs and children’s fables

A fascinating study, titled "Investment in High Yield Programs and Childhood Fables", has just been released. Underwritten by Prime Bank and written by psychologist Les Moody and international banker Nikolei Putin, it demonstrates a strong correlation between a tot's reliance upon fables for life guidance and his or her likelihood to invest in high yield programs upon reaching adulthood.

National Commercial Bank of St. Vincent awarded damages over asset freeze

The National Commercial Bank of St. Vincent has been awarded damages by Grenada Supreme Court after its correspondent accounts were frozen in the United Kingdom by attorneys representing victims of the First International Bank of Grenada. In a decision on December 12, 2000, the court discharged an injunction that had been granted on August 11, 2000 in Grenada and September 14, 2000 in the High Court in England against NCB's assets held in correspondent accounts in the United Kingdom.

Panamanian regulators act against Marc Harris

The Panama Securities Commission has turned down an investment advisor application by Harris Investment Advisory Inc., which is part of The Harris Organization group. A Commission spokesman said the application was rejected primarily because of "the number of  complaints we have received from Harris clients alleging all sorts of dubious practices".

Imperial Consolidated: Prior debts of principals and more regulatory problems

The Chairman of the Imperial Consolidated Group was threatened with criminal action in England in 1996/97 after being accused of breaking the terms of his bankruptcy, we can disclose. Even then, it took Lincoln Julian Fraser many more months to settle a debt of GBP22,000 (approximately US$32,111) to Lincolnshire-based creditor Heckford Advertising.

Raids on Jerome Schneider and Global Prosperity, charges against Anderson’s Ark

Jerome Schneider, who has made a living by selling offshore bank charters in lightly-regulated jurisdictions to private individuals and by writing offshore books, had his office raided by the IRS on February 26. The raid on the office of Schneider's Wilshire Publishing Company in California was one of three high profile actions taken against offshore promoters within five days of each other in the United States.

Lawsuits filed against Fortis Fund Services

Two lawsuits have been filed at Bahamas Supreme Court following the collapse of the Bahamas-registered Oracle Fund, with the loss of more than $100 million. Plaintiffs in one lawsuit are HSBC Bank Middle East, HSBC Investment Bank PLC, HSBC Private Banking Nominees 1 Jersey Ltd, Hunter Douglas Holdings Limited, Lazamar Foundation,  Montsol Investments Inc.

Failed $200 million fund linked with Bahamas bank

An offshore mutual fund that has collapsed amid debts of $200 million and allegations of massive fraud had close links with Bahamas-based Surety Bank & Trust, OffshoreAlert can reveal. SBT's relationship with British Virgin Islands-registered Evergreen Security Ltd. appears to be the reason why the bank chose voluntary liquidation late last year over being sold as a going concern.

David Voth arrested for kidnapping

Businessman David Marlin Voth, whose dubious offshore activities have been exposed in previous editions of OffshoreAlert, has been arrested in his native Canada and charged with kidnapping. Also arrested with 42-year-old Voth were Lorne Murray Ryz, 31, of the Bahamas, and Merrill Paul Lepp, 38, of Calgary. All three have been charged with kidnapping, forcible confinement and assault.

Grenada bankers arrested in US on suspicion of investment fraud

Two businessmen who helped run Grenada-registered Cambridge International Bank & Trust were arrested in the United States on February 28 and are being held in custody. David Frank Rowe, 52, and Gerard Michael Burns have been accused of fraud at the US District Court for the Northern District of California.

Cash 4 Titles businessman pleads guilty to fraud

American businessman Michael Gause has pleaded guilty to securities fraud, conspiracy to commit fraud,  and money laundering charges in relation to the Ponzi scheme known as Cash 4 Titles. Gause changed his plea to guilty to six counts on January 3, 2001 and is due to be sentenced on May 4. He faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine of twice the amount lost in the scam.

Monaco: William Fogwell et al

Application for the appointment of a Commissioner to collect evidence for a criminal investigation in Monaco into William Fogwell, Shelley Fogwell and Guillaume Losada y Padilla for alleged fraud regarding the Hobbs Melville Group.

Two Grenada bankers arrested in US

David Frank Rowe and Gerard Michael Burns, who are or have been principals of Grenada-registered Cambridge International Bank & Trust, have been arrested in the United States and are being held without bail.