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Asset Search Blog Financial intelligence, financial fraud investigation and legal strategy for recovering hidden assets

Monthly Archives: December 2008

Mr. Madoff’s Offshore Money Trail

Posted in Asset Search/Fraud Investigation, Money Laundering, Swiss Banks, White-Collar Crime Generally

My father attended Far Rockaway High School at the same time as Mr. Bernard Madoff and in fact, they were in the same graduating class.  He remembers from his high school yearbook "The Dolphin", that Mr. Madoff had lived in the Rockaways and was an ardent swimmer.  My father even showed me "The Dolphin", which… Continue Reading

Asset Search News Roundup: December 28, 2008

Posted in Asset Search News

Mentioned by this "Asset Search News Roundup" are: bearer instruments such as money orders, structuring cash deposits and a possible financial fraud at one national chapter of Transparency International:      *The article "Accused St. Louis drug ring leader pleads guilty of money laundering", explained that Mr. Julius Turrentine was suspected of using bearer negotiable… Continue Reading

Bank Melli Accused Of Hiding Its Fifth Avenue Assets

Posted in Asset Forfeiture, Asset Search/Fraud Investigation, Financial Institutions, Money Laundering

U.S. authorities are seeking the sanction of asset forfeiture in connection with a 36-story Fifth Avenue N.Y.C. building, alleged to be partly owned by Iran’s Bank Melli.   "Assets Seized at Company Suspected of Funneling Money to Iran" and / or a U.S. Treasury Department press release, also report that Bank Melli is accused of… Continue Reading

Asset Search News Roundup: December 21, 2008

Posted in Asset Search News, Financial Institutions

O.J. Simpson’s  Pro Football Hall of Fame ring; a report that Minnesota could even suffer because of Bernard Madoff’s suspected $50 billion Ponzi scheme; and Liechtenstein’s new Tax Information Exchange Agreement; are the focus of this "Asset Search News Roundup": By interdicting O.J. Simpson’s diamond encrusted Pro Football Hall of Fame ring, Judgment Creditor Fred… Continue Reading

Financial Discovery & Foreign Bank Secrecy Laws

Posted in Asset Search/Fraud Investigation, Financial Institutions

A foreign bank witness located in an offshore tax haven will likely rely on bank secrecy laws to resist discovery about a bank customer’s financial information.  A foreign court located where this foreign bank witness resides could however, apply an exception to bank secrecy law.  If this happens, the foreign court might then end up… Continue Reading

Asset Search News Roundup: December 13, 2008

Posted in Asset Search News, Public Corruption

Past "Asset Search News Roundups" described different schemes in which assets have been hidden. This "Asset Search News Roundup" is similarly about the criminal complaint filed against Illinois Governor Blagojevich, which raises among other things, the question of whether Governor Blagojevich had possibly considered hiding / dissipating assets. While the criminal complaint against Governor Blagojevich… Continue Reading

Foreign Bank Secrecy Laws & An Asset Search

Posted in Asset Search/Fraud Investigation, Divorce & Child Support, Financial Institutions, Swiss Banks

Assets hidden in an offshore tax haven which are  the subject of a divorce, forced collection proceeding, etc., can sometimes be uncovered by eliciting evidence from a bank witness residing in that offshore tax haven.  This is true because letters rogatory or other legal proceedings can usually be brought against an offshore bank  witness in… Continue Reading

Asset Search News Roundup: December 5, 2008

Posted in Asset Search News, Public Corruption

Ex-N.Y.P.D. Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik and Puerto Rico’s Governor Anibal Acevedo Vila are among the many indicted for allegedly hiding assets during public corruption and tax fraud schemes.  This "Asset Search News Roundup" is an update about the criminal cases pending against both of them. The Daily News reported that a superseding indictment was filed… Continue Reading

A Domestic Subpoena / Summons In An Offshore Asset Search

Posted in Asset Search/Fraud Investigation, Financial Institutions, Swiss Banks

If assets are hidden in multiple jurisdictions, it can be necessary to conduct asset searches of foreign banks or other witnesses residing offshore.  Such  "offshore asset searches" typically involve Letters Rogatory, (a.k.a  Legal Assistance Requests), which may be used to compel foreign banks or other witnesses residing offshore to give: Details about a financial account… Continue Reading