As demonstrated by the $104 million dollar IRS award to UBS Swiss bank whistleblower Bradley Birkenfeld, one may hit a home run by blowing the whistle. Some however, face criminal charges or other extraordinary difficulties because of their whistleblowing. The New York City Bar Association seminar “The Ins & Outs Of Recovering Assets Via Whistleblowers… Continue Reading
Category Archives: Divorce & Child Support
Subscribe to Divorce & Child Support RSS FeedAsset Search News Roundup: August 9, 2012
Posted in Asset Search News, Divorce & Child Support, Money LaunderingA money laundering investigation and a Turkish letter rogatory: The Wall Street Journal article “Sands Probed in Money Moves”, gives a glimpse into the money laundering investigation of the Las Vegas Sands Corp. The investigation reportedly started because of large casino deposits by former high rollers Zhenli Ye Gon and Ausaf Umar Siddiqui. Mr. Ye Gon’s July 23, 2007… Continue Reading
Letters Rogatory As An Asset Detection Tool
Posted in Asset Search/Fraud Investigation, Divorce & Child Support, Financial InstitutionsLetters rogatory can be an invaluable tool for detecting assets concealed in multiple jurisdictions. They may be utilized to gather competent evidence from foreign financial institutions and a variety of witnesses residing offshore. “Asset Search Tips For Divorce & Child Support Cases” talked about detecting assets by employing letters rogatory. That post said: “Many times a… Continue Reading
Uncovering Assets By Using Compelled Authorization Forms
Posted in Asset Search/Fraud Investigation, Divorce & Child SupportProsecutors handling financial fraud cases have long known that a foreign bank supplied with a compelled authorization form, will sometimes release confidential bank records. The prosecutors first seek a judicial direction requiring the bank signatory of the foreign bank account to execute the authorization form. After the bank signatory executes this form, the prosecutors send… Continue Reading
Recovering Assets Via Whistleblowers & Other Tipsters
Posted in Asset Search/Fraud Investigation, Divorce & Child Support, Securities Fraud, Tax FraudAt the New York City Bar Association, 42 West 44th Street New York, NY 10036, from 6:00 PM– 9:00 PM on September 27, 2012, Fred Abrams and distinguished lawyers Jack Blum and Jordan A. Thomas, will present “The Ins & Outs Of Recovering Assets Via Whistleblowers & Other Tipsters”. This program first analyzes how vast sums… Continue Reading
Asset Search News Roundup: May 20, 2012
Posted in Asset Search News, Divorce & Child Support, Tax FraudTipsters and protecting assets by going offshore– Information from tipsters sometimes leads to an asset recovery in cases as diverse as tax fraud and divorce. Earlier articles regarding tipsters include: (1)An Asset Search Via Whistleblowers & Other Tipsters; (2)Mass Leak Of Large Client Data Rattles Swiss Banking World; (3)Swiss Banker Blows Whistle on Tax Evasion…. Continue Reading
Protecting Assets By Utilizing A Nominee Incorporation Service
Posted in Asset Search/Fraud Investigation, Bankruptcy, Divorce & Child Support, Money LaunderingUltra-high net worth divorcing spouses, kleptocrats, bankruptcy debtors, judgment debtors, etc., could easily conceal their beneficially owned assets by utilizing nominee incorporation services (“NIS”). Pages 63-64 of The 2007 National Money Laundering Strategy, in essence divulge that some NIS promote the creation of non-transparent bank accounts and shell companies. Page 64 expressly says: “The FBI believes that… Continue Reading
Asset Search Litigation To Stay In Puerto Rico
Posted in Asset Search/Fraud Investigation, Divorce & Child Support, Financial Institutions, Privacy LawsThe complaint filed in Puerto Rico at Florea v. Bocra, U.S. District Court, District of Puerto Rico, Index No. 11-02102, basically alleges that private investigator Terry L. Gilbeau of Checkmate Investigative Services, Inc. and / or Virginia-based private investigator Nicole Bocra, had improperly searched for assets thought to be connected to a divorce. As more fully… Continue Reading
The Asset Recovery Case Of Cohen v. S.A.C. Trading Corp.
Posted in Asset Search/Fraud Investigation, Divorce & Child Support, Money Laundering, Securities Fraud, Tax FraudThe New York Post and Bloomberg wrote last month about the appeal pending in Cohen v. S.A.C. Trading Corp., et. al., (11-1390-cv). The Cohen appeal is over the trial court’s March 30, 2011 dismissal of Patricia Cohen’s Second Amended Complaint. The Second Amended Complaint accused Ms. Cohen’s ex-husband, (billionaire hedge fund manager Steven Cohen), of tax… Continue Reading
Using Pretrial Discovery In Cases With Foreign Trusts
Posted in Asset Search/Fraud Investigation, Bankruptcy, Divorce & Child SupportIt is no surprise that foreign trusts can easily be used as elements to fraudulently protect or conceal beneficially owned assets. In some jurisdictions a trust may however, be considered void if the trust was “self-settled” (i.e. the grantor and beneficiary were found to be one and the same). Trust veils might also be pierced… Continue Reading
Revisiting A Lawsuit Against Two Private Investigators
Posted in Asset Search/Fraud Investigation, Divorce & Child Support, Financial Institutions, Privacy LawsLawsuit Claims PI’s Could Have Illegally Accessed Bank Info, explained that plaintiff Victoria Florea had filed two lawsuits against private investigators Nicole Bocra and Terry L. Gilbeau, president of Checkmate Investigative Services, Inc. The first of these lawsuits was voluntarily discontinued by plaintiff Florea and her lawsuit filed October 17, 2011, then took its place…. Continue Reading
Asset Search News Roundup: January 8, 2012
Posted in Asset Search News, Divorce & Child Support, Financial Institutions, Money Laundering, Tax FraudThe Financial Action Task Force’s frequently asked questions webpage, states “Large-scale money laundering schemes invariably contain cross-border elements.” Large-scale money launderers are not the only ones who hide assets by utilizing cross-border or offshore elements. Divorcing spouses, judgment debtors and anyone else, may conceal valuable assets by combining offshore elements with additional ones. These elements… Continue Reading
An Asset Search Via Whistleblowers & Other Tipsters
Posted in Asset Search/Fraud Investigation, Divorce & Child Support, Money Laundering, Securities Fraud, Tax Fraud“Human Intelligence & The SEC’s Whistleblower Program” examines the government’s handling of tips in its search for assets concealed by securities fraudsters. The IRS Whistleblower Program too seeks tips from informants who help the IRS detect assets concealed in tax frauds. Besides these whistleblower programs, tips can often be generated in a variety of ways. … Continue Reading
Collecting Evidence In An Offshore Asset Search
Posted in Asset Search/Fraud Investigation, Bankruptcy, Divorce & Child Support, Swiss BanksThe pretrial discovery phase of a divorce, bankruptcy or other legal matter is often the best chance one has to collect evidence of any assets hidden offshore. The attached letter rogatory* submitted to the Swiss court, was included in one divorcing wife’s pretrial effort to gather such evidence. At the time of pretrial discovery in… Continue Reading
Lawsuit Claims PI’s Could Have Illegally Accessed Bank Info
Posted in Asset Search/Fraud Investigation, Divorce & Child Support, Financial Institutions, Privacy LawsOn January 12, 2011, my local counsel commenced a civil lawsuit in Puerto Rico against two private investigators. One of the defendants in the January 12th lawsuit* was Mr. Terry L. Gilbeau of Rocklin, California. Mr. Gilbeau is a newly admitted attorney, a Certified Fraud Examiner and president of the Checkmate Investigative Services Inc. private… Continue Reading
Divorce Settlements As Asset Protection Tools?
Posted in Asset Forfeiture, Divorce & Child Support"Using Divorce To Dissipate Assets & Delay Creditors" described allegations from 2008, that ex-Tyco chief executive Dennis Kozlowski might have fraudulently conveyed assets via an excessive divorce settlement. Stated differently, the ex-Tyco chief was thought to have possibly used his divorce settlement as an asset protection tool. An August 10th civil complaint filed in federal… Continue Reading
Asset Search News Roundup: August 18, 2011
Posted in Asset Search News, Bankruptcy, Divorce & Child Support, Money LaunderingToday’s “Asset Search News Roundup” deals with the beneficial ownership of assets. Although it was published as early as October 14, 2007, “Asset Search Indicia For Divorce, Debt Collection & Bankruptcy” is still relevant today. This is true because it reveals how beneficial owners sometimes conceal assets by using tools ranging from sham trusts to… Continue Reading
Searching For Bank Accounts Secretly Opened In Switzerland
Posted in Asset Search/Fraud Investigation, Divorce & Child Support, Financial Institutions, Swiss Banks, Tax FraudAn IRS webpage identifies U.S. residents accused of engaging UBS AG to maintain secretly opened Swiss or other foreign bank accounts: (Click On The Image To View The Webpage)* One person cited by this webpage is Ms. Lucille Abrahamsen Jackson, of Hillside New Jersey. She reportedly concealed assets in a Swiss bank account by using… Continue Reading
Turning To Financial Investigators During Asset Recoveries
Posted in Asset Search/Fraud Investigation, Divorce & Child Support, Financial Institutions, Swiss Banks, Tax Fraud, Using Financial Investigators"An Asset Search In Geneva" outlines the typical legal remedies for recovering assets secreted at banks in Switzerland. The legal remedies range from civil proceedings brought to attach bank accounts to employing criminal law tools. These remedies are not just limited to Switzerland as they are often available in many countries around the world. Besides… Continue Reading
Following The Money Trails From Marital Assets To Nazi-Looted Art
Posted in Asset Search/Fraud Investigation, Bankruptcy, Divorce & Child Support, Holocaust-Era Assets, Money Laundering, Tax FraudNazi-looted art, bankruptcy estate assets, marital assets and almost anything else can conceivably be secretly transferred by common methods. Just a few of the common methods include the use of intermediaries (i.e. nominees), forgeries, portable valuable commodities and multiple jurisdictions to fraudulently transfer or hide assets. By studying these kinds of methods, the continuing legal education… Continue Reading
Mr. Hecker’s 10 Year Sentence For Hiding Assets & Fraud
Posted in Asset Search/Fraud Investigation, Bankruptcy, Divorce & Child Support, White-Collar Crime GenerallyAccording to his wife’s September 28, 2009 affidavit, Dennis Hecker had stopped financially supporting her and was hiding assets. Dennis Hecker’s wife therefore asked Judge Jay M. Quam of Hennepin County Minnesota, to impute income to Mr. Hecker and to issue an interim order of spousal maintenance and child support. As more fully set forth… Continue Reading
Seeking Swiss Bank Records At The Time Of A Divorce
Posted in Asset Search/Fraud Investigation, Divorce & Child Support, Financial Institutions, Swiss BanksAsset protection can be as basic as forming shell companies in order to secretly maintain monies in Swiss bank accounts. One divorcing husband who carried out this sort of scheme is described at “An Asset Search In Switzerland“. This divorcing husband had used a nominee, (i.e. an intermediary), to establish shell companies and then instructed… Continue Reading
Piercing The Bank Secrecy Veil During A Marital Asset Search
Posted in Asset Search/Fraud Investigation, Divorce & Child Support, Financial Institutions, Privacy Laws, Swiss Banks"Illegally Accessing Customer Information At U.S. Banks" characterized the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act as a U.S. bank secrecy law. On the one hand, it and other bank secrecy laws around the world protect the privacy of bank customers entrusting financial information to banks. On the other hand, bank customers can easily abuse these laws during a fraudulent… Continue Reading
Asset Search News Roundup: September 26, 2010
Posted in Asset Forfeiture, Asset Search News, Divorce & Child Support, Drug-Related Assets, Money Laundering, Tax FraudDetecting crimes during a marital asset search and Mexico’s ubiquitous drug cartel violence, are examined by the September 26th "Asset Search News Roundup". Any crimes committed by a divorcing spouse hiding assets would conceivably be detected during a marital asset search. As the following articles reveal, a divorcing spouse hiding assets might possibly face a… Continue Reading