[Post Updated March 2020to include a response from Mr. Cooley.] When will they learn? Otherwise educated, smart and very wealthy Americans continue to hide money offshore in an effort to evade taxes. And the U.S. Department of Justice and IRS Criminal Investigations Division continues to find and prosecute these folks. Whistleblowers who report these schemes […]
Independence Day Message for Whistleblowers
The year was 1976. I was not quite 18 years old and already in college. I remember being home for the summer and watching the tall ships sail through New York Harbor. Although spirits were high for the Bicentennial, the overall mood of the country was somber. Less than a year earlier, we watched the […]
Too Little, Too Late? DOJ’s New White Collar Push
The banking and housing crisis happened almost a decade ago. The U.S. Department of Justice has prosecuted many white collar criminals over the last eight years, however the bankers responsible for the mess walked away scot-free. The government prosecutes inside traders, Ponzi schemers and Medicare fraudsters. But bankers? Only if they helped hide offshore accounts. […]
TARP Fraud Leads to Prison, $118 Million Restitution Order
Chutzpah is an ancient Yiddish word that roughly translates to “shameless audacity or “unmitigated gall.” It is also the term used by U.S. District Court Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald in sentencing Wilbur “Anthony” Huff to 12 years in prison. Huff was accused of defrauding over 1500 people out of more than $118 million. Along the […]
TIC Promoter Carlton Cabot ARRESTED!
The newsfeed from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Manhattan was buried in a ton of other emails. I didn’t see it right away but it only minutes for many of our clients to hear the news – TIC promoter Carlton Cabot and his minion Timothy Kroll were arrested for their roles in one of the […]
Small Time Bank, Big Time Fraud (Whistleblower Post)
Last month the U.S. Department of Justice charged Gary Patton Hall with 6 counts of bank fraud and one count of defrauding the United States. Until its failure in late 2010, Hall was the CEO of Georgia based Tifton Banking Co. State officials shut down the bank in November of that year after it became […]
CPA Charged With Embezzling Funds – Accounting Malpractice
A New Orleans CPA has been charged with embezzling $1.8 million from a client. Federal prosecutors charged Paul Gardner, age 57, with a single count of wire fraud. A CPA for 30 years, Gardner allegedly began his criminal career in 2010 after being hired by a local oil company to do bookkeeping and payroll work. […]
Medicare Fraud Lands Doc in Prison
A Louisiana physician and the owner of several home health care agencies may be headed to prison after pleading guilty to federal Medicare fraud charges. Divini Luccioni M.D. and Mark Morad pleaded guilty to federal healthcare fraud charges early this month. Morad pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud and conspiracy to falsify […]
Accounting Malpractice and Tax Fraud Scheme Leads to Prison
A 54 year old accountant from Chagrin Falls, Ohio is headed to prison after being convicted of fraud and obstructing the IRS. Andrew Zelenkofske was sentenced to 36 months in prison. He must also serve an additional 3 years on supervised release once out of prison and pay almost $1 million in restitution. Prosecutors say […]
Christmas Wishes and the Look Ahead
Christmas in Manhattan! After a busy week meeting with whistleblowers, prosecutors and other lawyers, today is a day to relax and reflect and New York City is the perfect place. Although the battle against fraud never stops, as individuals we all should pause to reflect on the blessings of the past year and think about […]