by Brian Mahany
Last night all the news here in Miami was how a homeless person apparently drugged out of his mind on LSD became a cannibal and ate the face of another man. (The victim remains in critical condition.) Just when we think we have heard it all, something crazy happens. Today’s interesting story comes from InvestmentNews which reports that 3 senior citizens were convicted of kidnapping and holding their financial advisor hostage. During the several days he was held in captivity he was beaten and burned with cigarettes. His alleged crime? Bad real estate investments in Florida!
Although the story sounds funny at first, the victim suffered at least two broken ribs. His attackers ranged in age from 62 to 80.
According to published reports, the victim James Amburn, was able to escape after he convinced his captors to allow him to send a fax to friends to raise some money. Instead he was able to send a fax for help and was rescued shortly thereafter by a SWAT team. 3 of his 4 captors were convicted and are reportedly facing lengthy prison sentences. The fourth was too ill to stand trial.
It’s hard to tell who are the real victims in this case. Obviously, the courts have determined that the investment advisor was the victim of a brutal assault and kidnapping. Is he, however, guilty of defrauding his clients? We will probably now never know.
While “self-help” remedies may sound great, they often don’t work. And violence is never an option. Apart from gallows humor implications of this case, the real lesson is to seek competent legal help if you are the victim of a fraud.
Investment fraud happens daily in this country. If the perpetrator is a licensed stockbroker, financial adviser or registered representative there is a readily available remedy to get back your funds. The most common form of fraud against investors is selling unsuitable investments – stockbrokers have a duty to know their customer’s needs and risk tolerance and to only recommend suitable investments.
If you feel you are the victim of an investment fraud, give us a call. Our asset recovery lawyers have helped many people recover their hard earned money. All inquiries are kept in strict confidence. For more information, contact attorney Brian Mahany at (414) 704-6731 (direct) or by email at
Mahany & Ertl – America’s Fraud Lawyers. Offices in Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Detroit, Michigan; Portland, Maine & Minneapolis, Minnesota. Services available in many jurisdictions.