Head Of Miami FBI Slams Tiger Woods

Tiger and Elin Woods

The new head of the Miami FBI, John V. Gilles, has denounced Tiger Woods and other high profile stars and politicians caught cheating or stealing, "Gillies said transgressions by high-profile public servants and even perceived social role models, like top golfer Tiger Woods, currently embroiled in allegations that he had extramarital affairs, sent the signal to young Americans that cheating and stealing were acceptable."

John V. Gilles

Well, he has a point, in that what he is saying is true, regarding the negative impact such examples have on society. However, Tiger isn't on trial for committing a federal crime. Not to mention, the FBI is DELIBERATELY not doing enough to catch criminals, especially when they are high profile. When those corrupt orders come down from FBI HQ and the field offices such as Los Angeles, New York and Miami follow them, they too become apart of the problem.

Corruption threatens "soul and fabric" of U.S.: FBI

Tue Dec 8, 2009 1:45pm EST - BOCA RATON, Florida (Reuters) - Corruption, whether in the form of crooked officials, financial fraudsters or even philandering sports stars, is tearing at the fabric of U.S. society and is the country's No. 1 criminal threat, a senior FBI agent said on Tuesday.

Addressing businessmen in Florida, where financial fraud cases jumped by 42 percent in the last year, FBI Miami Division Special Agent in Charge John Gillies said failures in personal ethics and integrity sowed the initial poisonous seeds of corruption in a society.

Gillies said transgressions by high-profile public servants and even perceived social role models, like top golfer Tiger Woods, currently embroiled in allegations that he had extramarital affairs, sent the signal to young Americans that cheating and stealing were acceptable.

"Where do our children learn this? They see us, their elected officials, their sports stars, they see how they act and they figure, 'well it's OK,'" he said, citing the case of Woods, whose early morning car accident in Florida last month triggered a storm of media questioning of his clean-living reputation...

Gillies, a 27-year veteran of the FBI, called corruption in all its multiple forms, whether in law enforcement or in the judicial system, or involving tax cheats and fraudsters, "our number one criminal threat" in the United States.

"It really gets at the soul and fabric of the United States when people are out there corrupting ... it all starts with simple ethics violations," Gillies said...

For those frustrated by diminished earnings eroded by the crisis the FBI veteran offered the following caveat against temptation: "The worst day at work is still better than the best day in jail."

http://www.reuters.com

Tiger Woods cited by FBI in corruption study

Tiger Woods' problems with wife and mother in law has prompted the FBI to take a closer look at his behaviour. The G-men's Miami boss John Gillies cited Tiger as evidence of the wave of corruption that was the greatest criminal threat facing the US, in his opinion.

Gillies said the behaviour of high-profile civil servants and role models like Tiger Woods, who allegedly cheated on his wife with several women, sent a signal to young Americans that cheating and stealing were acceptable...

http://www.computerweekly.com

Miami's Madoff Racked Up $1 Billion In Damages

The Miami FBI held a press conference to discuss the ponzi scheme, run by lawyer, Scott Rothstein. It was revealed the damages in the Rothstein case are not $500,000,000 as stated previously in the press, but $1 billion dollars.

Scott Rothstein

Once again, the government's regulatory system has failed the nation and investors worldwide, as it did in other cases such as Bernard Madoff, R. Allen Stanford and Enron. Financial entities should be required to provide accurate proof of their accounting methods and funds currently in their possession.

Scott Rothstein's 2006 Ferrari Spider and his other assets have been seized by the federal government

Previously, Rothstein fled to Morocco and sent a troubling email to his friends and family, regarding the ponzi scheme he actively ran from his South Florida office, ensconced in his law firm Rothstein, Rosenfeldt and Adler.

Miami FBI SAC John Gilles at press conference on the Rothstein ponzi scheme

The email revealed a distressed Rothstein, confessing to his misconduct and hoping God will forgive him for it. While, it is good he didn't kill himself and God can forgive him, Rothstein will face the judicial consequences of his misconduct in federal court.

FBI: Don't Believe $1B Fraud 'first in South Fla.'

The FBI says an alleged fraud involving prominent Fort Lauderdale lawyer Scott Rothstein could exceed $1 billion. Rothstein has not been charged but officials say the investigation is complex. (Nov. 12)

http://www.citrusdaily.com

Feds seize embattled lawyer Scott Rothstein's property

Federal prosecutors accused a high-profile South Florida attorney of concocting a Ponzi scheme that lured millions of dollars from investors with promises of big payoffs from legal settlements that never existed, according to court documents filed Monday.

The civil complaint, seeking forfeiture of eight pieces of property owned by lawyer Scott Rothstein, marks the first time prosecutors have leveled fraud allegations at him- even though criminal charges have yet to be announced. It was filed the same day FBI and Internal Revenue Service agents seized luxury cars, boats, bank accounts and other possessions of the once high-flying Rothstein. The forfeiture complaint put the value of the real estate at more than $18 million.

In the complaint, prosecutors claim that Rothstein operated the Ponzi scheme since 2005 using his law firm, Rothstein Rosenfeldt Adler. Investors were promised fat profits of 20 percent or more by paying lump sums to people who had won legal settlements that would supposedly pay out larger

http://www.miamiherald.com

Florida Car Mogul Is Duped Out of $57 Million

In the post-Madoff world, Ponzi schemes seem to be popping up everywhere. The latest is the alleged scam run by Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., lawyer Scott Rothstein.

He is the Ferrari-loving, bling-wearing, Versace mansion co-owner who worked in a sealed “Bat Cave” and who is suspected of stealing hundreds of millions of dollars from investors who bought legal settlements from him since 2005.

No one has been charged. But the FBI towed away his Ferrari spider convertible this week and seized his mansion and yachts, along with 44 boxes of documents. They are now seeking information from former Rothstein investors. Meantime, the Jerald reports, Rothstein is staying at an undisclosed location under federal surveillance.

The latest intelligence on the scam involves $57 million Mr. Rothstein is accused of taking from a Southeast auto magnate. The case seems like a “Richistan” version of the classic Nigerian email scam.

According to the Miami Herald, auto dealer Ed Morse was fighting with his interior decorate over a $2 million bill. He hired Mr. Rothstein to fight it. Mr. Rothstein told the Morses he won the case and was entitled to a $23 million judgment.

Mr. Rothstein said all they had to do to get the $23 million money–alleged to be in a Cayman Islands account that a judge had authorized the family to seize–was to post a bond 2 1/2 times larger than the judgment, or $57 million, which could be wired to Mr. Rothstein...

http://blogs.wsj.com