Bernie Madoff – The Human Tragedy. Is Compassion Possible?

At the end of the movie – Saving Private Ryan – Ryan, as an old man speaks these words to his wife who walks up to his side:

“Tell me I’ve have led a good life.  Tell me I’m a good man.”

I must say that, although I’ve seen that movie many times, I am always brought to tears.  I am touched knowing that others come into our lives for a reason and, through their efforts, we find that our lives are shaped.  In Ryan’s case, his concern was living up to the sacrifice made for him and on his behalf.  Ryan wanted to know if the life he lived and the legacy he left was worth the price.

As the movie ended, I could not help but feel sadness for the tragedy that came to light some four months ago when Bernie Madoff admitted that his work wa nothing but a ponzi scheme.  As those words were spoken – lives were changed and, at least for now, not for the better.  The reality of lost investments came to light, financial futures were changed and Madoff’s legacy was forever etched in history.

THE HUMAN TRAGEDY:

From the standpoint of those who were victimized the loss is great.  But the tragedy goes much deeper than lost money.  I do not wish to minimize the loss of treasure, but it is – afterall – just money.  Money can be made and often is lost.  The question is how do we react to that loss?

I heard one of Madoff’s victims on a radio clip Thursday the day Madoff was sentenced.  She said, “My life is over…”  I cringed when I heard her comments.  I, too, (admittedly for different reasons) lost everything material.  I know the feeling of loss and despair, but LIFE IS NOT OVER.  In fact, while life will most certainly change, she still has her freedom and the ability to make choices to improve her life.

One part of the human tragedy is the natural feeling of anger that lost trust naturally brings.  That anger and the negative emotion that is a part of what we hear about Madoff does little to promote joy and healing.  Perhaps over time that will come.

There is grief over loss.  In this case the loss is not only the obvious – the investments that didn’t exist, but the grief over loss is the trust that forever is gone.  Many people have come to learn the pain of betrayed trust, and that is hard to heal from.  As I have talked with victims from other similar scams, many have said that they have a hard time trusting anyone.

MADOFF’S LEGACY:

Beyond the victims, I have to say that I feel for Madoff.  I do not condone his actions – they are abhorent.  But, I feel for the man.  Imagine for a moment the feeling inside as Madoff once again crawls into his prison bed.  As a child, as a teen as a young man, never would he have imagined that the end of his life would be spent in prison.  In his early years he was able to use his intellect to benefit others and himself.  Madoff is not dumb and certainly has a vast compentency.  Unfortunately, he elected to miguide his brilliance.

Again, at the risk of offending his victims, I do not express my feelings for Madoff in support of his actions.  He has earned every night he spends in prison.  The empathetic feelings I have are for him as a human being.  How tragic that his actions have not only hurt those whom he was entrusted with investments, but his actions have harmed his family and others closely connected to him.

As a human being, it is difficult to find your life relegated to the structure and environment of prison.  Here’s a man who has a brilliant mind, who now will wake at 6ish each day, eat prison food at designated times and eat only what is offered.  He will eventually be assigned a location which will likely be a medium to minimum security facility.  It is NOT “Club Fed” – the days are filled with counts, structure and work.  You quickly lose the feeling for the outside world as contact is kept to a minimum and while you may read the newspaper, you find that reading or TV is no replacement for contact that free people have with each other.

As time goes on as he languishes away in prison, those close to him will die – but, he’ll find himself disconnected.  He will have gone from high flying financier to just another inmate.  He will withdraw for his own protection finding that the culture in federal prison is something foreign to him.  He will hear and learn things that will repulse him and there will be those who will leach on to him hoping to make him their prey.  Perhaps, they might think, “If I can threaten or endanger him, I might get some money for my family on the outside.”  He may become a target or he may just fade into oblivion.

For a time, he will continue to have notoriety as the federal government seeks to unravel the true scope of his actions.  Did his wife and/or children know?  Were they involved?  Was his accounting firm in the know or where they just incompetent?  How was he able to maintain the grandeur of his illusion for so long?  These questions and many more will arise – but all the while, the human tragedy is that someone – Bernie Madoff – through his choices is ending his life sitting in a prison cell.

Beyond Madoff – for a moment – imagine being one of his children, grandchildren or greatgrandchildren – the name Madoff is tainted.  He will be remembered for his crime – for the effect he had on the lives of thousands who trusted him – for his last days spent in prison.  If you were a grandchild – think of what happens when you enter college and for the first time the teach calls the role.  When they get to your name and say “Madoff” – think of the looks you’ll get when folks quickly begin to wonder – “is he connected to that guy”?   Their lives have been changed forever as well – and not by their doing.

Charles Ponzi created this scheme.  The name “Ponzi” is forever associated with something negative – just like the name Hitler.  As we live our lives today, the same is true with “Madoff” – his name has been etched in history never to be associated with positive thougths.

FINAL THOUGTHS:

As a business ethics and fraud prevention speaker, I know what it must be like for Madoff – this his first weekend in prison.  While I wish I could say otherwise, I know because I’ve been there.   I earned my time there.  It was no fun, but punishment is a consequence of choices.  My choices led me to prison, and Madoff’s have led him there as well.

Perhaps, when the dust settles, we can all take a moment and, like Private Ryan from the movie, ask “have I led a good life?”  I pray when my life ends that I’ll be able to look back and see a life well lived.  I wonder though for Madoff if it is possible for people to find compassion while at the same time accepting that his life is prison is a clear consequence for the choices he made?

YOUR COMMENTS ARE WELCOME!

Bernie Madoff – Text of Court Statement

Your Honor, for many years up until my arrest on December 11, 2008, I operated a Ponzi scheme through the investment advisory side of my business, Bernard L. Madoff Securities LLC, which was located here in Manhattan, New York at 885 Third Avenue. I am actually grateful for this first opportunity to publicly speak about my crimes, for which I am so deeply sorry and ashamed. As I engaged in my fraud, I knew what I was doing was wrong, indeed criminal. When I began the Ponzi scheme I believed it would end shortly and I would be able to extricate myself and my clients from the scheme. However, this proved difficult, and ultimately impossible, and as the years went by I realized that my arrest and this day would inevitably come. I am painfully aware that I have deeply hurt many, many people, including the members of my family, my closest friends, business associates and the thousands of clients who gave me their money. I cannot adequately express how sorry I am for what I have done. I am here today to accept responsibility for my crimes by pleading guilty and, with this plea allocution, explain the means by which I carried out and concealed my fraud.

The essence of my scheme was that I represented to clients and prospective clients who wished to open investment advisory and individual trading accounts with me that I would invest their money in shares of common stock, options and other securities of large well-known corporations, and upon request, would return to them their profits and principal. Those representations were false because for many years up and until I was arrested on December 11, 2008, I never invested those funds in the securities, as I had promised. Instead, those funds were deposited in a bank account at Chase Manhattan Bank. When clients wished to receive the profits they believed they had earned with me or to redeem their principal, I used the money in the Chase Manhattan bank account that belonged to them or other clients to pay the requested funds. The victims of my scheme included individuals, charitable organizations, trusts, pension funds and hedge funds. Among other means, I obtained their funds through interstate wire transfers they sent from financial institutions located outside New York State to the bank account of my investment advisory business, located here in Manhattan, New York and through mailings delivered by the United States Postal Service and private interstate carriers to my firm here in Manhattan.

I want to emphasize today that while my investment advisory business — the vehicle of my wrongdoing — was part of my firm Bernard L. Madoff Securities, the other businesses my firm engaged in, proprietary trading and market making, were legitimate, profitable and successful in all respects. Those businesses were managed by my brother and two sons.

To the best of my recollection, my fraud began in the early 1990s. At that time, the country was in a recession and this posed a problem for investments in the securities markets. Nevertheless, I had received investment commitments from certain institutional clients and understood that those clients, like all professional investors, expected to see their investments out-perform the market. While I never promised a specific rate of return to any client, I felt compelled to satisfy my clients’ expectations, at any cost. I therefore claimed that I employed an investment strategy I had developed, called a “split strike conversion strategy,” to falsely give the appearance to clients that I had achieved the results I believed they expected.

Through the split-strike conversion strategy, I promised to clients and prospective clients that client funds would be invested in a basket of common stocks within the Standard & Poor’s 100 Index, a collection of the 100 largest publicly traded companies in terms of their market capitalization. I promised that I would select a basket of stocks that would closely mimic the price movements of the Standard & Poor’s 100 Index. I promised that I would opportunistically time these purchases and would be out of the market intermittently, investing client funds during these periods in United States Government-issued securities such as United States Treasury bills. In addition, I promised that as part of the split strike conversion strategy, I would hedge the investments I made in the basket of common stocks by using client funds to buy and sell option contracts related to those stocks, thereby limiting potential client losses caused by unpredictable changes in stock prices. In fact, I never made the investments I promised clients, who believed they were invested with me in the split strike conversion strategy.

To conceal my fraud, I misrepresented to clients, employees and others, that I purchased securities for clients in overseas markets. Indeed, when the United States Securities and Exchange Commission asked me to testify as part of an investigation they were conducting about my investment advisory business, I knowingly gave false testimony under oath to the staff of the SEC on May 19, 2006 that I executed trades of common stock on behalf of my investment advisory clients and that I purchased and sold the equities that were part of my investment strategy in European markets. In that session with the SEC, which took place here in Manhattan, New York, I also knowingly gave false testimony under oath that I had executed options contracts on behalf of my investment advisory clients and that my firm had custody of the assets managed on behalf of my investment advisory clients.

To further cover-up the fact that I had not executed trades on behalf of my investment advisory clients, I knowingly caused false trading confirmations and client account statements that reflected the bogus transactions and positions to be created and sent to clients purportedly involved in the split strike conversion strategy, as well as other individual clients I defrauded who believed they had invested in securities through me. The clients receiving trade confirmations and account statements had no way of knowing by reviewing these documents that I had never engaged in the transactions represented on the statements and confirmations. I knew those false confirmations and account statements would be and were sent to clients through the U.S. mails from my office here in Manhattan.

Another way that I concealed my fraud was through the filing of false and misleading certified audit reports and financial statements with the SEC. I knew that these audit reports and financial statements were false and that they would also be sent to clients. These reports, which were prepared here in the Southern District of New York, among things, falsely reflected my firm’s liabilities as a result of my intentional failure to purchase securities on behalf of my advisory clients.

Similarly, when I recently caused my firm in 2006 to register as an investment advisor with the SEC, I subsequently filed with the SEC a document called a Form ADV Uniform Application for Investment Adviser Registration. On this form, I intentionally and falsely certified under penalty of perjury that Bernard L. Madoff Investment and Securities had custody of my advisory clients’ securities. That was not true and I knew it when I completed and filed the form with the SEC, which I did from my office on the 17th floor of 855 Third Avenue, here in Manhattan.

In more recent years, I used yet another method to conceal my fraud. I wired money between the United States and the United Kingdom to make it appear as though there were actual securities transactions executed on behalf of my investment advisory clients. Specifically, I had money transferred from the U.S. bank account of my investment advisory business to the London bank account of Madoff Securities International Ltd., a United Kingdom corporation that was an affiliate of my business in New York. Madoff Securities International Ltd. was principally engaged in proprietary trading and was a legitimate, honestly run and operated business.

Nevertheless, to support my false claim that I purchased and sold securities for my investment advisory clients in European markets, I caused money from the bank account of my fraudulent advisory business, located here in Manhattan, to be wire transferred to the London bank account of Madoff Securities International Limited.

There were also times in recent years when I had money, which had originated in the New York Chase Manhattan bank account of my investment advisory business, transferred from the London bank account of Madoff Securities International Ltd. to the Bank of New York operating bank account of my firm’s legitimate proprietary and market making business. That Bank of New York account was located in New York. I did this as a way of ensuring that the expenses associated with the operation of the fraudulent investment advisory business would not be paid from the operations of the legitimate proprietary trading and market making businesses.

In connection with the purported trades, I caused the fraudulent investment advisory side of my business to charge the investment advisory clients $0.04 per share as a commission. At times in the last few years, these commissions were transferred from Chase Manhattan bank account of the fraudulent investment advisory side of my firm to the account at the Bank of New York, which was the operating account for the legitimate side of Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities — the proprietary trading and market making side of my firm. I did this to ensure that the expenses associated with the operation of my fraudulent investment advisory business would not be paid from the operations of the legitimate proprietary trading and market making businesses. It is my belief that the salaries and bonuses of the personnel involved in the operation of the legitimate side of Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities were funded by the operations of the firm’s successful proprietary trading and market making businesses.

Your Honor, I hope I have conveyed with some particularity in my own words, the crimes I committed and the means by which I committed them. Thank you.

Bernie Madoff in Jail! It’s Not “Club Fed” I Know – I’ve Been There…

There was cheering from the crowd when Madoff was immediately taken to jail.  Emotions are running high and will do so for years to come.   But this is not a joyous day.  Many victims lives have been radically transformed by the financial crime Madoff effected.  Likewise, Madoff’s life as he knew it is over.  Leaving the comfort of normal life to go to prison is a radically different experience as well.

I know – regretably I have been there for exactly the same crime Madoff plead guilty to today.

Every choice has a consequence.  Many were victimized by Madoff et al and both the victims and Madoff, himself, are facing the consequences of choices made.

Madoff made the following comments in court today.

“I operated a Ponzi scheme.  I thought it would end quickly, but it proved impossible.  I am ashamed for these criminal acts. I always knew this day would come.”

I was asked today on CBS radio – KRLD – by Ernie and Jay about the mentality of how something like this could happen.  Is it possible that Madoff just was out to steal from folks?  The answer is simply – NO.

While I don’t personally know Bernie Madoff, I know the thought process that ends in federal prison.  Madoff is a smart man.  In fact, I would say that he was brilliant in his ability to effect such a scheme successfully for so long.  That is rather amazing.  But, for a time, I suspect when he first got started, Madoff was legitimate.

To effect a fraud like this, there must be three components: (1) need; (2) opportunity and (3) rationalization.  My best guess is that Madoff had two needs that came together when he began this in the early 90’s – (a) emotional need – he would not admit that he was faliable; and (b) money – in that he likely lost money and was unwilling to admit that fact.  Hence, he entered into the second  part of creating such a fraud – he took advantage of his name and notariety to gain more money – more investors or more victims.

CNN reported: Madoff admitted that he never invested his clients’ money, and that he deposited the funds into a “Chase Manhattan” bank.

At that point, Madoff crossed the line of investing and became an outright fraud.  Amazingly, instead of continuing to invest clients money hoping for the big win, Madoff just deposited the money in the bank.  Of all revelations, that was the most amazing.  Effectively he just gave up, committed the crime and waiting until the house of cards fell.

TONIGHT FOR MADOFF:

As I type this I can speak first hand from experience, Madoff just entered a phase of life that is totally foreign and for which he is unprepared.  Likely, as he was removed from the court room, he went to processing where he removed his clothing and was issued prison issue clothing.  It is doubtful that he was allowed to keep much other than one set of “street” clothes that might be used for limited visiting privileges or meetings with legal counsel, etc.  He would have likely been handed his bed linens and escourted to his holding cell.   Unless because of his age he was assigned a lower bunk, he would be given the upper bunk as those with more time in the facility get the privilege of lower.  His meals would be a step above a Swanson’s TV dinner – maybe – and the routine is strict.

Counted multiple times per day, Madoff will soon find that he’s no more than anyone else incarcerated, an inmate.  Inmates will likely acknowledge him, but not consider him any more than they.  In fact, it is likely that many will avoid him fearing that what they might say to him will be used against them (they fear he’d become a snitch) in order to gain favor with the judge for a lighter sentence.

Tonight will be one of the longest nights of Madoff’s life.  He will wonder to himself – time and time again – what he has done and why.  Those thoughts will haunt him for the rest of his life, which from a free man’s perspective, has ended.

THE VICTIMS:

Now here’s where I should stop, but for whatever reason, I can’t.  I understand the anger, and desire for revenge that many feel.  It is natural as your trust has been violated.  This is no different than feeling that one has when a marriage ends with the distrust created by adultery.

Many would say that I am the least to offer advice.  Perhaps that is true, but I’m going to try.  First, from a practical perspective seek the legal help you need to recover what you can.  Know that there are possible sources for some recovery including the application of IRC Section 165(c)(2).  I am not an expert in that area, but I have a guest blog from someone who is.  Go there it might be helpful.

Beyond the legal recourse against Madoff and those involved – and I suspect that others will fall from this as well, may I say – with respect – put your loss into perspective.  We come into this world with nothing and leave that way as well.  Money – security – certainly are important, but it is afterall only material.  The longer one harbors anger or hate, the worse life becomes.  Finding the ability to recognize that Madoff will suffer and reap the consequences of his choices is significant.

Your life has changed – so has his.  No one walks away from this feeling good or whole.  The ultimate outcome, however, for you and your well being will, in large part, be a function of your ability to forgive.

IN THE LONG RUN:

Having been there, I know the pain of prison.  Some learn from their experience and others never get it.  In Madoff’s case we may never know what the true effect of his life changing experience will bring.  In my case, prison was life changing.  While I am thrilled with freedom, I understand that my time there changed my life and gave me an opportuity to do something positive today that, in fact, helps others.

Sometimes you can actually get lemonade from lemons!

As always – COMMENTS ARE WELCOME.

HERE is what Madoff read to the court.

Bernie Madoff Will Plead Guilty! Fraud Prevention Expert Chuck Gallagher Speaks Out

In what will likely become the biggest investment fraud in US history, Bernie Madoff is set to enter a plea of guilty at a US District Court in Manhattan on Thursday.    According to Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marc Litt and Lisa Baroni a plea hearing is scheduled for March 12, 2009.

According to a CNN report:

Madoff’s attorneys Ira Sorkin and Daniel Horowitz confirmed to CNN that Madoff is waiving his right to a grand jury indictment and that there have been ongoing negotiations regarding a possible settlement.

“We obviously have talked to the government,” said Horowitz. “And we have been professional with each other.” The U.S. attorney’s office in Manhattan had no comment.

Frankly, it would make sense that Madoff would enter a plea.  Anything beyond that would likely result in a sentence or punishment that would be less favorable to Madoff.  Let me, however, say, I don’t think the punishment will be anything to laugh at.  Madoff’s alleged crime is substantial enough that it will earn him many years in federal prison.  Based on his age, I have stated on more than one ocassion that Madoff may never see freedom again.  But, that is just speculation.

PERSPECTIVE:

As many of my readers know, I have been through what Madoff is facing now.  Here’s a reality check – if you fight the federal government, you will likely end up with a substantially longer sentence.  The government (for the most part) will do whatever is necessary to gain a “win”!  The governments role is not to make the victims whole or even to discover who or how many people have been victimized.  The role of the government is to bring those who break the law to justice.  And the easier you make it for them to “win” the more likely one is to receive a moderate to light sentence.

Now, having said that, I also know that there are victims who get angry when they discover that the government doesn’t really care about their loss or their plight.  If a victim can help the government win, then the government is interested.  But, when the US Attorney has sufficient evidence to win or gets an admission of guilt on a plea agreement (which is exactly what Madoff – through his attorneys – will enter on Thursday) they are done.  The rest of victims claim will come in other legal suits that will be brought against a multitude of organizations.

In Madoff’s case – gaining a guilty plea should be easy since Madoff basically admitted guilty publically.  CNN reported:

It was “basically, a giant Ponzi scheme,” Madoff said, according to the government’s criminal complaint. “There is no innocent explanation,” Madoff told two FBI agents, according to the complaint, which states Madoff expected to go to jail.

With a statement like that – it’s an easy win for the goverment.  The issue in the plea agreement is not guilt, but what Madoff will plead guilty to and what sentence has basically been agreed to in advance.  The government will get it’s win, but will the sentence be sufficient to satisfy the victims?  By the way, starting at 10:00 a.m. victims will have a chance to be heard by the judge.  Not that it matters all that much as I would guess that it’s pretty well decided.

REALITY CHECK:

Having been through it, (wish I could say other wise) the process will likely be fairly straight forward.  Madoff pleads guilty to “securities fraud”.  The judge hears from the victims.  The judge accepts Madoff’s guilty plea.

WHAT’S NEXT:

Hum…now that’s a good question.  Thus far Madoff has been under – shall we call it – “house arrest.”  Whether he’ll be allowed to continue that form of confinement or whether the judge will require him remanded to some form of federal prison awaiting sentencing remains to be seen.  Certainly this is public outcry for Madoff to be imprisoned.

There is little chance that Madoff will be sentenced on Thursday.  If this hearing is true to form, it will only be an admission of guilty.  Once entered and accepted, Madoff will have more time to wait until his sentencing hearning.  In my case I had to wait almost six months before being sentenced and then another four months before being required to report to federal prison.

I doubt it will take that long for Madoff, but it will likely take time.

According to the New York Times:

If Mr. Madoff does plead guilty on Thursday, it could nevertheless be several months before he is sentenced, several former prosecutors said. The single count of securities fraud that he faces now carries a prison term of up to 20 years.

The one thing I do find interesting in this case if that the government is only seeking an admission of guilt on ONE count of securities fraud.  With so many victims, it would seem that the government could easily win multiple admissions of guilt on items other than just ONE count of securities fraud.  It makes one wonder if the government isn’t being cooperative due to the backlash that could come if Madoff exposed the incompetence of the SEC?

Just a thought!

QUESTION:

1.  Assuming Madoff Pleads guilty – how much time do you feel he should serve for his crime?

2.  Should Madoff’s sentence be reduced if he helps locate available funds to help with restitution?

3.  Should charitable organizations get preferential treatment when it comes to restitution?

YOUR COMMENTS ARE WELCOME!

Bernie Madoff, Allen Stanford – Tell Tail Signs You’re Being Conned! Comments from Fraud Prevention Expert Chuck Gallagher

I saw a great article in Time today entitled: How to Spot a Ponzi Con Artist? Follow the Yachts by Robert Chew.  (see article here.)   I must admit after talking recently to many of the folks who were scammed by Gordon Grigg, I would hear similar tales of loss and lifestyle – their loss and his lifestyle.

While many of my readers are regulars I am constantly reminded of the new faces who read this blog for the first time.  Knowing that, this blog entry will be less about others and more about my past.  From the past one can learn much about the future.  You see, I, too, was a fraudster.  That is not something I am proud of – in fact, it is a fact that I wish were not there.  However, I cannot change my past, so over time I have come to embrace it, share it and learn from those mistakes.  My openness is designed to bring awareness and hopefully prevent others from falling prey to those who would defraud.

THE TIME MAGAZINE ARTICLE:

The article starts with these paragraphs:

With so many Ponzis and so little time to know if you’ve been hoodwinked, there are some red flags even the most trusting investors can bank on: yachts, mansions, jets and women. If your investment adviser is dabbling in any of the above, there’s a good chance you’ve been Ponzi-ed or are about to be.

Creating the illusion of fantastic success, of course, is Chapter 1 in the Scammer’s Handbook. But many among the most egregious alleged billionaire bamboozlers, like R. Allen Stanford and Bernie Madoff, are taking the art of thievery to the next level. Some don’t even bother opening an investor account when new monies come in; they just go shopping. It’s enough to make Gordon (“Greed is good”) Gecko blush.

Arthur Chew is dead on when he says, “Creating the illusion of fantastic success is Chapter 1 in the Scammer’s Handbook.”  Actually there, of course, is NO Scammer’s Handbook.  But, Chew is right about the illusion.

As a ethics and fraud prevention speaker, I openly discuss the steps that led up to the choices I made to enter into the world of fraud.  At first I stuck my toe into that world when I was behind on my  house payment.  I stole money from a client – tricking myself into believing I was only “borrowing” money.   That was foolish – borrowing is borrowing and theft is theft, and when you take money that isn’t yours without anyone’s knowledge – it is theft.

That said, when I repaid the stolen money I also learned it was easy.  I  took again, with minor repayment and again and again.  But to Chew’s point, the stolen funds were invested into my lifestyle.  Now, I didn’t live like Bernie Madoff, but I did live well, especially for the community that I was living in.

The Time article goes on to say:

The charge alleges Walsh and Greenwood gave themselves $8.2 million in employee “advances” and another whopping $160 million for personal expenses. The complaint detailed funds’ being used for buying rare books at auction, purchasing expensive horses, laying down $80,000 for a Steiff teddy bear and providing the ex–Mrs. Walsh with a $3 million residence.

Also last week, North Hills Management, a New York City–based $40 million investment fund run by Mark Evan Bloom, was charged by the same agency with “misappropriating for personal use” more than $13 million from its clients’ fund.

While my lifestyle was nothing like that – everything is relative.  I lived in an upscale home.  While there I was building another home which would have been in the top 1% in my community.  I drove a BMW, then a Jaguar, then a Mercedes, and finally a BMW.  I purchased rare “autographs” that I deemed to be collectibles.  Our clothes were top of the line and we wanted for nothing.  The “illusion” was appropriate for where I lived and the level of my fraud.

As I write this I am saddened by the words.  It is difficult to state what I did, knowing that I knew better all the time.  I created an amazing illusion and got caught up in it myself.  Having talked with many victims of frauds, just like the one I committed, I know that the fraudster, just like the victim, can be caught up in the illusion.

Now I need to be careful with what I say here – for fear that my readers might think I am trying to shift blame – I am not!  But, the truth is, my crime – or the crimes of Madoff, Stanford, Grigg and others in the news today – could have been cut short if those closest to them might have been alerted by their lifestyle.  In my case, I was tax partner in a CPA firm.  It is fairly obvious that my partners knew what I was making from our firm.  I knew their income and they knew mine.  So a fair and reasonable question is – how could I live a lifestyle far more lavish than they?  If we all knew our incomes, unless I had a vast inheritance – which they knew I didn’t – then the question would be where is the money coming from?

Let me repeat the question:  Where is the money coming from?

When that question is asked – then there is a chance that unethical – if not fraudulent – behavior could be uncovered or discovered.  So there is no misunderstanding, I am not faulting my partners for my poor choices.  I made them.  I am responsible and accountable for them.  I paid the price for them.  That being said, had anyone – my family, my partners, anyone – questioned my income or income source, I would likely have been stopped in my tracks.

OUTCOME:

Today as I speak to groups nationwide I state: “Every choice has a consequence.”  I live that daily.  The choice I have made over the years have all had consequences – some good and some bad.  In my case, even though I made complete restitution plus interest to those I defrauded, I did spend time in Federal prison for my crimes.  Again, I am not proud of that outcome or my past choices.  But I am living proof that ILLUSION is a grand part of the fraud scheme.

AS ALWAYS – I AM OPEN TO YOUR COMMENTS:

Madoff – Grigg – Dryer: Investment Fraud Victims Tax Relief Through IRC SECTION 165 (c)(2)

Moira Souza Shiver, expert on the application of IRC Section 165, has been asked by me to write this guest blog.  The benefits of Section 165 can be substantial, yet there are few who are qualified to understand how to effectively navigate the regulatory maze to gain maximum benefit.  As a business ethics and fraud prevention speaker, I try, through this blog, to provide a useful forum for discussing issues, and there is none more important at this time than the effective use of legal methods to recover loss.

Facts, Fiction and Future

Victims, taxpayers and citizens, in general, are experiencing an extraordinary chapter in American financial history.  Economic challenges, budget deficits and tax implications lead the list of many issues confronting citizens and legislators.  Surfacing in the midst of what appears to be mass chaos is yet another disturbing issue – victims of investment theft suffering irrecoverable losses in their life savings.  One bright spot, with the uncovering of these massive investment scams, the media is finally bringing attention to the fact that there are hundreds of thousands of people across this great country who are suffering tremendously at no fault of their own.

For the last ten years, I have been fighting for financial recovery for victims of investment theft.  There’s been a law on the books since 1954 that helps some victims, but most often it ignores the truly needy in favor of the wealthy.  Unfortunately, it also requires a monumental struggle with the IRS to get the deserved relief.  The pain and suffering these issues caused demanded I shift my focus and become an advocate for victims in three ways:

Investment Fraud Prevention Through Education
Maximize Recovery Through Legitimate Sources
Changes in the Tax Code to Carry Out the Intention of the Law

PROBLEM – LACK OF CLARITY, COUNTLESS (MIS)INTERPRETATIONS & INEXPERIENCED PROFESSIONALS

The $50 billion dollar Bernard Madoff Ponzi Scheme brought this subject to the public, but sadly, and very importantly, it also surfaced so-called experts that began advising victims on the recovery option under Internal Revenue Code Section 165 (c)(2).  Adding to the tragedy of these losses is the fact that those same experts are supplying incorrect information.  As an example: Stanford Law School and a former senior tax attorney for the IRS are both normally sources you can depend on for tax law advice.  They are both valuable sources of information, but in trying to help victims of investment fraud, they recently published information that could cause more problems than they solve.

An article, Long And Winding Path To Tax Relief For Madoff Victims, appeared on accountingweb.com dated February 19, 2009.  Stanford University provided information on the IRC 165 (c)(2) tax deduction, quoting a former IRS official.  This article is an example of a long list of experts serving up misconceptions, serious omissions, wrong answers and lost opportunities.  Add The Wall Street Journal, MSN, the New York Times and even the IRS to your list of experts providing incorrect information, and you begin to understand the seriousness of the problem.

FACTS – CURRENT TAX LAW HELPING VICTIMS OF INVESTMENT THEFT

Current law includes but is not limited to, the following facts:

IRC 165 (c)(2)
•    Law was established in 1954 to help investment fraud victims recover a portion of their losses through tax benefits (much like that of natural disaster loss victims or casualty losses such as a destroyed automobile not covered by insurance).  It was readdressed in 1984 by the Tax Reform Act, which did away with the 10% exclusion/$100 per item reduction.
•    Deduction allows qualifying victims to take their total net loss against ordinary income in a single year.
•    Deduction allows for the taxpayer to go back three years after declaring the loss in the “Year of Discovery” if a Net Operating Loss (NOL) remains, or, they can waive their right to go back, and carry the NOL forward up to 20 years.
•    Deduction allows for up to a 20 year carry forward, with the exception of when the 3 year carry back is utilized, which subsequently creates the potential for a 23 year benefit.
•    Losses in IRA and Pension Funds Do Not Qualify.
•    The taxpayer must prove the investment was made and lost by reasons of theft as defined in the state where the transaction took place.
•    Taxpayer must exhaust all reasonable means of recovery.
•    Taxpayer must be able to prove privity (Private or joint knowledge of a private matter; especially: cognizance implying concurrence (Merriam-Webster) or in practical terms, there was a first hand relationship between the thief and the victim) in order to qualify.  Ponzi scheme victims are generally not held to this requirement but that I’m aware, that exception is not written as fact.
•    (Some) IRS agents consider any form of pending legal action (individual, class action, federal indictments, bankruptcy or receivership) as potential recovery and will deny a claim until such time as that open pursuit of recovery is resolved.
•    IRS requires a victim to provide proof of cost basis (copies of checks, front and back, wire transfer confirmations, disbursements, withdrawals, recovery, etc.).
•    Taxes on phantom income are recoverable in full but are only allowed to be carried back 3 years.  The balance (NOL) can be carried forward up to 20 years.

FICTION – MISINFORMATION COMMONLY GIVEN TO THE PUBLIC

•    Before a taxpayer can claim a deduction, they must first exclude 10% of their Adjusted Gross Income and $100 per item – Wrong.  Although originally an aspect of the deduction, this exclusion was eliminated 25 years ago by the Tax Reform Act of 1984.
•    2 Year Net Operating Loss Carry Back – Common misconception.  Other than in 2002, when Congress allowed an exception allowing for 5 years, the carry back has always been 3.  The 2 year carry back does not apply to investment losses caused by theft.
•    Up to 50% recovery of loss – Misleading.  In my experience, taxpayers should expect to receive a total benefit between 10 – 20% of their loss.  Although there may be an exception out there somewhere, I’ve never seen any victims receive even close to a 50% benefit.
•    The deduction is taken in the year victims discover the money is gone – Maybe but not likely.  Convincing the IRS of the right year to take the deduction is complicated.  The big issue is the taxpayer having “exhausted all reasonable means of recovery”.  The “year of discovery” determination will vary from agent to agent.
•    The deduction is simple to obtain – Really?  It takes a knowledgeable and experienced 165 tax preparer to guide both taxpayers and the IRS agents through this process.  I promise you, you should be prepared to be fully prepared.  Taxpayers should expect to be reviewed carefully.

FUTURE – NEW PROPOSED LEGISLATION

For some time, I have been trying to get Congress to see the need for changes in the law.  The size of the Madoff ponzi scheme helped me with my mission to get congresses attention.  In doing so, they are now discovering how prevalent investment theft and ponzi schemes are in America.  Congressman Kendrick Meek of Florida’s 17th district moved quickly and proposed new legislation on February 24, 2009.  I’m thrilled to see it happen, but it did not go far enough.

Proposed changes to current tax law.

•    Will allow a 10 year carry back (or length of time in fraudulent investment, whichever is lesser) on cost basis and taxes paid on phantom income verses the current carry back of 3 years.  Given the fact that a great deal of injured investors are in the retiree/elder categories and have had little to no income over the last several years, this change will hopefully increase the chance of them reaching a year where significant taxes were paid.
•    Proposes to provide assistance to individuals who contributed to charitable organizations.  This is a new aspect to the law and it needs to be further examined in order to determine just who gets what benefits?  It’s not clear on how this will work and I’ll have to wait for more details before I can comment.
•    New legislation uses the word “estimate” verses “ascertained”.  This may be a big help in the filing of the claims in a reasonable amount of time, but it is not definitive and more work needs to be done.

FUTURE – CONTINUED – QUESTIONS NOT ADDRESSED

•    Will the complicated terms “Year of Discovery, Privity, Scienter, Cost Basis and Complete and Final Transaction” be defined in a way that makes it reasonable for the taxpayer to meet the requirements for filing?  Regardless of what legislation is proposed or passed, unless these issues are defined in a way that tax payers, their tax professionals and the IRS alike can understand, little if any of this assistance will reach the intended recipients.
•    Why is this limited to just ponzi schemes?  Although certainly less publicized, other forms of investment fraud are still investment fraud and all qualifying victims should be given the same consideration,
•    Will the new legislation actually limit the amount of time before a victim can claim the deduction and the IRS can take to approve it? The current process often takes so long that victims lose everything, including benefits, their homes and even their lives, before the help arrives.
•    Will IRA and pension savings be added to the forms of acceptable losses/victims?  A huge constituency of victims falls into this category and although technically they never paid taxes, they still worked hard for their money and would have paid them when the time arose.  The money was withdrawn, the perpetrator was enriched and he or she should owe the taxes.  Regardless of whether the IRS actually receives them, the victim should be entitled.
•    Would a uniform tax rate potentially be the better and fairer way to go?  Although the current proposed legislation goes far in trying to help, there are still a group of individuals that will be left helpless.  As many of these individuals paid on average 15 – 20 % in taxes when the money was made, it doesn’t seem quite fair that they are penalized for having grown older or now having no income.

SOLUTION

I’d start with definable (and reasonable) guidelines for tax payers and professionals.  Next would be setting up fair opportunities for recovery across the board, regardless of tax bracket or age.  And finally would be the creation of an organization, or an IRS qualifying exam, that sets the standards for professional services.  Setting these guidelines and standards, much the same as what CPAs, doctors, attorneys, etc. must adhere to or lose their standing, would help satisfy the IRS that the claims are legitimate, would provide the relief that so far is nearly impossible to receive and insure that the professionals assisting these victims are qualified and making claims in good faith.  By enacting legislation that gives the IRS authority to qualify those who represent taxpayers, they’d not only protect the victims, they’d protect all taxpayers against fraudulent or unworthy claims.

It was a breath of fresh air to finally see someone step up and try to help these people and I applaud Congressman Meek.  He’s taken the first step, and with a few additions, he could make this law something to be proud of.

Join my voice and let Congressman Meek know that these other issues are important and will make a big difference.

Congressman Meek can be contacted at:

Kendrickmeek.house.gov
Washington, DC
1039 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: 202-225-4506
Fax: 202-226-0777
Monday–Friday, 9 AM – 6 PM

Moira Souza Shiver
MSS Advocacy Group
mss165.com

Elie Wiesel Can’t Forgive Bernie Madoff – Can Wiesel Forgive Himself?

Hum…as I have shuttled between airports and plane on my way home from a week of speaking engagements – addressing groups on business ethics and fraud prevention, I have debated whether or not to write this article.  On one hand I believe that the topic is so hot and the emotions so high that I run the risk of offending those who are already hurt.  On the other hand, I feel that part of what I do is say what needs to be said.

CNN did an article on the Bernie Madoff scandal and Elie Wiesel’s reaction.  In the article it was reported that Elie Wiesel could not forgive Bernie Madoff and that Wiesel wanted the government to help “bail out” the charities who lost money.

Now let me say from the outset, I believe what Bernie Madoff did was a travesty and I, in now way, support him or his actions.  The repercussions of Madoff’s actions are far reaching and have wreaked substantial harm.  But with that said, I also have to take issue with Wiesel (although I have great respect for him and the work that he does).

CNN reported:

Elie Wiesel, the Nazi concentration camp survivor who went on to win the Nobel Peace Prize, showed little inclination this week to make peace with accused swindler Bernie Madoff, whom he called “one of the greatest scoundrels, thieves, liars, criminals.”

“Could I forgive him? No,” the 80-year-old told a panel assembled Thursday by Conde Nast’s Portfolio Magazine at New York’s 21 Club to discuss Madoff, whose alleged victims included Wiesel and his foundation, The Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity.

“To forgive, first of all, would mean that he would come on his knees and ask for forgiveness,” the Auschwitz survivor said. “He wouldn’t do that.”

Up to this point, as I read the CNN article I understood where Wiesel was coming from.  There are many emotions people feel when they first find out that a deep and abiding trust has been broken.  If a spouse commits adultery, trust is broken and it takes years to heal – if it can be healed at all.

While money isn’t marriage, it’s about as close as you can get.  So when trust is broken and money is lost in a manner that happened with Madoff, it’s no wonder that it is hard to find forgiveness in your heart.  Perhaps over time one may come to that place of peace – of forgiveness – but with only three months to deal with the emotion of loss – now is not that time.

THE NEXT PART – wobbled me though…

The article goes on to say:

Wiesel said a wealthy friend who has known Madoff for 50 years introduced them. The two men met twice over dinner, and Wiesel checked with financial experts whom he trusted before investing all of his and his wife’s personal money.

Then, once Madoff had gained his trust, Wiesel invested all $15.2 million that his foundation had amassed, he said.

“We thought he was God, we trusted everything in his hands,” the Boston University humanities professor said.

Now here’s where the rub comes, at least for me.  Can Wiesel forgive himself?  “What?” you might say…forgive himself.

“Yes,” that’s exactly what I said.  FORGIVE HIMSELF!

Bernie Madoff was brilliant in how he was able to execute a fraud of this magnitude.  Please note, I did not say it was right, nor do I endorse in any way what he did.  I just acknowledge that the method and execution was amazing.  It, therefore, was easy to see just how folks could get sucked into his scam.

But, Elie Wiesel, too, is a smart man and smart men know that you don’t put all “your eggs in one basket.”  Actually, that is a fundamental truth that is taught all throughout our education.  Wiesel knew better.  One might ask if associated with Wiesel’s trust, was it ethical on Wiesel’s part to place the trust’s assets at risk like he did?

For Wiesel to say that after two meetings he invested ALL of he and his wife’s personal money is amazing.  O.K. I got it, he sought the advice of trusted financial experts.  Who was he talking to?  What financial expert would advise Wiesel to invest ALL of his money with one guy?

Wiesel, like others, was sucked into the vast PIT that Bernie Madoff created.

PROMISE – that’s the beginning.  Now, I don’t know Mr. Wiesel, but I do no fraud and how it begins.  My guess (although most won’t admit it) was that Wiesel found himself enthralled by Bernie’s PROMISE.  It’s easy to want to have an investment source that is BETTER than what the average “Joe” can get.  We all want to believe that we are special and deserve something better than what is available to others.  That’s where the PROMISE works and hooks unsuspecting prey.

ILLUSION – A master illusionist, Bernie looked the part, talked the part, and had paperwork to prove the part.  While I doubt Madoff started off as a fraud, I believe that his superior intellect allowed him to transform from good guy to crook with relative ease.  And after all, we all love a good ILLUSION.  David Cooperfield could take lessons from Bernie.

Lastly, TRUST was the cement that secured the deal.  While the CNN report stated:
Wiesel rejected the suggestion that “affinity fraud,” the tendency for people to trust others of similar background, played any role in leaving him vulnerable to Madoff. Both men are Jewish.

I agree with Wiesel that it wasn’t just “Jewsihness” that made Madoff’s deal work, but in the Jewish community many deals are based on TRUST.  Madoff knew that and found two needed ingredients needed to make his Ponzi scheme work – money and trust.

WHERE FROM HERE?

The CNN article went further to say:

Wiesel said he is planning legal action against Madoff but called for the federal government to bail out charities just as it has bailed out carmakers and banks.

“I think it would be a great gesture that the Obama administration should show, we really think of those who are helpless and who are doing with their money only good things.”

I have to respectfully disagree.  To place a burden on taxpayers to make Mr. Wiesel’s charity who is an amazing expectation.  Let me get this straight, Wiesel didn’t use good plain ole “common sense” –  rather he invested ALL his money and ALL the charity’s money with Madoff and someone else should be responsible for his lapse in judgment?  Come on!

EVERY CHOICE HAS A CONSEQUENCE!

Wiesel is financially suffering, true.  But, Wiesel is also experiencing the irrefutable law of choices and consequences.

Be careful whom you point fingers at cause when a finger is pointed at another, three are pointing back at you.  Hindsight being 20/20 I would suspect that Mr. Wiesel would today agree that he should have been more prudent with his charities investments cause all “your eggs in one basket” is dangerous.

COMMENTS ARE WELCOME!

Fredric “Rick” Dryer – Ponzi Scheme Fraudster Sentenced to 132 Years in Prison. Ethics and Fraud Prevention Expert Chuck Gallagher Comments

Forty-four felon counts faced Fredric “Rick” Dryer as the judge prounced his sentence. 

“Thinking about this case last night, I wondered what makes you different than the people who put guns to victims’ heads?”  Judge Mansfield said prior to giving out the sentence. “Are the victims any less hurt?”

That question is being asked alot these days.  “Are victims any less hurt?”  In one sense yes and the other no.  Yes, there was not a physical violation, but the emotional toll that theft creates is significant.  I know.  I unfortunately created that pain in people I victimized many years ago.  And just like Dryer, I faced a judge and was sentenced…to prison.

Today, things are not that different than in 1986 when my crime was committed.  But for a moment let’s look at what Dryer did and why.

Ordered to pay $3.4 million in restitution, Dryer was sentenced to 132 years in state prison.  Now, practically speaking the restitution is moot.  Dryer, with a sentence like that, will more than likely die in prison.  There is little to no chance that any restitution will be made.

According to the Denver Business Journal:

Mile High Capital Group, a real estate investment group,  purported to sell duplex rental units to investors, who could then resell them for a profit. The company also had several sister companies that specialized in tax-deferred real estate transactions and rental property management.

Dryer and his associates promoted Mile High and its offshoots at heavily promoted events at high-end hotels throughout the United States.

But despite generating more than 1,000 contracts and $44 million in sales, the Greenwood Village-based company completed only about 32 duplex rental units, prosecutors said.

The scheme cost some investors their life savings. Investors ranged from blue-collar workers and Chinese immigrants to flight attendants and Harvard-educated attorneys.

While Dryer’s attorney said he will appeal his sentence, Dryer is a convicted felon, who was charged with a bank robbery in 1971 and two other securities fraud cases in the early 1980s, he’s not eligible for probation.  While it is not my intend to be judgemental, as I’ve been in his shoes, it does appear that Dryer didn’t learn from his past choices.

Every choice has a consequence.  As humans we all make choices daily and the choices that we make today will determine our future tomorrow.  Dryer had the opportunity on, what appears to be several occasions, to make better choices.  He elected no to and the price or consequence for his most recent set of choices – life and/or death in prison.  Not what most would call a pretty end.

SO HOW DOES ONE GET SCAMMED BY A PONZI SCHEME?

Reality check is – it is easy.  The fraudster just sucks you into the PIT.  Now for those of you who follow my blog, I have reported on this before in entries related to Bernie Madoff.  But if you have not read those let me help you with understanding the PIT.

The first part of most any financial fraud starts with the PROMISE ( P ).  Fortunately I was not a Dryer investor, but in all cases the PROMISE is a return better than what the average investor could gain if investing in the open market.

Now think of it, if someone told you that he/she could get you a return that practically no one else could get and get that return for you consistently year after year, wouldn’t you be interested?  Sure you would!  So POINT OF ADVICE:  If you wish to avoid being scammed, understand – if it sounds to good to be true – it LIKELY ISN’T TRUE!

The second part of the fraud triangle is the ILLUSION ( I ).  Promoted at high end hotels, investors though that they were investing in real estate ventures that for all practical purposes didn’t exist.  The illusion was created by the marketing and promotion.  For real estate the setting created – the perfect ILLUSION.

This second component of being defrauded is actually the hardest to crack.  Why?  Well, think of it, if you were that good at investing you wouldn’t need someone like Dryer and his team.  That said, a great ILLUSIONIST should be able to fool you.  Dryers clients were fooled and my of them were experienced investors.

That leads to the third and final component of fraud – TRUST ( T ).  In order to effectively pull a fraud off, someone has to trust the fraudster.  Now, having been a fraudster (not something I am proud of), I understand the mentality.  It is much easier to defraud someone who is close to you and trusts you than it is to defraud a stranger.  It isn’t that fraudsters want to hurt those closest to them, rather, it is just easier to convince someone who is close to you to trust you.  Trust here was established by the sheer number of investors.  Once there were contracts, there was the illusion that if one or a hundred made the leap then – “so should I.”

To illustrate this point – TRUST

Among the victims listed in the superseded indictment were Lori Fuller, Dietz’s sister, who invested $680,000 into Mile High and invested in two Mile High duplexes in Milliken, which were never built, according to the indictment.

According to the indictment, Fuller was promised returns of up to 12 percent on her investments. While Fuller received monthly payments for a “period of time,” the indictment states Dryer and Mile High didn’t return her principle.

Again, according to the Denver Business Journal:

While 35 investors are named in the indictment, records relating to Mile High’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy indicate that as many as 1,000 people nationwide could have lost as much as $35 million in the case.

AS A SIDE NOTE:

I have received many calls from investors who have been defrauded in other cases now being investigated or coming to light.  The investigators do not follow every lead and every person who has been defrauded.  They gain enough evidence to win the case.  Beyond that they understand that the likelyhood of loss recovery is slim and their role is to prosecute – not to make victims whole.

QUESTIONS:

1. If you were defrauded by Dryer and his partners, would you contact me please.  I am writing a book and would like to interview you about how you were scammed.
2. If you were scammed by Dryer, have you been advised that there is a provision of the Internal Revenue Code – Section 165(c)(2) which might help in your loss recovery?
3. If you were scammed, would you consider commenting on this blog regarding how you feel about Dryer’s sentence?

AS ALWAYS YOUR COMMENTS ARE WELCOME!

Madoff Ponzi Scheme – How Do Folks Get Defrauded? Comments by White Collar Crime Speaker Chuck Gallagher

Since the middle part of December when the Madoff scandal broke – the main question that has come up with each and every interview I’ve done is – how did these folks get defrauded?  If people can figure out how such a massive fraud was pulled off, perhaps they can begin to understand how to protect themselves.  Madoff’s victims fell into what I call the PIT.  And, once you take that first step into the slippery slop falling into the PIT it is hard to get out.

THE   P I T:

The first part of most any financial fraud starts with the PROMISE ( P ).  Fortunately I was not a Madoff investor, but from all the reports thus far the attraction was that Madoff – because of his superior mind and amazing system – could produce consistent high returns regardless of market fluctuations.  That was the PROMISE.

Now think of it, if someone told you that he/she could get you a return that practically no one else could get and get that return for you consistently year after year, wouldn’t you be interested?  Sure you would!  So POINT OF ADVICE:  If you wish to avoid being scammed, understand – if it sounds to good to be true – it LIKELY ISN’T TRUE!

The second part of the fraud triangle is the ILLUSION ( I ).  From different sources in different ways, it has been reported that when one actually examines the statements that Madoff provided his clients – one could see that what they said as compared to the actual market actions were inconsistent.  In other words, Madoff seemed to rely on ignorance of the market and complexity to create – what would seem – the perfect ILLUSION.

Mind you, Madoff (and his team) was good.  Really good.  Rarely do Ponzi scheme operators provide such a grand ILLUSION that is sustained for such a long time.

This second component of being defrauded is actually the hardest to crack.  Why?  Well, think of it, if you were that good at investing you wouldn’t need someone like Madoff.  Therefore, with modern technology one can produce printed or on-line statements that can fool most any experienced auditor.  That said, a great ILLUSIONIST should be able to fool you.  Madoff’s clients were fooled and my of them were experienced investors.

That leads to the third and final component of fraud – TRUST ( T ).  In order to effectively pull a fraud off, someone has to trust the fraudster.  Now, having been a fraudster (not something I am proud of), I understand the mentality.  It is much easier to defraud someone who is close to you and trusts you than it is to defraud a stranger.  It isn’t that fraudsters want to hurt those closest to them, rather, it is just easier to convience someone who is close to you to trust you.

In Madoff’s case after his first victims invested and fell prey to the scam, they became the foundation for others to follow.  Not only was it trust in Madoff, but the trust was based on trust that others had done their homework so that investors that followed didn’t have to do theirs.

I believe in trust.  I also believe in logic when it comes to financial investments.  Therefore, RULE OF THUMB don’t invest with friends or friends of friends.  Seek your own investment resources and know that fraud comes more times than not from someone close to you.  If you do business with strangers, then you will be more careful about who you select and how you select.  The solution is simple.

SUMMARY:

Avoiding fraud is easy if you follow three simple steps:

1. If it sounds too good to be true – it likely is and you may be on your first step into the PIT.
2. If you don’t understand the investment then don’t put your money there.  How many people today would have preferred a boring but safe investment vs. taking the beating (we’ve all taken) in the market collapse of ‘08/’09?
3. Don’t invest with people you know.  If you do, expect to lose all your investment.  If that is comfortable then invest with friends.  Otherwise, follow this rule and you’d dramatically improve your odds at avoiding fraud.

Feel like you’ve been scammed…then make a comment.  Perhaps your comments will help others!

Gordon Grigg, ProTrust Financial and ProTrust Management – Fined $570,000 for (Say) Unethical Behavior?

Seemingly kicked out of one state some three years ago, it seems that action wasn’t enough for Gordon Grigg.   In a story I wrote several weeks back (read here) about an SEC investigation into the finacial actions of Gordon Grigg and ProTrust Financial, I stated that I would call him “mini-Madoff” as it seemed clear from published reports that Grigg was representing himself as a financial advisor, when it seems that all he was doing was operating a Ponzi scheme.  But, in our country all are innocent until proven guilty.  So, I began to explore whether there was any merit to what had been reported only days earlier.

Seems there is more…so here is the rest of the story – at least thus far.

On June 28, 2006 the State of North Dakota issued a Cease and Decist Order and fined Grigg, ProTrust Financial and ProTrust Management some $570,000 which, according to the State of North Dakota have not been paid to date.  Hum…seems that where there is smoke there is fire.  Let’s look further at the issues that the State of North Dakota felt warranted such a fine.

ISSUES:

• From 1990 to 2005 ProTrust Financial was registered in Tennessee as an investment advisor.  ProTrust Financial was NEVER registered in the State of North Dakota as an investment advisor.
• Likewise, ProTrust Management was NEVER registered in the State of North Dakota as an investment advisor.
• And, of course, Gordon Grigg as – you guessed it – NEVER registered in the State of North Dakota as an investment advisor.
• From June 2001 to August 2005, Grigg engaged in 30 transactions issued by ProTrust Management and affiliated with ProTrust Financial with a North Dakota resident.
• Those securities were NEVER registered with the Securities Department within the State of North Dakota.
• With respect to 13 of the securities sold, the State of North Dakota says that they were fraudulent in that they were described as CDs to the North Dakota investor.

THE OUTCOME:

Based on the investigation by the State of North Dakota, a civil penalty was assessed against Grigg, ProTrust Financial and ProTrust Management.

1. $350,000 was required to be paid into the North Dakota Investor Restitution Fund for the purpose of reimbursing the complainant for losses incurred as a result of investments with Grigg.
2. $220,000 was to be paid to the North Dakota Securities Department.

WHERE FROM HERE?

As I understand it, the SEC is busy with discovery.  The original report says that Grigg (mini-Madoff) had defrauded 27 investors of over $6.5 million.  From what I am finding there are many more than 27.   Likely the SEC (with egg on their face from the Madoff debacle) will do their do diligence – by dotting “i’s” and crossing “t’s” to bring this to an effective conclusion legally.  More than likely it will find its way into the hands of a federal criminal investigator and eventually Grigg will find himself spending time in prison.

But what about the investors?  Well, there may – I EMPHASIZE MAY – be some funds for restitution, but frankly, I doubt much.  Rarely do fraudsters keep excess funds around for a rainy day – say to make restitution.  But I suppose there is always hope.

PLEASE NOTE:  If you feel that you have been defrauded by Gordon Grigg, please contact me as I am actively working this story and would like to confidentially discuss with you how and when you were defrauded.   I can be reached at chuck@chuckgallagher.com.  Any communication will be confidential.

MORE TO COME…and your COMMENTS are welcome!