Neteller official pledges to fight charges

[clevfan]

Neteller official pledges to fight charges

By Daniel Pimlott in New York
Financial Times
Jan 25, 2007

John Lefebvre, the co-founder of Neteller who stands accused of laundering billions of dollars in illegal online gaming proceeds, plans to fight all of the charges against him, according to his lawyer.

"He's going to be contesting everything we know about the charges right now," said Vincent Marella, his attorney, on Wednesday.

Stephen Lawrence, the other founder of the London-listed online money transfer company who is charged alongside Mr Lefebvre, last week confirmed that he would also contest the allegations.

Mr Lefebvre is on $5m bail and has had his passport confiscated after being arrested in Los Angeles last Monday. At the hearing on Wednesday, he appeared confident and relaxed. He refused to comment on the charges against him, and spoke only to say "end global warming".

The judge ruled that his travel should be restricted to the central district of Los Angeles and the southern and eastern districts of New York, where the charges against him are filed.

His lawyer described the circumstances of his arrest as a surprise and said the US authorities were trying to send a message with the recent spate of arrests in the online gambling industry. "I think they want to stress the point that they are serious about enforcing gaming laws."

The US justice department considers online gambling to be illegal although it is an established and regulated industry elsewhere in the world. David Carruthers, former chief executive of Betonsports, is awaiting trial in St Louis on fraud and racketeering charges related to his role at the internet gaming company.

But some US lawyers have questioned whether criminal prosecutions are likely to be successful because the companies involved are not based in the US.

Mr Marella questions the validity of the charges. "I don't know why the [US authorities] are bothering with this now, or why at all. It's not clear that this is a liable area of law enforcement."

[Dell Dude]

Russy made a good point. If NETeller is guilty, so is Bank of America. In fact, BOA is even more guilty because what they did was inside the Unted States - both physically and regulatory. What we have here is selective prosecution. You gonna arrest people, arrest everyone assholes. This is irony of the absurd. American companies are exempt from American laws but foreign companies get charged. Beam me up Mr. Russy. There is no intelligent life down here.

[StarnetGypsy]

DD ..

For our Senators to give off an aire of intelligence, they first must read the legislation that is put before them. Senator Mitch McConnell (R - KY) being interviewed before the State of the Union address said that he was in favor of President Bush's proposal about Social Security, and stated it is "interesting".

From my experience in life, anyone that says something is "interesting" has no grasp of what is being discussed.

You've lambasted Frisky more than anyone here. Do you think he read more than one page of the UIGEA before submitting it for passage at midnite? Do you think any of the Senators did? If they had, it definately wouldn't have been a slam-dunk because it's filled w/ambiguities.

I'm really happy that Lefebvre and Lawrence have such deep pockets and are united in fighting this. Their lawyers will expose this legislation for what it is, total bullshit. And the fact that it was pork-barrel legislation may be in their favor because it was shot down originally by the Senate because of the ambiguities whereby they stated that either all internet gaming is illegal to include horseracing, etc, or none of it is ... no carve-outs.

Corruption at its finest ...

[The Major]

Starnet, UIGEA has nothing to do with the charges laid there fore they will not be fighting it. The government soon realized after passing the bill that it is 100% unenforceable thus the change in directions. Basically they are saying now, "fuck this, lets just charge them with money laundering because nothing else we do is going to stick without us exposing ourselves as to what we really are"

[clevfan]

It sounds to me like Lefebvre has a very good attorney!


Vincent Marella is a founding partner of the firm, and has more than 30 years experience representing clients in federal criminal prosecutions and related complex civil litigation. A Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, Vince represents corporations and individuals in grand jury investigations and post-indictment proceedings with a particular emphasis on representing high-level corporate officers and executives in criminal prosecutions, and parallel administrative and civil actions. Vince formerly was the National Chairman of the American Bar Association's Committee on White Collar Crime, and founded its west coast subcommittee.

Vince has been recognized as being one of the foremost white-collar criminal defense lawyers in the nation. He has been named one of the best criminal defense lawyers in the country in the publication The Best Lawyers In America every year since the inception of that publication in 1984. Vince was also named as one of America's leading lawyers in Chambers USA, America's Leading Lawyers in Business (2004), as well as one of California's leading business lawyers by California Lawyer magazine in an article entitled 'Best in the West' (August 2004). Vince has also been recognized and listed in the Guide to the World's Leading White Collar Crime Lawyers, published by Euromoney Publications, Plc, London.

Among his numerous notable cases, Vince tried the largest federal tax case in the District of Hawaii, and represented an international corporation and its chief executive officer in the largest federal criminal tax case in the nation. In addition, Vince has successfully represented chief executive officers, general counsel, chief financial officers and employees of major corporations in cases involving allegations of securities fraud, antitrust, health care fraud, customs fraud, embargo violations, as well as tax, mail and wire fraud.

Admitted
California (1973)
Pennsylvania (1972)

Education
Temple University School of Law, J.D. (1972)
Temple University, B.A. (1968)

Past Positions
Deputy General Counsel to Los Angeles Police Commission-Rampart Independent Review Panel (May 2002)
Member, U.S. Magistrate Judge Selection Committee, Central District of California (2001-present)
Assistant United States Attorney, Central District of California (Criminal Division) (1972-77); Assistant Chief, Criminal Division (1976-77)

Selected Publications/Reported Decisions
'The Prosecution's Obligations to Disclose Witness Proffers,' ABA National Institute on White Collar Crime 2001.
'The Department of Justice Prosecutive Guidelines in Environmental Cases Involving Voluntary Disclosure - a Leap Forward or a Leap of Faith?' American Criminal Law Review, Vol. 29 (1992).
The Joint-Defense Privilege and White Collar Criminal Representation, ABA National Institute on White Collar Crime, 1991
Preserving Confidentiality in Corporate Criminal Investigation, Corporate Criminal Liability Reporter, Spring 1987
Contributing Author, West's California Criminal Law (West Publishing Co. 1995).

Other Affiliations/Activities
Adjunct Professor of Law, International Criminal Law, Temple University Rome Program, (Summer 1999)
Adjunct Professor of Law, Loyola Law School (1985-1987)

[StarnetGypsy]

My bad. I thought UIGEA was the initiator because DOJ was using it to define iGaming as being illegal. Up until now they haven't even bothered to attempt arrests on any of these guys unti it was 'passed'.

btw, how did you write fuck? I thot it was blocked? LOL .. guess not.

[StarnetGypsy]

ayep, there it is. hadda re-read the original statement by the US Atty.

"combat unlawful internet gambling through, among other things, the implementation of the federal anti-money laundering statutes"

Still looks like a hard one to to prove, that money passing via NT was knowingly gotten illegally.

I'm going back to bed ... dog woke me up again wanting to go outside to see his girlfriend. He's actually been howling out back lately at nite. Guess spring is here

[The Actuary]

Last I looked the US is undefeated in this game.

IOW everything they have ever charged anyone in this industry has stuck.


US-10000
Pothead made good +5000

once the shit wears off guy will realize better to live your life then spend the rest of it's entirety in a fight you cannot win.

[StarnetGypsy]

Prettymuch TA .. big government is in reality big business, and one day MGM will convince Sam that iGaming is a good thing because it keeps people at home instead of in the streets complaining about the war - then we'll see something like this occur ... describing how it was a booming business, then wasn't, and now is?

YouTube - ATT History

[The Major]

TA, what about the non pothead, the stupid republican type that has his family in a Manhattan condo?

At least the other guy was stoned. Your team is just brain dead from birth.

I now officially hate anyone who supports this regime.

So keep the rhetoric to a minimun TA. It's rah rah screwballs like you that defend this fucking moron piece of trash, Bush.

Trust me, now aint the time to spew your political garbage here.

[jag]

so, i should divest mutuals... state and local government retirement systems should be divested... hmmm, just an ignorant north cackalacky resident here... guess i should call elizabeth dole to sort this stuff out....

[jag]

judicial acorns...
judicial oaks....
must reads...
http://www.murrayfrank.com/CM/Articl...ies%20Laws.pdf

[Highwayman]

From what I’ve read about Lefebvre I’d liken him to a modern day founding father, an e-commerce pioneer, someone that found ways to open competitive markets, create capital, liquidity, enterprise, jobs, opportunities, etc…things that enhance social-economic prosperity for others, someone who should be commended not persecuted…someone fighting against Government control and oppression of our unalienable right to free and private commerce…an individual we all should support.






.

[Dell Dude]

I finally received my new NETeller atm card today. I am going to keep it in my wallet as a tribute to a fallen friend. Someday maybe I'll be able to use it again. I guess I'll always have my memories (mostly of losing suicide eft parlays) and email correspondance with NETeller security messr's Danny and Holden. For the record, I did end up on the plus side by a few cents...

[Uncle B]

Originally Posted by clevfan

It sounds to me like Lefebvre has a very good attorney!


Vincent Marella is a founding partner of the firm, and has more than 30 years experience representing clients in federal criminal prosecutions and related complex civil litigation. A Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, Vince represents corporations and individuals in grand jury investigations and post-indictment proceedings with a particular emphasis on representing high-level corporate officers and executives in criminal prosecutions, and parallel administrative and civil actions. Vince formerly was the National Chairman of the American Bar Association's Committee on White Collar Crime, and founded its west coast subcommittee.

Vince has been recognized as being one of the foremost white-collar criminal defense lawyers in the nation. He has been named one of the best criminal defense lawyers in the country in the publication The Best Lawyers In America every year since the inception of that publication in 1984. Vince was also named as one of America's leading lawyers in Chambers USA, America's Leading Lawyers in Business (2004), as well as one of California's leading business lawyers by California Lawyer magazine in an article entitled 'Best in the West' (August 2004). Vince has also been recognized and listed in the Guide to the World's Leading White Collar Crime Lawyers, published by Euromoney Publications, Plc, London.

Among his numerous notable cases, Vince tried the largest federal tax case in the District of Hawaii, and represented an international corporation and its chief executive officer in the largest federal criminal tax case in the nation. In addition, Vince has successfully represented chief executive officers, general counsel, chief financial officers and employees of major corporations in cases involving allegations of securities fraud, antitrust, health care fraud, customs fraud, embargo violations, as well as tax, mail and wire fraud.

Admitted
California (1973)
Pennsylvania (1972)

Education
Temple University School of Law, J.D. (1972)
Temple University, B.A. (1968)

Past Positions
Deputy General Counsel to Los Angeles Police Commission-Rampart Independent Review Panel (May 2002)
Member, U.S. Magistrate Judge Selection Committee, Central District of California (2001-present)
Assistant United States Attorney, Central District of California (Criminal Division) (1972-77); Assistant Chief, Criminal Division (1976-77)

Selected Publications/Reported Decisions
'The Prosecution's Obligations to Disclose Witness Proffers,' ABA National Institute on White Collar Crime 2001.
'The Department of Justice Prosecutive Guidelines in Environmental Cases Involving Voluntary Disclosure - a Leap Forward or a Leap of Faith?' American Criminal Law Review, Vol. 29 (1992).
The Joint-Defense Privilege and White Collar Criminal Representation, ABA National Institute on White Collar Crime, 1991
Preserving Confidentiality in Corporate Criminal Investigation, Corporate Criminal Liability Reporter, Spring 1987
Contributing Author, West's California Criminal Law (West Publishing Co. 1995).

Other Affiliations/Activities
Adjunct Professor of Law, International Criminal Law, Temple University Rome Program, (Summer 1999)
Adjunct Professor of Law, Loyola Law School (1985-1987)

that is/was very good to hear....hard to imagine anyone better suited, imo.