Scammers off to jail

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Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2008 1:36 pm

Sent from a contact in the RCMP (clipped from an online paper)

Quote:

Here is some good news though – the wheels of justice move very slowly…

Six accused in scam ordered to face U.S. courts
Lose long battle to avoid extradition. Convictions carry lengthy prison sentences
PAUL CHERRY, The Gazette
Published: Friday, July 18
Six Montreal-area people have run out of options and will be extradited to the U.S. where they face the possibility of lengthy prison terms if convicted of the charges filed against them in a fraudulent telemarketing scheme.
The six were informed yesterday that the Supreme Court of Canada refused to hear their cases.
The decision ended their five-year battle to avoid extradition in a case where 80 elderly people, including a 90-year-old woman, were bilked out of more than $5 million. A spokesperson for Justice Canada confirmed arrangements are being made to surrender all six to U.S. authorities.
The telemarketing operation was investigated between 2001 and 2003 by Project Colt, a Montreal-based task force consisting of the RCMP and other law enforcement organizations in Canada and the U.S.
Included among the six people to be extradited is the alleged ringleader, 42-year-old Beaconsfield resident Gilles (Nitty) Maisonneuve. He was arrested by Project Colt investigators in 2003 while preparing to board a flight to Amsterdam.
Also included among the six is 31-year-old Laval resident Ivaylo (Whispers) Marinov, a man currently facing 16 fraud-related charges in Montreal court.
Court records indicate Marinov moves in the same underworld circles as did 36-year-old Edouard Essaian, a Montreal man who was murdered in a downtown parking garage in June.
Marinov is alleged to have supplied cellphones to the operation and cashed victims' cheques for Maisonneuve.
During a 2003 bail hearing - where Maisonneuve's brother described him as a born salesman - it was revealed the police knew Maisonneuve was preparing to flee before his arrest because he discussed it with family members over wiretapped phone lines. Investigators listened in as he lamented over the possibility of serving a 20-year prison sentence in the U.S. During one conversation with an alleged accomplice, Maisonneuve revealed he thought he was about to be arrested for murder. Also, when the police searched his home on Lakeview Blvd. in 2003 they found a copy of a book titled How to Escape.
Maisonneuve and the others are alleged to have conducted a fraudulent lottery scheme where they called victims and claimed they had won a large lottery prize.
But in order to collect, the victims had to prepay taxes and fees that represented 10 to 25 per cent of the lottery winnings.
The scam resembled many others investigated by Project Colt in the past where fraud artists fool vulnerable Americans into believing they've won a lottery but that collecting their winnings is complicated by border issues.
In one case Maisonneuve allegedly made reservations at a Boston steakhouse so one of the victims could celebrate what she thought was her lottery jackpot.
In that case the telemarketers convinced the woman to send a total of $100,000 in three installments in October 2002.
The other people who are expected to be extradited are Gloria Kaitting, 46, of Dorval, Gino Iovannone, 46, of Montreal, Mitchell Karachinsky, 67, of Montreal, and Daniel Katona.

Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2008 1:40 pm

Moved to GC from Main - news item.

Trophy Videos · Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2008 1:49 pm

Score one for the good guys! We'll take good care of them here in the USA. Smile