1,000 lawsuits have been filed in 30 countries seeking the return of $100 billion for investors who were wronged by the fraud

: "The trustee managing the liquidation of convicted Ponzi conman Bernard Madoff’s business said Tuesday that he estimated more than 1,000 lawsuits have been filed in 30 countries seeking the return of $100 billion for investors who were wronged by the fraud.

In addition to lawsuits against individual investors who got out more than they paid in to Madoff’s scheme, Irving Picard, the trustee is going after feeder funds and institutions like JPMorgan, claiming they should have known about the fraud.

The lawsuit against JPMorgan is seeking $4.5 billion. The bank has said it did nothing wrong.

Madoff even gave a jailhouse interview claiming banks were complicit in his scheme."

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Pastor arrested in $1M fraud case

Pastor arrested in $1M fraud case: "evangelical pastor whose ex-followers say he fleeced them of hundreds of thousands of dollars was arrested yesterday in connection with a nearly $1-million fraud case at a zoo.

Provincial police arrested Mwinda Lezoka, 47, along with two alleged associates, Ruth Eugène, 38, and Jasmin St. Louis, 43.

All three face fraud charges in connection with $978,000 allegedly diverted from Parc Safari in Hemmingford from 2005 to 2008.

Lezoka and Eugène are also accused of forgery.

Eugène, the zoo's former accountant, was a member of Lezoka's congregation, the Bethel Christian Community in Ahuntsic, at the time.

Police charge the trio made 37 illegal electronic transfers from Parc Safari's account to outside recipients, including Actions Béthel du Canada Inc.

The Sûreté du Québec said it opened an investigation into the case in July 2009. Fifteen investigators worked on the probe, it said.

Lezoka also faces a string of lawsuits for unpaid bills, bounced cheques and bad debts."

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Football star was 'fleeced by agent'

Football star was 'fleeced by agent': "ENGLAND football star Stewart Downing has accused his former agent of fraud after discovering only £11,000 in a bank account that he believed contained between £600,000 and £700,000.

However, his former representative, Ian Elliott, 53, argued that the money had been spent legitimately by Mr Downing on items that included luxury cars, holidays and home improvements, as well as services provided by Mr Elliott.

The former Middlesbrough FC winger told a jury at York Crown Court yesterday that he found only £11,000 in an account that he believed contained up to £700,000.

Mr Elliott is accused of siphoning off money to prop up failing business ventures. He denies four charges of fraud."

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Now banks ignore the rules on chip and PIN fraud | Mail Online

Now banks ignore the rules on chip and PIN fraud | Mail Online: "Banks are flouting rules to protect victims of card fraud, despite the City watchdog bringing in strict guidelines more than a year ago.

Under Financial Services Authority (FSA) rules introduced in November 2009, all banks must reimburse fraudulent transactions even if the genuine card and PIN was used.

Yet Money Mail has received dozens of letters from readers who have not received a payout. Instead, their bank insists they must have been 'grossly negligent' with their PIN, either by writing down the number or telling it to someone else."

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Citi fraud: I-T Dept likely to probe source of funds

Citi fraud: I-T Dept likely to probe source of funds: "Income Tax Department may conduct a probe of its own into the Rs 400 crore fraud exposed at Citibank's Gurgaon branch to ascertain if black money found its way into the ponzi scheme designed by Relationship Manager Shivraj Puri.

'The department may look into the matter to find out if unaccounted money was routed to the stock market or elsewhere with the help of the accused,' sources said.

However, the Income Tax Department is yet to initiate action on the fraud, which at present only covers the investment made by about 20 corporate entities and two dozen high net-worth individuals (HNIs)."

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: Hurling legend calls gardai on his own sister over 'missing cash' | Mail Online

 Hurling legend calls gardai on his own sister over 'missing cash' | Mail Online: "Hurling legend DJ Carey has made a complaint to the Garda Bureau of Fraud Investigation about his own sister, after funds of up to €1m could not be accounted for in the firm they ran together.

A Garda investigation has been under way since the complaint was made, a year ago. The Revenue has also been asked to look into the matter by Carey, 40.

Gardaí are now investigating the finances of his sister, Catríona, 32, who is herself an elite camogie star and multicapped hockey international."

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Bel Air manager pleads guilty to $370K embezzlement scheme - Baltimore buzz | Examiner.com

Bel Air manager pleads guilty to $370K embezzlement scheme - Baltimore buzz | Examiner.com: "Timothy C. Kany, Sr., age 49, of Bel Air, Md. pleaded guilty yesterday to mail fraud arising from a scheme to embezzle over $370,000 from his employer.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein and Special Agent in Charge Richard A. McFeely of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
According to Kany’s guilty plea, K-Line America was the American subsidiary of a multinational corporation specializing in international ocean cargo transportation. K-Line was headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, and had an office at 3600 O’Donnell Street in Baltimore.
Kany was the manager of K-Line’s Baltimore office from 2000 to August 13, 2009, where he oversaw the office’s daily business and approved invoices submitted by K-Line’s vendors for payment."

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Vt high school coach accused of embezzlement

Vt high school coach accused of embezzlement: "Police say a Vermont high school football coach has been accused of embezzlement after money he collected for players' sweatshirts ended up in his bank account.Forty-eight-year-old Steve LaLonde of Bennington is scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday.
Detective Sgt. David Rowland tells the Bennington Banner players didn't receive the sweatshirts. Mount Anthony Union High School Athletics Director Tim Brown eventually contacted police.
Police noticed that $1,725 raised was in LaLonde's account, instead of a school activities account. Rowland said the money was wired in two installments to a location in Texas to pay LaLonde's rent. Rowland says LaLonde has since returned most of the money.
LaLonde said Saturday he didn't have an attorney and declined to comment further."

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Open Door's ex-chief indicted - CharlotteObserver.com

Open Door's ex-chief indicted - CharlotteObserver.com: "federal grand jury has charged Ed Payton with embezzling more than $145,000 from Mecklenburg Open Door, the publicly funded mental health contractor he once led.
Payton characterized the money he received from Open Door as loans or advances. But in reality, the grand jury said Wednesday, for 31/2 years he was 'simply embezzling money from MOD.'
While the former executive director said he intended to repay the loans, he reimbursed Open Door for 'barely 25% of these unauthorized payments' before the nonprofit's board confronted him in May, the indictment said."

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Embezzle charge for Newport Grand security head - Boston.com

Embezzle charge for Newport Grand security head - Boston.com: "head of security at the Newport Grand Slot parlor has pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor charge of embezzling for taking $59 in unclaimed lottery winnings.
Vincent D. Soboleski, of Bristol, entered the plea in Newport District Court on Tuesday. The charge was filed, meaning it will be removed from his record after one year if he stays out of trouble.
The 59-year-old Soboleski, a retired Warren police officer, was also ordered to make restitution."

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Former Koss exec gets 11 years for embezzlement

Former Koss exec gets 11 years for embezzlement: "A former Koss Corp. executive who pleaded guilty to embezzling $34 million from the Milwaukee headphones maker was sentenced Wednesday to 11 years in federal prison.
Sujata 'Sue' Sachdeva, the company's former vice president of finance, had pleaded guilty to using company funds to pay her personal bills for clothes, jewelry and other lavish items. The six felony fraud counts carried a maximum penalty of 120 years, although federal guidelines called for a sentence near the range of 16 to 20 years.
U.S. District Judge Lynn Adelman said he granted Sachdeva a degree of leniency because she cooperated with investigators from the very day FBI agents came to her home in 2009. Her 'acceptance of responsibility and the genuineness of her remorse' were compelling factors, Adelman said."

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Report blasts "pervasive fraud" in hiring at Probation Department - The Boston Globe

Report blasts "pervasive fraud" in hiring at Probation Department - The Boston Globe: "The state's highest court, armed with a special counsel's report that details widespread 'abuse and systemic corruption'' in the state's Probation Department, said today the senior court officials will move to fire Probation Commissioner John J. O'Brien, suspend several of his top deputies and forward the report to prosecutors for potential criminal investigation.
The Supreme Judicial Court's stunning announcement came as the court unsealed a devastating report from an independent counsel that concluded that O'Brien and other probation leaders 'committed pervasive fraud against the Commonwealth' for years, creating a phony hiring process to hide the systematic funneling of hundreds of jobs to politically-connected candidates.
The independent counsel, Paul F. Ware Jr., called for the immediate dismissal of O'Brien and some deputy commissioners for 'abuse and systemic corruption,' and said that the group are 'potential targets' for prosecution."

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Ex-Zachry employees charged with mail fraud | San Antonio Business Journal

Ex-Zachry employees charged with mail fraud | San Antonio Business Journal: "federal grand jury in San Antonio indicted eight individuals for allegedly bilking Zachry Industrial Inc. out of millions of dollars through a mail fraud scheme.
Federal prosecutors claim the conspiracy resulted in Zachry being charged for construction supplies that were never received. Four Zachry employees are accused of taking kickbacks, while the other employees worked for a company out of Houston.
An indictment is only a formal accusation of a crime and not an admission of guilt."

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Birmingham pastor admits immigration fraud - West Midlands News - News - Birmingham Post

Birmingham pastor admits immigration fraud - West Midlands News - News - Birmingham Post: "A Birmingham pastor forged documents in a bid to help foreign nationals enter the UK illegally and prevent others from being deported, it has been revealed.
David Morrison, a pastor at the Word Life Centre, in Newtown, admitted forging documents and offering unqualified immigration advice.
He acted as a sponsor for several foreign nationals, representing their cases at Immigration Appeal Tribunals even though he was not legally registered to do so."

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BankAtlantic Liable for Stock Fraud, Jury Concludes - Bloomberg

BankAtlantic Liable for Stock Fraud, Jury Concludes - Bloomberg: "BankAtlantic Bancorp Inc. executives misled shareholders about the riskiness of the bank’s real- estate-loan portfolio during 2007’s economic decline, a Miami jury ruled in a stock-fraud case filed by investors.
Jurors in federal court deliberated about three days before finding today that BankAtlantic officials ignored lending guidelines in approving land-development loans and then misrepresented problems with those deals in press conferences and conference calls. The panel ordered BankAtlantic to pay $2.41 a share in damages to investors, who had sought as much as $3.52 a share.
“The jurors did not hesitate to hold the defendants accountable for having made false and misleading statements about the risky loans,” said Mark Arisohn, an attorney for the plaintiffs. “It was important for shareholders to be vindicated.”"

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FBI Arrests 2 Longtime Employees in Madoff Fraud - ABC News

FBI Arrests 2 Longtime Employees in Madoff Fraud - ABC News: "Two members of imprisoned financier Bernard Madoff's inner circle were arrested on charges of helping to conceal the largest financial fraud in history, U.S. prosecutors said on Thursday.
The indictments of former employees Jo Ann 'Jodi' Crupi, 49, and Annette Bongiorno, 62, brings to eight the number of people criminally charged since the December 2008 revelation of Madoff's multibillion-dollar decades-long fraud.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara hinted at more arrests and criminal charges in the case, which shook investor confidence in market regulators who missed Madoff's epic swindle despite repeated warnings.
'Together with our law enforcement partners at the FBI and Internal Revenue Service, we will press on with this investigation, which remains very much ongoing,' he said.
Madoff, 72, is serving a 150-year prison sentence after pleading guilty in March 2009. He insisted he acted alone.
A court-appointed trustee has sued Madoff's brother, wife, two sons and a niece over allegations they should have known about the massive Ponzi scheme"

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Some real estate brokers accused or convicted of fraud still licensed in California - KansasCity.com

Some real estate brokers accused or convicted of fraud still licensed in California - KansasCity.com: "In February 2009, Sacramento-area mortgage broker Christopher Jared Warren was caught trying to cross from Canada into the United States with four ounces of platinum and $70,000 hidden in his shoes.
The arrest made nationwide news, and Warren became yet another face of greed and alleged criminality in the mortgage finance business.
You'd never know that, however, if you were to check with the California Department of Real Estate. Warren, whose fraud trial is ongoing, is still a licensed broker and has no disciplinary action on his record with the department, which promotes its online licensing database as a tool for consumers to make sure they're dealing with reputable professionals.
This is not an isolated case. The Sacramento Bee found dozens of real estate professionals - people who have been charged with real estate-related crimes or sued by the state for fraud- related misdeeds, or who have pleaded guilty to such wrongdoing - who are still licensed and have no notations, flags or disciplinary sanctions listed on their records with the Department of Real Estate. This means they are authorized to sell homes and originate mortgage loans."

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Deliberations in fraud case of charter jet company charged in Teterboro Airport crash enter third day | NJ.com

Deliberations in fraud case of charter jet company charged in Teterboro Airport crash enter third day | NJ.com: "Jurors in the federal fraud trial of the co-founders of a Florida-based charter jet company are scheduled to begin their third day of deliberations today.
Brothers Michael and Paul Brassington were indicted last year and accused of running illegal commercial charters and skirting safety requirements. Prosecutors also say they and their company, Platinum Jet Management of Fort Lauderdale falsified documents to hide the fact they were overloading their planes with cheap fuel.
The now-defunct company's clients included film and music celebrities. Some paid as much as $85,000 for flights.
One of their planes crashed at Teterboro Airport in 2005, injuring 20 people and prompting an investigation into the company"

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British Financial Firms Ordered to Record Work Cellphones - NYTimes.com

British Financial Firms Ordered to Record Work Cellphones - NYTimes.com: "Investment bankers and traders in Britain will have their mobile phone conversations recorded in the latest step by the country’s financial regulator to crack down on insider trading and market abuse.
Britain is the only European country to explicitly require the taping of business cellphone calls. Add to Portfolio
Go to your Portfolio »The Financial Services Authority, Britain’s financial watchdog, said Thursday that under new rules, effective next November, all financial services firms will be required to record any relevant communication by employees on their work cellphones."

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Russia opens fraud case over Mercedes purchases | Reuters

Russia opens fraud case over Mercedes purchases | Reuters: "Russian prosecutors said on Friday they had opened a criminal case into suspected fraud connected to purchases by state agencies of Mercedes-Benz cars from the Russian subsidiary of Germany's Daimler AG.
Daimler paid $185 million in April to settle allegations it had violated U.S. anti-bribery laws by giving state officials in countries including Russia money and gifts to win contracts.
The Daimler investigation is seen by anti-graft campaigners as a test case for President Dmitry Medvedev, who has repeatedly vowed to crank up the fight against rampant corruption, but analysts say there have been few results."

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Expo 2010: Brokers “must beware fraud or be struck off”

Expo 2010: Brokers “must beware fraud or be struck off”: "Brokers have been warned that there will be no second chances if they are found to be colluding with a client to commit mortgage fraud in any way. John Malone, executive chairman of PMS, told attendees of the Mortgage Business Expo that cracking down on mortgage fraud is a key priority for lenders, the FSA and the Metropolitan police, because it has become so rife within the industry and is funding serious criminal activity.
Fraud across all sectors costs the country £30bn per year.
Malone said that something as simple as telling a lender that they have met a client face-to-face when they have not could see a broker kicked out the mortgage business."

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Solicitor among Belfast fraud ring accused - Northern Ireland, Local & National - Belfasttelegraph.co.uk

Solicitor among Belfast fraud ring accused - Northern Ireland, Local & National - Belfasttelegraph.co.uk: "A solicitor appeared in court with her brother and sister yesterday after a major probe into alleged fraud, money laundering and sham marriages.
A fourth suspect, a former director of the well-known Red Panda Chinese restaurant and property group, also faces a litany of charges after a year-long police probe into their financial affairs.
He is a relative by marriage of the other three accused.
The accused are Ho Ling Mo (38), of Oakwood Park; Wu Pu Paul Mo (40), from Strathyre Park; Ling Sui Mo (44) and her husband Yau Hon Cheung (50), both of Garvey Manor, all of Belfast.
Ho Ling Mo faces charges including acquiring, converting and transferring nearly £300,000 in criminal property.
She is also accused of false accounting, fraud by false representation, four counts of assisting unlawful immigration by organising a sham marriage, cheating the public revenue, and conspiracy to conceal criminal property.
It was alleged that she owns a number of properties and has amassed more than HK$2m (£160,000) in bank accounts.
A detective opposed to bail told Belfast Magistrates Court that she was in the process of securing remortgages and could “start her life afresh in China”.
He claimed there was a risk of interfering with witnesses."

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The Euro is dead. Conceived in fraud and perpetuated by deceit

Wall Street Journal: U.S, China and E.U The Euro is dead. Conceived in fraud and perpetuated by deceit: "The Euro is dead. Conceived in fraud and perpetuated by deceit, the Euro's demise is only a matter of time as investors and holders of the Euro lose confidence and flee from the Euro.
Like Greece, Spain, Portugal, Italy, and Ireland were admitted into the Euro Zone after knowingly submitting fraudulent fiscal reports. Subsequently, these countries went on a spending spree knowing the 'party' will ultimately end with stronger nations such as Germany or France facing the bills.

With the bills now due, the once lauded tight-wad conservative German central bankers surrendered to the easy seduction of the printing press instead of fiscal responsibility. As the German has capituated, so has the future of the Euro. Stop buyingeuropean and Chinese products to keep the jobs in U.S. I have made a mission no to buy products from EU or China.
If you pay just a little more and buy quality made USA products, not only does that keep the jobs in America but that dollar stays in America.
The American worker who made that product…then goes down the street to do business in town and spends his dollar….where the American who received that dollar then spends that dollar around the corner ect.

That dollar just keeps going around to support America. If you buyEuropean or Chinese, that Dollar is gone from the country and then WE borrow it back from the Chinese and pay interest on it. Who is running the show here? We Are according to the mid term elections….Our politicians need to promote American products and the people of American need to start buying American so we can rebuild our battered economy. Start the movement people, it is all up to YOU!"

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The uk is a surveillance society - The Inquirer

The uk is a surveillance society - The Inquirer: "ACCORDING TO THE UK'S toothless privacy watchdog, the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), the UK is a surveillance society that needs improved legislative scrutiny.
Information commissioner Christopher Graham released his report on the state of surveillance to the Home Affairs Select Committee of Parliament this week, and said that it is very important that we have laws that do not unintentionally harm privacy.
It must be nice for Graham to get a chance to criticise something since he has been on the other end of some strong complaints himself. Most notably over the failure of his organisation to do anything to sanction Google after it stole personal email and login data while altruistically creating its roadside photo database, Street View.
So, Graham swung his wet paper bag denting punches in the direction of future legislation by cautioning the government against backing laws that could be used for action outside of their intended purpose. *Cough*, the DEA anyone?
'Technological and societal developments have proceeded and the risks to individual privacy remain real. Further safeguards are still required and require further protection,' he said."

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Australian players blast 'entrapment' plan | Herald Sun

Australian players blast 'entrapment' plan | Herald Sun: "AUSTRALIA'S cricketers say a plan to use undercover agents posing as illegal bookmakers to fight corruption may be illegal. The Australian Cricketers' Association has criticised the ICC proposal, in which players would be approached to see if they make a report.
'We're not convinced that a plan to effectively entrap players is either reasonable or lawful,' ACA boss Paul Marsh said yesterday."

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Ex-Deutsche Bank, AIG Executive Charged With Fraud - WSJ.com

Ex-Deutsche Bank, AIG Executive Charged With Fraud - WSJ.com: "former Deutsche Bank AG and American International Group Inc. executive has been charged with diverting company money to her husband's marketing firms, in part to cover expenses for their upstate New York horse farm.
Heidi Walker allegedly caused false invoices to be filed with Deutsche Bank's asset management unit, and later AIG's Global Investment Group, on behalf of companies owned by her husband, Peter Pfabe, according to an indictment unsealed in federal court in Manhattan on Tuesday. Ms. Walker approved the payments, according to the indictment.
No services were rendered for either Deutsche Bank or AIG, and her husband's involvement wasn't disclosed, according to the indictment.
As a result, Deutsche Bank's asset management unit was defrauded of about $345,000 and AIG was defrauded of roughly $125,000, according to the indictment."

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Calif. broker gets 68 years for real estate fraud - BusinessWeek

Calif. broker gets 68 years for real estate fraud - BusinessWeek: "Orange County, Calif., real estate broker has been sentenced to 68 years in prison for using stolen identities to buy 35 properties and intentionally defaulting on the loans to steal more than $17 million.
Kathy Chen received the sentence Monday in a courtroom in Westminster.
The 49-year-old Chen was found guilty in May of 136 felony counts including conspiracy, grand theft and forgery.
Prosecutors said Chen conspired with her 60-year-old boyfriend Richard Salgado Gonzalez and his 57-year-old brother Daniel Gonzalez to commit $17.5 million in real estate fraud from 2005 to 2007."

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Suspended Ithala boss, wife in court - KwaZulu-Natal - IOL | Breaking News | South Africa News | World News | Sport | Business | Entertainment | IOL.co.za

Suspended Ithala boss, wife in court - KwaZulu-Natal - IOL | Breaking News | South Africa News | World News | Sport | Business | Entertainment | IOL.co.za: "Suspended Ithala Bank boss, Sipho Shabalala and his wife Ntombi are expected to appear in the Pietermaritzburg Commercial Crime Court for alleged corruption, money laundering and fraud, the Hawks said on Wednesday.
“According to the arrangements Shabalala, his wife and other people are expected to appear in court today (Wednesday),” spokesman Musa Zondi said.
Shabalala was suspended following reports of a criminal investigation against him. His assets including the City Royal Hotel in Pietermaritzburg, his Othandweni farm, Range Rover and Mercedes-Benz were seized during a R200-million tender fraud crackdown by the Hawks and the Asset Forfeiture Unit on August 25. Eight people were arrested during the raids, but Shabalala was not. More people were expected in court for the first time on Wednesday."

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Longtown solicitor charged in fraud investigation

BBC News - Longtown solicitor charged in fraud investigation: "north Cumbrian solicitor has been charged with fraud following a two-year police investigation.
Pauline Butler, 53, was charged on Tuesday with three offences of fraud by abuse of a position trust, Cumbria Police said.
A spokesman for the force said the investigation centred on clients' financial losses.
The 53-year-old of Stackbraes Road in Longtown, will appear at Carlisle Magistrates' Court on 2 November."

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Former Dieu analyst faces fraud charges

Former Dieu analyst faces fraud charges: "She was tasked with clerical duties at Hotel-Dieu Grace Hospital, but spent the last four years methodically stealing about $440,000 worth of payments meant for fellow employees.
Those are the allegations against Baljit Dhaliwal, a fired junior financial analyst at the hospital, now facing a fraud charge following a month-long police investigation."

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South Canterbury Finance NBR to hand over documents to fraud squad

NBR to hand over documents to fraud squad: "National Business Review says it has decided to hand over material demanded by the Serious Fraud Office, relating to South Canterbury Finance.
The material did not compromise any of the sources of Matt Nippert, the reporter who carried out the investigation the SFO was interested in, the NBR website reported just before 11am (0900 AEDT)on Wednesday.
Earlier NBR said it had been given until 9am on Wednesday to deliver the documents relating to the newspaper's investigation of SCF's dealing over Auckland's Hyatt Regency Hotel, and agree to an interview."

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Hiram Monserrate charged in $109K "slush-fund" fraud - NYPOST.com

Hiram Monserrate charged in $109K "slush-fund" fraud - NYPOST.com: "Scandal-scarred former state Sen. Hiram Monserrate was busted again yesterday -- this time on federal fraud charges tied to his tenure on the City Council.
The Queens Democrat -- who's still on probation for the domestic assault that got him booted out of Albany -- was accused of misusing $109,000 in council 'slush fund' cash that he directed to the nonprofit Latino Initiative for Better Resources and Empowerment.
Manhattan US Attorney Preet Bharara said Monserrate 'effectively outsourced' much of his failed 2006 state Senate bid to the group, known as LIBRE, which he used as a 'political piggy bank' to fund his campaign."

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Det Con Daren Pooley, 41,Met officer guilty of expenses fraud during 7/7 probe

BBC News - Met officer guilty of expenses fraud during 7/7 probe: "counter-terrorism officer has been found guilty of defrauding the Metropolitan Police during the investigation into the 7 July bombings.
Det Con Daren Pooley, 41, was one of a number of officers sent on a long-term deployment to Leeds following the terrorist attacks in London in 2005.
But he tried to make a 'quick profit' out of his employers in a property scam, Southwark Crown Court heard.
Pooley and his wife Nicola, 37, were convicted of conspiracy to defraud
Three 7 July suicide bombers, Mohammed Siddique Khan, Shehzad Tanweer and Hasib Hussain were from Leeds. The fourth bomber, Jermain Lindsay, was from Buckinghamshire."

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No charges in Sports Direct investigation - Today's News - News - JournalLive

No charges in Sports Direct investigation - Today's News - News - JournalLive: "NEWCASTLE United owner Mike Ashley’s Sports Direct company will not face any charges following an investigation by the Serious Fraud Office into allegations of cartel activity.
The investigation into Sports Direct and rivals JJB Sports is still looking at individuals in relation to the alleged case of anti-competitive practices in the sports retail market, however.
The inquiry first came to light in September last year after JJB Sports approached the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) over a “suspected agreement or concerted practice to dampen competition in the sports retail market”."

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Thief returns stolen laptop contents on USB stick - Telegraph

Thief returns stolen laptop contents on USB stick - Telegraph: "professor, who teaches at Umeå University in northern Sweden, was devastated when ten years of work stored on his laptop was stolen.
But to his surprise, a week after the theft, the entire contents of his laptop were posted to him on a USB stick.

am very happy,' the unnamed professor told the local Västerbottens-Kuriren newspaper.
'This story makes me feel hope for humanity.'
The professor left his bag, containing the laptop, hidden behind a door in his apartment stairwell while he went into the building's laundry room. When he emerged a short time later, the bag had gone.
It was returned shortly after, without the laptop."

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German heiress wins legal battle over pre-nuptial agreement - Telegraph

German heiress wins legal battle over pre-nuptial agreement - Telegraph: "ruling means that her ex-husband, Nicolas Granatino, receives less money than he wanted after the court ruled that an agreement he signed in Germany before they married should stand.
It also a major step towards pre-nuptial contracts, including those signed abroad, becoming legally enforceable in England and Wales, which do not currently have a place in British family law."

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Troubled Spanish savings bank agrees to merge with larger peer < Spanish news | Expatica Spain

Troubled Spanish savings bank agrees to merge with larger peer < Spanish news | Expatica Spain: "Troubled Spanish savings bank Caixa Girona agreed Monday to merge with Spain's largest savings bank, La Caixa, in the latest merger aimed at shoring up the nation's weaker banks.
The board of Caixa Girona unanimously approved the merger with La Caixa, its president Manel Serra told reporters.
The two banks, which are both based in Spain's wealthy northeastern region of Catalonia, announced last week that they were in merger talks.
Earlier this month international ratings agency Fitch downgraded Caixa Girona to BBB from BBB+, citing the impact of the weak economy and the collapse of a property bubble on its asset quality.
Spanish banks got off relatively lightly from the subprime mortgage crisis in 2008 as the country's strict regulations meant they did not invest heavily in the high-risk loans that hurt financial institutions elsewhere.
But many, especially smaller unlisted saving banks that are usually controlled by regional politicians, were badly hit by the collapse of the country's once-booming property market, both through loans to developers and mortgages.
The Bank of Spain has called for consolidation by regional savings banks if they are to survive the economic crisis, and several such mergers have taken place or are being negotiated.
Earlier this month the central bank took control of one troubled savings bank, CajaSur, after it failed to complete a planned merger with another bank."

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Mafia-like ring with global assets funded by drugs, guns and human trafficking - The Irish Times - Thu, May 27, 2010

Mafia-like ring with global assets funded by drugs, guns and human trafficking - The Irish Times - Thu, May 27, 2010: "PROPERTY assets linked to the Christy Kinahan-led international drugs cartel in Brazil alone are worth an estimated €500 million.
That sum is more than treble the value of all cash and assets seized by the Criminals Assets Bureau in Ireland since the bureau’s inception almost 15 years ago. The details that continued to emerge in Spain yesterday reveal that Kinahan is at the head of a mafia-style operation with assets worldwide funded by drug trafficking, money laundering, gun running and even human trafficking.
The property portfolio in Brazil is comprised of six leisure complexes and a string of residential properties, with a combined value of €500 million, Spanish authorities say.
In Spain some 60 properties – including villas, apartments and business premises – have already been frozen in the first part of an assets confiscation case there. The properties in Spain are valued at about €150 million by the authorities.
The Spanish properties are located along the Costa in Benalmadena, Fuengirola, Mijas, Marbella, Nueva Andalusia and Estepona. Kinahan lives in a €6 million villa, and also regularly stays in an apartment valued at €800,000 in a gated complex near Marbella.
There are other properties in Ireland, England, Dubai, South Africa and Belgium."

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2 arrests in fraud investigation; 1 suspect faces 91 charges | rgj.com | The Reno Gazette-Journal

2 arrests in fraud investigation; 1 suspect faces 91 charges | rgj.com | The Reno Gazette-Journal: "The investigation identified John Eugene Marsh, 41, of Reno, as a suspect in numerous identity theft, credit card fraud and multiple other offenses, authorities said in a news release. Jennifer Ann Copling 33, of Reno, was arrested as an alleged accomplice, the news release stated.
Marsh was booked into the Washoe County jail on 91 separate charges, including burglary, fraudulent use of a credit card,forgery, identity theft, obtaining money under false pretense and grand larceny, the news release stated. Bail was set at $337,685.
Copling was booked on burglary, grand larceny, obtaining money under false pretense and contempt of court, the release said. Bail was set at $10,465."

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NY beauty school raided in federal fraud probe - WCAX.COM Local Vermont News, Weather and Sports-

NY beauty school raided in federal fraud probe - WCAX.COM Local Vermont News, Weather and Sports-: "beauty school in New York's Chinatown has been raided by federal agents after getting an outsized $4 million in government aid in as many years.
Agents from the departments of education and labor seized boxes of documents Friday at the USA Beauty School.
The small business first came under scrutiny two years ago after authorities received an anonymous complaint about the fortune in federal aid.
According to court papers filed by the federal Education Department, an undercover FBI agent posing as a student was asked to falsify a tax return in order to boost the amount of federal aid the school would get.
The school's director of financial aid has refused comment."

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