Work In Progress

This week’s FBI Top 10 stories has a real focus on some dirty rotten scoundrels in business - from folks who helped Bernard Madoff steal millions to another Ponzi scheme operator in Atlanta.

In today’s economy there seems to be a lot of fingerpointing and demonization of those in the financial world.

Here’s the list:

FBI’s Top Ten News Stories for the Week Ending March 20, 2009

1. New York: Bernard Madoff’s Accountant Charged with Fraud Stemming from Accounting Violations

David G. Friehling, CPA, the accountant for Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities, LLC, was charged with securities fraud, aiding and abetting investment advisor fraud, and four counts of filing false audit reports with the SEC. Full Story

2. Boston: Ex-Pfizer Manager Found Guilty of Obstruction

Thomas Farina was convicted of obstruction of justice when he caused a sales representative under his direction to alter documents and backdate the alterations to delete evidence of the promotion of a drug for uses and dosages not approved by the FDA. Full Story

3. New York: Gambino Family Soldier Convicted of Racketeering Conspiracy

Charles Carneglia was convicted of racketeering conspiracy, including murder, murder conspiracy and extortion. Carneglia was a soldier in the Gambino Organized Crime Family of La Cosa Nostra and was a member of the inner circle of hit men. Full Story

4. Los Angeles: Ex-FBI Agent and Accomplice Convicted

Vo Duong “Ben” Tran and Yu Sung Park were convicted on charges related to a scheme to commit a home invasion robbery at a residence believe to be a drug “stash house.” Tran’s FBI employment was terminated in 2003. Full Story

5. Atlanta: Currency Trader Charged with Operating $25 Million Ponzi Scheme

James G. Ossie, founder and principal of “CRE Capital, Inc.,” was indicted on wire fraud charges. Ossie allegedly defrauded over 120 investors in nine months in his investment fund for private clients focused on options contracts in foreign currencies. Full Story

6. Albany: On-Line Organ Transplant Broker Charged

Jerome Howard Feldman was indicted for carrying out a scheme to defraud desperately-ill victims who paid large sums of money and traveled to the Philippines to receive organ transplants. Feldman advertised on the web site www.liver4you.org. Full Story

7. Newark: Federal Agents Shut Down an International Smorgasbord of Crime

Operation Black Eagle resulted in charging 26 individuals with a laundry list of crimes including narcotics and firearms trafficking, money laundering, interstate transportation of stolen property and criminal conspiracy. Full Story

8. Richmond: Business Owner Convicted in $126 Million Fraud

The former owner of The 1031 Tax Group LLP, Edward H. Okun, was convicted on charges of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, money laundering, bulk cash smuggling, and perjury. Full Story

9. San Francisco: Hedge Fund Manager Arrested in Hong Kong on Embezzlement Charges

Albert Ke-Jeng Hu, a Silicon Valley Hedge Fund manager, was arrested in Hong Kong on wire fraud charges. Full Story

10. FBI Director Recognizes Distinguished Community Leaders

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