加州珍宝币总部被查封 财产冻结
9月29日下午,位于亚凯迪亚市(Arcadia)135 E. Live Oak Ave的珍宝币总部被FBI和法庭接管人查封,员工撤离。(刘菲/大纪元)
【大纪元2015年09月30日讯】(大纪元记者刘菲洛杉矶报导)9月29日下午,位于洛杉矶亚凯迪亚市(Arcadia)135 E. Live Oak Ave的珍宝币总部被FBI查封,并被联邦法庭指派的临时接管人(Receiver)接管。这是继珍宝币被华裔投资人指控欺诈遭到抗议后,首次来自美国官方的行动。
下午4点左右,只见一名锁匠在珍宝币公司内换锁。(刘菲/大纪元)
根据法庭文件,美国证券交易监督委员会(U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC,简称证监会)9月28日针对虚拟货币珍宝币(GemCoin)发行者——美国富豪集团(USFIA Inc.)等相关公司,向加州中区联邦法庭提交了紧急禁令申请,要求冻结其财产、指派接管人、防止销毁文件并要求查帐,得到批准。
珍宝币老板陈力被起诉
被起诉和调查的对象包括:珍宝币老板陈力(Steve Chen);美国富豪集团;美国投资联盟集团(Alliance Financial Group, Inc.);Amauction, Inc.;Aborell Mgmt I, LLC;Aborell Advisors I, LLC;Aborell REIT II, LLC;Ahome Real Estate, LLC;Alliance NGN, Inc.;Apollo REIT I, Inc.;Apollo REIT II, LLC;Amkey Inc.;中美政治协商促进会(US China Consultation Association)和白鹭庄园(Quail Ranch Golf Club, LLC)。
据目击者说,FBI人员周二下午1点来到公司大楼,清洗一空,“所有的东西都装箱拿走”。4点左右,记者赶到公司现场,发现大门紧闭,只能从内打开。除了有接官员和律师在,还有一名锁匠在换锁。部分员工搬东西出来,一些投资人则试图进公司找人。
Breaking: SEC/FBI Raids Offices of USFIA's Steve "GemCoins" Chen - FBI at John Wuo's House Earlier[size=15.8400001525879px]
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Happier times for GemCoiners.
Update Sep 30 5:00 AM PDT: Kasey Chang has added a new report to his A (MLM) Skeptic site on the history of Steve Chen's various "enterprises." Lots of fascinating details on just how things did get to this point. Great background for those who are catching up with this story (Link here).
Update Sep 30 4:50 AM PDT: Behind MLM report can be linked to here. Hilarious captions added to Terry Miller's photos. Great comments from Behind MLM's highly astute readership give additional insight. These guys were all over the GemCoin ponzi scheme from the very beginning.
Update Sep 30 4:30 AM PDT: Epoch Times has a story up, though if you are not a Mandarin speaker you will likely need to use an on-line translator (link). According to OZ at Behind MLM you can view "the Receivership’s website from that report, although it’s not ready yet (currently using template information from another case). Registered less than 24 hrs ago: usfiareceiver.com."
Update Sep 29 9:30 PDT: Some great photos from Beacon Media's main man Terry Miller just arrived. Many of them shots ofUSFIA employees fleeing after having been booted from their offices by the Feds. The chopper is ICE, which is interesting. Also, a lot of Mercedes Benzes in that lot. I guess when you're using other peoples' stolen money you can buy your employees nice cars. What happens to those people now?
Update Sep 29 9:00 PDT: Pasadena Star News weighs in.
For the rest of the Pasadena Star News article click here.
Update Sep 29 5:15 PDT: Copy of the SEC's Temporary Restraining Order below. The FBI and SEC are now in the USFIA offices seizing everything. FBI showed up at 1PM and started clearing out the building. Everything is going into boxes and being taken away for further evaluation.
Update Sep 29 5:25 PDT: Several FBI officers were at John Wuo's house today. Arcadia PD was brought in as backup. Arcadianow joins Bell, Cudahy and Santa Fe Springs as cities with officials braced by the Feds in the last 5 years. We apparently are in the evidence gathering stage, and the Feds must having figured Johnny GemCoins has got some.
Note: The Honorary Chairman of the US/China Consultation Assoc cited on the SEC complaint and in the list of seized bank accounts is none other than John Wuo. Small world, eh?
Update Sep 29 5:40 PDT: USFIA/Chen bank assets seized. Graphic in a few minutes.
Update Sep 29 6:50 PDT: Bank seizure documents now just below the SEC document.
Bank Account seizure documents.
7:45 Sep 29 PDT: Comment from the invaluable Behind MLM website (link): "The SEC’s filing against USFIA marks the first regulatory action we’ve seen against an MLM cryptocurrency opportunity in the US."
So is the party now over for John Wuo and Steve Chen? More updates as they arrive.