Feds sentence ex-nightclub owner in West Palm money laundering scheme

The federal government sentenced a nightclub owner in West Palm Beach to nearly six years in prison for operating an illegal sports gambling and prostitution business, committing tax evasion and money laundering.  The government is seeking to collect $10 million through the seizure and sale of residential and commercial properties in West Palm Beach and […]

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The Weekly Dirt: More bad news for suspended Miami commissioner

You heard about the arrest of now-former Miami commissioner Alex Diaz de la Portilla on charges of bribery and money laundering.  But did you know that he has been staving off foreclosure of his childhood home for more than a decade? Diaz de la Portilla allegedly owes mortgage payments, interest and other fees totaling about […]

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The Weekly Dirt: Allegations of bribery, money laundering hit Miami City Hall

It was a wild news week in Miami — more so than usual, I promise.  On Monday, we started with the scoop revealing Lionel Messi’s purchase of a waterfront mansion in Fort Lauderdale. And by Thursday, a commissioner and prominent land use attorney found themselves in jail (later released on bond). Miami city commissioner Alex […]

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Scamsters paradise: The most audacious real estate cons of the past decade

An enterprising scammer looking for an industry in which to make a mark — or find one — could do a lot worse than real estate. In the past year alone, authorities have revealed high-profile cases of money laundering in a never-ending game of Whac-a-Mole.  Real estate moguls make their bones with chutzpah, confidence and persuasion. Perhaps that’s why a business that has minted more than its fair share of legitimate millionaires tends to attract

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Scammer posing as real estate developer sentenced for laundering

Ramon Abbas isn’t a real estate developer, but he played one on Instagram. He flaunted a lavish lifestyle with private jets, luxury cars, gourmet meals and opulent international trips. But the Nigerian man popularly known as Ray Hushpuppi on social media was really a prolific money launderer who swindled millions of dollars from companies in the U.S. and abroad, according to CNN. Abbas was sentenced in federal court last week to 11 years in prison

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Wash, rinse, repeat: How money launderers exploit real estate

In early March, Lakshmi Kumar got a chance to tell Sens. Chuck Grassley and Sheldon Whitehouse that crooks across the globe were taking the U.S. to the cleaners. She didn’t miss it. Kumar, the policy director at watchdog group Global Financial Integrity, told the powerful lawmakers that Congress had failed to close the loopholes routinely used by international criminals to convert ill-gotten gains into American real estate. Testifying before the Senate Caucus on International Narcotics

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