HAVE JUST RECEIVED GOOD NEWS
HAVE JUST RECEIVED GOOD NEWS. Several realtors whom I have known for years have been sentenced to federal prison for their roles in price fixing at the foreclosure auctions at the court house steps in Oakland. When the FBI began investigating realtors many people thought that it was a one time thing. The Feds would make a few arrests and the investigation would go away. I knew different. I still trying criminal cases in NYC WHEN THE Feds became involved in prosecuting groups of offenders under the Federal RICO laws. The laws are broad based and it is relatively easy to connect offenders to the larger criminal conspiracy. It has been a very effective tool in prosecuting Organized crime. I was present when the US Attorney’s office in Southern District ( Manhattan, NYC) headed by Rudolph Guliani prosecuted Leroy” Nicky”Barnes for heading a large scale criminal enterprise. He was the first offender to receive natural life under Rico. His character was played by Cuba Gooding in the movie about the drug dealer Frank Lucas ( American Gangster) starring Denzel Washington. I fully expected that the Us Attorney’s office would conduct an ongoing Federal Grand Jury investigating the corruption on the Oakland Court House steps. The irony is that the agents involved would have been able to purchase properties at a reasonable price without fixing the auctions. I had been approached on numerous occasions to participate. I was asked to pay a finders fee of 5 to 1ok for the privilege of buying a home that one of these corrupt agents had already purchased illegally. I represented MOB GUYS AND MAJOR DRUG DEALERS AND KNEW A SCAM WHEN I SEE ONE. I ALWAYS RAN FROM THESE PEOPLE AND WARNED MY FRIENDS NOT TO GET INVOLVED. What many people did not realize is that if you pay the Finders fee ( 5 to 10k) with the intention of purchasing a foreclosed home you are including yourself in the conspiracy. That act alone makes you a criminal. You are profiting from an illegal act. I know one agent who completely changed his business plan to focus on purchasing homes at the Oakland auctions. After attempting to purchase homes legitimately he resorted to paying the Finder’s fee. He always worked through one of the most active agents at the court house steps. He was doing this to get his clients a better deal and most of the purchases were below 100k . He did not participate directly so his profits were limited. I expect him to be arrested. He is a very nice guy but he is a criminal. He should have known better. I fully expect that many agents will cooperate. The problem is that Rico has a Civil side where the Feds go after your ill gotten gains. You can lose a lot of your savings and your real estate portfolio and still end up in jail. Do I feel sorry for these people NO NO NO NO NO . I am laughing at them . They are bottom feeders who are taking advantage of people’s misfortune. They do not have enough dignity to participate in the process in an honest manner. It is too bad that I am so many years removed from Criminal Law. I could have told so of my old clients to welcome these assholes with open arms when they reach Federal prison . They have no idea what they are in store for. Even a Federal Minimum Security prison like Allenwood , Pa is horrible. You live in a dormitory setting and have absolutely no privacy. There are always predators lurking in even the mildest of the Federal prison. They are anxious to hook up a new fish and take them for all they can. There is always the possibility of violence in any prison. One of my clients said that he preferred medium or even maximum security state prisons to minimum security Federal because you had your own cell that you could lock. People could not mess with you as easily. I may seem cruel but I am tickled pink by the arrests. I hope that they remember not to drop the soap in the shower