Bob's Lessons Learned

Marriott Hotels, Washington, DC

Construction Bankruptcy Fraud Judgment but no money to pay This was a particularly detailed accounting investigation where Counsel was looking to establish evidence of fraud by the contractor who was attempting to avoid a $3 million judgment in a fraudulent conveyance action. Marriott terminated the contractor and filed a lawsuit and soon thereafter the typical reaction occurred: The contractor began to funnel new business to an otherwise dormant sister corporation. These projects had contract values of some $81 million and their transfer ultimately lead to the contractor’s insolvent position. By analyzing the timing of the relevant transactions and comparing those...
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Sunflight And Skylark Tours

Retail Bankruptcy Fraud The Collapse of Two Travel Agencies So you want high profile? Get a court appointment! A government ministry made me a court appointed inspector to examine the business of a travel agency under its legislation and to determine if it was meeting its financial obligations. It becomes an interesting human challenge to extract information from employees whose future is unsure due to your presence. It soon becomes clear that a successful investigator must have strong people skills and a quiet yet firm and respectful presence.
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Regina vs. Carl Rosen and John MacHibroda

Retail Bankruptcy Fraud The accountant took the money! This fraud case involved the planned bankruptcy of Brittany Antiques, which was in the furniture business. These cases are difficult, as one needs to prove that failure was not due to an inexperienced businessman but rather a guilty mind. The concept of “mens rea” is well suited to financial evidence through the effective documentation of patterns of business conduct, which are inconsistent with the normal course of business. It allows prosecution to assert that at a certain point in time, the accused knew or ought to have known that his course of...
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