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We’re Not Litigious Enough (v. Government)

Posted on June 26, 2012 by Lina Maini

by Suzanne Reisig Olden

A curious but ground shifting phenomenon is occurring in the media.  Not the main stream media (MSM), but rather in the secondary and tertiary levels of alternate reporting media sources (ARMS).  ARMS individuals and writing cooperatives are now breaking the news in a very specific area of investigative research; that of monitoring local, state and federal governmental overreach.  And they have a lot to report; in an especially critical election year.  November is a mere few months away and, given the MSM’s apparent partisan twist to “news”, more people are turning to ARMS sites from which they are reviewing unfiltered information.

We provide an example of governmental overreach below, with an end explanation of why we chose to focus on a local example (as opposed to big government’s arrogant and intentional overstepping.)

News broken by:  Food Renegade blog   (Reported June 21, 2012)

Until August 11, 2011, Denise Morrison of Tulsa, Oklahoma, had lush green gardens covering a vast portion of her property.  Carefully designed, implemented and maintained beds of beautiful flowers, flourishing shade trees, lush full plants and bushes…  Until a neighbor complained about the height of her plants.  At her previous residence, Ms. Morrison had encountered similar issues with property garden codes so she carefully and fully researched her new home’s garden regulations to endure that she was not in violation of any of the applicable local ordinances.

Tulsa code states that plants may not be more than 12-inches tall unless they may be used for human consumption.  All of her plants were consumable.  Morrison intentionally grew such plants to holistically treat her diabetes, high blood pressure, and arthritis.  Her plants included stevia, vegetable plants and trees that bore fruits and nuts, among many other flora consumables.  She had photographic proof of her garden’s content and appearance. While not exactly the New York Botanical Gardens, her property’s blooms were lush, weed free and well maintained.

Nonetheless, she received a citation from the city for having overgrown (too tall) plants and trees on her property.   The judge, having heard the matter, postponed (heavy court schedule or Bahamian trip?) any decision in the matter for several months.  Three days after this hearing, Ms. Morrison woke to find city workers in her yard destroying her gardens and cutting down her trees, without her permission or that of the court.  After they left, her yard looked like a war zone, and now, not when it was occupied by loving and curative and shady plants, was it a neighborhood eyesore.  Not even the smaller plants, those well under 12 inches in height were spared the whacking.  Several months later, the court ruled in her favor; that her gardens were NOT in violation of any related city code.

A few additional components to this matter:   When advised of the code’s wording, the city workers destroying her gardens and plants replied, “We don’t care.”    Ms. Morrison even explained that she was unemployed and uninsured and these gardens were her only source of food and medication.  As opposed to requesting government assistance in the form of medical and food welfare, she had attempted to be self-reliant and grow her own food and medication.   It’s almost (?) as if the government would rather people become dependent on its seemingly bottomless coffers of public assistance monies than maintain self-sustainability.

So why did we choose an example of  local  governmental overreach?  The gradual degradation and loss of one’s basic freedoms and constitutionally enumerated rights always begins on a parochial level.  The divide and conquer theory of governance has a well proven historical track record of succeeding in the oppression of a people.   No Chicken Little perspective.  Simply that by becoming kowtowing ninnies, we tacitly allow the all-controlling Nannies.

Our Operatives: Street smart; info savvy.

As always, stay safe.

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Filed under: In The News, information, invasion of privacy, legal, Legal Decisions, opinion, property | Tagged: , , , , , , | 7 Comments »

How To Detect Hidden Assets & Cash in Divorces.

Posted on June 19, 2012 by Lina Maini

Getting Divorced?  Learn the techniques that soon-to-be exes can use to hide income and assets.

Be aware.  It is common for one spouse to usually control the family assets, income, investments, be the majority breadwinner, make the decision on how money is spent and most importantly, in charge of financial documentation.

If you are the spouse with lesser financial involvement in the marriage look for these schemes or occurrences, potentially signaling that your spouse is hiding money and assets.

Stashing Cash

1 Large ATM withdrawals without adequate explanation of how the money was spent.

2. Money hidden in unusual places (garage, shed, basement or if your spouse is self-employed, at his/her place of work).

3. Your spouse is suddenly making no-paper “loans” to trusted friends or family.

4. Look for signs of a safe deposit box.  (You can also ask the branch manager, if you have a good relationship with him/her. They may give you information on other independent accounts your spouse may have opened.)

5. Depositing checks but withdrawing a large portion of the check amount.

6. The sale of assets but no deposits to known accounts.

Hiding Assets

1. Purchasing items that are easily overlooked, e.g. tech toys, small pieces of art, valuable home decor items…

2. Under-reporting income on joint filings, thereby making you a party to fraud (decreasing the likelihood that you would report this criminal act).

3. Secretly having an employer withhold earnings, bonuses or commissions.  (Be particularly aware to look into this if there will be a possible child support or alimony request.  Once the action is settled based on the lower reported income, it becomes very difficult to obtain a court order changing the amount of child support or alimony.)

4. Overpaying creditors.  Many financially savvy spouses will intentionally overpay creditors (e.g., the IRS), knowing full well that they will receive a refund when requested, post-divorce.

5. Placing accounts in others’ names.  It becomes very difficult to argue a “gift” that a spouse gives to a child or other family member is impermissible.

6. Giving assets to family members or trusted friends at well below market value.

7. Starting a “business” with a trusted person; thereby excluding it from joint assets.

8. Hiding jewelry and other small valuables in unusual places (such as the featured “socket safe”).

There are many more scams out there that truly vindictive spouses will attempt during a divorce. Make sure you hire a reputable forensics accountant.   The expert’s fee is well worth your piece of mind and quite often, large sums of hidden money and assets.

In a divorce situation, when you are looking out for number one, you are making the right decision.  If all things had been fair to begin with, the split-up would not be in the making.

Our Operatives: Street smart; info savvy.

As always, stay safe.

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Filed under: asset search, divorce | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Rake In A Cool & Quick $1.9M – Just Find the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted.

Posted on June 11, 2012 by Lina Maini

The FBI‘s Ten Most Wanted (as of June 11, 2012)

The FBI is offering rewards for information leading to the apprehension of the Ten Most Wanted Fugitives. Select the images of suspects to display more information.

By the numbers:

Number One:

ERIC JUSTIN TOTH

Possession of Child Pornography; Production of Child Pornography

REWARD: The FBI is offering a reward of up to $100,000 for information leading directly to the arrest of Eric Justin Toth.

Eric Justin Toth, a former private-school teacher, is wanted for allegedly possessing child pornography in Washington, DC. It is alleged that in June of 2008, pornographic images were found on a school camera that had been in Toth’s possession. Toth also allegedly produced child pornography in Maryland.

Toth has often been described as a computer “expert” and has demonstrated above-average knowledge regarding computers, the use of the Internet, and security awareness. Toth has the ability to integrate into various socio-economic classes, and is an expert at social engineering. He possesses an educational background conducive to gaining employment in fields having a connection to children. Toth may advertise online as a tutor or male nanny.

Toth attended Cornell University for a year and transferred to Purdue University, where he graduated with a degree in education. Since June of 2008, Toth is  with a degree in education. Since June of 2008, Toth is believed to have traveled to Virginia, Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin and Minnesota. Toth is believed to have lived in Arizona in 2009.

To see more of Toth’s photos: More.

Number Two:

JASON DEREK BROWN

Unlawful Flight to Avoid Prosecution – First Degree Murder, Armed Robbery

REWARD: The FBI is offering a reward of up to $100,000 for information leading directly to the arrest of Jason Derek Brown.   Jason Derek Brown is wanted for murder and armed robbery in Phoenix, Arizona. During November of 2004, Brown allegedly shot and killed an armored car guard outside a movie theater and then fled with the money.

Brown speaks fluent French and has a Masters Degree in International Business. He is an avid golfer, snowboarder, skier, and dirt biker. Brown enjoys being the center of attention and has been known to frequent nightclubs where he enjoys showing off his high-priced vehicles, boats, and other toys. He has been described as possibly having bisexual tendencies.

Brown has ties to California, Arizona, and Utah. In the past, he has traveled to France and Mexico. Additionally, he may be in the possession of a Glock 9mm and a .45 caliber handgun.

To see more of Brown’s photos: More.

Number Three:

JOE LUIS SAENZ

Unlawful Flight to Avoid Prosecution – Murder, Kidnapping, Rape, Parole Violation

REWARD: The FBI is offering a reward of up to $100,000 for information leading directly to the arrest of Joe Luis Saenz.   On July 25, 1998, Joe Luis Saenz allegedly shot and killed two rival gang members in Los Angeles. Less than two weeks later, on August 5, 1998, Saenz allegedly kidnapped, raped, and murdered his girlfriend. Saenz allegedly murdered a fourth victim in October of 2008 in Los Angeles County.

Saenz is believed to work for a Mexican drug cartel, and is known to travel between the United States and Mexico. He may have removed his tattoos with a laser. He has reportedly made previous statements indicating plans to kill a police officer upon his arrest. He is believed to always carry a weapon.

To see more of Saenz’ photos: More.

Please visit the fed site to see the remaining seven winners on the FBI’s Top Ten Most Wanted and find the one with the $1 million bounty on his head!

A tip for those who might actually undertake even a cursory search online for one of these angels, use Private Browsing.  (On the top right of your screen, click on the tool wheel.  There should be an option for Privacy or directly, InBrowser Privacy.  By selecting this option, your ip or on sites such as LinkedIn, your full name, will remain hidden.)

Our Operatives: Street smart, info savvy.

As always, stay safe.

Filed under: fbi | Tagged: , , | Leave a Comment »

Great WebFace or Embarrassingly Red-Faced? Controlling Your Public Image.

Posted on June 4, 2012 by Lina Maini

We’ve all experienced negative postings online.  Whether it’s that awful office party picture, a scathing review or even serious, defamatory comments.   Several ways to deal with these detrimental posts are:

1. Be upfront. Any potential employer/customer/prospective date with even a smidgen of common sense will Google you the minute they’re serious about hiring, doing business with or dating you. It’s far better to come forward with the disclosure  than wait for them to discover the negative information on their own. Let them know what’s out there, the truth and how you intend to handle it. (This may actually work as a positive for you in that it displays your awareness of online reputation and perception management.)

2. Apologize if necessary. It can be the case that you are wrong.  You made a hasty mistake; an inappropriate tweet about your boss or a co-worker, an arrogant post about what you expect from people you date, even a goofball picture that doesn’t truly represent your best characteristics. A basic tenet of crisis control is, if you have caused the situation, apologize quickly and that will usually immediately lower the temperature of the perceived slight.

3. Get it down. Many people are just now beginning to realize the permanence of the web and how it can create a major branding challenge: once negative information is out there, it’s  difficult to remove. If you’ve created the questionable content (a thoughtless tweet, a tasteless YouTube video) you can delete it and — eventually — it will be removed from the caches of Google and other search engines.  (You can hasten the process by asking Google to remove a page or site from its listings — but only once it’s been taken down). If you don’t control the content, all you can really do is ask the person who does to remove it. This could be polite (a friend who’s posted an inappropriate photo to Facebook will probably oblige you) or not-so-polite (you may need to enlist a lawyer if someone is defaming you and won’t desist).

4. Control your SEO. The best and surest way to overcome negative information that’s plastered on the web? Create your own content and drive the bad stuff down in search engine rankings. No one but your worst enemy will bother to visit Page 20 on a Google search; most readers will stick to the first page or two. Creating a robust social media and online presence guarantees that the top results will be the ones you want people to see. Studies have shown that video, in particular, is prized by Google and will rank highly, so you might want to consider a video blog. Traditional blogs, because their content is updated frequently, are also search-engine-friendly. Creating profiles on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter also helps (they’re frequently at the top of Internet searches), and it also never hurts to get quoted in the media or write articles for various publications (which benefits anyone’s personal brand).

If you stick to the principle that everything you input will be seen by a prospective contact, you should be able to eventually develop enough self filters to not undo your reputation online.  (Conversely, being too close-mouthed will make others think you are insignificant or have things to hide.  Play it real and play it smart.)

Included below is a link to 50 niche search engines you should be aware of; Google isn’t the only search site people use to research your background and credentials.

Our Operatives: Street smart, web savvy.

As always, stay safe.

Related articles

Tangentially, nothing could save this insanity of a job interview:

Filed under: information, personal information | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

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