Six Charged with Money Laundering in Connection With Large-Scale Off Shore Illegal Trust Program Based in Costa Rica,
Reports U.S. Attorney
BOSTON, March 29 /PRNewswire/ -- Six individuals from Massachusetts, New Jersey, Washington State, California, and
Costa Rica have been charged in a federal criminal indictment with conspiring to launder $470,000, most of it through an illegal
offshore trust program that was also used by clients to move and conceal millions of dollars overseas in an effort to avoid
paying U.S. taxes on the funds.
United States Attorney Donald K. Stern and Michael Lahey, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Internal Revenue Service,
Criminal Investigation for New England, announced today that six individuals have been charged in a twelve count indictment
with money laundering conspiracy, money laundering and international money laundering. The defendants are charged in
connection with the concealment of assets and false statements relative to bankruptcy and bank fraud. Individuals charged
today include the following:
1. KEITH ANDERSON, age 59, of Villa Punta Canon, Santa Ana, Costa Rica;
2. WAYNE ANDERSON, age 55, of 46015 Chuckwagon Road, Squaw Valley, CA;
3. KAROLYN GROSNICKLE, age 58, of North 250 Fairway Drive, Hoodsport, WA;
4. RICHARD MARKS, age 57, of 1250 2nd Street, Los Osos, CA;
5. RICHARD CASTELLINI, age 35, of 155 Carmel Road, Bridgeton, NJ; and
6. MICHAEL GONET, age 49, 264 Gleasondale Road, Stow, MA.
"Citizens moving money offshore in order to avoid paying taxes or to launder the proceeds of criminal activity is a significant
law enforcement problem in the United States," stated U.S. Attorney Stern. "This undercover sting operation targeted a
sophisticated group existing for the sole purpose of allowing U.S. citizens to avoid paying taxes and to hide their assets. By
targeting this corrupt organization, we are sending a strong message that law enforcement views such activities as very serious
criminal conduct and will devote the necessary resources to prosecute such crime. Taxpayers should not be allowed to avoid
their legal obligations through the use of organizations such as this one."
According to the indictment and documents filed previously with the Court, it is alleged that Anderson Ark and Associates
("Anderson Ark") is a Costa Rican offshore trust program that provides wealthy clients from the United States with the
mechanism to move funds, on which they were obligated to pay taxes, offshore to Costa Rican bank accounts set up to make it
appear that the funds were neither owned nor controlled by the clients. It is alleged that the Anderson Ark clients in fact owned
and controlled the accounts. Anderson Ark helped the clients repatriate the money in various ways, thus giving them the use of
the untaxed money. For example, it is alleged, the clients were able to avoid U.S. taxes (and launder funds) by deducting
fictitious consulting invoices as business expenses on U.S. federal income tax returns.
It is further alleged that from December 1998 through February 2001, the defendants assisted an individual who, unbeknownst
to them, was an undercover Internal Revenue Service agent, to launder money that he represented was the proceeds of
concealing assets and making false statements relative to bankruptcy and bank fraud. The undercover agent told the
defendants that he was seeking to conceal the proceeds of the fraud in connection with a bankruptcy so that he could invest
them in a new business venture. In various stages, the defendants moved the money either overseas or through bank accounts
in the United States and, after deducting a substantial fee for laundering the funds, returned it to bank accounts controlled by the
undercover agent. It is alleged that certain of the defendants told the undercover agent that they had laundered assets for other
individuals in the past.
It is alleged that Anderson Ark was owned and controlled by WAYNE and KEITH ANDERSON. GROSNICKLE managed the
day-to-day operation in the United States under the direction of the ANDERSONS. Anderson Ark "information officers" were
responsible for the initial contact with new clients and assisted these clients with the paperwork necessary to set up offshore
corporations in Costa Rica. Anderson Ark accountants, including MARKS, also helped those clients who desired more
complex and secretive offshore companies to set up entities called "Complex Business Organizations" through Anderson Ark.
Clients were then able to use these Complex Business Organizations to move legally and illegally obtained funds using
fraudulent consulting invoices issued by Anderson Ark which they used to deduct the payments as business expenses on their
personal income tax returns. Anderson Ark charged fees for setting up the offshore corporations as well as additional fees for
moving the funds and creating the fake tax deductions. CASTELLINI, a customer of AA, and GONET, a trust promoter, referred
clients to Anderson Ark and, for a fee, assisted in laundering funds.
Today's indictment also seeks the forfeiture of the following assets owned by the defendants which were either used in
furtherance of their crimes or were purchased with illegally obtained proceeds: a Safari Continental RV Motor Coach owned by
WAYNE ANDERSON and $110,001 in U.S. Currency found in the Safari Motor Coach; the residence of KEITH ANDERSON at
Villa Punta Canon, Santa Ana, Costa Rica; the AAA Finance Center located at Abesx del Norte, S.A., Escazu, Costa Rica; the
AAA Administrative Center and residence of GROSNICKLE at N250 East Fairway Drive, Hoodsport, Washington; and the
residence of MICHAEL GONET at 264 Gleasondale Road, Stow, Massachusetts.
Based on a complaint and affidavit filed with the Court in February of this year, arrest warrants were issued and all defendants
were taken into custody at that time except KEITH ANDERSON and GROSNICKLE, who remain fugitives. Following their
arrests, WAYNE ANDERSON and RICHARD MARKS were ordered detained pending trial. GONET and CASTELLINI were
released on bond. If convicted, each of the defendants faces up to 20 years' incarceration, five years of supervised release, and
a fine between $250,000 and $500,000, on each of the counts with which they are charged.
The case is being investigated by Special Agents of the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation and is being
prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Allison D. Burroughs of Stern's Economic Crimes Unit and Alex Whiting of Stern's
Public Corruption and Special Prosecutions Unit. The Asset Forfeiture part of the case is being handled by Assistant U.S.
Attorney Jennifer Boal of Stern's Asset Forfeiture Unit.
SOURCE U.S. Attorney
CO: U.S. Attorney
ST: Massachusetts
IN:
SU: LAW
03/29/2001 14:59 EST prnewswire.com |
