Posted on 03/11/2008 11:45:02 AM PDT by ventanax5
I have been bugged out with the flu, and as a result I've seen a lot of the commentary — including, of course, "expert" commentary, which has been something less than expert.
The general approach of the federal law to prostitution mimics its approach to gambling. They are activities that tend to generate big profits for organized crime syndicates, which profits not only enrich the racketeers but underwrite their various other rackets, including loan-sharking, narcotics trafficking, murder-for-hire, etc.
In Governor Spitzer's case, moreover, it's worth remembering the Nevada senator character in Godfather II who is blackmailed into doing the Corleones' bidding on Capitol Hill. That vignette involved a murder frame-up in a brothel, but the extortion scheme was realistic because the senator had patronized a prostitution business run by the mafia. (A similar issue arose with President Clinton's phone-sex on non-secure phones with Monica Lewisky — which was not a "private matter" because it raised the specter of a U.S. president's leaving himself vulnerable to blackmail by any foreign intelligence service that managed to tap the phone.)
(Excerpt) Read more at corner.nationalreview.com ...
I’m not defending Spitzer but can someone explain to me how transferring $15K between your personal, private bank accounts consitutes activity that rises to the level of the bank reporting it to the IRS and a judge ordering a wiretap? I mean, shouldn’t there be millions of reports submitted to the IRS daily based on this criteria? And then millions of wiretaps? Pretty soon half the population will be employed by the FBI listening into wiretaps of the other half.
http://www.wnbc.com/politics/15562646/detail.html
Spitzer allegedly used the escort service for at least six months and paid more than $15,000 for numerous meetings, a source familiar with the case told WNBC.com.
The case started when banks noticed the frequent cash transfers from several accounts and filed suspicious activity reports with the Internal Revenue Service, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press Tuesday. The accounts were traced back to Spitzer, prompting public corruption investigators to open an inquiry.
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
If he had kept it under 10K, probably wouldn’t have raised any red flags.
Frequent cash transfers from several accounts.
Money laundering suspicions, that’s what. Even securities brokers and insurance agents are trained to watch for such activity and obligated to report suspicions immediately.
It’s a sign of the times.
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
Your assertion about not being prosecuted for being a prostitute’s client is not correct. Law enforcement conducts stings to catch clients. Often the stings are at the street level but sometimes at the level of escort services and massage parlors. If LE has credible evidence of paying for sex, you will be prosecuted.
Try depositing $5000.00 into your bank account nowadays, let me know what you experience.
Banks have established criteria for reporting these transactions to the Feds.
The Feds get interested when they see payments being made to organized crime rings they've got their eye on.
Does that make sense?
Gee I’m sure that if the coin were flipped, Spitzer would have been very tolerant of someone else doing this in NY when he was AG? NOT
IMHO, these statutes should not be used to convert a $500 state misdemeanor into a $5000 and five years federal felony.
OTOH, Elliott is such a hypocritical, holier-than-thou jerk, having prosecuted prostitution crimes himself, that I really don't care what the feds throw at him.
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
Mr. Spitzer himself has prosecuted people for being johns, hasn’t he?
I deposited $12,000 into my savings account 1 1/2 months ago. Sale of stocks. I have not been contacted by anyone. Yet.
My understanding is that in CA it is big deal to be caught as a “John”. They will impound and probably sell your vehicle, if it is involved, and the fines and charges are quite serious.
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
It’s still a big deal in Kaleefornia to be caught as a John. Recently though, the CA Supremes ruled that the police could not seize the vehicle and sell it.
I’ve deposited much more and have never had a single question or delay.
$10,000 is the federal target for bank reporting, IIRC.
But the feds rarely act on transactions for Joe Sixpack.
I agree if he doesn't resign, he should be impeached.
He did keep it under $10K.
Bank systems raise red flags on unusual deposit activity - like 10 deposits of $9,999 into different accounts in one week followed by a deposit of $10, and the subsequent consolidation of thiose funds into one account, etc.
I guess it’s possible that he prosecuted the customers, but I get the impression that his career has been involving much higher targets.
How many degrees of separation do you think there would likely be between this particular international prostitution ring run by an Israeli national and a Ecstasy/MDMA pill trafficking ring, or perhaps even human slavery trafficking in women from Eastern Europe?
What else might there be that the FBI knows about this case that you and Elliot Spitzer don't know?
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
I’ve had a couple of larger transactions recently, but I knew, as did my credit union, that the money was legitimate and there were no hidden purposes for it.
The reporting requirements are only for cash transactions. They don’t care about checks since that money is already in the system.
I don't know what you're getting at. The reports say this investigation was started because of bank reports of suspicious activity in his accounts. He wasn't being comp'd by the agency, he was paying cash. I don't see the importance of an Israeli being involved.
Maybe it is the bank I am dealing with but deposits of that amount and more have a seven day hold on them even though checks are from reliable sources and with matching funds available.
Several months someone bought my pickup. He paid me over 9,000 dollars for it. I deposited it in my credit union and I immediately got a check for the payout, from the same credit union, and mailed it off. I do not expect that I will ever be asked about it.
The Mann Act? aka White Slave Act.
Transporting a woman across State lines for prostitution.
Ok, in this case she transported herself, for $4000.
Trying to hide the fact that money will be used for a crime shouldn't be considered money laundering. Especially if it is just one John wiring money ahead for hookers.
This is another case where the law is being over-interpreted and incorrectly interpreted so as to give prosecutors more ways to mess with the public.
And we will all stand idly by because this time they caught a true scumbag and I guess the end justifies the means.
There is nothing illegal in depositing or withdrawing more than $10,000. The bank reports the transactions.
It is illegal to structure your deposits or withdrawls to avoid federal reporting limits.
You would have been in trouble if you had deposited $5k at 10:30am, returned at noon and deposited $2k, then gone to another teller at 2:15pm to deposit the remainder.
He used his authority unjustly. Karma bit him in the butt big time.
This is just another reason to get rid of the IRS. I don’t give a rats ass who you are, if it’s your money you should be able to spend it any way you want to without some rogue agency watching your every move. Hookers or not!
$10,000 is no longer the threshold of suspicion.
Any pattern of 3 or more transactions over $3000 is the new threshold.
Which is getting ridiculous, I’ve seen people who swing money between accounts each month for their company’s health insurance premiums get flagged.
As of March 1st 2008 all insurance agents in the US have (or should have) been trained to inform their clients and perspective customers about this. Federal rules through an updated money laundering law.
“There is nothing illegal in depositing or withdrawing more than $10,000. The bank reports the transactions.”
OK - then the IRS investigates EVERY transaction over $10K - is that what you’re saying? How many transactions over $10K do you suppose are made every day?
If I transfer $10K of my money from cheacking to savings - or from checking to a brokers account - does that mean I automatically get investigated?
This makes no sense. The sum of money Spitzer was dealing with is trivial - $15K. Nobody gets investigated for that with wiretaps.
Exactly!
And the "crime" he committed was having the hooker take a train. How absurd!
(But Spitzer is a scumbag and should be shamed from office.)
ML/NJ
When I first learned that the man who ran the prostitution ring under surveillance from the FBI was Israeli, I immediately thought 'Oh, that's how the FBI is involved here. It's all about international Ecstasy/MDMA trafficking'.
All you know right now is that for some reason the Governor of New York has admitted being tied up in this mess. What you don't know is what the FBI has been monitoring since 2006.
Some references here:
DEA: ISRAELI MDMA TRAFFICKERS EXTRADITED TO SOUTH FLORIDA
Just Google 'MDMA Israel' and the hits just keep on coming. Israel practically makes the entire world's supply of MDMA anymore.
In most cases I've seen, MDMA trafficking is usually tied to prostitution rings. That's how the drug is marketed at nightclubs, dance halls, hotel bars, and metro area concert venues. MDMA is a 'sex drug' that isn't marketed in the traditional manner of other street drugs like heroin and crack cocaine by inner city youths standing on street corners hawking to passing cars. It's a club scene drug merchandised by pimps like Heidi Fleiss catering in drugs and high class call girls to the elite set.
If Elliot Spitzer's favorite Israeli pimp isn't tied up in MDMA trafficking, or is one degree away from it, he'd have to be the only one who isn't.
MDMA leaves the blood system too fast, but I have suspicions that at some point in the past after his sexual frolics with call girls over at least the last six years, Elliot Spitzer might have pissed dirty for Ecstasy/MDMA.
This story has got to be dirtier than whatever facts we think we know now.
I’ve deposited more than $10,000 in cash, as well.
No problems.
Wow.
getting worse.
All in the WO(S)D.
How’s that going, by the way?
;)
I expect that a computer somewhere matched up your deposit with your stock sale, and the transaction was flagged as not suspicious. If you pay the taxes on your stock sale, the IRS won't be contacting you either.
Almost no chance this prostitution ring was connected directly to the ecstasy trade. This prostitution ring was getting skimmed by the NY City Gambinos from what has been rumored.
'...The general approach of the federal law to prostitution mimics its approach to gambling. They are activities that tend to generate big profits for organized crime syndicates, which profits not only enrich the racketeers but underwrite their various other rackets, including loan-sharking, narcotics trafficking, murder-for-hire, etc.'
I don't know if this place has a connection to the Gambinos, but I'm sure that it's several levels dirtier than just a high class call girl ring. That's why it's not a 'victimless crime' like a lot of Spitzer's supporters seem to be floating to the public. It's why Spitzer should resign.
If Spitzer wanted prostitutes, he should have come out where I live so at least his supporters could say that what he did was legal.
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