FRAUDSTER GARY LUNDGREN IS THE BILL COSBY OF PANAMA

My observations of financial criminals, over the past four decades, up close and personal, have led me to observe that many are also arrogantly involved in other illegal acts, including Crimes against the Person. Some are serial sexual predators; we have extensively covered the activities of career criminal Gary Lundgren, a fraudster masquerading as a financial adviser, wealth management professional, and real estate agent. He is one of those white-collar criminals who preys on vulnerable single, and married, females in Panama City. I call him the Bill Cosby of Panama; if the shoe fits, etc.

Lundgren has a prior history of sexual harassment in the State of Washington, and we believe that is why he relocated to Panama. His sexual predator activities are detailed in Steele vs. Lundgren, 982 P.2d 617 (Wash. Ct. App. 1999), which readers who do not have access to the Pacific Reporter can read here*. He reportedly was engaged in the same course of conduct with a number of victims in Washington.

Gary Lundgren a/k/a Gary James Lundgren

In the Republic of Panama, I have personal knowledge of several victims of his predatory activity, including one who reported him for rape to the local police. Unfortunately, in Panama's macho environment, cases cannot be brought unless there is a witness, which  means most sexual battery complaints never become criminal charges. Also, a law enforcement reluctance to charge anyone with rape, unless it was accompanied by violence, further decreases any possibility that offenders will face justice for their crimes.

Gary Lundgren's method of operation: he hires away an attractive assistant, at higher wages than she earns at her current job, and makes her his personal assistant. he then intimidates her into a sexual relationship, and, fearing loss of her job, she fails to report him to the authorities. After a time, he tires of her company, and fires her, making sure she cannot get work elsewhere, and goes on to a new victim. He has paid off the most vocal victims, insuring that he will not be charged with sexual battery in Panama.

How is this relevant in a blog that reports on white-collar crime ? Financial criminals often pose physical dangers to the public, and the extent of their sins and transgressions need to see the light of day, we need to warn potential victims of the threats they pose to the community. Consider known white-collar criminals, who may also be sexual predators, as public enemies, and steer clear of them. If any readers have been victims of Gary Lundgren, whether it be his financial frauds, or his sexual offenses, feel free to contact the writer, in confidence, and you will be referred to the appropriate government agencies for assistance. My email address appears on the upper right-hand corner of this page.


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*http://caselaw.findlaw.com/wa-court-of-appeals/1135519.html

THE KING OF SLEAZE: HOW A BAD PANAMA LAWYER WINS ALL HIS CASES

His name is Alcides Bartolo Peña Araya, (Panamanian government ID Number 8-220-979)* and he has an astounding 100% success rate with his cases in the Republic of Panama, though he never goes to trial on any of them. Most Panama City lawyers tell me that they have never seen him in a courtroom. He has no office; he has been referred to as a mobile lawyer, meaning that he literally works out of his car. So how can he be so successful and wealthy ?

It's easy; for Sr. Peña is one of the dirtiest lawyers Panama has, and that's saying a lot, given that the country's court system is known for its corrupt, bought-and-paid-for judiciary, all the way up to the Supreme Court of Justice. Here is how Alcides Peña operates:

(1) Peña bribes the Fiscal  (prosecutor) to infinitely delay the criminal cases in which his client is the defendant. The cases never go to trial; justice delayed is justice denied. Bribing judges is commonplace for Peña, for whom the end justifies the means.

(2) In the field of civil litigation, he engages in bribing the secretaries, court clerk, office staff, file room clerks, and whatever other staff involved in the case, so that files are destroyed, pages removed, evidence lost, and whatever other sundry dirty tricks, and thefts, that he is able to pull on opposing counsel.

(3) He pays off interpreters and the staff at their companies, so that any necessary interpreter always is unavailable, or fails to show up for a court appearance of the parties. As the result, no cases ever move forward, where his client is the defendant, or subject to a counterclaim. Delays for four years or more are common in his caseload. Many opponents run out of money, or leave Panama permanently.

(4) He obtains, from corrupt members of the judiciary, ex parte injunctive relief, which is illegal under the Laws of Panama, including prohibitions on international travel, while the case is pending.

(5) He schedules court hearings, and fails to notify the opposing attorneys, which is unethical and improper in any jurisdiction, so that he can prevail upon a judge to enter a ruling favorable to his client.

(6) He threatens bodily harm upon any victims of crime, whom he cannot pay off or otherwise beat in court, using all the above corrupt techniques and actions.

(7) When all else fails, he boldly bribes opposing counsel, thereby insuring that he will never lose a hearing or motion, for his opponent, whose lawyer's palm has been greased, is a no-show in court. He just doesn't know that his lawyer is working with his opponent's lawyer, and his repeated failure to show up to oppose Peña'a motions means that they are always granted.

How can he get away with all this ? Panama has no bar exam, and no effective attorney disciplinary process in exists. Peña takes full advantage of Panama's rampant official corruption, to get a win for his clients, at all costs, knowing that he will not be disciplined.

You may recall that Alcides Bartolo Peña has appeared on this blog before; he is the attorney for the American expat, Gary Lundgren, a known white-collar fraudster and sexual predator, who has been labeled the "Bill Cosby of Panama," due to his long and sordid history of sex crimes. Peña procures young girls for Lundgren, and cleans up the subsequent mess, insuring that criminal charges of rape or sexual battery are never filed. When necessary to protect Lundgren, Peña pays off the victims, and bribes anyone and everyone who can close up the matter in the court system.

Gary Lundgren

So long as sleazy lawyers like Alcides Bartolo Peña Araya can openly bribe all the participants in litigation, there is no hope for the rule of law in the Republic of Panama; he deserves a long prison term, in one of his country's most primitive correctional facilities, together with all the other dirty Panamanian lawyers who engage in this obscene manner of practicing law.
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* Panama Supreme Court attorney identification number 1247.

WHO FRAMED VLADIMIR KOKOREV FOR MONEY LAUNDERING ?

Vladimir Kokorev, with one of his Panama attorneys 

It would appear that Valdimir Kokorev, the Russian businessman who operated in Africa, including Equatorial Guinea, was artfully framed, and the money laundering allegations, which the Spanish press has accused him of, have no basis in fact. We have begun an investigation of the curious circumstances surrounding the matter, and the hidden agenda of the parties who are orchestrating the vendetta against Kokorev.

Here is what we know so far:

(1) Vladimir Kokorev, and the rest of the Kokorev family, are not wanted on money laundering charges, but on the equivalent of material witness warrants, for questioning. The Government of Spain, in a heavy-handed manner,  has sought their extradition, instead of contacting them, and arranging for their testimony, as their location was well known. Causing their arrest, in a highly public manner, obviously had political implications, which we intend to explore. Remember, this matter involves real estate purchases that occurred several years ago; why are they coming up now ?

(2) The back story is far more sinister than any money laundering case. According to reliable sources, certain powerful financial interests in Spain, who had previously enjoyed taking lucrative profits from exploiting Equatorial Guinea's natural resources, want the country's current leader, President Teodoro Obiang, out of power, and replaced by a president who will cooperate with those interests, and restart the flow of cash to them.

(3) Allegations of massive corruption of the Obiang family, placed in major media outlets by the Spanish special interests, has dominated news about Equatorial Guinea recently. This appear to be the method through which those interests believe they can remove Obiang, through the airing of multiple scandals.

(4) Money laundering charges against Kokorev, claiming that he laundered money for Obiang, by purchasing real estate in Spain, provides fuel for the press, and casts Obiang in a negative light. The acquisition of Spanish realty, according to the Kokorev family, was for their own use, and absolutely not bought for the first family of Equatorial Guinea.

Ismael Gerli

(5) The only witness against Vladimir Kokorev is Ismael Gerli, his former Panama attorney, who actually traveled to court in the Canary Islands, to testify against his clients, though the laws regarding admissibility of such testimony causes great concern, because of the existence of the attorney-client privilege. Kokorev denies that Gerli has any evidence or information implicating him for money laundering, and asserts that Gerli sought to extort money from him, has over billed Kokorev for years, for legal services, and stole a condominium apartment from Kokorev, by fraudulently transferring ownership to bearer shares of a corporation that owned the property.

 Gerli was formerly associated with the American fraudster, Gary James Lundgren*, who illegally acquired much of his wealth through the same type of illegal share transfers that Gerli reportedly engaged in. Attorney Gerli's lack of credibility is certainly a major issue. He is presently being sued by Kokorev in a court in the Republic of Panama.

Gary Lundgren

(6) Spanish newspaper articles that created the story about Vladimir Kokorev's money laundering, were later held, by a court in Moscow, to have committed libel, and the offending articles ordered removed. The journalist who authored the story was reportedly fired, and the Spanish Government at the time officially stated that it had not pending investigation against Kokorev. Why now, we ask ?

We are just now scratching the surface of this matter; rest assured that the identities of the Spanish financial interests will appear here in subsequent articles, as well as further details of their campaign against Vladimir Kokorev, and President Teodoro Obiang.
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*  Panama expat, Gary James Lundgren has been labeled, in the press, the "Bill Cosby of Panama, " due to his sexual predator history, in the United States, as well as in Panama. 

YET ANOTHER DISHONEST PANAMANIAN LAWYER CONNECTS WITH ALCIDES BARTOLO PENA

Corrupt Panama attorney José Luis Garcia Sánchez

This is José Luis Garcia Sánchez, a lawyer working in the Republic of Panama; he demonstrates why attorneys there, unless they work at a law firm with sound ethical principles, are not trusted, and with good reason. You may want to pass this article on to anyone considering either purchasing residential real estate in Panama for investment, or retiring there.

 Attorney Garcia served two years in prison, for stealing six figures from an American client from Texas. After his release, he went right back to work, for Panama has no functioning lawyer disciplinary system; it requires only graduation from a recognized law school to practice law, there is no bar exam, and no ethics section to pass, before one can be admitted.

After leaving prison, Attorney Garcia went right back to the practice of law, including his old tricks, taking fees, but not doing the work he agreed to perform for his clients. Inasmuch as the court system is inefficient, and totally corrupt, meaning that justice can be delayed, or denied, for a price. Attorneys who cross the line are never punished.

His biggest mistake: While representing a client who had multiple claims against the American fraudster we have chosen to call "the Bill Cosby of Panama," due to his actions, the sexual predator, Gary James Lundgren. Sr. Garcia sold his client out to Lundgren's lawyer, Alcides Bartolo Peña Araya, who has paid him handsomely for his betrayal.

Garcia deliberately failed to make required filings, missed court dates, dragged his feet whenever possible, and in general insured that justice would never be served for his client, as his acceptance of regular bribes from Peña insured that the case would go nowhere. His deception has now been discovered, and his "services" terminated. He has violated the most sacred tenet of the law: to zealously represent your client, and he belongs back in prison.

Unfortunately, the bar of Panama is full of such corrupt types; all hustling for money, at the expense of their trusting clients. Unless you retain a top-flight lawyer, in a reputable firm with ethics that they expect their partners to adhere to, you may end up with someone like José Luis Garcia Sánchez, who will collude with someone like Alcides Bartolo Peña Araya, and you will lose your case. Watch yourself in Panama, for it is full of snakes with law licenses.

DID PANAMANIAN LAWYER/FRAUDSTER LINKED TO CAYMAN GANG OF FOUR LAUNDER THEIR CRIMINAL PROCEEDS ?

                                                                 

Ismael Gerli

Ismael Gerli, A Panamanian attorney who has been identified as a participant in a number of money laundering and fraudulent schemes, has been linked to the Cayman Gang of Four* $450m trading scam, and may have escaped arrest due to being a Confidential Informant for a US law enforcement agency. He may have been one of the facilitators that covertly moved the victims' millions out of the Cayman islands, due to his known proficiency in conducting opaque transactions in Panama, Belize, and the British Virgin Islands.

We have previously reported on Gerli's role in a number of frauds; he gave false testimony in a case pending in Spain, solely for material gain, and in which he sought to extort money from a former client. He is also known to have been the attorney for the notorious American fraudster & sexual predator, Gary James Lundgren, and reportedly taught Lundgren how to illegally acquire bearer shares, and through them, substantial real estate holdings of Canadian and American investors residing in the Republic of Panama.

Joshua VanDyk

Gerli is linked to the convicted American securities trader, Joshua VanDyk, who you may recall worked at Ryan Bateman's Grand Cayman firms, Bateman & Company Ltd. and B & Capital Ltd. During that time VanDyk offered North American businessmen a scheme, through which VanDyk hid untaxed wealth in the Cayman Islands. Both Gerli & VanDyk were often operating in Belize at the same time, and a reliable source has confirmed their close association. Did Gerli adroitly hide, and launder, some of the missing investor dollars ? That would explain investigators' reports of lack of a paper trail of some of the funds.

                                                                 

Gary Lundgren, the Bill Cosby of Panama

VanDyk, though convicted and sentenced to a term of imprisonment in the United States, appears to have never been incarcerated, leading to the presumption that he subsequently rendered Substantial Assistance to a law enforcement agency. Did he recruit Gerli to be a Confidential Informant ?  Otherwise, there is no explanation for the fact that Gerli, notwithstanding his long history of conducting organized fraud, has never been charged in the United States. Gerli has not been seen in Public in Panama City of late, and he is rumored to be in hiding, fearing extradition to Spain.

Whether Gerli's proverbial Get-out-of-Jail-Free Card will now be terminated, with prejudice, remains to be seen, but we will be watching.
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* The Cayman Gang of Four are:
   Sharon Lexa Lamb
   Derek Buntain
   Fernando Mota Mendes
   Ryan Bateman

ARTICLES FAIL TO NAME THE REAL POWER AT THE TRUMP OCEAN CLUB

Gary James Lundgren

 
He is a businessman known to lie, cheat and even steal, and a known sexual predator*, but the true power broker at the Trump Ocean Club (TOC) in Panama is not the Trump whom you think he is. He is the American expat, Gary James Lundgren, whom neither NBC nor Reuters, nor Global Witness identified in their recent expose' about rampant criminal activity at the TOC, and the quintessential Ugly American.

Lundgren, who left a sexual assault charge in the State of Washington years ago, and relocated to Panama City, where he resides, and where he is apparently safe from the grasp of  US law enforcement agencies, engages in fleecing unsuspecting foreign investors, and laundering Cartel narco-profits. The American securities broker regulator, FINRA, stripped him, for life, of all his US licenses to sell stock, when he refused to open his books of account to it. He has been identified several times, by victims of sexual assaults he allegedly committed in Panama, and is known there as the "Bill Cosby of Panama, " due in part to his manipulation of the criminal justice system, when charged with sex crimes.

Lundgren owns, through a number of shell companies, at least fifteen condominium units in the TOC complex, and fifteen per cent (15%) of the outstanding bonds owned by the TOC developers. His wife, a Colombian national whose family is linked to the Medellin Cartel, convinced the Association to transfer the maintenance contract to her control. The Trump companies filed a $75m damage claim against her company, before a tribunal of the international Chamber of Commerce.

As we have previously reported, Lundgren is known to operate an enterprise that provides prostitutes to guests at the TOC Hotel; some Panamanians have derisively referred to him as "The Pimp at the Trump." No story about the Trump Ocean Club is complete without understanding that Gary Lundgren is a central player who assisted members of organized crime syndicates, from several countries, including Russia, in money laundering, through purchases at the Trump Ocean Club. 
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* Steele vs. Lundgren, 982 P.2d 617 (Wash. Ct. App. 1999)

GARY LUNDGREN'S BID TO BE THE PIMP AT THE TRUMP RUNS OUT OF GAS WHEN EXPOSED

Our reliable sources in Panama City report that the Alaskan businessman Gary Lindgren has discontinued his interview operation at the Global Bank Building downtown. Lundgren, who also goes by Gary James Lindgren, and James Gary Lundgren, abruptly shuttered his ongoing program, whereby he was auditioning "hostesses" (read that prostitutes) to provide escorts for businessmen staying in his suites at the Trump Ocean Club in Panama. It has been said that he cancelled the program after it was exposed in the media, meaning this blog.

Gary Lundgren has not visited the Continental United States for several years. The reason: he has a pending environmental case, involving the repeated discharge of pollutants into American and Canadian waters, in the Pacific Northwest, and he fears arrest, and ultimately an extended period of incarceration, should he set foot in America. Of course both the Securities & Exchange Commission, as well as tax authorities, reportedly have investigations pending against him. We have previously reported on a prior environmental decision, and those articles can be accessed on this blog. Other investigations could also may have resulted in felony criminal charges by now; No wonder he will not come home.

Lundgren has a Panamanian passport, in a name slightly different from his legal name; it was given to him by Ricardo Martinelli; both men were closely linked to the convicted Colombian pyramid/Ponzi schemer, David Eduardo Helmut Murcia Guzmán.

Whether he also faces charges in the United States, for sexual offenses, is not known, but his illegal conduct in Panama City, including paying off several of his rape victims, or the prosecutors and judges, has earned him the dubious title of "The Bill Cosby of Panama." This is not an exaggeration; he is a a career sexual predator.

We shall be closely following the case involving the Trump Organization's $75m claim against him in the International Chamber of Commerce.