The infamous ‘Son of Sam’ serial killer is coming up for parole and he now has thousands of supporters who say he’s no longer a threat to society. In this special report David Berkowitz tells me exclusively what he plans to do when he goes before the parole board.

David Berkowitz, also known as the ‘Son of Sam’, will soon be up for parole for the fifth time. Berkowitz says he’s since found God and his supporters believe he’s no longer a threat to society. That’s why many fear he may soon be released from prison.

This week Berkowitz sent a letter exclusively to me explaining what he plans to do during his upcoming parole hearing. We’ve also obtained provocative prison journals from the serial killer and interviews never before released to the general public.

56 year old David Berkowitz has spent the past 33 years in prison and is currently housed at the Sullivan Correctional Facility in Fallsburg, New York. For years he has become disenchanted with speaking with reporters. In a letter in September 2009 he writes,”interviews for the most part were disappointing and never turned out as I had hoped.”
However, Berkowitz has chosen to write to me for the past six months.

The man known as the Son of Sam says he has become a Born again Christian and proclaims, “I had a personal encounter with God almighty right inside the prison house.”
But there was nothing spiritual about his 13 month shooting spree in 1976 when he killed 6 people – leaving 7 wounded.
When arrested Berkowitz plead guilty and was sentenced to 6 consecutive life terms but after serving only 25 years state law allows him a chance for parole every two years.

                           

Now that his 5th parole hearing is coming up in May, the Son of Sam swears he’s a changed man, “Today God has said you are now the Son of hope.”

Betty Allen is a Christian who has befriended Bekowitz “He is a totally different human being and that’s what Jesus Christ does in our lives.”  That apparent religious transformation has helped Berkowitz to gather intense support from Church groups and people from across the nation.

In a letter dated February 24th, 2010 Berkowitz tells me about the support he’s received from the public. He writes:

“Everyone from college students to those in the military have gotten insight, inspiration, etc. It’s good to touch lives and give people some hope.”

New Yorkers who were there during the Son of Sam murders say they’ll never forget the terror they felt during that time. That chilling effect has left them with strong opinions on whether Berkowitz should ever be released from prison.

“Leave him there in that cage that’s where he belongs,” Nina Soffer recalls how Berkowitz targeted women with dark hair. “Women were buying blonde wigs, they were dying their hair blonde I was a platinum blonde for a week.”

Berkowitz says he has hurt enough people and has decided what he’ll do during his parole hearing in May. He chose to send this letter exclusively to me, two months before releasing it to his Parole Officer. It states:

“Please be advised that I am not seeking parole consideration at this time.” signed David Berkowitz.

People like Jeffrey Degan says they are not so convinced, “I think he’s a very clever manipulating human being.”  Degan and Soffer both lived in New York City at the time of the murders and have since moved to Miami. When asked if Berkowitz should ever be released from prison, Soffer adamently replied. “I think it’s pretty difficult to cure somebody of psychosis, which is what he’s got.”

The Son of Sam blames his rage on his involvement with a Satanic cult, “I really thought I was some kind of soldier in a Satanic army and we had determined to bring NYC to its knees.”

Berkowitz feels his previous drug and alcohol use, childhood problems, tendencies to vandalize buildings and set fires all lead up to his killing spree. He says, “ If I could go back I would take that gun and throw it right in the sewer.’

In the past couple of years Berkowitz has begun writing lenghty prison journals. He opines on everything from biblical scriptures to current events.  His latest entry warns kids about singer Susan Boyle.
He writes

“Little children, keep yo:urselves from idols. , Susan Boyle has become an overnight sensation and an idol. But idols come, and they go. We’ve become a nation of people worshippers.”

Berkowitz also warns that Satan is set to take over the world, he writes:

“Everyone is going to be electronically tracked and monitored. And so tyrannical will this international body be that those who refuse to go along with it will be put to death.”

Soffer contends,“he has transferred his fantasies into religious ones but those fantasies and that disconnect from reality still exists.

Prison officials say Berkowitz has been a model inmate for the past two decades. His last disciplinary action was back in 1989 for having an unauthorized bible in his cell.

The family members and survivors of the Son of Sam’s killing spree say they’ll never be able forgive him.

In 1977 Stacy Moskowitz and her boyfriend Robert Violante, both 20, were in Violante’s parked car . They were kissing when Berkowitz fired several gunshots into the car, striking both victims in the head. Moskowitz died several hours later in the hospital. Many years later Stacy’s mother wrote several letters to Berkowitz saying she moved beyond the intense pain he has caused but she can’t forgive him for what he did. Tragically, since Stacey’s death her entire family has died including her mother, younger sister and her father. The mother and daughter had health issues and the father died of a heart attack.

Link to Mike Mason’s Television Report on WPIX-TV: http://www.wpix.com/videobeta/3327461c-dbd5-4fc1-b253-f6e2b87bb272/News/Exclusive-Son-of-Sam-Letter-to-PIX

Exclusive interview: ‘Son of Sam’ shooting survivor believes David Berkowitz did not shoot him and he’s now calling on police to re-open New York City’s most infamous murder investigation.

One of the ‘Son of Sam’ survivors speaks out for the first time in 15 years. Police told Carl Denaro that David Berkowitz is the one who shot him but now Denaro has serious doubts. After watching our first report, Denaro now wants to tell his story.

shooting victim 

 He has done some of his own investigating since he was shot in the head back in 1976. Now he’s calling on police to re-open the Berkowitz case and prove this was all a conspiracy. In October of 1976, 20-year old Carl Denaro was on a late night date. He and his girlfriend parked their car in Queens and a few minutes later their whole world changed. Denaro recalls, ”I thought the car exploded.” Instead, a shooter had just emptied five .44 caliber rounds into the car, hitting Denaro in the back of the head. His girlfriend wasn’t hit so she quickly sped off. Denaro survived but his scars will never heal. Carl Denaro points to his head stating, “It’s a big horseshoe scar and there’s a couple of staples, 8 staples going around and like 250 stitches.” 

 

At the time police didn’t know who David Berkowitz was. Then a year later though, the infamous ‘Son of Sam’ serial killer was arrested and Berkowitz plead guilty to killing 6 people and wounding 7 others. That included Carl Denaro. Denaro –“I’d like to know who shot me. Mike Mason – You don’t know if it was Berkowitz? Denaro – I’m 99.9% sure it wasn’t him.” Denaro says he has good reason to believe Berkowitz was not acting alone. Denaro says, “I’ve run into 10.20,30 detectives that off record will tell me they know other people were involved”. 

Denaro also remembers how detectives confiscated the Volkswagen he was shot in so they could conduct forensic testing. He says when police returned the car a couple of weeks later the car’s owner was cleaning it out and found a .44 caliber bullet lodged in a blanket that was still in the wheel well of the VW.
That bullet was then turned over to the police department’s ballistics experts but Denaro cites this as a clear case of shoddy police work.

Shooting Victim 

Robert Violante is also a survivor and was told by police that Berkowitz is the one who shot him. Violante remembers, “I was shot in the head I was shot right in my right eye.” Viloante says he’s not convinced Berkowitz pulled the trigger, “The guy that was parked in front of me he described somebody totally different.” Witness descriptions and police sketches of the Son of Sam were also different. 

In the past, former Queens District Attorney John Santucci has said even he thinks Berkowitz did not act alone. Santucci stated, “It has crossed my mind that this 44 caliber pistol that was the weapon used in the shootings that we witnessed was passed around among a number of people.” 

In the mid ’90’s Berkowitz himself has said there were others who also committed the murders. David Berkowitz claimed,“I did not pull the trigger at every single one of them.” Since then he has once again changed his story. Berkowitz also blames his murderous rage was fueled by his involvement with members of a Satanic cult. That’s why many wonder if they were also involved. Berkowitz says from his prison cell, “I really thought I was some kind of soldier in a Satanic army and we had determined to bring NYC to its knees.”  

Denaro suspects cult members conspired with Berkowitz during the killing spree, ”I believe they should reopen the case because I think there are people who were involved who are still out there.” 

Denaro was shot in a residential area of Flushing, Queens. There are other residents there who share his opinion that there more than one gunman involved. Mike DeAngelo lives in Flushing and doesn’t buy the lone gunman theory, “They pinned it on one guy basically.” Asked if he thought there was more than one person involved he states, “I do yeah I do.” 

 Despite the circumstances, Denaro says he has managed to move on with his life. “It just kind of gives you a whole new different outlook on taking every day as it comes.” And Berkowitz also has a different outlook. Today he says he’s a Born again Christian. Berkowitz claims, “I had a personal encounter with God almighty right inside the prison house.” 

Denaro believes Berkowitz has found some sort of religion, ”Yes I do I do, you live in an 8 by 8 cell, I’d find something, God sounds like a good thing.” 

Carl Denaro has never spoken with Berkowitz but he does have one question for him, ”Why don’t you come out and say who else is involved?” 

Bronx District Attorney Mario Merola worked the case and before his death he remained adamant that the infamous ‘Son of Sam’ was the sole shooter. Berkowitz is set to go before the parole board again this May but he told me exclusively that he has no desire to seek parole this time around. 

Here is the Link to my television report on WPIX in NYC: http://www.wpix.com/videobeta/3bdbfc64-14c7-4380-b224-e7951b19bb2e/News/Exclusive-Son-of-Sam-Victim-Speaks

Judge grants Ad Surf Daily & Federal Prosecutors more time to negotiate ‘ponzi’ case

US District Judge Rosemary Collyer

US District Judge Rosemary Collyer granted ‘Ad Surf Daily’s’ president, Andy Bowdoin, more time to continue negotiations in the federal case against him. Both Bowdoin’s attorney and the Assistant U.S. Attorney made the request last week on the basis that the negotiations are still taking place and “more time is needed to come to a solution.”

Judge Collyer previously issued an August 28th deadline for Bowdoin to decide if he would continue to fight for the company’s assets that were seized by federal officials.

Bowdoin’s business model required ASD ‘members’ to purchase ‘ad packs’ in order to participate in the program. Members then received a profit each time they clicked on websites of businesses that advertised with ASD. Last year the US Attorney General’s Office determined ASD was a ‘ponzi scheme’ because it could only generate revenue by having new members pay to participate in the program.

Last year the US AG’s Office determined Bowdoin’s internet marketing firm was a ‘ponzi scheme’ and confiscated $53M (fifty three million dollars) from several Bank of America accounts Bowdoin claims were designated to maintain ASD funds. Bank of America has subsequently been named as a defendant in the federal case against Bowdoin and ASD.
Last week Bowdoin and his attorney, Charles A. Murray, spoke for several hours as they mapped out their next move. Since the seizure, Bowdoin has maintained he would find a way to “give the money back to the people.” ASD is estimated to have upwards of 125,000 members nationwide.
Officials with the United States Department of Justice are hoping Bowdoin will release his claim on the assets and allow the government to assume ownership of the funds. Officials contend the government could then distribute the money to ASD members using carefully controlled methods.

US Justice officials have posted an online form for ASD members who wish to recoup any money they lost while doing business with ASD. Members can fill out the form by going to the government’s website: ‘www.usdoj.gov/usao/dc/Victim_Witness_Assistance/adsurfdaily.html’
or contact the DOJ by emailing information to the Department at ‘usadc.adsurfdaily@usdoj.gov’.

US Department of Justice Senior Trial Attorney William Cowden says the government is now ready to begin distribution of $14M it seized from Golden Panda (GP), another similar company they say was controlled by Bowdoin. In late July, 2009 the US Attorney General’s office completed its investigation into GP and officials say they were able to convince Bowdoin to release GP’s assets to the government. Cowden maintains that Bowdoin voluntarily ‘walked away’ from his claim on the money after reviewing the Government’s evidence against him. Cowden asserts Bowdoin was never offered any deals in exchange and is still subject to criminal charges.

Many ASD members question the government’s motives and refuse to post a claim on funds they have lost. They fear they may be subject to legal implications if they disclose their involvement with ASD and remain hopeful charges will be dropped against Bowdoin and ASD will be back in business. Cowden says it has been difficult for ASD’s members to face the facts, “Every time there’s one of these cases the victims and people are disappointed to find out it’s a fraud.”

Is Ad Surf Daily really a ponzi scheme? CEO’s experts say ‘No’

Attorney Charles A. Murray

The attorney representing Ad Surf Daily (ASD), an internet marketing company, says he has credible experts who have testified the company is not a ‘ponzi scheme’.  Attorney Charles A. Murray of Bonita Springs, Florida represents ASD and its president, Andy Bowdoin. “Andy does not believe he did anything wrong,” Murray said on Monday.

Last year the US Attorney’s Office raided ASD’s corporate headquarters in Quincy, Florida and quickly determined Bowdoin’s business model was indeed a ‘ponzi scheme’. The government then seized $53M (fifty three million dollars) from several Bank of America accounts Bowdoin claims were designated to maintain ASD funds. Murray says Bowdoin “just wants to make sure all of the members get their money back.”
US Department of Justice Senior Trial Attorney William R. Cowden maintains ASD is a ponzi because it can only stay in business if new paying members join the company. Many ASD members say that model is no different than other internet marketing companies such as Google’s AdSense.

Making money with both companies seems relatively easy. Google pays people to simply display company ads on their websites. Companies pay Google to find these website owners who are willing to post the ads on their sites. Companies are charged a fee each time someone ‘clicks’ on the ad.

Google collects the fee and then pays the website owners a fraction of the profit. Unlike ASD, Google’s program does not charge a fee to the website owners who wish to participate.

Murray hired three expert witnesses to examine ASD’s business model and they contend it does not meet the definition of a ponzi scheme. Those experts include Keith Laggos, an author of a textbook on the Direct Sales Industry; Gerald Nehra a former Director of the Legal Division for Amway Corporation and Jerome Osteryoung who is a Professor of entrepreneurship and finance at Florida State University.

Osteryoung maintains ASD’s model is effective because it only pays members a profit when they view an advertisement for a minimum of fifteen seconds. ASD “is much more valuable than the click per view for so much internet advertising (e.g. Google) which charges for each click no matter how brief the visit.”

In a civil complaint filed by William R. Cowden in US District Court on August 5, 2008 he states, “in a Ponzi scheme, there is in fact no underlying profitable business to support the payments promoters say they will make to the investors/participants. Instead, unbeknownst to many of the participants, the promoters use the money obtained from a growing base of later investors/participants to pay so-called “profits” to earlier investors. Schemes that depend on growing the base of new participants to support payments to prior participants are also commonly referred to as pyramids.”

Osteryoung says ASD is not a ‘pyramid’ because “a business that provides a vehicle for firms to advertise their products will be able to exist regardless if it attracts new members, as it is providing a much needed marketing tool.”

Murray hopes his experts’ testimonies will be considered by U.S. District Judge Rosemary Collyer who is presiding over the case. August 28th is the deadline for Judge Collyer to determine if the US Attorney General’s case against ASD should move forward. At this point Murray is negotiating with the government and could reach a settlement before the upcoming deadline.

Mike Mason
Investigative Reporter

Blog: http://investigativereportermikemason.blogspot.com/

A man and his mission to take down an internet marketing giant

 

 

 

 

Jack Arons

 

Ad Surf Daily and its CEO,  Andy Bowdoin,  are targets of federal investigators who seized $53 Million from the company…money that belonged to thousands of investors who still feel the company is a legitimate business.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 When Jack Arons retired from Hewlett Packard as a Master Technician he wanted to acquire a new hobby to keep himself busy. He wasn’t interested in assembling model airplanes or collecting baseball cards, instead he decided to become a consumer watchdog. Arons says it all began one day in July 2008 when his friend told him about a company that had a great new way to make money.

Arons says his friend was eager to tell him how he and his mother both invested $1,000 in ASD because they could make a profit of up to $9,000 per month.
The company was called Ad Surf Daily or ‘ASD’. Jack’s friend said ASD members are told they can make money by surfing the web and simply clicking on various sites.
The formula is a bit more complicated and it essentially works like this: ASD members are known as ‘advertisers’ who pay a membership fee to have their websites displayed to other viewers through ASD’s website. ASD pays these advertisers a “rebate” for viewing fellow “advertisers’ ” web pages and encourages “advertisers” to recruit new “advertisers” by paying existing the “advertisers” a referral fee.

Arons decided to find out more about the company so he visited ASD’s website where he says he found promises that its members were basically guaranteed to make huge returns on their investments.

“You can’t offer 110% return on money and expect it to be legit,” says Arons.

Instead of buying into the ASD program, Arons began digging deeper into the company’s history. He researched ASD’s CEO Andy Bowdoin and uncovered a history of complaints.

Department of Justice

One was filed in Federal Court in Washington, D.C. On August 5th, 2008. US Department of Justice Senior Trial Attorney William R. Cowden filed a civil complaint against Bowdoin and two of his companies, Golden Panda and Ad Surf Daily claiming they were both ‘ponzi schemes‘.

The complaint also detailed past criminal charges filed against Bowdoin for security fraud. The following is an excerpt from the court file:

“Just prior to concocting ASD, Bowdoin was arrested in Alabama for one or more felony violations related to Fraud in Connection with the Offer and Sale of Securities by an Unregistered Agent. Bowdoin and several co-defendants were accused of having been promoters of a company called “Mobile International, Inc.” The Alabama defendants said they had developed a mobile telephone system that was a cheaper alternative to the then-current cellular systems. That venture collapsed and Bowdoin and his co-defendants were charged with having sold unregistered securities to investors and with failing to state material facts to the investors that would have impacted the victims’ decisions to invest.

In particular, Alabama officials asserted that Bowdoin instigated a scheme by which he took money from some victims to pay off prior investors. On October 6, 1997, in Montgomery County, Bowdoin resolved this criminal matter by agreeing to enter Pre-Trial Diversion with three years of supervised probation and pay restitution of $1 5,000. Bowdoin completed his Pre-Trial requirements and the charges were dismissed. Furthermore, on January 1 1, 1999, in Wilcox County, Bowdain plead guilty to one count of sale of unregistered securities and was sentenced to 1 year in prison, however the sentence was suspended and he was placed on 3 years supervised probation and ordered to pay restitution of $75,000.”

Arons says he contacted Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum’s office to see if they were also interested in investigating ASD and Bowdoin since the company was headquartered in Florida. Arons claims the AG never responded, “I made 2 phone calls and sent 2 emails and didn’t hear anything.”
Instead of waiting for answers, Arons decided to post his concerns on the website ‘scam.com’ where he warned people about doing business with ASD.

He says he also decided to confront Andy Bowdoin at his corporate offices in Quincy, Florida. While there, he says employees refused to let him inside the building so he began taking photos of the exterior. According to Arons, it didn’t take long for Bowdoin to go outside and confront him. Arons says he wasn’t afraid to tell the CEO what he thought “he wanted to know why I was on his case and I told him he was a crook.”

Arons tells me Bowdoin was so upset that he personally went to the Attorney General’s office to lodge a complaint against Arons. According to Arons, that very action is what sparked the AG’s interest in the case, “the Attorney General finally called me in to their office to talk about ASD and I was there for 6 hours.”
Here is the email Arons says the Attorney General’s office sent to him at that time:

——– Original Message ——–
Subject: Re: Its in your hands
From: Selisa Beville – Selisa.Beville@myfloridalegal.com
Date: Fri, August 01, 2008 2:38 pm
To: jackarons@bigbendcrimes.com

Hi Jack – Thank you for the information provided to date. I look forward to meeting
you!

Selisa Beville, AIC, CFE
Financial Investigator
Economic Crimes Division
Office of the Attorney General
Tallahassee, FL 32399
850-414-3300

At that point the Florida Attorney General’s office began its investigation. The AG quickly determined Bowdoin’s business model was indeed a ‘ponzi scheme’ and the federal government seized $53M (fifty three million dollars) from several Bank of America accounts Bowdoin says were designated to maintain ASD funds.

In total the government seized $53M (fifty three million dollars) of assets from ‘Ad Surf Daily’ (ASD) and $14M from Golden Panda. In late July, 2009 the US Attorney General’s office completed its investigation and convinced Bowdoin to release his claim of Golden Panda’s assets. Those assets are now the property of the US government. US Department of Justice Senior Trial Attorney William R. Cowden maintains that Bowdoin voluntarily ‘walked away’ from his claim on the money after reviewing the Government’s evidence against him. Cowden claims Bowdoin was never offered any deals and is still subject to criminal charges.

Cowden says the government will begin disbursement of the Golden Panda funds to members as soon as members are able to prove how much they actually lost. A website has been developed to help GP members to claim their funds, it is www.usdoj.gov/usao/dc/Victim_Witness_Assistance/adsurfdaily.html
or they can email information to the Department at usadc.adsurfdaily@usdoj.gov .

The feds say they will do the same for ASD members when and if they successfully obtain ownership of those funds.

Although ASD is still embroiled in legal issues, there are many supporters of the company. An estimated 125,000 members nationwide invested money in ASD and many are still hopeful the government will drop its case and allow business to continue.

Bruce Disner invested $1,000 during an ASD rally in Miami, Florida. His brother, Todd, bought $2,500 worth of ad space with the company. Disner says he began making money immediately, “our income was coming out to a 1% daily return based on the amount of AD Packs you have. $400.00 for me and $3800.00 daily for Todd.”

Bruce Disner and ASD CEO Andy Bowdoin during rally in Miami

Unlike many ASD members, Todd Disner says he took some of his money out of his ASD account before the Feds seized it and was able to walk away with a hefty profit of $59,000. Disner says ASD readily paid its members and if Bowdoin was corrupt “he would have taken the money and ran.”

Susan Leiker lives in Denver, Colorado and also invested in ASD. She still doesn’t believe the company was doing anything illegal. “My interpretation of a ‘Ponzi’ is where new people paid the old members. There are hundreds of surfers on the internet today. Everyone gets paid, no matter when they join. The same was true for ASD. You buy your units, view ads, and get paid.”

Since the seizure of ASD’s assets, people like Leiker have been struggling to make ends meet, “Thousands of people are trying to make an honest living online. Many of which are disabled and can’t work outside of the home, others are mothers or fathers who want to raise their kids and not let strangers raise them.”

At this point ASD members don’t know if or when they will get any of their money back. If the pending Federal case against ASD convinces Bowdoin to release ASD’s total assets of $53M (fifty three million dollars) the US Attorney General’s office promises to distribute them in the same manner as Giant Panda. The distribution process is expected to be lengthy and complicated, as members will have to provide clear documentation of how much money they spent. Those documents will then be reviewed by the government for authentication and approval.

While ASD members wait for the outcome of the US Attorney General’s investigation, Bowdoin has remained silent. I expect his attorney will file another motion in the United States District Court after the Attorney General produces its evidence against Bowdoin and ASD. The deadline to produce that evidence is August 28, 2009 and it will likely affect Bowdoin’s decision about what he will do with the assets.

It’s a decision that could trigger a devastating financial fallout for thousands of ASD members. Many like Susan Leiker lost their life savings when the Feds seized the company, “I am now fighting to save my home and I had to do a bankruptcy.”

Feds to release millions of dollars seized from owner of internet company, ‘Ad Surf Daily’

Federal prosecutors say they are now prepared to begin disbursement of more than $14M (fourteen million dollars) they have seized from an internet marketing company owned by Quincy, Florida businessman Andy Bowdoin.

Federal raid of ASD Headquarters in Quincy, Florida

The company, Golden Panda, offers members a way to make money by advertising online and pays them each time they click on another advertiser’s website. The US Attorney General’s office calls the business model a ‘ponzi scheme’ and that is why it has also seized $53M (fifty three million dollars) of assets from ‘Ad Surf Daily’ (ASD), another similar internet company also owned by Bowdoin. ASD is estimated to have approximately 125,000 members nationwide who have invested money in the company.

US Department of Justice Senior Trial Attorney William R. Cowden says the government will begin disbursement of the funds as soon as members are able to prove how much they actually lost. He states, “the government recently became owner of the Golden Panda funds, (a similar company they say is also controlled by Bowdoin) and it can now pursue cost effective mechanisms to remit funds to Golden Panda victims.”

Department of Justice

Cowden says he is also confident the Department of Justice will win its pending legal case against Bowdoin and ASD. When that happens he says the government will distribute those assets to ASD members in the same manner as Golden Panda. The Golden Panda funds are now ready for release but members who lost money must first prove just how much money they had invested in the company.

Despite ASD’s turbulent legal troubles, there are hundreds of ASD members who still support the company. Iowa resident Julie Van Zee doesn’t understand why the government seized ASD’s assets in the first place, “I was just trying to make an honest living and they stole from many hard working people.”
Van Zee heard about ASD from a friend who is also a member. Van Zee supports ASD and its CEO stating, “Andy Bowdoin and his wife are very honest people who may have made a few honest mistakes…and only wanted to help others grow their businesses.”

Cowden doesn’t see it that way. He wants to clear up any confusion about what is happening to the money seized from Bowdoin and ASD. Cowden says, “I see from one of the comments on your blog a recurring complaint that the government has been holding a person’s money for over a year now and should just give it back to the person. Unfortunately, this person’s money became Andy Bowdoin’s money when he or she voluntarily gave it to Bowdoin/ASD.

Ad Surf Daily CEO Andy Bowdoin

The government is using the civil forfeiture cases to strip ownership away from Bowdoin and move it to the government. You might explain that the government can’t give money it doesn’t own back to anyone. Perfecting ownership is the point of pursuing court orders forfeiting ASD/Bowdoin & Golden Panda/Busby property to the government as the law permits.”

Below is the July 27th press release describing the current legal status of Golden Panda and ASD. I will be posting new updates as they come in.

Channing D. Phillips
Acting United States Attorney
District of Columbia
Judiciary Center
555 Fourth St., N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20530
July 27, 2009 Update
Golden Panda Ad Builder

In two related civil forfeiture cases now pending in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, the Department of Justice (through the United States Attorney’s Office) has alleged that funds and assets either seized from several Internet-based businesses (“Ad Surf Daily,” “La Fuente Dinero” and “Golden Panda Ad Builder”) or traceable to those operations, constituted proceeds of one or more federal criminal offenses. Specifically, the government alleged that each of these three so-called auto-surf businesses, which had promised income opportunities to their paying members, were actually “Ponzi” schemes that used new members’ money to pay income to earlier members in violation of the federal wire fraud and securities fraud statutes. Under federal law, proceeds of wire and securities fraud offenses are forfeitable to the Unite States. On July 24, 2009, the United States District Court issued an order forfeiting $14,048,598.07 to the government. This amounted to most of the funds that the government seized from bank accounts maintained by operators of the Golden Panda Ad Builder operation. Thus, the government now has perfected its title to these former Golden Panda funds, and it is now able to begin the process of remitting forfeited property to victims of the Golden Panda fraud scheme. Individuals who sent money to Golden Panda Ad Builder, and who suffered a pecuniary loss, will need to file petitions for remission or mitigation of the forfeiture with the Department of Justice. Under Section 9.8(a)(1) and (2) of Title 28 of the Code of Federal Regulations, in a petition for remission or mitigation of forfeiture a non-owner victim must demonstrate that it suffered a pecuniary loss of a specific amount directly caused by the criminal offense(s) underlying the forfeiture, or a related offense, and that the loss is the direct result of the criminal acts. In the near future, the Department of Justice will endeavor to contact former Golden Panda members with information about how they may properly file petitions for remission or mitigation with the Department (in writing and under oath). The Department will publish information on this website and also will provide information by email to potential petitioners identified to it. At this time, the United States does not have access to funds or property seized from or related to the Ad Surf Daily and La Fuente Dinero operations. The government’s effort to perfect those forfeitures remains under challenge.

Here is a link to the Attorney General’s civil complaint filed against ASD in August, 2008
http://myfloridalegal.com/webfiles.nsf/WF/KGRG-7H9MY7/$file/ASDComplaint.pdf

____________________________________

Original Report from August 8, 2009

The US Attorney General’s office seized millions of dollars from investors of a marketing firm that sold ad space on the internet and investors should finally be getting ‘some’ of that money back.

Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum

The Florida Attorney General’s office is investigating ‘Ad Surf Daily’, a Quincy, a Florida based corporation founded by Thomas Bowdoin in 2006. This comes after the US Department of Justice seized millions from the company in July, 2008.  Bowdoin stated the purpose of the corporation was to ‘provide advertising space for websites on the internet’ but the USAG says the company is nothing more than an elaborate ponzi scheme.

Ad Surf Daily (ASD) is designed to pay members dividends by surfing various business websites.The AG states the company “members were entitled to earn “credits” by viewing other members’ advertising websites. One credit was received for each viewing of another member’s website advertising.”

The Florida AG says ASD is only able to pay members a profit when new members pay to join the company. In a complaint filed by Florida AG’s special counsel Keith Vanden Dooren he states “Defendants have engaged in a sales or marketing plan or operation to induce and cause persons to pay consideration, or to make an investment, in excess of $100 and acquire an opportunity to receive a benefit or thing which is
not primarily contingent on the volume or quantity of goods, services or other property sold in bona fide sales to consumers and which is related to the inducement of additional persons to participate in the same sales or marketing plan or operation.”

The company’s members are said to total upwards of 125,000 and they’ve invested millions. They accuse the Federal Government of holding their money hostage for nothing that they did wrong.

Marcia Breitenbach says she invested most of her savings in the company and is worried she has lost it all. “I’m trying to save my house, scraping by and others are much worse off than me.”

Even though the Florida Attorney General accuses the internet firm of running a ‘pyramid sales scheme’, it has not yet provided evidence to support those charges. The second judicial circuit court in Leon County, Florida has given the Florida AG until August 28 ,2009 to provide proof of wrong-doing.

Breitenbach is anxious for answers, “I’ve been patient and have contacted the Attorney General’s office many times and have gotten nowhere.”

Many ASD investors say they have no idea what’s happening with their money and fear they could lose their life savings. The US Department of Justice has frozen assets totalling tens of millions of dollars but has not said how that money will be distributed.

The Florida AG has agreeed to respond to my inquiries by tomorrow and as I investigative this further I will deliver a detailed account of how this happened and what the next steps will be. You can subscribe to my blog for updates as soon as they are posted.
Stay tuned.

Mike Mason – Investigative Reporter
Mike@MikeMason.Biz
Investigative Reporting Video Resume: http://bit.ly/Z512e
Blog: http://investigativereportermikemason.blogspot.com/

2 important Safety Recalls on School Buses!

RECALL #1 ___________________________________________________ Vehicle Make / Model: Model Year: BLUE BIRD / ALL AMERICAN 2010 Manufacturer: BLUE BIRD BODY COMPANY Mfr’s Report Date: JUL 22, 2009 NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID Number: 09V286000 NHTSA Action Number: N/A Component: STRUCTURE:BODY Potential Number of Units Affected: 35 Summary: BLUE BIRD IS RECALLING 35 MODEL YEAR 2010 ALL AMERICAN SCHOOL BUSES MANUFACTURED FROM MAY 13 THROUGH JUNE 17, 2009. INSUFFICIENT RIVETS WERE INSTALLED IN THE REAR HEADLINER PANEL. THESE BUSES FAIL TO CONFORM WITH THE JOINT STRENGTH REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 221, “SCHOOL BUS BODY JOINT STRENGTH.” Consequence: BUS PASSENGERS MAY SUSTAIN INJURIES IN THE EVENT OF A VEHICLE CRASH. Remedy: BLUE BIRD WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPAIR THE BUSES FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN ON OR ABOUT AUGUST 25, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT BLUE BIRD AT 1-478-422-2242. Notes: BLUE BIRD’S RECALL CAMPAIGN NO. R09PL. OWNERS MAY ALSO CONTACT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION’S VEHICLE SAFETY HOTLINE AT 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), OR GO TO HTTP://WWW.SAFERCAR.GOV . Follow link below for more info: http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/recalls/results.cfm?rcl_id=09V286&searchtype=quicksearch&summary=true&refurl=email RECALL #2 _______________________________________________ Vehicle Make / Model: Model Year: THOMAS BUILT BUSES / MVP-EF 2010 Manufacturer: DAIMLER TRUCKS NORTH AMERICA Mfr’s Report Date: JUL 22, 2009 NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID Number: 09V287000 PE09023 NHTSA Action Number: PE09023 Component: STRUCTURE Potential Number of Units Affected: 35 Summary: DAIMLER TRUCKS IS RECALLING 35 MODEL YEAR 2010 MVP-EF AND HDX THOMAS BUILT TRANSIT BUSES MANUFACTURED FROM OCTOBER 22, 2008 THROUGH MARCH 25, 2009 THE EMERGENCY EXIT PUSH-OUT WINDOW MAY BE INSTALLED IMPROPERLY RESULTING IN BINDING OF THE WINDOW. Consequence: IN THE EVENT OF AN EMERGENCY EVACUATION, BINDING EMERGENCY EXIT WINDOWS MAY DELAY EVACUATION AND MAY INCREASE THE RISK OF PERSONAL INJURY TO THE VEHICLE OCCUPANTS. Remedy: DAIMLER TRUCKS WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPAIR THE BUSES FREE OF CHARGE. REPAIRS WILL BE PERFORMED BY DAIMLER TRUCKS DEALERSHIPS. THE SAFETY RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN ON OR ABOUT SEPTEMBER 24, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT DAIMLER TRUCKS TOLL-FREE AT 1-800-547-0712. Notes: DAIMLER TRUCKS RECALL CAMPAIGN NO. FL-555. OWNERS MAY ALSO CONTACT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION’S VEHICLE SAFETY HOTLINE AT 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), OR GO TO HTTP://WWW.SAFERCAR.GOV Mike Mason 305-527-3088 Mike@MikeMason.Biz www.MikeMason.Biz Investigative Reporting Video Resume: http://bit.ly/Z512e Blog: http://investigativereportermikemason.blogspot.com/

The investigation that earned me an Alfred I. duPont award.

CBS News correspondent Bob Scheiffer hosted the awards ceremony in 2006 in NYC

Mike Mason reported serious flaws in bridge design 4 months before collapse

 

The following is a newspaper article published by the Saint Petersburg Times regarding my series of reports on a shoddy expressway project in Tampa. The series of reports earned me several awards including an Emmy, Associated Press, Society of Professional Journalists and the prestigious Alfred I. duPont Award.

To view a clip of the report and to watch a panel discussion about the investigation visit Columbia University’s website: http://www.columbia.edu/cu/news/media/06/404_dupontAwardsWinnersCircle/

Lane Ranger
T.V. reporter leads charge in Crosstown crusade
By JAY CRIDLIN
Published October 8, 2004

——————————————————————————–

There are plenty of reasons to watch the nightly ABC newscast on WFTS-Ch. 28.

There’s man-on-the-scene Don Germaise, who may still be sopping wet after chasing Charley, Frances, Ivan and Jeanne across the state. And there’s anchor Wendy Ryan, whose “Dirty Dining” segments are a stone cold hoot. (Is there a guiltier – and more stomach-churning – pleasure than watching Ryan mercilessly rip into one of your favorite restaurants?)

But a lot of Brandon commuters may watch Channel 28 for investigative reporter Mike Mason’s relentless coverage of the Lee Roy Selmon Crosstown Expressway fiasco.

He’s certainly not the only media outlet to have covered the issues that have arisen during construction of the Crosstown’s $350-million elevated bridge between Brandon and Tampa. Just about every television station, radio outlet and print news organization from Plant City to Pass-a-Grille has had something to say about the road’s collapsed piers. Heck, even your trusty Lane Ranger has gotten in on the action.
But each of Mason’s segments are lengthy, full of “uncovered documents” and ambitious source-digging, and usually given a prime-time slot near the top of the newscast.

He has been at the front of the pack on the story for more than a year, first reporting last September on construction flaws inside the concrete foundations supporting the elevated road’s piers that could cause the road to become unstable. He has made bold claims – bolstered by engineering reports and field notes – that Crosstown officials knew in advance of a sinkhole near a pier that collapsed in April.

“I think that our station has clearly led the charge on this story,” said Mason, who has done at least 12 Crosstown stories since July 12, around the time Expressway Authority officials confirmed another unstable second pier for the elevated bridge.

Last week, Crosstown officials announced that up to 31 of 35 analyzed support piers may have been built on unstable soil; when all is said and done, repairs could cost an additional $70-million. The elevated road was supposed to open in summer 2005, but all repairs have been suspended indefinitely.

Mason has clearly managed to get under the skin of those in charge of the project.

If you’ve watched any ABC newscast in the past two months, you’ve probably seen the shot of Mason cornering Tampa-Hillsborough Expressway Authority executive director Pat McCue outside his car, asking why his business cards read “Pat McCue, P.E.,” even though McCue allowed his professional engineer’s license to expire several years ago.

“That’s not a true statement,” McCue says flatly, without looking into the camera. “Excuse me.” McCue later sent Mason an e-mail stating he’d never claimed to perform actual engineering functions for the Expressway Authority.

Mason says his relationship with Crosstown officials isn’t as chilly as it appears onscreen. Still, he says, “I think you can see from the first story to the latest story that we have had a couple of issues.”

So why has Mason, who lives in South Tampa, been so dogged in his coverage of the Crosstown?

“This particular story has resonated with viewers more than any story I’ve recently done,” he says. “Everybody has to drive, obviously. A lot of people drive on the Crosstown, and they see what’s being built, and it’s affecting them on the roadway as well.”

Mason, like most good newsfolk, is quick to tease his future reports.

“We have some exclusive reports coming up that everybody’s going to want to pay attention to,” he says. “We have some inside information that will be exposed in our coming stories.”

As they say in the business: Stay tuned.

- The Lane Ranger is currently stuck in traffic. But he can be reached at cridlin@sptimes.com

Investigative Reporter Mike Mason

I have won the most prestigious awards in the television industry including Columbia University’s Alfred I. DuPont Award, Emmys, National Edward R. Murrow, Investigative Reporters & Editors Certificate (IRE), Associated Press, SPJ among others.

I am known for landing that impossible interview and finding the smoking gun.
On 9/11 I uncovered exclusive information and became the first and only reporter to expose the identities of the Terrorists who hijacked the planes which struck the WTC Towers.

I am now seeking a full time position and have included my Television Reporting Video Resume Link: http://bit.ly/Z512e

You can also check out my Blog: http://investigativereportermikemason.blogspot.com/

Mike Mason
305-527-3088
Mike@MikeMason.Biz

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