Update: BBB: Rating Leasing Companies
Southern California Leasing

"I noticed on your newsletter that we no longer had a BBB report.  We called right away to correct and we have our A+ rating back.  They said we needed to update information.  They asked us a few questions and returned our rating.

Thanks for your valuable information."

Barbara Griffith
President
Southern California Leasing, Inc
180 E. Main Street #204
Tustin, Ca  92780
Email:    bgriffith@socalleasing.com
Phone:  714-573-9804
Fax:      714-573-9806
Website: socalleasing.com
NEFA- Member of National Equipment Financing Association
WBENC  Women's Business Enterprise National Council

Southern California Leasing Inc., Tustin, California
http://www.la.bbb.org/business-reviews/Computer-Rental-and-Leasing-Services/Southern-California-Leasing-Incorporated-in-Tustin-CA-13135867

Previous story
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Sep2011/9_19.htm#bbb

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Classified Ads--- Legal/Syndicator

(These ads are “free” to those seeking employment
or looking to improve their position)

 

San Diego , CA Experienced in-house corporate, equipment leasing and financial services attorney seeks position as managing or transactional counsel. Willing to relocate. Cell Phone: 760-533-4058; Email:marshallrosenberg@gmail.com | Resume

Overland Park, KS Top Syndicator from single deal to portfolios. 20+ yrs exp. Available for contract work or full time position. Nationwide contacts. E-mail: FFLLeasing@aol.com

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Barry Thomas, former CFO Central Leasing Corp
pleads guilty to wire fraud

by Kent Faulk, Birmingham News

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- A former equipment leasing company executive pleaded guilty today in federal court to wire fraud in connection to a $1.2 million embezzlement scheme, federal authorities announced.
 
Barry A. Thomas, 48, former chief financial officer for Central Leasing Corp., entered his plea before U.S. District Court Judge R. David Proctor to one count of wire fraud for embezzling from the Birmingham-based company from July 2003 until his employment was terminated in August 2010, according to a joint statement from U.S. Attorney Joyce White Vance, FBI Special Agent in Charge Patrick Maley, and Vestavia Hills Police Chief Dan Rary.

Thomas was charged July 1 and entered a plea agreement that same day. His sentencing date has not been set.
 
"Companies and the communities in which they operate are harmed when corporate officials choose to defraud and steal from their employers," Vance said. "These are serious crimes that put the health of the company at risk and, therefore, also put the livelihood of the company's employees at risk," she said.
 
According to the statement, citing court documents, Thomas carried out his embezzlement as follows:
 
Part of his responsibilities as CFO was to handle payroll and payment of salaries for Central Leasing employees. To do that, he would send electronic communications, via the Internet, from his Birmingham office to the payroll and bookkeeping firm, QuickBooks/Intuit, in San Diego.

The electronic file would set out the exact amount of money that was to be directly deposited into the personal accounts of Central Leasing employees. In many of these electronic communications, Thomas would direct the release of money to his personal account that exceeded what he should have received for his salary. The total amount Thomas obtained as a result of his embezzlement was about $1,226,277.
 
The maximum sentence for the wire fraud is 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The notice of forfeiture specifies a forfeiture amount of $1,126,277. Thomas has already made restitution of about $100,000.
 
The FBI and the Vestavia Hills Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Carney prosecuted.

Birmingham News
http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2011/09/former_birmingham_equipment_le.html


Central Leasing
http://www.centralleasing.com/Home.html

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Fix Cash Hoarding - Mend Broken Relationships
By Dale Kluga
President, Cobra Capital LLC

(This article was written in response to the article "Companies Shun Investment, Hoard Cash")

Companies both big and small are hoarding cash because they lack any confidence in our economy's near term ability to overcome Washington's combative, philosophical politics and our country's defunct and over regulated banking system. That may be the bottom line today but a closer look may suggest the best solution involves something inherently uncomfortable which requires abandoning traditional tactics in order to pursue a meaningful solution to our economic crisis - mending broken relationships.

Our small firm is a perfect example of how efforts to mend broken relationships can overcome our own unwillingness to take risk with our capital which can set the stage for creating new jobs and producing an economic recovery.

PBR's, (Politicians, Bankers and Regulators), should all consider taking this approach particularly since their current efforts to create jobs have failed miserably which is only exacerbated by the relationship destruction they have all perpetuated amongst their peers. Otherwise, our jobs picture will remain stagnant and our economy will decline further. Yes, despite even those opportunists who feel their adversaries are about to perish to voter outrage and grief only to vote another misguided perpetrator into public office or fill another cronies Wall Street or Washington corner office.

Here is a brief summary of why a small biz like Cobra Capital refuses to hoard cash and why rebuilding relationships may be the key to creating jobs in this combative and negative economy.

A SMALL BUSINESS. Cobra Capital is a 10 year old national equipment finance company whose primary client base is mostly small businesses having less than $50MM in sales. Our typical equipment lease size is between $250K and $500K although we willingly go higher, or lower, if we see the potential for a viable ongoing relationship. My partner and I are both CPA's and former ex-con's, (as in ex-Continental Bank employees), and LaSalle Bank executives.

Cobra was started in 2000 to fill a void left by the banks as a result of the dot com implosion and our leasing industry's mini sub-prime, small ticket leasing crisis which put many finance company's out of business and left thousands of small biz without the credit they badly needed to build their businesses.

RELATIONSHIP APPROACH. Relationships are a concept which PBR's have entirely ditched during this brutal recession. Relationships with both their associates, constituents and yes, their adversaries as well. Cobra succeeded in this anti-relationship decade by willingly taking calculated risks with our clients, a behavior greatly missing from today's economy.

REDBOX OPPORTUNITY. One example is the DVD rental company, Redbox Automated Retail. After being rejected by nearly every bank in Chicago, Cobra approved funding for Redbox as a start-up in 2002 when no other bank would even listen to our story, including but not limited to their own depository bank, JPMC. Even Jamie Dimon characterized the Redbox opportunity as "too small" despite our incessant plea's for help and my personal 25 year relationship with JPMC.

Redbox management previously worked with Cobra's management team, despite the fact that the prior business relationship encountered significant obstacles. When the Redbox management team approached us, we could have easily justified a decline based on our unsatisfactory past dealings. Unlike a zombie big bank however, Cobra Capital only makes money if we extend credit to businesses as the Fed does not extend the same zero percent funding cost as they to for the zombie big banks, (perhaps therein is a separate lesson there too), who continue to arbitrage their cash in risk free treasury securities. Yet another short sighted bank behavior which will also fail when the Fed executes their "Twist" program.

Realizing the attributes of the Redbox business model, we did something that no PBR is capable of in recent history - we swallowed our pride and focused on the business relationship and the merits of the Redbox DVD vending machine business model which was rather quite simple. Eliminate brick and mortar overhead, price your product competitively and make it convenient for your customers. Why the banks could not comprehend this simple analysis is exactly part of the reason why they continue hoarding cash to this day. They refused to overcome their bad relationship experience with their defaulted loans to Blockbuster, an inopposite and failing brick and mortar business model.

Today's PBR's all have long memories and have lost their appreciation for free market principles to the point of bitterly waging destructive wars upon each other in an effort to turn up the volume of negative rhetoric for the sake of supporting idealistic, philosophical backward values. PBR's today are simply not interested in a cooperative solution, they have little skin in the game and choose only to survive in order to keep their paycheck.

I cannot remember the last time I read an honest opinion from any PBR who demonstrated a sincere interest in objective, mutual compromise. The closest would be Evan Bayh but he bailed on the entire political system for good reason. Even Colon Powell was too street smart to get baited into our failed political system.

President Obama, Speaker Boehner, Regulators and Bankers alike need to take a lesson from our Redbox relationship. Check your ego's and idealistic philosophies at the door, accept past failures as history lessons only and comitt to a candid discussion of how they can each overcome their mutual challenges in order to create a profitable relationship for our country.

Relationships are what makes the history books, not political self-serving agendas.

Dale R. Kluga
President
Cobra Capital LLC
2831 W. 83rd Street
Darien, Illinois 60561
630-675-0828 Cell
630-985-3500 Office
www.cobrallc.com

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Leasing 102
by Mr. Terry Winders, CLP

Income Tax and Accounting for 2011

This is a confusing year for small business when it comes to tax requirements and the right to take
capital recovery benefits called depreciation. Under current law a business may deduct the full 100% cost of “new” equipment (or take the standard MACRS depreciation). Used equipment is restricted to MACRS depreciation. However Section 179 allows small business to deduct 100% of “new or used” Equipment up to $500,000 and then use MACRS until all capital purchases (new and used) reach $2,000,000 then each dollar spent over the $2,000,000 barrier is used to reduce the amount that gets 100% depreciation.

Therefore if the total capital equipment purchases are $2,354,679.00 the business would have to reduce the $500,000… 100% depreciation to ($500,000 - $354,678) $145,822 and use MACRS on the balance. However because section 179 is acceptable for used equipment it stands to reason that if the total capital purchases do not exceed $2,000,000, the business and use Section 179 for the used equipment and exercise the current rules for new equipment and fully depreciate them.

The real problem with all of this is the business making enough profit to be able to use the depreciation expense and more important what do they do next year when there is no depreciation expense? I do not believe the right to fully deduct the new equipment cost has stimulated the purchase of new equipment as the government had hoped for. In fact some businesses has ignored it and just used MACRS to maintain a constant tax policy.

It also seems interesting how income tax requirements and GAPP have move so far apart that now the financials or tax returns are very hard to use to determine the current state of the business equity. If you compare the 100% depreciation with the straight line over the useful life approach of accounting the true value of the firm’s assets at any time is confusing. The undepreciated accounting balance is usually above the value and there is no value in the tax return because of the 100% depreciation. Before the 100% depreciation we could rely on MACRS as an accelerated form of depreciation over the term of use and the undepreciated value at least was close to the actual value for determining the company’s true asset base. Now who knows?

One of the greatest values commercial equipment leasing had was the ability to provide irregular payments that matched the equipments use and placed it in unison with the revenue stream. It helped small business know if they were making a profit. It required “operating lease” classification but it was an excellent tool for business. Now the accountants who have viewed the “off balance sheet” aspect of operating leases want to do away with rent expense from operating leases and make all leases capital “for use” transactions. I think small business will suffer from straight lining the depreciation piece of the new present value of the lease payments. It may be acceptable in accounting theory but it complicates running a small business.

We still have some time to respond to the proposed lease accounting changes (required by December 15th). I believe it is the duty of all lessor’s to respond because they are using theory instead of logic and not just leasing will be hurt but small business will be harder to do and I believe many will opt out of GAAP accounting.

If leasing is to suffer from these new accounting rules and remain a strong alternative to lending we will have to push cash flow, irregular payments to support that cash flow. It will be hard to set ourselves apart from equipment finance. We need to have our thoughts presented in mass so prepare to send your thoughts to the accounting board. Look it up on the web and you will see where to send it..

Mr. Terry Winders, CLP Anaheim, California December 12-14th Two and One Half-Day Seminar sponsored by Commerce National Bank 4040 MacArthur Blvd. Suite 100 Newport Beach CA 92660 (Orange County Airport is a half-mile away) The seminar will contain information on how to approach leasing in 2012 with the following subjects: New lease language Proposed new accounting rules for lessee's Structuring and pricing for competition Income tax rules, Article 2A vs. Article 9 New reasons to lease Questions to ask lessee Vendor needs Credit enhancements Documentation issues and a take home assignment to see how to propose a lease. Cost $450 per person To request a complete outline contact: leaseconsulting@msn.com or for questions call 502-649-0448

 

(This ad is a “trade” for the writing of this column. Opinions
contained in the column are those of Mr. Terry Winders, CLP)

Mr. Terry Winders, CLP, has been a teacher, consultant, expert witness for the leasing industry for thirty-five years and can be reached at leaseconsulting@msn.com or 502-649-0448

He invites your questions and queries.

Previous #102 Columns:
http://www.leasingnews.org/Conscious-Top%20Stories/Leasing_102/Index.htm

NEFA Funding Symposium Delivers on all levels
by Hugh Swandel

 

Over 150 attendees came to Minneapolis this past week to participate in the NEFA Funding Symposium.

The conference opened with a long standing tradition of a short reception for new members. NEFA Board Members join new members in advance of the conference to make sure they get to know each other and the new member has a higher level of comfort during the conference. This year’s crop of new members included some familiar faces who have new roles and companies they have joined. Long time NEFA supporters Dwight Galloway, Jim Merrilees and Brian Bjella were all in attendance at the opening reception.

The conference agenda was a great balance of practical topics relating to building a balance sheet and sourcing funding as well as strong sessions from Peter Bailey from the Prouty Project. It was nice to attend a conference that had more to offer than just industry topics. The sessions on creative thinking and understanding the magnitude of changes to the world around us were informative and thought provoking. Peter Bailey is an excellent presenter and involved the audience in a series of exercises that taught new ways to approach creativity and problem solving.

The conference included a moving presentation of the NEFA Member of the Year to Chris Walker. As many in the industry know Chris has been fighting cancer for several months and even in the toughest moments of treatment has continued to participate in board calls and CLP responsibilities. Chris and his wife drove to Minneapolis and many in the room where moved to tears when Chris accepted his award. Chris Enbom gave a moving presentation speech and later mentioned receiving the most beautiful text message from Chris Walker’s wife mentioning how moved the Walker family was by the kindness of NEFA and its members. It was never more apparent than at this conference that NEFA is about the members and that the members are a family. The NEFA family would do anything it can for each other and this was never more true than at this conference. Members also raised a large amount of money for the Walker family by auctioning a t-shirt from the Chris Walker LoveFest – an event held earlier this year for Chris and his family.

Entertainment included the option of attending the Major League baseball game between the Minnesota Twins and the Cleveland Indians and enjoying the great restaurants and bars in Minneapolis.

Other sessions at the conference included a series of three related agenda items about how to prepare and raise funds for a broker/lessor. The final session was a very candid presentation by Chris Enbom about the highs and lows of starting and operating Allegiant Partners. This was a great session that made the advice from the other sessions very real and meaningful.

The final lunch of the conference included an engaging presentation from Dave D’Antonio , Managing Director of Everbank Financial. This presentation included practical advice on how institutions assess financing proposals along with some data and opinion about the U.S. economy. Dave did not sugar coat the economic data and gave members a strong understanding of some weak fundamentals that continue to impact the economic recovery.

NEFA President Gerry Egan affirmed that the association is continuing to strengthen the membership and that attendance for this years conference had increased dramatically over last year. Although optimism is cautious everyone is looking to another strong event in New Jersey early in November.

Hugh Swandel
www.thealtagroup.com
204.477.0703 direct
hswandel@thealtagroup.com

Comprehensive personal property tax outsourcing services We accept file exports and integrate personal property tax information with all lease management or accounting software. No other firm offers the combination of individual attention, software capabilities expertise, "full disclosure" and web port accessibility to information more than we do. Click here to learn what our clients say about our service Gary DiLillo, President 216-658-5618 or gary@avptc.com

 

Leasing News: Special Car Fanatic Edition
By Fernando F. Croce

In anticipation for the acclaimed new film “Drive,” we decided to catch up with some of cinema’s most acclaimed car-centric classics. So buckle up, get your motor running, and hit Netflix for these high-octane gems.

Bullitt (Peter Yates, 1968): Steve McQueen cemented his '60s image as the coolest man alive with his appearance in this riveting police thriller set in San Francisco. McQueen stars as Frank Bullitt, a maverick police detective whose latest (and most dangerous) assignment involves protecting the life of a gangster on whose testimony an entire underworld investigation rests. For the next 48 hours, Bullitt and his team must keep the criminal safe at all costs, not an easy task with the Mafia knocking at his door and the possibility of betrayal among his colleagues. Featuring a famous car chase that clearly influenced such thrillers as "The French Connection," along with a supporting cast that includes Jacqueline Bisset, Robert Vaughn and Robert Duvall, this is a superbly made vehicle and a perfect fit for the iconic McQueen persona.

Two-Lane Blacktop (Monte Hellman, 1971): A unique mixer of art-house features and drive-in exploitation, director Monte Hellman came up with his most indelible cult film in this fascinating tale of endless roads and empty lives. Taking place in the American southwest, the film follows the ambiguous competition between two men known simply as The Driver (played by folk singer James Taylor) and The Mechanic (Dennis Wilson), who travel looking for cars to race against. In between them come a mysterious girl (Laurie Bird) and an older, eccentric man known as G.T.O. (Warren Oates, in a superb performance), who accompany them in on a race to Washington, DC. Valuing mood over plot, Hellman’s one-of-a-kind movie paints a strange and moving landscape of restless dreamers who take to the road mainly to find themselves.

American Graffiti (George Lucas, 1973): Years before revolutionizing cinema’s definition of blockbuster with “Star Wars,” George Lucas worked on smaller projects like the dark sci-fi film “THX 1138” and this engaging, warm-hearted slice of nostalgia. Set over the course of one very eventful night in the early 1960s, it follows a group of young friends as they interact, follow their hearts, race their cars and face their futures. There’s college-bound Steve (Ron Howard), trying to part with his girlfriend; Curt (Richard Dreyfuss), chasing the girl of his dreams; John (Paul LeMat), forced to watch over a precocious young girl (Mackenzie Phillips); and Terry (Charles Martin Smith), trying his best to impress a date (Candy Clark). Full of sensitivity to the pangs of adolescence and featuring a great wall-to-wall soundtrack, it’s an irresistible movie.

The Driver (Walter Hill, 1978): Action-specialist Walter Hill (“48 Hours”) made what maybe his finest, most concentrated movie in this exhilarating story of cops, robbers, and cars. Ryan O’Neal stars as the implacable specialist known as The Driver, a cool-as-ice professional who’s an ace at motoring getaway vehicles during robberies. When a detective (Bruce Dern) who’s obsessed with bringing him to justice comes closer and closer to arresting him, The Driver must forge an alliance with a mysterious woman (Isabelle Adjani). Dripping with suspense and atmosphere, the movie is also a slam-bang celebration of cinematic control and terse movement, with Hill turning the driving scenes into kinetic ballets as well as manifestations of the characters’ spiritual void. One of the biggest influences on “Drive,” and an amazing film on its own right.

Used Cars (Robert Zemeckis, 1980): Though best known for the Oscar-winning sentimentality of “Forrest Gump,” Robert Zemeckis started out as a wise-guy satirist who peaked with this very funny comedy set in the gleefully slippery world of used-car salesmen. The plot revolves around the New Deal Arizona Lot, a dealership owned by kindly Luke Fuchs (Jack Warden) and in danger of being taken over by Luke’s greedy twin brother Roy (also played by Warden). To the rescue come eager Ruddy (Kurt Russell) and superstitious Jeff (Gerrit Graham), the lot’s two top salesmen, who are determined to save the dealership with a daring stunt that involves getting literally dozens of cars across the desert. Filled with hilariously bawdy jokes, jumpy characters and breathtaking stunts, it’s an unfairly overlooked tale of all-American ingenuity on wheels.

John Kenny Receivables Management • End of Lease Negotiations & Enforcement • Fraud Investigations • Credit Investigations • Asset Searches • Skip-tracing • Third-party Commercial Collections john@jkrmdirect.com | ph 315-866-1167| www.jkrmdirect.com

 

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Envision Capital Group Inc. Launches New Website

Envision Capital Group launches new innovative website, making it easier for clientele to gain the information, products and services they need for all their Equipment Leasing need.

Laguna Hills, CA (PRWEB) September 21, 2011 - Envision Capital Group LLC, one of the top equipment leasing companies in the nation, announced today the launch of its new website, http://www.envisioncapitalgroup.com, with an interactive slide show and the ability to stream in RSS feeds, social media and the industry’s most recent news.

The website has an entirely new look and feel. Content includes extensive information dealing with Lease Financing, Equipment Loans, Working Capital, Vendor Financing, Tax Advantages, Section 179 and much more useful information that provides clients automated returns and self-service systems. The site also includes “Quick Quotes” and the ability to request a fast response from experienced Account Executives. In addition, the new site features more information about the team at Envision Capital Group and testimonials from a long list of happy clients.

Envision Capital Group was founded to help companies obtain the equipment necessary to sustain and grow their business through customized solutions by providing access to flexible financing and leasing options. Envision Capital Group wishes to make equipment acquisition as simple as possible with the least amount of administrative burden for their clients. Envision Capital Group prides itself on servicing all business types and all credit histories.

About ENvision Capital Group Inc. 
ENvision Capital Group was founded to help companies obtain the equipment necessary to sustain and grow their business through leading finance by providing flexible financing and leasing options. Envision Capital Group wishes to make your equipment acquisition as simple as possible with the least amount of administrative burden on your part. Envision Capital Group prides itself on servicing all business types and all credit histories

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First Financial Healthcare Solutions Expands Pacific Northwest Operations
with Opening of Opening of Portland Office 

September 19, 2011 – First Financial Healthcare Solutions (FFHS), a premier provider of medical equipment leasing for hospitals and healthcare facilities of all sizes throughout the U.S., today announces the addition of a new office location in Portland, OR to accommodate its rapid expansion across the Pacific Northwest.  The new office is located at 3735 SE Clay Street, Portland, OR, 97214, (503) 477-4936.

Managed by leasing industry veteran and Regional Vice President Bob Dillman, the new office will provide support services to FFHS’s growing clientele in the area, and serve as a strategic development center for fostering new relationships with regional businesses and organizations.

 “We are very excited to be joining the community of Portland and strengthening our presence across the Pacific Northwest,” said Bob Dillman, regional vice president, FFHS.  “This region is home to an indispensable array of hospitals, and healthcare centers, all of which have growing equipment needs. As their needs change, we will be here to work closely with them every step of the way.”

Headquartered in Placentia, CA, the addition of the Portland office boosts FFHS’s locations to 13 regions across the U.S. including Atlanta, Chicago, Cincinnati, Houston, Philadelphia and San Francisco.

About First Financial Healthcare Solutions

First Financial Healthcare Solutions is a division of First Financial Corporate Services, Inc. (FFCSI), ranked by Monitor as the 11thlargest independent lessor in the U.S.  For more than 10 years, FFCSI has been a trusted provider of medical, IT, and material handling equipment leasing to commercial clients, government entities, and hospitals throughout the U.S.  

FFCSI delivers flexible and cost-effective financing solutions for a broad range of equipment types, designed to help its clients manage equipment lifecycles and maximize the cost-effectiveness of capital purchases.  For additional information, please visit the company’s website at www.ffcsi.com. 

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SECOND CALIFORNIAN SENTENCED ON FALSE TAX REFUND CONSPIRACY

Used Social Security Numbers of Deceased Persons,
Stolen Employer Identification Information

Haroon Amin of Upland, Calif., was sentenced to 30 months in prison today for conspiracy to defraud the United States, the Justice Department and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced.  U.S. District Judge Robert H. Whaley presided at the sentencing hearing.  Judge Whaley also sentenced Amin to three years of supervised released following his prison term and ordered Amin to pay $258,594 in restitution to the U.S. Treasury.  Amin was remanded into custody today.

In December 2008, Amin and Ather Ali of Diamond Bar, Calif., were indicted by a federal grand jury in Riverside, Calif., on charges of engaging in a scheme to file false returns with the IRS using the names and Social Security numbers of deceased individuals. Amin pleaded guilty on Jan. 25, 2010.  Ali subsequently pleaded guilty on Feb. 12, 2010.

According to the indictment, in 2002 and 2003, Amin and Ali filed at least 250 fraudulent returns, falsely stating that these deceased individuals earned wages from which income tax was withheld.  These false returns claimed more than $2 million in income tax refunds.  Although the IRS rejected the bulk of these refund claims, a number of refund checks were issued and delivered to addresses controlled by Amin, Ali and their co-conspirators, including various mailboxes opened by Ali.  Most of these refund checks then were delivered overseas to be deposited in bank accounts in Armenia and Pakistan.

Amin admitted at his guilty plea hearing that he was a knowing participant in this scheme.  According to the indictment and statements made at the plea hearing, Amin and his co-conspirators prepared various false tax returns using deceased people’s Social Security numbers and other identification information obtained from the Internet.  The returns filed as part of the scheme had fictitious Form W-2 wage and tax statements as attachments, falsely stating that the deceased people earned income from various employers.  Amin and his co-conspirators created fake W-2 Forms using employer identification numbers that they had obtained from an acquaintance of Amin’s, who was a certified public accountant.  At his own plea hearing, Ali admitted using fake forms of identification to open mailboxes in the names of deceased people, from which the conspirators collected a number of these fraudulently obtained tax refund checks.

Ali was previously sentenced on Dec. 17, 2010, and is serving a 37-month prison term.

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MORENO VALLEY TAX PREPARER SENTENCED TO 42 MONTHS IN PRISON FOR FILING
FALSE TAX RETURNS, WIRE FRAUD, AND IDENTITY THEFT

Stole identities to file tax returns and kept refund money 

LOS ANGELES – A Moreno Valley woman who was in the business of preparing income tax returns was sentenced to 42 months in prison after being convicted at trial of tax fraud, financial fraud, and identity theft.

Willena Stargell, 39, of Moreno Valley was also sentenced to three years of supervised release to be served after imprisonment and ordered to pay a total of $362,796.07 in restitution and a $1,200 special assessment.

On July 7, 2010, Willena Stargell was convicted by a federal jury following a 5-day trial before the Honorable Terry J.atter, Jr., United States District Judge.  The jury found Stargell guilty of four counts of preparing false income tax returns, six counts of wire fraud, including wire fraud affecting a financial institution, and two counts of aggravated identity theft.

According to court documents, from 2003 through mid-2005, Stargell was a state certified tax preparer operating in Moreno Valley, Riverside County.  Stargell had worked at Liberty Tax Service and later opened her own tax preparation business called Liberty Bell Tax Service that she operated out of her home.  

The indictment alleged that Stargell carried out two distinct fraudulent schemes.  In the first scheme, the affected taxpayers knew that Stargell filed a tax return in their names, and in the second scheme, the taxpayers did not know that Stargell used their names and social security numbers to file a tax return in their names

According to court documents, the tax returns Stargell prepared contained false information, including false wages, withholding amounts, education expenses, child credits, and dependents. The most common falsehoods contained in returns that Stargell prepared were wages, withholding, and dependents, which together establish eligibility for the Earned Income Tax Credit.  The tax refunds generated by Stargell’s returns came in the form of Refund Anticipation Loans, which are short-term loans issued by a Sponsoring Bank secured by the taxpayer’s expected tax refund. 

According to court records, Stargell accessed the financial rewards of her tax fraud in several ways. In situations where the taxpayer knew that Stargell had filed the tax return, Stargell sometimes would meet the taxpayer at a check-cashing store and demand a substantial part of the tax refund in cash. In situations where the taxpayer did not know that the return had been filed or that a refund check had been issued, Stargell sometimes deposited the refund checks into her personal bank account, with a forged endorsement signature.  Some of the illicit refund checks were improperly obtained duplicate checks printed by Stargell from the stock of check paper given to her by the Sponsoring Bank. Other checks were outright counterfeit checks Stargell fabricated using the Sponsoring Bank’s stock of check paper.

The evidence at trial revealed that the fraudulent tax returns filed by Stargell sought nearly $600,000 in illegitimate tax refunds.

“Ms. Stargell abused her position as a tax preparer by knowingly using stolen identities to prepare fraudulent returns that claimed fabricated amounts of wages and tax credits.  She undermined our tax and banking systems for her own personal financial gain,” said Leslie P. DeMarco, Special Agent in Charge for IRS-Criminal Investigation for the Los Angeles Field Office.  “Today Ms. Stargell is being held accountable for her actions.”

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Orlando, FL -- Adopt-a-Dog

Breed:	Shar Pei	Color:	Brown/Chocolate	Age:	Young
Size:	Med. 26-60 lbs (12-27 kg)	Sex:	Female

I am already spayed, purebred, up to date with shots, and good with dogs.

http://www.arfshack.com
arfshack@yahoo.com

Adopt-a-Pet by Leasing Co. State/City
http://www.leasingnews.org/Conscious-Top%20Stories/Adopt_Pet.htm

Adopt a Pet
http://www.adoptapet.com/

 

News Briefs---

Crisis at HP over CEO
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111903791504576584852598066360.html

Solera Holdings Elects Thomas Wajnert to Board
http://dallas.citybizlist.com/16/2011/9/21/SEC-Filing-Solera-Holdings-Elects-Thomas-Wajnert-to-Board.aspx

Caterpillar three-month sales up 34%
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/caterpillar-three-month-sales-up-34-2011-09-20

Community Banks Seek Moratorium on Big Bank Mergers
http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2011/09/20/capital-one-defends-ing-direct-deal/

In the US, 2 housing markets and 2 directions
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/In-the-US-2-housing-markets-apf-4261437457.html

Moody's downgrades big banks
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/09/21/us-bankofamerica-downgrade-idUSTRE78K4P020110921

Gates tops Forbes richest
http://www.forbes.com/forbes-400/list/

Full Tilt Poker site a Ponzi scheme?
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111904106704576582741398633386.html

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You May Have Missed---

Where On Earth Will NASA's Doomed Satellite Fall On Friday?
http://www.space.com/13042-nasa-uars-satellite-debris-fall-impact-zone.html

    1554 - Spanish explorer Francisco Vásquez, his health badly deteriorated from injuries and the toll of his strenuous travels, dies. He never found the fabled cities of gold that he had sought for decades. A quarter-century earlier Coronado had explored much of the southwestern United States, leading his force of 300 Spaniards and 800 Indians northward from Mexico in search of the Seven Cities of Cíbola that were rumored to have walls made of gold and treasure houses filled with priceless gems. Arriving in the region that today straddles the border between New Mexico and Arizona, Coronado did actually find Cíbola. But after winning a brief battle against the native defenders, Coronado discovered he had conquered only a modest Zuni village built with walls of adobe mud, not gold. While he never found the golden cities he sought, Coronado did succeed in giving the Spanish and the rest of the world their first fairly accurate understanding of the inhabitants and geography of the southern half of the present United States.
    1711 - The Tuscarora Indian War began with a massacre of settlers in North Carolina, following white encroachment that included the enslaving of Indian children.     
    1734-The Moravian settlement in America began with the arrival of George Boehnischt in Pennsylvania. The following year, a group of Moravians led by Augustus Gottlieb Spangenberg came to Georgia for the purpose of converting Native Americans. Their first church was built in 1735 in Savannah, GA, where General James Edward Oglethorpe had given 600 acres of land for a colony. Bishop David Nitschmann arrived from Germany in 1736 and ordained Anton Sieffert, as pastor, the first ordination by a Protestant bishop in America. The group soon relocated to Pennsylvania and built a settlement in Bethlehem, PA, in 1741. Spangenberg became the Oravians' first American bishop in 1744. Moravians are followers of Jan Hus, the 15 th -century Bohemian religious reformer, and call themselves, the Church of the Bretheren, Or Unitas Fratrum.
http://www.moravianjamaica.org/about_us.htm 
http://www.everydaycounselor.com/archives/sh/shistory.htm 
http://www.redeemermoravian.org/vision.htm
    1777-Tacy's Richardson's Ride: Courageous 23-year-old Tacy Richardson (Jan 1, 1754-June 18, 1807) rode her favorite horse, "Fearnaught," several perilous miles from the family farm at Montgomery County, PA to the James Vaux mansion to warn General George Washington of the approach of British troops led by General William Howe. As it turned out, the British crossing of the Schuylkill at Gordon's Ford was a feint to deceive Washington who indeed hastily withdrew to Pottstown, clearing the way for General Howe to spend that night in the quarters Washington had occupied only a few hours earlier.
    1776 – Captain Nathan Hale of Connecticut was executed by the British in New York City for spying. Before he was hanged he said,
“I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country.”
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/sep22.html
    1789-The U.S. Created the Office of Postmaster General, following the Departments of State, War and Treasury.
    1862-Emancipation Proclamation---One of the most important presidential proclamations of American history is that of Sept 22, 1862, in which Abraham Lincoln, by executive proclamation, freed the slaves in the rebelling states. "That on . . . [Jan 1, 1863] . . . all persons held as slaves within any state or designated part of a state, the people whereof shall then be in rebellion against the United States, shall be then, thenceforward, and forever, free. . . ." The "13th Amendment officially declared the abolition of slavery in all states.
( lower half of: http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/sep22.html )
    1903- Italy Marchiony applied for his patent for his new mold which was filled with Ice Cream and is credited with inventing the Ice Cream Cone. He immigrated from Italy in the late 1800's and went into business in New York City with a pushcart dispensing lemon ice. Success soon led to a small fleet of pushcarts, and the inventive Marchiony was inspired to develop a cone, first made of paper, later of pastry, to hold the ices and then vanilla and chocolate ice cream.
    1922- with the passage of the Cable Act, women who married foreign citizens kept their US citizenship. Up to that point, American-born women automatically lost their US citizenship if they married a foreign man. At no time in the history of the United State could men have lost their citizenship.
    1927-Still talked about today as the “long count”, the world championship boxing match between Jack Dempsey and Gene Tunney at Soldier Field, Chicago, IL. It was the largest fight purse in the history of boxing at the time, nearly $1 million dollars. Nearly half the population of the US is believed to have listened to the radio broadcast of this fight. In the seventh round of the 10-round fifth, Tunney was knocked down. Following the rules, Referee Dave Barry interrupted the count when Dempsey failed to go to the farthest corner. The count was resumed and Tunney got to his feet at the count of nine. Stopwatch records of those present claimed the total elapsed time from the beginning of the count until Tunney got to his feet at 12-15 seconds. Tunney, awarded seven of the 10 rounds, won the fifth and claimed the world championship. Dempsey's appeal was denied and he never fought again. Tunney retired the following year after one more (successful) fight.
    1937 - On the Brunswick label, Red Norvo and his orchestra recorded the "Russian Lullaby". Later Norvo would do a more famous work with a recording including singer Dinah Shore.
    1938 - A great hurricane smashed into Long Island and bisected New England causing a massive forest blowdown and widespread flooding. Winds gusted to 186 mph at Blue Hill MA, and a storm surge of nearly thirty feet caused extensive flooding along the coast of Rhode Island. The hurricane killed 600 persons and caused 500 million dollars damage. The hurricane, which lasted twelve days, destroyed 275 million trees. Hardest hit were Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Long Island NY. The "Long Island Express" produced gargantuan waves with its 150 mph winds, waves which smashed against the New England shore with such force that earthquake-recording machines on the Pacific coast clearly showed the shock of each wave.
    1954 - The temperature at Deeth, NV, soared from a morning low of 12 degrees to a high of 87 degrees, a record daily warm-up for the state.
    1955 - The film, “To Hell and Back,” starring World War II hero Audie Murphy, premiered in New York on this date.
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/to_hell_and_back/cast_crew.php
    1956---Top Hits
Canadian Sunset - Hugo Winterhalter & Eddie Heywood
Whatever Will Be Will Be (Que Sera Sera) - Doris Day
Be-Bop-a-Lula - Gene Vincent & His Blue Caps
Don't Be Cruel/Hound Dog - Elvis Presley
    1957- Duke Snider hits his 40th home run tying him with Ralph Kiner for having five consecutive 40+ homer seasons in the National League.
http://www.baseballhalloffame.org/hofers_and_honorees/hofer_bios/snider_duke.htm 
http://www.thebaseballpage.com/past/pp/sniderduke/
    1957-“Maverick” premiered on television. ( yes, my father Lawrence Menkin wrote several of these episodes as well as other Western television shows ).
This popular western, which has since been remade into a popular movie, starred James Garner as Bret Maverick, a clever man who preferred card playing to fighting. A second Maverick was introduced when production was behind schedule--Jack Kelly played his brother Bart. Garner and Kelly played most episodes separately, and when Garner left in 1961, Kelly was in almost all the episodes. Other performers included Roger Moore, Robert Colbert and Diane Brewster. This western distinguished itself by its light touch and parody of other westerns.
http://www.tvtome.com/tvtome/servlet/ShowMainServlet/showid-1020 
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/browse/-/871682/103-0205572-2897419
    1960 - Joan Jett is born in Philadelphia. Her first solo hit, "I Love Rock 'N Roll" sells more than one million records and stays at No. 1 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart for seven weeks.
    1961-The first judge of a federal district court who was African-American was Judge James Benton Parsons, who was sworn in at Chicago, Il, as U. S. district judge for the Northern District of Illinois.
    1961-Hurricane Esther performed a 350 mile complete circle south of Cape Cod, MA from the 21st to the 25th, then passed over Cape Cod and Maine. Its energy was spent mainly over the cool Atlantic but heavy rains resulted in widespread local flooding in Maine
    1964 - Robert Vaughn starred as Napoleon Solo when "The Man From U.N.C.L.E." debuted on NBC-TV this night. Solo's trusty side-kick in this James Bond spoof was Illya Kuryakin, played by David McCallum. The show was a hit for 3½ seasons.
http://www.manfromuncle.org/ 
http://www.tvtome.com/tvtome/servlet/ShowMainServlet/
showid-3323/The_Man_From_UNCLE/
    1964---Top Hits
The House of the Rising Sun - The Animals
Bread and Butter - The Newbeats
Oh, Pretty Woman - Roy Orbison
I Guess I'm Crazy - Jim Reeves
    1964 - The lights lowered, the curtain rose and Zero Mostel stepped into the spotlight as the fiddler played. “Tra-a--a-dition,” he sang, as he began the first of 3,242 performances and "Fiddler on the Roof" opened on Broadway at the Imperial Theater.. It became the first musical to run for more than 3,000 performances, based on stories by the Yiddish writer Sholem Aleichem ( pen name of Sholem Yakov Rabinowitz). Zero Mostel took the part of Tevye. It was presented by Harold Prince, with choreography of Jerome Robbins, music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Hamick and book by Joseph Stein.
    1965- San Francisco rock group, the Great Society with singer Grace Slick, makes its stage debut at the Coffee Gallery in North Beach, California.
    1965 - The Supremes make studio recording of "I Hear a Symphony." The song tops Billboard's Hot 100 for two weeks in November.
    1967- The Beatles appear on the cover of Time Magazine.
    1967 - No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit: "The Letter," The Box Tops. The Arbors took the song to No. 20 in 1969 and Joe Cocker hit No. 7 with it in 1970.
    1968- The Twins' Cesar Tovar is the second major leaguer to play one inning at each position. In 1965, A's Bert Campaneris became the first.
    1971 - Captain Ernest Medina is acquitted of all charges relating to the My Lai massacre of March 1968. His unit, Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 20th Infantry, 11th Infantry Brigade (Light) of the 23rd (Americal) Division, was charged with the murder of over 200 Vietnamese civilians, including women and children, at My Lai 4, a cluster of hamlets that made up Son My village in Son Tinh District in Quang Ngai Province in the coastal lowlands of I Corps Tactical Zone. Medina had been charged with murder, manslaughter, and assault. All charges were dropped when the military judge at the Medina's court martial made an error in instructing the jury. After the charges were dropped, Medina subsequently resigned from the service. There were 13 others charged with various crimes in conjunction with the My Lai massacre, but only one, Lt. William Calley, was found guilty. Calley was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of 22 civilians, but his sentence was reduced first to 20 years, then 10 years, and he was ultimately paroled by President Nixon in November 1974, after having served about one-third of his sentence.
    1972---Top Hits
Black & White - Three Dog Night
Baby Don't Get Hooked on Me - Mac Davis
Saturday in the Park - Chicago
When the Snow is on the Roses - Sonny James
    1973 - Henry Kissinger took the oath as U.S. Secretary of State. This was the first time a naturalized citizen had held this office. Only in America...
    1975 - No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit: "I'm Sorry," John Denver.
    1976—“Charlie's Angels” Premiere. This extremely popular show of the '70s featured three attractive women, usually scantily-dressed, solving crimes. Sabrina Duncan (Kate Jackson), Jill Munroe (Farrah Fawcett-Majors) and Kelly Garrett (Jaclyn Smith) signed on with detective agency Charles Townsend Associates. Their boss was never seen, only heard (the voice of John Forsythe); messages were communicated to the women by his associate John Bosley (David Doyle). During the course of the series, Cheryl Ladd replaced Fawcett, Shelley Hack and Tanya Roberts succeeded Kate Jackson.
http://www.tvtome.com/CharliesAngels/
http://www.charliesangels.com/
    1980---Top Hits
Upside Down - Diana Ross
All Out of Love - Air Supply
Another One Bites the Dust - Queen
Lookin' for Love - Johnny Lee
    1982—“Family Ties” premiers on TV. This popular 80s sitcom was set at Columbus, OH and focused on the Keaton family: Ex-hippies Elyse (Meredith Baxter-Birney), an architect, and Steven (Michael Gross), a station manager of the local public TV station; Alex (Michael J. Fox), their smart, conservative and financially-driven son; Mallory (Justine Bateman), their materialistic, ditzy daughter and Jennifer (Tina Yothers), their tomboy youngest daughter. Later in the series Elyse gave birth to Andrew. Marc Price played Irwin "Skippy" Handleman, the nerdy next-door neighbor who adored the Keatons, and Mallory in particular.
http://www.valdefierro.com/ties2.jpg
http://www.tvtome.com/FamilyTies/
http://www.familyties-tv.com/bios.htm
http://www.twiztv.com/scripts/pilots/familytiespilot.htm
    1983 - Forty-one cities reported record cold temperatures during the morning. Houston, TX, hit 50 degrees, and Williston ND plunged to 19 degrees.
    1985 - The poor of America's Heartland ... the financially troubled farmers of Middle America ... got help from their friends in the music biz. Singing stars Willie Nelson, Neil Young and John Cougar Mellencamp held a benefit concert to raise funds. The stars came out and so did the money. The "Farm Aid" concert raised ten million dollars.
    1987 - Tropical Storm Emily, which formed in the Carribean the previous afternoon, caused considerable damage to the banana industry of Saint Vincent in the Windward Islands. Unseasonably hot weather continued in Florida and the western U.S. Redding CA and Red Bluff CA, with record highs of 108 degrees, tied for honors as the hot spot in the nation.
    1988---Top Hits
Sweet Child o' Mine - Guns N' Roses
Simply Irresistible - Robert Palmer
Don't Worry Be Happy - Bobby McFerrin
Joe Knows How to Live - Eddy Raven
    1989 - Called by some critics "Body Watch", the California-beach-based lifeguard show “Baywatch” debuted on NBC. It first appeared on April 23 as a two hour movie. Although the series had a healthy viewership, the network canceled the show after one season. Baywatch star, David Hasselhoff, took an unusual step, and investing a great deal of his own money, revived the show and offered it for syndication. He had researched the audience, and believed there was a loyal enough following to make his investment pay off. Hasselhoff proved to be right, and within a few years, Baywatch became the most-watched television show in the world, with huge audiences in England and China. It was estimated to have a collective viewership of 1 billion.
http://www.baywatch.com/
http://www.iol.ie/~wayneh/baywatch/history/index.htm
    1989 - Hurricane Hugo quickly lost strength over South Carolina, but still was a tropical storm as it crossed into North Carolina, just west of Charlotte, at about 7 AM. Winds around Charlotte reached 69 mph, with gusts to 99 mph. Eighty percent of the power was knocked out to Charlotte and Mecklenburg County. Property damage in North Carolina was 210 million dollars, and damage to crops was 97 million dollars. The strongest storm surge occurred along the southern coast shortly after midnight, reaching nine feet above sea level at ocean Isle and Sunset Beach. Hugo killed one person and injured fifteen others in North Carolina. Strong northwesterly winds ushered unseasonably cold air into the north central U.S., in time for the official start of autumn, at 8:20 PM (CDT). Squalls produced light snow in northern Wisconsin. Winds in Wisconsin gusted to 52 mph at Rhinelander.
    1992- Bruce Springsteen breaks the rules and plays an electric set for MTV's "Unplugged" show. The episode is renamed, "MTV Plugged."
    1993- The Rockies complete their inaugural season with a major league home attendance record of 4,483,350 fans.
    1994-“Friends” premiered. This NBC comedy brought together six single friends and the issues in their personal lives, ranging from their jobs to their love lives. Cast included Courteney Cox Arquette, Lisa Kudrok Jnneifer Aniston, Mathew Perry, David Schwimmer and Matt Le Blanc.
http://www.nbc.com/Friends/index.html 
http://www2.warnerbros.com/friendstv/index.html
    1995 - Time Warner and Turner Broadcasting System agree to a $7.5 million merger.
    1997 - The Atlanta Braves won an unprecedented sixth straight division title. The record eclipsed the old mark of five straight set by the New York Yankees (1949-1953) and the Oakland A's (1971-1975). The Braves failed to reach the World Series, however, for the first time since 1993.
    1998 -The Blue Jays' Jose Canseco hits his 45th and 46th home runs setting a new career high.
    1998- With AL-leading HR #s 54 and 55, Mariner Ken Griffey Jr. joins Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig as the only players to drive in 140 or more runs in three consecutive seasons.
    2002 -In last game ever played at Cinergy Field, the Phillies complete a three-game sweep defeating the Reds ,4-3, in front of many of the team's former superstars except for the banished Pete Rose. The all-time hit leader, however, is not forgotten as Tom Browning, paints Rose's uniform number 14 on the pitcher's mound after the game with red spray paint and, as home plate is dug up and to be delivered next door to Great American Ball Park, the crowd begins to chant, "Pete, Pete".
    2002 - Sting receives an Emmy for the A&E documentary, "Sting in Tuscany: All This Time." He dedicates his award to his "dear late friend Timothy White."
    2003-- For only the third time in major league history, a Korean pitcher and a Japanese pitcher oppose one another as Expos' hurler Tomo Ohka faces Jae Weong Seo as starters at Shea Stadium. Both Pacific Rim right-handers throw well but neither gets the decision as Montreal beats the Mets on misplayed fly balls in the ninth, 4-2.
    2003--- With Atlanta beating the Marlins, 8-0, Greg Maddux becomes the first pitcher ever to have won at least 15 games in 16 consecutive seasons. The Braves' righty had shared the accomplishment with Cy Young.
    2005-- An American Society of Microbiology's study of the number people of who wash their hands after using a public rest room reports 83 percent of patrons take advantage of the available soap and water. Of the 6,300 bathroom users monitored, the worst hygiene was found at Turner Field where only37 percent of men left the bathroom without washing, and 16 percent of the woman did during an Atlanta Braves game.