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Court To Scammer, "Give Up Your House Or Go To Jail"

Posted by kdawson on from the on-the-bright-side-the-rent's-free dept.

coondoggie writes "Too many online scammers get away with what amounts to a wrist-slap, but a case if Las Vegas this week seems to be heading the right direction. According to the Federal Trade Commission, a business opportunity scammer has been held in contempt for the second time by a federal court and ordered to turn over the title of his home in Las Vegas or face jail time. The court found that the operator of the scam, Richard Neiswonger, failed to deliver marketable title to his home, in violation of a previous court order entering a $3.2 million judgment against him, the FTC stated. The FTC charged that the defendant deceived consumers with false promises that they could make a six-figure income by selling his 'asset protection services' to those seeking to hide their assets from potential lawsuits or creditors."

6 of 152 comments (clear)

  1. Haha! by Kalriath · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Can anyone else see the irony in the seller of "asset protection services" to "hide assets from potential lawsuits" failing to hide his assets from potential lawyers?

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  2. WTF? by drew_92123 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Don't give him a choice, take everything AND put him in jail...

    1. Re:WTF? by JCSoRocks · · Score: 4, Insightful

      That sounds better to me too. Punishing these people is a start but the reality is we need to do a better job of educating consumers. As long as there are suckers there will be people trying to scam them.

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  3. Not really... by schon · · Score: 5, Insightful

    think about it - if his service actually worked, he wouldn't have been prosecuted for running a scam :)

  4. It doesn't say if the scammees get their money. by NoYob · · Score: 5, Insightful
    What's going to happen? The scammer asshole coughs up his assets to the Government and does any of that money go to reimbursing the victims? I doubt it. The victims would have to file suit against this low life and get what? Nothing because the Feds took it all.

    What I tell friends and family and anyone who wants to listen: consider all unsolicited emails as scams. The same for telemarketers - if you're on the DNC list, then those people are breaking the law by calling you which makes them criminals. You don't want to do business with criminals, do you?

    Junk mail a lot (too many) of times are crooks too - you know the "checks" that come in the mail for you to deposit and send money via Western Union to others.

    Some day, one of these assholes is going to scam the wrong person and they may end up wishing they've gone to jail.

    --
    It's NOT me! It's the meds! I'm on 1000mg of Fukitol.
  5. Re:I don't see the actual *crime* here... by MrCrassic · · Score: 4, Insightful

    IANAL, but if you knew the intent of the person wishing to find those bomb-making instructions, and you help him anyway, wouldn't that make you an accomplice to the crime?