Replies

BGRND U.S. Rep. John P. Murtha, D-Johnstown, has helped to direct millions of dollars in federal defense appropriations to major defense contractors that sub-contract large portions of the jobs to Kuchera Defense Systems. Employees and associates are among major contributors to Murtha political campaigns. In January, agents from the FBI, the IRS and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service searched the office of Kuchera Industries and Kuchera Defense Systems, as well as the homes of the firms' founders. The companies reportedly have received over $100 million in earmarks, thanks to Murtha's efforts.

=====================================

There's so many other crimes being committed here it's not even funny. Can you say government fraud, multiple conspiracies, kickbacks, tax evasion (all of it to facilitate money laundering)? Conspiracy counts alone might include mail fraud, electronic fraud, and accounting fraud. L/E might consider:

(a) conspiracy to defraud the IRS, and evade US banking laws,

(b) international money laundering,

(d) aiding and abetting the preparation of false federal/state income tax returns.

Authorities might examine the company's receipts to falsely verify bogus charitable contributions (kickbacks) and multiple conspiracies and transfers of funds as part of a money-laundering conspiracy.

Government audits might show off-the-books bank accounts that were accessed solely by insiders, and that government-funds were used in various illegal schemes that might have integrated:

(1) money laundering,

(2) tax evasion (stolen money is taxable),

(3) violations of US banking and currency laws,

(4) conspiracy to commit wire fraud,

(5) commercial bribery in various financial schemes,

(6) establishing secret offshore bank accounts outside the purview of the IRS and US banking laws,

(7) fraudulent and casual accounting practices,

(8) non-existent financial oversight,

(9) having a hidden financial interest in companies faking business with the company,

(10) putting phantom employees on the payroll (money laundering).

It's been postulated that co-conspirators were laundering proceeds from drug cartels and organized crime activities, whether drug dealers use the Murtha Airport, and whether money was laundered through this company.

There's a zillion ways to launder money. Drug monies could have been disguised by re-routing monies. Company may have routed the scheme through telephone lines with a maze of complex telecommunications' systems equipped with call-forwarding and voice mail systems, and numerous postal and commercial mail boxes..........and perhaps money-transfer systems that operate in ethnic enclaves and places like NYC's Diamond District.

Investigators may discover numerous falsified official documents.

Drug monies could have been disguised by re-routing through a network of domestic and international bank accounts using counterfeit checks.....opening commercial bank accounts in the name of bogus businesses and wire-transferring and/or depositing gov't checks into those accounts.

Phony checks could have had invalid bank routing numbers, forged endorsements, or been drawn on the proceeds of other counterfeit checks deposited in other bank accounts. Before banks discovered the fraud, the funds might have been transferred out of the accounts……probably offshore----leaving banks unable to recoup their losses.

State and federal tax authorities could have been swindled. In an international scheme with offshore ties, co-conspirators or subsets of them, might have obtained hundreds of taxpayer identification numbers for phantom citizens with worldwide addresses, and used the information to evade US taxes and banking laws.

In a classic fraud, co-conspirators might keep two (or more) sets of books. Methods may have included limited-recourse loans to artificially inflate "asset value," to fraudulently borrow real money based on “assets” that didn’t really exist.

ACTIONABLE OFFENSES MIGHT INCLUDE:
(1) Encouraging the filing of false documents;
(2) Rigging legislation to benefit a special interest.
(3) Forcing taxpayers to underwrite crimes against the state without their knowledge or consent (constitutes the crime of second degree coercion of taxpayers, and should beprosecuted at once);
(4) Not reporting crimes against the state (aiding and abetting).