Liz, you're right - it's a great idea. We won't 'win' with it in the traditional sense, but it'll call attention to an issue begging to see the light of day... Good catch.
The Bank Secrecy Act needs to be mobilized here---since banks are required to establish, implement and maintain programs designed to detect and report suspicious activity indicative of money laundering and other financial crimes.
The Bank Secrecy Act was enacted to protect the public from harm by identifying and detecting money laundering from criminal enterprises, terrorism, tax evasion or other unlawful activities, the special agent in charge for Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, explained.
L/E needs to examine city/state/ and all offical govt bank accounts
<><> Joint bank accounts might be used to facilitate the transfer of of govt funds. Boston govt monies may have paid for insiders personal and private expenses, credit cards, real estate subsidies and vehicle purchases. (NOTE: Credit cards are prime vehicles for money laundering).
<><> To cover their tracks, faked and forged govt invoices might have been created to falsely show that money deposited into state/city govt accounts were being used for legitimate purposes.
The scheme might be advanced by issuing phony statements of payments from financial sources that actually covered the transfer of funds for fraudulent uses.
<><> L/E should be directed to get ahold of: (1) copies of state/city govt checks, (2) wire transfers, (3) account statements, (4) invoices, (5) bills, (6) delivery tickets, (7) state/city govt correspondence including e-mail, contracts, loan agreements, and, (8) any other books or records.
L/E should also explore (a) monies paid to brokers, sub-brokers, (b) family members, (c) mortgage brokers, (d) financial managers, and, (e) real estate agents, brokers, and developers.
<><> L/E should scrutinize state/city govt bank accounts for suspicious activites: (A) large deposits, (B) funds transferred from one account into another, (C) frequent requests for withdrawals.
It is a good catch, yet I wonder, might there be more success in charging them with obstruction of justice. I doubt any of them would be charged with conspiring.