In wolves clothing
Geez, this story has more twist and turns than a fresh stick of strawberry licorice.
Apparently, last December, the feds arrested a Turkish-American guy by the name of Adem Arici and his lawyer buddy for travelling to Cuba and violating other “trading with the enemy laws” that are forbidden by the United States government.
In particular, Arici has allegedly been buying up millions of dollars of property in Cuba (why...), and his lawyer buddy said that he just went along for the ride, but he likewise also engaged in activities prohibited by the US laws. But then the lawyer lied to the feds about his trip (no, not a lawyer lying...), so that got him in a heap of more trouble with the feds and both Cuba hoppers were arrested.
Arici cried foul – stating that the US government was simply attacking him because he was Turkish and that the indictment and arrest was racially motivated. (Hey, Arici, is being Turkish a race – we thought it was a nationality?) Gee, does that cry sound familiar? It’s the same blubbering theme that Gulenites cite each and every time they are caught doing not so nice things.
Further, Arici said that he was only in Cuba to pay for the slaughtering of 200 sheep for the Muslim holiday, Kurban Bayram. According to Arici, a religious group sent him on the mission, “They wired me the money. I have the proof,” Arici said. “I didn’t charge for my time, I didn’t make money to go there, I did it for charity, for the good.” Hope the feds share that information with the public -- we’d love to know who wired the money to him, and what “good” he was up to.
Wow! What a guy, and strangely -- he sounds just like one of the Gulenites. We have to wonder if in fact he is associated with Gulen. Either way, we feel sorry for the sheep, hope the feds got to them before Arici’s butcher did. Do they even have 200 sheep in Cuba?
Now last week the feds rearrested Arici along with a whole new cast of supporting characters involved in Arici’s gourmet market business, charging them with a laundry list of crimes involving a 56 million dollar “money-laundering - not paying their taxes” scam.
Some of the nine that were indicted for the tax fraud crimes were Turkish guys who just happened to also be campaign contributors to some big name politicians like Hilary Clinton where they contributed $250,000 to her 2008 campaign.
Both Omer Ipek and Adem Arici (2 of the 9 arrested for tax evasion) also were associated with Sema Education, one of Gulen’s “educational” fronts.
And that brings us back once again the Cuban sheep –perhaps Arici was scouting out potential school sites, while sacrificing sheep – or looking to open up a sheep-herder’s school ala Castro.
So aside from the connection with the Clintons, what are those guys doing working with the Gulen schools? It’s like the old saying, beware of wolves in sheep’s clothing (can’t quit thinking about the poor sheep...).
And we wonder where the money trail will lead – we suspect it will not be on a sheep ranch in Cuba, but perhaps a compound in the Poconos.
Below is one of the stories on the tax evasion arrests:
http://www.nj.com/bergen/index.ssf/2012/07/former_oakland_atlantic_city_gourmet_market_owners
_charged_in_alleged_56_million_tax_fraud.html
Former Oakland, Atlantic City gourmet market owners charged in alleged $56 million tax fraud
Published: Monday, July 23, 2012, 2:14 PM Updated: Monday, July 23, 2012, 2:14 PM
By Dan Ivers/NJ.com NJ.com
The owners of a former Oakland gourmet food market have been charged for their alleged roles in a wide-ranging tax fraud scheme that authorities say concealed $56 million in profits.
Preet Bharara, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced the arrests of Adem Arici, his brother Cevdet Arici, and seven others who had ownership interests in Zeytinia Fine Food Store (also known as Oakland Fine Food, Inc.) and five other stores.
The Oakland store, which is now closed, was located on Ramapo Valley Road. The other markets were located in New York City, Connecticut and Atlantic City.
According to Bharara, the group concealed much of their profits by diverting payments made with credit cards, and occasionally cash, into bank accounts in the name of each market. That money was then used to pay for business expenses with cash, or for personal use by the owners.
Between 2004 and 2009, the group allegedly maintained a second set of books that they hid from authorities, and filed false tax returns that grossly understated the market's sales.
"They used their businesses as vehicles through which they could perpetrate their alleged crimes and will now be forced to answer for their conduct,” Bharara said in a statement.
Adem and Cevdet Arici owned at least a 50 percent share in each of the markets, while the seven others - Omer Ipek, Erdal Kilic, Armagan Tanir, Atilla Yayla, Jody Vitale, Andrew Poma and Josefina Caraballo - owned smaller portions of individual stores.
All the defendants are charged with a single count of endeavoring to obstruct and impede the due administration of the internal revenue laws, along with various tax fraud crimes.
Adem Arici and his lawyer, Marc E. Verzani, have also been indicted on charges they violated the Cuba trade embargo and engaged in witness tampering. Verzani is also charged with obstructing justice, according to Bharara.
If found guilty, Adem Arici and Ipek could face up to 27 years in prison, while the rest of the group faces anywhere from six to 20 years.
Apparently, last December, the feds arrested a Turkish-American guy by the name of Adem Arici and his lawyer buddy for travelling to Cuba and violating other “trading with the enemy laws” that are forbidden by the United States government.
In particular, Arici has allegedly been buying up millions of dollars of property in Cuba (why...), and his lawyer buddy said that he just went along for the ride, but he likewise also engaged in activities prohibited by the US laws. But then the lawyer lied to the feds about his trip (no, not a lawyer lying...), so that got him in a heap of more trouble with the feds and both Cuba hoppers were arrested.
Arici cried foul – stating that the US government was simply attacking him because he was Turkish and that the indictment and arrest was racially motivated. (Hey, Arici, is being Turkish a race – we thought it was a nationality?) Gee, does that cry sound familiar? It’s the same blubbering theme that Gulenites cite each and every time they are caught doing not so nice things.
Further, Arici said that he was only in Cuba to pay for the slaughtering of 200 sheep for the Muslim holiday, Kurban Bayram. According to Arici, a religious group sent him on the mission, “They wired me the money. I have the proof,” Arici said. “I didn’t charge for my time, I didn’t make money to go there, I did it for charity, for the good.” Hope the feds share that information with the public -- we’d love to know who wired the money to him, and what “good” he was up to.
Wow! What a guy, and strangely -- he sounds just like one of the Gulenites. We have to wonder if in fact he is associated with Gulen. Either way, we feel sorry for the sheep, hope the feds got to them before Arici’s butcher did. Do they even have 200 sheep in Cuba?
Now last week the feds rearrested Arici along with a whole new cast of supporting characters involved in Arici’s gourmet market business, charging them with a laundry list of crimes involving a 56 million dollar “money-laundering - not paying their taxes” scam.
Some of the nine that were indicted for the tax fraud crimes were Turkish guys who just happened to also be campaign contributors to some big name politicians like Hilary Clinton where they contributed $250,000 to her 2008 campaign.
Both Omer Ipek and Adem Arici (2 of the 9 arrested for tax evasion) also were associated with Sema Education, one of Gulen’s “educational” fronts.
And that brings us back once again the Cuban sheep –perhaps Arici was scouting out potential school sites, while sacrificing sheep – or looking to open up a sheep-herder’s school ala Castro.
So aside from the connection with the Clintons, what are those guys doing working with the Gulen schools? It’s like the old saying, beware of wolves in sheep’s clothing (can’t quit thinking about the poor sheep...).
And we wonder where the money trail will lead – we suspect it will not be on a sheep ranch in Cuba, but perhaps a compound in the Poconos.
Below is one of the stories on the tax evasion arrests:
http://www.nj.com/bergen/index.ssf/2012/07/former_oakland_atlantic_city_gourmet_market_owners
_charged_in_alleged_56_million_tax_fraud.html
Former Oakland, Atlantic City gourmet market owners charged in alleged $56 million tax fraud
Published: Monday, July 23, 2012, 2:14 PM Updated: Monday, July 23, 2012, 2:14 PM
By Dan Ivers/NJ.com NJ.com
The owners of a former Oakland gourmet food market have been charged for their alleged roles in a wide-ranging tax fraud scheme that authorities say concealed $56 million in profits.
Preet Bharara, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced the arrests of Adem Arici, his brother Cevdet Arici, and seven others who had ownership interests in Zeytinia Fine Food Store (also known as Oakland Fine Food, Inc.) and five other stores.
The Oakland store, which is now closed, was located on Ramapo Valley Road. The other markets were located in New York City, Connecticut and Atlantic City.
According to Bharara, the group concealed much of their profits by diverting payments made with credit cards, and occasionally cash, into bank accounts in the name of each market. That money was then used to pay for business expenses with cash, or for personal use by the owners.
Between 2004 and 2009, the group allegedly maintained a second set of books that they hid from authorities, and filed false tax returns that grossly understated the market's sales.
"They used their businesses as vehicles through which they could perpetrate their alleged crimes and will now be forced to answer for their conduct,” Bharara said in a statement.
Adem and Cevdet Arici owned at least a 50 percent share in each of the markets, while the seven others - Omer Ipek, Erdal Kilic, Armagan Tanir, Atilla Yayla, Jody Vitale, Andrew Poma and Josefina Caraballo - owned smaller portions of individual stores.
All the defendants are charged with a single count of endeavoring to obstruct and impede the due administration of the internal revenue laws, along with various tax fraud crimes.
Adem Arici and his lawyer, Marc E. Verzani, have also been indicted on charges they violated the Cuba trade embargo and engaged in witness tampering. Verzani is also charged with obstructing justice, according to Bharara.
If found guilty, Adem Arici and Ipek could face up to 27 years in prison, while the rest of the group faces anywhere from six to 20 years.