Predictably, I get asked fairly frequently about the film adaptation of my Black Brothers, Inc. Unfortunately, the process is slow and tedious, and I can't speak publicly about all the behind-the-scenes goings on. There will be some updates appearing in media circles shortly, at which point I'll post the material as it becomes available.
Note: As has been posted elsewhere, City Paper's Mary Patel spent some time looking into the project and posted her tidbits here and here.
Friday, October 9, 2009
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
NBA Betting Scandal Tidbits
This is ridiculously light, for a host of reasons (not the least of which is that the established/public version of the scandal is overly simplistic and error-prone, making a synopsis here problematic). So...here at least is the state of affairs regarding the offending parties:
Each of the three participants in the NBA betting scandal pleaded guilty and was sentenced to federal prison. Pro gambler Jimmy Battista and his lifelong pal Tommy Martino were sentenced on July 11, 2008, while referee and mutual friend (and fellow Cardinal O’Hara High alum) Tim Donaghy was sentenced on July 14, 2008. For his admitted crimes (i.e., illegal gambling), Battista received a sentence of 15 months. Donaghy and Martino were each sentenced to 12 months in prison, and all three men began serving time in September 2008. As of October 2009, each man has successfully completed his term.
The seminal coverage of the scandal in the NY Post on July 20, 2007:
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/nba_in_fix_mzNx4ZfycI4QMuYYUlReVP
Link to an ESPN story covering referee Tim Donaghy's sentencing. There is an incredible assortment of links to scandal analysis in the sidebar (I'll be addressing the predictable, though arguably misguided, focus on Donaghy in the very near future):
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3509440
The NBA’s so-called “Pedowitz Report” (about which I’ll have quite a bit to say in the near future):
http://www.nba.com/media/PedowitzReport.pdf
Or here:
http://hosted.ap.org/specials/interactives/_documents/100208nba_pedowitz.pdf
The Federal Wire Act:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Wire_Act
Related - though not necessarily suggested - reading (in alphabetical order by author):
Steve Budin, Bets, Drugs, and Rock & Roll (New York, NY: Skyhorse Publishing, 2007).
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
My Forthcoming Book on Gambling/NBA Betting Scandal
Though not expressly my research area, illicit gambling has never been far from my organized crime work. Certainly, the two-degrees of separation that often mark the underworld commonly involve the extortion of bookies by local syndicates. Further still, organized crime groups usually have complex relationships with bookies (and with bettors, for that matter). These complicated areas include: financial assistance (usually in the form of loan sharking by the syndicate, though there may be occasions bookies and bettors in fact assist the crime organization) to “mediation” between various parties to money laundering and so on. For these reasons - and more, I wholeheartedly welcomed the opportunity to research the recent NBA betting scandal when granted access to the scandal’s progenitor, professional gambler James Battista, back in March of 2008.
Researching the NBA betting scandal has consumed my time and energy since I first interviewed the man known in big-time betting circles as “the Sheep” - Jimmy “Baba” Battista - in the spring of 2008. This, in large part, explains the lack of updated blog postings here. The new book, like practically all else I have penned, relies upon a mix of numerous interviews, court and law enforcement documents, and related media coverage. Battista did not cooperate with authorities, and has not spoken publicly about the extent, duration and mechanics of the outrageous scheme. Though the book details the activities which placed him in federal prison, it also discusses his remarkable bookmaking and betting career, and examines the fascinating, close-knit fraternity of the world’s most consequential sports bettors.
Now that the research and writing of the tentatively titled Not Sharp Enough: Confessions of a Professional Gambler is all but complete, more will be posted about the current project as events warrant.
A note to my students and colleagues: Whereas Black Brothers, Inc.: The Violent Rise and Fall of Philadelphia’s Black Mafia (Milo, 2005/07) was a conventional read that followed considerable academic writing on similar and related subject matter, Not Sharp Enough will be mainstream reading followed by academic journal articles (and perhaps an academic text on the general sociology and history of big-time betting).
Monday, January 26, 2009
Ricardo McKendrick (Black Mafia) update
George Anastasia of the Philadelphia Inquirer penned an interesting article on the narcotics case involving Black Mafia alum Ricardo McKendrick:
Insider information could help authorities target drug kingpins
The US Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania has posted McKendrick's recent indictment (in .pdf format):
April 2008 Indictment of Ricardo McKendrick, Sr. and Ricardo McKendrick, Jr.
For previous coverage of McKendrick's situation, see:
Philly's Black Mafia in the news (again)
Insider information could help authorities target drug kingpins
The US Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania has posted McKendrick's recent indictment (in .pdf format):
April 2008 Indictment of Ricardo McKendrick, Sr. and Ricardo McKendrick, Jr.
For previous coverage of McKendrick's situation, see:
Philly's Black Mafia in the news (again)
Saturday, April 12, 2008
International justice links
Though you wouldn't necessarily know it based on recent history, I have traditionally paid considerable attention to international criminal justice issues.
Most often my work focused on transnational organized crime (especially illicit trades and related money laundering) with a bit of research into law enforcement and other forms of social control. For seven summers beginning in the 1990s, I had the fortunate opportunity to study and teach at Leiden University in The Netherlands.
Those experiences - the lessons learned and relationships formed - continue to influence much of my work. Interested parties may wish to consult the following:
Dutch-specific
Netherlands Institute for the Study of Crime and Law Enforcement (NSCR)
The Dutch Ministry of Justice
WODC Homepage
Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Transnational crime (in no particular order)
Nathanson Centre for the Study of Organized Crime and Corruption
The Transnational Crime and Corruption Center at American University
International Association for the Study of Organized Crime
IALEIA
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime
International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs
Consular Affairs
CIA - The World Factbook - Guide to Country Profiles
National Criminal Justice Reference Service
International Center | National Institute of Justice
Office of International Criminal Justice
Most often my work focused on transnational organized crime (especially illicit trades and related money laundering) with a bit of research into law enforcement and other forms of social control. For seven summers beginning in the 1990s, I had the fortunate opportunity to study and teach at Leiden University in The Netherlands.
Those experiences - the lessons learned and relationships formed - continue to influence much of my work. Interested parties may wish to consult the following:
Dutch-specific
Netherlands Institute for the Study of Crime and Law Enforcement (NSCR)
The Dutch Ministry of Justice
WODC Homepage
Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Transnational crime (in no particular order)
Nathanson Centre for the Study of Organized Crime and Corruption
The Transnational Crime and Corruption Center at American University
International Association for the Study of Organized Crime
IALEIA
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime
International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs
Consular Affairs
CIA - The World Factbook - Guide to Country Profiles
National Criminal Justice Reference Service
International Center | National Institute of Justice
Office of International Criminal Justice
Friday, April 11, 2008
White-collar crime links
I am often asked where to locate various data and more general information regarding white-collar crime. What follows is a list of sites helpful to those researching/investigating white-collar crime. Needless to say, the list - which is broken down by category - is not exhaustive. These represent the sites I find most useful in the course of my work. I welcome any suggestions for inclusion.
White Collar Crime Program
The inclusion of any links to firms, attorneys or other "for profit" entities should not be interpreted as endorsements for them or for their products. These have been included most often because they conveniently provide items of interest, such as links to other relevant sites, glossaries of terms, etc.
White-Collar Crime Research "Centers"
John Jay College - The Center on Cybercrime Studies
Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)
Center for Identity Management and Information Protection
NATIONAL CONSORTIUM OF WHITE COLLAR CRIME RESEARCH
International White-Collar Crime Centers
About Computer Crime Research Center
Controlling White Collar Crime
WCC-Related Sites
Government/funded
FINRA Investor Education Foundation - Home Page
Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN)
United States Secret Service: Electronic Crimes Task Forces and Working Groups
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
Quasi-government/funded
National White Collar Crime Center
National White Collar Crime Center - Partnerships
Private
International Due Diligence, Investigations and Compliance Solutions from NFC Global, LLC
Association of Certified Fraud Examiners
Misc.
What's Behind the Drop in Corporate Fraud Indictments?
A Former Fraudster Speaks Out about White Collar Crime
The Exclusive Source of Practical Fraud-Fighting Advice
A Former Fraudster Speaks Out about White Collar Crime
The Pros and The Cons! Gary Zeune White-Collar Crime Presentations Speakers
Securities Law -Rules Regulations Arbitration Litigation NASD NYSE SEC
Corporate Counsel Center - White Collar Crime
S.C. Opens Nation's First Cyber Crime Center
Journal of Financial Crime - About the Journal
Journal of Economic Crime Management
International Journal of Digital Evidence
International Association for the Study of Organized Crime
Nathanson Centre for the Study of Organized Crime and Corruption
The Transnational Crime and Corruption Center at American University
Welcome to the International Center
Ethics/Corporate Governance Institutes
Dartmouth College ELSI Institute :: About the Institute
Institute for Global Ethics | Home Page
The National Institute of Ethics
International Business Ethics Institute (IBEI)
Georgetown Business Ethics Institute
The Society of Corporate Compliance & Ethics
Welcome to The Ethics Institute
The Millstein Center for Corporate Governance and Performance
Penny-stock fraud/First Jersey Securities
Also commonly known as micro-cap stock fraud, this variant of "white-collar" crime has received little academic attention. This is problematic - and remarkable, when you consider how often such frauds are in the news. Penny-stock fraud (though not referred to as such) made its way onto the big screen in the 2000 film Boiler Room. The film fairly accurately depicts the sociology of such frauds - from the recruitment, hiring and "training" of stock scammers to the actual hustles that are all-too-often successful. For anyone seeking a sober, academic examination of boiler rooms more generally (though including financial scams), Robert J. Stevenson's classic The Boiler Room and Other Telephone Scams is invaluable.
Perhaps the most audacious of the firms known for massive penny-stock scams was Robert E. Brennan's First Jersey Securities, the subject of my current research. Unfortunately, what little I have written on the subject in academic journals is not available without subscription and thus can't be posted here. I could link to numerous internet pieces re: Brennan or FJS, but choosing which of the thousands of sites discussing the inter-related topics is a challenge. A quick primer can be found here in Forbes magazine, which dogged Brennan throughout his fabulous rise (and contributed to his precipitous fall).
As for Brennan, he resides in the Federal Correctional Facility (FCI) in Fort Dix, New Jersey, where he is serving time for bankruptcy fraud. According to the Federal Bureau of Prisons web site, he is slated for release in December 2011.
Immediately below is a poor quality version of Brennan in the now-infamous Super Bowl commercial for First Jersey which ran in 1985.
One last note: Some useful resources for anyone researching or investigating stock frauds will soon be found on a page I am creating. These will be a blend of government and private agency sites, along with several academic and quasi-academic sites. Hopefully, when completed the page will become a tool for students and academics, and also for the general public. In advance of that comprehensive page, these may be of assistance:
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
SEC Penny Stock Rules
SEC Microcap Stock Guide for Investors
North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA)
Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA)
FBI White-Collar Crime and Fraud
Perhaps the most audacious of the firms known for massive penny-stock scams was Robert E. Brennan's First Jersey Securities, the subject of my current research. Unfortunately, what little I have written on the subject in academic journals is not available without subscription and thus can't be posted here. I could link to numerous internet pieces re: Brennan or FJS, but choosing which of the thousands of sites discussing the inter-related topics is a challenge. A quick primer can be found here in Forbes magazine, which dogged Brennan throughout his fabulous rise (and contributed to his precipitous fall).
As for Brennan, he resides in the Federal Correctional Facility (FCI) in Fort Dix, New Jersey, where he is serving time for bankruptcy fraud. According to the Federal Bureau of Prisons web site, he is slated for release in December 2011.
Immediately below is a poor quality version of Brennan in the now-infamous Super Bowl commercial for First Jersey which ran in 1985.One last note: Some useful resources for anyone researching or investigating stock frauds will soon be found on a page I am creating. These will be a blend of government and private agency sites, along with several academic and quasi-academic sites. Hopefully, when completed the page will become a tool for students and academics, and also for the general public. In advance of that comprehensive page, these may be of assistance:
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
SEC Penny Stock Rules
SEC Microcap Stock Guide for Investors
North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA)
Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA)
FBI White-Collar Crime and Fraud
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