Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - October 16, 1997, Winnipeg, Manitoba A4 Winnipeg free october local 1 n s i e f i a 1 u r k american authorities dont have their Man extradition process for scam suspect could take months by Doug Naime police reporter i to a Case of being so yet still so far after five years of Amer ican authorities have managed to have the alleged Kingpin of a massive telemarketing scam arrested in but it could still take years of Legal wrangling to get him extradited out of this and if lawyers representing former Brandon resident James Blair make a convincing argument before a Manitoba the Long Arm of Ameri can Law May never reach Canadian Federal prosecutor Clyde Bond said extradition from a foreign country can be and even seemingly straightforward cases in Canada can drag on for in a simple Case it can take four to six months before a decision is he in a complicated Case it can take Between 12 and 18 american Justice officials in allege Down ran a massive mail and telemarketing lottery scheme that scammed More than million from residents of the United states Between 1992 and he faces 113 charges South Down faces 113 charges South of the of the ranging from conspiracy and Money laundering to using a fictitious who maintains a Home in Barba was arrested in last saturday after Brandon ramp received a tip that he was in the area on a Hunting although Down is not accused of any crimes in he was arrested on a warrant to apprehend at the request of the Down appeared in provincial court in Winnipeg tuesday and was released on he is now living in Vancouver and has been ordered to surrender his pass his Case was remanded until Bond said an extradition request must meet several conditions before it is Grant including that the alleged crime must be an offence in Canada and has to carry a punishment greater than oneyear in unlike a criminal where guilt must be proven beyond reasonable the Crown has to prove Only that there is evidence that the offence took Canadian prosecutors will argue on behalf of the americans to have Down if an extradition is it will then be up to american prosecutors to prove their Case against Down in a Washington Bond said the specifics of the allegations were considered by Canadian officials prior to the arrest warrant for Down being issued last there is no question that if we we rent satisfied that an offence took the warrant would not have been he Bond said he is still waiting for the americans to provide the necessary Docu mentation for him to Start putting the extradition Case Seattle based attorney Peter Mueller said extradition proceedings Between Canada and the Are complicated exercises in diplomatic and Legal we dont want to say too much that could jeopardize the he these Are extremely sensitive mat the Vancouver lawyer representing Down could not be reached greed overtakes common sense by Doug Narne police reporter t would Send Money to a Complete stranger offering untold riches Over the phone More people than you might Winnipeg police say they receive an average of one complaint a week from people who have been contacted by Tele marketing or mail scam most of the Calls Are from people who did the right thing and ignored the Pushy sales but some of the reports come from there is a certain amount of greed involved that makes people take leave of their said Menno for some reason people still get involved with these operations and still lose their As absurd As some of the scams people fall for there is the so called nigerian mail where people scam artists victims take leave of senses Are sent a letter encouraging them to allow a nigerian company to borrow their Bank account in Exchange for a healthy the victim is eventually asked to travel to some people and were robbed when they at least one person was other less deadly scams ask people to Send Money in return for prizes that never or offer Getrich Quick opportunities for an upfront although Winnipeg has mainly been Home to Vic Tims of the police have shut Down several telemarketing operations Here that allegedly bilked hundreds of while most of the victims Are there Are Many cases of professional peo ple getting ripped in one recent Case in the United a former accountant for general motors lost his life savings of in a lottery ticket the difficulties of investigating the crimes were brought to Light this week when a former Manitoba resident was arrested in connection with an operation run out of Vancouver and Toronto that bilked unsuspecting americans out of More than million Between 1992 and it took five years of investigation to get charges and american officials must now try and get the Man extradited from Zacharias said Many people running the phone and mail scams rely on the inability or reluctance of Law enforcement to investigate crimes where the victims Are in other they count on the fact that they May not be a High priority for the local he in some such As Caribbean based phone the activities May not even violate local Bienvenue sticker big hit in City Ottawa chastises the province Over licence plate controversy by Hullt Moncrieff fonts Fine press Dion slammed Ottawa has criticized Manitoba refusal to permit the use of Frerich on its new licence plates As sales of a Bienvenue sticker in support of francophone continue at a Tor fid Stephane Canadas minister of intergovernmental said yesterday the provinces stance on bilingual licence plates shows Canadas the most tolerant country in the and it Hurt them to have one French word on their new he said on a Winnipeg open line radio Marcel Degagne and Tom Thomp son had of the licence plate stickers printed to show respect for local having English Only licence plates shows a Lack of respect for civil and if one groups rights Are Tram pled everyone in society is losing said a local this is a Small gesture from the grassroots that had to be after City police warned motorists that adding the Bien venue sticker to their English Only licence plates would result in a some aut Opac agencies Are having trouble keeping the stickers in Treyve Deen going like hot cakes in two they were gone said Sarah office manager for assurances Forest in we have people waiting for us to get aut Opac agencies Selling the stickers dont recommend putting them on licence weve never promoted these stickers because of the con Parent Manitoba Public insurance is aware that agencies Are Selling but were not promoting that they should go on them on your Gui tar Case or use them As bumper Winnipeg police will Stop anyone they see displaying a sticker on their said Blair there defacing a licence and youre not allowed to do he if you were then you could put anything you want on your were not going to have a project dealing with but officers will pull vehicles with the stickers Over and address the no one has been charged for having the Roger a lawyer for the society Fra Comanito Bain and a Law professor at the University of Moncton in new said Manitoba language Laws could pro vide the basis of a defence for someone charged with placing a French sticker on a licence Section 23 of the Manitoba act and the French language services policy provide for bilingual publication of Provin Cial Laws and the use of both official languages in the courts and its the constitutional basis of the status of French and English in the said placing a French language sticker on a licence plate could be seen As an Extension of the Law that requires bilingual Dri vers licences and licence plate registration he the argument can be said adding in not saying its a Case that will be mid season Sale High twist c4qq Wool suits i y 100 Wool spor Coats 100 Wool dress pants Cotton dress shirts microfiber fall jackets Wool blend sweaters t i 529 t save save save save save ;