• MckMama Bankruptcy Case Update

    There is little news to report in the bankruptcy case of Jennifer Sauls McKinney and Israel McKinney. In May, bankruptcy trustee Gene Doeling filed Case 12-06024, objecting to the discharge of the McKinney’s bankruptcy and alleging that the McKinneys made […]

  • American Greed: Cracking the Façade of Fraud

    Jenna Martino, CNBC Associate Producer When Sandy Smith of Stevenville, Texas, purchased her home, she never dreamed there would be any issue taking out a mortgage with Taylor, Bean & Whitaker, a lending company based in Ocala, Fla. The previous […]

  • The Psychology of White Collar Criminals

    Toby Groves is a fraudster turned researcher, having served time for mortgage fraud in income tax fraud committed while running Groves Funding Corporation. He was sentenced to two years in federal prison, and it was in prison that he began […]

  • Denver Post Copyright Infringement

    Remember the Denver Post? The one that used Righthaven to sue a bunch of bloggers? (Unsuccessfully, but nevertheless, the litigation has dragged on for some time.) It seems that the Denver Post is engaged in a little copyright infringement of […]

  • Milwaukee Spent HOW MUCH on a New Housing Project?

    This week, I read with interest an article about Westlawn, a City of Milwaukee housing project that was torn down an rebuilt. And a little bit of research led to an astounding discovery. In recent years, an idea was hatched […]

  • Similarities Between Herbalife and Pyramid Scheme BurnLounge

    In March, the Federal Trade Commission entered an order against multi-level marketing company BurnLounge, prohibiting the company and its founders from making certain misrepresentation and requiring them to disclose certain things in the future. Over the last few months, the […]

  • What Milwaukee Public Schools REALLY Spends Per Child

    Today the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported on an analysis of school spending. According to a report by the U.S. Census Bureau called Public Education Finances: 2010, Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) had 82,096 students in 2009-2010, revenue of $1.27 billion (p. […]

  • The Mormon Madoff: How Shawn Merriman Scammed Millions

    Jenna Martino, CNBC Associate Producer Shawn Merriman was head of an investment firm and lay bishop in the Mormon church who persuaded friends, family, and church members to invest with him. It turned out to be a big scam, taking […]

  • What $18 Million Could Buy in Wisconsin

    This week, Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker made history be being the first governor  to win a recall election. The cost of the recall, including the primary and the general election, is estimated at $18 million. (And that’s not including the […]

  • Paternity Fraud: Recourse for Swindled Fathers

    Last week, the Iowa Supreme Court ruled that a mother can be sued for fraud by a man duped into thinking he was the father of her child. She can also be ordered to repay child support she received from […]