Wash. man pleads guilty to defrauding ID investors
Recent Cases
A Washington man has pleaded guilty in federal court in Idaho to cheating investors out of more than $2 million and using the cash for his own benefit.
Federal prosecutors say 59-year-old Dale Edward Lowell, of Colbert, Wash., pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud Tuesday.
Investigators say Lowell, while living in northern Idaho in 2005, started raised money from investors by telling him he was a savvy options trader. He also told investors he had taken steps to cover losses.
Altogether, prosecutors say Lowell duped 22 investor groups and raised about $2.2 million that he ultimately lost in the market, used for personal expenses or to pay off investors to keep the scheme going.
Related listings
-
No class-action for suits over Calif. fish kill
Recent Cases 08/09/2011An appeals court has rejected class-action status for a lawsuit prompted by efforts to kill off an invasive fish in Northern California. The Sacramento Bee says the 3rd District Court of Appeal ruled last week that people suing the state had too litt...
-
Bank of America starts overdraft rebate outreach
Recent Cases 08/08/2011If you had a Bank of America account with a debit card between January 2001 and May of this year, you may be due some cash. The nation's largest bank has started contacting customers who may be entitled to a refund. It recently reached a class-action...
-
NYC lawyer pleads guilty to tax charge
Recent Cases 08/05/2011A lawyer has pleaded guilty to not paying taxes on nearly $11 million in income while working at a major Wall Street law firm. John O'Brien entered the plea Thursday in federal court in Manhattan. The government had accused the 48-year-old O'Brien of...
USCIS Issues Clarifying Guidance on NAFTA TN Status Eligibility for Economists
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced today that it is clarifying policy guidance (PDF, 71 KB) on the specific work activities its officers should consider when determining whether an individual qualifies for TN nonimmigrant status as an economist.
The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) TN nonimmigrant status allows qualified Canadian and Mexican citizens to temporarily enter the U.S. to engage in specific professional activities, including the occupation of economist. The agreement, however, does not define the term economist, resulting in inconsistent decisions on whether certain analysts and financial professionals qualify for TN status as economists.
TN nonimmigrant status is intended to allow a limited number of professionals and specialists to work temporarily in certain specifically identified occupations in the United States. This updated guidance provides USCIS officers with a specific definition of one such category – economists – allowing them to adjudicate applications in a way that complies with the intent of the agreement. This policy update clarifies that professional economists requesting TN status must engage primarily in activities consistent with the profession of an economist. Individuals who work primarily in other occupations related to the field of economics — such as financial analysts, marketing analysts, and market research analysts — are not eligible for classification as a TN economist.