According to federal documents obtained by The Associated Press, a judge in the Southern District of New York issued a seizure warrant last week for an account at a Wells Fargo bank in San Francisco. The AP reported that the documents also showed that a federal prosecutor told a bank in Arizona to freeze an account.
In a letter dated Friday and faxed to Alliance Bank of Arizona, Arlo Devlin-Brown, the assistant U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York said that accounts held by payment processor Allied Systems Inc. are subject to seizure and forfeiture "because they constitute property involved in money laundering transactions and illegal gambling offenses," according to the AP.
In another letter, Devlin-Brown asks that the bank treat the funds "as legally seized" by the FBI, saying that the government has probable cause that the gambling payments of U.S. residents had been directed to offshore illegal Internet gambling businesses, the AP reported.
Whether you approve of online gambling or not, this is the government reaching into the accounts of private citizens who have not been accused of any unlawful conduct and seizing their money. What is next?
Internal Revenue Service looking at taxing business cell phones
The IRS is looking at a way of taxing cell phone use by people who are given a phone by their company, as a "fringe benefit." this is one more in a long line of "benefits" that the federal government is looking at as a source of tax revenue.
The Internal Revenue Service proposed employers assign 25% of an employee's annual phone expenses as a taxable benefit. Under that scenario, a worker in the 28% tax bracket, whose wireless device costs the company $1,500 a year, could see $105 in additional federal income tax.
"The rationale behind this policy perhaps made sense in the 1980s, but it doesn't reflect how people live their lives and the ubiquitous nature of cellphones," said Sprint/Nextel spokesperson John Taylor. "Most people have blended their professional and work life to a degree...how do you determine if a call was work-related or personal?"
British government angered by Obama transfer of Gitmo prisoners to Bermuda
The transfer of four Uighurs from the detention facility at Guantanamo to Bermuda without the consultation with the British government has erupted into a dispute between the two nations.
According to the administration the transfer took place through direct discussion with the Bermuda government. Bermuda is a British protectorate. Britain maintains that London should have been consulted.
According to a statement released in London:
"The Bermuda government consider this to be a matter regarding their day-to-day responsibility for immigration. We have underlined to the Bermuda government that it should have consulted the UK on whether this falls within their competence or is a foreign affairs or security issue for which the Bermuda government do not have delegated responsibility."
"It is astonishing that an agreement of such significance between the US and Bermuda, involving the resettlement of four former terrorist suspects to a British Overseas Territory, could have taken place without a ripple reaching Whitehall," said William Hague, British shadow foreign secretary. "The UK is responsible for Bermuda's external relations, defence and security and for appointing its governor. Yet the FCO appears to have had no idea that these discussions were taking place."
The dispute highlights the growing tension and disrespect the Obama administration has shown for our closest ally.
A US state department official said, "We did talk to them before the Uighurs got on the plane."
well, that's okay then.
poker players not convicted of wrongdoing for decades. They allege that one owes taxes and freeze the account then you have to prove you don’t owe it! It has been turning the presumed innocet principles on its head for decades.
Us non-on line poker players who have had this done to them welcome the gamblers to the party. Hint: The IRS holds the jokers and they are wild.
Mike DeVine’s Examiner.com columns “One man with courage makes a majority.” - Andrew Jackson