Christopher James Scanlon has been indicted following failure to succeed in a plea settlement.
Scanlon (proper) was arrested and charged with operating an “unlicensed cash transmitting enterprise” again in 2023.
Briefly, via his corporations PMA Media Group, Aurae Way of life, Nvayo Restricted, Membership Swan and AU Card LLC, Scanlon laundered cash for scammers.
BehindMLM’s curiosity in Scanlon’s case stems from his corporations offering monetary providers to BitClub Community, GSPartners and PLC Ultima – three since-collapsed fraudulent MLM funding schemes.
After Scanlon’s arrest we famous he was launched on a $5 million secured launch bond in August 2023. Since then although there have been no additional updates, which is odd as a result of it’s been a yr and a half.
Following information of Nvayo Restricted coming into into “particular administration” within the UK, I ran a test to see if there have been any exterior Scanlon updates I might need missed.
I got here throughout a second DOJ press-release on Scanlon, which in comparison in opposition to the unique 2023 launch suggests Scanlon was caught attempting to flee the nation.
From the 2023 press-release;
Scanlon was arrested at Miami Worldwide Airport in the present day and is predicted to have his preliminary look in U.S. District Courtroom for the Southern District of Florida on Friday.
And the 2024 launch;
Scanlon was arrested at Miami Worldwide Airport on Oct. 10, 2024, and made his preliminary look in U.S. District Courtroom for the Southern District of Florida on Oct. 11, 2024.
He was arraigned in the present day earlier than U.S. Justice of the Peace Decide Lede Dunn Wettre in Newark federal court docket and pleaded not responsible.
I don’t know the particular arrest particulars however given Scanlon had relaxed journey restrictions on him, I take it he was travelling domestically previous to the second arrest.
Scanlon’s second arrest ties into his indictment, filed on October eleventh, 2024. This created a brand new case quantity, which confusingly dates again to April 2023.
That’s to say this second case docket has been up to date repeatedly whereas the primary case docket I used to be monitoring seems to have been deserted.
The excellent news is we haven’t missed a lot. Up till his October 2024 indictment submitting, the docket entries largely relate to relaxed launch restrictions.
After Scanlon’s indictment issues get a bit prickly. Scanlon has moved to dismiss the indictment, whereas the DOJ has requested complicated case designation (basically slowing down proceedings as a result of case complexity).
A choice on the DOJ’s complicated case movement, filed on October twenty fifth, 2024, stays pending.
The DOJ’s response to Scanlon’s movement to dismiss his indictment, filed on March twenty fourth, supplies perception into what occurred behind the scenes since 2023.
Since June 5, 2023, Scanlon’s bail circumstances have been modified roughly seven occasions, at his request, to permit for journey and different much less restrictive circumstances.
Most lately, on December 27, 2024, with the Authorities’s consent, this Courtroom modified Scanlon’s bail circumstances by:
(1) eradicating GPS monitoring,
(2) permitting Scanlon to speak with each home and overseas enterprise based mostly entities through which Scanlon has an curiosity in and for the aim of terminating that curiosity; and
(3) eradicating the requirement that Scanlon wanted approval to begin a enterprise, apart from one involving banking or within the cash transmitting trade.
For Extra Than Three Years, the Events’ Tried to Resolve the Matter and Mutually Agreed to Enter Continuances of the Speedy Trial Clock for 15 Months.
Through the investigation, starting in 2020, each earlier than and after Scanlon was charged by grievance, and up till roughly mid-September 2024, the Authorities and Scanlon’s counsel (each present and former)1 met and conferred on quite a few events, and engaged in severe plea negotiations at Scanlon’s request.
In September 2024, Scanlon’s New Counsel Ended Plea Negotiations and Refused to Conform to any Further Continuances.
Since then the DOJ has supplied Scanlon with “over 25,000 pages of discovery”.
In a nutshell, Scanlon argues his indictment needs to be dismissed as a result of, as per the Speedy Trial Act, 70 days have handed from his indictment submitting with out trial.
The DOJ argues, amongst different issues, that seventy days has not handed as a result of numerous occasions.
The 70-day clock has not run as a result of intervals of delay on this matter had been excluded from the seventy-day calculation.
One instance supplied is Scanlon’s then new Counsel ghosting the DOJ for “greater than a month” over language in a proposed protecting order (pertaining to discovery).
And in order that’s the place we’re at. Rulings on the DOJ’s complicated case movement and Scanlon’s movement to dismiss his indictment stay pending.