In OneCoin Civil Case Even
Money Launderer Mark Scott Says May 1 Hearing
Needed in SDNY
By Matthew
Russell Lee, Patreon
BBC
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SDNY COURTHOUSE,
April 27 -- For money
laundering for scam crypto
currency OneCoin, lawyer Mark
Scott was convicted by a jury
after testimony by Konstantin
Ignatov and others but was
allowed to remain free on bail
pending sentencing. Sebastian
Greenwood has now been
charged, see below.
In the
civil case, which many
reported was on the verge of
being dismissed, now on April
27 even the defendants agree
on the need for a May 1
teleconference, which Inner
City Press aims to cover.
Today's joint letter, naming a
person Inner City Press has
reported on but is not in the
criminal case Nicole
J. Huessmann,
says "Though Mr. Scott has
been convicted, he retains his
Fifth Amendment rights through
his post-trial motions,
appeal, and sentencing...
Defendant Nicole J. Huesmann’s
Position: When Defendant
Nicole J. Huesmann, was served
with the Summons and First
Amended Class Action Complaint
in this action, the Court had
already entered its Stay
Order.3 As such, Ms. Huesmann
did not participate in the
proceedings that 3 The
Stay Order was entered on
August 23, 2019 (DE 46).
Defendant, Huesmann was served
on September 9, 2019, and
counsel appeared on her behalf
on November 1, 2019 (DE
64). Ms. Huesmann is a
Florida Attorney. Defendant
Scott was one of her clients.
Plaintiffs’ First Amended
Class Action Complaint alleges
purely state law claims
against Ms. Huesmann arising
out of her representation of
Mr. Scott in connection with
some commercial transactions.
Ms. Huesmann is not under
investigation by the Federal
Government, has not been
indicted or charged with any
crimes, did not testify in any
of the criminal proceedings,
and has not been involved
with, or aware of, the OneCoin
defendants or their business
or alleged activities. Ms.
Huesmann is not the subject of
any of the Federal Claims
brought against any of the
other defendants. This Court
lacks personal jurisdiction
over Ms. Huesmann. She is not
subject to general
jurisdiction in New York,
because she is domiciled in
Florida. She is also not
subject to specific
jurisdiction in New York
because Plaintiff’s state-law
claims do not arise out of any
activity conducted by Ms.
Huesmann in New York and Ms.
Huesmann also did not
purposefully avail herself of
the privileges of conducting
activities in New York. E.g.
Lipin v. Hunt, 538 F. Supp. 2d
590, 598 (S.D.N.Y. 2008)
(finding no specific
jurisdiction when “[a]ll of
Plaintiff’s allegations
relating to actions taken by
[defendant] in his capacity as
a[n] attorney relate to
actions taken in connection
with proceedings in Maine
courts.”); BHC Interim
Funding, LP v. Bracewell &
Patterson, LLP, No. 02 Civ.
4695, 2003 U.S. Dist. LEXIS
10739 at *12, 2003 WL 21467544
S.D.N.Y. June 25, 2003)
(“Plaintiff has neither
alleged nor offered evidence
that [defendant law firm] has
made specific efforts to make
itself known in the New York
legal market, or to establish
a client base here.”). Notably
absent from the First Amended
Class Action Complaint are any
allegations that Ms. Huesmann
conducted any activity within
or targeted at New York that
arises out of Plaintiff’s
claims. When permitted by this
Court, Ms. Huesmann intends to
move for dismissal of all
claims brought against her,
for, among other reasons, lack
of personal jurisdiction. In
order to avoid any argument
that she has submitted to the
jurisdiction of this Court, or
somehow waived her right to
challenge personal
jurisdiction, Ms. Huesmann
takes no position on the
status of the stay. Should the
Court, in its discretion,
decide to lift the stay, Ms.
Huesmann requests that the
Court establish a shorter
briefing schedule for
pre-answer motions, consistent
with the Local Rules, rather
than the schedule proposed by
the Plaintiff. Defendant
Konstantin Ignatov’s Position:
Defendant Konstantin Ignatov
does not object to the
continued stay of the
proceedings requested by his
co-defendants. All Defendants
agree that the May 1, 2020
telephonic conference should
go forward. For the foregoing
reasons, and to expediently
resolve the issues raised
herein, the Appearing Parties
respectfully request that the
Court proceed with the
telephonic conference
tentatively scheduled for May
1, 2020." The case is Grablis
v. OneCoin Ltd. et
al.,19-cv-4074 (Caproni).
On April
25 Inner City Press reported
based on Florida sources and
files that Scott has shifted
from CCC Natural Ventures MA
Holdings, LLC, with Nicole J.
Huessmann to Venoma Group LLP,
with Larysa Kavaleva and Lidia
V. Scott (Kolesnikova). David
Pike, also indicted, is off.
Inner City Press will have
more on this.
On April 6
the US Attorney's Office has
asked to push back the
sentencing control date for
Konstantin Ignatov, saying
that "his cooperation is not
yet complete." Inner City
Press that same day in writing
asked, is that Sebastian
Greenwood?
And now on
April 10, just made public,
this letter from the US
Attorney's Office: "Re: United
States v. Karl Sebastian
Greenwood, S5 17 Cr. 630 (ER)
Dear Judge Ramos: The
Government submits this letter
to respectfully request an
adjournment of the pretrial
conference scheduled in the
above-captioned case on April
3, 2020 at 11:30 a.m. The
Government recently provided
additional discovery materials
to the defendant. Counsel for
the defendant, Anthony
Strazza, Esq., has indicated
that the defendant requires
additional time to review
those materials and to engage
in any appropriate discussions
with the Government regarding
a potential resolution of this
matter. Accordingly, the
parties jointly request an
adjournment of approximately
60 days."
To which
Judge Ramos ruled on April 6,
but withheld from the docket
until April 10: "The April 3
pretrial conference is hereby
adjourned to June 3, 2020, at
10:00 AM. Speedy trial time is
excluded from today, April 3,
2020, to June 3, 2020, in the
interest of justice. The Clerk
of the Court is respectfully
directed to unseal the S5
Indictment, S5 17-cr-630 (ER).
SO ORDERED. 4/6/2020." More on
Patreon
here.
Inner City
Press will remain on this.
From the Konstantin Ignatov
letter: "United States v.
Konstantin Ignatov, S7 17 Cr.
630 (ER) Dear Judge Ramos: A
sentencing control date is
presently set in the
above-captioned case for April
8, 2020 at 11:00 a.m. Because
the defendant’s cooperation is
not yet complete, the
Government respectfully
requests that the sentencing
date be adjourned for
approximately three months."
And now on
April 7, Judge Ramos has set
Konstantin Ignatov's
sentencing for July 8, 2020 at
10 am, photo here. Inner City
Press will be there.
Inner City
Press which covered the trial
including Konstantin Ignatov's
testimony then on December 6,
2019 reported
from its South Florida sources
that despite ostensibly being
on home incarceration Scott
was "living the high life in
Florida including being
spotted out to dinner with
body guards... Meanwhile
Gilbert Armenta, fellow money
launderer, is out and
registering even more
companies, the same as he did
for his OneCoin money
laundering bank in Georgia" -
the country, not the US
state.
On March
30 Mark Scott, after being
briefing detained, was
released on bond again
security by his Coral Gables
apartment; under a now
standard condition he is
required to get an iPhone for
remove supervision.
And on
March 13, Konstantin Ignatov
was released from Federal
prison. Photo here.
Notable is that even his
sentencing proceeding was not
announced on PACER, unlike
other cooperators who get time
served, such as on March 13
cooperator Ceruti, Inner City
Press story here.
So who
decides which cooperators'
sentencings are announced, and
which are hidden? Rapper
Tekashi #6ix9ine / Daniel
Hernandez' sentencing before
SDNY Judge Paul A. Engelmayer
was announced, and Inner City
Press live
tweeted it. Konstantin
Ignatov's happened in secret.
Who does this benefit? And why
does the US Attorney's Office
Press Office not answer basic
questions, or provide exhibits
even when ordered (albeit
orally) by a Judge, here
Judge Engelmayer? We'll have
more on this.
In a
parallel world on March 12 the
US Attorney's Office belatedly
moved to revoke Scott's bail,
citing Scott's continue use of
OneCoin derived funds and,
explicitly, Inner City Press'
"blog
post" about Scott
dining out in Florida while on
home incarceration.
Assistant
US Attorney Chris Demase said
they have first read out it in
the blog post and couldn't
believe it - but that it was
proved by GPS information from
Scott's location monitoring
ankle bracelet.
Mark
Scott's Florida based lawyer
David M. Garvin sputtered over
the telephone from Florida,
with Scott next to him, that
the dinner had involved
lawyers. He tried to explain
Scott's use of OneCoin funds.
But Scott was ordered to turn
himself in to the US Bureau of
Prisons on March 13. And on
that day, Konstantin Ignatov
was released. Strange
symmetry.
Another of his
lawyers, when Inner City Press
left the courtroom, was
arranging to pay for a
transcript, perhaps to appeal.
Inner
City Press on
March 13 asked
the US
Attorney's
Office Press
Office for its
filings not
yet in the
public
docket.
Here
is Inner City Press' Periscope
video upon leaving the
courthouse. The case is US v.
Scott, 17-cr-630
(Ramos).
***
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