Investor,
Lobbyist Indicted on Fraud Charges
As reported by the Canton
Repository: "Adam Kidan, a New York investor
whom Rep. Bob Ney once praised as 'a solid individual
and a respected member of his community' in a congressional
document, was indicted by a grand jury in Florida
on Thursday on charges of conspiring to defraud
two lenders out of $60 million in a casino cruise-line
deal in 2000.
"…Also indicted with Kidan was once-powerful
Washington lobbyist Jack Abramoff, who in 2002 sought
Ney's help in an unsuccessful effort to reopen an
Indian casino in El Paso, Texas, for a tribal client
of Abramoff's.
"…Abramoff is also under federal investigation,
involving House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, in Washington
by a grand jury investigating whether he and a lobbying
partner overcharged Indian tribes by millions of
dollars for their work.
"…The six-count conspiracy and wire
count indictment against Kidan and Abramoff stems
from their $147 million purchase of SunCruz, a Fort
Lauderdale-based casino cruise line.
"…The two are charged with faking a
$23 million payment to Konstantinos 'Gus' Boulis,
the seller of SunCruz. That payment was required
by two lenders who authorities said lost $60 million
in the deal.
"Boulis, a Greek immigrant and self-made millionaire,
later was slain in what police described as a gangland-style
hit.
"…Scanlon and Abramoff are under federal
investigation in connection with millions of dollars
in fees they collected from Indian gaming clients…"
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