ill
Superstar
So I usually check out the justice.gov/ma news section just to see what kind of federal charges are dropping around me. I came across this story and decided to google the guys name. Turns out his 'company' may have been a major player in the efforts to rebuild Haiti. When I googled his organization, they're literally listed on the Clinton Foundation page. The defendant is being charged federally with conspiracy to bribe senior Haitian officials while laundering money for a proposed $84 million port development project.
Retired U.S. Army Colonel Charged with Conspiring to Bribe Senior Officials of The Republic of Haiti
When I googled his name, this letter came up. Its from the defendant to the William Clinton Foundation and the Clinton/Bush Haiti Fund.
http://www.intershelter.com/images/docs/Dr.JosephBaptisteltr.pdf
Its too long to copy & paste here but its basically him asking for money/supplies/etc to rebuild Haiti. Oh, and he owns an incredible company that produces emergency shelters (that only he can get) that can help millions of Haitians...if only the Clinton Foundation gives him some money.
After reading that letter, I googled his organization + Clinton and low and behold they did end up doing "business".
Operation HOPE Haiti
I'm not going to make any accusations about my favorite villains just yet but this does raise some questions. This could very well be nothing but I found it interesting that this actually tied into the narrative of fraud and corruption after the disaster in Haiti.
Am I reaching or could this be one piece of the puzzle?
Retired U.S. Army Colonel Charged with Conspiring to Bribe Senior Officials of The Republic of Haiti
Retired U.S. Army Colonel Charged with Conspiring to Bribe Senior Officials of The Republic of Haiti
BOSTON – A retired United States Army colonel was arrested and charged today for conspiring to bribe senior officials of the Republic of Haiti, and to launder funds for that purpose, in connection with a planned $84 million port development project in that country.
Joseph Baptiste, 64, of Fulton, Md., was charged in the District of Massachusetts with one count of conspiracy to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and to commit money laundering. Baptiste will make an initial appearance in federal court in Maryland this afternoon.
According to court documents, in or about August 2014, an investigation began into certain Haitian-American businessmen who were offering to facilitate bribes to high-level officials in the Haitian government, in exchange for the ability to obtain or retain business in that country.
It is alleged that Baptiste solicited bribes from undercover agents in Boston who posed as potential investors in infrastructure projects in Haiti, in connection with a proposed project to develop a port in the Mole-Saint-Nicolas area of Haiti. The proposed project was expected to cost approximately $84 million and was to involve the construction of multiple cement factories, a shipping-vessel recycling station, an international transshipment station with numerous slips for shipping vessels, a power plant, a petroleum depot and tourist facilities. During a recorded meeting at a Boston-area hotel, Baptiste allegedly told the agents that he would funnel the payments to Haitian officials through a non-profit entity that he controls – which is based in Maryland and purports to help impoverished residents of Haiti - in order to secure government approval of the project. The complaint also alleges that, in a subsequent recorded phone call, Baptiste had the following exchange with one of the undercover agents:
AGENT: OK, and would all the money that I . . . that I wire to you . . . would it all go to [Foreign Official 1] or only part of it?
BAPTISTE: I would say all of it.
AGENT: OK, so all the . . . so if wire you 20 . . . if I wire 25,000 to [Maryland Non-Profit 1] it will all go to [Foreign Official 1]?
BAPTISTE: All going to be . . . yes, uh-huh.
AGENT: OK, and then, uh . . . you’re not . . . it . . . will he do those letters [committing to support the project] without the money? He . . . or does he have to have that money?
BAPTISTE: I think he has to have it.
In intercepted telephone calls, Baptiste also allegedly discussed bribing an aide to a senior Haitian official with a job on the port development project. It is alleged that after undercover agents wired approximately $50,000 to the non-profit controlled by Baptiste for the purpose of bribing Haitian officials, Baptiste used the $50,000 for personal purposes, though he intended to seek additional money from the agents to use for future bribe payments in connection with the port project.
The charging statute provides for a sentence of no greater than five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
BOSTON – A retired United States Army colonel was arrested and charged today for conspiring to bribe senior officials of the Republic of Haiti, and to launder funds for that purpose, in connection with a planned $84 million port development project in that country.
Joseph Baptiste, 64, of Fulton, Md., was charged in the District of Massachusetts with one count of conspiracy to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and to commit money laundering. Baptiste will make an initial appearance in federal court in Maryland this afternoon.
According to court documents, in or about August 2014, an investigation began into certain Haitian-American businessmen who were offering to facilitate bribes to high-level officials in the Haitian government, in exchange for the ability to obtain or retain business in that country.
It is alleged that Baptiste solicited bribes from undercover agents in Boston who posed as potential investors in infrastructure projects in Haiti, in connection with a proposed project to develop a port in the Mole-Saint-Nicolas area of Haiti. The proposed project was expected to cost approximately $84 million and was to involve the construction of multiple cement factories, a shipping-vessel recycling station, an international transshipment station with numerous slips for shipping vessels, a power plant, a petroleum depot and tourist facilities. During a recorded meeting at a Boston-area hotel, Baptiste allegedly told the agents that he would funnel the payments to Haitian officials through a non-profit entity that he controls – which is based in Maryland and purports to help impoverished residents of Haiti - in order to secure government approval of the project. The complaint also alleges that, in a subsequent recorded phone call, Baptiste had the following exchange with one of the undercover agents:
AGENT: OK, and would all the money that I . . . that I wire to you . . . would it all go to [Foreign Official 1] or only part of it?
BAPTISTE: I would say all of it.
AGENT: OK, so all the . . . so if wire you 20 . . . if I wire 25,000 to [Maryland Non-Profit 1] it will all go to [Foreign Official 1]?
BAPTISTE: All going to be . . . yes, uh-huh.
AGENT: OK, and then, uh . . . you’re not . . . it . . . will he do those letters [committing to support the project] without the money? He . . . or does he have to have that money?
BAPTISTE: I think he has to have it.
In intercepted telephone calls, Baptiste also allegedly discussed bribing an aide to a senior Haitian official with a job on the port development project. It is alleged that after undercover agents wired approximately $50,000 to the non-profit controlled by Baptiste for the purpose of bribing Haitian officials, Baptiste used the $50,000 for personal purposes, though he intended to seek additional money from the agents to use for future bribe payments in connection with the port project.
The charging statute provides for a sentence of no greater than five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
When I googled his name, this letter came up. Its from the defendant to the William Clinton Foundation and the Clinton/Bush Haiti Fund.
http://www.intershelter.com/images/docs/Dr.JosephBaptisteltr.pdf
Its too long to copy & paste here but its basically him asking for money/supplies/etc to rebuild Haiti. Oh, and he owns an incredible company that produces emergency shelters (that only he can get) that can help millions of Haitians...if only the Clinton Foundation gives him some money.
After reading that letter, I googled his organization + Clinton and low and behold they did end up doing "business".
Operation HOPE Haiti
Operation HOPE Haiti
Commitment by
Operation Hope, Inc.
In 2010, Operation HOPE, through Operation HOPE Haiti, committed to provide financial life management skills to youth and adults in Haiti in order to help them recover from the 2010 earthquake and build a sustainable economic foundation. Operation HOPE Haiti will identify job skill deficiencies, enhance self-employment skills, provide seminars, and refer individuals to training programs. This guidance and assistance will be provided in schools and other community locations.
SUMMARY
Commitment
Operation HOPE Haiti
Launched
2010
Est. Duration
5 Years
Estimated Total Value
$3,000,000
Region
Latin America & Caribbean, Northern America
Countries
HAITI, United States
Commitment by
Operation Hope, Inc.
Partner(s) of the Commitment Maker(s)
FEMA, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Sevis Finansye Fonkoze, National Organization for the Advancement of Haitians, UNICEF, Foundation Etre Ayisyan
Commitment by
Operation Hope, Inc.
In 2010, Operation HOPE, through Operation HOPE Haiti, committed to provide financial life management skills to youth and adults in Haiti in order to help them recover from the 2010 earthquake and build a sustainable economic foundation. Operation HOPE Haiti will identify job skill deficiencies, enhance self-employment skills, provide seminars, and refer individuals to training programs. This guidance and assistance will be provided in schools and other community locations.
SUMMARY
Commitment
Operation HOPE Haiti
Launched
2010
Est. Duration
5 Years
Estimated Total Value
$3,000,000
Region
Latin America & Caribbean, Northern America
Countries
HAITI, United States
Commitment by
Operation Hope, Inc.
Partner(s) of the Commitment Maker(s)
FEMA, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Sevis Finansye Fonkoze, National Organization for the Advancement of Haitians, UNICEF, Foundation Etre Ayisyan
I'm not going to make any accusations about my favorite villains just yet but this does raise some questions. This could very well be nothing but I found it interesting that this actually tied into the narrative of fraud and corruption after the disaster in Haiti.
Am I reaching or could this be one piece of the puzzle?
@ Trumpset reaching today. Come join Naps thread. It's booming right now.
I know you gonna have some free time :bpufedup: