Ryan was jailed for several charges, including racketeering, conspiracy, tax fraud and making false statements to the FBI.

The disputed Supreme Court decision has to do with the “honest services provision” in the law that enables prosecutors to claim that government officials–and corporate officers–scheme to “deprive another of the intangible right of honest services.” The provision, which is murky, was weakened earlier this summer by the Supreme Court. The high court’s decision put two highly publicized convictions–Jeffrey Skilling of Enron and Conrad Black, former newspaper chief–back into the spotlight.

The cases for Skilling and Black are both being reviewed; Skilling’s charges have been vacated until retrial, and Black is currently out on bail. The point of contention in the law is that while both men committed illegal acts, they did not do so to achieve private gain.

Attorneys for George Ryan believe that the law applies in his case and have asked the federal judge who presided over the case to vacate the charges against Ryan. The attorneys also believe that Ryan has served his time for the other charges and should be released.

The honest services provision, according to the Washington Post, has been criticized by defense attorneys due to its inability to “prove” that an individual knowingly “schemed” to deprive other’s of their service. Government groups that fight fraud and white collar crimes, however, believe it’s the lynch pin vital for prosecution.

If a request to re-examine the granted, Ryan may be freed on bond; if the judge agrees with Ryan’s lawyers, the former governor may be freed based on time served, according to the Associated Press.

Governor Pat Quinn is not in favor of Ryan’s freedom, stating today; “If you do the crime, you gotta do the time.“

As usual, the scammers keep trying and keep warning.  It’s always best to verify any unsolicited phone calls, email or other communications requesting your personal information.

Chicago – Attorney General Lisa Madigan today warned Illinois residents to be on the alert for scam artists posing as collectors of payday loan debt.  The scammers call consumers and threaten them with legal action unless the victims authorize payments from their bank accounts.

In recent weeks, Madigan’s office has seen a rise in consumer complaints about the bogus collection calls. Most of the consumers report they have taken out payday loans in the past, usually from an online lender, but paid off the loans long ago. In at least one instance, the consumer reportedly filled out an online payday loan application but never completed the process.

Madigan stressed that these complaints involve outright con artists, not innocent mistakes by legitimate debt collectors. Victims who have contacted Madigan’s office report that the phone calls seem to originate from outside the United States. Often, the fake collector already knows personal information about the consumer, such as their name, Social Security Number, and place of employment, which can lead the consumer to believe they are dealing with a legitimate collector. Also, the scammers usually have the consumer’s bank account information on file and ask the consumer to confirm the accuracy of the information.

Many times, the con artist will claim to be affiliated with a law enforcement agency.  In almost every case, the bogus collector threatens the victim with legal action, including a lawsuit or arrest, if they don’t make a payment right away. The scammers attempt to force victims into an immediate payment and ask them to authorize a direct withdrawal from their checking account. In some cases, they ask their victims to sign a promissory note and submit it to the bogus collector by fax. Some victims reported to the Attorney General’s office that they have paid hundreds of dollars before realizing they have been scammed.

The bogus debt collectors use a variety of names, including: Morgan & Associates, Federal Bureau of Investigators, DNR Recovery, DNI Recovery, Legal Accounts Association, Department of Law and Enforcement, CashNet USA, America Legal Services, Quick Cash, and ACS.

Although many of these names are fake, some are names of legitimate businesses that the purported debt collectors may be using without permission.

The Attorney General urged those who receive a suspicious debt collection call to remember the following advice:

• You cannot go to jail for failing to pay a debt;
• If you are threatened in any way by the debt collector, hang up and file a complaint with the Attorney General’s office;
• Do not give out any personal information over the telephone, including bank account numbers or credit card numbers;
• When in doubt, ask the debt collector to provide you with documentation that substantiates the debt they are trying to collect;
• Contact the original creditor and ask whether the debt has been paid. If it has not, confirm that the debt was sold to a third party collector before making a payment.

A 16 Hour workshop includes 2 days of instruction and hands-on lab work with real cell phones in a fully equipped lab setting.  Mobile Forensics topics that will be covered include: Acquisition, Preservation, Analysis and Presentation of CDMA, GSM, and iDEN cell phone evidence, SIM Cards, and Memory Cards, Faraday Preservation, and applicable Laws.

The U-Spy Store is proudly hosting the Orlando, Florida class at their Sea World location on October 28th & 29th. For more details, check the Cellular Forensics Website. At the conclusion of the workshop, students will have a strong fundamental knowledge of cell phone forensics with the ability to do full mobile acquisitions on their own. Each student will be provided with a certificate of completion for 16 hours of Continuing Education Units.

Course Requirements:
Students should have basic computer knowledge with the ability to work in a Windows environment. Each student will be required to furnish their own laptop containing either a Windows XP or Windows 7 operating system. Laptop should have CD reader and free USB ports.

Who Should Attend:
Private Investigators, Computer Forensics Examiners, IT Security Specialists, TSCM, Corporate Security and Insurance Adjusters.

Students will Receive:
• Latest Version of Secure View 2 software (w / 1 yr. license!) for acquisition of over 2200 phones
• Complete Cable Kit
• SIM Card Reader
• Other Essential Forensic Software (full and time-bomb versions)
• 16 Hours of Hands On Training
• Certificate for CEU Credits
(these classes have been approved for continuing education by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division and the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy)

Tom Slovenski, Instructor
As the owner of the first private mobile forensics lab in South Carolina, former police detective Tom Slovenski is dedicated to the continuing education of investigative professionals in mobile phone forensic investigations and data recovery.

Tom is licensed and certified by the South Carolina State Police (SLED PDC2073) and the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy to train police and other investigative professionals in Mobile Forensic Data Recovery.

Internationally, Tom is known for his dynamic presentations, authored works and his unique ability to describe the complex in an easy and understandable fashion.

INFORMATION / REGISTRATION:
Complete Kit, Software and 16-Hour Training ;

SPECIAL PRICING, See Page below!
Contact: Tom Slovenski
Email: info@cellularforensics.com / Phone: (864) 252-7451
Website: www.cellularforensics.com
“The Future is Here, Prepare for it NOW!”

Special 2010 Year End Pricing for Private Investigators.
Many Agencies want to have more than one employee trained in Mobile Phone Forensics. But with the economy the way it is…well…let’s just say, they aren’t getting any Stimulus Money! So we have come up with a way for an Agency to pay just a little extra and be able to have two or more of their agents trained. This way, the Agency has the software and cables to work the cases, as well as multiple agents who know HOW to use it!

So, here’s our “STIMULUS PACKAGE” !
Student 1: $2295.00 This student will get the full class complete with the SV2 package.
Student 2 or more: $1250.00: This student will get the training and a Certificate. They can use Student 1’s software and hardware. That’s a “Send One, Get Another One 50% Off” Deal!
There is no limit to the number of students you can send. However, to get the discounted rate for your agents, the agents have to be from the SAME Agency.

Don’t miss this tremendous opportunity!