I want to apologize for not getting to this sooner. The Feds raided a home in Keene and arrested six NH residents in what has been posited as a test case for prosecuting folks using cryptocurrency.
Several folks reached out to me the day of and days after, but I could not get the juice up to pursue this in any meaningful way. Again, I apologize, and I’m not sure what will make up for it, but let’s try to share at least some details.
Care of the Shire, the Keene PD in support of the FBI, got a chance to use that Bearcat Barack Obama bought them a few years back to breach a home and extract the residents.
The new information I have which I haven’t seen in the mainstream press is that the police apparently undertook a forced entry using the controversial armored vehicle in Keene, the bearcat. This according to Matt Roach who apparently lives at a targeted location and posted a pic which I have seen, of his window reportedly pulled out by the cat. I’ll try to find it again and post it.
Here are the Grand Jury Charges in full (here is one opening excerpt).
At all times relevant to this Indictment, the defendants knowingly operated the virtual currency exchange business in violation of federal anti-money laundering laws and egulations, including those requiring money transmitting businesses to meet registration and reporting requirements set forth in Title 18, United States Code, Section 1960, and in regulations promulgated by the United States Department of the Treasury.
This is a twenty-count indictment.
- Conspiracy to Operate Unlicensed Money Transmitting Business (All 6 defendants)
- Operation of Unlicensed Money Transmitting Business (Ian Freeman)
- Operation of Unlicensed Money Transmitting Business (Aria Demazzio)
- Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud (All 6 defendants)
- Wire Fraud (counts 5-18) (All 6 defendants)
- Continuing Financial Crimes Enterprise (Ian Freeman)
- Money Laundering (Ian Freeman)
Asset Forfeiture has been involved (naturally). If convicted, it looks like Ian Freeman would basically lose everything.
Arrested:
Ian Freeman (formerly Ian Bernard) )
Colleen Fordham
Renee Spinella (formerly Renee LeBlanc) )
Andrew Spinella
Nobody (formerly Richard Paul) )
Aria DiMezzo (formerly James Baker) – the infamous Trans County Sheriff candidate.
And on some level, the disappearance of Greg Surbey (who has been missing for over a month) could be connected to this operation, but it is not clear how or if that’s accurate. He is not named in the indictment but pops up in Free State chatter.
You can catch up on the scuttlebutt here, but I’ll leave you with this.
“Andy, Renee, Aria & Colleen are being released with pretty strict terms (can’t use anything connected to internet without approval of probation officer, all firearms must be removed from house, can’t obtain/possess passport, can’t contact any co-defendants, must provide DNA sample, can’t use alcohol or drugs; submit to drug & alcohol testing & notify feds if they open any new bank accounts).
Ian to have detention hearing on Fri at 3; will remain in custody until then
Ian’s lawyer cited media reports citing unnamed FBI Agent(s) that there’s no threat to public safety
Rich may have refused to be released because he didn’t want to comply with the terms of release (not entirely positive, as him & Ian had hearings at same time in front of different judges)”