Posted June 25, 2014 Very similar site and features to the other board... http://m.sfgate.com/crime/article/Bay-Area-prostitution-site-myredbook-seized-by-5579285.php 0 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted June 26, 2014 (edited) Very similar site and features to the other board... http://m.sfgate.com/crime/article/Bay-Area-prostitution-site-myredbook-seized-by-5579285.php Pimps and [snip] have no place on escort boards...IMO To bad to...that was a big board in Cali. doubt they will close it TBD and PC weres busted out there to and they r still up. Edited June 26, 2014 by Mace 0 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted June 26, 2014 Holy cow - Any other Bay Area people or travelers - Redbook is gone - seized - IRS -FBI - DOJ This domain name is subject to both civil and criminal forfeiture. This seizure is based on probable cause to believe that this domain name was involved in money laundering derived from racketeering based on prostitution in violation of state and federal law. 0 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted June 26, 2014 So is EB and Backpage safe, I think not...... 0 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted June 26, 2014 (edited) maybe they are working there way west . Scary and dreadful Do you think EB and Backpage are safe ...I think not. Its like cutting the head off the dragon.. Edited June 26, 2014 by lilithia \//// 0 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted June 26, 2014 http://www.sfexaminer.com/sanfrancisco/sf-based-escort-website-myredbook-siezed-by-fbi/Content?oid=2830030 0 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted June 26, 2014 My guesss is had connnection to major pedofile ring busted last week 0 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted June 26, 2014 (edited) God that's gonna suck something fierce. Myredbook was THE NorCal board. Any given day there were a a few hundred ads just on the Peninsula alone not counting SF proper, South Bay or the dreaded East Bay (aka Oakland). It was a freaking "[snip]in the candy shop" sort of variety and a vast majority of it was legit. That will blow big time when I head back out there. Sigh... Yep. Many years ago, found my first legit experience on a trip to SF via Redbook... Edited June 26, 2014 by The Oxymoron 0 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted June 26, 2014 My guesss is had connnection to major pedofile ring busted last week You should really read the article attached. 0 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted June 26, 2014 I would assume - ALL advertising sites are at risk. Although, I dont know what laws and regulations they are required to obey. So..... Maybe I should not assume. 0 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted June 26, 2014 luce is correct that there is no mention of pedofile rings. We can go with that. I wonder tho how much is not said in the article. Port city and a major hub internationally for airlines could give a really good avenue for movement of many kinds of traffic. I suppose I could say my spidey sense is up. But, will we hear about things further, I wonder. Split the lines between underage trafficking and legal age people is the difficult part. If we will ever make escorting legal, finding the bad people will be a little easier I think. My thoughts anyway. 0 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted June 26, 2014 Yep, it's all Al Capone style take-downs. DAs/AGs might have a tough time proving other "root" crimes, but, following the money, and in this day and age of moving money electronically across state lines, a lot easier to prove, and is now federal level charges with stricter sentencing. But, no one should get to complacent. Other boards could be next (domain seizing is done all the time; see: off-shore gambling sites shutdown by feds), and imo don't use or accept credit (as we've seen, due to card processing, issuing banks, etc, it's cross-state wire fraud; past cases, johns have been contacted when their credit card use was found for high-profile busts). 0 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted June 26, 2014 http://www.sfgate.com/crime/article/Bay-Area-prostitution-site-myredbook-seized-by-5579285.php http://www.9news.com/story/news/local/2014/06/25/police-denver-pimp-took-16-year-old-to-wyoming/11378773/ 0 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted June 26, 2014 (edited) I can't stress this one enough. I'll just say that I'm very intimately involved with the card industry now after a good career of being a tech / business consultant. I would not take nor would I ever use credit cards in this industry. You'd be surprised how much data is collected, correlated and then trended at multiple levels (from the issuers i.e. banks, processors i.e. Visa / MC and form the swipes themselves). Transactions are already rated based on perceived risk and with the evolution of things like Square, there is GPS marking of where the transactions are occurring as well. And when chip/pin hit the US market (FINALLY) in 2015, it's going to get "worse" as far as the gray business market. P411 membership is one thing but taking a card as a provider or using a card as a client is up there on the shady level. The hammer won't come down yet but as soon as one of the big 4 feel they have enough data to accurately pin down the nature of the transaction, trust me, they will come down hard. if someone is stupid enough to use a CC and leave a paper trail ...they get what they get...IMO if its two-doller asshats trying to pimp out [snip - forbidden topic] girls "like they found".I say get um..and nail there asses.!!! Just stick with the ones who you know are over 21 ...card the chick...or bail. How hard is that? Girls who are of age do this by choice.I personally love to be rubbed on and told how much he wants me..but thats me. No site is 100% safe Edited June 26, 2014 by Mace Forbidden 0 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted June 26, 2014 Very similar site and features to the other board... http://m.sfgate.com/crime/article/Bay-Area-prostitution-site-myredbook-seized-by-5579285.php Brought to you by crime reporter Vivian Ho. "Ho", LOL. :rolleyes: 0 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted June 26, 2014 Update... MyRedBook seized by FBI, IRS; Alleged owners indicted: http://www.kcra.com/news/sex-listings-website-myredbook-seized-by-fbi-irs/26664688 0 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted June 26, 2014 There has to be a way these advertising sites can do age verification. 0 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted June 26, 2014 I hope you people are actually paying attention to Aurora Mike here, I may be new to the hobby but and this board but I really do feel this is very important. I have a family member who works as a computer programmer for a major financial institution in the credit card department. We actually looked up my "history" and it was an eye opening experience, they could basically predict my next purchase, what gas station i would put gas in at, what day i would put it it, and there was a crumb trail of where i had been around the local denver area. This is how is computer flags fraud use, anybody who uses a credit card for this hobby is signing their life away, Let me stress this again, Do not use your credit card. Cash only, yes i have become much moe paranoid now, and i think its a good thing. I can't stress this one enough. I'll just say that I'm very intimately involved with the card industry now after a good career of being a tech / business consultant. I would not take nor would I ever use credit cards in this industry. You'd be surprised how much data is collected, correlated and then trended at multiple levels (from the issuers i.e. banks, processors i.e. Visa / MC and form the swipes themselves). Transactions are already rated based on perceived risk and with the evolution of things like Square, there is GPS marking of where the transactions are occurring as well. And when chip/pin hit the US market (FINALLY) in 2015, it's going to get "worse" as far as the gray business market. P411 membership is one thing but taking a card as a provider or using a card as a client is up there on the shady level. The hammer won't come down yet but as soon as one of the big 4 feel they have enough data to accurately pin down the nature of the transaction, trust me, they will come down hard. 0 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted June 27, 2014 I can't stress this one enough. I'll just say that I'm very intimately involved with the card industry now after a good career of being a tech / business consultant. I would not take nor would I ever use credit cards in this industry. You'd be surprised how much data is collected, correlated and then trended at multiple levels (from the issuers i.e. banks, processors i.e. Visa / MC and form the swipes themselves). Transactions are already rated based on perceived risk and with the evolution of things like Square, there is GPS marking of where the transactions are occurring as well. And when chip/pin hit the US market (FINALLY) in 2015, it's going to get "worse" as far as the gray business market. P411 membership is one thing but taking a card as a provider or using a card as a client is up there on the shady level. The hammer won't come down yet but as soon as one of the big 4 feel they have enough data to accurately pin down the nature of the transaction, trust me, they will come down hard. I am confused by some of the wording in these articles, is the money considered laundered because they are guilty of facilitating? Or were they not playing by the rules with the money they were making? Do the recent events involving [snip] have anything at all to do with why it was seized? Was it an isolated event or just a perfect storm for RB? Couldn't all sites that take any form of payment whether it be for advertising, premium access or membership of any sorts be considered facilitating? Totally agree that the client/provider transaction should always be cash but does that work on a larger scale? Could you have a site like RB and accept anonymous cash donations for site "maintenance"? More of a general question, when [snips] are involved on such big sites is it up to the owner of the site to make sure that everyone is legit and are they held accountable if they don't? 0 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted June 27, 2014 (edited) From what I read, the owners were shuffling money around, always a red flag for Feds, especially in these days of following funds for terrorist organizations. Like Capone, when they might not be able to make a case for other criminal activities they will use whatever they can find to shut "undesirable" business down. Edited June 27, 2014 by Bit Banger Grammar 0 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted June 27, 2014 (edited) I am confused by some of the wording in these articles, is the money considered laundered because they are guilty of facilitating? Or were they not playing by the rules with the money they were making? Do the recent events involving [snip] have anything at all to do with why it was seized? Was it an isolated event or just a perfect storm for RB? Couldn't all sites that take any form of payment whether it be for advertising, premium access or membership of any sorts be considered facilitating? Totally agree that the client/provider transaction should always be cash but does that work on a larger scale? Could you have a site like RB and accept anonymous cash donations for site "maintenance"? More of a general question, when [snips] are involved on such big sites is it up to the owner of the site to make sure that everyone is legit and are they held accountable if they don't? I am not a lawyer, yet, from what I read in the actual indictment, the transfer of money is what got them and it goes back to 2010. Again, not a lawyer, yet, from everything I have read, the "facilitating charges" MAY be harder to prove, depending upon the criteria needed for a court of law. I think the last time these charges where used was in 2007, but could be wrong. Something to do with travel act or something like that. Maybe a REAL LAWYER can elaborate. These MAY be negotiated away in a plea deal, again NOT a LAWYER so WTF do I know. For myself, I am just watching and waiting to see if further arrest happen and if so What For. Maybe this is an example of what not to do as a board owner/operator when it comes to finances. At this point, I do not see this really having anything to do with providers, per say, again, WTF do I know. I have other opinions, yet, I think it is best to wait and see just what transpire instead of try to get all the details and information that isn't readily available to us. Just MHO Aloha PS as for the "forbidden topic", I doubt that had anything to do with the indictment as again the investigation, or counts go back to 2010 (23 of them out of 24). Every year there is an annual operation revolving the rescue (blank)and arrest of A-HOLE LOSER Johns who partake of "forbidden topic" and or abuse "forbidden topic". IMHO, no Lady should get into this business under the age of 21, again MO and EVERY ADVERTISING SITE should do age verification. The ones who do, to my knowledge P411 EB/EP EROS Edited June 27, 2014 by Heidi the Housewife wrong date, sorry 0 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted June 27, 2014 I don't know much about how Redbook operated, but from what I can tell TOB is strictly a outlet for discussion about many topics which could be considered fiction and unverifiable, yes? Also, the domain appears to be registered in Australia with the ownership in Canada (I think.) As Aurora Mike pointed out, there was money, taxes and other possible activity, that caught the Feds attention in Redbook's case. Hard to imagine that happening to TOB. On the other hand, my guess -- very uninformed guess -- is that EscortBoards could be a bit more vulnerable? But again, seems that being a vehicle for "speech" (as in the First Amendment) provides some protection. Thoughts? 0 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted June 27, 2014 Greetings from the San Francisco Bay Area, June 25, 2014 was an historic day. Myredbook.com and mypinkbook.com were shut down by the FBI and the IRS. RB, as we call it, made the mistake of allowing anyone to put up an ad. This means that underage workers did put up ads once in a while. It took time to figure out that the workers were underage and shut those ads down. Mypinkbook was a site used by providers. Information on staying safe was shared on a daily basis. The media is reporting a lot on RB, but PB is being ignored. The public does not want workers to be put in danger. They do not know that shutting down PB did just that. Here is an article that explains more: http://www.sfexaminer.com/sanfrancisco/sf-based-escort-website-myredbook-siezed-by-fbi/Content?oid=2830030 div.jp-audio, div.jp-video { /* Edit the font-size to counteract inherited font sizing. * Eg. 1.25em = 1 / 0.8em */ font-size:1.25em; } div#storyBody div.inlineAudio, div#AudioPlayer div.inlineAudio { width: 400px; margin: auto; } The San Francisco-based escort website MyRedbook.com was shut down by federal authorities Wednesday. Eric Omuro, 53, and Annmarie Lanoce, 40, were arrested during a FBI raid at a home in Mountain View. Both are charged with one count of interstate travel in the aid of a racketeering enterprise, and Omuro is charged with an additional twenty-four counts of money laundering. The suspects were arraigned in federal court in San Francisco this afternoon. At Wednesday's court session, Lanoce pleaded not guilty to the charges and was released by Judge Nathanael Cousins on a $250,000 unsecured bond, according to the court docket. Omuro, who did not enter a plea, is due back in Cousins' court at 9:30 a.m. Friday for identification of a defense attorney and entry of a plea. He was released on a $500,000 unsecured bond. Both were ordered to appear July 10 before U.S. District Judge William Orrick, the trial judge assigned to the case, in San Francisco for a status conference. Federal prosecutors say the pair used the mail and the Internet to facilitate prostitution. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Omuro ran two websites, sfredbook.com and myredbook.com, with Lanoce's assistance. Both domains were seized by the FBI today. In a statement posted on MyRedbook's homepage, the FBI said the domain was subject to civil and criminal forfeiture. "This seizure is based on probable cause to believe that this domain name was involved in money laundering derived from racketeering based on prostitution in violation of state and federal law," the statement says. MyRedbook billed itself as a place for escorts and massage parlors to advertise their services. However, the U.S. Attorney's office said in a statement, "The website hosted advertisements for prostitutes, complete with explicit photos, lewd physical descriptions, menus of sexual services, hourly and nightly rates, and customer reviews of the prostitutes’ services." According to the criminal indictment, Omuro used multiple aliases to transfer money from MyRedbook business bank accounts into accounts that he controlled. The indictment seeks the forfeiture of more than $5 million in property and assets Omuro allegedly gained by facilitating prostitution. FBI spokesman Peter Lee confirmed multiple arrest warrants were served throughout the South Bay, but could not reveal the total number of arrests or whether they were related to MyRedbook. CNN reports that the shutdown was part of a broad FBI crackdown on child prostitution, citing anonymous law enforcement sources. Kristina Dolgin, a spokeswoman for the Bay Area chapter of the Sex Workers Outreach Project, expressed concern that the raid would adversely effect a broad swath of local sex workers. Because it is free for escorts to post ads on MyRedbook, Dolgin said, "This will be impacting the most marginalized workers." Escorts use online services like MyRedbook to screen potential clients, Dolgin added. "Using an online platform, there is at least the opportunity to interact with the client from a distance," she said. "People may have to resort to less safe means of supporting themselves." However, MyRedbook has also been a resource for law enforcement targeting pimps. Local police have used the website to conduct stings. In 2011, San Mateo County prosecutors used the site to arrest several suspects who were believed to be pimping underage girls. Bay City News contributed to this report. 0 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted June 27, 2014 ... Here is an article that explains more: http://www.sfexaminer.com/sanfrancisco/sf-based-escort-website-myredbook-siezed-by-fbi/Content?oid=2830030 ... In a statement posted on MyRedbook's homepage, the FBI said the domain was subject to civil and criminal forfeiture. "This seizure is based on probable cause to believe that this domain name was involved in money laundering derived from racketeering based on prostitution in violation of state and federal law," ... Sounds like a RICO seizure where the American justice system is turned upside-down. Property has to prove its innocence rather than the prosecutors having to prove its guilt. What better way to shut down an "undesired" business? LE loves this because they get to keep the fast cars & fancy boats even though the perps they arrested get to walk because there wasn't a strong enough case. 0 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted June 27, 2014 On the first point, yes, they get what they deserve but I have watched this trend of more and more providers taking CC's, especially with the evolution of cell phone mag stripe readers, and more and more clients asking for it. It's a very dangerous proposition to be involved with there. The point I was hoping to make is that as an industry, I hope the trend reverses. Of course it's likely a moot point when chip/pin comes into effect because of the whole repudiation thing that comes with it. Nearly impossible to deny it was you anymore... As for girls choosing to do it, I agree wholeheartedly. As a widowed single father in his late 30s, I am extremely appreciative of the women in this industry. I'm not saying that to brown nose, I just do not have time to date and yet as the proud owner of a healthy and functioning penis, I enjoy some physical time with a beautiful woman that I otherwise couldn't give the time of day to (or her me) due to the demands of being both a dad and having a job and all that goes with that. So for what it's worth, even though you and I have never met, thank you. Sincerely, a big thank you. Awww we thank you guys, your the hole reason we are here;)..most of us just want the same things. to have some fun with no drama or anyone getting hurt. as for the "forbidden topic"...(sorry mods, did not mean to give ya extra work) moving things from one state to another is a fed charge "last time I checked anyway". And its not just RB, they have Nation Wide bust going on right now....watch the news, and eveyone stay safe out there as always JMO 0 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted June 28, 2014 (edited) Sounds like a RICO seizure where the American justice system is turned upside-down. Property has to prove its innocence rather than the prosecutors having to prove its guilt. What better way to shut down an "undesired" business? LE loves this because they get to keep the fast cars & fancy boats even though the perps they arrested get to walk because there wasn't a strong enough case. I too thought this was in regards to RICO, yet, from everything I have read so far, it is the Travel Act for the first count on the indictment. The rest has to do with money laundering and tax evasion. Again, I seems like it would be RICO or MANN ACT but it isn't to my knowledge. http://codes.lp.findlaw.com/uscode/18/I/95/1952 Edited June 28, 2014 by Heidi the Housewife added TRAVEL ACT 1952 0 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted June 28, 2014 Read the last line of the article Rachel quoted. "This seizure is based on probable cause to believe that this domain name was involved in money laundering derived from racketeering based on prostitution in violation of state and federal law," I think that's where RICO applies. 0 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted June 28, 2014 I just edited my post above to add the TRAVEL ACT. Racketeering is covered in the Travel Act Count One of the indictment states 1952 Travel Act. Again None of us are Lawyers, to my knowledge,so I am going off the Actual Indictment Aloha 0 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted June 28, 2014 Judge Cousins issued a bench warrant for his arrest when he failed to appear in court this morning. http://paloalto.patch.com/groups/police-and-fire/p/accused-redbook-owner-from-mtn-view-skips-court-appearance-warrant-issued45802 0 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted July 17, 2014 "Red" appeared in court and entered a not guilty plea on July 3rd. He's still out on a $500k bond. That seems to be the latest news. 0 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
