America’s Wanted Financial Scam Ringleader Rienzie Edwards Is Karu’s And Navin’s Chum
December 19, 2016
America’s wanted Sri Lankan Rienzie Edwards, alleged ringleader, swindler and money launderer is a close friend of both speaker Karu Jayasuriya and his son in law Minister of Plantation Industries Navin Dissanayake Colombo Telegraph can reveal today.
The 55 year old Edwards was on the 12th of December 2016 indicted by a Washington court along with five other accomplices on charges of swindling investors to the tune of over US $ 50 million.
Speaker Karu Jayasuriya a close associate of Edwards, was earlier seen chaperoning the now accused US swindler, when an Indian Spiritual Guru visited the island nation. This was besides him being the chief guest on several occasions along with his Ministerial son in law, at the Royal Turf Club Nuwara Eliya horse races organized and conducted by Edwards.
According to the allegations contained in the Indictment: From at least June 2013 through August 2016, Rienzi Edwards, Michael Jacobs, Ruby Handler-Jacobs, F.K. Ho, Lawrence Lester and Rachel Gendreau orchestrated and executed a fraudulent high-yield investment programme known as the “Cities Upliftment Programme,” or CUP, which the defendants falsely told investors was operated by the New York Fed. The scheme was principally designed and operated by Edwards, with the assistance of Jacobs and Handler-Jacobs, and was marketed to investors around the world through brokers, including Ho, Lester, and Gendreau.” The statement also said that, Michael Jacobs, Handler-Jacobs, Lester and Gendreau were arrested by the US law enforcement authorities. It also said that Edwards and Ho are currently at large.
The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Paul G. Gardephe. Arraignment is scheduled for December 20, 2016, in federal court in Manhattan. “Edwards, 55, of Sri Lanka, Jacobs, 64, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Handler-Jacobs, 64, of Albuquerque, New Mexico are each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of wire fraud, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison; one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering and two counts of money laundering, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; one count of conducting monetary transactions in unlawful funds, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison; one count of conspiracy to impersonate employees of the United States, which carries a maximum sentence of five years; one count of impersonating employees of the United States, which carries a maximum sentence of three years; and aggravated identity theft, which carries a maximum sentence of two years in prison.”
However claiming his innocence in an interview over the telephone, Edwards had told Sunday Times Business Online that he was unaware of these charges, as he had not been contacted by any US authoritative government body to date. He had also claimed that he did not know any of the others accused in this case.
