homesmillbrae.com » Fbi Agent

Movies opening Friday in S.F. Bay Area

Fri, 28 Jun 2013 02:09:37 +0000

The Heat The cop-buddy flick goes full chick mode in this tale of a mismatched FBI agent (Sandra Bullock) and a Boston police detective (Melissa McCarthy). The fed doesn’t do team playing well, and the testy, street-smart detective scares the heck out of perps – and colleagues. Let the zaniness begin. Rated R.

Hey Bartender The elixir of bar life comes not from the heady crowd but the vibrant blending of artistry, assessment and engagement. Shrewd bartenders take their cues from customers, funnel their own passion into the mix and gauge the result. Observe as masters of the craft turn their lives upside down in this new age of cocktail creativity. Not rated.

Laurence Anyways Every relationship demands give-and-take, but when Laurence confesses he wants to be a she, girlfriend Fred vows to stay put. Over a 10-year evolution, they try to defy the doubts of family, friends and the culture – and that’s not counting the physical violence. In French and English with subtitles. Not rated.

The Secret Disco Revolution Envision the free-flowing days of 1970s disco as clubs pulse with sex, drugs, polyester and glitter balls. This documentary tosses out a freaky concept: It was not just a good time, it was a revolution: Mainstream clubs’ dance floors – and stages – all aswirl with gay people, minorities and women shaking off their inhibitions in public. Just call it the ultimate crossover. Not rated.

20 Feet From Stardom Their voices ring out so familiar, but you cannot match a face to the vocals. Say hello to the music world’s backup singers – gifted artists who holler and whisper, dance and bust their chops in the shadows. Until now. Rated PG-13.

Unfinished Song Cranky Arthur (Terence Stamp) sees no reason to sing about sex – or anything else – even if it makes the wife happy. The magic of song tries to cast a spell on the guy, as does an unconventional choir. Maybe the sweet music director can coax the crustiness out of Arthur. Rated PG-13.

White House Down A Capitol cop (Channing Tatum) fibs to his daughter about a Secret Service job and next thing you know, assailants attack the White House. The cop, touring the president’s (Jamie Foxx) home with his kid, flexes his muscles and smarts, and whisks the nation’s leader out of there – but his daughter and the staff remain hostages. Expect a crash-bang, burn-it-up counterassault. Rated PG-13.

- Deborah G. Guadan, dguadan@sfchronicle.com

Article source: http://www.sfgate.com/movies/article/Movies-opening-Friday-in-S-F-Bay-Area-4624242.php

Hearing postponed for SF man accused of posing as Congo president’s son

Tue, 25 Jun 2013 01:59:45 +0000

click to enlarge

www.facebook.com/blessed.herve
A smooth-talking man named Blessed Marvelous Herve, 41, seen here riding the high seas in high style, has been accused of bilking a Bay Area couple out of $1.6 million.

Even this swanky scamming suspect’s name will fool you.

Blessed Marvelous Herve, 41, of San Francisco, is facing as many as 20 years in prison for defrauding a Bay Area couple out of $1.6 million while posing as the son of a Congolese president, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

On Tuesday, Herve was scheduled to appear in federal court in The City, but it was continued to May 8.

The alleged ruse began in 2005 when Herve met a Marin real estate agent and convinced him that his father was Congo’s president and wanted to purchase several multimillion-dollar homes, FBI Agent Brian Weber said in an affidavit. Herve allegedly got the real estate agent to front some $30,000 for the rental of bulletproof limousines for when Herve’s father arrived to tour properties.

In 2008, Weber said, Herve told the victim that the U.S. government had seized $43 million from him and that he was battling to retain the money at the federal courthouse in San Francisco. Herve signed two promissory notes stating he would pay the victim $1.5 million in exchange for financial support during the court process, Weber said.

At the time, the victim reportedly believed Herve had been living in the lavish Four Seasons Hotel near Union Square, although he never saw his room and the hotel has no record of Herve living there.

The victim regularly met Herve in the lobby of the Four Seasons and often gave him rides to the courthouse, Weber said. In regards to the court case, Herve allegedly convinced the victim that the hearings were being held in secret under the U.S. Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.

Meanwhile, the victim and his girlfriend went broke while supplying Herve with funds. The victim was tapped out in 2009 after giving Herve $635,000, Weber said. From 2009 to 2012, Herve reportedly told the couple he was in federal custody due to his court case and could only communicate by phone. During that time, Weber said, the girlfriend provided him $970,000 through wire transfers on the promise that Herve would repay upon his release.
Herve was born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and granted asylum in 1999 before becoming a U.S. citizen last month, court records show.

The real estate agent told investigators he was fooled because Herve was reportedly knowledgeable about the Bay Area real estate market and had what appeared to be credible documents from top dignitaries.

Herve certainly remained in character on his Facebook page, where photographs show him wearing dapper suits and bragging about shopping sprees in Paris. There also are letters of praise allegedly from the likes of U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein and former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown.

maldax@sfexaminer.com

Article source: http://www.sfexaminer.com/sanfrancisco/hearing-postponed-for-sf-man-accused-of-posing-as-congo-presidents-son/Content?oid=2336884

Man charged with defrauding Marin real estate agent

Fri, 03 May 2013 07:47:47 +0000

A San Francisco man was arrested last week after allegedly duping a Marin County real estate agent and his girlfriend out of $1.6 million by claiming to be the son of the president of the Congo.

Blessed Marvelous Herve, 41, was charged with wire fraud in a federal criminal complaint April 24 and arrested in San Francisco according to U.S. Attorney Melinda Haag.

Herve faces a maximum prison sentence of 20 years if convicted. He made his first appearance in Federal Court in San Francisco on April 25 and remained in custody.

According to court documents filed by the FBI, Herve used a variation of the scam referred to as a “Nigerian Prince” or “Nigerian Letter” scheme, where by an individual claims ties to a wealthy foreign dignitary with fabulous wealth and seeks advance fees for administrative and other costs, promising full repayment of the fees plus bonuses to the victim.

Herve made his first contact with the Marin County real estate agent, when he responded to an advertisement the agent had run for a luxury home in Tiburon late in 2005, FBI Agent Brian Weber said in an affidavit.

Herve claimed to be the son of president of the Congo and was seeking a real estate agent to help him purchase millions of dollars in property in the Bay Area. He told the real estate agent identified only by his initials as “BE” in court documents he wanted to use the agent for these purchases, Weber said.

Herve then told the real estate agent the U. S. government had seized more than $43 million of his assets, and he need the real estate agent’s financial assistance. Over the next three years he told the agent and his girlfriend that he was in federal custody because of the alleged court case and could only communicated by phone.

The real estate agent transferred $635,000 to Herve, who promised to pay back the money as well as bonuses when he was released from custody and the fortune in allegedly seized money would be returned to him, according to court files.

By November 2009, the real estate agent was out of money and unable to meet Herve’s financial demands to support his quest and the agent’s girlfriend began to make payments.

The girlfriend referred to only by her initials of “KW” in court documents began making payments to Herve in 2009. She paid $970,000 through more than 200 wire transfers to Herve between November 2009 and October 2012, according to court documents.

Herve claimed he needed money to pay for expenses incurred during his supposed incarceration. Under Herve’s direction the girlfriend paid $10,000 for medical care while in prison, and $50,000 for court costs and prison transportation.

The real estate agent said Herve seemed credible because he had court documents that appeared to be a criminal complaint on official U.S. Department of Justice letterhead that contained the words “United States of America v. Blessed M. Herve” and the agent believe the documents to be authentic and a part of the claimed court case, according to court documents.

Herve also shared a certificate of Special Congressional Recognition from a member of Congress, an asylum approval letter from the Department of Justice and a birth certificate for his daughter.

The documents and Herve’s knowledge of the Bay Area real estate market made the real estate agent feel comfortable and painted Herve as an upstanding and trustworthy individual, Weber said.

Weber’s investigation of the case showed Herve is not the son of Joseph Kabila, the president of the Democratic Republic of Congo since January 2001 who is also 41, had “no intent or means” to repay his victims, had no court case concerning the alleged seizure of $43 million and was not in federal prison from 2009 to 2012.

Herve was born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, was granted asylum in the United States in 1999 and became a U.S. citizen in March 2013, according to the affidavit.

He told the real estate agent that he lived in the Four Seasons Hotel in San Francisco. But the agent never saw his room and the hotel has no record of Herve ever living at the hotel, Weber said.

Contact Soren Hemmila at shemmila@marinscope.com.

Article source: http://www.marinscope.com/mill_valley_herald/news/article_8600ce76-b365-11e2-a783-001a4bcf887a.html

San Francisco: Man who claimed to be son of Congo president charged with …

Sun, 28 Apr 2013 00:42:12 +0000

SAN FRANCISCO – A San Francisco man who claimed to be the son of the president of the Congo has been arrested and charged with fraud for allegedly bilking a Marin County real estate agent and his girlfriend of $1.6 million.

Blessed Marvelous Herve, 41, was charged with one count of wire fraud in a federal criminal complaint Wednesday and arrested in San Francisco that evening, according to U.S. Attorney Melinda Haag.

The complaint was filed under seal and was unsealed after Herve made his initial appearance in federal court in San Francisco on Thursday.

Herve, who is in custody, was ordered to return to the court of U.S. Magistrate Nathaniel Cousins on Monday for a bail hearing.

The wire fraud charge has a possible maximum sentence of 20 years in prison if Herve is convicted.

An affidavit filed with the complaint by FBI Agent Brian Weber said Herve was born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, was granted asylum in the United States in 1999 and became a U.S. citizen last month.

Weber alleged in the affidavit that Herve defrauded the unidentified real estate agent and his girlfriend of $1.6 million between 2006 and 2012 by telling them a series of stories.

Herve allegedly at first told the agent that his father was the president of the Congo and wanted to buy several multimillion-dollar homes in the Bay Area.

Later, he said he needed help in recovering $43 million the U.S. government had

supposedly seized from him. He promised the agent millions of dollars in bonuses, according to the affidavit.

Weber said the real estate agent gave Herve $635,000 until he became financially broke in 2009. At that point, the agent’s girlfriend starting supplying money through bank wire transfers until she had given a total of $970,000 and also became broke in 2012, the affidavit said.

In 2008, the affidavit said, Herve told the real estate agent he was in trial in a federal court case in San Francisco to recover his money. But he told the agent he couldn’t watch the court hearings because they were being held in secret under the authority of the U.S. Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.

Weber wrote that Herve told the real estate agent he lived in the Four Seasons Hotel in San Francisco and that the agent regularly met him in the hotel lobby to give him rides to the federal courthouse in 2008. But the agent never saw his rooms and the hotel has no record of Herve living there that year, Weber said in the affidavit.

From 2009 to 2012, Herve told the agent and his girlfriend he was in federal custody in connection with the alleged court case and communicated with them only by phone, promising that he would get his funds as soon as he was freed.

Weber wrote that the real estate agent said Herve seemed credible because he had documents including a complimentary letter from a U.S. senator and seemed confident and knowledgeable about the Bay Area real estate market.

The FBI agent wrote that the investigation of the case indicates Herve is not the son of a Congolese president, had “no intent or means” to repay his victims, had no court case concerning the alleged seizure of $43 million and was not in federal prison from 2009 to 2012.

Weber wrote that Herve’s alleged actions appear to have been a variation of a scam sometimes referred to as a “Nigerian Prince” or “Nigerian Letter” scheme, in which a person claims ties to a wealthy foreign dignitary and seeks advance fees for gaining access to that wealth.

Article source: http://www.mercurynews.com/crime-courts/ci_23121712/san-francisco-man-who-claimed-be-son-congo