Roland Brammer, Freelance Writer
NEW YORK:
OVER 2,000 JAMAICANS, some Latinos and African-Americans are reported to be among the victims of a US$31 million investment scam allegedly initiated by Anthony Blissett of A.B. Financing & Investments, Inc., a Florida-based investment company.
The majority of the 2,000 investors are retired Jamaicans who invested their life savings with Anthony Blissett and his company. These first time investors are now in a quandary as to whether they will get back all the money they invested or even some portion.
Blissett and his Associates promised these first-timers, 30 per cent profit on their investments and assured them that their monies were safe and insured. However what Blissett and company was allegedly doing was to use new investors to pay off the debt of the old investors.
The Securities and Exchange Commission has since filed a complaint with the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida, along with a Motion for an Order to Show Cause why Defendant Anthony Blissett (Blissett) should not be held in contempt for failure to comply with a previous Court Order.
The Motion alleged that Blissett failed to provide a sworn accounting for AB Financing & Investments, Inc in accordance with a Court Order entered on December 6, 2002. According to the Securities and Exchange Commission(SEC), the Court entered an Order of Preliminary Injunction and Other Relief. The Court orders required Blissett to provide the Commission with sworn accounting documents of all monies received by him from any other defendants and Relief Defendants. To date, Blissett has not complied.
On December 6, 2002, the Hon Ursula Ungaro-Benages, Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida, on Motion of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), entered an Order against A.B. Financing & Investments, Inc. ("ABFI"), Anthony W. Blissett, Blissco Properties, Inc. ("Blissco"), JamRock Marketplace, Inc. ("JamRock") and Caribbean Cultural Art & Exhibition Centre, Inc. ("Caribbean Cultural") temporarily restraining them from violating the anti-fraud provisions of the Federal Securities laws and freezing their assets.
The Court Appointed Receiver, Michael Goldberg, whose role is to marshall and safeguard all or said assets has located approximately $1 million in cash, along with five commercial real estate properties that were purchased by Blissco, utilising funds ABFI raised from investors.
