American Expat Deported Over Fraud Charges

[webfact]

Phuket expat deported over fraud charges

MILLER’S CROSSING: Roger Miller, facing extradition on fraud charges,

says he was cheated by two American partners.

PHUKET: -- American Roger Miller today pleaded to the press that he himself was a victim of fraud as he faces immediate extradition to Florida for allegedly defrauding investors of US$1.2 million.

“Between 2006 and 2009, Mr Miller operated a real estate business named Rama Lama Mortgage that dealt with property transactions including estate mortgages,” Phuket Immigration Superintendent Panuwat Ruamrak explained at a press conference this morning.

“He offered the opportunity to invest in or buy properties in Thailand and promised return rates as high as 10 to 30 per cent. Investors never received what had been agreed to.

“There were over 10 victims [of this fraud], most of them from the USA and Canada. Damages amount to over $1.2 million,” he added.

“As far as we know, none of the victims are Thai,” he added.

Mr Miller, however, alleged that two American partners in a company he started in 2007 took the invested money and disappeared.

“We planned to do a 140-unit condominium project on 7½ rai of land in Phang Nga. However, my partner Matthew Willie and I found out that we were left for bust by two other partners in late 2008,” he said.

“We trusted them, but we realized there was no money in the bank accounts. The attorney wasn’t paid and if I had not come back to Thailand I would have lost the land. I came over to stay and ‘clean house’ as they say. Pay bills and taxes.

“Many investors called me and I always answered. I never hid from them. I didn’t flee, I came here to try to solve the problem. The investors, they are all my friends for years and a lot of them are my family,” he added.

Mr Miller said he had no idea where the two alleged partners were and that he was planning to speak with his attorney in America to determine how to handle them.

Col Panuwat told the press that Phuket Immigration was contacted by a Florida court at the beginning of August to assist in the investigation and arrest of Mr Miller.

They found him at his home in Thung Thong, Kathu, on August 16.

“After we learnt of the warrant for Mr Miller’s arrest, we canceled his visa on August 16. The reason for this was, according to the Immigration Act, we believe his behavior to be harmful towards society,” Col Panuwat said.

“We will extradite with cooperation from the US Embassy so that legal action against him can proceed. We will send him to Immigration in Bangkok by this evening and then wait to hear from the embassy,” he added.

Source: http://www.phuketgazette.net/news/detail.asp?id=10838

-- Phuket Gazette 2011-08-18

[Sadiegirl1975]

The reason for this was, according to the Immigration Act, we believe his behavior to be harmful towards society,” Col Panuwat said.

That made my day!!!

Talk about the pot calling the kettle black!!! Being a fraudster must be a protected job for Thai's only.

[Dag]

Its in the cannot take a job from Thais list.

[asdecas]

"Rama Lama Mortgage"?

Frankly, if you gave money to a company with such a name, you deserve A Lop Bam A Loo Bam, A Lop Bam Boom.

[batanha]

I wish they'd deport more of these foreign real estate crooks.

[risky11]

What if he is telling the truth? Sounds like an honest guy to me. Whatever happened to "innocent until proven guilty?" False accusations are certainly on the rise.

[cloudhopper]

I wish they'd deport more of these foreign real estate crooks.

Hear hear. Not limited to RE by any means in Phuket either.

[henryalleman]

“He offered the opportunity to invest in or buy properties in Thailand and promised return rates as high as 10 to 30 per cent. Investors never received what had been agreed to.

If someone offer me this kind of return, I know enough. Only suckers or very greedy fall for this

[Boater]

What if he is telling the truth? Sounds like an honest guy to me. Whatever happened to "innocent until proven guilty?" False accusations are certainly on the rise.

i would have to agree here, the whole purpose of buying off - plan, and recieving such high returns of 10-30% is there is a certain ' risk ' involved .....

there have been countless developments all over the world, where people have put there money into property ' off plan ' only to recieve nothing... , but then many thousands have done this and received what they where offered.

If this guy truly did pay 22 million a rai for this land, he was duped from the start, and i have seen people like this ....

[zippydedodah]

What if he is telling the truth? Sounds like an honest guy to me. Whatever happened to "innocent until proven guilty?" False accusations are certainly on the rise.

i would have to agree here, the whole purpose of buying off - plan, and recieving such high returns of 10-30% is there is a certain ' risk ' involved .....

there have been countless developments all over the world, where people have put there money into property ' off plan ' only to recieve nothing... , but then many thousands have done this and received what they where offered.

If this guy truly did pay 22 million a rai for this land, he was duped from the start, and i have seen people like this ....

innocent until proven guilty is not commonplace legal practice. Guilty until proven innocent is more widely used.

[tragickingdom]

Any which way you look at it, it is curious, you do not build much of a condominium for that money. It is no task either for the immigration police to parade a guy like this for the camera's. he is innocent till proven guilty. It is as dumb as DSK parading for the press. The social IQ of policemen worldwide must be following the same line as the bourse.

[alexth]

“He offered the opportunity to invest in or buy properties in Thailand and promised return rates as high as 10 to 30 per cent. Investors never received what had been agreed to.

If someone offer me this kind of return, I know enough. Only suckers or very greedy fall for this

Well, than you must be one, cause if you do your homework well, this can be a realistic return

[grumpyoldman]

Looks like any money he swindled, he then spent at the dinner table.............

[Tanaka]

"Rama Lama Mortgage"?

Frankly, if you gave money to a company with such a name, you deserve A Lop Bam A Loo Bam, A Lop Bam Boom.

"Rama Lama Dingdong" with The Edsels 1957. Like you say, I would not give money to a company with that name.

[YellowFeverCAD]

"He offered the opportunity to invest in or buy properties in Thailand and promised return rates as high as 10 to 30 per cent. Investors never received what had been agreed to.

If someone offer me this kind of return, I know enough. Only suckers or very greedy fall for this

So very sad to read nonsense like the above. I just finished a 100 day oil trading agreement that paid me 25% ROI in that time frame.. which last time I checked was .25% a day... the people that are so busy sitting around making their 3% a year in their bank think that anything that is a GOOD return must be a fraud. It's ok by me if guys like you don't have the interest or skill to research and prove yourself deals like this are out there, but to assume they aren't without doing your DD is very sad to see.

[quandow]

"Rama Lama Mortgage"?

Frankly, if you gave money to a company with such a name, you deserve A Lop Bam A Loo Bam, A Lop Bam Boom.

You forgot to finish it: "Tutti Fruiti!"

[khaowong1]

Its in the cannot take a job from Thais list.

[stevenl]

"He offered the opportunity to invest in or buy properties in Thailand and promised return rates as high as 10 to 30 per cent. Investors never received what had been agreed to.

If someone offer me this kind of return, I know enough. Only suckers or very greedy fall for this

So very sad to read nonsense like the above. I just finished a 100 day oil trading agreement that paid me 25% ROI in that time frame.. which last time I checked was .25% a day... the people that are so busy sitting around making their 3% a year in their bank think that anything that is a GOOD return must be a fraud. It's ok by me if guys like you don't have the interest or skill to research and prove yourself deals like this are out there, but to assume they aren't without doing your DD is very sad to see.

We're talking real estate here.

[FrankieDimes]

How long ago was he swindled?? "I am going to speak with my attorney in the USA to see what can be done?" Why didn't he take legal action against his partners years ago? That is, if he is telling the truth!!!!

[plumeria]

Arrest does not mean guilty.

Cancelling his visa was a low blow and way toooooo quick to kiss America's ass.

Minimal investigation before any action would probably have done justice better service.

Very unimpressive local police work.

Edited August 20, 2011 by plumeria

[bdw]

Very unimpressive local police work.

Isn't that the LOCAL standard ?

[marinediscoking]

For a project that size there should have been money in a escrow account for the project to protect investors. How much of the project was completed? His answers don't hold water with me, but I do not know what project he was involved in.

[grumpyoldman]

For a project that size there should have been money in a escrow account for the project to protect investors.

:cheesy: :cheesy:

Somebody just fell off the durian truck as it was rolling through Patong.......................

Many of these projects stop (when they run out of cash) and start building when they can scam some newbies buying off a project spec.

See the David Lloyd project, Indochine Villas............. dozens of them on the island. Phuket is full of RE boondoggles.

[marinediscoking]

For a project that size there should have been money in a escrow account for the project to protect investors.

:cheesy: :cheesy:

Somebody just fell off the durian truck as it was rolling through Patong.......................

Many of these projects stop (when they run out of cash) and start building when they can scam some newbies buying off a project spec.

See the David Lloyd project, Indochine Villas............. dozens of them on the island. Phuket is full of RE boondoggles.

Many of the bigger condo projects I have seen have seen require the LTD to have several million baht in registered capital. That way one can sue the company for those assets is what I meant to say.