AMLO orders California Wow's 88 million baht worth of land frozen

[webfact]

AMLO orders California Wow's 88 million baht worth of land frozen



BANGKOK: -- The Anti-Money Laundering Office has ordered the freezing of five land plots in Phang-nga province worth an estimated 88 million baht belonging to California Wow Experience Plc and its executives after they were faulted with public fraud.

AMLO secretary-general Pol Col Sihanart Prayoonrat said Tuesday that the order was a result of intensive investigation by AMLO since June 2014 following request from the command for the suppression of offences related to consumers protection.

He said that investigation had shown that the fitness chain had wired about 1,699 million baht of money from its bank accounts to individuals in and out of the country during 2000-2001 despite the fact that the company was experiencing financial trouble. The money transferred constituted 99 percent of financial transactions undertaken during the period, he added.

California Wow Experience Plc headed by Mr Eric Mark Lerwin operated fitness business in 2000 until 2014 when the company folded up. The company which had several fitness studios promised its clients with adequate fitness equipments, trainers and other facilities.

However, Pol Col Sihanart said the company eventually closed down some branches and advised its clients to use the facilities of those still in business causing congestion and discomfort for clients.

This practice amounted to public fraud as the company failed to deliver the services as promised in its advertisements – an indication that the company has no intention from the beginning to serve its clients throughout the contractual periods,said the AMLO chief.

Chasing the money trail of the fitness chain, he said money was transferred from the company’s bank accounts to Fitness Estate Company with Mr Eric Mark

Lerwin as the managing director for the purchase of five land plots in Phang-nga province.

Later on, a board director was replaced by Latitude 43 company with Mr Eric as the beneficiary.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/content/147265

-- Thai PBS 2016-01-19

[NewlyMintedThai]

Levine. The name is Eric Levine.

[clockman]

Another scam merchant.

[NewlyMintedThai]

Absolutely.

[Pdaz]

Hope he rots in jail...

[Artisi]

Shame the authorities can't / don't act as quickly and severely when it's a Thai company / individual doing dodgy business....

[BuckBee]

^ just about type same. why government fraud & big thai corps not chased up to this investigation standard !

[englishoak]

Not really a scam though was it ? just a business transferring funds out of the country, just wasnt Thai benefiting for a change

No big a deal a few hiso lost their memberships.

Is he in custody ? I think not, how about his Thai partner ?

Edited January 19, 2016 by englishoak

[mrrizzla]

ALMO - Damn you guys work very slow or very selectively. You have A LOT of work to do.

[smutcakes]

Pity its about 5 years late and most of the money and persons involved are long gone!

[Prbkk]

As I recall, the money went to the Cook Islands, so bugger all chance of getting it or him back. Funny how the ordinary guys have to jump through hoops to repatriate money but the shysters, crooks and scam artists do it without difficulty. Wonder how?

[Prbkk]

Not really a scam though was it ? just a business transferring funds out of the country, just wasnt Thai benefiting for a change

No big a deal a few hiso lost their memberships.

Is he in custody ? I think not, how about his Thai partner ?

No, they made false declarations of losses and tried to hide the money by sending it out

[englishoak]

Not really a scam though was it ? just a business transferring funds out of the country, just wasnt Thai benefiting for a change

No big a deal a few hiso lost their memberships.

Is he in custody ? I think not, how about his Thai partner ?

No, they made false declarations of losses and tried to hide the money by sending it out

Still isnt a scam, its a gym not a ponzie scheme, so it was going pop and so what ? happens all the time..

And his partner was 100% Thai,although that seems to have been missed out in nearly all reports

[TheCruncher]

Not really a scam though was it ? just a business transferring funds out of the country, just wasnt Thai benefiting for a change

No big a deal a few hiso lost their memberships.

Is he in custody ? I think not, how about his Thai partner ?

No, they made false declarations of losses and tried to hide the money by sending it out

Still isnt a scam, its a gym not a ponzie scheme, so it was going pop and so what ? happens all the time..

And his partner was 100% Thai,although that seems to have been missed out in nearly all reports

Cawow was a scam, if they hadn't sent 1.6 Billion out of the country the gym would not have gone broke.

Keep in mind that Thailand was not the only country where Levine played this scam.

Edited January 19, 2016 by TheCruncher

[englishoak]

Not really a scam though was it ? just a business transferring funds out of the country, just wasnt Thai benefiting for a change

No big a deal a few hiso lost their memberships.

Is he in custody ? I think not, how about his Thai partner ?

No, they made false declarations of losses and tried to hide the money by sending it out

Still isnt a scam, its a gym not a ponzie scheme, so it was going pop and so what ? happens all the time..

And his partner was 100% Thai,although that seems to have been missed out in nearly all reports

Cawow was a scam, if they hadn't sent 1.6 Billion out of the country the gym would not have gone broke.

Keep in mind that Thailand was not the only country where Divine played this scam.

You mean like Thailands scam for stopping funds being taken out the country yet has no limit on bringing in ?

Ya id noticed that.

Nothing unusual about that kind of thing here

[talayjay]

He was the darling of society. http://www.dmc.tv/pages/en/scoop/Eric-Levine-WoW.html

Remember that bullshit wins in this country. Financial advisors, lawyers, monks/ religious speakers, charity workers and Eric Levine; they all fit in the same basket.....

[Thian]

Pity its about 5 years late and most of the money and persons involved are long gone!

The location at the esplanade chaengwattana is still not rented out to another company. It's been empty for many years.

It sure was a scam, they tried to sell me a lifetime membership for 50.000 while my friend bought one for 20.000 some months before.

I would get a free towell though which was needed because i saw all of them putting their feet/shoes on the seats.

Edited January 19, 2016 by Thian

[TheCruncher]

Pity its about 5 years late and most of the money and persons involved are long gone!

The location at the esplanade chaengwattana is still not rented out to another company. It's been empty for many years.

It sure was a scam, they tried to sell me a lifetime membership for 50.000 while my friend bought one for 20.000 some months before.

I would get a free towell though which was needed because i saw all of them putting their feet/shoes on the seats.

I paid 13K for lifetime full use at all branches, and got bag and 2 large towels for free. The branch at Avenue Pattaya is still not rented out, but I think that has to do with all tenants over there got a very long term lease at a very cheap one time payment.

[ezzra]

When I try to send couple of thousand of dollars overseas I'm being asked many questions and have to

fill several request forms, so I guess when you send 1.6 billions out of the country, the rules are different....

[NewlyMintedThai]

If you are a corporation all you need is an invoice to send money out. Simple.

[luckizuchinni]

Paid $7,000 baht for a "lifetime" membership,with 100 baht annual renewal fees. I got four years out of it, so it was money well spent. The equipment was pretty good in them as well.

[springheeled jack]

writing a column like this you must get it right especially the names of the people involved the name mark eric lerwin is incorrect should read mark eric Levine .

[robblok]

Pity its about 5 years late and most of the money and persons involved are long gone!

The location at the esplanade chaengwattana is still not rented out to another company. It's been empty for many years.

It sure was a scam, they tried to sell me a lifetime membership for 50.000 while my friend bought one for 20.000 some months before.

I would get a free towell though which was needed because i saw all of them putting their feet/shoes on the seats.

I paid 13K for lifetime full use at all branches, and got bag and 2 large towels for free. The branch at Avenue Pattaya is still not rented out, but I think that has to do with all tenants over there got a very long term lease at a very cheap one time payment.

Paid 15k never expected it to last and got my moneys worth. So be it.. But it was a scam but I am not complaining. I knew it was going to fall when I bought into it (just figured if i got enough months of working out it would be ok and it was). But not everyone was that lucky.

[MyFriend You]

Paid $7,000 baht for a "lifetime" membership,with 100 baht annual renewal fees. I got four years out of it, so it was money well spent. The equipment was pretty good in them as well.

Is that 7000 USD?? When other people I know paid 20-35K Thai Baht for 'Lifetime memberships' You must have gotten the Double Diamond membership 'free massages with happy endings' for life just kidd'n it worked out to about $140 a month.

[SOTIRIOS]

...doubt that he acted alone...

...how can 'a foreigner' (?) ever wire so much money out of Thailand.....

...is that his real name....or is it a Thai that changed his name....???

[HerbalEd]

Not really a scam though was it ? just a business transferring funds out of the country, just wasnt Thai benefiting for a change

No big a deal a few hiso lost their memberships.

Is he in custody ? I think not, how about his Thai partner ?

It's a scam when hundreds of customers pay for services and then are left in the cold when the business shuts down. Especially when the owner remains very wealthy.

[HerbalEd]

Not really a scam though was it ? just a business transferring funds out of the country, just wasnt Thai benefiting for a change

No big a deal a few hiso lost their memberships.

Is he in custody ? I think not, how about his Thai partner ?

No, they made false declarations of losses and tried to hide the money by sending it out

Still isnt a scam, its a gym not a ponzie scheme, so it was going pop and so what ? happens all the time..

And his partner was 100% Thai,although that seems to have been missed out in nearly all reports

Yeah ... it's not a scam until "you" are the one who loses money.

[Thian]

1,699 million baht is that 1699 million baht? or 1.699 million? Yes i'm european .

[TheCruncher]

1,699 million baht is that 1699 million baht? or 1.699 million? Yes i'm european .

No that is 1 Billion and six hundred ninety nine Million.

[NewlyMintedThai]

...doubt that he acted alone...

...how can 'a foreigner' (?) ever wire so much money out of Thailand.....

...is that his real name....or is it a Thai that changed his name....???

A corporation can transfer money easily.

And it was a public company, so it wasn't just the fitness club members he scammed -- it was the company's hundreds of shareholders, too.