Mike sent a coded message to Igor telling him to stay away from the yacht and meet him at the safe house which was actually a penthouse overlooking the bay. Mike had a telescope in the window looking down at the marina.
Igor arrived and said what is going on Mike?
The broker contacted me about the hotel sale, the buyer wants to meet with me and he knew my name. There is no way the broker gave that away, I pay him a huge sum to keep my name off all the transactions. This is a setup and somebody is feeding information to the Feds, take a look down there
Igor looked through the telescope and saw a black van with tinted windows
That van has been there for the last two days, its most likely the FBI, they are waiting for me to get on the yacht said Mike. Fortunately I wiped all the computers clean on the yacht last time I was there so they will find nothing.
I bet its Ivan who is working with the Feds, he has given us a lot of leads but has started to complain that we were not giving him a big enough payout for each deal, he has probably cut a deal with the Feds to get a new identity and immunity. Have your boys take him out as soon as possible
Consider it done said Igor, they will be waiting for him when he leaves for work in the morning. So what’s the plan for the rest of the operation Mike?
We need to shut everything down and arrange for Mike Mason to disappear forever, you know the drill we rehearsed said Mike as he handed Igor his wallet, passport, briefcase and some clothes
I’ll get these to your stunt double, when would you like it to happen? asked Igor
Later this month , the day before I am supposed to meet the buyer with the broker because the Feds will have all their teams in town that day. I want the Feds to consider they have shut us down by seizing my yacht and a string of commercial properties. I have already transferred a lot of assets to a new company in the Cayman Islands, we can start up again in 12 months when the heat has died down but we will have new identities.
That will give me time to get plastic surgery in Switzerland said Igor, I might even get some liposuction on this said Igor with a chuckle clutching his belly
Who will we be this time asked Igor?
Well I am going to be businessman called Trevor Evans from England, I will have plenty of time to brush up on my English accent before we go live again said Mike who handed Igor a bunch of passports, which one of them would you like to be?
Igor sifted through the passports and picked out Hans Shmidt from Switzerland. I always wanted to be Swiss and I can perfect my accent while recuperating from plastic surgery with a handsome young Swiss boyfriend.
Not much more we can do today so how about we break open a few bottles said Mike
Sure thing Mike said Igor or should I start calling you Trevor?
They drank late into the night swapping tales of their exploits and planning schemes for the future.
The next day Igor got word that his boys had shot Ivan outside his apartment in Moscow.
Good work said Mike lets get everything set up today and get the hell out of Miami before it all hits the fan
Igor made a few calls and said goodbye to Mike
See you in the Cayman Islands next year my friend
Once he was alone, Mike looked into the mirror and said its time for you to disappear now Mike, thanks for all the good times. He took off his wig and fake beard and took a shower. He picked up his cellphone and made a call.
Mellissa answered saying hi Peter will you be flying back to DC today?
Absolutely, I will not be traveling again until the end of the month, plenty of time for me to hang out with young David. Lets plan our next vacation in England, you have always wanted to visit London.
Later that month, Peter met with the FBI in Miami a few hours before the meeting with the broker, they fitted him with the wire and rehearsed everything to make sure he knew the code words to let them know if he felt in danger.
Peter showed up at the broker’s office early but there was no sign of Mike Mason. They chatted for a long time before the broker stepped out to try and reach Mike. He returned saying that he had called, sent texts and emails to Mike but there was no reply. After two hours Peter said it looks like Mike is a no show and he left the office. He met the FBI across the street.
We think we know why he did not show up said the FBI agent. Key Biscayne State Park rangers found a briefcase on the beach. Witnesses recall a man undressing and entering the water naked but nobody saw him return. His rental car was found nearby, Mike Mason’s wallet and passport were in the briefcase together with a suicide note.
Oh so that the end of the case then? asked Peter
Perhaps said the FBI agent, we will keep looking for him but you can go back to DC now, thank you for helping us, you are a fine outstanding citizen.
Peter flew home to his family, he started to watch a lot of English TV and hired a voice coach to perfect his English accent
Peter took David for ice cream then took him home, he let him play video games on the TV. Melissa arrived soon after and asked Peter why he had not answered her texts all day. He made sure David was out of earshot and explained everything that had happened.
This is outrageous said Melissa, you have to complain to the police about being treated this way
They are the police said David and I had my attorney verify that the search warrant was valid, this must all be a big mistake on their part. Lets go out to dinner tonight and I will meet my attorney tomorrow to sort all this out
Thank goodness we have a long private driveway said Melissa, hopefully the neighbors did not see all this going on
Peter learned that he FBI had also raided his office at the same time they raided his home and taken away files and computers. His staff had all been sent home and told to say nothing about the raid.
He met with his attorney the next day who had set up a meeting at the FBI office in Washington DC later that day
There were three FBI officers present at the meeting with Peter and his attorney, all very senior and deadly serious They started with an opening speech
We have reason to believe you are closely connected with an an international money laundering organization who have been purchasing commercial real estate. Our enquiries have shown that you have purchased 7 properties which had previously been owned by Russian mafia criminals who used a series of shell companies to avoid them being traced. All of those 7 properties you bought were sold by a company owned by an individual called Mike Mason. He sold you those properties at bargain prices and you made huge profits when you eventually sold them on. It will be much easier for you if you just tell us your connection to Mike Mason.
The attorney said look Peter you have not been arrested and there is no need to answer these questions.
I have nothing to hide said Peter. I have no idea who Mike Mason is and I certainly have not done any business with him. Please tell me which properties you are referring to
The agents passed him papers and Mike looked at them before replying Yes I did buy these but I only dealt with a broker, I never had any dealings with the previous owners. That’s not unusual in commercial real estate transactions, its also my business model to buy properties below market value when owners want a quick sale
The FBI agents kept pushing hard for Peter to confirm he had a business relationship with Mike Mason. Peter insisted that nothing of the kind had ever existed
OK said the senior FBI agent, we have teams scanning all your phones, computers, texts, social media and business files. If you have had any contact with Mike Mason then they will find it and you could be in big trouble.
You are wasting your time but have at it said Peter when can I have my stuff back?
We should find something within few days, we will contact you for a follow up meeting
I look forward to it said Peter
Later that week peter’s attorney called to say the FBI wanted another meeting
This time it was with more senior members of the FBI who started out by offering an apology for all the inconvenience that had caused Peter, his company and his family.
Our analysis of all the data has not revealed any connection between you and Mike Mason, it was a hunch that our agents could prove otherwise but they were wrong and we humbly apologize. Please understand that the indications were so string that we had to seize your data as part of our investigation.
Peter accepted their apologies and asked if the matter was now closed
We will return all of your property immediately but we do have on favor for to ask of you
What is that? asked Peter
The FBI agent handed Peter a paper
Your calendar shows a meeting with a broker later this month to discuss the potential purchase of this hotelin Miami
That’s correct said Peter so what favor do you want exactly?
We believe that property is being sold by Mike Mason, we want you to tell the broker that you have questions about the property and want to meet with the current owner Mike Mason, tell him its a deal breaker if he cannot get Mike Mason to your meeting
Peter’s attorney said you do not have to do this, there is no need to put yourself in danger
The FBI pushed harder
Our agents will be inside the building and they will arrest Mike Mason before he gets to the meeting room. All you have to do is make that call and show up, of course you will be wearing a wire so we can monitor what the broker says
OK said Peter, I will do it because people like Mike Mason give commercial real estate a bad name and they deserve to be put in jail
Peter Dawson pulled up into the driveway of his home in Potomac in the suburbs of Washington DC. He was greeted by his youngest ten year old son David who raced out of the house to greet him shouting Daddy Daddy your home!
Peter gave him a big hug and said I missed you so much but its Friday evening and we will have the whole weekend so what would you like to do on Saturday?
Can we go fishing please please shouted David
Of course we can now lets go inside and see what Mom has prepared for dinner
Peter’s wife Melissa was in the kitchen preparing dinner, she gave him a big hug and kiss and asked how the trip had been
Oh it was all the usual stuff visiting properties and crunching numbers to determine if it was worth investing and I picked up a few bargains
That’s great said Melissa dinner will be ready soon so go change and relax.
It was just the three of them for dinner, their other two children were at college
Daddy is taking me fishing on Saturday announced David
That will be nice said Mellisa, remember to be back in time for dinner with the Lawsons and don’t forget we have that charity lunch on Sunday after church
Peter was a very successful businessman in commercial real estate. He was born in the DC area and went to Harvard, returning to DC to marry is high school sweetheart Melissa. After working a few years for a property development company he branched out on his own and set up Peter Dawson Properties. He had an instinct for buying commercial properties at the right price and making sure they were properly managed. Once acquired he would set about increasing the level of occupancy which pushed up the revenue stream and increased the value when he sold it. Although extremely wealthy, he did not live an extravagant lifestyle. He was a tee-totaler, regular church goer and on many boards where he donated large amounts of money to charitable causes. He was very active in the local chamber of commerce and a life long Rotarian. He was a typical clean cut middle aged businessman, always dressed smart and liked by all who met him. His business grew even quicker when he invited private investors to help finance his property acquisitions. This cut down his borrowing costs and allowed him to buy much larger hotels and multi use facilities. His investors did well, usually getting double figure percentage returns. He never had to advertise for investors, they all came to him through personal recommendations of other investors.
After a busy weekend at home with his family it was time for Peter to go to work on Monday Morning. They all had breakfast together and discussed their plans for the day. Peter was excited because it was audition time for the school play and he wanted to have a speaking role. I hope to get a big part he said excitedly and promise me you will both come to the play
Of course we will said Melissa, Daddy will mark the date in his calendar and make sure he has no business travel that week. Peter smiled, although he travelled extensively he always managed to be home for important events with his kids.
Melissa said she would be busy all day volunteering at church and asked Peter if he could pick up David from School.
Of course I will said David, we might even stop for ice cream on the way home.
Hurry up David its time for me to take you to school said Melissa, I’ll get the car ready
David gave Peter a long hug goodbye and he rushed out to the car. Peter went up to his home office upstairs and made some calls. His company office was downtown DC and he usually waited for the morning commute to die down before driving there. He called is office to check on things and all was running smoothly. After an hour or so he was wrapping up and preparing to drive to work when there was a knock at the door. He opened the door to see multiple vehicles in his driveway, one of the men standing at the door produced a badge which said FBI and said are you Peter Dawson?
Yes I am said Peter what is going on here?
The FBI agent showed him a piece of paper We have a search warrant for these premises sir, are you willing to give us access? Otherwise we will have to use forced entry
Sure you can come in but what are you looking for and are you arresting me
I cannot say what we are looking for sir said the agent no you are not under arrest and we would appreciate you helping us with our enquiries
Peter had no idea what this was about and said he was calling his attorney
That’s fine sir but can you use your land line because we need to take your cell phone
By now the house was full oof agents photographing things, making notes and putting files and laptops into boxes
Peter talked to his attorney who asked him to get a copy of the search warrant and say nothing else to the agents until he got there
His attorney pulled up within twenty minutes and talked to the FBI agents. He told Peter the search warrant was valid and he should politely comply with their requests to hand things over but make no comments.
The agents asked Peter to open his safe, they emptied the contents into a box. Then they asked for the passwords to his cellphone and computer. Peter complied.
The search went on until mid afternoon when they took all the boxes out to their vans and drove off. Peter just had enough time to rush to school to pick up David.
Mike and Igor were on deck having breakfast, the boat had docked in Miami during the night. Ivan appeared and was looking much better.
Come join us for breakfast Ivan said Mike
Ivan was relieved that the boat was stationary and he was looking forward to eating some food and keeping it down
What’s the plan for today? asked Ivan
Mike replied. The closing is at 3pm, you are welcome to attend, Igor will take you but I am staying on the boat
My boss said I should be there and make sure you are there too said Ivan
Igor jumped in Well Ivan I am your other boss and I am telling you that Mike never does business anywhere but on his yacht, you will have to lie to your boss.
Ivan shook his head but realized he had no more leverage and no more bullets for his gun
He devoured his omelette which tasted so good
You look to be enjoying your breakfast said Mike, I hope you will stick around this evening, we always throw a party for clients after a closing
Will the boat be going offshore? Asked Ivan who suddenly had painful memories of his seasickness
Do not worry Ivan said Mike, we will stay in the bay and anchor, the boat will not be rocking from the waves but it might be rocking from the dancing
After breakfast Ivan went up top to soak up some sun on his pale body. Mike and Igor went down to the office to review business options.
We will make a massive profit on the real estate sale this afternoon, we will be cash rich and should look for some bargain buys said Mike.
Igor had an idea there must be some oligarchs who are worried about sanctions and ready to offload their investments to avoid having them seized. Ivan would know some of them, we should ask him to make some introductions for us. I will talk to him after the party tonight, he should be in a very receptive mood then.
Later that day Igor escorted Ivan to the closing and all went well. They returned a few hours later and joined Mike on deck. There were three tanned beautiful young ladies sipping cocktails next to Mike, they were wearing short skirts and very revealing tops, probably in their mid twenties.
The boat pulled out and the party got into full swing with drinks flowing, food a plenty and dancing to loud music. Soon they were anchored in the bay and partying until late
Lets all go down to the stateroom said Mike. The girls were giggling as they wobbled downstairs in their high heels. Six lines of cocaine were laid out on the table and they each snorted in turn.
OK Ivan said Mike, you are the guest so you get first pick, which of these beauties do you want for the night.
Ivan picked out the tall blonde and they staggered off to his cabin clutching a bag of cocaine
Igor was gay and preferred male company
I guess that leaves the other two girls for you Mike said Igor who went to his own cabin where one of the crew was waiting for him.
Mike spent the night having a wild cocaine fueled threesome orgy in his cabin
Lets go on deck to eat dinner said Mike We have two hours before the banks open in Moscow and then we start work
Relax Ivan said Igor everything will be be fine, lets enjoy this meal because for the next few days we will be in the office eating snacks and drinking Red Bull
Ivan put the gun inside his jacket, he was still sweating even with the AC inside the cabin. Mike knew that Ivan would struggle to stay awake after having dinner on deck in this hot and humid Miami evening
Just one request Ivan said Mike Once we leave this room and go on deck there will only be small talk in front of the crew. We will leave the marina during dinner and you will see the spectacular Miami skyline as we head out
Where are we going? enquired Ivan
About 20 miles offshore said Mike plenty enough to be totally out of cell phone range. We will only be communicating via a satellite link, our internet passes through multiple VPNs to ensure all communications are untraceable
They headed out for dinner on the top deck. A Gourmet meal with fine wines served under the backdrop of multi colored skyscrapers. Ivan guzzled his wine whereas Mike and Igor hardly touched theirs. By the end of the meal they were well off shore and Miami was just a flickering glow in the distance.
Lets start work said Mike and he led them down to his office, a room full of computer screens and electronic equipment with just a small longe area.
Ivan pulled out his gun again and sat down, he was still sweating. Mike and Igor tapped away at the screens getting everything prepared for the money transfers. The captain confirmed they were 20 miles off shore. Igor picked up the phone and called Ivan’s boss. They spoke in Russian but it was all pre-arranged code to confirm everything was ready. Igor handed the phone to Ivan saying your boss wants you to confirm all is good. Ivan gave the correct code words and the brief call ended.
They all sat patiently waiting for confirmation of the first transfer. A message flashed in Mike’s screen with details of the deposit into one of his shell companies
Lets get this thing moving fast said Mike as he initiated a wire transfer request. They will call soon to ask for verbal confirmation of the transfer details.
Each time a new transfer took place, Ivan took out his cellphone to take a picture of the account numbers.
A few minutes later the phone rang and Igor took the call which was all spoken in German. The funds were moved through multiple eastern European countries through the night using the same process. The seas were moderate and the boat was rocking slightly. Ivan began to feel seasick but he insisted on taking photos of each transaction,much to the concern of Mike who never left any digital traces of his activities. By the time the New York banks were open, Ivan was really struggling with seasickness.
Stop said Ivan, wait until I get back before you make any more transfers
He ran to his cabin to throw up coming back a few minutes later looking very green
Mike was annoyed at the delay and he threw a glance to Igor saying go and get Ivan some of that special hydration water, it will make him feel a lot better.
Igor left the cabin and came back with a glass of clear liquid but Ivan was suspicious
OK said Igor I’ll take a sip just to prove its not poison then he handed the glass to Ivan who drank it all
Can we get back to work now? asked Mike sarcastically as Ivan leaned over to take another picture of the US bank transfers. Mike and Igor were staying well hydrated between drinking Red Bull and Black coffee. Ivan’s boss called every few hours to confirm everything was going to plan. Ivan told him all was well but he was starting to slur his words
Ivan started to nod off and was soon fast asleep slumped in a chair.
Igor said those sleeping pills in the water sure put him asleep fast, I can kill him now and feed him to the sharks
No said Mike, I have a better idea, one that will make him useful for us
Ivan slept soundly while Mike and Igor pounded away on the keyboards and answered phone calls from bank officials.
By late afternoon the final transfer was made and Ivan woke up in a panic.
What happened he screamed where is my gun and my phone?
Igor started to laugh as Mike loaded a memory stick into the computer
Just sit down and watch this video said Mike.
Ivan saw an image of himself fast asleep with a hand written note rising on his chest in Russian The note said Sorry boss but I fell asleep after drinking too much vodka. Then a hand appeared taking his gun and his phone away while he snored. Another note was placed on his chest saying look how easily they took my phone and gun away, now I have no way of verifying where the transfers are going, please forgive me boss.
OK Ivan said Mike, your boss will be calling him soon. You will tell him that everything went smoothly and he should have the funds in the account ready for transfer into escrow for closing. If you tell him anything different we will show him this video.
Ivan agreed to comply and his boss was very happy when he called.
Mike said Good job Ivan, Igor will give you your gun back now, minus all the bullets and you can have your phone which we wiped clean. Igor is now your second boss, he will contact you every week and request information on your boss’s financial activities and detail of all the people he does business with. We own you now, is that understood?
Ivan spoke back to him in Russian, presumably a profanity
Igor patted Ivan on the back saying its good to have you on board, now go and stay in your cabin until dinner time while Mike and I do some private business here
Ivan looked pale as he rushed back to throw up in his cabin, the thought of eating dinner was just too much for him as the boat continued to rock and pitch
Igor laughed and told Mike that was hilarious, I would have just cut him up for shark food but your plan was much better, now we have an informant inside the biggest crime syndicate in Russia, Ivan is going to give us some valuable leads
That may be true said Mike but have your guys in Moscow keep a close eye on Ivan. I do not want him to become a problem for us.
Mike Mason stepped aboard his luxury yacht in Miami
He only used it a few days each month but he kept a full time crew of three on 24/7 standby
This wealthy real estate mogul with long hair and a scraggly beard gave the appearance of an aging hippy. He had acquired a huge empire of commercial real estate in a city of high rises that were mostly built with drug money. Mike spotted this opportunity a long time ago and he was often approached by underworld cash rich criminals eager to convert their liquid assets into real estate. He had managed to separate his business empire completely from the criminal world and he paid all his taxes on time so as not to draw attention from the Feds. Mike poured himself a large bourbon and told the captain that two visitors were expected
Igor came aboard first and hugged Mike hard saying good to see you again my friend and you can pour me a large vodka
Igor was a large jovial Russian who had worked with Mike for more than fifteen years. They had a close friendship and business relationship based on mutual trust. Igor knew how to tap into the murky world of Russian oligarchs and Mike was the expert in commercial real estate, offshore banking and setting up shell companies. Mike shared with Igor all the profits from the Russian dealings.
Mike handed Igor a large neat vodka and topped up his own bourbon
Cheers Igor! Now tell me about this guy Ivan before he gets here
Oh he is just an accountant sent here to oversee the transaction, I doubt if he will be a problem
There was no hugging when Ivan came aboard, just limp handshakes before he sat down. He was a tall thin pale man who looked like he never went outdoors. It must have been a struggle for him to walk around in the heat of Miami, especially as he was wearing a jacket. Ivan handed Mike a bunch of papers and gave a little speech
Well Mr Mason, you really do keep a low profile, our investigations show you have no living relatives and you do not even have a girlfriend
Also you do not mingle in the business community and you avoid all social media. Apart from your real estate properties, you have virtually no footprint at all on the internet. Your home address is in Nashville TN but the neighbors say they have never seen you
Mike replied Well in this line of work it helps to stay out of the limelight
Ivan asked Mike to explain what would happen next in the process
Mike started to draw a flow diagram on the whiteboard
The first step is for your boss to wire $140M into this account
These funds will be passed through multiple layers of shell companies until they get to the company with the four directors whose names are on the papers you brought, I assume these are all friends of your boss who have agreed to hold his assets in their name?
That’s correct said Ivan
Mike continued The final stage is to close on the purchase of $126M of commercial real estate currently owned by me which I will sell to the company owned by your boss’s friends. Once the final payment is made at closing then the deal is all done
Where did the other $14M go? asked Ivan
Mike smiled it will be siphoned off through my shell companies. That’s my fee for laundry services, your boss gets a portfolio of prime commercial real estate generating a steady income stream from tenant rentals and most importantly these assets cannot be traced back to him if he is sanctioned
OK and how long before the deal is finalized? asked Ivan
Three days from now, I already booked the attorney for the closing said Mike
Ivan looked serious My boss told me to get some collateral from you to make sure you don’t steal everything, normally I would take one of your family hostage at this stage
Mike was calm and unmoved by the threats form Ivan
Sorry I cannot offer you anybody as collateral Ivanbut you do have my word plus Igor has given you plenty of references
Ivan shook his head and pulled out a gun from inside his jacket, he looked nervous and sweaty
Words mean nothing, I am taking you hostage Mike, you will not be out of my sight once my boss sends you the money, if all goes well you will walk away unscathed but if anything goes wrong then I will put a bullet in your head
Mike was totally unfazed and assured Ivan that the transaction would go smoothly, he told him to put the gun away and take off his jacket to cool down. Mike looked over to Igor and sighed as he thought why did you allow this armed Russian clown on my yacht?
Igor guessed what Mike was thinking and shrugged as if to say I never expected this skinny accountant to be a hit man too
Cheeky Monkey Poetry 