Another delay in the "Neteller Two" case

Do the Feds Have a Case?

I’m thinking they’re still trying to cut a deal. Otherwise why would there be yet another delay in the case of Steve Lawrence and John Lefevbre (pictured left), the Neteller founders who were detained in the United States a few months ago with great pomp, circumstance, press releases, and film-at-eleven, by the Department of Justice.

The hearing was moved from April 16 to May 16. When hearings are postponed, the most likely scenarios are that the prosecution’s case is falling apart, or that they are playing a version of “Let’s Make A Deal,” in which both sides save face, and the government usually earns some pay-off money as the arrestees purchase a get out of jail card for $10 or $20 million or so, along with a promise never to misbehave again.

The Outcome is Likely to be a Face-Saving Deal

The hearing was initially set for March, then moved to April, and now to May. The longer the delays in this case, the better the chance that the only outcome will be some righteous, self-serving rhetoric by DoJ when they finally drop charges against the Neteller Two.

Lawrence and Lefebvre Have Never Been Charged With a Crime

It’s worth noting that Lawrence and Lefebvre have never been officially charged in the money-laundering case the DoJ claims to have against them, which doesn’t auger well for the quality of the case they claim they have.

Neteller Still Working on Plan to Repay Customers

While all that’s going on, Neteller itself is still working out a plan by which poker players who have money caught up in the Neteller pipeline, or funds sitting in accounts at Neteller with no current way to repatriate it, will be able to get their hands on their money.