Corporate Crime

Judge Not

Epic Betrayal

Robert Tunnell, Former San Francisco Attorney, Admits to Ponzi Scheme

I lost thousands, and all I got was this crummy t-shirt.​A former San Francisco attorney with a tony resume recently pleaded guilty to two counts of fraud in federal court for operating a Ponzi scheme that targeted his own friends and family.Robert Tunnell, Jr., a septuagenarian alumnus ... More >>

The Crab Boats Are on the Water, and Fresh Dungeness Is Coming Soon

​Yesterday, the San Francisco Chronicle broke the news that the Dungeness crab strike was over and the boats were heading out to set their traps. As SFoodie had reported before Thanksgiving, the Bay Area's Dungeness crab season began on November 15, but local fishing boats were striking in order t ... More >>

Fantasy Island: The Strange Tale of Alleged Fraudster Pearlasia Gamboa

​Yesterday, the San Francisco Chronicle broke the news that the Dungeness crab strike was over and the boats were heading out to set their traps. As SFoodie had reported before Thanksgiving, the Bay Area's Dungeness crab season began on November 15, but local fishing boats were striking in order t ... More >>

Facebook Saga Continues: Winklevii Twins Want More Money from Mark Zuckerberg

The Winklevii twins won't take no for an answer ​Last week, a judge told Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, the notorious twins who accused Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg of ripping off their plans for a social networking site similar to Facebook, to get over it -- it was time for this saga to come t ... More >>

Advanta Investors, Promised 11 Percent Profit, Will Lose Up To 36 Percent

There's one born every minute...​An investment offer advertised in the San Francisco Chronicle by the bank Advanta promised 11 percent annual interest at a time when savings accounts typically offered less than 2 percent. As we noted in an article and blog post shortly thereafter, the offer was to ... More >>

Village Voice Media Response to Ruling in California Below-Cost Pricing Suit

​For more than a century, the California Supreme Court has interpreted antitrust law as protecting consumers from high prices, not protecting the profits of entrenched market leaders who fear competition. The Supreme Court's refusal yesterday to follow Justice Joyce Kennard's wishes and hear ... More >>

List: How S.F. fooled credit-rating agencies

​For more than a century, the California Supreme Court has interpreted antitrust law as protecting consumers from high prices, not protecting the profits of entrenched market leaders who fear competition. The Supreme Court's refusal yesterday to follow Justice Joyce Kennard's wishes and hear ... More >>

Kamala Harris Kept Felon's Donation While Insisting Opponent Return Tainted Funds

Don't worry Kamala. Tyra still loves you. ​While attorney general candidate Kamala Harris spent the past three weeks denouncing her opponent Steve Cooley for accepting tainted campaign donations, it turns out her campaign kitty contained $1,250 from ex-Democratic moneyman Norman Hsu -- now serving ... More >>

How was IRS Agent Who Shot Alleged Mugger 'On Duty'?

Don't mess with the IRS...​The news that an on-duty IRS special agent shot an alleged mugger at around midnight this morning in Hunters Point was something of a head-scratcher. Sure, armed IRS special agents investigate money-laundering, fraud cases, and ponzi schemes. But how many ponzi schemes a ... More >>

Theater Review: "John Gabriel Borkman" at Aurora Theatre

Don't mess with the IRS...​The news that an on-duty IRS special agent shot an alleged mugger at around midnight this morning in Hunters Point was something of a head-scratcher. Sure, armed IRS special agents investigate money-laundering, fraud cases, and ponzi schemes. But how many ponzi schemes a ... More >>

Appropriate Behavior

Don't mess with the IRS...​The news that an on-duty IRS special agent shot an alleged mugger at around midnight this morning in Hunters Point was something of a head-scratcher. Sure, armed IRS special agents investigate money-laundering, fraud cases, and ponzi schemes. But how many ponzi schemes a ... More >>

The Wall Street Journal Bay Area Section Debut Looks a Lot like the New York Times Bay Area Section

Eh.​We'd like to award the Wall Street Journal's Bay Area section with an even slightly less enthusiastic response than we gave the New York Times. And here it is: "Eh." We have our reasons.  At first, the the addition of Bay Area sections to the nation's most prominent national ... More >>

No Justice

Despite Obama's promises of change, corporate crooks are still going unpunished for their roles in the financial collapse.

Former 49er Craig Newsome Files Antitrust Lawsuit Against NCAA

Courtesy of Harmann Studios and the Green Bay Packers. Used with permission. Craig Newsome celebrates the Green Bay Packers' victory in Super Bowl XXXI following the 1996-97 NFL season​Former Green Bay Packers and San Francisco 49ers defensive back Craig Newsome has joined the ranks of U.S. athlet ... More >>

Advanta Corp.'s dubious investment offer in the Chronicle

Courtesy of Harmann Studios and the Green Bay Packers. Used with permission. Craig Newsome celebrates the Green Bay Packers' victory in Super Bowl XXXI following the 1996-97 NFL season​Former Green Bay Packers and San Francisco 49ers defensive back Craig Newsome has joined the ranks of U.S. athlet ... More >>

Apparent Ponzi Scheme Advertised in Sunday Chronicle, Fraud Investigator Says

Banking experts qualify the service being hawked in this San Francisco Chronicle ad as a potential Ponzi schemeReaders skimming the ads on page D-2 of the Sunday, July 12 San Francisco Chronicle might have been surprised to see an extraordinary investment opportunity in a quarter-page advertisement ... More >>

SF Weekly appeals the Bay Guardian's big payday to a higher court

Banking experts qualify the service being hawked in this San Francisco Chronicle ad as a potential Ponzi schemeReaders skimming the ads on page D-2 of the Sunday, July 12 San Francisco Chronicle might have been surprised to see an extraordinary investment opportunity in a quarter-page advertisement ... More >>

Local Madoff Victim Speaks Out

Although Bernie Madoff's $50 billion Ponzi scheme engulfed its share of wealthy East Coasters, a comprehensive list of victims made public today as part of a U.S. Bankruptcy Court filing revealed 43 Madoff accounts attached to San Francisco addresses. Some belonged to investment firm ... More >>

Video: Nader Blasts Obama at SF State

Although Bernie Madoff's $50 billion Ponzi scheme engulfed its share of wealthy East Coasters, a comprehensive list of victims made public today as part of a U.S. Bankruptcy Court filing revealed 43 Madoff accounts attached to San Francisco addresses. Some belonged to investment firm ... More >>

Appealing to a Higher Authority

We respond to the latest ruling in the Guardian's lawsuit against us.

Back In Court

We respond to the latest ruling in the Guardian's lawsuit against us.

Weekly to Judge: Time to Put Things Right

We respond to the latest ruling in the Guardian's lawsuit against us.

Ka-Ching!

We respond to the latest ruling in the Guardian's lawsuit against us.

No News

We respond to the latest ruling in the Guardian's lawsuit against us.

The Waiting

We respond to the latest ruling in the Guardian's lawsuit against us.

Untouchable

Half of U.S. Attorney Kevin Ryan's lawyers have quit. But as he remains bunkered against criticism, who's minding the shop?

The Parmalat Syndrome

How U.S. financial firms -- including Bank of America -- allegedly abetted a multibillion-dollar fraud, and how U.S. regulators are letting them get away with it

Son of Super Swindler

The unsettling link between a group of firms that sell financial planning services to elderly Californians and one of the most notorious con men in U.S. history

The Ghost of Scandals Past

Previous "creative financing" debacles should haunt city officials who've approved a risky $1 billion lease of Muni streetcars

Yellow-Bellied Journalism

Hearst executives' behavior in the Examiner sale was nothing less than cowardly

Mecklin

Cleaning Out the Swamp

Reviews

Cleaning Out the Swamp

The DA's Svengali

Earlier this year, the District Attorney's Office was flirting with farce. Then Terence Hallinan called in David Millstein.