Indictment

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Case 9:06-cr-80010-KLR Document 3 Entered on FLSD Docket 02/13/2006 Page 1 of 13

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT


SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF FLORID A

YO '

Case No : 0.Q'B
18 U .S.C. 37 1
18 U.S.C. 2
15 U .S.C . 78j(b)
15 U .S.C . 78ff(a)
17 C.F.R. 240 .10b-5

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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA ,


vs .

BRYAN CRANE,
JONATHAN LEI, and
RONALD RAMSAY ,
Defendants .

INDICTMENT
The Grand Jury charges that :
GENERAL ALLEGATIONS
At all times relevant to this Indictment :
1 . Defendant BRYAN CRANE was vice president of corporate development at Roaming
Messenger, Inc . (Roaming Messenger"), a Nevada corporation located in Santa Barbara, California .
Defendant JONATHAN LEI was the president and chief executive officer at Roaming Messenger .
2 . Roaming Messenger was purportedly in the business of developing, marketing, and
distributing a wireless messaging product . Roaming Messenger was a publicly traded company
whose stock traded on the Over-the-Counter Bulletin Board under the symbol "RMSG ."
3 . Defendant RONALD RAMSAY was a stock promoter who worked out of the New
York City area.

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4 . Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation ("FBI"), acting in an undercover capacity,


posed as corrupt managers of an unregulated hedge fund located in Boca Raton, Florida named the
H & B Fund of South Florida ("H & B Fund") . The undercover FBI agents offered to have the H
& B Fund purchase securities of a given company to the exclusion of other securities in exchange
for undisclosed kickbacks .

5 . Global Connect, Inc ("Global Connect") was a consulting company purportedly used
by the undercover FBI agents to receive payment of illegal kickbacks .
COUNT 1
CONSPIRACY TO COMMIT SECURITIES FRAUD,
MAIL FRAUD AND WIRE FRAU D
1 . The allegations contained in paragraphs 1 through 5 of the General Allegations section
of this Indictment are realleged and incorporated as though fully set forth herein .
2 . In or about February and March 2005, at Palm Beach County, in the Southern District
of Florida, and elsewhere, the defendants ,
BRYAN CRANE,
JONATHAN LEI, and
RONALD RAMSAY ,
did knowingly and willfully combine, conspire, confederate and agree with each other and with
others known and unknown to the Grand Jury, to commit offenses against the United States, namely,
(a) mail fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1341 ; (b) wire fraud, in violation
of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1343 ; and (c) securities fraud, in violation of Title 15,
United States Code, Sections 78j(b) and 78ff(a) and Title 17, Code of Federal Regulations, Section
240 . I Ob-5 .

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PURPOSE AND OBJECT OF THE CONSPIRAC Y


3 . It was a purpose and object of the conspiracy for the defendants to unjustly enrich
themselves and to provide capital to Roaming Messenger by defrauding the H & B Fund through
paying undisclosed kickbacks to the undercover FBI agents in exchange for causing the H & B Fund
to purchase a large amount of Roaming Messenger stock in a private placement offering after
purchasing smaller amounts of stock in the open marke t
MANNER AND MEANS OF THE CONSPIRAC Y
4 . The manner and means by which the defendants and their co-conspirators sought to
accomplish the object and purpose of the conspiracy included, among others, the following :
a . The defendants agreed to pay an undisclosed kickback of 15% to an
undercover FBI agent ("UCA") acting as a manager of the H & B Fund in
exchange for having him violate his fiduciary duty to the fund by buying $5 .6
million worth of Roaming Messenger stock in a private placement transaction
to the exclusion of the stock of another company .
b . The defendants agreed that prior to the private placement transaction, the
defendants would pay the UCA a 25% kickback as manager of the H & B
Fund in exchange for having him violate his fiduciary duty to the fund by
buying Roaming Messenger stock in the open market to the exclusion of the
stock of another company .
c . The defendants agreed that the otherwise open market in Roaming Messenger
stock would be manipulated so that a particular market maker, to the
exclusion of others, would be prearranged to pick up the UCA's purchase o f

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Roaming Messenger stock on behalf of the H & B Fund .


d. The defend an ts agreed that the kickback to the UCA would not be disclosed
to the H & B Fund that was purpo rtedly already paying the UCA a
management fee for conflict-free investment advice .
C. The defendants also agreed that the kickbacks to the UCA in connection with
the private placement would be disguised pursuant to a sham consulting
contract between Roaming Messenger and Global Connect .
OVERT ACT S
5 . In furtherance of the conspiracy and to achieve the objects and purpose thereof, at least
one of the co - conspirators committed or caused to be committed, in the Southe rn District of Florida,
and elsewhere , at least one of the following ove rt acts, among others :
a. On or about February 14, 2005 , defendants BRYAN CRANE and RONALD RAMSAY
had a meeting with the UCAs where it was agreed that in exchange for the purchase of Roaming
Messenger stock by the H & B Fund , defendants BRYAN CRANE and JONATHAN LEI would
cause the UCA to be paid an undisclosed kickback of 25% for open market purchases and 15% for
private placement purchases .
b. On or about Februa ry 16, 2005 , at approximately 12 :00 p .m., defendant BRYAN CRANE
made a telephone call to the UCA . Defendant BRYAN CRANE introduced a conspiring trader to
the UCA . Defendant BRYAN CRANE, the trader , and the UCA discussed how to manipulate the
open market transaction so the trader could "catch " the structured buy orders by the H&B Fund for
Roaming Messenger stock .
c . On or about February 16 , 2005 , at approximately 12 :32 p . m., defendant BRYAN CRAN E
4

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made a telephone call to the UCA. Defendant BRYAN CRANE told the UCA to purchase 400,000
shares of Roaming Messenger stock . Defendant BRYAN CRANE assured the UCA that once the
purchases were made, 25 % of the proceeds would be wire transferred to the UCA .
d . On or about February 18, 2005, defendants BRYAN CRANE and JONATHAN LEI made
a telephone call to the UCA . During the telephone call, the UCA spoke to defendant JONATHAN
LEI concerning the details of the transactions and the kickbacks . Defendant JONATHAN LEI stated
that they were going to draft a financial adviso ry agreement in order to cover the kickback .
e . On or about February 18, 2005 , defendants JONATHAN LEI and BRYAN CRANE
caused a sham consulting agreement , stock purchase agreement, registration rights agreement, and
related documents to be mailed to the UCA concerning the private placement transaction between
Roaming Messenger and the H & B Fund .
f. On or about Februa ry 22, 2005, at approximately 1 :45 p .m ., defendants BRYAN CRANE
and JONATHAN LEI made a telephone call to the UCA . Defendant JONATHAN LEI suggested
delivering to the UCA 400 ,000 restricted shares of Roaming Messenger stock with the necessa ry
documents to make the shares free trading . Defendants JONATHAN LEI and BRYAN CRANE
discussed the 25% kickback going to the UCA concerning the open market purchase of the 400,000
share of Roaming Messenger stock .
g.

On or about February 22, 2005, at approximately 2 :25 p .m ., defendant BRYAN CRAN E

made a telephone call to the UCA . Defendant BRYAN CRANE suggested that the UCA purchase
the 400,000 shares of Roaming Messenger stock in the open market .
h. On or about Februa ry 23, 2005, defendants BRYAN CRANE and JONATHAN LEI
caused the wire transfer of $800 to a bank account controlled by the UCA as a 25% kickback for H

Case 9:06-cr-80010-KLR Document 3 Entered on FLSD Docket 02/13/2006 Page 6 of 13

& B Fund ' s purchase of 16,000 shares of Roaming Messenger stock .


i . On or about February 25, 2005, defendants BRYAN CRANE and JONATHAN LEI caused
the wire transfer of $1,150 to a bank account controlled by the UCA as a 25% kickback for H & B
Fund 's purchase of 20, 000 shares of Roaming Messenger stock .
j . On or about Februa ry 25 , 2005 , defendants BRYAN CRANE and JONATHAN LEI caused
bank account wiring instructions to be faxed to the UCA concerning the private placement
transaction .
All in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371 .
COUNT 2
SECURITIES FRAU D
1 . The allegations contained in paragraphs 1 through 5 of the General Allegations
section, and paragraphs 1 through 5 of Count I of this Indictment are realleged and incorporated as
though fully set fo rth herein.
2 . On or about February 22, 2005 , at Palm Beach County, in the Southe rn District of
Florida , and elsewhere, the defendants ,
BRYAN CRANE, and
JONATHAN LEI ,
knowingly and willfully, by the use of means and instrumentalities of interstate commerce, the
mails, and the facilities of national securities exchanges , did, directly and indirectly , use and
employ manipulative and deceptive devices and contrivances in connection with the purchase
and sale of a security , that is, 16,000 shares of stock in Roaming Messenger , Inc ., and did (a)
employ a device , scheme and a rtifice to defraud , (b) make untrue statements of material facts an d

Case 9:06-cr-80010-KLR Document 3 Entered on FLSD Docket 02/13/2006 Page 7 of 13

omit to state material facts necessary in order to make the statements made, in light of the
circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, and (c) engage in acts, practices and
courses of business which would and did operate as a fraud and deceit upon others, in connection
with the purchase and sale of said securities .
All in violation of Title 15, United States Code, Sections 78j(b) and 78ff(a), and Title 17,
Code of Federal Regulations, Section 240 .1 Ob-5; and Title 18, United States Code, Section 2 .
COUNT 3
SECURITIES FRAU D
1 . The allegations contained in paragraphs I through 5 of the General Allegations
section, and paragraphs 1 through 5 of Count I of this Indictment are realleged and incorporated
as though fully set forth herein .
2 . On or about February 23, 2005, at Palm Beach County, in the Southern District of
Florida, and elsewhere, the defendants ,
BRYAN CRANE, and
JONATHAN LEI ,
knowingly and willfully, by the use of means and instrumentalities of interstate commerce, the
mails, and the facilities of national securities exchanges, did, directly and indirectly, use and
employ manipulative and deceptive devices and contrivances in connection with the purchase
and sale of a security, that is, 20,000 shares of stock in Roaming Messenger, Inc ., and did (a)
employ a device, scheme and artifice to defraud, (b) make untrue statements of material facts and
omit to state material facts necessary in order to make the statements made, in light of the
circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, and (c) engage in acts, practices an d

Case 9:06-cr-80010-KLR Document 3 Entered on FLSD Docket 02/13/2006 Page 8 of 13

courses of business which would and did operate as a fraud and deceit upon others, in connection
with the purchase and sale of said securities .
All in violation of Title 15, United States Code, Sections 78j(b) and 78ff(a), and Title 17,
Code of Federal Regulations, Section 240 .1 Ob-5; and Title 18, United States Code, Section 2 .
A TRUE BIL L

. ALEXANDER ACOSTA
UNITED STATES ATTORNE Y

ROLANDO GARCIA
ASSISTANT UNITED STATES ATTORNEY

Case 9:06-cr-80010-KLR Document 3 Entered on FLSD Docket 02/13/2006 Page 9 of 13


]ITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
b )UTHERN DISTRICT OF FLORID A
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA CASE NO .
vs .
CERTIFICATE OF TRIAL ATTORNEY*
BRYAN CRANE, ET AL
Superseding Case Information :

Defendants.

Court Division : (select one) New Defendant(s) Yes No


Number of New Defendants
Miami Key West Total number of counts
FTL WPB FT P
I do hereby certify that :
1 . I have carefully considered the allegations of the indictment, the number of defendants, the
number of probable witnesses and the legal complexities of the Indictment/information attached
hereto .
2 . I am aware that the information supplied on this statement will be relied upon by the Judges
of this Court in setting their calendars and scheduling criminal trials under the mandate of the
Speedy Trial Act, Title 28 U.S .C. Section 3161 .
3 . Interpreter : ( Yes or No) No
List language and/or dialect n7
4 . This case will take five day (s) for the pa rties to t ry.
5 . Please check appropriate catego ry and type of offense listed below :
(Check only one )

Check only one )

1 0 to 5 days
X
Petty
II 6 to 10 days Minor

III 11 to 20 days Misdem .


IV 21 to 60 days Felony
V 61 days and ove r

6 . Has this case been previously filed in this District Court? (Yes or No) No
If yes:
Judge : Case No .
Attach copy of dispositive order )
Has a complaint been filed in this matter? (Yes or No) No
If yes:
Magistrate Case No . NIA
Related Miscellaneous numbers :
Defendant(s) in federal custody as of
Defendant(s) in state custody as of
Rule 20 from the
N/A

N/A

N/A
N/A

Is this a potential death penalty case? (Yes or No)

District of
No

7 . Does this case originate from a matter pending in the U .S . Attorney's Office prior to
April 1, 2003? Yes X
No
8 . Does this case originate from a matter pending in the U . S . Attorney's Office prior to
April 1, 1999? Yes X N o
If yes, was it pen Ing in theme ntral Region? Yes N o
9 . Does this case onginate from a matter pending in the Northern Region of the U .S . Attorney's Office prior
to October 14, 2003? _ Yes
X
No
10 . Does this case originate from a matter pending in the Narcotics Section (Miami) prior t o
May 18 , 2003 ? Yes X
No

Penalty Sheet(s) attached

LANDO GARCI A
ASSISTANT UNITED STATES ATTORNEY
Fla Bar No . 0763012
REV.1/14/04

Case 9:06-cr-80010-KLR Document 3 Entered on FLSD Docket 02/13/2006 Page 10 of 13

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT


SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF FLORIDA
PENALTY SHEET

Defendant Name: BRYAN CRANE

Case No . :

Count # 1
CONSPIRACY TO COMMIT SECURITIES FRAUD, MAIL FRAUD, AND WIRE FRAU D
18 USC 37 1
Max . Penalty : 0-5 years imprisonment : $250,000.00 fine
Count # 2 - 3
SECURITIES FRAU D
15 USC 78i(b) and 78ff(a) and 17 CFR 240 .10b-5 and 18 USC 2
Max. Penalty : 0-20 years imprisonment, $5,000,000 .00 fin e
Count #

Max. Penalty :
Count #

Max. Penalty :
Count #

Max. Penalty :

*Refers only to possible term of incarceration, does not include


possible fines , restitution , special assessments , parole terms,
or forfeitures that may be applicable .

Case 9:06-cr-80010-KLR Document 3 Entered on FLSD Docket 02/13/2006 Page 11 of 13

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT


SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF FLORIDA
PENALTY SHEET

Defendant Name : JONATHAN LEI

Case No . :

Count # 1
CONSPIRACY TO COMMIT SECURITIES FRAUD, MAIL FRAUD, AND WIRE FRAU D
18 USC37 1
Max . Penalty : 0-5 years imprisonment ; $250 .000 .00 fine
Count # 2 - 3
SECURITIES FRAU D
15 USC 78j(b) and 78ff(a) and 17 CFR 240 .10b-5 and 18 USC 2
Max. Penalty: 0-20 years imprisonment . $5,000,000 .00 fin e
Count #

Max. Penalty:
Count #

Max. Penalty :
Count #

Max. Penalty :

*Refers only to possible term of incarceration, does not include


possible fines, restitution, special assessments, parole terms,
or forfeitures that may be applicable .

Case 9:06-cr-80010-KLR Document 3 Entered on FLSD Docket 02/13/2006 Page 12 of 13

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT


SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF FLORIDA
PENALTY SHEE T

Defendant Name: RONALD RAMSAY

Case No . :

Count # 1
CONSPIRACY TO COMMIT SECURITIES FRAUD, MAIL FRAUD, AND WIRE FRAU D
18 USC 371
Max. Penalty: 0-5 years imprisonment, $250,000 .00 fine
Count #

Max. Penalty:
Count #

Max. Penalty :
Count #

Max. Penalty :
Count #

Max. Penalty :

*Refers only to possible term of incarceration, does not include


possible fines, restitution, special assessments, parole terms,
or forfeitures that may be applicable .

Case 9:06-cr-80010-KLR Document 3 Entered on FLSD Docket 02/13/2006 Page 13 of 13


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