By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - Richard Schuler is a young guy who made a whole lot of money in the "spam" business. I first heard about what happened to him back in April of 2007 when I was contacted by my good friend Brett Mikkelson, a private investigator and the owner of BM Investigations in Panama. Richard had hired Brett to help him in his efforts to recover some of the money that was stolen from him in Panama. At Richard's request, Brett contacted me and filled me in on some of the basics. It certainly is a sensational tale... (more)
Richard Schueler's Side of the Story: Please, by all means, if you want to hear more about this situation from Richard Schueler, visit the blog he has dedicated to this whole affair at Richard Schueler.com. He's looking to draw attention to his plight so please don't make up your mind by listening to me. Listen to him. Find out as much as you want (or can take) and then make up your own mind. It's certainly not my job to convince you of anything. That's not why I'm here.The "Gringo Gang-Bang" Article: When I first started looking into this whole thing, I published an article entitled The "Gringo Gang-Bang" Case - Yup, It's Real. Richard Schueler came down to Panama and basically got raked over the coals by some pretty bad guys. But I made a very fundamental mistake when I published that article - I only listened to one side of the story and then ran with it. It was important to me because at first glance it seemed like an English speaking expat, a member of our community, had been raked over the coals, big-time. Hence, the attention-grabbing headline.Independent Verification: I knew about the robbery in Schueler's apartment because it had been on the news. Most of the other elements of what I had learned so far were believable. But out of journalistic integrity I contacted Richard Schueler directly and spoke with him at length on the telephone, and basically grilled him on what had happened to him.Several Conversations Over a Number of Days: I called and spoke with Richard Schueler on several occasions and on different days. Richard was basically looking for an outlet for his story. He wanted to "get the word out" about how he had been taken advantage of in Panama. In short, he wanted to use the media to his advantage. Understandable, considering the amount of money he had lost.First Question - "How Could You Be So Dumb? According to Richard Schueler he had established all of his businesses in Panama with bearer shares. He had taken the advice of lawyers who intended from the start to steal from him, and they gave him bad advice that was basically good for them and bad for him. And, by the time he knew what was going on, it was too late.Get Some Help: So, he hired another lawyer to go after the first lawyer, and (according to Richard) the two lawyers teamed up and started to work against him, behind his back. They invented all kinds of tricks and ruses to keep him off balance while they cleaned out his accounts. Then, fearing for his life, he fled Panama. So far, so good.But Something Doesn't Add Up: During our extensive telephone conversations Schuler admitted to me that he traveled to Europe with one of the people who he accuses of ripping him off, with the intention of establishing an off-shore business and banking establishment. Richard Schueler told be personally that the expressed purpose of this structure was to create a means by which "companies from around the world who will be bidding on the project to expand the Panama Canal will have a way of paying bribes to Panamanian government officials that will be completely and totally secure and undetectable." In other words, Richard Schueler's business plan called for creating a way to facilitate corruption and bribe taking in Panama. And for the record, the quote is what Richard Schueler told me himself.I Called Him On It: I asked some basic "WTF" questions - like "Is that really what you're telling me? Is this for real? You understand that would be illegal, right?" His answer was, in short, that it sounded like a good idea at the time. And, he expected that there would be huge multinational companies willing to pay millions of dollars in bribes to Panamanian politicians, and that those politicians would be needing a way to collect that money that would be safe from detection. He wanted to make a cut on the illegal bribes. To me, that sounded like a bad plan.Bad Plan, Part Deux: The other bad part of the plan is that Richard Schueler first wanted to come to Panama and establish a call center in order to move his business overseas because he was making too much money and paying too much in US Income taxes. So, tax avoidance was another basic element of his plan. Nothing wrong with that, as long as you're following the law, right? Well, in my conversations with Richard Schueler I became convinced that he was not complying with US tax law. Why? I asked Richard if he had contacted the US Embassy and reported the thefts to them. He indicated to me that he did not want to contact the embassy out of concerns over the IRS and tax issues. But again, it's not my job to go after anyone. That's what the feds are for.I Just Called Schueler Again: His number is +1-954-603-7668 in the US. Give him a ring and ask him about what happened. When I spoke to him this morning it seems his story is "morphing" a little. First of all, he flat-out denies being a "spammer." Secondly, he (now) says that he went to Europe to establish a business-to-business services company and that the "asshole" had the scheme to collect a cut from the bribes. And, he forgot that when we talked back in April that he didn't want to talk to the US Embassy because he was concerned over US tax issues. Then, he hung up and now won't answer the phone. Maybe he'll call back.Did He Have It Coming? When I first spoke to Richard in April my first impressions were "What a dumb-ass!" Wait, that didn't come out right. What I meant to say was here's a bright (if not brilliant) young guy with enough on the ball to figure out how to make a few million dollars through the Internet and become the Spam King. He decided to move his operation to Panama because operating expenses are less and he can hire better people for less money. But, paying taxes makes him unhappy. Now here's where I'm making an assumption - what if Schueler told his lawyers to establish his businesses in such a way as to protect and insulate him from the IRS, but that same structure exposed him to the potential to have this business stolen from him. Again, seemingly smart on the surface but dumb in the long run.Who You Gonna Call? There's no doubt about it, Richard got mixed up with some bad people in Panama. Did he seek those people out, were they referred to him? I don't know. Schueler now claims total ignorance of the "bribes" deal, and says that plan was the brainchild of one of the guys he was dealing with.But what if he wanted or needed someone with questionable morals or ethics because he himself had a questionable plan? Again, things I don't know. In any case, welcome to the slimy underbelly of Panamanian business. Here comes some kid from the United States with a little bit of money. If he did have a plan built around a concept involving illegal activity, are you surprised that the bad guys found a way to rip him off? Did they take advantage of him? Yup, apparently. Did he have it coming? You make that call for yourself. Notice that this paragraph is full of speculation on my part. These are some of the things I don't know the truth on. I know what Schueler says, and wonder how much risk he exposed himself to, through his own acts. Again, I wonder (because I don't know for sure.)The Spamming Community: In the months following the publication of the first article about Richard Schueler I was contacted by people who are in what I would call the "spamming community." If you would like to see some of Richard Schuler's work, please check out this link. As a matter of fact I was contacted by several people who are professional spammers, and I visited a few of the boards and forums where they hang out and chat amongst themselves. Apparently Richard Schueler had "used" some of them on his climb to the top. To be honest I don't remember the exact and specific details, but it came down to Schueler making promises, getting people to do stuff for him (like send out a whole shit-load of spam) and then not making payment as promised. The general attitude among this community was "we remember you" and "what goes around, comes around." In any case, there was no love lost between them and Richard Schueler."I'm Not A Spammer" For the record and again, in a sense of journalistic integrity, Schueler told me on the phone his morning that "I am not a spammer." OK, got it. Summoned By One of the Accused: After I published the "Gringo Gang-Bang" article I was contacted by former Chief of Panamanian Police Gustavo Perez, accused by Schueler of being a part of the conspiracy to rip him off. I spoke with Gustavo Perez for about an hour and asked him about many of the things that Richard Schueler was accusing him of. He said that he was asked to perform as the "front" for a company that Richard Schueler was forming in order to give it an greater sense of legitimacy. He showed me a copy of a fake passport Richard Schueler had made up, which contained his (Shueler's) photo but someone else's name. Now, who made up that passport? I don't know. Perez says Schueler had it made for himself. Schueler says the bad guys made it up in order to rip him off. Again, that's one for the prosecutor's to figure out.Screw This: After that conversation I reached my "screw this" threshold. I came to the conclusion that this situation was a case of bad guys versus bad guys, and that sooner or later the authorities would figure it out (or not.) There are now lawsuits filed on all sides. Let's see what the judge says.What If Schueler is Perfectly Innocent? Again, journalistic integrity here. If Richard Schueler is perfectly innocent in all of this, if he has done nothing wrong or illegal (at all) and is simply a victim of a crime in Panama, then I would support him and his efforts to regain his lost wealth 100%. But it's impossible for me to know who is telling the truth, who is spinning the story this way or that, or who is telling half-truths in order to make their side of things sound either better or less bad. Judges, prosecutors, and criminal investigators have the assets, resources, and access to figure all that out. They get paid to work on these kinds of cases (and I don't.) Why Are There No Arrests? I have no idea. Schueler is now claiming judicial interference and corruption, and that the whole system is working against him. That governmental insiders are teaming up to keep his money, and that he will never see justice. That might be true. Again, please feel free to make up your own mind.What Can I Do To Help? Is there anything else I can do to help Richard Schueler? I've posted his entire story and links to his website. I'm drawing additional attention to his case. In fact, that's about the limit of my ability of being able to help his cause - to increase exposure and general knowledge of his situation.Why Talk About Me? I've visited English speaking expats in the hospital who have been shot in Panama. I've visited people who have been the victims of violent crime and armed home invasions. I've visited English speaking expatriates in La Joya, La Joyita, and the Woman's Prison in Panama. Why? Because the best way to learn is from the mistakes of others. People do dumb shit all the time and get themselves hurt, robbed, or in jail. I see this Richard Schueler case as just another person who came to Panama and managed to get himself hurt. Learn from his mistakes. That's my one and only message that matters. The sub-message is that maybe, just maybe, there's more to the Schueler case than what Schueler is willing to put on his personal website about his experience in Panama. Again, go back and make your own decision on that point.Want To Question My Motives? Go right ahead, have a ball. But please do me two favors.First, have the guts to use your own brain and to make up your own mind. I present information for that purpose. I don't have an agenda and I certainly (trust me) really don't care all that much about either Richard Schueler or the people who he is accusing. In my own personal opinion they are somehow made for one-another. Now, please go away and form your own opinion. I have mine.Secondly - before you sit behind your computer screen and criticize me, let's compare track records. I've been working as hard as I can to provide information to English speaking expatriates who are living in Panama out of a sense of community service. I do not appreciate the continual sniping from those who have done absolutely nothing to help anyone, and simply want to try to hammer down the guy who has the guts to stand up and speak the truth. For the record - screw that and screw them.Leslie Aldridge Hatchet Job? Again, for the record. I don't care, at all, about Leslie Aldridge. Michael Taylor filed several criminal complaints against her for. End of (that) story. The other story is that I personally trusted Leslie one time, which turned out to be a mistake on my part. And I have a perfectly sound right to express myself in that regard. I will never trust Leslie Aldridge again, period. And now, please make up your own mind in that respect as well. Banned from Panama Forum: For the record I can't defend myself on the Panama Forum email group. I can't post there, and have been banned from participating by Leslie (go figure.) I don't need to post there, because I can post here. There are some 2,500 members on the Panama Forum email group. On the other hand I see about 4,00 visitors per day - odds I can deal with.Everyone's a Friggin Critic: Like, I care. Listen, I learned a long time ago that you have to have a thick skin to do what I do. Some people love it, some hate it, and most just use the web page as a resource and ignore the bullshit (like this.) I care about doing a good job, providing a quality resource, and helping to keep people informed. I don't care about the fun and games, until they cross the line into criminal activity. When that happens I simply report it to the authorities and wait for them to do their jobs. Good Luck, Richard: Maybe someday the whole thing will be played out in a Panamanian court and there will be a verdict. Now, in a country where Pedro Miguel Gonzalez is the President of the National Assembly that's maybe not saying too much.I'm Done... Enough of the Richard Schueler case. He's got his problems and is now working to recover some of his assets. I'm now going to officially drop this entire line until something significant happens, like an arrest or a conviction (or if the whole thing gets thrown out.) As usual, once the judges are involved, let's wait to see what they have to say. Now, I've got to get to work. C'ya.Copyright 2007 by Don Winner for Panama-Guide.com. Go ahead and use whatever you like as long as you credit the source. Salud.
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Richard Schueler's Side of the Story: Please, by all means, if you want to hear more about this situation from Richard Schueler, visit the blog he has dedicated to this whole affair at Richard Schueler.com. He's looking to draw attention to his plight so please don't make up your mind by listening to me. Listen to him. Find out as much as you want (or can take) and then make up your own mind. It's certainly not my job to convince you of anything. That's not why I'm here.The "Gringo Gang-Bang" Article: When I first started looking into this whole thing, I published an article entitled The "Gringo Gang-Bang" Case - Yup, It's Real. Richard Schueler came down to Panama and basically got raked over the coals by some pretty bad guys. But I made a very fundamental mistake when I published that article - I only listened to one side of the story and then ran with it. It was important to me because at first glance it seemed like an English speaking expat, a member of our community, had been raked over the coals, big-time. Hence, the attention-grabbing headline.Independent Verification: I knew about the robbery in Schueler's apartment because it had been on the news. Most of the other elements of what I had learned so far were believable. But out of journalistic integrity I contacted Richard Schueler directly and spoke with him at length on the telephone, and basically grilled him on what had happened to him.Several Conversations Over a Number of Days: I called and spoke with Richard Schueler on several occasions and on different days. Richard was basically looking for an outlet for his story. He wanted to "get the word out" about how he had been taken advantage of in Panama. In short, he wanted to use the media to his advantage. Understandable, considering the amount of money he had lost.First Question - "How Could You Be So Dumb? According to Richard Schueler he had established all of his businesses in Panama with bearer shares. He had taken the advice of lawyers who intended from the start to steal from him, and they gave him bad advice that was basically good for them and bad for him. And, by the time he knew what was going on, it was too late.Get Some Help: So, he hired another lawyer to go after the first lawyer, and (according to Richard) the two lawyers teamed up and started to work against him, behind his back. They invented all kinds of tricks and ruses to keep him off balance while they cleaned out his accounts. Then, fearing for his life, he fled Panama. So far, so good.But Something Doesn't Add Up: During our extensive telephone conversations Schuler admitted to me that he traveled to Europe with one of the people who he accuses of ripping him off, with the intention of establishing an off-shore business and banking establishment. Richard Schueler told be personally that the expressed purpose of this structure was to create a means by which "companies from around the world who will be bidding on the project to expand the Panama Canal will have a way of paying bribes to Panamanian government officials that will be completely and totally secure and undetectable." In other words, Richard Schueler's business plan called for creating a way to facilitate corruption and bribe taking in Panama. And for the record, the quote is what Richard Schueler told me himself.I Called Him On It: I asked some basic "WTF" questions - like "Is that really what you're telling me? Is this for real? You understand that would be illegal, right?" His answer was, in short, that it sounded like a good idea at the time. And, he expected that there would be huge multinational companies willing to pay millions of dollars in bribes to Panamanian politicians, and that those politicians would be needing a way to collect that money that would be safe from detection. He wanted to make a cut on the illegal bribes. To me, that sounded like a bad plan.Bad Plan, Part Deux: The other bad part of the plan is that Richard Schueler first wanted to come to Panama and establish a call center in order to move his business overseas because he was making too much money and paying too much in US Income taxes. So, tax avoidance was another basic element of his plan. Nothing wrong with that, as long as you're following the law, right? Well, in my conversations with Richard Schueler I became convinced that he was not complying with US tax law. Why? I asked Richard if he had contacted the US Embassy and reported the thefts to them. He indicated to me that he did not want to contact the embassy out of concerns over the IRS and tax issues. But again, it's not my job to go after anyone. That's what the feds are for.I Just Called Schueler Again: His number is +1-954-603-7668 in the US. Give him a ring and ask him about what happened. When I spoke to him this morning it seems his story is "morphing" a little. First of all, he flat-out denies being a "spammer." Secondly, he (now) says that he went to Europe to establish a business-to-business services company and that the "asshole" had the scheme to collect a cut from the bribes. And, he forgot that when we talked back in April that he didn't want to talk to the US Embassy because he was concerned over US tax issues. Then, he hung up and now won't answer the phone. Maybe he'll call back.Did He Have It Coming? When I first spoke to Richard in April my first impressions were "What a dumb-ass!" Wait, that didn't come out right. What I meant to say was here's a bright (if not brilliant) young guy with enough on the ball to figure out how to make a few million dollars through the Internet and become the Spam King. He decided to move his operation to Panama because operating expenses are less and he can hire better people for less money. But, paying taxes makes him unhappy. Now here's where I'm making an assumption - what if Schueler told his lawyers to establish his businesses in such a way as to protect and insulate him from the IRS, but that same structure exposed him to the potential to have this business stolen from him. Again, seemingly smart on the surface but dumb in the long run.Who You Gonna Call? There's no doubt about it, Richard got mixed up with some bad people in Panama. Did he seek those people out, were they referred to him? I don't know. Schueler now claims total ignorance of the "bribes" deal, and says that plan was the brainchild of one of the guys he was dealing with.But what if he wanted or needed someone with questionable morals or ethics because he himself had a questionable plan? Again, things I don't know. In any case, welcome to the slimy underbelly of Panamanian business. Here comes some kid from the United States with a little bit of money. If he did have a plan built around a concept involving illegal activity, are you surprised that the bad guys found a way to rip him off? Did they take advantage of him? Yup, apparently. Did he have it coming? You make that call for yourself. Notice that this paragraph is full of speculation on my part. These are some of the things I don't know the truth on. I know what Schueler says, and wonder how much risk he exposed himself to, through his own acts. Again, I wonder (because I don't know for sure.)The Spamming Community: In the months following the publication of the first article about Richard Schueler I was contacted by people who are in what I would call the "spamming community." If you would like to see some of Richard Schuler's work, please check out this link. As a matter of fact I was contacted by several people who are professional spammers, and I visited a few of the boards and forums where they hang out and chat amongst themselves. Apparently Richard Schueler had "used" some of them on his climb to the top. To be honest I don't remember the exact and specific details, but it came down to Schueler making promises, getting people to do stuff for him (like send out a whole shit-load of spam) and then not making payment as promised. The general attitude among this community was "we remember you" and "what goes around, comes around." In any case, there was no love lost between them and Richard Schueler."I'm Not A Spammer" For the record and again, in a sense of journalistic integrity, Schueler told me on the phone his morning that "I am not a spammer." OK, got it. Summoned By One of the Accused: After I published the "Gringo Gang-Bang" article I was contacted by former Chief of Panamanian Police Gustavo Perez, accused by Schueler of being a part of the conspiracy to rip him off. I spoke with Gustavo Perez for about an hour and asked him about many of the things that Richard Schueler was accusing him of. He said that he was asked to perform as the "front" for a company that Richard Schueler was forming in order to give it an greater sense of legitimacy. He showed me a copy of a fake passport Richard Schueler had made up, which contained his (Shueler's) photo but someone else's name. Now, who made up that passport? I don't know. Perez says Schueler had it made for himself. Schueler says the bad guys made it up in order to rip him off. Again, that's one for the prosecutor's to figure out.Screw This: After that conversation I reached my "screw this" threshold. I came to the conclusion that this situation was a case of bad guys versus bad guys, and that sooner or later the authorities would figure it out (or not.) There are now lawsuits filed on all sides. Let's see what the judge says.What If Schueler is Perfectly Innocent? Again, journalistic integrity here. If Richard Schueler is perfectly innocent in all of this, if he has done nothing wrong or illegal (at all) and is simply a victim of a crime in Panama, then I would support him and his efforts to regain his lost wealth 100%. But it's impossible for me to know who is telling the truth, who is spinning the story this way or that, or who is telling half-truths in order to make their side of things sound either better or less bad. Judges, prosecutors, and criminal investigators have the assets, resources, and access to figure all that out. They get paid to work on these kinds of cases (and I don't.) Why Are There No Arrests? I have no idea. Schueler is now claiming judicial interference and corruption, and that the whole system is working against him. That governmental insiders are teaming up to keep his money, and that he will never see justice. That might be true. Again, please feel free to make up your own mind.What Can I Do To Help? Is there anything else I can do to help Richard Schueler? I've posted his entire story and links to his website. I'm drawing additional attention to his case. In fact, that's about the limit of my ability of being able to help his cause - to increase exposure and general knowledge of his situation.Why Talk About Me? I've visited English speaking expats in the hospital who have been shot in Panama. I've visited people who have been the victims of violent crime and armed home invasions. I've visited English speaking expatriates in La Joya, La Joyita, and the Woman's Prison in Panama. Why? Because the best way to learn is from the mistakes of others. People do dumb shit all the time and get themselves hurt, robbed, or in jail. I see this Richard Schueler case as just another person who came to Panama and managed to get himself hurt. Learn from his mistakes. That's my one and only message that matters. The sub-message is that maybe, just maybe, there's more to the Schueler case than what Schueler is willing to put on his personal website about his experience in Panama. Again, go back and make your own decision on that point.Want To Question My Motives? Go right ahead, have a ball. But please do me two favors.First, have the guts to use your own brain and to make up your own mind. I present information for that purpose. I don't have an agenda and I certainly (trust me) really don't care all that much about either Richard Schueler or the people who he is accusing. In my own personal opinion they are somehow made for one-another. Now, please go away and form your own opinion. I have mine.Secondly - before you sit behind your computer screen and criticize me, let's compare track records. I've been working as hard as I can to provide information to English speaking expatriates who are living in Panama out of a sense of community service. I do not appreciate the continual sniping from those who have done absolutely nothing to help anyone, and simply want to try to hammer down the guy who has the guts to stand up and speak the truth. For the record - screw that and screw them.Leslie Aldridge Hatchet Job? Again, for the record. I don't care, at all, about Leslie Aldridge. Michael Taylor filed several criminal complaints against her for. End of (that) story. The other story is that I personally trusted Leslie one time, which turned out to be a mistake on my part. And I have a perfectly sound right to express myself in that regard. I will never trust Leslie Aldridge again, period. And now, please make up your own mind in that respect as well. Banned from Panama Forum: For the record I can't defend myself on the Panama Forum email group. I can't post there, and have been banned from participating by Leslie (go figure.) I don't need to post there, because I can post here. There are some 2,500 members on the Panama Forum email group. On the other hand I see about 4,00 visitors per day - odds I can deal with.Everyone's a Friggin Critic: Like, I care. Listen, I learned a long time ago that you have to have a thick skin to do what I do. Some people love it, some hate it, and most just use the web page as a resource and ignore the bullshit (like this.) I care about doing a good job, providing a quality resource, and helping to keep people informed. I don't care about the fun and games, until they cross the line into criminal activity. When that happens I simply report it to the authorities and wait for them to do their jobs. Good Luck, Richard: Maybe someday the whole thing will be played out in a Panamanian court and there will be a verdict. Now, in a country where Pedro Miguel Gonzalez is the President of the National Assembly that's maybe not saying too much.I'm Done... Enough of the Richard Schueler case. He's got his problems and is now working to recover some of his assets. I'm now going to officially drop this entire line until something significant happens, like an arrest or a conviction (or if the whole thing gets thrown out.) As usual, once the judges are involved, let's wait to see what they have to say. Now, I've got to get to work. C'ya.Copyright 2007 by Don Winner for Panama-Guide.com. Go ahead and use whatever you like as long as you credit the source. Salud.
Discuss Add this link to... Bury
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