On Tuesday, February 23, 2010 the Minnesota Division of the FBI and Secret Service raided the offices of iNetGlobal, located at 250 Second Avenue South in Minneapolis.
In an official statement released by iNetGlobal - (the Star Tribune never bothered to run), the company says:
On Tuesday, February 23, 2010 - U.S. Federal Agents arrived with a warrant to search the Minneapolis offices of iNetGlobal™ looking for something to substantiate their claim that illegal activity was occurring in the business.
iNetGlobal™ provides a number of essential internet tools and services for the small and home based business market.
These services include: Domain Registration, Web Hosting, Email Marketing, Shopping Cart, eCommerce, Local Business Directory, Press Release service, Search Engine, and Pay Per View Advertising services.
iNetGlobal offices will remain open to provide support to our thousands of customers from around the world. iNetGlobal will continue to provide the level of quality service our customers have come to expect now and into the future.
We would like to thank all of our Members and Customers for their support and well wishes in this trying time.
Thank you – iNetGlobal
The Minneapolis' Star Tribune's report on iNetGlobal was misleading, incorrect and lacked real information about iNetGlobal and the reason the Federal Government can only “suspect” a Ponzi scheme. Since the first posting of this story, KARE 11, KSTP 5 and a handful of bloggers and online media outlets have picked up on the tainted one-sided story that the Strib delivered to their wavering readership.
Remember, in the United States, the American people in business have no protection over the federal governments investigative branch. Without absolute facts American businesses are at the whim of federal agencies which can freeze bank accounts, take computers and close offices with nothing more than an allegation.
The land of the free and home of the brave is now being ruled with Communist, Gestapo tactics.
The United States government would never go into a non-profit, human service agency that had received millions of dollars in federal money to address a disparity in an under-served community that posted no results, but denies, obstructs and freezes assets from businesses on a daily basis without proof of guilt with a “wild, wild west” mentality.
On Tuesday, February 23rd, Star Tribune reporter Jim Walsh, wrote, “Federal agents raided a Minneapolis business owned by local musician Steve Renner Tuesday morning in what authorities are ‘calling' a suspected Ponzi scheme. The secret service said it would not divulge any other details at this time.”
The Star Tribune has not seen a copy of the search warrant; nor did they have relevant details about what triggered the investigation. The newspaper has used it's “power” to skew a story adding defamatory contempt prior to a full investigation and a Grand Jury inquiry.
Has the meaning of the word "calling" changed to “guilty?”
Just for the record: iNetGlobal™ is a global Internet Service Company that provides essential services for its target market—entrepreneurs, home-based business, small businesses, and corporations—all those who need to market on the Internet. These “V” core services include—V-Webs™, V-Newswire™, V-Local™, V-Webcast™ and V-Shops™ – in addition to its online advertising services make up the bulk of the company's business. Following its humble beginnings in 2006, iNetGlobal finally perfected what is now its current product lineup in July 2008. Since introducing the iNetGlobal™ services, the company has become one of the fastest growing Internet service companies in the world.
Our business model pays individuals to “Surf the Web” while using our products to promote and build capacity for their small businesses. iNetGlobal members are no different than Marketing Experts who sell online advertising and get paid commissions. In traditional advertising and marketing, the cost for such exposure would be phenomenal and beyond the reach of most small businesses.
iNetGlobal has created opportunities on a Global level.
iNetGlobal's “V” core services are the back-bone of online Internet marketing. Following iNetGlobal's™ humble beginnings in 2006, the company finally perfected what is now its current product lineup in July 2008. Since introducing the iNetGlobal™ services, the company has become one of the fastest growing Internet service companies in the world.
When staff questioned the intrusion of the government agencies, Robert MacQueen, Secret Service Lead Search Agent said, “This Company (iNetGlobal) is running a Ponzi scheme. We have 3500 Chinese filing a suit that said this.” Special Agent MacQueen went on to say, “We have frozen your bank accounts and the ‘victims' will get their money back.” One of the staff of iNetGlobal asked the agent “Isn't that for the courts to decide? It looks like you have found the company guilty with contempt, prior to investigation.
In closing, the United States of America was founded on hard working individuals that wanted to make a better life for themselves. It seems currently, if an individual is successful the federal government and the ponds they use (Star Tribune) paint an unrealistic picture of entrepreneurial success.
But really, when was the last time you purchased a newspaper versus reading your news online?
I feel the Star Tribune newspaper has lacked journalistic integrity in this story, and in other stories by not allowing their readership the option to see both sides.