posted on August 21, 2001 03:55:37 PM new
Due to AW's copyright concerns, I was compelled to somewhat alter this news report. Hope you don't mind.
Eight Hamburglars Arrested by FBI
The FBI said Tuesday it arrested eight no-goodniks for allegedly rigging McDonald's popular-yet-moronic game promotions, including "Monopoly" and "Who Wants to Be A Millionaire," and defrauding the fast-food-rain-forest-destroying chain out of more than $13 million in prizes over the last six years.
Jerome Jacobson, an employee of Simon Marketing Inc. which controlled the distribution of the idiotic games, allegedly swiped the winning game pieces and gave them to his buds, the FBI said.
The immoral bastards agreed to act as winners of various prizes and to share the winnings with Jacobson and his group, according to the FBI. Simon Marketing is a unit of promotional giant Simon Worldwide Inc. .
"Those involved in this type of corruption will find out breaking the law is not a game," Attorney General John Ashcroft said. "This fraud scheme denied McDonald's customers a fair and equal chance of winning."
McDonald's Corp. said it cooperated with the federal investigation into the suspected fraud surrounding the game promotions and would begin new ones to make up for the rigged games.
Typically, the games offer a range of prizes such as $1 million in cash, cars and electronics goods. The idea is to hook suckers into returning to buy McDonalds food every day until the promotion ends, in the vain belief that he or she might actually win something. But in reality all players usually come away with is clogged arteries.
The FBI's investigation, dubbed "Final Answer" a phrase made popular by Walt Disney Co.'s ABC-TV game show, "Millionaire," is ongoing, while the alleged fraud dates back to 1995, Ashcroft said.
It is hoped that the FBI will not lose any of the evidence so far obtained in the case.
Those arrested included Linda and Noah Baker of Westminster (start building yourself an ark, Noah, you're in some hot water now, dude), South Carolina; John Davis of Granbury, Texas; Andrew Glomb (tried to glom onto all that cashola, eh pal?) of Fort Lauderdale, Florida; Michael Hoover (bet you hoovered up those winnings, yes indeed) of Westerly, Rhode Island; Ronald "Baby"Hughey of Anderson, South Carolina; Brenda Phenis (got a lot of razzing about that name growing up, didn't ya, honey?) of Fair Play (LMAO, she's from a place called Fair Play? Too f****n ironic!!!), South Carolina and Jacobson of Lawrenceville, Georgia.
STILL HITTING THE FAN
A spokesman for the FBI said that while it was early in the investigation, "it is conceivable there could be more" people charged with fraud in the case. Law enforcement officials said they have confiscated assets and vehicles.
The FBI has denied charges that it is prolonging the investigation as a ploy to get free McDonalds food for agents.
The suspects will face felony charges of conspiracy to commit mail fraud. The charges were filed in U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida in Jacksonville. If convicted, each individual could receive a maximum of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine per count. Or be given a profitable book deal and a guest appearance on a special "Embezzler's Edition" of "The Weakest Link."
McDonald's said none of the eight suspects were employed by the company, and that it "was victimized by a long-time supplier and a sophisticated inside game of fraud and deception." When a reporter pointed out that McDonalds had been doing the same thing to consumers for more than two decades by making kids believe McDonaldland is a real place populated by Grimaces and a cheeseburger police force, a company spokesman declined to comment.
The FBI began its investigation in April 2000, and the fast-food company first learned of the probe one month later. An FBI spokesman said the agency asked McDonald's to proceed with this year's "Monopoly" promotion so it could gather additional evidence.
Prosecutors are keeping their fingers crossed that the embezzlers didn't get around to stealing the "Get Out of Jail" card.
"McDonald's stayed in this promotion long enough to let us, the FBI, get together information to go get a court authorized wiretap and to get evidence," the spokesman said.
The Oak Brook, Illinois-based company said it will begin a new $10-million giveaway game promotion to compensate customers for money lost through the alleged theft, Chief Executive Jack Greenberg said in a statement. What he didn't mention is how this is great free publicity for the company and that now instead of attracting the public with one contest promotion in a month, the burger giant can do it twice.
"McDonald's is committed to giving our customers a chance to win every dollar that has been stolen by this criminal ring. This initial $10 million giveaway is the first important step toward fulfilling this commitment," Greenberg said.
posted on August 22, 2001 09:45:34 PM new
We went through the drive thru today and after handing me the order the cashier gave me a sheet of paper. It was basically a note to all of their customers apologizing and says that they will run a new game at the end of the month. It looks like a copy of a fax from their home office or something.
posted on August 23, 2001 12:04:35 AM new
How about that, some of those kids are from my neck of the woods. Anderson and Fair Play are 15 & 30 minutes away from me.
posted on August 23, 2001 08:53:17 AM new
Simon Worldwide stock, SWWI, more than tripled yesterday afternoon, although the rise did not cover the morning's fall. Generally, the stock went from in the $2's to $0.70 on the news.
At one time, it went as low as $0.19.
I don't often make predictions, but here's one: SWWI is not a bargain at any price.
