Lazy, Incomplete, Biased, and Inaccurate - The Trademark of Eric Jackson

By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - A web site called AM Costa Rica published an article yesterday entitled "Agents investigating expat financial figure and wife". The article is about Mark Emory Boswell (a.k.a. Rex Freeman) who runs Foreign Currency Exchange (Forex) training operations in Panama and Costa Rica. I met this guy (his name is Mark Boswell but he prefers to go by Rex Freeman) a couple of months ago at the Veneto Hotel and Casino. When he introduced himself, it took a minute for the name to register and then I realized - "Hey, aren't you the guy that's sueing Eric Jackson for slander?" Yup, same guy... (more)

There Are Pills For That: Eric Jackson, the owner and editor of The Panama News, is what I consider to be a "serial slanderer." He has a tendency to become obsessed with a particular point, issue, or individual, and once he latches on he will never let go, no matter what. And you can forget about trying to use truth, facts, and logic - it they go counter to Eric's preconceived notions of reality he will ignore them, change the subject, counter attack, or assume some other victim posture. I reached the conclusion long ago that Eric is simply incapable of discerning the difference which is sad in its own way. But still if Eric decides to focus his muddled brain on you for whatever reason don't even waste your time trying to talk to him or trying to shake him off using intelligence, truth, facts, or logic. He's obsessive in a pit-bull kind of way, but also in a way that is not at all healthy.

Panama-Guide.com: Eric Jackson has been slandering me since August 2004 when I launched my website. Obviously, he is, has been, and continues to be worried about having a competitor. I met with him and we agreed to work our own respective areas of interest but again, he proved himself simply incapable of self control and had been attacking me personally and professionally for more than three years now.

Nice To Meet You, Rex: The first thing I wanted to know about Rex Freeman was what he is doing in Panama. He teaches novices how to trade in the Foreign Exchange market, to make money in the ebbs and flows of the differences in the different currencies around the world. I have dabbled in that a little myself and I know it's a hard game to play, especially for rookies. Usually, the guys who make all of the money are those who have been doing it for a long time and have "paid" for their education my making mistakes and learning the hard way through losing money in the market. Several years ago I played around (and got hammered). I said "that hurt" and left. But, I learned enough to talk about it and I know that there are people out there who trade Forex full time and make a nice living at it.

Conspiracy Theories: Rex is one of those guys who likes to talk about conspiracy theories. Like, supposedly there's a recording where you can see little explosions going off right as one of the planes hit the world trade center. Personally I don't buy into that bullshit but Rex seems to believe it. I asked him about the stuff that Eric keeps bringing up with the Oklahoma City bombing. Rex used to have a radio show, and he said that he had a guest who was a retired Army General who was an explosives expert, and according to that person ANFO could not have done the damage or taken down the Oklahoma City building.

Again, Bullshit: First of all, I know a lot of Army Generals, and I never met one who knew dick about home made explosives like ANFO. Army guys know a lot about C4 and military grade ordnance because that's what they use all day in things like artillery rounds, hand grenades and the like. But ANFO? Nah, not likely. Whatever. Rex and I came to an agreement - he believes some of that stuff and for the most part I don't. I've run into these "conspiracy theory" guys before and they seem to get a kick out of asking the "what if" questions. No one will ever be able to prove them right or wrong so they can talk forever, perfect fodder for talk radio.

Ripping Off Expats? Anyone who regularly reads this website knows that I will go after anyone who is preying on expats down here in Panama. One of the things I like to do well is to go after and expose those people or companies who target and victimize our community for fraud or any other kind of crime. For example:

• Rod Spiller and the "U Da Chump" Case: I'm still chasing Rod Spiller and this "Udachu" investment scam - he's now pulling a repeat in Italy after ripping of dozens if not hundreds of expats here in Panama and around the world through the Internet. I investigated him and exposed his activities to local authorities and as a result he decided it was time to move on to greener pastures. He left behind hundreds of victims who are now pursuing legal actions against him.
  
  
• Land in Bocas del Toro: I continue to investigate and write about rights of possession property issues in Bocas del Toro. In those cases there are apparently a couple of US companies and individuals who are using "black hat" tactics and techniques to obtain (steal, take, grab) land from the rightful owners. Unfortunately the people who are doing this are US citizens, and very often the people who take advantage of expats are other expats.
  
  
• The Murder of Toni Grossi-Abrams: I investigated that case thoroughly when it first came to light, and continue to follow events in the case as the investigation unfolds. I have been to visit Debra Ann Ridgely in the Woman's Prison on several occasions. The murder of Toni Grossi-Abrams was apparently another case of expat on expat crime, with one expat (Toni) ending up dead, another expat (Debra) ending up in prison, and two more expats (Colombians) running from justice.
  
  
• Stranded in Santo Tomas: Remember the case of Mike McEvoy, the guy who came down to Panama to visit his grandchildren, had a stroke, and died in the Santo Tomas hospital? I was able to visit him in the hospital before he died but was unable to coordinate a charity medevac in time.
  
  
• Shot On Via Veneto: Then there was the guy (name withheld by request) who was shot while buying a cell phone on Via Veneto. I visited him in the hospital as well, just to make sure that he had someone looking out for him down here.
  
  
• Gringos Ripping Off Gringos: I wrote about Leslie Aldredge who, according to Michael Taylor, stole his car and laptop computer, defrauded him out of thousands of dollars, and fled to Boquete leaving him will bills to pay on an apartment he was renting for her. He's filed several criminal complaints against her for theft, misappropriation, and criminal slander, and she turned to bite him after he tried to help her.
  
  
• Home Invasion Robberies: In the genre of "learning from the mistakes of others" I have investigated so many home invasion robberies in Panama that I've lost count. There was the Richard Schueler Gringo Gang-Bang deal which started off as a home invasion but turned into a major fraud case. Then I went and talked to these guys in Altos del Chase which was just a standard break-in for money. I also did a walk-through of this crime scene to point out security flaws which led to the assault.
  
  
• Government Officials Picking on Gringos: There have been several cases I've investigated that basically come down to the Panamanian government deciding that it's time to enforce a law that's been on the books for a long time, so they start with a gringo. Take Victor Politis for example, the owner of the Crystal Moon strip club who is facing five years in La Joya for human trafficking. He was set-up by an American "black hat" competitor who didn't want the new guy to open. Then there was the case of Capt. Tom Yust who had all of this fishing equipment confiscated because the ANAM decided to start enforcing a law to protect Coiba. Forget the fact that there were several other boats in the area owned by wealthy and prominent Panamanians at the time - Tom was the scape goat.

Bonae Fidei Established: I'm covering some of this ground again because I wanted to remind people of some of my basic beliefs. I spend a whole lot of time and energy chasing down and going after the criminals who would take advantage of the flood of newly arriving English speaking expatriates in Panama. In short, when I hear about this kind of thing I write about it to warn everyone else. Anyone who knows me personally also knows that I take this kind of stuff to heart.

Guilt By Association: Eric Jackson has a serious problem with Rex Freeman. Eric Jackson also has a serious problem with me. The fact that I am talking to Rex Freeman is making Eric Jackson, quite literally, nuts. Eric should know that I talk to Rex all of the time. I call him on the cell phone and exchange email with him regularly. Most recently I contacted Rex to ask him about the report that came out in on AM Costa Rica. Eric Jackson is convinced that Rex Freeman is some kind of a serious fraud artist or scammer. Thankfully, I have my own resources and ability to think for myself, as well as considerable analytical and investigatory abilities. So far I have not reached the same conclusion as Eric. In fact to date I have only heard from two people (one of them Eric) who are rabid anti-Rex Freeman.

Using A Broad Brush: Eric Jackson is trying to paint me as some kind of a "friend of the scammers" or something because take the time to talk to Rex Freeman and actually listen to him. When I met Rex Freeman and realized he was the guy who had filed a criminal complaint against Eric Jackson I knew it would probably turn into a kind of "enemy of my enemy" relationship, since Rex had already sued Eric Jackson for slander and I probably should as well. But at the same time I have to consider the possibility that some of what Eric is alleging about Rex Freeman might be true. As a matter of fact most of the time when Eric gets obsessed about something or someone there is usually a little grain of truth in there somewhere, and then he spins it until it's no longer recognizable. In any case, I'm still approaching Rex Freeman with caution.

Watch Yourself, Rex: Rex Freeman tells me that he's teaching people how to do Forex trading and that's all good. I've received emails and comments on the website from one other person (besides Eric) who is strongly "anti-Rex" and I suspect that this person who is in Costa Rica is the original source of Eric Jackson's vent. So, if Rex has just one guy who he has significantly pissed off and that guy can find someone like Eric Jackson (to use) then that's the whole show right there. In any case, so far I have not received a flood of email or correspondence from people who have been victimized by Rex Freeman. In fact, I have not received any. In the Rod Spiller case, for example, I received dozens if not hundreds of emails and correspondence from people who are pursing legal complaints. That simply is not the situation with regards to Rex Freeman. In any case I'm still keeping an eye on this Rex guy and his Forex trading deal. If a flood of victims materialize then he understands that the first questions will be from me.

My Name All Over Panama Forum: Leslie Aldredge, one of the moderators on the Panama Forum Yahoo email group, is allowing a string of posts with the title "Don Winner's financial columnist in the news today" talking about Rex Freeman. You should know, of course, that once upon a time (a long time ago) I made the serious mistake of trusting Leslie Aldredge and she took advantage of that trust for her own gain - basically she conned me. What's more, that appears to be her "modus operandi", to gain the trust of someone and then to turn and bite that person when they are no longer of any use to her. So, if you're currently placing any form of trust in Leslie Aldredge, a US citizen from New York and currently living in Boquete, then I advise you to exercise extreme caution. And, she controls the Panama Forum Yahoo email group and has banned me from posting on that network. So by default she is allowing others to slander me, without allowing me to respond. So, I'm responding here.

What The Hell, Rex? I contacted Rex Freeman and asked him about the article that appeared in AM Costa Rica. This is his response:

• This article is a direct response to a continuation of a smear campaign being conducted by the mouthpieces A.M. Costa Rica and The Panama News. They clearly have no regard for the truth and have no interest in presenting an objective, balanced story, thus the smear articles published to the public with wanton disregard for accuracy as this rebuttal and future events will prove out.
  
  
• #1...It is true there is an investigation going on which started from a complaint filed from two disgruntled associates. The investigation led to a raid of the offices of Trade Exchange-Tradex, S.A. just recently. We had two separate offices in Costa Rica at one time and inherited these disgruntled people who were associates of a broker we work with. When the broker gave up on Costa Rica and left, we inherited their office and their brokers. These people were not only unproductive in business but were counterproductive in this office causing personal division and strife amongst our people, poisoning the atmosphere of the office there and we threw them out of the office with explicit orders not to return. Since that time, they have done everything possible to exact vengeance on us. Andres Jimenez and Giselle Valerio had their own trading accounts with independent brokers we work with. They placed funds with those brokers and were the only ones who had full and complete control over those accounts. The only one to touch their funds was the broker (one in the USA and one from Europe) and themselves. The companies mentioned in the complaint never had touched any of their funds and had nothing to do with the execution of their business.
  
  
• Jimenez and Valerio did not do well in their own brokerage accounts and with their new found motivation of vengeance, they went to the superintendent of valores (SUGEVAL) to file a complaint against us and make our lives as miserable as they were by trying to hold our companies somehow accountable for their own personal business they had with their brokers.
  
  
• #2...It is true that the companies mentioned were not registered under SUGEVAL or SUGEF (banking superintendent). These companies are not engaged in any regulated activity and therefore registration is not required. In fact, we have a detailed letter from SUGEVAL telling our broker, who is much more directly involved in the Forex trading business than the mentioned companies ever were, saying explicitly that the activities were NOT subject to regulation and that therefore there are or would be no compliance requirements needed. End of story.
  
  
• The way this works in Costa Rica is that whenever ANYBODY files any kind of complaint, the company goes on a list. Periodically, SUGEVAL publishes a list of these companies in the paper. The notice says to the public, very specifically that (to paraphrase) "The following companies have a complaint against them filed with us. They are not registered with us. If you (public) do business with these companies, you are on your own! "
  
  
• That is the essence of the publication's message. They don't say that the companies 'may not be required' to be registered (BY LAW) and by this small but significant omission this leads people to erroneously infer that somehow the companies are supposed to be registered, are operating illegally or are doing something 'bad' when this may not be the case at all, and often isn't, as our letter indicates in specific legal language.
  
  
• #3...The complaint goes along the lines that these companies mentioned are somehow involved in soliciting for investor funds, selling registered securities, offering false credit etc. etc. which the record will clearly show when it all comes out, that those making this complaint have absolutely -zero- basis for the allegations and the investigators will find that they will be greatly embarrassed by their own gullibility to pursue such claims with such fanfare without a shred of evidence or probable cause.
  
  
• We knew of the complaint a year ago and dealt with it head on by making direct contact with SUGEVAL of our own initiative and we thought we had put this nonsense to bed back then.
  
  
• Regarding the recent raid - the investigators could have just requested a meeting with us to review the allegations and lack of evidence and request our cooperation to assist in the matter prior to making such a big show, they could have quietly bowed out with some grace from such a debacle.
  
  
• You have to remember, Costa Rican law is based on Napoleonic code which requires no probable cause to begin an investigation and whoever makes an allegation against you (real or contrived) puts you in a position that you are guilty until proven innocent and the burden of proving your innocence then falls on you ! How nice. Unfortunately, this just goes to show further, one reason why smart people are leaving Costa Rica by the boatload.
  
  
• #4... The article refers to a phone room in Escazu ? The Escazu office has been there for almost 6 years performing member support services and it continues to this day. There are exactly 3 desks and two work stations. Does this sound like a phone room? Walk by and look in the window. There have never been any sales people or 'phone room' operation going on there. It is a fulfillment center which sends out member materials and welcome packages to members of our private business club. The member package includes materials from a variety of service providers our members are introduced to.
  
  
• Further evidence of deliberate smears and willful lack of attention to (or concern about) the facts:
  
  
• From A.M. Costa Rica: "Two of these investors are Costa Ricans and former employees " Fact: These people were never employees, nor were they investors with the companies they complained against.
  
  
• From A.M. Costa Rica: "Agents said the two men had from $5,000 to $8,000 each in his businesses." Fact: This might be in the complaint, but really, would professional agents be discussing 'allegations' with unrelated third parties (A.M. Costa Rica) as though it were a determined fact when they are only just beginning an 'investigation'?
  
  
• From A.M. Costa Rica: "The card was issued by Continental Trust in Switzerland" Fact: Club members at one time received as a member benefit a debit card (which they had to activate with full ID and KYC documentation to the MasterCard processing company authorizing it) which was marketed by a company with no such name and had no relation to Switzerland.
  
  
• From A.M. Costa Rica: 'Tradex is believed to sell bonds' Fact: Well, maybe somebody does 'believe' that, but it's absolutely absurd and not a part of the real world that most of us live in. Do you see how words can be used and twisted to serve a pre-determined agenda with absolute impunity ? This statement is a clear indication of the intent of the author.
  
  
• From A.M. Costa Rica: "Investigators said Thursday that they have not developed enough evidence to seek an arrest" Fact: Exactly! Nor will they ever. So why doesn't A.M. Costa Rica do the responsible thing and try to present a balanced view rather than splash their front page with sensationalism clearly rife with redundant errors that have, as an end result, irreparable damage in the public eye to the reputation of a business that has been well established in Costa Rica for over 6 years ? Sure, A.M. Costa Rica will cop out by referring to 'their sources'. It doesn't work. An organization that doesn't fact check, regardless of the source is an irresponsible organization that doesn't deserve the trust of the public. Period. Case Closed.
  
  
• Foot Note: Tradex has had other bouts with trouble makers which seem to be everywhere in Costa Rica and has never flinched. People have sent in immigration officers trying to seek deportations which never occurred. People have sent in tax authorities only to find everything is in order. Anybody can walk up to the office from the street. It is located in a public courtyard/commercial center.
  
  
• Final Note: If A.M Costa Rica is a responsible, reliable publication of real, objective 'news' that the public can have confidence in, why did they never once even try to contact the accused to get their side of the story before putting the gristle on the grill ?
  
  
• Decide for yourself who you want to associate with !
  
  
• Rex Freeman

Rex Is Done, Back To Don: OK, to sum that up, there were two people who had accounts in Costa Rica. They lost money due to their own inabilities as traders and decided to take it out on Rex by filing a criminal complaint. I contacted the Fraud Section of the Judicial Investigation Organization (OIJ) in Costa Rica and spoke with them about the investigation. They did confirm that there is an open investigation. They also confirmed that the investigation has been prompted by the complaints of the two Costa Ricans, and that they recovered computer equipment with an intent to determine the nature of the business operations being conducted there. So, the raid did happen. There are outstanding complaints in Costa Rica, and authorities are investigating.

Hey, Rex is like Eric! There is also an open criminal complaint against Eric Jackson in Panama, and the Prosecutor is investigating that case. OK, let me talk about calumnia y injuria in Panama a little. You simply can not say things that are defamatory and not true in public in Panama. It's a crime. Anyone who is a victim can make a criminal complaint or file a civil lawsuit, and there are time constraints on both. The complaint goes through a filtering process at the PTJ, and if they decide that a crime has been committed then they forward the file to the prosecutor's office for investigation. It's up to the prosecutor to fully investigate and "flesh out" the case to prepare it for trial. They have to be sure that they have enough evidence to win a conviction before a judge.

Bitch, Thief, and Asshole: People get mad at other people all of the time, and they tend to rant and rave against the person who happens to be pissing them off. If you call someone a "bitch" or and "asshole" for example that's not a crime because you're just basically expressing your opinion about that person in a vulgar manner. If you call someone a "thief" then you are alleging that the person is breaking the law, which is a crime if unfounded. Calling someone a "con man" or "scammer" is also a crime (if unfounded) because it alleges criminal activity or that someone is breaking the law. Now here's the hard part for journalists - I report on crime all day long and it's easy to do. You just stick to the facts and report on the case. Reporters only get themselves in trouble when they stick themselves into the story in some way and make their own allegations.

Back To Bocas del Toro: Take the land issues in Bocas del Toro, for instance. I'm investigating allegations made by Jean Morales that Cirilo McSween is trying to steal 55 hectares of land from her. Now, regardless of what I think about those allegations, the person making the allegations is Jean Morales (not Don Winner.) If Cirilo McSween does not like to see me writing about those allegations then that's just too bad, and I suggest he address the allegations of Jean Morales in court. But I can talk about it all day long without slandering or defaming Cirilo McSween.

What About Pedro Miguel Gonzalez: Now, that sucker has been indicted by a federal grand jury which makes my job easy. I can talk about the indictment all day long, especially the part about how he's been indicted as a terrorist or under a law specifically written to allow the government of the United States to prosecute international terrorists who have killed or attempted to kill US citizens abroad, which makes Pedro Miguel Gonzalez an indicted terrorist. But it's not me saying that - it's the federal grand jury. Not so tough.

One Last Word on Rex Freeman: Is he ripping people off? I don't think so, or at least I have not seen anything that indicates that he has. Is he running schemes for offshore asset protection and skirting the edge of IRS compliance? Probably. One of the other things I have learned over time is that there are all kinds of ways to establish "close to the edge" legal practices and financial arrangements. The lawyer or company establishing those structures is not breaking the law by setting them up, but the individual who comes along and uses them to break the law then has a problem. This happens all of the time, for examples look to Eddy Kahn and Wesley Snipes. Everyone who is making a lot of money wants to find ways to avoid paying income taxes, and to everyone who would go down that path I would say "forget it." Compliance responsibility falls upon the individual when it comes to the IRS, and if you're trying to get away with something then you are exposing yourself to a huge and unnecessary risk.

Take The Time to Learn the Truth: I would urge you to simply consider the source and make your own call. You are all very smart people with great-big brains and ability to think for yourselves. I admit that it bothers me to see Eric Jackson taking chunks out of another victim. But you should also know that Rex Freeman is not a personal friend of mine (we have met exactly once), nor does he advertise on my website. In the case of Rex Freeman there are, as usual, some elements of truth to the stories Eric Jackson writes - like a raid did occur in Costa Rica. But for the most part it's apparently just a continuation of a personal conflict between Rex Freeman and Eric Jackson. And with regards to the report published in AM Costa Rica (and echoed by Eric), I see it as lazy, inaccurate, biased, unethical, and morally questionable "reporting" which has been Eric's trademark for years. Really, no surprise at all.

Copyright 2007 by Don Winner for Panama-Guide.com. Go ahead and use whatever you like as long as you credit the source. Salud.