|
Montvel-Cohen charged with theft, fraud, money laundering
Wanted in the state of Hawaii, the managing director of local media company the Sorensen Media Group was held in custody today after being picked up by authorities at the Guam International Airport Authority earlier today. Accused of money laundering, theft, forgery and much more, Montvel-Cohen appeared in the Superior Court of Guam late this afternoon attempting to be released from custody.
Evan Daniel Montvel-Cohen was on a return flight from Manila, Philippines this morning when he was detained by agents from the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol at the A.B. Won Pat International Airport Authority. According to chief prosecutor Phil Tydingco, U.S. Customs agents discovered that Montvel-Cohen had a bench warrant for his arrest in the state of Hawaii. Montvel-Cohen was then turned over to the custody of the Superior Court Marshals where he spent the day in a holding cell awaiting a hearing this afternoon.
Tydingco says the warrant was issued this past April 15 by Judge Derrick H.M. Chan of the 1st Circuit Court of Hawaii. A grand jury in the Aloha State returned an indictment against Montvel-Cohen, charging him with:
- 1st Degree Theft
- Fraudulent Use of Credit Card
- Forgery
- 2nd Degree Theft
- Money Laundering
On the first charge of theft, Montvel-Cohen could face maximum jail time of up to 10 years. During this afternoon's hearing, the media executive appeared before Judge Pro-Tem Robert Klitzkie wearing an orange Hagatna Detention Facility shirt with defense Attorney Tom Fisher by his side. The prosecutor sought continued detention, saying Hawaii officials want Montvel-Cohen to return to the state to answer to the charges immediately. The defense, however, is seeking his release pending further court hearings.
Judge Pro-Tem Klitzkie agreed to hear testimony from Montvel-Cohen's former business partner and Sorensen Media Group chief executive officer Rex Sorensen, local physician Dr. Nathaniel Berg, and Montvel-Cohen's wife. Sorensen testified about Montvel-Cohen's character, saying he is highly motivated and aggressive, adding he has never known his former business partner not to be honest. Berg testified that incarceration would not be good for Montvel-Cohen's brain tumor, which must be monitored regularly. Berg told the court the entrepreneur must be able to seek treatment off-island when needed and would likely not be able to receive such treatment if incarcerated.
Sharla Montvel-Cohen, also employed at SMG, pleaded with the court, asking that her husband be placed on house arrest and released to a third-party custodian, herself and a relative.
Montvel-Cohen is no stranger to the limelight - in August 2005, the New York Sun reported the New York City's Department of Investigation was looking into a non-profit organization, for which Montvel-Cohen was director of development. The non-profit Gloria Wise Boys and Girls Club, a Bronx-based affiliate of the Boys and Girls Club or America, was under the microscope for transferring more than $875,000 to Progress Media, a company ran by Montvel-Cohen. That same firm served as parent company of the liberal network Air America Radio.
According to the 2005 article, Montvel-Cohen cited the reason for the personal loans from the organization was that he needed money for chemotherapy to treat his alleged brain cancer. Piquant, LLC, the company that took over Air America, has agreed to pay the money back to Gloria Wise without interest.
Montvel-Cohen and Sorensen were the driving force behind the creation of Air America, and both would eventually resign from their positions amidst allegations of a poor business plan and that Montvel-Cohen misled investors about the company's finances.
View the court documents for this case
|