J.D. Trafford - Michael Collins 03 - No Time To Hide Read Online Free Page B

took about six months of reviewing computer files and paper files before our forensic accountants could identify where the bank accounts were located,” Vatch said. “Once they were located, we had to force these banks to respond to our subpoenas, which was not easy, and then the process had to be repeated every time the money was moved.”
    “The money moved?”
    “Many times,” Vatch said. “We found the original accounts, but they all had minimal funds or were closed by the time we had located them and the banks released the information.”
    Gadd went back to her table and turned on a projector. It was time to move forward. She also didn’t want Vatch talking about his little debacle in Florida after the botched arrest in New York.
    A small fan inside the projector whirled to life, and the jurors turned toward the screen. A chart showed a diagram of how Michael Collins had purportedly transferred over $500 million from Krane’s accounts to a series of other foreign bank accounts throughout the world. There were dozens of boxes with arrows to other sets of boxes, and then another series of arrows and boxes and then another.
    Brenda Gadd allowed the jurors a moment to review the complex chart on their own, and then she got up, walked to the witness stand, and handed Agent Frank Vatch a laser pointer.
    “Tell us how the money got from Krane to Michael Collins.”
    Vatch closed his eyes for a second, remembering the numerous times he had rehearsed this testimony with Gadd in the last month. Testifying felt good, but the actual criminal trial would feel even better. He opened his eyes.
    “Perhaps it’s easier to work backwards.” Vatch pressed a small button on the device in his hand. He pointed it at the bottom of the screen.
    “Do you see down here?”  Vatch bounced the red dot from the laser pointer between two large boxes.
    Gadd nodded her head. “Yes.”
    “These are two major withdrawals that were made by Michael Collins. The first is a rather large donation to his parish here in New York. He is very close to the priest there. Then we have another withdrawal when he purchased the Sunset Resort and Hostel in Mexico through a shell company. There’s no dispute that this donation and the acquisition of the resort were done by Mr. Collins with Joshua Krane’s assets.”
    Vatch pointed at the series of boxes directly above these two itemized withdrawals.
    “These are the accounts where that money came from.” Vatch moved the laser pointer to the next series of boxes and then to the next. “As you can see, the money was transferred multiple times, but the trail clearly goes from Joshua Krane’s original foreign bank accounts to Michael Collins.”
    “And you have copies of every money transfer and purchase made from these accounts, which provide the foundation for the chart that we are now looking at?”
    Vatch set the laser pointer down and nodded.
    “Absolutely.” Vatch pointed at a large stack of documents sitting next to the projector. “They’re right there. Every receipt. Every account statement. There are also emails between the bank and Michael Collins that discuss the transactions. There is no doubt in my mind that Michael Collins stole this money from his law firm’s client, Joshua Krane.”
     
    ###
    The cab stopped in front of Vatch’s apartment. The cabbie got out, popped the trunk, and removed Vatch’s collapsed wheelc hair. He fiddled with the lever. Eventually the wheelchair opened and the cabbie set it on the sidewalk near the open passenger side door.
    Vatch grabbed the small handle above the door. He pulled himself out of the back seat and into the wheelchair. “How much?”
    The cabbie looked through the window at the meter. “Thirteen twenty.”
    Vatch nodded. He got out his wallet and handed the cabbie a ten dollar bill and four ones. 
    The cabbie looked at the cash in his hand.
    “That’s it?” he said. “No tip. I haul that wheelchair around and get no tip from