Durban - One of 10 alleged members of a rhino poaching syndicate who is applying for bail is wanted by the FBI and has a $1.1 million (R12.3m) default judgment against him in California.
The Daily News has found out that Abraham Johannes Smit, 36, of Krugersdorp, known as “Arno”, is suspected of fleeing America to dodge criminal charges.
He has been pursued by Interpol and the FBI for more than three years for various alleged crimes, including six counts of wire fraud and fleeing criminal prosecution.
The FBI’s public information officer, Special Agent Gina Swankie, confirmed this week that Smit had been a fugitive for years.
“He is wanted. He has been for a while. We issued a warrant for his arrest on a charge of unlawful flight to avoid prosecution (UFAP),” she said.
This was a general warrant issued for any fugitive at large, she said.
Swankie explained: “Smit is wanted by the federal government for six counts of wire fraud; he was indicted on January 6, 2011. When he fled post indictment, it precipitated the UFAP warrant.”
She said he was indicted on the six counts in the US District Court for the Eastern District of California (a federal court) in relation to alleged investment fraud.
Swanie did not elaborate on details of the alleged wire fraud.
Smit and nine other suspects, among them a police officer and a lawyer, were arrested two weeks ago in four provinces, including KwaZulu-Natal.
While in custody, Smit has applied for bail in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court.
Judgment on bail was expected on Friday.
The other accused are the alleged ringleader Hugo Ras, his wife Trudie Ras, Hugo’s brother Anton Ras, Ficksburg pilot Bonnie Steyn, Hawks Warrant Officer Willie Oosthuizen, lawyer Joseph Wilkinson, Christoffel Scheepers, Mandla Magagula, and Willem van Jaarsveld.
The group appeared on 318 allegations including theft, fraud, malicious damage to property (related to the killing and mutilation of rhinos), money laundering, intimidation, and illegal possession of firearms and ammunition.
They were allegedly involved in killing 22 rhinos, valued at nearly R22m, and mutilating two others, between 2008 and 2012. In total, the syndicate allegedly illegally obtained 84 rhino horns.
Smit was scheduled to appear in the Superior Court of California in Tulare county on March 18, 2009, in a lawsuit involving plaintiff Jackie Atkinson, 58. She claimed he had swindled her out of almost $600 000 by getting her to invest in his business.
Despite being summoned to appear in court more than five months before (October 2008), he failed to show up. The judge issued a warrant for his arrest – and default judgment for Atkinson to the value of almost $1.1m (plus costs and interest).
The court’s administrative manager, Deanna Jasso, told the Daily News on Thursday that Smit would be expected to pay cash bail of the same amount if he were arrested, but did have the option of obtaining a bail bond for 10 percent of that amount.
For Atkinson, the arrest is cold comfort: “Am I happy that he’s behind bars? Yes, of course. Did I wish that he would pay for what he did to me? Absolutely. But I know that at least he can no longer hurt anyone else. The world is safe,” said Atkinson from her Charlotte, North Carolina, home.
She said she had met Smit via a business website in May 2006. After exchanging messages, phone calls and pictures, they decided to meet later that month.
“My first impressions were that he was an average-looking guy, dressed well but not over the top, which enhanced his looks, good manners, (and) a good conversationalist.”
A day later, she claimed, Smit e-mailed her saying an investor had backed out at the last minute of a business deal and he needed funds to buy cattle (he had told her he was a dairy farmer) to complete an order.
“I called him and we spoke at length before he was able to convince me that this was a short-term deal and that the return would be a good investment.”
Atkinson then transferred the funds into his bank account.
“Arno knew from our talks that I played golf… He professed to have talked with Ernie Els about developing a golf course in South Africa.”
In early September 2006, she said, Smit posted her a cheque but asked that she “hold off” depositing it until about the middle of the month, because that was when he would have cash available.
“This is the first cheque that bounced… (Several) telephone conversations followed while he tried to work out what had gone wrong. (The next) cheque he sent me was returned because the account had been closed.”
Atkinson added: “Needless to say the phone calls abruptly stopped after that.”
Atkinson then sought the help of private investigator, Rocky Pipkin, culminating in her filing a civil suit against Smit.
Daily News