Miami, Florida, U.S.A. – Estlund Law has successfully obtained the removal of two Red Notices requested against our clients by the People’s Republic of China.
The clients’ Red Notices were issued in 2017 after the People’s Republic of China (PRC)’s government accused them of pyramid selling activities. One client was accused of organizing a pyramid scheme in relation to his business, which included multiple operations in multiple countries. The other client, a family member of the business owner, was included in the Red Notice despite having no involvement in the company.
As is common in private industries in China, as the business grew, the clients became the target of extortion efforts. Before the Red Notices were issued, they refused multiple offers of “business protection” in exchange for bribes by government officials and those holding close ties to the government. Authorities subsequently raided the business’s office without notice or cause, forced transfers from the company to the local “police bank account,” and fired employees from the company. Authorities controlling the media later released defamatory claims on the business and seized the clients’ assets. For a year after learning of the Red Notices, the clients paid a team of lawyers to try to fight the case in China until they were informed by a “middle man” that their fight was futile unless they paid millions in bribes, which they refused.
Prior to turning to Estlund Law, the clients attempted to remove their Red Notices with another law firm; those efforts were unsuccessful because the requests were not properly prepared.
Michelle Estlund provided proof to INTERPOL’s Commission for the Control of INTERPOL’s Files (CCF) that the clients’ legitimate business included a lawful multi-level marketing program that operated exclusively in jurisdictions outside of China to remain compliant with the restrictions on multi-level marketing in China. She submitted proof of the unlawfulness of the PRC’s proceedings, its lack of respect towards the principles of human rights and its inability to provide a clear description of criminal involvement or purpose, and the political motivation of the criminal proceedings.
The CCF agreed with Estlund Law’s request and deleted both clients’ Red Notices from its databases.
They are now able to work, travel, bank, and live without the fear of being detained or targeted based on the Chinese Red Notices.