Biozoom defendant Furman gives up Gushlak's gifts

by Mike Caswell

A judge has ordered Yelena Furman, the New York woman who admitted to helping Canadian Myron Gushlak in a shell scheme, to give up an impressive list of gifts that she received from Mr. Gushlak. The list includes 21 pairs of expensive shoes, a 5.82-carat diamond ring and 12 high-end bags. She must deliver the items to the U.S. Marshals Service or the FBI, if she has not already done so.

The order comes as part of a criminal case in which Ms. Furman, 37, pleaded guilty after helping Mr. Gushlak hide his connection to a shell company. The shell later became Biozoom Inc., a purported biotechnology listing. After the sale, others ran a $34-million pump-and-dump with the company, the government said. (All figures are in U.S. dollars.) The stock went to a $4.50 high in 2013 before the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission halted it.

The list of gifts is contained in a forfeiture order entered on Tuesday, April 17, by Florida Judge Cecilia Altonaga. Such orders are a routine and often mundane part of the sentencing process in fraud cases. A defendant usually agrees to hand over any bank or brokerage accounts that hold proceeds from the fraud. The orders frequently amount to a lengthy list of account numbers that the government will take.

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