IIUSA (the trade body for regional centers) and Greenberg Traurig are desperately trying to save the regional center program from being shut down!

Crooks are like Opium Addicts, they always need their fix of OPM (Other People's Money). I've learnt that Greenberg Traurig (which by some accounts is said to be the lobbying firm with the sleaziest clients in D.C.) is now trying to use gay Democrat Congressman Jared Polis (don't birds of a feather flock together?) and a few other similarly ethically challenged Congressmen to protect regional centers from being permanently shut down next year. The problem is, the folks at GT seem to be unaware that come November, we will have a vastly reshaped House and Senate that will be filled with Republicans out to sabotage Hillary's presidential campaign for 2016, and the easiest way to do it is by prosecuting cases of fraud and abuse of process in regional centers such as GCFM and SLS casinos. As it is, not only ICE, now the entire DHS is up in arms against regional centers after Alejandro Mayorkas (probably the MOST CORRUPT man in the entire DHS) has repeatedly violated the laws and helped regional centers get EB-5 visas illegally and fraudulently, and right now, the odds of Polis getting unseated are quite high due to his picking up fights with the Energy industry in CO. Moreover, even practically speaking, measures are being implemented to make it impossible for regional centers to carry on with their fraud and conflict anymore, and in practical terms, the by-product of those steps will be the natural death of regional centers.

What regional center owners still don't seem to understand is that the days of ignorance are GONE, and today EB-5 visa investors prefer Direct Investment Businesses and avoid regional centers due to the 20 month wait and 1% annual return with almost certain capital loss, terrible exit strategies and rampant fraud and conflict of interest that is seen in pretty much every single regional center. I don't think even a single regional center CEO can honestly state that they have not violated or attempted to violate securities laws, and I also don't believe that we can find even 1 regional center where fraud and conflict of interest do not exist. In simple terms, EB-5 visa investors strongly prefer capital gains and decent income during the process of getting their green cards, and will NOT settle for paltry returns and almost certain capital losses (caused due to fraud and conflict of interest) anymore.

We see many "Due diligence experts" who claim to know how to do due diligence for regional center (or even Direct Investment) investment opportunities, and these phonies give false assurances to EB-5 visa investors that regional center investments are safe and great. These so-called experts seem to be turning a blind eye to the fraud and conflict of interest that can be so easily seen in over 98% of the cases, be they regional centers or even so-called Direct Investments such as the fraudulent and conflict of interest ridden offerings of Twistee Treat, Voodoo BBQ (by Fred Burgess and Joe Sloboda) or Carl's Jr. by David Tashroudian or Marcos Pizza by Mr. Hall (to cite just a few examples of extremely risky franchise offerings). An easy way to do due diligence is to ask the HARD Questions, which so-called due diligence experts such as Michael Gibson, Wassem Amin, Mark Ivener, etc.

Some of the  ways these so-called experts seem to be negligent (and potentially liable for damages too) are:

1) They failed to advise EB-5 visa seekers that regional centers were illegally offering and selling securities overseas.
2) They failed to advise EB-5 visa seekers that regional centers were engaging in conflict of interest.
3) They failed to advise EB-5 visa seekers that regional centers were committing securities fraud by failing to fully and truthfully disclosing all material facts.
4) They failed to advise EB-5 visa seekers that approval times for regional centers were far longer than those for Direct Investment Businesses.
5) They failed to advise EB-5 visa seekers if they received any remuneration from regional centers, and if so, how much?


All EB-5 visa seekers should ask the following questions of regional centers and partnerships to detect and prevent fraud:

1) What is the mean and median amount of capital loss experienced by EB-5 visa seekers who invest in your regional center or partnership?

This is important because capital loss is very commonly experienced by EB-5 visa investors in regional centers and other partnerships, while none of our clients has experienced it, as we only offer Genuine Direct Investment Solutions to EB-5 visa seekers.

2) What is the mean and median processing time for regional center sponsored I-526 and I-829 petitions?

This is important as EB-5 visa petitions filed by regional centers and other partnerships now take about twice as long as Direct Investment businesses to get approved.

3) What is the mean and median lock in period for capital in regional centers?

This is important as EB-5 visa investors have easy exit strategies in our recommended businesses while they are stuck for years in regional centers.

4) What is the mean and median annual ROI that is offered by your partnership / regional center?

This is important as EB-5 visa investors usually earn a lot more in businesses recommended by us than in regional centers.

5) Are you willing to offer a sworn affidavit that you have not engaged in and won't in the future engage in conflict of interest?

6) Are the business founders, CFO and CEO willing to offer written guarantees of FULL disclosure of material facts on an ongoing basis as well as freedom from fraud and conflict of interest?

Avoid those who refuse to offer this guarantee in a notarised affidavit.

7) Are you offering and selling securities overseas in full compliance of US and overseas securities laws?

Avoid those who refuse to confirm this in a notarised affidavit.

8) Are the business founders, CFO and CEO willing to offer written guarantees of FULL refund of fees if the EB-5 visa petition is denied at any stage through no fault of the EB-5 visa investor?

Avoid those who refuse to offer this guarantee in a notarised affidavit.


EB-5 visa seekers should remember that Genuine Direct Investment businesses are THE BEST option to get the EB-5 visa quickly, safely and usually profitably for the following reasons:

1. Faster processing and approval times.
2. Easy exit strategy.
3. Investors usually get a much higher Return on Investment.
4. Investors usually get a much higher Capital gain, whereas regional center investors usually get capital losses.
5. Our clients have a 100% approval rate of I-526 and I-829, while those who choose regional centers or other partnerships don't.
6. Our clients have very little risk as we conduct extensive due diligence and work hard to prevent fraud and conflict of interest, whereas regional centers and partnerships are overrun with fraud and conflict of interest.
7. Full control of business and capital, which helps prevent fraud, conflict of interest and losses.

EB-5 visa investors need to remember that we offer THE BEST service when it comes to offering a turnkey solution for the following reasons:

1.  Our clients ALWAYS have full control of their business and their money. Those who choose regional centers and partnerships usually have to kiss their money goodbye, and are STUCK for 5-9 years.
2. We offer a written guarantee of freedom from fraud and conflict of interest, whereas our competitors usually don't offer this guarantee.
3. We offer a written guarantee of FULL disclosure of material facts on an ongoing basis, whereas our competitors usually don't offer this guarantee.
4. We offer a written guarantee of full fee refund in case a client is rejected due to our team's fault, while our competitors usually don't offer this guarantee because they are incompetent cowards who are unsure about the quality of their work.
5. Since 2004, our clients have NEVER been denied at the I-526 and I-829 stage, and have NEVER suffered operating or capital losses, and have usually earned over 22% annual Return on Equity because of our focus on due diligence and our extensive efforts to reduce risk by preventing fraud and conflict of interest. Try finding a regional center or partnership that boasts of this record.
6. We are quite objective in our assessments, and owe a fiduciary duty to our EB-5 visa investor clients, while those who sell regional center and partnership securities usually do not owe fiduciary duties to EB-5 visa investors. In plain words, we are required by law to put our clients interests first, and we do so because it helps us more than it helps our clients! We advise our clients diligently and help them make solid decisions.
7. We are probably the ONLY firm that actually encourages our clients to always stay in full control of their business and their funds at every stage as this helps us avoid escrow accounting and reduces potential for fraud, embezzlement and litigation.

If you're an EB-5 visa investor who wants to get their green card quickly, safely and in a usually profitable manner, please contact us. You'll be glad you did!

Yours truly,

Mohammed Shaikh, Licensed RE and Business Broker (CA & FL)

Phone: +1 407 535 0616 Online: htttp://www.smartbusinessbroker.com

First Sbarro threw in the towel, and now Quiznos got toasted. This is WHY I tell EB-5 visa investors to avoid investing in risky franchises such as Twistee Treats, Voodoo BBQ, Marcos Pizza, etc.

A few days ago, I wrote about the dangers of investing in risky franchises, and today I saw yet another example of a risky franchise going bankrupt. That is right, Quiznos got toasted.
What can EB-5 visa investors learn from these examples?

The first lesson is, do NOT trust someone who doesn't ow you a fiduciary duty. A licensed Business Broker (who also holds a RE Broker License) or an Attorney or CPA representing only the EB-5 visa investor can be trusted as their only loyalty lies with their client. A sleazy marketer such as Chaim Katzap or Kevin Jeffers or Joe Sloboda and Fred Burgess as well as other similar individuals who've illegally marketed and sold regional center securities are NOT to be trusted at all, as their track record shows they've caused enough EB-5 visa investors to lose time and money.

The second lesson is, do NOT trust someone who doesn't have real experience in discerning fact from fiction. It is quite common for EB-5 visa investors to trustingly believe so-called due diligence experts such as Michael Gibson or Wassem Amin, but the fact is, they either don't seem to know HOW to do due diligence, or simply choose to turn a blind eye towards glaring indicators of fraud.

Franchises can often be a great way to get EB-5 visas, but EB-5 visa investors need to watch out for fraud. I've seen Voodoo BBQ franchises offered by Joe Sloboda, where they didn't disclose their conflict of interest to EB-5 visa investors, and saw a similar situation with David Tashroudian and Carl's Jr. franchises too.

Papa John's or Dominos franchise may be great for EB-5 visa investors, while Marco's Pizza may be unsuitable. Similarly, 5 Guys may be suitable while Voodoo BBQ may be unsuitable. EB-5 visa investors should remember that they should seek objective advice from those who owe them fiduciary duties, and not from those who may have a conflict of interest, as unscrupulous franchise brokers and their affiliates try to solicit EB-5 visa seekers to invest in a business with a risky business model, in order to earn commissions from the franchisor at the expense of the EB-5 visa seeker.

An easy way to find out if a franchise is a good option or not, is to ask a lender bank if they will finance that franchise. If the lender says no, then the EB-5 visa seeker should avoid the franchise. Another easy way to find out is to ask the franchisor to provide audited financial statements from 10 of the closest franchisees to see what was the annual NOI per store, and in case the stores are making losses or very little profit, the EB-5 visa seekers should avoid the franchise. EB-5 visa seekers should also ask Franchise brokers and promoters to disclose in a notarised affidavit the commissions they will receive from all sources, in order to make an informed decision on whether to invest or not in a particular franchise. Finally, EB-5 visa seekers should seek the help of reputed and experienced Licensed Business Brokers who offer a written guarantee of freedom from conflict of interest to their clients, to help EB-5 visa seekers make an informed decision.

Our competitors usually don't offer written guarantees of full disclosure and freedom from conflict of interest, while we do so confidently and proudly. Our competitors don't have over 10 years of Business Brokerage and Advisory experience helping investors buy / start businesses to qualify for the EB-5 visa, while since 2004, we've helped 65 investors get their EB-5 visa.

We offer a full fee refund guarantee in case our client's EB-5 visa petition is denied due to our fault. We also offer a written guarantee of full disclosure and freedom from conflict of interest, and none of our clients has suffered operating losses or capital losses. For more information, please call or visit our website http://www.smartbusinessbroker.com

Unlike Joe Sloboda and Fred Burgess, whoat least till last year, didn't clearly disclose their financial interest in promoting their risky Voodoo BBQ franchise, we do NOT receive a penny from any franchisor for referring clients, so our EB-5 visa investor clients know that our advice is entirely objective and free of undisclosed financial interests.




If you're an EB-5 visa investor who wishes to get their EB-5 visa in a quick, safe and usually profitable manner, please hire our team to guide you. You'll be glad you did.

Yours truly
Mohammed Shaikh, MBA, CFE, Licensed RE & Business Broker (CA & FL)
Online: http://www.smartbusinessbroker.com
Phone: 407 535 0616

All Franchises aren't created equal! EB-5 visa investors should carefully select the franchise they invest in, as many franchises are unsuitable & often impaired by fraud and conflict of interest.

I got a call 2 days ago from an EB-5 visa investor who wanted to invest in either Sbarros or Marcos Pizza as some unscrupulous franchise broker wanted them to buy one of these franchises in order to get EB-5 visa.I told the gentleman to strictly avoid both and instead opt for a safer franchise. This morning the same EB-5 visa investor called me and thanked me and mentioned that I should see the news. I looked up Sbarros and was not surprised to see that Sbarros filed for bankruptcy protection.

Franchises can often be a great way to get EB-5 visas, but EB-5 visa investors need to watch out for fraud. I've seen Voodoo BBQ franchises offered by Joe Sloboda, where they didn't disclose their conflict of interest to EB-5 visa investors, and saw a similar situation with David Tashroudian and Carl's Jr. franchises too.

Papa John's or Dominos franchise may be great for EB-5 visa investors, while Marco's Pizza may be unsuitable. Similarly, 5 Guys may be suitable while Voodoo BBQ may be unsuitable. EB-5 visa investors should remember that they should seek objective advice from those who owe them fiduciary duties, and not from those who may have a conflict of interest, as unscrupulous franchise brokers and their affiliates try to solicit EB-5 visa seekers to invest in a business with a risky business model, in order to earn commissions from the franchisor at the expense of the EB-5 visa seeker.

An easy way to find out if a franchise is a good option or not, is to ask a lender bank if they will finance that franchise. If the lender says no, then the EB-5 visa seeker should avoid the franchise. Another easy way to find out is to ask the franchisor to provide audited financial statements from 10 of the closest franchisees to see what was the annual NOI per store, and in case the stores are making losses or very little profit, the EB-5 visa seekers should avoid the franchise. EB-5 visa seekers should also ask Franchise brokers and promoters to disclose in a notarised affidavit the commissions they will receive from all sources, in order to make an informed decision on whether to invest or not in a particular franchise. Finally, EB-5 visa seekers should seek the help of reputed and experienced Licensed Business Brokers who offer a written guarantee of freedom from conflict of interest to their clients, to help EB-5 visa seekers make an informed decision.

Our competitors usually don't offer written guarantees of full disclosure and freedom from conflict of interest, while we do so confidently and proudly. Our competitors don't have over 10 years of Business Brokerage and Advisory experience helping investors buy / start businesses to qualify for the EB-5 visa, while since 2004, we've helped 65 investors get their EB-5 visa.

We offer a full fee refund guarantee in case our client's EB-5 visa petition is denied due to our fault. We also offer a written guarantee of full disclosure and freedom from conflict of interest, and none of our clients has suffered operating losses or capital losses. For more information, please call or visit our website http://www.smartbusinessbroker.com

Yours truly
Mohammed Shaikh, MBA, CFE, Licensed RE & Business Broker (CA & FL)
Online: http://www.smartbusinessbroker.com
Phone: 407 535 0616

Are Regional Centers committing securities fraud by failing to disclose that seeking EB-5 visa through regional centers is literally a waste of time? What is the safest & fastest way to get EB-5 visa?

In the US, concealing material facts while offering securities is classified as the crime of securities fraud. At least 98% of regional centers actually commit securities fraud, and one example of their fraud is that they never disclose to EB-5 visa investors that they would get their EB-5 visas much earlier if they chose to apply in the Direct Investment Category. ICE (USA's largest investigative agency), says that all Regional centers should be shut down! (see http://www.smartbusinessbroker.com/EB5_ICE_fraud_memo.pdf)

DHS OIG also issued a report recommending significant restrictions on regional centers due to fraud, money laundering and other serious issues. USCIS had a joint conference call last year along with SEC, where they indicated significant concerns about securities law violations and fraud committed by regional centers against EB-5 visa investors. SEC also issued their own notice advising EB-5 visa investors to be cautious about dealing with regional centers due to fraud committed by regional centers and their unscrupulous affiliates. Most regional center affiliated individuals have aided, abetted, committed or conspired to commit conflict of interest, securities fraud, money laundering, securities law violations and other serious felonies. The results are delayed processing, low returns, capital losses and denial of permanent green cards.

Why do regional centers offer such bad results to EB-5 visa investors?

Regional centers usually pay a large amount of money paid as commission, and also suffer from conflict of interest, where hiring and procurement of goods & services are done from related parties at inflated costs.

When a regional center is stealing instead of serving their investors, then capital losses, low returns, delayed processing due to increased regulatory scrutiny, terrible exit strategies and high percentage of visa loss are inevitable.

Why do our EB-5 visa investors usually see high return on equity, capital gains, 100% approval of I-526 and I-829, quick approval and no fraud and or conflict of interest?

As licensed RE & Business Brokers, we actually owe a fiduciary duty to our clients. This means that the law requires us to always put our client's interests ahead of our own. EB-5 visa investors should NEVER trust those who don't owe them fiduciary duties.

This is why we recommend top ranked franchises instead of risky franchises such as Twistee Treat, Voodoo BBQ, Marcos Pizza, etc.
This is why we don't engage in conflict of interest or conceal material facts.
This is why we advise our clients in ways that help them get their green card (EB-5 visa) in a quick, safe and usually profitable manner, as a failure to do so will jeopardise our professional licenses.
This is why we confidently offer written guarantees of full fee refund in case our client is denied due to our fault as well as written guarantees of freedom from fraud, conflict of interest and full disclosure of material facts.

Our competitors usually don't owe a fiduciary duty to their clients and will usually refuse to offer the written guarantees that we confidently offer.

Advantages of Genuine Direct Investment Business:

1. Faster processing and approval times.
2. Easy exit strategy.
3. Investors usually get a 15-35% annual Return on Equity.
4. Investors usually get Capital gains, whereas regional center investors usually get capital losses.
5. Our clients have a 100% approval rate of I-526 and I-829, which is a lot higher than regional centers or other partnerships.
6. Full control of business and capital, which helps prevent fraud, conflict of interest and losses.

For more details, please visit our website http://www.smartbusinessbroker.com and join our LinkedIn group 'EB-5 visa - Direct Investment Business'.

If you're an EB-5 visa investor, hire our team to help you. You'll be glad you did.

Yours truly
Mohammed Shaikh, MBA, CFE, Licensed Business & RE Broker (CA & FL)
Online: http://www.smartbusinessbroker.com

Andrew Shepin is so worried about me warning EB-5 visa investors about fraud that he even asked a misleading question: is it possible to advise investors without a securities or financial advisor license.

Apparently Mr. Shepin does not realise that Business Brokers are definitely permitted to advise their clients, and I actually owe a fiduciary duty to my clients to advise them about fraud. As for my blogs where I warn EB-5 visa investors about deceitful and dishonest individuals and firms who try to cheat or mislead EB-5 visa investors, I can't help it if Mr. Shepin or other fraud supporters are distressed every time I name and shame deceitful individuals in public. The only reason I've NEVER been sued by those I publicly named and shamed (such as Serge Bauer, David Tashroudian, Anthony Rodham, Matt Gordon, Brian Su, Harry Reed, Alejandro Mayorkas, etc.) is simply because I don't make false allegations, and people I name and shame, know I can prove my statements quite easily and VERY embarrassingly. Several folks made blustering threats to sue me, but their bravado disappeared when they realised that I can and will expose them easily in court.

Mr. Shepin, your question is VERY misleading and the right question is: Are regional centers and their affiliates actually defrauding or attempting to defraud EB-5 visa investors? I know that my articles are harming the business of those who cheat, but it is better that crooks get exposed than EB-5 visa investors get cheated.

I just wish to tell you that there is a reason I have zero respect for those who try to mislead others. The internet is a very potent tool, and I know exactly what prompts your question. All I will say is, there is a difference between advising EB-5 visa investors, and promoting the advantages of my services in comparison those who wish to make a living cheating others. There is a difference between merely advising EB-5 investors and warning them about deceitful and dishonest individuals. When you learn to ask the right question, you will get the right answer. When you ask misleading questions, you simply expose yourself as someone who is not to be trusted. If you, like those who support fraud, believe my writings are illegal, feel free to report me. I am sure you will realise that it is not a crime to report crime or expose criminals, and you will only face failure in your exercise in futility.

It is sad to see that instead of supporting transparency and accountability, Mr. Shepin seems to be more interested in implying that I am advising investors, when all I do is warn them, and advertise the superiority of my business advisory services over those of my dishonest and deceitful competitors. The only time I actually advise is when someone is my paid client. Till then, I let people form their own conclusions. AFAIK, I don't believe I need a securities license to advise anyone about potentially fraudulent transactions, and if folks such as Andrew Shepin find it distressing that my writings warn EB-5 visa investors about how to avoid fraud and WHO to avoid, then they can go on to write to regulators about my actions. As it is SEC already had a black eye when another fellow CFE (Certified Fraud Examiner) warned them in vain about Madoff's fraud for years, and Mr. Shepin and his regional center supporters will simply discover that this time around, the SEC wasn't so slow to react to a CFE's warnings, and actually has investigations against several of the folks I've named and shamed. I take pride in helping warn unsuspecting people from fraud, and if you feel my actions are illegal or unethical, feel free to write to the regulators. Every single day, people thank me for exposing fraud, and those who feel bad that I warn others about fraud can go sulk in a corner.

Why are SEC, FBI, DHS OIG, ICE and USCIS are acting against regional centers? Why has ICE actually recommended shutting down regional centers? Why are senators and congressmen investigating regional centers. The reason is simple: Regional centers usually engage in fraud and violate securities, AML and tax laws.

EB-5 visa investors who wish to get their EB-5 visa safely, (usually) profitably and quickly, should consider only Genuine Direct Investment Businesses. If you are an EB-5 visa investor, please visit our website and contact me.

Yours truly
Mohammed Shaikh, MBA, CFE, Licensed Business & RE Broker (CA & FL)
Phone: +1 407 535 0616 Skype: Mohammed.Shaikh