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End of Chapter #18:
Delighted Fazzi beamed as he kissed Joseph and told him, "We can go anytime you want. From now on you and I will go (to the Mosque) every Friday if you are here. You better get moving if you are going to meet Richard's son. Give them all my regards and perhaps you can arrange some kind of social get-together, to launch the official beginning of the Arab American Investment Club. I think its time that we got together for social reasons now. Do you agree?"
"Well Richard Junior works evenings but the rest of the family might be amenable by now."
Chapter #19
After leaving the house Joseph pulled his car to the side of the road, opened his cell phone and checked in with Agent Barns. He reported on the Thursday meeting of the investment club and also mentioned about the conversations he had overheard at the Mosque.
"Bill, I have to admit it. It looks like you were right from the beginning." Joseph told Barns. "You know how I didn't want to believe it but it looks as if Fazzi and the club are going to be used as the new money source for Hamas and God knows who else. I'm convinced of it now. And it is not just what I overheard at the mosque, but also for the life of me I can't understand how people like that tailor can afford to invest a sum of $100,000. These people are not that loaded with cash."
"That money is most likely coming from the oil rich countries and it's being funneled through Syria. Ever since the U.S. and some of our allies started to close down some of the legitimate lines of aid, that money as well as other money had to find a new route. The people in power have decided to use people like your little tailor and perhaps hundreds or thousands like him. Your tailor most likely has many very rich clients that over pay for custom made garments. Sure he pays most of the legal taxes, but there are always those very big tips. Now they have hit on a new way of investing and using the profits as well as getting huge charity deductions. It's a high-tech improvement of the old Bingo Scam."
"Bingo Scam?" Joseph asked. "What the hell is a Bingo Scam?"
"Boy you sure are from Hicksville. I'll bet that until recently you even believed in the tooth fairy. The 'Bingo Scam is as old as the hills. For years churches and charitable organizations ran and still run bingo games and games of chance. There was a lot of money to be raised this way." Barns explained. "The bingo concession, which may or may not be the charity itself, always had trouble getting unpaid workers. After all who wanted to work when they could play bingo and maybe win some money. So what do they do to entice a few more workers? They came up with a simple solution. They would take a potential worker aside and tell him that since most of the players paid cash for the cards there was a lot of cash money floating around...."
"You don't mean that they allowed them to pocket some of it..."
"Oh no! It was a little more sophisticated and complicated than that." Barns continued. "At the end of the evening, in order not to have to carry huge amounts of cash (coins and bills) around until it could be deposited in the bank, these workers were permitted to write checks and take cash for the amount of the check. Since the checks were always made out to the charitable organization-they could be and were used as proof for a charity tax write-offs."
"Wow, I never heard of that." Joseph said. "And the churches never stopped it?"
"We like to think that they never knew anything about it." Barns laughed. "Anyway when the federal government got wind of it they clamped down on individual charity contributions. Now they demand a lot more evidence then a check. It looks as if Fazzi has found a new twist to the bingo game scam. It's a money-laundering cover-up for sure. Like you said, I never had any doubt that Fazzi was still a Syrian Agent. But it's nice to hear that you are finally convinced." Barns said. "However, I need not remind you that all this is still hearsay, and hearsay is not proof. Only by the illegal transfer of funds will we be able to get the hard evidence. You keep your eyes and ears open. Report everything back to me and be careful. It is difficult to get good agents into the Islamic community. You have been able to penetrate this cell deeper than any other agent we have ever had. I wish we had a hundred like you. Do whatever you have to do to maintain your cover. When my area director spoke to the federal director, he was so impressed that he took the files and reports to the very highest level and everyone is interested and backing this project now."
"That's good news! I'm glad to hear that because I would not like this to be considered a rogue operation."
"Rogue operation? Don't talk like a fool. Once you were able to get someone like Richard Worthington to come into this, it ceased being a game and became serious business. With a person of his reputation and connections, this operation could no longer take place without the very highest sanction and approval." Barns said. "You would be surprised at the eyes and ears that went up when I informed the director that Worthington was going to work with us. That man has a lot of friends and connections all the way up to and including the President. The director's ears perked up when I told him, and he put in a call to the White House. After all Worthington is a big contributor to both political parties as well as being on a first name basis with the last three or four presidents. As soon as the President was notified, I got a call to come down to Washington and was told by both the director and the big guy himself to make sure nothing happens to you or Worthington. In fact when this is over the president said he would like to meet with the two of you and express his gratitude."
"It's rather comforting to know that. It would still appear that money still buys protection!" The soldier laughed.
"Joseph, don't be so cynical." Barns said. "Richard does not have to do any of this. Remember He is not taking any money for this and that family really cares about you and the country. I want you to be very respectful of them."
"Fuck it Bill, you do not have to lecture me on Worthington or the respect due to him-Fazzi does that all the time. By the way, I'm on my way to spend the weekend with them now. Did he report to you about the meeting Thursday?"