At the beginning of April the former head of a German animal rights foundation, the German and European Animal Relief Organization, was arrested and charged with embezzling more than $45 million in donations which they allegedly laundered through a series of dummy corporations. The alleged fraud took place from 1994-1999.
Wolfgang Ullrich, 57, fled to Thailand when authorities were on his trail, and was extradited back to Germany in February of this year. He had been imprisoned in Thailand for refusing to pay a $1.8 million fine for illegally importing a yacht into that country.
Source:
Former animal rights foundation head goes on trial for alleged fraud. Associated Press, April 2, 2001.