Mugshot.com / UnpublishArrest.com Owners Charged Extortion
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The Owners
Sahar Sarid — Released on $1.25 million dollars Bail. Next Motion hearing is 06-28-2021 8:30 a.m.
Thomas Keesee –Next hearing is 08-23-2021 8:30 a.m.
David Usdan — Released on $30,000 bail. Next Motion hearing is 06-28-2018 8:30 a.m. (Prelim Setting/Resetting)
David Usdan’s LinkedIn page, he graduated from Fort Lewis College in 2005 with a Bachelor of Arts in Physical Education Teaching and Coaching. He worked for Hammermill & Masterson from 203 to 2017.
Kishore Vidya Bhavnanie — Released on $1.25 million dollars Bail. Next hearing is 06-28-2021 8:30 a.m.
Timeline
Update: The next hearing for Sahar Sarid, Thomas Kesee and Kishore Bhavnanie Case LACBA464483-03 at the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center in Los Angeles, California is scheduled for June 28, 2021. David Usdan’s next hearing is August 23, 2021.
05-10-2018 Arrest Warrant (Redacted)
Sahar Sarid (Defendant 1)
06-11-2018 Sahar Sarid charged with 51 counts, Bail by Alvarado Bail Bonds $1,250,000 Appearance Date, June 29, 2018.
- 1 Count CA Penal Code § 182(A)1 Conspiracy
- 17 Counts CA Penal Code § 520 / §524 Extortion
- 16 Counts CA Penal Code § 186.10 (A) Money Laundering
- 17 Counts CA Penal Code § 530.5(A) False Personation and Cheats
06-29-2018 8:30AM – Arraignment Hearing Scheduled
Kishore Bhavnanie (Defendant 2 – 51 Counts)
06-11-2018 8:30AM County of Los Angeles Case Number BA 464483 Kishore Bhavnanie Arraignment. Appearance Date June 29, 2018.
06-11-2018 Kishore Bhavnanie Bail by S&H Bail Bonds $1,250,000
- 1 Count CA Penal Code § 182(A)1 Conspiracy
- 17 Counts CA Penal Code § 520 / §524 Extortion
- 16 Counts CA Penal Code § 186.10 (A) Money Laundering
- 17 Counts CA Penal Code § 530.5(A) False Personation and Cheats
06-29-2018 8:30AM – Arraignment Hearing Scheduled
Thomas Keesee (Defendant 3 – 51 counts)
06-04-2018 8:30AM – Arraignment charged with 51 Counts:
- 1 Count CA Penal Code § 182(A)1 Conspiracy
- 17 Counts CA Penal Code § 520 / §524 Extortion
- 16 Counts CA Penal Code § 186.10 (A) Money Laundering
- 17 Counts CA Penal Code § 530.5(A) False Personation and Cheats
06-29-2018 8:30AM — County of Los Angeles Case Number BA464483 Thomas Keesee, Arraignment and Plea
David Usdan (Defendant 4 – 8 counts)
05-23-2018 8:30AM — County of Los Angeles Case Number BA 46483 David Usdan Arraignment charged with 19 Counts.
- 1 Count CA Penal Code § 182(A)1 Conspiracy
- 15 Counts CA Penal Code § 520 Extortion
- 3 Counts CA Penal Code § 530.5(A) False Personation and Cheats
05-23-2018 – Bail by S&H Bail Bonds $30,000 Appearance Date June 29, 2018
06-29-208 8:30 AM — County of Los Angeles Case Number BA464483 David Usdan Prelim Setting / Resetting
The Case
Domain: Mugshots.com
Dates: January 15, 2015 to January 26, 2017
Amounts: Mugshots.com extorted at least $175 individuals in California for $64,737 and 5,703 individuals in the United States totaling approximately $2,422,924 for the removal of the booking photos.
Warrants Issued
- Google Inc.
- Yahoo! Inc.
- Amazon Technologies Inc.
- Comcast Cable Communications
- TansUnion Credit Bureau
- Bank of America
- Wells Fargo Bank
- Payscout Partners, Inc.
Case Summary
- Business Address: Nevis, West Indies
- Domain Name Registration: Belize
- Website Hosting: Australia
- LLC formed in Delaware July 7, 2011 dissolved March 27, 2012 by attorney Marc Epstein
- Unpublish.com was formed in Wyoming and filed through Florida as a Foreign LLC in 2013. Epstein resigned December 1, 2013.
- Unpublisharrest.com was filed in Wyoming in 2013 by Hammerill & Masterson as a LLC and later in Florida as a Foreign LLC. The managing member was Thomas Keesee. It was dissolved in 2014.
- In 2011, Sahar Sarid sold Mugshots.com the company to a “Michael Robertson” through eBay. The warrant states that “either Robertson does not exist, or he is straw person making decisions in the company. Sahar retained ownership fo the Domain Mugshots.com and the takedown website unpublish.com /unpublisharrest.com is owned by Thomas Keesee/Hammermill & Masterson LLC.
- Hammermill & Masterson bank account records at Wells Fargo Bank reveal June 2016 to February 2017 payments made to a business account DigiCard LLC at Bak America totaling $245,398.98 averaging $27,266.55 per month.
- DigiCard LLC was formed in Texas in 2003 by Manager Shunit Sarid, Sarid’s sister.
- Sarid’s mother Aliza Sarid handles some of the financial transactions.
- Chase Johnson AKA Thomas Keesee is the only signor on the Wells Fargo Bank account of Hammermill & Masterson.
- Chase Johnson uses email address of: unpublisharrest@gmail.com and unpublisharrest@yahoo.com.
- Employees: Jean Houser aka Melanie Jones (unpublisharrest4@gmail.com); Jay Thomas (unpublisharrest2@gmail.com) and Eric Howard / Tony Howard / Derek Howard (unpublisharrest9@gmail.com)
- Kishore Bhavnanie – Bank records for DigiCard, LLC shows funds transfer to Kishore Bhavnanie at Wells Fargo totaling $643,752 and $201,010 to Adrianna Consultants in Pennsylvania. Kishore used the alias Bravia Stoli, Jeff Eskayece. Kishore made initial payments to the DreamHost hosting company.
- Kishore was responsible for taking the Mugshots off of mugshots.com after a paid removal.
- David Usdan handled customer service and was paid by check. He was terminated in Feb. 2017 and rehired in March 2017.
- YMXA, LLC was the payment processor.
- 360 Ops LLC – Stephen (Bart) Boughton wired $498,138 into Hammermill & Masterson account for click advertising.
- Cleansearch.org transfers funds to Hammermill & Masterson using cashier’s checks, also indicative of money laundering.
The Charges
Sahar Sarid, Thomas Keesee, Kishore Bhavnanie and David Usdan are in violation of conspiracy to commit extortion, use of personal identifying information for unlawful purpose and money laundering to conceal their profits.