The court-appointed Receiver for Traffic Monsoon issued subpoenas on September 8th to five parties, seeking crucial information regarding the defunct advertising scheme. This action follows earlier legal demands made to payment processors involved in the operation. The Receiver’s investigation aims to uncover the full extent of the alleged fraud orchestrated by Traffic Monsoon founder Charles Scoville.

Ernest Ganz, identified as a top Traffic Monsoon affiliate, is among those subpoenaed. Ganz operated an offshore call center that provided technical support to other affiliates. Following the Securities and Exchange Commission's shutdown of Traffic Monsoon, Ganz launched Traffic Monsoon Plus, a near-identical clone of the original scheme. He later introduced Traffic Hurricane, another scheme that mirrored Traffic Monsoon’s structure. The subpoena directed at Ganz requests all documentation related to any businesses or call centers he owns, manages, or controls.

David Barker, another prominent Traffic Monsoon affiliate, also received a subpoena. Barker appeared in a promotional video alongside Firoz Patel, Executive Vice President of Payza, a payment processor that handled Traffic Monsoon transactions. The details of Barker's involvement and the information sought from him are part of the Receiver's broader effort to trace illicit funds and understand the network of promoters.

The Receiver is also seeking information from Dennis Burke, an attorney Charles Scoville consulted after PayPal froze Traffic Monsoon's accounts. Scoville claimed on a now-deleted Facebook post that Burke found no issues with Traffic Monsoon's business model or its compliance with PayPal's terms of service. Scoville had reportedly engaged Burke to sue PayPal for freezing the account. The subpoena to Burke likely seeks records of his communications and legal advice provided to Scoville and Traffic Monsoon.

Two law firms, Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP and The Law Offices of William I. Rothbard, were also subpoenaed. The extent of their engagement by Traffic Monsoon or Charles Scoville remains unclear. The subpoenas demand all documents and materials pertaining to Charles Scoville, Traffic Monsoon LLC, and a list of related entities. These entities include AdHitProfits, TviPtc, InfiniteBux, Bux Secure, PowerfulBux, ForeverBux, BuxUnleashed, Banrev.com, Ultimate Power Boost, Wealth EngineX, U Launch Formula. The Receiver is also requesting information related to payment processors like PayPal, Payza, Allied Wallet, and SolidTrust, indicating a comprehensive effort to map the financial infrastructure of the alleged fraud.

The SEC shut down Traffic Monsoon in July 2016, alleging it operated as a Ponzi scheme. The court-appointed Receiver is tasked with gathering assets and distributing them to defrauded investors. The subpoenas are a critical step in identifying individuals and entities that may have profited from or facilitated the scheme. The information sought from these parties will be vital in the ongoing legal proceedings and potential recovery efforts.