Latest news with #TimDavis
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Cross Switch expands to Kenya with Pesawise tie-up
Payment solutions provider Cross Switch has expanded its African foothold with the introduction of its service in Kenya and alliance with a licenced local payment provider Pesawise. This collaboration utilises Pesawise's regulatory status to facilitate Cross Switch's launch in Kenya, aiming to provide payment solutions to businesses, merchants, and charitable organisations. It enables Kenyan merchants to access Cross Switch's global payments infrastructure, offering a variety of payment channels such as Visa, Mastercard, AmEx, mobile money, and bank platforms. The unified platform from Cross Switch is designed to streamline payment processing, reduce costs, and speed up transaction settlements for businesses. The company's services are already in use by merchants in various sectors across Africa and Latin America, including hospitality, e-commerce, delivery services, and cryptocurrency where regulations permit. Cross Switch CEO Tim Davis said: 'During the establishment phase of this partnership it is refreshing to see a shared common set of values with Pesawise, to provide our customers with best-in-class service levels and straightforward solutions. 'And a common mission to democratise technology and drive social impact across Africa. With their exceptional team and proven ability to provide relevant value-added services, we believe Pesawise will excel in the fast-moving fintech space.' Cross Switch aims to deliver payment solutions along with fraud prevention, risk management, and effective reconciliation capabilities. Pesawise CEO Jamal Khan stated: 'We're thrilled to take this next step in our journey with Cross Switch as our technology partner. Their deep knowledge and robust technology solutions will enable us to provide innovative solutions tailored to the needs of emerging markets. 'Together, we aim to strengthen the digital payments ecosystem in Kenya. We've already secured key wins together—including supporting merchants like Glovo Kenya—through a combination of Cross Switch's expertise and our dedicated local team.' "Cross Switch expands to Kenya with Pesawise tie-up " was originally created and published by Electronic Payments International, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
Finextra
15-05-2025
- Business
- Finextra
Cross Switch goes live in Kenya
Cross Switch, a provider of class-leading payment solutions, has strengthened its African presence by officially launching services in Kenya and partnering with licensed local payment provider Pesawise. 0 This collaboration makes the most of Pesawise's solid regulatory standing and trusted reputation, allowing Cross Switch to establish it's footprint and, together with Pesawise, immediately deliver robust payment solutions to businesses, merchants, and charitable organizations throughout Kenya. Cross Switch brings to the partnership a highly scalable global payments infrastructure, allowing merchants simple and frictionless acceptance across multiple payment channels, including Visa, Mastercard, AmEx, mobile money and bank platforms. Through Cross Switch's unified platform, businesses can now take advantage of simplified payment processing, significantly reduced costs, and faster transaction settlements. The Cross Switch solution is tailored to support businesses of every shape and size, driving financial inclusion while at the same time empowering social impact organisations. Numerous merchants across multiple sectors, including hospitality, e-commerce and delivery services and crypto (in approved markets) are already using Cross Switch's innovative solutions on the African Continent and across Latin America. The confidence the Kenyan market has already shown in Cross Switch has already shown immediate effect in Kenya with the with Pesawise partnership. Cross Switch has a powerful track record of success, and it relies on Pesawise, a nimble locally licensed payment provider with a young and dynamic management team, to contribute meaningfully to Cross Switch's growth ambitions and customer-focused philosophy. Cross Switch's CEO, Tim Davis, remarked 'During the establishment phase of this partnership it is refreshing to see a shared common set of values with Pesawise, to provide our customers with best-in-class service levels and straightforward solutions. And a common mission to democratize technology and drive social impact across Africa. With their exceptional team and proven ability to provide relevant value-added services, we believe Pesawise will excel in the fast-moving fintech space.' Pesawise, a fully regulated and authorised Payment Service Provider, is in good standing with the Central Bank of Kenya, ensuring rigorous compliance and secure handling of merchant funds in trusted Tier-1 banks. Jamal Khan, Pesawise's CEO said, 'We're thrilled to take this next step in our journey with Cross Switch as our technology partner. Their deep knowledge and robust technology solutions will enable us to provide innovative solutions tailored to the needs of emerging markets. Together, we aim to strengthen the digital payments ecosystem in Kenya. We've already secured key wins together—including supporting merchants like Glovo Kenya—through a combination of Cross Switch's expertise and our dedicated local team.' As it has done in all markets, Cross Switch is committed to delivering advanced payment solutions backed by exceptional fraud prevention, risk management, and efficient reconciliation capabilities, further strengthening its value proposition in an evolving financial landscape.
Associated Press
09-05-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Basin Ventures to Sponsor MoneyShow Masters Symposium in Miami, May 15-17, 2025, at the Hyatt Regency Miami
Basin Ventures leads in oil and gas investments for accredited investors, boasting strong returns, off-market deals, and a seasoned executive team. Their basin-agnostic approach minimizes risk, while their analytical process ensures selective and lucrative prospects. Co-founders Adam Butcher and Tim Davis will present at the MoneyShow in Miami. DALLAS - May 9, 2025 ( NEWMEDIAWIRE ) - Basin Ventures is a market leader in oil and gas investment for the accredited investor. With strong returns, responsiveness to partners, and access to off market deals, Basin provides unmatched opportunities in American energy production. Basin's executive team has over 100 years of combined experience, has acquired more than 10,000 leases, and purchased 25,000 net mineral acres across the United States. Basin's investments in the last two years alone have returned more than 50% annually to investors. Their basin-agnostic approach enhances returns and minimizes risk. Basin calls on a robust network of industry contacts to gain early market insights and access high-quality opportunities. This positions Basin Ventures to deliver exceptional results and remain adaptable in the evolving energy market. Adam Butcher, Co-Founder and President, said: 'After several years of banks and larger private equity firms tightening their purse strings to energy investment, Basin has been able to fill this void, capitalizing on our experience and relationships. We're excited to bring energy investors quality energy projects to which they'd otherwise never have access, cutting out middlemen and providing exceptional return possibilities, along with unparalleled tax benefits.' To identify prospective interests, Basin utilizes a robust analytical process, incorporating geological and engineering expertise with decades of land and legal experience and attention to political market pressures. Basin's ability to perform analysis all over the country allows it to be highly selective with targeted prospects. Basin's dedication and discipline to follow its proven metrics directly benefits Basin's investors. The MoneyShow will be held May 15th, 16th and 17th at the Hyatt Regency Miami. Basin's co-founders, Adam Butcher and Tim Davis will present a variety of keynote and informational presentations. More information is available at For inquiries and more information about Basin's unmatched investment opportunities, please contact: Mike Buquoi Email: [email protected] Phone: (817) 442-6291 Website: View the original release on
Yahoo
27-04-2025
- Yahoo
Fuyao investigation: Who knew what and when about alleged $126M criminal network?
Apr. 27—Ten days before federal agents raided Fuyao Glass America on July 26, 2024, an untold number of employees not authorized to work in the U.S. stopped coming to work, federal court documents allege. Hours after the raid, Fuyao executives gave security guards a list of roughly 100 new workers to be let in the following morning — according to a group text chain among Fuyao security guards shared with the Dayton Daily News by a previous employee. The federal investigation is focused on a network of companies referred to in court filings as E-Z Iron Works Money Laundering Organization that Fuyao allegedly paid $126 million. Fuyao has not been named as a focus of the investigation. Working at a guard shack at Fuyao through the contracted security company GardaWorld, Tim Davis had a first-hand view of what federal agents allege was a massive human smuggling and money laundering operation. "I would count about two of the big white ... vans the extended cab that held on average 12 to 15 people, and about three of the silver ones every shift, on first and second," Davis said in an interview with the Dayton Daily News. These vans were largely full of foreign workers, he said. Often one person would swipe a badge and let a number of other people through the gates — something strictly forbidden for the American workers. "Usually it was like one person with a badge for like 12 people," Davis said, noting the workers showed up in the system as working for E-Z Iron Works. Shortly before the raid, "There was a lot less traffic coming in on South Gate," Davis said. This jives with allegations in a related civil case filed by federal attorneys. "FUYAO records indicate that a significant number of Workers employed through E-Z Iron (money laundering) entities — and who had worked a significant number of hours in the months prior to the execution of the search warrant — failed to report after July 16, 2024," the filing says. "Of the workers who failed to report after July 16, 2024, law enforcement was unable to identify any who had legal status and/or were authorized to work legally in the United States." Davis shared with the Dayton Daily News a group chat among Fuyao security guards the day of the raid. Those records show guards received a message from their supervisor hours after the raid. "Wanted to let you guys know Andrew ma (sic) called me, he is gonna bring a list of around 50 people to the East gate tonight before he leaves, the people on this list will show up tomorrow morning probably around 8 am up at East gate, have them simply show you their name on the paper if their names is on the paper they can be let in," the message said. Then, another message an hour later: "Update, the list is now around 100 people." Andrew Ma, the manager of the company's Moraine plant, did not return a call seeking comment from the Dayton Daily News. A Fuyao Glass America spokeswoman responded to a list of emailed questions with a statement: "FGA has consistently aimed to comply fully with the law and has been actively cooperating with law enforcement authorities. As the investigation remains ongoing, it would be inappropriate for the Company to make any public comments at this time." 'A red flag' Davis said the 100 or so employees who started the day after the raid likewise showed up in large vans, some appearing to be driven by the same people. Davis got suspicious when he noticed the names on the list provided by Ma appeared Chinese. He says he made a copy of the list of names and offered it to Homeland Security. "When I looked at that list I just thought it was odd that, hey how did we get 100 Chinese born people the same day? It takes time to get visas, and it just threw up a red flag," Davis said. He looked up their names in Fuyao's employment system that guards have access to, he said, and they were listed as working for another employment agency he had never heard of and couldn't find in Google. "It's showing that they were in the system for years and their badges were set to expire in January 2025 ... every single one of them had the same start and end date, and the end date was preprogrammed in," he said. To this day, security guards say while most employees are strictly required to use a badge to access the plant, a large number show up in windowless vans and guards are told to let them through without asking for identification. Employer responsibility The Dayton Daily News interviewed local employment professionals about what a company's responsibility is to make sure workers are legally able to work when dealing with a staffing company. Tom Maher, who spent more than 40 years in the staffing business locally, said a customer who is being staffed has a shared liability in most cases with a supplier of temporary employees, an employee placement firm, when it comes to the placement of undocumented workers. "In my experience, we had a few large clients/customers who requested (and were granted) access to our records for compliance auditing purposes," Maher said. "Our practice was to have our employee grant permission for us to share their I-9 and E-Verify documents. The sharing would not be legal otherwise." The I-9 is a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services employment eligibility verification form. Companies might be wary of turning to the services of a new or relatively unknown placement firm, Maher said. Or dealing with a firm that is reluctant to share information. Doug Barry, chief executive of BarryStaff, said staffing companies should be willing to share references and point prospective clients to previous customers. "It's really hard to see on the surface where a staffing company would be, I guess you want to call it, cheating the system," Barry said. "It's definitely pertinent to ask for references and actually follow up on them," he added. Other questions Barry suggested asking an employee placement firm: Is a staffing company registered with a local chamber of commerce and the Better Business Bureau? Is it a member of a national trade organization? Barry's father, Warren, launched BarryStaff, which Doug Barry took over in 1998 at the age of 26. Today, his oldest son, Drew, is involved with the business. Barry said he is selective about the businesses with whom he works. "If someone doesn't want to come out to meet in person, they're generally trying to hide something. You can garner a lot from a face-to-face conversation with someone." "There are some bucks that aren't worth making because it's your name on the side of the building," he said. "We've seen them come and go over the years, that's for sure," Barry added of employee placement firms. Investigation spanned years The federal investigation of staffing practices at Fuyao started years before the 2024 raid, according to federal court filings. The investigated started around December 2019 — months before E-Z Iron Works partnered with Fuyao — upon learning that multiple Chinese business owners had relocated to southern Ohio and created dozens of entities "that facilitate the harboring, transportation, and employment of illegal aliens at various factories, and have developed a sophisticated Money Laundering Organization," civil case court records allege. In the following years, investigators would surveil boarding house-type properties where the government said workers lived, and stop vans driving to and from Fuyao. Court records describe how one group of 11 workers walked from a small Moraine home to the Fuyao plant in time for the start of a morning shift. Neighbors of these properties had their own concerns. Police responded to some of the properties "owned by the E-Z Iron MLO (Money Laundering Operation) for a variety of reasons, which included a lack of working water, sewage smells, threats against other residents, and the report of an assault." The filing describes two traffic stops, in May and July last year. In the May traffic stop, there were two Guatemalan nationals in the vehicle, according to the filing. Both workers acknowledged they worked at Fuyao. One individual had a Fuyao contractor orientation card identifying the bearer as working for "E-Z Team" with an issue date of Aug. 26, 2022. Law enforcement confirmed that these two individuals were not lawfully present in the United States and did not have authorization to work here, the court document states. Then, on July 15, 2024, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle, finding 12 occupants, including a driver. The occupants indicated they were headed to work at the "glass factory." Of the 12, ten individuals had pending claims for asylum. Three individuals reported having crossed the United States-Mexico border on foot, according to the filing. In another traffic stop, on Jan. 19, 2023, law enforcement stopped a Chevrolet Express van after it left Fuyao, court records say. During the stop, law enforcement allegedly encountered "24 passengers and one driver in the vehicle; these occupants were Chinese, Mexican, and Guatemalan nationals." Further traffic stops are described, each time featuring encounters with Fuyao employees or at least workers with Fuyao badges or Fuyao contractor orientation cards. State oversight The state of Ohio has not yet taken steps to assess Fuyao's employment as part of economic development grants. In the spring of 2023, JobsOhio made available a $5 million development grant for Fuyao, on the condition that the company create 500 new jobs, protect 1,589 existing jobs, invest $300 million in capital expenditures, and create $26 million in new jobs payroll. JobsOhio has not disbursed any of the funds to Fuyao, a spokesman for JobsOhio said. "JobsOhio will evaluate the company's grant compliance when and if a reimbursement request is submitted," a JobsOhio spokesman, Matt Englehart, said in response to questions about whether the state has tracked Fuyao's employment. "All companies we work with that have an active agreement to commit jobs and investment must provide annual reports of their progress until the agreement term ends," Englehart said. "This means a company must create, and then maintain, its metric commitments through the term of an agreement to receive the full incentive." He added: "We do not comment on companies' ongoing project activity on a case-by-case basis." He referred questions about Fuyao's overall agreements with state government to the Ohio Department of Development. He also said a company's reports to JobsOhio are not open to public review. Criminal probe No criminal charges have been filed against anyone since the raid. Details from the criminal investigation are included in a civil filing seeking forfeiture of property federal prosecutors say was involved in the operation. That includes a dozen properties in the Dayton area, two properties outside of Ohio, 15 vehicles and bank accounts associated with seven businesses. Among the objects the government seeks to control: A 50-caliber MH Defense rifle, priced new today at about $5,000, and several luxury wristwatches including a Horloger de la Marine watch allegedly purchased for $138,450. Among the businesses accused of being associated with the criminal enterprise is One Stop Machinery Solutions Inc. in Miamisburg, which did not respond to messages seeking comment. One Stop's website lists among its major completed projects helping construct a Fuyao factory and coating warehouse. The federal civil filing notes Jianguo "Jason" Zheng is statutory agent for One Stop Machinery as well as other businesses they allege are related to the money-laundering organization. This includes Taste of the World, a Chinese restaurant opened on the Fuyao campus with considerable investment from Fuyao's corporate chairman; and Lienchiang Real Estate LLC, which owns properties in the Dayton area. "Jianguo Zheng is a member of the E-Z Iron (money laundering organization) and intertwined in its illicit operations and criminal activity," the federal civil filing says. One owner of a Dayton business and property implicated in federal court records has filed a response to the federal civil complaint alleging their home and property were not involved in criminal activity. A spokesman for the Department of Homeland Security also declined to comment. A spokesperson for the U.S. attorney's office for the Southern district of Ohio would not comment on the investigation. Asked if there have been any immigration enforcement actions related to either the civil or criminal cases — such as deportation proceedings or visa revocation proceedings — she said there are no public filings. In an April 14 statement, the U.S. Attorney's Office alleged that many of the workers were illegally smuggled into the United States, primarily through Mexico, and encouraged to travel to the Dayton area to serve as a workforce at various factories including Fuyao. "We will continue to investigate allegations of unfair labor practices," said ICE HSI Detroit acting Special Agent in Charge Jared Murphey. "Collaboration across multiple law enforcement agencies helps to ensure accountability for both employers and the workforce."
Yahoo
19-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Heritage subpoenas Keller school board's attorney for records over split scheme
Attorneys for Heritage homeowners who are suing the Keller school board are subpoenaing board attorney Tim Davis to testify at a deposition and provide documents related to the board's efforts to split the school district. The split plan, which was roundly criticized by residents, was ultimately called off on March 14. However, lawsuits against the board stemming from the proposal are still pending, including the one to which the Heritage residents are a party. The Heritage neighborhood is along Heritage Trace Parkway in far north Fort Worth, close to the Alliance shopping center. Heritage and other neighborhoods west of U.S. 377, mostly in far north Fort Worth and part of Watauga, would have been split off from Keller ISD. The controversy shook the community, creating bitter divides between neighbors. According to court records, Davis, an attorney at Fort Worth-based Jackson Walker LLP, will receive a subpoena duces tecum, which requires the recipient to attend a scheduled hearing and produce requested documents. Those documents include: All communications Davis has had regarding the Keller school district since May 2022; Records of all services Davis has performed on behalf of the district since May 2022; Any documents Davis or other Jackson Walker attorneys have prepared regarding the district or sections of the Texas Education Code since May 2022; All communications between Davis and Patriot Mobile Action, the conservative Christian political action committee that has supported multiple Keller school board members, including those accused of trying to split the district; Presentations that Davis or other Jackson Walker attorneys have prepared regarding school board governance, the Texas Open Meetings Act or the Texas Education Code; Engagement correspondence between Davis and other Texas school districts. The deposition that Davis is required to attend is scheduled for May 5 at the offices of Kelly Hart and Hallman LLP, the firm representing the Heritage homeowners. Davis must produce the documents no later than May 28. Should Davis refuse to testify at the hearing or provide the documents, he could be found in contempt of court and 'punished by fine or confinement, or both,' according to the subpoena notice. Keller parent Matthew Mucker originally filed the lawsuit against the Keller board in Tarrant County District Court in January, alleging that board trustees violated the Texas Open Meetings Act by discussing the spit behind closed doors. The Heritage homeowners group joined that suit as intervenors in March, bringing in Kelly Hart and Hallman as counsel. The lawsuit requests that the judge in the case remove the five board members largely believed to be behind the split plan — President Charles Randklev and members Heather Washington, John Birt, Chris Coker and Micah Young — for 'incompetency and official misconduct.' The board members have denied wrongdoing and have requested the lawsuit be dismissed while questioning the motivations behind it. The two Keller school board members who represent constituents in Fort Worth — Chelsea Kelly and Joni Shaw Smith — have been vocal opponents of the split and are not defendants in the Heritage suit.
