SAN FRANCISCO -- Mouli Cohen, a founder of Ecast Inc., is being held without bail on 32 felony counts of wire fraud and money laundering, according to a Marin County newspaper. The Marin Independent Journal said Cohen was arraigned in federal court here in mid-September. U.S. Magistrate Margaret Nagle denied bail, contending that Cohen, a dual U.S.-Israeli citizen, constituted a significant flight risk.
Cohen's original arrest in the case occurred Aug. 5. U.S. attorneys said Cohen perpetrated a years-long fraud scheme that targeted various northern California-based charities [see story].
According to the Journal, Cohen pled not guilty to the federal charges. A separate civil suit also is pending.
Cohen left Ecast in 2002. The current management team said Ecast is not implicated in the case and that company officials knew nothing of the matter.
