It is interesting reading, and is very unfortunate if true. I wonder what the the people who were in charge are doing now? Do they still have jobs at GPS?
To be fair... I think many of the the former employee complaints were what first prompted the Federal/ICE investigation into GPS. I think most of the people who were in charge and treating their employees so poorly were part of the mass firings and resignations that occurred with GPS. I would assume that now that they are under the Federal Microscope,,, they are no longer treating their people that way.
Happier, less burnt out coach,,,should make for better soccer practices... at least theoretically.....lol
GPS issues look a lot like internal systematic breakdowns due to accelerated growth. It's pretty common in business across all industries when the opportunity for rampant growth isn't backed up with new hires in middle management to keep all the little moving parts greased...like visas.
Soccer America - Paul Gardner 2.13.21
Justin Capell, the former chief operating officer of Global Premier Soccer, the now-defunct youth soccer organization that once served tens of thousands of youth players, was charged and has agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy to commit visa fraud in a wide-ranging conspiracy to import hundreds of youth coaches.
False P-1S Visas. The Department of Justice outlined the scheme in which Capell and others are alleged to have conspired to file fraudulent visa petitions on behalf of at least seven pro soccer teams in order to secure visas for GPS’s coaching staff.
The visa petitions claimed the applicants would be working as scouts or assistant coaches for the pro teams, thereby making them eligible for P-1S visas as essential support personnel, when in reality they would work as youth soccer coaches for GPS and would be making far less than they would if they indeed worked for the pro teams.
Three clubs were mentioned in the information submitted in U.S. District Court in Boston:
-- Syracuse Pro Sports (which played in the Major Arena Soccer League as the Syracuse Silver Knights for four seasons before moving to Utica in 2018);
-- Boston Elite Soccer (which played in the NWSL for five seasons and folded in 2018); and
-- Sky Blue FC (which is an original member of the NWSL).
The Department of Justice alleges the visa petitions contained materially false and misleading information regarding the teams’ purported need for workers, how they would be employed, how much they would be paid and who would
employ them.
Capell and others are alleged to have submitted fake employment contracts between the pro teams and visa applicants and fabricated coaching licenses from the English FA to include in the visa applications.
The co-conspirators are also accused, in some instances, of instructing the applicants to mislead the U.S. State Department and Citizenship and Immigration Services during visa interviews about their work, referencing work as scouts for another pro club, the MASL's Florida Tropics.
False H-2B Visas. Another visa program for foreign workers is the H-2B visa program, which secures temporary work in fields where there are not enough U.S. citizens to fill the jobs.
Capell and his co-conspirators are alleged to have filed H-2B visa petitions that contained materially false and misleading information about the need, scope, and location of the jobs the H-2B foreign workers would fill, instructing foreign workers to lie about the terms of their employment with GPS during visa interviews with State Department personnel, and employing them in geographic locations other than those authorized by the visas.
GPS collapse. In June 2020, GPS shut down. Its members were advised the decision was made because GPS’s parent company, Legacy Global Sports, was forced into Massachusetts Bankruptcy Court and the COVID-19 pandemic impacted its operations.
The federal investigation included a search and seizure warrant of GPS’s offices in Waltham, Massachusetts, in October 2019. A former GPS employee, Gavin MacPhee, pleaded guilty in 2020 to obstructing justice.
The Boston Glove reported that GPS's creditors -- parents, coaches, staff employees, vendors, and investors -- were owed $30 million with little chance of recovering their money and more than 400 people lost their jobs, including more than 130 in Massachusetts.
Capell, 39, faces up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000.
Three co-conspirators were named in the charging document: GPS's chief executive officer, a member of its human resources department and an attorney who specialized in immigration law.
I wonder where the investigation will go as it continues to reel in the guilty and make them turn in their partners in crime. Literal partners in crime.
Looks as if Capell is complying with DOJ. Looking at 24-30 months of a 5 year max sentence, 24 months probation, $100 fine, forfeiture of assets.
If the DOJ hasn't talked with a certain some of you listening here yet, remember they ask you to answer questions they already know the answer to. As a matter of fact, you should probably reach out to them first:
Andrew E. Lelling
U.S. Attorney
District of Massachusetts
Phone: (617) 748-3100
People enter the country illegally everyday and do far worse. These guys coached kids soccer,,, and most were better options than some locally.
Chosing to apply the law only to the people we like sounds like a recipe for every abuse of power ever.
continually posting about a court case that is 10 states away from a now defunct organization sounds the recipe of a disgruntled dad with an agenda
Chosing to apply the law only to the people we like sounds like a recipe for every abuse of power ever.
Lol. We *don't* like
Standing up in a room repeatedly and saying "I don't get it" is an interesting look as well.
continually posting about a court case that is 10 states away from a now defunct organization sounds the recipe of a disgruntled dad with an agenda
👏👏 somebody needed to say it 👏👏
Before I better explain the link between an HQ in Boston and people that are here in Charleston -right now-, I have to ask: what do you, mysonsdad and PervertInLC think I am disgruntled about?
Before I better explain the link between an HQ in Boston and people that are here in Charleston -right now-, I have to ask: what do you, mysonsdad and PervertInLC think I am disgruntled about?
Let’s not get distracted from you putting in writing a statement on this matter, floors all yours!
Luke Krawcyk.
Now. How about you, Pervert? What is it you think I am disgruntled about? Aside from you naming kids and making pervert comments?
BTW. Feds started their case in 2017 if I read the articles correctly. I wonder if any USAMP folks will pop up in the emails that the Scotsman thought he deleted?
Forgive me I’m not following any of that- can you connect the bread crumbs?
Perhaps to help, I’ll bluntly ask
1- Are you implying the named person in your message is a criminal or has committed criminal acts?
2- If yes, what evidence or proof do you have to back such a claim?
3- Are you implying that the named club or its employees in your message conducted criminal behavior?
4- If yes, what evidence or proof do you have to back such a claim?
I look forward to you putting your answers in writing!
We'll just have to wait to see what the feds say. Two former GPS men down. I bet more to come (3 co-conspirators named in that 2nd one). Two Boston Globe articles as well. Everybody should go read them. I bet more to come from them.
-Nostradamus
continually posting about a court case that is 10 states away from a now defunct organization sounds the recipe of a disgruntled dad with an agenda
Little effort to flush this out tonight!
And yet you can't answer why you think I'm disgruntled?
Not in the market for a time sink, sorry to disappoint!
More like don’t care to. Even casual observers of this forum can see your obsession. By all means carry on, your only wasting your own time!
More like don’t care to. Even casual observers of this forum can see your obsession. By all means carry on, your only wasting your own time!
The SC Surf board and at least some of the directors were forewarned about Luke. At least one director already knows whats going on with the case. His silence is hurting the kids. Hopefully he'll stand up before its too late for him and talk sense to other "leaders" about what he knows, unless the feds asked him not to. Otherwise, when the Federal case makes its way to Luke, he and the "leadership" will likely be run out of town, and the sport, and anything to do with children. And that will be sad for him and the area.
Hopefully, at that point, you and your people haven't ruined things for the children for next year.
As an aside, your snide remarks mean nothing to me. If you are one of the current or former coaches or directors or board members, they will also perhaps be used against you to show actually how little you are obsessed about the well being of our children.
so,, about 100 post ago, your disdain for all things USAMP was pretty obvious. You were over the top about it. Now you have switched to former GPS employees that have had absolutely no interaction with you or your child (other than winning some games). But hey, thank you for saving us from ourselves. LOL
Sorry to confuse you mysonssdad.
The former GPS guys are with those USAMP folks, now as SC Surf.
But hey, thanks for raising youR hand to say you don't understand again.
so,, about 100 post ago, your disdain for all things USAMP was pretty obvious. You were over the top about it. Now you have switched to former GPS employees that have had absolutely no interaction with you or your child (other than winning some games). But hey, thank you for saving us from ourselves. LOL
Your being kind as it was actually 616 post ago, not 100.
Sorry to confuse you mysonssdad.
The former GPS guys are with those USAMP folks, now as SC Surf.
But hey, thanks for raising youR hand to say you don't understand again.
Painting quite the picture of your obsession for all of us, thank you.
I know this happened in a different state too, so who cares, but its important that all the area clubs have a process by which they deal with inappropriate activities of a coach or director has with a player. That process should involve the police and not NDAs and secrecy.
https://www.ksdk.com/mobile/article/news...85-87808f42d4e3
I know this happened in a different state too, so who cares, but its important that all the area clubs have a process by which they deal with inappropriate activities of a coach or director has with a player. That process should involve the police and not NDAs and secrecy.
https://www.ksdk.com/mobile/article/news...85-87808f42d4e3 Much more common than people realize. Four women on the 1999 Women’s National team married their club coaches. Who knows if any others had relationships that did not end in matrimony. And that’s just one team.