Yaoi Manga Publisher Faces Federal Charges For Online Mail Fraud
BreakingCool.com broke the story last night that Yaoi Press publisher Yamila Abraham has been charged with selling pills that were billed as "herbal alternatives to street drugs," but contained dextromethorphan hydrobromide or DXM, a stimulant and active ingredient in cough medicine.
According to various news sources including Las Vegas CBS TV affiliate KLAS, KVVU Fox Channel 5 and the Las Vegas Sun newspaper, the federal fraud charges against Abraham include seven counts of mail fraud, one count of misbranding a drug, one count of introducing goods into U.S. commerce by means of false statements and criminal forfeiture. These charges are based on sales allegedly made from the website Pleasureherbs.com between January 2004 and August 2006. The case is being investigated by the FDA Office of Criminal Investigations, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
According to the Las Vegas Sun article, U.S. Attorney Greg Bower of Nevada explained that if convicted, Abraham faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine on each mail fraud count, up to one year in prison and a $250,000 fine on drug misbranding, and up to two years in prison and a $250,000 fine on introducing goods into commerce by false statements. Abraham has pleaded not guilty, and will be facing these charges in court in November.
Abraham spoke up about these charges on Twitter by commenting that "Vegas News is sloppy and inaccurate." She followed up by posting a statement on the Yaoi Press blog at around midnight last night urging fans to stay calm while things are being sorted out.
"Please keep a cool head, and have faith. This situation is not going to end Yaoi Press. Don't believe the hype."
"If you've watched any television at all you know the drill for situations like this. I'm not allowed to discuss this matter while it's still pending. I'm desperate to talk, but I can't. Please try not to pass judgment until you know what's really going on. All is not what it seems."
She also reassured fans and convention organizers that she will be honoring her commitments to appear at several Fall anime conventions, including OtakuMex in New Mexico this weekend.
"I will be at OtakuMex this weekend. Yes, I really will! You can also meet me at the West Hollywood Book Fair on October 4th, then Anime St. George October 10th. I'm seriously looking forward to Yaoi Con October 30th."
"There are no cancellations. I will be at these shows. I should have panels at them all. People may ask me about this situation. I probably won't be able to answer them. I'm hoping for a fast resolution, but the sky started falling over 3 years ago, in 2006! If it's taken this long to drop I'm not hopeful about this being over with fast."
"In the meantime I have a business to continue managing during a very weak economy. I can't crawl into a turtle shell and hide. Works of over 100 talented creators rest on my shoulders. I must continue to promote them, and this company."
"I hope that even if you doubt me you will not begrudge these creators the success of their Yaoi Press publications."
A gentle reminder to readers: This indictment only means that charges were filed against Abraham, and it is not evidence of guilt. She's innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. As she mentions in her statement, she will be continuing business as usual at Yaoi Press and will be honoring her convention appearance commitments. However, understandably, she will not be able to answer questions about these pending charges at her upcoming appearances.
This morning, Abraham also announced via Twitter that she is scheduled to appear at Bishie-Con in Saint Louis, Missouri on November 20-22, 2009, along with Kôsen, the Spanish manga creators of Stallion and Daemonium.
Image credit: © Deb Aoki, Logo courtesy Yaoi Press
Comments
Strangely, the only thing that’s really pinging me in this article is the use of the word “manga.” For some reason, a lot of people seem to think that means something it doesn’t mean.
It’s a Japanese word that’s only applicable to Japanese comics and graphic novels, so it’s really inappropriate for it to be attached to the Spanish comic works mentioned. Just because they’re mimicking an art-style they saw in manga, doesn’t mean their creation is automatically a manga as well. It’s misleading and comes off pretty silly.
Just because American/Spanish/Italian would-be comic artists want to ride the trend-train and try to milk the “manga” label for attention doesn’t mean it’s correct use. It would be like saying I’m a negotiator just because I play go-between for friends and relatives. Technically I’m doing the same thing as a negotiator, so it’s all good! And hey, it sounds a helluva lot cooler that way.
@Sierra: In the US book market, “manga” now has a distinct meaning, defining a certain type of book and a section in a store with some very clear parameters. And a little fuzziness at the edges.
I’m not sure why people are still being so fussy-picky over this term. Words change as they move through languages and cultures. Fighting that comes off as way too nerdy. And I say that as a huge nerd myself.
@the original article: I can’t at all comment on what the publisher is alleged to have done, but I respect her commitment to her books and her efforts to keep any shadow from falling over her authors and artists.