Complaint Review: Rip-off Report - Anytown Nationwide

Attorneys are going to hate this idea; Judges will love it! Why? It may dry up the well of easy money for lawyers from class action lawsuits, and at the same time unburden the burgeoning dockets. Anyone who has been screwed and not been able to get a lawfirm to pick up their case on contingency because there just wasn't enough money in it to make it "economically viable" for them. This idea was conceptualized from my investigation into the Wilhelmina Scouting Network (WSN)/ Trans Continental Talent (TCT)/ Model Search America (MSA) / whatever-they-call-it-now scam and frustration from what I observed in the responses from attorneys who did not want to get involved in certain victim classes. However, this proposal will have applicability in a variety of other situations. Those who have innocently fallen prey to the cleaverly-devised sales pitch that initially takes nearly $1,000 from them and contracts with them to pay an additional $20 per month, so far have not been able to find attorneys with the balls to take on a Nationwide or International case against the powerful billionaire, Lou Pearlman, who has been able to find the most loyal and the most influential people in Florida and DC that money can buy. It is a sad commentary on our society that justice has become about money and not about equality, thus creating more justice for those who can afford more of it. Parenthetically, if you or I had done what Lou Pearlman and his minions have done, we would be in jail already, not negotiating with the Attorney General. And as some have commented, who are obviously those with inside information, why has the US Attorney and the Department of Justice in Orlando pursued the prosecution of Mr. Fizia so aggressively in behalf of Ayman El-Difrawi, of all people, a convicted scam artist who has openly solicited this same behavior (extortion) from others? [Anyone wishing concrete examples of this may contact me directly.] Either the FBI in Orlando are bumbling incompetents or they are turning a blind eye deliberately for some reason. I think we deserve some answers. Additionally, Wilhelmina Scouting Network employees are misclassified as independent contractors, due commissions, which have not been paid, and have not been provided statuatory benefits, not to mention the non-pursuit of sexual harrassment charges (where are the Feds -

EEOC

- on this one?) In the State of Florida, the Department of Business and Professional Regulation is reticent to investigate these cases, for some reason. Also, many law firms believe these employees were involved in victimizing others with the Pearlman-Defrawy scam, so they don't want to represent them. I racked my brains to come up with a solution for these employee-victims and think I have a solution for both classes. Here is my plan: I am encouraging victims to file claims in small claims court at a particular location. In the case of TCT, if you are the first to file a claim as an employee or a customer, you would contact me and provide the courthouse and date of your hearing. I will monitor the date and time so I can get others scheduled for the same date. I will contact the court and explain that there are many litigants with basically the same case. Louis J. Pearlman and TCT should both be named in the complaint, as well as ALL of the franchise owners for your respective location. I would need you to fax or scan your complaint to me because it will be a means of categorizing the claims. I would then notify the court of the similar cases on their docket and request that all the victims be heard on the same day, as they are essentially the same complaint. It would make sense that the courts would be more than happy to accomodate and clear their caseloads, especially when the complaints are essentially the same. It also demonstrates to the court the magnitude of the problem in their jurisdiction. If you know others who want their money back, or their unpaid wages, you should encourage them to file their claims and advise me likewise. This creates a de facto class action and I call this innovation "the People's Class Action." Attorneys are often not needed. In fact, in many states, attorneys are precluded from this process. I think it should catch on.

Fax: 413-431-6441 e-mail: [email protected] or [email protected]

Frank Torelli - Investigative Reporter Toronto, Ontario
Canada CAVEAT: I am not an attorney and this opinion should not be construed as competent legal advice. Click here to read other Rip Off Reports on Trans Continental Talent AKA Options Talent Click here to read other Rip Off Reports on Emodel Click here to read other Rip Off Reports on Options Talent Emodel.com Click here to read other Rip Off Reports on Model Search America Click here to read other Rip Off Reports on Wilhelmina