21 January 2020

Feds Go After A Serial Pyramid Scheme Here In Mesa

The report appeared online 4 days ago, followed by a story on Arizona KJZZ
‘I Construct pyramids, Guy ‘:’
Federal court shuts down alleged pyramid scheme Promoting’Healthful’ mushroom Java and Yells executives’ Resources
"A federal court has temporarily shut down that a mutli-level marketing and advertising firm named Success From Health, which sells instant coffee that claims to provide health advantages from mushrooms.
The judgment this week with a federal judge in Arizona also froze the assets of their organization’s top executives, including its creator, James”Jay” Dwight Noland, Jr. 
The decision came in response to a Federal Trade Commission complaint asserting that Nevada-based Success By Health is a”pyramid scheme” designed to improve the organization’s top executives by highlighting penis recruiting over the selling of its goods.
 
The FTC complaint calls Noland a”serial pyramid scheme promoter” and states that the organization’s executives”lure entrepreneurial customers to a fiscal abyss by telling them they will attain’financial liberty,’ rather than have to work again, . . "
The provider also provides trainings. Its site is now marketing a “Millionaire Workshop” directed by Noland that costs about $1,000 to attend.
In movies posted to Facebook, Noland has called the company an "endless money and wellness system” and stated that his previous trainees have purchased ”Lamborghinis; Rolls Royces; Bentleys; multimillion-dollar houses in single-, dual -, and triple-gated communities; [and] Bahamas excursions” by listening to his own guidance, according to the FTC complaint.
‘I construct pyramids, guy… I am in the top’
He discussed constructing pyramids, however he never explicitly referenced pyramid schemes, the complaint says. 
“Everything in this world is a pyramid,” Noland said, according to the FTC.
 “Your church, pyramid. School system, pyramid.
 People today ask me what do I really do. I stated I construct pyramids, guy. . . .That’s exactly what I do. I construct a few small pyramids. Except I am at the Peak of those that I built.”
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Oooops! Did they say PYRAMID?

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Here's the -------- with excerpts taken from a story available on KJZZ
"The latest allegation centers around Success By Health (SBH), which sells coffee, tea and dietary supplements through independent distributors called "affiliates."
The FTC claims the company pressured affiliates to max out credit cards, borrow money and get bank loans to buy inventory.  The FTC said the company told people they could replace their job income in six months if they followed Noland’s instructions, but the business model ensured the vast majority of affiliates lost money.  
The complaint, filed in U.S. District Court in Arizona, alleges James “Jay” Dwight Noland Jr., Lina Noland, Scott A. Harris and Thomas G. Saccara have taken more than $7 million from consumers in 49 states, including Arizona, and pocketed over $1.3 million for themselves. . .
According to the complaint, the SBH pushes affiliates to invest heavily in products and training events but rather than compensate them on the sales of products to retail customers, SBH compensates them on how many new affiliates they recruit and the volume of SBH products they and their recruits buy.
> After learning the FTC was investigating the company, the agency alleges Jay and Lina Noland fled their $1.2 million rented house for South America in October 2019.
> The following month, the complaint alleges, fellow defendant Scott Harris put his house on the market for $1.8 million and announced plans to join them. 
In granting the FTC’s request to shut down the company, the judge also froze the assets of the company and its executives.
 

The Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis