Source: http://www.theses.xlibx.info/t1-other1/925611-1-united-states-district-court-middle-district-florida-tampa-divisi.php
Timestamp: 2017-11-23 15:08:26
Document Index: 109375268

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 53', '§ 45', '§ 1331', '§ 45', '§ 1391', '§ 53', '§ 41', '§ 45', '§ 52', '§ 53', '§ 44']

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT MIDDLE DISTRICT OF FLORIDA TAMPA DIVISION FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION, Plaintiff, v. Civ. No. NPB ADVERTISING, INC., a
«UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT MIDDLE DISTRICT OF FLORIDA TAMPA DIVISION FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION, Plaintiff, v. Civ. No. NPB ADVERTISING, INC., a ...»
Case 8:14-cv-01155-SDM-TGW Document 1 Filed 05/15/14 Page 1 of 22 PageID 1
v. Civ. No.
NPB ADVERTISING, INC., a corporation, COMPLAINT FOR PERMANENT also d/b/a Pure Green Coffee; INJUNCTION AND OTHER NATIONWIDE VENTURES, LLC, a limited EQUITABLE RELIEF liability company;
OLYMPUS ADVERTISING, INC., a corporation;
JMD ADVERTISING, INC., a corporation;
SIGNATURE GROUP, LLC, a limited liability company;
NICHOLAS SCOTT CONGLETON,
individually and as an owner and managing member of NPB Advertising, Inc., Nationwide Ventures, LLC, Olympus Advertising, Inc., JMD Advertising, Inc., and Signature Group, LLC;
PAUL DANIEL PASCUAL, individually and as an owner and managing member of NPB Advertising, Inc., Nationwide Ventures, LLC, Olympus Advertising, Inc., JMD Advertising, Inc., and Signature Group, LLC; and BRYAN BENJAMIN WALSH, individually and as an owner, officer, and managing member of NPB Advertising, Inc., Olympus Advertising, Inc., and JMD Advertising, Inc., and as an owner and managing member of Nationwide Ventures, LLC, and Signature Group, LLC, Defendants.
Case 8:14-cv-01155-SDM-TGW Document 1 Filed 05/15/14 Page 2 of 22 PageID 2
1. The FTC brings this action under Section 13(b) of the Federal Trade Commission Act (“FTC Act”), 15 U.S.C. § 53(b), to obtain permanent injunctive relief, rescission or reformation of contracts, restitution, the refund of monies paid, disgorgement of ill-gotten monies, and other equitable relief for Defendants’ acts or practices in violation of Sections 5(a) and 12 of the FTC Act, 15 U.S.C. §§ 45(a) and 52, in connection with the sale and marketing of Pure Green Coffee, a dietary supplement.
2. This Court has subject matter jurisdiction pursuant to 28 U.S.C. §§ 1331, 1337(a), and 1345, and 15 U.S.C. §§ 45(a) and 53(b).
3. Venue is proper in this district under 28 U.S.C. § 1391(b) and (c), and 15 U.S.C.
§ 53(b).
4. The FTC is an independent agency of the United States Government created by statute. 15 U.S.C. §§ 41-58. The FTC enforces Section 5(a) of the FTC Act, 15 U.S.C.
§ 45(a), which prohibits unfair or deceptive acts or practices in or affecting commerce. The FTC also enforces Section 12 of the FTC Act, 15 U.S.C. § 52, which prohibits false advertisements for food, drugs, devices, services, or cosmetics in or affecting commerce.
5. The FTC is authorized to initiate federal district court proceedings, by its own attorneys, to enjoin violations of the FTC Act and to secure such equitable relief as may be appropriate in each case, including rescission or reformation of contracts, restitution, the refund of monies paid, and the disgorgement of ill-gotten monies. 15 U.S.C. § 53(b).
6. Defendant NPB Advertising, Inc., also doing business as Pure Green Coffee, is a Florida corporation with a place of business in the Middle District of Florida. NPB Advertising, Inc., transacts or has transacted business in this district and throughout the United States. At all times material to this Complaint, acting alone or in concert with others, NPB Advertising, Inc., has advertised, marketed, distributed, or sold Pure Green Coffee, a dietary supplement, to consumers throughout the United States. In that capacity, NPB Advertising, Inc., also has conducted business as Bungo Media, Quest Laboratories, GreenCoffee8884963810, and Nation Wide Ventures.
7. Defendant Nationwide Ventures, LLC, is a Wyoming limited liability company, with a registered address of 123 West First Street, Suite 675, Casper, Wyoming 82601, and a place of business in the Middle District of Florida. Nationwide Ventures, LLC, transacts or has transacted business in this district and throughout the United States. At all times material to this Complaint, acting alone or in concert with others, Nationwide Ventures, LLC, has advertised, marketed, distributed, or sold Pure Green Coffee to consumers throughout the United States. In that capacity, Nationwide Ventures, LLC, also has conducted business as Nation Wide Ventures, LLC, Pure Green Coffee, Bungo Media, and Quest Laboratories.
8. Defendant Olympus Advertising, Inc., is a Florida corporation with a place of business in the Middle District of Florida. Olympus Advertising, Inc., transacts or has transacted business in this district and throughout the United States. At all times material to this Complaint, acting alone or in concert with others, Olympus Advertising, Inc., has advertised, marketed, distributed, or sold Pure Green Coffee to consumers throughout the
United States. In that capacity, Olympus Advertising, Inc., has conducted business as egreencoffeeextract, truegreencoffeediet.com, and GRNCOFEXTRCT8887459754.
9. Defendant JMD Advertising, Inc., is a Florida corporation with a place of business in the Middle District of Florida. At all times material to this Complaint, acting alone or in concert with others, JMD Advertising, Inc., has advertised, marketed, distributed, or sold Pure Green Coffee to consumers throughout the United States. In that capacity, JMD Advertising, Inc., also has conducted business as EGreenCoffe8887397098 and E Green Coffee Diet.
10. Defendant Signature Group, LLC, is a Wyoming limited liability company with a registered address of 123 West First Street, Suite 675, Casper, Wyoming 82601, which address is identical to that of Nationwide Ventures, LLC, and with a place of business in the Middle District of Florida. Signature Group, LLC, transacts or has transacted business in this district and throughout the United States. At all times material to this Complaint, acting alone or in concert with others, Signature Group, LLC, has advertised, marketed, distributed, or sold Pure Green Coffee to consumers throughout the United States.
11. Defendant Nicholas Scott Congleton (“Congleton”) has a substantial ownership interest in and has played a leading management role in NPB Advertising, Inc.; Nationwide Ventures, LLC; Olympus Advertising, Inc.; JMD Advertising, Inc.; and Signature Group, LLC. At all times material to this Complaint, acting alone or in concert with others, he has formulated, directed, controlled, had the authority to control, or participated in the acts and practices of NPB Advertising, Inc.; Nationwide Ventures, LLC; Olympus Advertising, Inc.;
JMD Advertising, Inc.; and Signature Group, LLC, including the acts and practices set forth
in this Complaint. In connection with these activities, Defendant Congleton has used the aliases Mike Jackson, Nick Scott, and Bungo Media, and he has held himself out as president of Nationwide Ventures, LLC. Defendant Congleton, along with Defendant Paul Daniel Pascual, has had primary responsibility for advertising Pure Green Coffee. Congleton resides in this district and, in connection with the matters alleged herein, transacts or has transacted business in this district and throughout the United States.
12. Defendant Paul Daniel Pascual (“Pascual”) has a substantial ownership interest in and has played a leading management role in NPB Advertising, Inc.; Nationwide Ventures, LLC;
Olympus Advertising, Inc.; JMD Advertising, Inc.; and Signature Group, LLC. At all times material to this Complaint, acting alone or in concert with others, he has formulated, directed, controlled, had the authority to control, or participated in the acts and practices of NPB Advertising, Inc.; Nationwide Ventures, LLC; Olympus Advertising, Inc.; Signature Group, LLC; and JMD Advertising, Inc., including the acts and practices set forth in this Complaint.
In connection with these activities, Defendant Pascual has used the aliases Mike Jackson and Bungo Media and has held himself out as chief executive officer of Nationwide Ventures, LLC. Defendant Pascual, along with Defendant Congleton, has had primary responsibility for advertising and marketing Pure Green Coffee. Defendant Pascual resided in this district during much of the relevant time period, and, in connection with the matters alleged herein, transacts or has transacted business in this district and throughout the United States.
13. Defendant Bryan Benjamin Walsh (“Walsh”) has a substantial ownership interest in and has played a leading management role in NPB Advertising, Inc.; Nationwide Ventures, LLC; Olympus Advertising, Inc.; JMD Advertising, Inc.; and Signature Group, LLC.
Defendant Walsh also is president of NPB Advertising, Inc., and Olympus Advertising, Inc., and vice president of JMD Advertising, Inc. At all times material to this Complaint, acting alone or in concert with others, he has formulated, directed, controlled, had the authority to control, or participated in the acts and practices of NPB Advertising, Inc.; Nationwide Ventures, LLC; Olympus Advertising, Inc.; JMD Advertising, Inc.; and Signature Group, LLC, including the acts and practices set forth in this Complaint. In connection with these activities, Defendant Walsh has used the aliases Mike Jackson and Bungo Media. Defendant Walsh has had primary responsibility for the daily operations related to Pure Green Coffee sales and has responded to complaints from the Better Business Bureau. Defendant Walsh resides in this district and, in connection with the matters alleged herein, transacts or has transacted business in this district and throughout the United States.
14. Defendants NPB Advertising, Inc.; Nationwide Ventures, LLC; Olympus Advertising, Inc.; JMD Advertising, Inc.; and Signature Group, LLC, (collectively, “Corporate Defendants”) have operated as a common enterprise while engaging in the deceptive acts and practices alleged below. Defendants have conducted the business practices described below through an interrelated network of closely held companies that have substantially overlapping ownership, have officers and managers in common, and share employees, office locations, and payment processing and other business functions Because Corporate Defendants have operated as a common enterprise, each of them is jointly and severally liable for the acts and practices alleged below. Defendants Congleton, Pascual, and Walsh (“Individual Defendants”) have formulated, directed, controlled, had the authority to
15. At all times material to this Complaint, Defendants have maintained a substantial course of trade in or affecting commerce, as “commerce” is defined in Section 4 of the FTC Act, 15 U.S.C. § 44.
16. On or about April 26, 2012, Dr. Mehmet Oz proclaimed green coffee extract “the magic weight loss cure for every body type” on his nationally syndicated television talk show, The Dr. Oz Show. In the episode, Dr. Oz touted a “staggering, newly released study” in which subjects “lost an astounding amount of fat and weight – 17 pounds in 22 weeks – by doing absolutely nothing extra in their day.”
17. The episode included the following discussion of the purported benefits of green
[ON-SCREEN depiction omitted][Dr. Oz speaking:] A staggering, newly released study reveals that the coffee bean, in its purest raw form, may hold the secret to weight loss that you’ve been waiting for. The study presented at a meeting of the world’s largest scientific society triggered unprecedented excitement for a weightloss study. It showed women and men who took green coffee extract lost an astounding amount of fat and weight, 17 pounds –
[Guest Dr. Lindsey Duncan speaking:]... So, and the medical community, the weight-loss community is all buzzing about this, and here’s why. The recent study that you were talking about earlier, they – the participants took the capsules and they did nothing else, they didn’t exercise, they didn’t change their diet. They actually consumed 2,400 calories a day. They burned only 400 calories. Now, that’s weight gain, not weight loss.
[Dr. Duncan:] Ten percent. They lost 16 percent of their total body fat, and they lost about 17 pounds per participant, and they had no side effects, zero side effects.
[Dr. Duncan:] Eight hundred milligrams twice a day, and you want to take it before meals, about 30 minutes before with a large glass of water.
(Tr. attached as Ex. 1; DVD of video attached as Ex. 2.) Dr. Oz did not recommend any specific brand of green coffee extract.
18. Within weeks of The Dr. Oz Show episode described above, Defendants began advertising and selling a dietary supplement that purports to contain green coffee bean extract and touting its effectiveness in causing weight loss. Defendants named their supplement “Pure Green Coffee.”
19. Starting on or about May 8, 2012, Defendants Congleton, Pascual, and Walsh, using the aliases of Mike Jackson and Bungo Media, began registering Internet domain names to sell Pure Green Coffee. Specifically, Defendants registered domain names including, but not limited to, buypuregreencoffee.com, buypuregreencoffee.net, buypuregreencoffee.org, buygreenweightloss.com, greencoffeeweightcontrol.com, coffeebeanstoloseweight.com, gogreenwithcoffeebean.com, questlabs.net, greencoffeesupport.com, buygreenweightloss.com, and igreencoffeebean.com (collectively, “Pure Green Coffee websites”).
20. Defendants have sold Pure Green Coffee for $48 a bottle, plus $4.95 shipping, for a one-month supply, with options to purchase three bottles for $98, or five bottles for $148.
Defendants have sold more than 536,000 bottles of Pure Green Coffee since May 2012.
Defendants Make Weight-Loss Claims Through Their Websites and Advertising.
«401 REMINISCENCES OF GIBBS *93*-] R E M I N I S C E N C E S OF GIBBS BY A S T U D E N T A N D COLLEAGUE* BY EDWIN BIDWELL WILSON When last spring I was asked to agree to give the Gibbs Lecture on this occasion, I assented on the assumption that before the time came for the lecture to be delivered I should have been entirely relieved of my executive responsibilities to the Social Science Research Council and should have had opportunity to prepare from a considerable dossier of investigations in...»
«Engineering Consulting Firms In The Asian And Pacific Region From a high mortgages in Financial property separate per pretty, how become they explain these 57 which is all your facilities? About leading those cold and free management because a work. And, of a relationship, B-paper's reason well seemed own to download oriented accommodations, coming equity to put industry for your owner. A splendid company can make than industry differences do with your epub. This early missteps was any claw...»
«USSOCCER.COM 2013-14 ADVICE TO REFEREES U.S. SOCCER REFEREE PRODUCTS Sold Exclusively by OFFICIAL SPORTS Starter Kits Pro Uniforms Books & Video Accessories & Gear Bags Footwear Off-the-Field Apparel Performance Apparel OFFICIALSPORTS.COM 800-782-2614 Advice to Referees 2013-14 United States Soccer Federation, Inc. 1801 S. Prairie Avenue Chicago, IL 60616 Telephone: 312/808-1300 Fax: 312/808-1301 http: ussoccer.com © 2014 United States Soccer Federation, Inc. All rights reserved. i Contents...»
«Learning Collaboratively with Web 2.0 Technologies: Putting into Action Social Constructivism Sutapa Bose Paper presented at the National Seminar on ‘Technology enhanced collaboration for improving quality of education at elementary level’ organized by Distance Education Programme, Sarva Siksha Abhiyan (Ministry of Human Resource Development Project of Indira Gandhi National Open University) from 24th -26th Feb. 2010 at Indira Gandhi National Open University, New Delhi. The paper presented...»
«FOR PUBLICATION UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE NINTH CIRCUIT UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, No. 14-16070 Plaintiff-Appellee, D.C. No. v. 2:12-cv-00155-MHB JP MORGAN CHASE BANK ACCOUNT NUMBER ENDING OPINION 8215 IN THE NAME OF LADISLAO V. SAMANIEGO, VL: $446,377.36; JP MORGAN CHASE BANK ACCOUNT NUMBER ENDING 7058 IN THE NAME OF MANUEL CASTRO, VL: $361, 070.25, Defendants, LADISLAO V. SAMANIEGO; MANUEL CASTRO, Claimants-Appellants. Appeal from the United States District Court for the District...»
«THE CHANTER REED The beauty and curse of piping By Patrick Sky ©2004 6/24/2004 NOTE: Feel free to copy and distribute this booklet for personal use only. May not be reproduced for commercial reasons without express written permission from the author Introduction If you want to learn to play the Uilleann pipes, learning to adjust and fit reeds to your chanter is an absolute must: there is no escape. Even after a reed is fitted properly and playing well, it will not stay that way. Every good...»
«about recipes blogger resources store MY FAVORITE VEGAN PIZZA Dana makes the food, John makes the jokes. We love sharing simple, delicious recipes and nourishing people we love. More. Receive updates by email and get our ebook 7 Ingredients or Less for free! Enter Email Address Here. SUBMIT Ahh, pizza night. A thing to be cherished. Around our house we eat pizza at least once a week. And if something horrific happens midweek (say, we run out of Netflix shows), it’s pizza night on Wednesday,...»
«Journal de Th´orie des Nombres e de Bordeaux 00 (XXXX), 000–000 Solving conics over function ﬁelds par Mark van HOEIJ et John CREMONA Resume. Soit F un corps de caract´ristique diﬀ´rente de 2, et e e ´ ´ K = F (t). Nous donnons un algorithme simple pour trouver, ´tant donn´ a, b, c ∈ K ∗, une solution non-triviale dans K (si elle e e existe) ` l’´quation aX 2 + bY 2 + cZ 2 = 0. Dans certains cas, ae l’algorithme a besoin d’une solution d’une equation similaire ` a...»
«Valdés, Juan Antonio y Federico Fahsen 1998 Interpretación de la Estela 40 de Tikal. En XI Simposio de Investigaciones Arqueológicas en Guatemala, 1997 (editado por J.P. Laporte y H. Escobedo), pp.71-87. Museo Nacional de Arqueología y Etnología, Guatemala (versión digital). INTERPRETACIÓN DE LA ESTELA 40 DE TIKAL Juan Antonio Valdés Federico Fahsen Durante las excavaciones que se estaban realizando el día 19 de julio de 1996 fue descubierta una nueva estela en Tikal, que siguiendo la...»