WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) — The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced June 26 that seven individuals and eight companies they control will settle allegations of conducting a deceptive telemarketing scheme that bilked consumers out of millions of dollars.
The defendants named in one complaint are Ari Monkarsh, Faraz Rouhani, Travis Thomas, Nathan Beeson, Kenneth Dickinson, Lift International LLC, also doing business as Lift International Enterprises LLC, Guidance Interactive, and GoGo Dropship, Professional Learning Institute LLC, Future Education LLC, also doing business as Pinnacle Learning Institute and Pinnacle Group, Growth Strategy Solutions LLC, also doing business as Advantage Education, Discover Education, Enterprise Education, and Growth Strategy Solutions Inc., Advantage Education LLC, Discover Education LLC, and Enterprise Education Inc., also doing business as Advantage Education.
The defendants in a separate complaint are Matthew Rasmussen; David Rasmussen; and Thrive Learning LLC, also doing business as Business Education Department, Focus, Lightwave Web Builder, and Thrive Learning Institute. The Rasmussens and Thrive Learning sold the business to Lift International LLC in August 2013.
The Rasmussens and Thrive Learning were ordered to pay $27 million. Monkarsh and Lift International were ordered to pay $29 million. Rouhani, Thomas, Professional Learning Institute and Future Education were ordered to pay $13 million. Beeson, Dickinson, Growth Strategy Solutions, Advantage Education, Discover Education and Enterprise Education were ordered to pay $10.5 million. In all cases, the judgments will be partially suspended upon the surrender of certain assets.
The FTC voted 2-0 to approve the stipulated final orders, which the U.S. District Court for Utah entered June 7 and June 13.