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02/06/02 - Options Talent Group (OTCBB: OPTG)
www.otalent.com (formerly Sector Communications, Inc. OTCBB:SECT)
today announced that it has acquired all of the outstanding shares
in eModel, Inc....
Additionally, the company had recently changed its name to Options
Talent Group and its symbol to "OPTG"... The
terms of the transaction, which closed Feb. 05, 2002, were not
disclosed. eModel, Inc. will operate
as a wholly owned subsidiary of Options Talent Group under
a new name, Options Talent, Inc.
Options Talent Group Chairman and CEO Mohamed Hadid filed for
personal bankruptcy within the past five years after being sued
and judgments handed down in which Hadid claimed personal bankruptcy
and no assets, while being involved in Sector Communications and
offshore companies.
Ralph Bell, the same individual referenced in the Model 1 action
above is listed as a director in the SEC filings for the penny
stock.
Options Talent, formerly eModel ( owned at one time by Cortez
W. Randell ), formerly Why Models, formerly Studio 58.
The corporate consulting services rendered by GSC are principally
rendered by Alec DeFrawy who is the son of Rafiah Kashmiri, the
Trustee and Beneficiary of The Paramount Trust. The services consist
primarily of creative services in the areas of website development,
marketing, and development of promotional materials.
In relation of a 1991 offence, in 1995, Mr. DeFrawy pled guilty
to a criminal charge of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire
fraud which arose from the same indictment to which Mr. Elliot
pled guilty in the United States District Court for the District
of Columbia. As part of his sentence, Mr. DeFrawy was ordered to
pay restitution.
"Cortes W. Randell has a lengthy and not-so-illustrious
past. In 1966 Randell founded National Student Marketing Corp.
The company's stock soared for the next several years, but after
it took a steep plunge in price, he resigned as president in
1970. Following an investigation of his role in the stock crash,
prosecutors alleged that Randell had misrepresented the company's
earnings. He pleaded guilty in 1975 and was sentenced to 18 months
in prison for stock-fraud conspiracy and three other counts of
fraud. (Investors sued Randell in civil court and were awarded
$35 million.)" newtimesbpb.com/issues/2001-09-06/news.html
Their advisory board lists a collection of big names including
Don Johnson and fashion designer Max Azria who are apparently accessible
by email through the optionstalent.com web address. Don Johnson's
publicist says Johnson has never agreed to be part of Options and
his lawyer even demanded they remove his name and photograph from
their site. Options did, but claim Johnson actually resigned from
the board.
The Elite Agency, shown in an Options brochure as praising the
company, denies any link to Options and is apparently upset by
the use of their name.
Option's services, which include placement of your photo on their
website, will cost $595 up front, plus $19.95 a month. With 33-thousand
pictures on the Options site it is easy to see how, in just six
months, the company reported revenue of nearly $5 million, according
to its SEC filing.
The process starts after a scout, working on commission, hands
you a card inviting you to an open call. These scouts apparently
are paid $20 each time they handed out a business card to a potential
model, provided the model signs up with the company.This despite
recruitment ads which promise up to $75 thousand dollars a year
to "work your dream job" as an Options scout.
At the open call your picture is taken and sent to the head office
who follow up with a phone call extolling the virtues of their
service and the need to decide right away or miss out on the chance
for one year.
Under California law, modeling agencies can't collect up front
fees but Options gets around that by saying it's not an agency
because it doesn't represent models, it just scouts them out.
The company's position is that they are not a modeling agency
but simply provide possible models for those agencies who happen
to want to wade through the huge database. Apparently they feel
there are modeling or acting jobs for people no matter what they
look like for anyone who pays will be listed, according to Options
vice president Ryan Saniuk.
They will not book you directly, do not form any special relationships
with agencies, nor do they have legal affiliation with any agencies.
They indicate that the chances of becoming a superstar in this
industry are slim, even getting regular work as a model is difficult,
modeling is a tough business and there is no guarantee of success.
The registration fee is non refundable so most refund requests
are denied.
For other unflattering investigative news coverage and BBB evaluation
see:
www.prweb.com/releases/2002/6/prweb41045.php
Options franchise manager displays inappropriate behavior with
prospective model.
www.nbc13.com/News/1640741/detail.html
www.nbc13.com/news/1642547/detail.html
www.wiat.com/MGB845YLI5D.html
(888)590-9994 Fax:(407)240-4177
(407) 240-1656, (407) 701-0926, (888) 669-9546, (888) 771-5043,
(888) 771-5043, (925) 242-2586
The BBB has updated their record to include Tom Weinard, Terri
Bears, and Rafiah Kashmiri, and their connection to Studio 58 Models.
Other Web Sites:
www.tctalent.com
www.asaptalent.com
www.edgetalent.com
Edge Talent is a database of athletes who for a fee, and a monthly
charge, can have their states, grades, test scores and college
preferences posted on the Edge Talent website. Scouting franchises
are also available for purchase.
www.hhtalent.com
www.optionstalent.com
www.otalent.com The company has changed it's name to Trans Continental
Talent. Mark Tolner is still the CEO.
The company has been taken over by Lou Pearlman who says he is
going to prove the website works, because he is going to make one
of the people on the website a star.He has also instituted a 3-day
cancellation policy though the start date is in question.
http://www.wesh.com/news/1666459/detail.html
The site showcases more than 72,000 models, actors and musicians
and only one of them gets to become a star. So the exception proves
the rule?
It's not about one model. It's about 72,000 models! The 71,999
don't really care about the one star who is "made." They
want something for their money. They want to make more than they
paid for the website. It should be made clear that Trans Continental
Talent did not discover Backstreet Boys and N'Sync.
People may mistakenly type Transcontinental Talent into search
engines looking for info on www.tctalent.com
They used to charge $495 with emodel but when they became Options
Talent they started charging $595. (Originally with emodel the
price was $395.)
The site now contains biographies of high profile celebrities
including Britney Spears on the main page, and Vin Diesel & Kevin
Spacey in a separate "Actor's" section. While it does
not state that these stars are connected to TC Talent in any way,
it would be fairly easy for the general public to make such misconceptions
as this is a commercial venture and not a fan site.
It can take several months for the BBB to issue a report about
a new company. They do not simply transfer the existing file to
the new company. With emodel, it was about three months before
they put out any information.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/020905/lath109_1.html
Trans Continental
Talent is the new name for Options Talent.
A press release from Options Talent on September 5, 2002, announced
Trans Continental Talent or TransContinental Entertainment is now
the name of the company which was known as Options Talent or Options
Talent Group.
This was the second company name change in less than one year.
Options Talent used to be known as emodel. emodel was renamed
Options Talent in early 2002.
Options Talent did business at optionstalent.com and otalent.com,
and emodel used to do its business at emodel.com. Trans Continental
Talent now does business at tctalent.com.
emodel.com was based in Orlando, Florida. Options Talent was based
in Orlando, Florida. Trans Continental Talent is based in Orlando,
Florida.
eModel.com, Inc.
7001 Lake Ellenor Drive
Orlando, FL 32809 |
Options Talent, Inc.
1701 Park Center Dr.
Orlando, FL 32835 |
Trans Continental Talent
5143 Wellington Park Cir D43
Orlando, FL 32839 |
EyeWitness News 9, the local TV news station in Orlando, Florida,
investigated emodel and Options Talent and published three news
reports:
http://www.icflorida.com/partners/wftv/consumer/models_0214.html
WFTV report on Options Talent by Todd Ulrich
The Central Florida BBB, based in in Orlando, Florida, is very
familiar with emodel and Options Talent. Judy Pepper, President
of the BBB in Orlando, has been interviewed by reporters asking
about emodel and Options Talent. She said: "We're
seeing the same types of complaints from Options as we did from
E-model, and consumers face the same kind of risks as they did
before."
The BBB records for both emodel and Options Talent were both similar
and unsatisfactory.
The BBB report for eModel: "Based on BBB files this company
has an unsatisfactory record with the Bureau due to a pattern of
complaints concerning the company's scouting opportunity. Complaints
concern misrepresentation in selling and recruitment practices."
The BBB report for Options Talent: "Based on BBB files, this
company has an unsatisfactory record with the Bureau due to a pattern
of complaints concerning misrepresentation in recruiting practices
and misrepresentation of the modeling agencies who use their services."
It also challenged unsubstantiated advertising claims made by
Options Talent in its online advertising for model scout positions
on Monster.com, for a "dream job":
"According to the company's employment advertising a Model
Scout can earn $40,000 to $75,000 per year plus incentives and
bonuses. The company has not substantiated these earning claims
as requested."
The BBB reports are published online.
emodel.com was owned by Cortes W. Randell. Randell
was the owner of the domain name emodel.com. The administrative
contact address is the company he owns in Washington, D.C; the
email contact address is his first name and the domain of the
company he owns in Washington, D.C.
Cortes W. Randell was convicted of fraud twice and sent to jail. He
was previously sued by people he defrauded, and they were awarded
$35,000,000. The criminal record information about Cortes
Randell was published by two newspapers in print and online.
The Federal
Trade Commission made a formal complaint against Cortes W. Randell
and his Washington, D.C.,-based business, Federal News Service
Group, in 1995, reaching a settlement and issuing a final consent
order.
emodel.com was led by Ralph Edward Bell. He used to be president
of a modeling agency in Virginia he started in 1995 called Creative
Talent Management.
Creative Talent Management Inc.
8150 Leesburg Pike 1st Fl
Vienna, VA 221824
His company's name in Virginia also changed more than once.
The
BBB record for Ralph Bell's modeling agency, Creative Talent
Management: "Creative Talent Management was formerly
Creative Artists, which was formerly Erickson Talent Management....
Our file experience shows that this company has an unsatisfactory
business performance record with the Bureau. Specifically, our
records show a pattern of failure to respond to some customer
complaints brought to its attention by the Bureau, while providing
responses to other complaints.... According to the complaints,
customers report they were encouraged to sign contracts for training
based on representations implying that they would receive employment
as models and actors, that the full cost of training and additional
fees to pursue modeling and acting were not disclosed, that high
pressure sales practices were experienced, and that the firm's
cancellation policies were unclear.... The company has also failed
to substantiate or modify marketing claims which may have the
capacity to mislead. The firm advised the Bureau of personnel
changes, revisions to promotional materials and other steps it
has taken to address problems. The company has not provided documentation
substantiating marketing claims, as requested."
Ralph Bell was the sales leader of emodel. A
former eModel talent executive said E-Model's sales team is managed
by Ralph Bell.
Ralph Edward
Bell was sued by the Federal Trade Commission for modeling and
talent agency fraud in 1999 with two other agencies:
"In May 1999, the FTC charged Model 1, Inc., and its president,
Jason Hoffman; Creative Talent Management, Inc. and its president,
Ralph Edward Bell; and The Erickson Agency, Inc., and its president,
Patricia Erickson, with misrepresenting their ability to get lucrative
jobs for consumers."
They were successfully prosecuted by FTC attorneys in a district
court and fined and required to forgive $3,000,000. Their businesses
were effectively shut down by the FTC in the settlement.
The
terms of the Final Consent Order of the settlement banned them
from further fraud. The cases in summary and in full are
on the FTC website. News reports of the case were also published
online.
Ralph Bell then moved to Orlando, Florida to lead emodel.com and
Options Talent.
Bell signed SEC Filings for Options Talent (OPTG) several times
as a Director of the company, either as R. Edward Bell, Edward
Bell, or Ralph Bell. He was one of the founding members of the
Options Talent Board of Directors. This information is in the SEC
Filings which can be read at Pinksheets.com/filingsOTTG - Mr. Bell
also has an interest in Morgan Trust.
RALPH EDWARD BELL'S RELATIONSHIP TO THE MORGAN TRUST AND CORPORATE
MEDIA SERVICES, INC.
The consulting services rendered by CMS are principally rendered
by Ralph Edward Bell who is the Trustee of The Morgan Trust, and
is a beneficiary, in addition to Mr. Bell's spouse and child, under
The Morgan Trust, whose stock ownership and pro forma stock ownership
is described in SEC filings. Mr. Bell's consulting services consist
primarily of operational support for TCTI's physical and technical
infrastructure.
emodel.com never put Ralph Bell's name on its website. Options
Talent never listed its Board of Directors on its website. What
they did list on the optionstalent.com website were the names of
members of their "Advisory Board."
At the beginning this "Advisory Board" included Don
Johnson and other celebrities. Don
Johnson, however, was approached by reporters, and said through
his publicist he never gave Options Talent permission to use his
name; and his lawyer demanded his name and photograph be removed
from the Options Talent website. This information was published
online in two news reports.
In an interview with Karma magazine, the President of Options
Talent, Mark Tolner, said Don Johnson was one of their advisors:
"We have brought in an allstar roster of advisors from within
the industry such as John Daly (whose company produced Terminator,
Platoon and Last Emperor), Max Azria (Founder of BCBG), Don
Johnson (Miami Vice)."
Besides Ralph Bell, three of the leaders of Options Talent used
to work together at another company in Orlando, Florida, called
Studio 58 Models.
Studio 58 Models
4303 Vineland Rd Ste 7
Orlando, FL 32811
Studio 58 Models was a company very similar to emodel.com. It
was also known as Studio 58 Scouts.
The BBB record said: "According to information supplied by
the company, they offer to post aspiring models and actors pictures
on its internet site for a cost of $350.00. The site serves as
a model search service."
The BBB file also said Studio 58 was run by Rafiah Kashmiri. The
other two leaders who worked at Studio 58 Models were Tom Weinard
and Terri Bears.
The BBB record for Studio 58 Models: "Based on BBB files,
this company has an unsatisfactory record with the Bureau due to
one or more unresolved complaints concerning consumer complaints
concerning dissatisfaction with the service rendered."
Studio 58 Models was also mentioned in a report by the Emmy-Award-winning
investigative reporter of a local Orlando TV news station, who
also investigated emodel and Options Talent.
Rafiah Kashmiri, the president of Studio 58 Models, became a Director
of Options Talent, signing several SEC Filings as a Director of
the company.
Kashmiri, in fact, was one of the founding members of the Options
Talent Board of Directors with Ralph Bell:
"The proposed new Board of Directors of OTG was to consist
of five members as follows: Mr. Mohamed Hadid, Mr. Mark Tolner,
Mr. Ralph Bell, Ms. Rafiah Kashmiri, Mr. Paul Glover. The proposal
set forth above passed by a vote of 45,117,927 to nil with nil
votes abstaining." (OPTG, SEC Filings, FORM 10-QSB, January
31, 2002, Page 23 of 25)
Tom Weinard and Terri Bears both held senior management positions
at emodel and Options Talent. Weinard in fact signed SEC Filings
as a Director of Options Talent. Bears has held a Senior Vice President
position in charge of New Business and Franchising. http://www.worldfranchising.com/profiles/EmModel.htm
SEC Filings also showed both Tom Weinard and Terry Bears received
a larger number of stock/options than most others. Most had 1,000
to 2,000; whereas they had 10,000 and 12,500.
A man named Jason Hoffman had 40,000, which was similar to other
leaders. Jason Hoffman was a president of a modeling agency which
the FTC prosecuted when it prosecuted Ralph Bell and his business
in 1999.
The FTC showed Bell and Hoffman worked together in a conspiracy
in their modeling agency fraud. They both operated businesses in
the same state in the same city at the same location. This information
is published online.
Jason Hoffman was the president of a modeling agency called Model
1 (Model One).
Model One
8150 Leesburg Pk 1st Fl
Tyson Corner, VA 22182
Note the business addresses of Jason Hoffman's Model 1 and Ralph
Bell's Creative Talent Management:
Creative Talent Management Inc.
8150 Leesburg Pike 1st Fl
Vienna, VA 221824
The
BBB record for Model 1: "Based on BBB files, this company
has an unsatisfactory record with Bureau due to unanswered complaints
and its failure to substantiate its advertising and promotional
claims. The company had resolved some customer complaints presented
by the Bureau, but some answered complaints remain unresolved
in Bureau files. Other complaints are unanswered in our files.
The pattern of complaints generally concern problems caused by
the sales tactics used by the company, including confusing and
incomplete information about services and costs, as well as the
use of high pressure to contract for training. The company responded
by denying any wrongdoing, referring to contract terms, and by
providing an explanation of its actions with adjustments, when
issued, based on the terms of the contract."
The BBB records for both Creative Talent Management and Model
1 have a section entitled "Government Action Information" where
they note the prosecution of the Federal Trade Commission.
The U.S. government attorneys who prosecuted the case were Robin
Spector, Connie Wagner, and Phyllis Marcus.
Bell was a Director of Options Talent and he owned one of only
a few trust funds.
Another trust fund was owned by the wife of previously prosecuted
businessman Cortes W. Randell. It is in the name of Joan W. Randell.
The address where the money from the trust fund goes is the company
Randell started, owned, and runs in Washington, D.C. The SEC Filings
also reveal Randell makes money from every person recruited by
model/talent "scouts."
Bill Mitchell, President of a BBB in Los Angeles said the following
of emodel: "The
whole thing, fundamentally, from beginning to end, is a scam."
Bill Ford, Vice President of a top New York modeling agency said
the following of emodel: "What they're doing isn't right.
They're telling people who have no chance of being models to put
their pictures up. I guarantee you, the money those people are
paying is more than most of them will ever make in their lifetime
modeling."
Published news reports also said emodel used false and misleading
advertising to recruit, and the BBB record for Options Talent said
the same thing. They abused the names of top agencies, saying they
used their website.
Ford Models contacted emodel and asked them to stop. Cortes W.
Randell faxed Bill Ford and threatened him. That was published
in the New York Post.
The NYP also reported Elite sent a cease-and-desist letter to
emodel for the same reason, because they were using false/misleading
advertising for business.
Talent Plus, another prestigious modeling agency, also denied
advertising claims made by emodel that they used the emodel.com
website. Fox News in St. Louis reported the response of the agency
owner: "We do not. I don't even know who they are."
For an insider's report on this operation visit www.ripoffreport.com
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