Eyer arrested in $25 million scheme

By Mashaun D. Simon

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Federal agents have arrested a man believed to be responsible for a nationwide telemarketing scheme that defrauded consumers out of $25 million.

Jason James Eyer, 34, of Marietta, was arrested Thursday. He was indicted on the charges Jan. 5 along with two others, Kara Singleton Adams, 38, and James A. Schoenholz, 37, also of Marietta.

According to court documents, Eyer, Adams and Schoenholz conspired to defraud customers through a more than a dozen false companies. The indictment lists victims from 46 states and a total loss amount of over $25 million. The trio spent more than $20 million in a little over a year.

The defendants convinced customers via phone calls that they would be able to remove their debt faster than if they used programs organized by credit card companies.

Customers were “assured that there was no out of pocket cost associated with their interest rate reduction program, but that the cost of the program, between $749 and $1,495, would be paid for out of the thousands of dollars in savings the consumer would achieve.”

Almost immediately, customers’ credit cards would be charged a range between $749 and $1,495.

“This multi-million dollar fraud scheme used simple tactics,” U.S. attorney Sally Quillian Yates said. “It allegedly used a high-pressure telemarketing sales pitch on hundreds if not thousands of victims, who were promised significant savings on credit card debt and interest rate reductions if they paid a fee.”

The scheme was conducted between 2008 until December 2009.

Some of the company names used included: Economic Relief Technologies, SafeRide Warranty, VP Marketing, Clear Breeze Solutions, Express Debt Elimination, Capital Resources, A Better Tomorrow and Helping Hand Resources.