Lou Pearlman

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Louis J. Pearlman (born 1954) is an alleged con man from Flushing, Queens, New York, USA, last residing in Orlando, Florida, current whereabouts unknown. His companies have been taken over by a court appointed receiver, having receivership over the assets of Trans Continental Airlines, Inc., Trans Continental Airlines Travel Service, Inc., Trans Continental Enterprises, LLC., Louis J. Pearlman Enterprises, Trans Continental Records, Trans Continental Talent, Fashion Rock, Trans Continental Travel Service, Trans Country music Group, Trans Continental Studios, Trans Continental Aviation and Aegis Consulting. ^[1]

Below is the previous text-version of this page, originally contributed by an employee of Pearlman swindle Talent Rock.

Louis J. Pearlman is a music producer from Flushing, Queens, New York, USA. He is the first cousin of Art Garfunkel. Pearlman played guitar when he was younger: "I just always wanted to be in the music business and the aviation business too. When I was in a band in the late '70s, we called it Flyer." Pearlman is president and founder of Trans Continental Airlines. He created Trans Continental Records in Orlando, Florida after learning that the New Kids on the Block earned over $1,000,000,000 in record, tour, and merchandise sales. After asking Smokey Robinson and Art Garfunkel for advice on grooming and harmony, his first boy band was the Backstreet Boys, who sold over 85 million units worldwide after a two year $1,000,000 investment, followed by *NSYNC, who sold 40 million units worldwide. "The idea was to create our own bootcamp, a finishing school with PR training, choreography, vocal lessons." Subsequent groups include LFO and O-Town (from Making the Band). Also on Trans Continental Records are Marshall Dyllon, a country boyband co-produced by Kenny Rogers, a Latino group C-Note, a 15 year old solo Latino artist Lugo, ex-Backstreet Boy Phoenix Stone, the hard rock Brizz, the girl group Innosense, Kenny Rogers, The Monkees, Natural, and KC & The Sunshine Band. Trans Continental Studios have been used by artists such as Britney Spears, Dr. Dre, and Eminem. His Talent Rock hosts talent search events and workshops. He is also the author of Bands, Brands, and Billions with Wes Smith. The Backstreet Boys sued Pearlman because they felt their contract, under which Pearlman collected as both manager and producer, was unfair, and by *NSYNC, who wished to be able to change record labels. According to Pearlman, Johnny Wright had been hired to manage both bands, but when Wright was unable to receive financial backing Pearlman put up the funds. Both suits have been settled with Pearlman still receiving a cut of both groups' profits, "and that will be forever," according to Pearlman. Lou Pearlman was parodied by Jon Stewart on an episode of Saturday Night Live.

[edit] Talent scouting scandal

Since September 2002 Louis Pearlman got into talent scouting (Options Talent, Trans Continental Talent TCT, Wilhelmina Scouting Network WSN, Web Style Network, Fashion Rock aka Talent Rock), working with former Options Talent CEO Mark Tolner and some of his officials with criminal pasts, like Ayman Ahmed El Difrawi (aka Alec Defrawy) and David Elliott. ^[2], ^[3]

The New York State Consumer Protection Board did issue a consumer alert about WSN / TCT due to many consumer complaints ^[4]. In Florida about 2000 complaints were filed with the Attorney General and the Better Business Bureau. A lawsuit was in preparation but the case never made it to court, allegedly due to corruption. After WSN's questionable bankruptcy Pearlman started Fashion Rock (now Talent Rock) in September 2003, at that time with Tolner (CEO), Defrawy and several other former WSN staff members still involved. ^[5], ^[6], ^[7]. Canadian anti-consumer-fraud expert Les Henderson wrote the book "Under Investigation" about the WSN affair and the questionable way the Florida AG Charlie Crist's office handled it. 2006, ISBN 0968713335 (paperback)

[edit] Trans Continental Airlines savings program fraud investigation

Above and other Pearlman businesses appear to be funded with money he borrowed from banks and and stole from investors into his "Trans Continental Airlines Savings Program", offering "high yield at no risk", and presented as a way to participate in a special deal for Trans Continental Airlines employees. The authorities say that over 1,400 investor accounts (many from retirees) have been lost via Pearlman’s massive Ponzi scheme, which used falsified FDIC documents to lure investors. Missing so far: $317 million and counting. Details

[edit] References

1. ↑ St. Petersburg Times editor Helen Huntley's Money Talk Trans Continental Savings Program fraud news
2. ↑ Copy of article by Tim Barker, "Scouting network's history troubles Pearlman," Orlando Sentinel, Oct. 5, 2003
3. ↑ WAGA TV Atlanta/May 14 2002 Trans Continental Talent: An I-Team Investigation
4. ↑ Model Agency Labeled a Scam
5. ↑ Orlando Weekly: The name game
6. ↑ BBB about Web Style Network (including Options Talent Group, Trans Continental Talent, Wilhelmina Scouting Network, Edge Talent. Referring to Fashion Rock)
7. ↑ BBB about Fashion Rock LLC

[edit] External links

• Lou Pearlman's website
• Trans Continental Companies former Lou Pearlman company website, now the State investigation website. Gerald A, McHale, Jr., Court Appointed Receiver: Re:State of Florida, Office of Financial Regulation v. Trans Continental Airlines, Inc., et al. Case No. 48-2006-CA-011136
• Talent Rock, former Fashion Rock, now under investigation as a Relief Defendant.
• CBS4 Talent Scouting Agency Investigation
• www.crimes-of-persuasion.com Trans Continental
• www.easybackgroundcheck.com Lou Pearlman aka Louis J. Pearlman aka Svengali
• www.ripoffreport.com Lou Pearlman, Charlie Crist, Alec Defrawy, Mark Tolner, Ed Bell, Jason Hoffman, Cortes Randell
• CBSNews.com: The Idol Maker ORLANDO, Fla., Sept. 6, 2002