$847K judgment against Generation Zoe scammers in US
Generation Zoe scammers in Florida have been hit with an $847,159 judgment.
The judgment was issued earlier this month by a state-level Dade County Court.
Following collapse of the Generation Zoe Ponzi in early 2022, sixteen plaintiff victims from Florida, Spain, Chile and Colombia filed a case against their recruiters.
Named defendants in the civil suit were Zoe Global University and Florida-based individuals Pablo, Matias and Agustin Monteleone.
Following answers filed by all four defendants last September and again in December, plaintiffs filed for judgment on their pleadings on January 9th.
A hearing was held on the motion on March 3rd, after which a final judgment was issued on March 7th.
The judgment found that plaintiff’s proceedings
establish that it is undisputed that:
(i) PABLO MONTELEONE, MATIAS MONTELEONE, AGUSTIN MONTELEONE, and ZOE GLOBAL UNIVERSITY, LLC sold to Plaintiffs investment products which provided Plaintiffs an expectation of profits to be derived solely from the efforts of others and which constitute securities regulated by the Florida Securities and Investor Protection Act;
(ii) At all relevant times, Defendants were not registered with Florida’s Office of Financial Regulation;
(iii) The securities which Defendants sold to Plaintiffs were never registered with Florida’s Office of Financial Regulation;
(iv) Defendants personally participated in the unlawful sale of unregistered securities to Plaintiffs;
(v) Plaintiffs paid to Defendants $847,159.00 for the securities; and
(vi) Plaintiffs never received the contemplated returns on investment, and Defendants never returned to Plaintiffs the monies which Plaintiffs provided to Defendants for the securities.
Consequently the court ordered the defendants jointly liable for an $847,159 recovery.
Getting that amount however might prove challenging.
On March 21st Plaintiffs filed a motion for writ of garnishment.
At this time, there still remains due and unpaid on said Judgment the sum of $847,159.00, plus post judgment interest accruing at the current rate of 5.52% per annum.
Plaintiffs do not believe that Defendants, are in possession of visible property in the State of Florida and in Miami-Dade County upon which a levy can be made sufficient to satisfy the Judgment.
The Plaintiffs have reason to believe that the above-named Garnishee has in said Garnishee’s possession or control, monies belonging to the Defendant ZOE GLOBAL UNIVERSITY, LLC.
Zoe Global University was a shell company the Monteleones recruited Generation Zoe victims through.
Therefore, Plaintiffs request that they be granted a writ of garnishment against the mentioned Garnishee as to whatever tangible and intangible personal property of Defendants that garnishee has in its possession or control.
As at time of publication, a decision on the pending garnishment motion remains pending.
Update 7th April 2023 – On March 29th the court approved and issued the requested writ of garnishment.
This brings BehindMLM’s coverage of the Generation Zoe Florida lawsuit to a close.
Update 6th August 2023 – The Zoe Global University scammers appear to have failed to comply with the court’s judgment order against them.
As per a second Motion to Show Cause, filed by the Plaintiffs on July 17th;
The Final Judgement ordered Defendants to complete under oath the Florida Rule of Civil Procedure Form 1.977 (Fact Information Sheet) within 45 days of the Final Judgment.
The Fact Information Sheet was due on April 21, 2023, however and to date, Defendants have failed to complete the Fact Information Sheet.
On May 9, 2023, Plaintiffs filed their Motion for Order to Show Cause.
A hearing took place on June 22, 2023 wherein this Court granted Plaintiff’s Motion, and allowed Defendants through July 12, 2023 to complete the Fact Information Sheet and provide all information requested in the Fact Information Sheet.
Defendants failed to complete the Fact Information Sheet, and are otherwise in willful violation of this Court’s Order dated June 23, 2023.
A hearing on the motion has been scheduled for August 16th.
Update 24th September 2023 – Noting that Zoe Global University failed to make an appearance at the contempt hearing, on September 22nd the court ordered the Zoe Global University to pay a $100,000 fine.
Update 28th Mach 2024 – Pablo Monteleone filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on or around February 7th, 2024.
On February 9th, Monteleone filed a Suggestion of Bankruptcy in his Generation Zoe case. The filing requests proceedings be stayed pending the conclusion of Monteleone’s bankruptcy proceedings.
So Cositorto keeps appearing on Radio Argentina
nitter.hu/pic/orig/media%2FFsAb3CIWAAgmZUi.jpg
And more than a guest, it looks like he’s another panelist of Rafael de Martino’s show. And by the way Cositorto is addressed, it seems that de Martino is either a Cositorto fan or a former Generacion Zoe leader.
All in all, last week Cositorto:
* agressively attacked local politicians and “denounced corruption in Health institutions”
* aknowledged that futswap is “one of the 35 – 36 businesses part of Zoe’s holding”
* insisted on being a victim of political/religious prosecution.
* said that on April 5 he will launch via Twitter a “call for creditors” for those affected by Zoe.
By the way, Justice Companys reiterated the request for the extradition of former judge Yrimia to the Dubai Court
perfil.com/noticias/cordoba/companys-reitero-pedido-de-extradicion-del-exjuez-yrimia-a-la-justicia-de-dubai.phtml
Breaking news: an escape attempt was averted. a prisoner denounced Cositorto’s escape plan:
twitter.com/PonzistaAnti/status/1640386985020866563
Stay tuned…
More details on Cositorto the failed fugitive
clarin.com/sociedad/preso-delato-presunto-plan-fuga-leonardo-cositorto-detenido-estafas-generacion-zoe_0_5tYEdNjPZ9.html
One would think Cositorto would be placed in a higher security setting if this had credibility?
Perhaps a setting that doesn’t allow him to communicate with victims freely via the radio? What is going on Argentina…
Unfortunately no, and it is hard to understand how Cositorto from jail was (and still is) able to promote new ponzis and be on radio several times per week.
What is truly unbelievable is how Pablo Andres Fleitas can be lawyer for the Monteleones (Zoe Scammers with Zoe University) in the civil case in Florida AND at the same time, the lawyer for a group of victims of Generacion Zoe in Goya, Argentina.
nitter.hu/pic/orig/media%2FFsO6dDzX0AUjbRz.png
Conflict of interest anyone? Greed and ambition or just legal stupidity?
Understanding how is easy, money. Understanding why this continues is more difficult.
Actually not it’s not, corruption.
Re. Pablo Fleitas, I suspect conflict of interest is eliminated by way of the Monteleones portraying themselves as victims.
That obviously changes after losing the case but doesn’t stop their initial representation.
Cositorto has been cositorted! (?)
The scammer was scammed!
Leonardo Cositorto was defrauded of $45,000 with a false plan to escape by helicopter from the Bouwer prison in Córdoba. An inmate who goes by “Brian” offered him freedom at that price.
This is yet to be confirmed, but as informed in Radio Continental Cordoba, “Brian” got Cositorto’s money and then revealed that there was no escape plan.
(In Spanish, sorry! 😉 )
radiocut.fm/audiocut/estafaron-a-leonardo-cositorto-en-penal-bouwer/
Stay tuned!
PS: Adding a plot to escape jail might not be good for Cositorto’s legal situation.
Well, the Argentinian justice has a lot to do, from pets to burgers and a Christian
cultchurch, ladies and gentlemen, I give you, the Generación Zoe multiverse:nitter.hu/mis2centavos/status/1640741170136379393
Cositorto posted on Instagram a rather cryptic message
nitter.hu/pic/orig/media%2FFscFAoLXsAEx7iv.jpg
It says:
Whoever his CM is must be someone very dim-witted, because adding escape attempt while on remand for fraud is not a good idea.
Leonardo Cositorto, the scammed scammer and where is the victims’ money?
clarin.com/sociedad/leonardo-cositorto-estafador-estafado-plata-ahorristas_0_8yw45HfEbK.html
Leonardo Cositorto appeared once again on radio and addressed several topics:
* Starting today, there is a new “plan” for paying Generación Zoe’s investors.
so, gather your receipts and claim your Robot’s money
nitter.hu/pic/orig/media%2FFs6BXEOWwAEmYZc.png
nitter.hu/pic/orig/media%2FFs6BePgWwAAeOjV.jpg
(facepalm!)
He also talked about corruption and the arraignment of Donald Trump.
😀
Article updated confirming approval and issuing of writ of garnishment. The writ was executed on April 5th.
This fully resolves the lawsuit so I’m removing the case from BehindMLM’s calendar.
Not long ago the Monteleone clan claimed they do not have the necessary funds to pay the victims.
So, we have an update on the situation:
ibb.co/wgJcTrM
Hah. Worse case they’re caught out lying. Best case they aren’t held in contempt but have to cough up a bit more.
I’ve re-added this one to the active case calendar to track if anything comes of the latest filing.
Any one knows the name of the lawyer?
Plaintiffs are represented by HIRZEL DREYFUSS & DEMPSEY, PLLC.
Article updated with news of a second Motion to Show Cause filing from Plaintiffs.
The defendants keep failing and the Buenos Aires justice should take note of what Florida is doing against the Zoe case.
ibb.co/cYD42mg
Thanks for tracking that. I checked the docket on Thursday and didnt see anything yet. Must have updated after.
ibb.co/Tmfgybm
Edit: there are going to be three sessions for this purpose: on the 2nd, 4th and 8th of January.
Article updated noting Pablo Monteleone has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.