Four Star Financial Services Fraud: Business Crimes Bulletin<br>Lending Executive Sentenced for Role in Telemarketing Scheme

UPCOMING COURT HEARINGS & BASIC INFO

Presiding Judge in Mark F. Cohn criminal case:
Judge Philip S. Gutierrez
U.S. District Court - Central District California
Roybal Federal Building
255 E. Temple Street
Los Angeles, CA. 90012
(213) 894-1565
CASE NO.: 07-01104

Presiding Judge in Four Star investor civil class action:
Judge Anthony Mohr
Los Angeles Superior Court
600 South Commonwealth Ave.
Dept. 309
Los Angeles, CA
(213) 351-8590
CASE NO.: BC 310846

Presiding Judge in Four Star, Anson, & Garrett bankruptcies:
Judge Thomas Donovan
U.S. Bankruptcy Court
255 East Temple St.
Los Angeles, CA
(213) 894-3728
CASE NOS.: LA 03-37579, LA 06-16126-TD, & LA 05-12488

Chap 7 Trustee Garrett Bankruptcy:
Alberta P. Stahl
221 North Figueroa St.
Suite 1200
Los Angeles, CA 90012
PH: (213) 580-7977
FAX: (213) 482-1647
CASE NO.: LA 05-12488

Chap 7 Trustee Anson Bankruptcy:
Heide Kurtz
2515 South Western Avenue
Suite 11
San Pedro, CA 90732-4643
PH: (310) 832-3604
CASE NO.: LA 06-16126-TD

Chap 7 Trustee Four Star Bankruptcy:
Richard Marshack
26632 Towne Center Drive, Suite 300
Foothill Ranch, CA 92610
EMAIL: RMarshack@shbllp.com
PH: (949) 340-3400
FAX: (949) 340-3000
CASE NO.: LA 03-37579

U.S. Attorney's Office:
Evan J. Davis
Assistant United States Attorney in charge of Four Star criminal case
The U.S. Attorney's Office - Central District of California
300 North Los Angeles Street
Room 7211
Los Angeles, California 90012
Phone: (213) 894-4850
EMAIL: Evan.Davis@usdoj.gov

Federal Bureau of Investigation
Carolyn Nakamura
Special Agent in charge of Four Star investigation
FBI - Los Angeles
11000 Wilshire Blvd., #1700
Los Angeles, CA 90024
Phone: (310) 996-3915

Disclaimer: The "Four Star Financial Services, LLC" entity referred to throughout this site is in no way associated with "Four Star Financial, Inc." - the Indiana mortgage broker.

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March 23, 2004

Business Crimes Bulletin
Lending Executive Sentenced for Role in Telemarketing Scheme

Mark Forrest Cohn, the former executive vice president and general counsel of Four Star Financial Services, LLC [Four Star], was sentenced for his role in a telemarketing scheme after being convicted on charges of mail fraud, wire fraud, and conspiracy. Cohn was sentenced to 57 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release, and a criminal fine of $150,000.

Four Star was a California corporation that specialized in lending and factoring to businesses. The company had made loans throughout the 1990s to Joel Katz, a Baltimore telemarketer, and starting in 1999, lent money to Katz to fund a program that offered a credit card or extension of credit to consumers, for prices ranging from $49.95-$149.95. Rather than providing an actual credit card to consumers as suggested in the phone calls, the telemarketing company allegedly sent consumers lists of banks to which they could apply for credit, a coupon book, and a CD rom.

When Katz did not make sufficient payments on his loans to Four Star, Cohn and Four Star allegedly became more involved in the telemarketing program and eventually effectively removed Katz, continuing, however, to market the same program to consumers. Cohn and Four Star allegedly concealed their interest in the program. The program allegedly defrauded more than 31,000 consumers of over $3.6 million.

Three other defendants have pleaded guilty to mail or wire fraud, and four defendants, including Mark Cohn, Four Star, and Joel Katz, were convicted at trial. The defendants have received sentences ranging from 10 to 97 months in prison.