Yellow Brick Road, LLC v. Childs

36 F. Supp. 3d 855, 2014 WL 3867678, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 108108
CourtDistrict Court, D. Minnesota
DecidedAugust 6, 2014
DocketCivil No. 13-2266 (JRT/LIB)
StatusPublished
Cited by12 cases

This text of 36 F. Supp. 3d 855 (Yellow Brick Road, LLC v. Childs) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Minnesota primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Yellow Brick Road, LLC v. Childs, 36 F. Supp. 3d 855, 2014 WL 3867678, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 108108 (mnd 2014).

Opinion

ORDER ADOPTING REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION

JOHN R. TUNHEIM, District Judge.

Based upon the Report and Recommendation of United States Magistrate Judge Leo I. Brisbois, and after an independent review of the files, records and proceedings in the above-entitled matter, it is ORDERED:

1.That Defendant Greg Botolino’s Motion to Dismiss, [Docket No. 12], is GRANTED.

2. That Defendants Larry Busch and Busch Law Center, LLC’s Motion to Dismiss, [Docket No. 25], is GRANTED.

3. That Defendant Richard Hall’s Motion to Dismiss, [Docket No. 40]; is GRANTED.

4. That Defendant John Childs’s Motion to Dismiss, [Docket No. 85], is GRANTED.

5. That Plaintiffs Complaint as alleged against these Defendants is dismissed •without prejudice.

LET JUDGMENT BE ENTERED ACCORDINGLY.

REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION

LEO I. BRISBOIS, United States Magistrate Judge.

This matter came before the undersigned United States Magistrate Judge upon Defendant Greg Botolino’s Motion to Dismiss, [Docket No. 12]; Defendants Larry Busch and Busch Law Center, LLC’s Motion to Dismiss, [Docket No. 25]; Defendant Richard Hall’s Motion to Dismiss, [Docket No. 40]; and Defendant John Childs’s Motion to Dismiss, [Docket No. 85]. The Honorable John R. Tunheim, United States District Judge for the District of Minnesota, has referred the present motions to the undersigned Magistrate Judge for report and recommendation, pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 636(b)(1) and Local Rule 72.1. (Orders of Reference [Docket Nos. 43, 92]). The Court held two hearings on the present motions; the Court heard oral argument for Defendants Botolino’s and Hall’s respective motions on June 5, 2014, and the Court heard oral argument for the Busch Defendants’ and Defendant Childs’s respective motions on July 3, 2014. For the following reasons, the Court recommends GRANTING Defendant Greg Botolino’s Motion to Dismiss, [Docket No. 12]; GRANTING Defendants [860]*860Larry Busch and Busch Law Center, LLC’s Motion to Dismiss, [Docket No. 25]; GRANTING Defendant Richard Hall’s Motion to Dismiss, [Docket No. 40]; and GRANTING Defendant John Childs’s Motion to Dismiss, [Docket No. 85].

I. BACKGROUND

The present case involves allegations of investment fraud and conspiracy. Plaintiff Yellow Brick Road, LLC (“Plaintiff’) alleges that numerous Defendants, in various capacities and positions, acted and/or conspired to defraud Plaintiff out of $300,000. Plaintiff alleges one count of common law fraud — fraud in the inducement against Defendants John Childs, Scott A. Koster, Alicorn Capital Management, LLC, Richard Hall, Christine Wong-Sang, and Ber-ea, Inc.; one count of civil conspiracy to commit fraud against all Defendants; one count of aiding and abetting fraud against Defendants Success Bullion USA, LLC, Greg Botolino, Larry Busch, and Busch Law Center, LLC; one count of civil theft in violation of Minn.Stat. § 604.14 against all Defendants; and one count of conversion against all Defendants. (Compl. [Docket No. 1], Counts I-V).1

Plaintiff alleges2 that in or about early March 2010, Plaintiff became aware of a purported investment opportunity, as presented by Defendant Alicorn Capital Management, LLC in conjunction with Defendant Berea, Inc. (Id. ¶¶ 23, 25). Defendant Botolino allegedly pitched the investment to Plaintiff. (Id ¶ 23). The investment pitch consisted of an opportunity to lease a “standby letter of credit” or “SBLC” in exchange for one payment of $300,000. ■ (Id. ¶ 24). Renting the SBLC would allegedly return 15% per placed trade on the $10 million principle amount of the SBLC. (Id) Defendant Hall of Berea, Inc. brokered Plaintiffs lease for Defendant Berea, Inc., to use as collateral for commodities investments. (Id ¶ 25).

Numerous discussions concerning the proposed transaction took place between March and May 2010 between Plaintiff and Defendants Koster (alleged principal and agent of Alicorn), Childs, and Hall. (Id. ¶¶ 27, 28-30). Defendants Koster, Childs, and Hall represented that Defendant Ali-corn would obtain the SBLC from Defendant Success Bullion USA, LLC, that Ali-corn would be entitled to a finder’s fee, and that the remainder of Plaintiffs $300,000 would go to Success Bullion. (Id ¶ 27). “Under the terms of the proposed transaction, Plaintiff was to deliver $300,000 to an escrow account to be administered by Defendants Larry Busch and the Busch Law Center, LLC and to be released upon the actual delivery of Success Bullion USA, LLC’s SBLC by Cen-terlink, LLC to the financial institution with which Berea, Inc. would be working.” (Id ¶ 31). At no point in any of these discussions was Plaintiff informed that Ali-corn would be unable to obtain an operative SBLC. (Id. ¶ 37).

[861]*861On May 24, 2010, representatives for Plaintiff and Berea, Inc. executed an asset management agreement, which purported to set forth the terms by which Berea, Inc. would manage the $10 million asset represented by the SBLC that Alicorn would allegedly obtain for Plaintiff. (Id. ¶¶39, 40). The agreement provided that Berea, Inc. would “identify and manage the entry of the [SBLC] into an investment opportunity” and would make minimum payments of 15% of the face value of the SBLC on a monthly basis for twelve (12) months. (Id. ¶ 39). Two days later, Plaintiff wired $300,000 to the escrow account controlled by the Busch Defendants. (Id. ¶ 44).

After continued discussions and contractual negotiations, on June 10, 2010, Defendant Childs allegedly falsely represented that an electronic copy of the SBLC had been delivered and asked Defendant Hall to execute a notice of approval of the transaction to allow Defendant Busch to release the remaining $250,000 in escrow to Alicorn. (Id. ¶ 49). However, no real or operative SBLC was ever delivered. (Id. ¶ 51). A flurry of emails was sent between the parties during the month of June concerning the “delivery” or lack thereof of the SBLC. (Id. ¶¶ 54-58). However, the assurances provided in these emails were false, as no “real” SBLC was ever delivered. (Id. ¶ 59).

Finally, on February 3, 2011, Defendant Hall informed Plaintiff by email that Defendant Berea, Inc. had not been able to secure the SBLC, allegedly because of an error in the transmission between Defendant Success Bullion USA, LLC and the financial institution. (Id. ¶ 60).

Several Defendants have now moved for dismissal for lack of personal jurisdiction, including Defendant Botolino, [Docket No. 12], Defendants Busch and Busch Law Center, LLC, [Docket No. 25], Defendant Hall, [Docket No. 40], and Defendant Childs, [Docket No. 85]. On February 25, 2014, the Court granted Plaintiffs Motion for Leave to Conduct Jurisdictional Discovery with respect to Defendants Larry Busch and Busch Law Center, LLC. (Order [Docket No. 121]). Three days later, on February 28, 2014, the Court granted Plaintiffs Motion for Leave to Conduct Jurisdictional Discovery with respect to Defendant John Childs. (Order [Docket No. 122]).

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Bluebook (online)
36 F. Supp. 3d 855, 2014 WL 3867678, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 108108, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/yellow-brick-road-llc-v-childs-mnd-2014.