BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY FRAUD DEFENDANT SENTENCED TO JAIL

R. Alexander Acosta, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Enrique Gutierrez, Postal Inspector in Charge, United States Postal Inspection Service, announced that defendant, Arthur Tulin, was sentenced today by United States District Court Judge Marcia G. Cooke to fifty-one (51) months’ imprisonment, to be followed by three (3) years of supervised release, for his involvement in fraudulent business opportunity sales. In addition, Tulin was order to pay $630,581.90 in restitution to the victims of his crimes.

Tulin was charged on February 18, 2005, with one (1) count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371. According to charging documents, Tulin engaged in the fraudulent sale of business opportunities through a firm called Tel2Net Corp. Tel2Net engaged in the sale Internet kiosk business opportunities. For a minimum purchase price of approximately $12,000, potential purchasers were told they would receive an Internet kiosk, and assistance in establishing, maintaining, and operating an Internet kiosk business. Tulin falsely claimed that a business opportunity purchaser, known as a “distributor,” would earn substantial profits when members of the public used the distributors’ Internet kiosks for a fee.

In connection with his guilty plea, Tulin also admitted that he conspired with others to open another business opportunity firm called Spanish Pantheon. Tulin admitted that this firm was formulated to defraud Spanish-speaking consumers into purchasing Internet kiosk business opportunities, but was cut short when the U.S. Postal Inspection Service executed a search warrant at Spanish Pantheon’s boiler room as it was about to sell its first Internet kiosk business opportunities.

Mr. Acosta commended the investigative efforts of the Postal Inspection Service. These cases are being prosecuted by Richard Goldberg, Trial Attorney, United States Department of Justice, Office of Consumer Litigation, and Special Assistant United States Attorney Stephen Gurwitz.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.flsd.uscourts.gov/ or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov/.