D. A. to Sue Ventura Pair in Alleged Scam

The Ventura County district attorney’s office filed a civil lawsuit Monday against a Ventura couple that allegedly operated a telemarketing scam from their home, defrauding people nationwide of hundreds of thousands of dollars.

According to the lawsuit, Stan and Victoria Snyder, along with the Wyoming-based Western Geo Tech Inc., made enticing claims to the public with false newspaper advertisements placed under the business names Federal Resource Registry and Readers’ Choice.

The Snyders are the principals in Western Geo Tech, said Deputy Dist. Atty. Mitchell Disney.

The Federal Resource Registry advertised “Land $1 Acre” and touted federal land that could be obtained easily and quickly sold for a profit.

Even after selling the land, the ad said, readers could retain mineral royalties that would “produce a fortune in oil and gas income.”

The ad offered to sell a how-to manual.

Readers’ Choice ads, titled “Reading Books Earns $1,000 a Week,” urged people to “cash in on this booming part-time bonanza” by purchasing manuals describing how to profit from the scheme.

Both ads were placed nationwide and the defendants allegedly sold thousands of manuals for $40 apiece, accepting only major credit cards and personal check numbers by phone.

The complaint, filed by the district attorney’s Consumer and Environmental Division after several months of investigation, alleges the ads had no reasonable basis in truth, a violation of California law.

It seeks a permanent injunction, restitution to the victims of the scheme, and civil penalties.

The district attorney’s office will also bring a motion for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction against the Snyders and Western Geo Tech Inc. to prevent them from hiding their assets pending a final judgment.

Disney said investigators, who were tipped off by defrauded customers in Texas, Florida, Illinois and Massachusetts, noticed the ads were making specific claims about money that could be made, and asked Snyder last year to provide proof.

“Mr. Snyder and his attorney showed up with nothing,” Disney said. “They have never offered any proof that what they were advertising was true.”