(BRYAN, Ohio) – Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine and the Ohio Department of Commerce today announced a joint lawsuit and a temporary restraining order against Nancy Jo Frazer, David Frazer, Albert Rosebrock, and their charity, Defining Vision Ministries, formerly known as Focus Up Ministries, Inc., for violations of Ohio’s charitable and securities laws.
“This case involves a worldwide pyramid scheme that defrauded Ohioans and others out of millions of dollars,” Attorney General Mike DeWine said. “These individuals brought the scheme to Ohio by promising outrageous returns and telling investors that their donations and investments would help charities. We will continue to work closely with the Department of Commerce to hold the defendants accountable for their actions.”
Profitable Sunrise is an international pyramid scheme recently shut down by federal and international authorities. Profitable Sunrise claimed to be a Christian company that would use investment proceeds to help charities and provide investors with large returns. According to the state’s complaint, the Frazers, of Bryan, and Rosebrock, of Sherwood, used Focus Up Ministries’ status as a charity to solicit donations and investments into Profitable Sunrise. They also claimed that invested funds would compound at 1.6 to 2.7 percent daily, growing at annual rates of 5,000 to more than 75,000 percent.
The complaint also alleges that the defendants used funds donated to Focus Up Ministries for personal expenses and other unlawful purposes. These included financing for personal business ventures, the purchase of a big screen television, no-interest personal loans, and compensation for agents who solicited on behalf of the Profitable Sunrise pyramid scheme. The complaint contains counts of misrepresentation, deceptive acts and practices, conversion, falsification, securities fraud, and unlicensed sale of securities, among other violations.
In the lawsuit, the state requests that the defendants be prohibited from soliciting for or having any involvement with any charity in Ohio and from engaging in any securities activities in violation of Ohio law, in addition to restitution for investors, relief for charitable beneficiaries, statutory penalties, fees, and punitive damages.
A preliminary injunction hearing has been scheduled for July 22 at 10 a.m. in the Williams County Common Pleas Court.
The Attorney General’s Office is interested in hearing from individuals who invested in Profitable Sunrise or were solicited to invest by the defendants. Those with information should call the Attorney General’s Charitable Law Section at 614-466-3181.
Documents
Lawsuit
Motion for Temporary Restraining Order
Temporary Restraining Order
Media Contacts
Dan Tierney: 614-466-3840
Kate Hanson: 614-466-3840