Business ProfileforOutreach Calling

The following describes a government action that has been resolved by either a settlement or a decision by a court or administrative agency. If the matter is being appealed, it will be noted below.

On September 16, 2020, Outreach Calling, Inc. also doing business as Outsource 2000, Inc., and Production Consulting Corp along with it's owners; Mark Gelvan, Damian Muziani, Thomas Berkenbush and William English settled a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The complaint filed by the FTC alleges the defendants served as primary fundraisers for a number of sham charities that were the subject of numerous law enforcement actions. The complaint alleges that the sham charities claimed to use consumers' donations to help homeless veterans, retired and disabled law enforcement officers, breast cancer survivors, and others in need. In fact, these organizations spent almost none of the donations on the promised activities. The complaint further alleges that as much as 90 percent of the money raised by the defendants for these sham charities went to the defendants themselves as payment for their fundraising services. What little money the charities did receive was rarely spent on any of their supposedly charitable missions, sometimes less than two percent. 

According to the complaint, the defendants orchestrated the sham charities' fundraising operations by soliciting donations, writing fundraising materials, and providing other key support to the sham charities. They placed calls misrepresenting how donations would be used, and in many instances, the calls violated consumers' do-not-call requests. The defendants in teh case, who have worked with each other for as long as 30 years, have been subject to numerous law enforcement actions dating back as far as 1996. 

Under the proposed settlements, all of the defendants will be permanently prohibited from participating in any charity fundraising, and from deceiving consumers in any other fundraising effort, including for political action committees (PACs). They will be required to clearly inform consumers at the time they ask for money that any donations are not charitable and not eligible for tax deductions. In addition, they will be subject to significant monetary judgments and required to surrender assets as follows:

Mark Gelvan, Outreach Calling, Inc., Outsource 3000, Inc., and Production Consulting Corp: These defendants will be subject to a monetary judgment of $56,023,481, which is partially suspended based on their inability to pay. The corporate defendants will be required to surrender $45,386. Gelvan will be required to surrender $800,000, and will be required to sell two New Jersey properties he has a stake in and surrender any net proceeds of those sales. 

Damian Muziani: Muziani will be subject to a monetary judgment of $484,172, which is partially suspended due to his inability to pay. He will be required to surrender $12,369. 

Thomas Berkenbush: Berkenbush will be subject to a monetary judgment of $1,132,155, which is partially suspended due to his inability to pay. He will be required to surrender $5,000.

William English: English will be subject to a monetary judgment of $873,293, which is partially suspended due to his inability to pay. He will be required to surrender $30,000. The terms of his settlement also prohibit him from participating in any fundraising activity of any kind. 

The funds being surrendered will be paid to the State of New York, which will contribute funds on behalf of New York, Virginia and New Jersey to legitimate charities that perform services that mirror those promised by the sham charities.