SIMI VALLEY : Telemarketer Is Sentenced for Fraud

A 58-year-old Simi Valley man who operated a fraudulent telemarketing business has been sentenced to 60 days in the county’s work-release program and ordered to pay an $11,750 fine.

Sol Myer Jacob was sentenced Friday for the scheme, which involved sales of photocopy machine supplies by telephone to businesses throughout the United States, said Deputy Dist. Atty. Gregory W. Brose.

Jacob used a variety of subterfuges to ship supplies to companies that had just purchased photocopying equipment, Brose said. In some cases, Jacob falsely claimed to be the sales representative assigned to service the new equipment. Or he would ship equipment to a person at the company who had not authorized it.

Sometimes he used an accent to assure prospective customers that he was a local sales representative, Brose said. The supplies sold were priced twice what they should have been, he said. In all, 10 companies were cheated out of $7,145 in the illegal sales. Those companies will be repaid out of Jacob’s fine.

Local authorities were alerted to Jacob’s sales practices after a Texas corporation complained that it received unwanted supplies through Jacob, who had put the name of that company’s electrician on the invoice, Brose said.

After a search of Jacob’s business records, investigators contacted at least 60 companies that he had done business with. “None really wanted the stuff, and a lot sent it back,” the prosecutor said.

In a letter to the Probation Department, Jacob contended that company employees that he dealt with misunderstood him.

Originally, he was charged with 22 counts of unlawful telemarketing, three counts of attempted grand theft and two counts of grand theft. He pleaded guilty to nine counts of unlawful telemarketing and two counts of grand theft. Three of the offenses were committed while his case on the remainder of counts was pending, Brose said.

Superior Court Judge Frederick A. Jones sentenced Jacob to five years probation under the condition that he serve 60 days in the work-release program.

He will work as a bookkeeper during the day and spend nights and weekends in confinement, Brose said. He was also ordered to stay out of the telemarketing business.