8 Charged in Scheme to Bilk Golfers

Eight people were arrested Thursday on a federal indictment charging them with bilking golfers out of more than $5.8 million in a nationwide telemarketing scam based in Huntington Beach.

Police say that owners and associates of Professional Golf Products in Huntington Beach conned golfers out of security deposits required to “test play” what they thought were state-of-the-art golf clubs.

According to Assistant U.S. Atty. Kenneth Julian, victims were talked into testing the golf clubs for 60 days and were required to pay a security deposit of $1,000 to $1,600.

When the victims returned the clubs--in some cases before the end of the test period because they were unhappy with the quality and demanded their deposits back--PGP failed or refused to return the deposits, authorities said.

According to Julian, PGP stalled by not returning victims’ phone calls seeking the refunds. The firm, he said, also made getting a refund more complicated by requiring victims to get company approval before they could return the clubs.

The clubs were packaged and shipped from three Huntington Beach offices, authorities said, with the firm’s telemarketing “boiler rooms” operating out of offices in Fountain Valley, Lakewood and Long Beach.

Authorities said PGP operated the scam for nearly two years until being shut down in June 2001 by the County of Orange Boiler Room Apprehension task force. Thursday’s arrests were the culmination of a months-long process of interviewing victims and employees.

Charged in the case are PGP owners John Tepel, 51, of Huntington Beach and Warren Crawford, 44, of Lakewood. Also charged were Glenn Totten, 43, of Long Beach; Marvin Walker, 46, of Costa Mesa; Larry Brock, 40, of Garden Grove; and Thorin Scott, 42, of Huntington Beach. Steven Parker, 48, owner of Icon and Golfer’s Choice, two companies used by PGP for telemarketing services, and Icon and Golfer’s Choice sales manager Rick Winters, 51, of Costa Mesa, also face charges.

A ninth man, Tony Perotta, 43, was being sought.

Orange County Sheriff’s Deputy Shaun Wettgen said that scams targeting golfers are increasing because of the sport’s popularity and he warned players to be cautious about doing business over the telephone with a firm they don’t know.

“I would remind anybody who is solicited to use common sense,” he said.

“They are in control of the phone call, and if [something] sounds too good to be true, just hang up and check places like the Better Business Bureau.”

Five of the eight defendants were released Thursday on bail ranging from $20,000 to $125,000. The remaining defendants are in custody awaiting bail hearings. Arraignment for all eight has been set for Aug. 26.