S. JAMES OTERO, District Judge.
Plaintiff, the Federal Trade Commission, has filed its Complaint for Permanent Injunction and Other Equitable Relief pursuant to Section 13(b) of the Federal Trade Commission Act ("FTC Act"), 15 U.S.C. § 53(b), the Restore Online Shoppers' Confidence Act, ("ROSCA"), 15 U.S.C. §§ 8401-8405, and the Electronic Fund Transfer Act ("EFTA"), 15 U.S.C. §§ 1693-1693r, and Section 6 of the Telemarketing and Consumer Fraud and Abuse Prevention Act (the "Telemarketing Act"), 15 U.S.C. § 6105, and has moved, pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 65(b), for a temporary restraining order, asset freeze, other equitable relief, and an order to show cause why a preliminary injunction should not issue against Defendants Jason Cardiff, Eunjung Cardiff, a/k/a Eunjung Lee, a/k/a Eunjung No, Danielle Cadiz, a/k/a Danielle Walker, Redwood Scientific Technologies, Inc. (California), Redwood Scientific Technologies, Inc. (Nevada), Redwood Scientific Technologies, Inc. (Delaware), Identify, LLC, Advanced Men's Institute Prolongz LLC, Run Away Products, LLC, and Carols Place Limited Partnership.
The Court, having considered the Complaint, the ex parte Application for a Temporary Restraining Order, declarations, exhibits, and the memorandum of points and authorities filed in support thereof, and being otherwise advised, finds that:
A. This Court has jurisdiction over the subject matter of this case, and there is good cause to believe that it will have jurisdiction over all parties hereto and that venue in this district is proper.
B. In numerous instances, Defendants have misrepresented the effectiveness of their dissolvable film strip products for smoking cessation, weight loss, and improved male sexual performance, thereby misleading vulnerable consumers. Defendants have then further injured many consumers by placing them on unauthorized continuity plans that resulted in additional charges to their credits cards or withdrawals from their debit accounts. Defendants have also made false earnings claims as part of a multilevel marketing plan, and illegally caused more than one million robocalls to be made to consumers' telephones.
C. There is good cause to believe that Defendants Jason Cardiff, Eunjung Cardiff, Danielle Cadiz, Redwood Scientific Technologies, Inc. (California), Redwood Scientific Technologies, Inc. (Nevada), Redwood Scientific Technologies, Inc. (Delaware), Identify, LLC, Advanced Men's Institute Prolongz LLC, Run Away Products, LLC, and Carols Place Limited Partnership have engaged in and are likely to engage in acts or practices that violate Sections 5(a) and 12 of the FTC Act, Section 4 of ROSCA, Section 907(a) of EFTA, EFTA's implementing Regulation E, and the Telemarketing Sales Rule ("TSR"), and that Plaintiff is therefore likely to prevail on the merits of this action. As demonstrated by Defendants' own advertising and communications, consumer complaints, declarations, and the additional documentation filed by the FTC, the Commission has established a likelihood of success in showing that Defendants have deceptively marketed TBX-FREE, Eupepsia Thin, and Prolongz, placed consumers on continuity plans without their prior authorization, charged consumers' credit cards and debited their bank accounts without authorization, caused robocalls to be made to more than one million consumers to induce the sale of goods or services, and misrepresented the earnings that people who join their multi-level marketing program are likely to make.
D. The FTC is likely to succeed in showing that Corporate Defendants Redwood Scientific Technologies, Inc. (California), Redwood Scientific Technologies, Inc. (Nevada), Redwood Scientific Technologies, Inc. (Delaware), Identify, LLC, Advanced Men's Institute Prolongz LLC, Run Away Products, LLC, and Carols Place Limited Partnership operate as a common enterprise and are the alter egos of Jason Cardiff and Eunjung Cardiff.
E. There is good cause to believe that immediate and irreparable harm will result from Defendants' ongoing violations of the FTC Act, ROSCA, EFTA and Regulation E, and the TSR unless Defendants are restrained and enjoined by order of this Court.
F. There is good cause to believe that immediate and irreparable damage to the Court's ability to grant effective final relief for consumers — including monetary restitution, rescission, or disgorgement — will occur from the sale, transfer, destruction or other disposition or concealment by Defendants of their assets or records, unless Defendants are immediately restrained and enjoined by order of this Court; and that, in accordance with Fed. R. Civ. P. 65(b) and Local Rule 7-19.2, the interests of justice require that this Order be granted without prior notice to Defendants. Thus, there is good cause for relieving Plaintiff of the duty to provide Defendants with prior notice of its Motion for a Temporary Restraining Order.
G. Good cause exists for freezing the assets of all Defendants, appointing a temporary receiver over the Receivership Entities and over the assets of Jason Cardiff and Eunjung Cardiff, permitting Plaintiff and the Receiver immediate access to the Defendants' business premises, and permitting Plaintiff and the Receiver to take expedited discovery.
H. Weighing the equities and considering Plaintiff's likelihood of ultimate success on the merits, a temporary restraining order with an asset freeze, the appointment of a temporary receiver, immediate access to business premises, expedited discovery, and other equitable relief is in the public interest.
I. This Court has authority to issue this Order pursuant to Section 13(b) of the FTC Act, 15 U.S.C. § 53(b), Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 65, and the All Writs Act, 28 U.S.C. § 1651.
J. No security is required of any agency of the United States for issuance of a temporary restraining order. Fed. R. Civ. P. 65(c).
For the purpose of this Order, the following definitions shall apply:
A. "Asset" means any legal or equitable interest in, right to, or claim to, any property, wherever located and by whomever held.
B. "Continuity Program" means any plan, arrangement, or system under which a consumer is periodically charged for products or services, without prior notification by the seller before each charge.
C. "Corporate Defendant(s)" means Redwood Scientific Technologies, Inc. (California), Redwood Scientific Technologies, Inc. (Nevada), Redwood Scientific Technologies, Inc. (Delaware), Identify, LLC, Advanced Men's Institute Prolongz LLC, Run Away Products, LLC, and Carols Place Limited Partnership, and each of their subsidiaries, affiliates, successors, and assigns.
D. "Defendant(s)" means Corporate Defendants, Jason Cardiff, Eunjung Cardiff, and Danielle Cadiz, individually, collectively, or in any combination.
E. "Document" is synonymous in meaning and equal in scope to the usage of "document" and "electronically stored information" in Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 34(a), Fed. R. Civ. P. 34(a), and includes writings, drawings, graphs, charts, photographs, sound and video recordings, images, Internet sites, web pages, websites, electronic correspondence, including email and instant messages, contracts, accounting data, advertisements, FTP Logs, Server Access Logs, books, written or printed records, handwritten notes, telephone logs, telephone scripts, receipt books, ledgers, personal and business canceled checks and check registers, bank statements, appointment books, computer records, customer or sales databases, and any other electronically stored information, including Documents located on remote servers or cloud computing systems, and other data or data compilations from which information can be obtained directly or, if necessary, after translation into a reasonably usable form. A draft or nonidentical copy is a separate document within the meaning of the term.
F. "Electronic Data Host" means any person or entity in the business of storing, hosting, or otherwise maintaining electronically stored information. This includes, but is not limited to, any entity hosting a website or server, and any entity providing "cloud based" electronic storage.
G. "Individual Defendant(s)" means Jason Cardiff, Eunjung Cardiff, and Danielle Cadiz, individually, collectively, or in any combination.
H. "Negative Option" means, in an offer or agreement to sell or provide any good or service, a provision under which the consumer's silence or failure to take an affirmative action to reject a good or service or to cancel the agreement is interpreted by the seller or provider as acceptance or continuing acceptance of the offer or agreement.
I. "Person" means a natural person, organization, or other legal entity, including a corporation, partnership, proprietorship, association, cooperative, or any other group or combination acting as an entity.
J. "Preauthorized Electronic Fund Transfer" means an electronic fund transfer authorized in advance to recur at substantially regular intervals.
K. "Receiver" means the temporary receiver appointed in Section XV of this Order and any deputy receivers that shall be named by the temporary receiver.
L. "Receivership Entities" means Corporate Defendants as well as any other entity that has conducted any business related to Defendants' marketing and sale of dissolvable film strips and promotion of the Rengalife multilevel marketing program, including receipt of Assets derived from any activity that is the subject of the Complaint in this matter, and that the Receiver determines is controlled or owned by any Defendant.
M. "Receivership Property" means any Assets, wherever located, that are: (1) owned, controlled, or held by or for the benefit of the Receivership Entities, Jason Cardiff, or Eunjung Cardiff, in whole or in part; (2) in the actual or constructive possession of the Receivership Entities, Jason Cardiff, or Eunjung Cardiff; or (3) owned, controlled, or held by, or in the actual or constructive possession of, or otherwise held for the benefit of, any corporation, partnership, trust, or other entity directly or indirectly owned or controlled by the Receivership Entities, Jason Cardiff, or Eunjung Cardiff, including the Jurikel Family Trust, and Carols Place Trust.
A. Any material fact about TBX-FREE, Eupepsia Thin, or Prolongz, including, but not limited to:
B. Any material fact about any multi-level marketing plan, including, but not limited to, the income that participants in the plan are likely to earn; and
C. Any other fact material to consumers concerning any good or service, such as: the total costs; any material restrictions, limitations, or conditions; or any material aspect of its performance, efficacy, nature, or central characteristics.
A. Clearly and conspicuously disclosing all material terms of the negative option features before obtaining the consumer's billing information;
B. Obtaining a consumer's express informed consent, written or similarly authorized, to the negative option features before making any charge; and
C. Providing a simple mechanism for a consumer to stop recurring charges from being placed on the consumer's credit card, debit card, or other financial account.
A. Failing to timely obtain written authorization signed or similarly authenticated by the consumer for any Preauthorized Electronic Fund Transfer from a consumer's account before initiating any Preauthorized Electronic Fund Transfer; and
B. Failing to provide to the consumer a copy of a valid written authorization signed or similarly authenticated by the consumer for any Preauthorized Electronic Fund Transfer from a consumer's account.
A. Selling, renting, leasing, transferring, or otherwise disclosing, the name, address, birth date, telephone number, email address, credit card number, bank account number, Social Security number, or other financial or identifying information of any person that any Defendant obtained in connection with any activity that pertains to the subject matter of this Order; and
B. Benefitting from or using the name, address, birth date, telephone number, email address, credit card number, bank account number, Social Security number, or other financial or identifying information of any person that any Defendant obtained in connection with any activity that pertains to the subject matter of this Order.
Provided, however, that Defendants may disclose such identifying information to a law enforcement agency, to their attorneys as required for their defense, as required by any law, regulation, or court order, or in any filings, pleadings or discovery in this action in the manner required by the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and by any protective order in the case.
A. Transferring, liquidating, converting, encumbering, pledging, loaning, selling, concealing, dissipating, disbursing, assigning, relinquishing, spending, withdrawing, granting a lien or security interest or other interest in, or otherwise disposing of any Assets that are:
B. Opening or causing to be opened any safe deposit boxes, commercial mail boxes, or storage facilities titled in the name of any Defendant or subject to access by any Defendant, except as necessary to comply with written requests from the Receiver acting pursuant to its authority under this Order;
C. Incurring charges or cash advances on any credit, debit, or ATM card issued in the name, individually or jointly, of any Corporate Defendant or any corporation, partnership, or other entity directly or indirectly owned, managed, or controlled by any Defendant, or of which any Defendant is an officer, director, member, or manager. This includes any corporate bankcard or corporate credit card account for which any Defendant is, or was on the date that this Order was signed, an authorized signer; or
D. Cashing any checks or depositing any money orders or cash received from consumers, clients, or customers of any Defendant; The Assets affected by this Section shall include: (1) all Assets of Defendants as of the time this Order is entered; and (2) Assets obtained by Defendants after this Order is entered if those Assets are derived from any activity that is the subject of the Complaint in this matter or that is prohibited by this Order; and (3) all Assets owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by Jason Cardiff, Eunjung Cardiff, the Jurikel Family Trust, or Carols Place Trust. This Section does not prohibit any transfers to the Receiver or repatriation of foreign Assets specifically required by this Order.
A. Hold, preserve, and retain within its control and prohibit the withdrawal, removal, alteration, assignment, transfer, pledge, encumbrance, disbursement, dissipation, relinquishment, conversion, sale, or other disposal of any such Document or Asset, as well as all Documents or other property related to such Assets, except by further order of this Court;
B. Deny any person, except the Receiver, access to any safe deposit box, commercial mail box, or storage facility that is titled in the name of any Defendant, either individually or jointly, or otherwise subject to access by any Defendant;
C. Provide Plaintiff's counsel and the Receiver, within three (3) days of receiving a copy of this Order, a sworn statement setting forth:
D. Upon the request of Plaintiff's counsel or the Receiver, promptly provide Plaintiff's counsel and the Receiver with copies of all records or other Documents pertaining to any account covered by this Section or Asset, including originals or copies of account applications, account statements, signature cards, checks, drafts, deposit tickets, transfers to and from the accounts, including wire transfers and wire transfer instructions, all other debit and credit instruments or slips, currency transaction reports, 1099 forms, and all logs and records pertaining to safe deposit boxes, commercial mail boxes, and storage facilities. Provided, however, that this Section does not prohibit any transfers to the Receiver or repatriation of foreign Assets specifically required by this Order.
A. Completed financial statements on the forms attached to this Order as
B. Completed
A. Provide Plaintiff's counsel and the Receiver with a full accounting, verified under oath and accurate as of the date of this Order, of all Assets, Documents, and accounts outside of the United States that are: (1) titled in the name, individually or jointly, of any Defendant; (2) held by any person or entity for the benefit of any Defendant or for the benefit of, any corporation, partnership, asset protection trust, or other entity that is directly or indirectly owned, managed or controlled by any Defendant; or (3) under the direct or indirect control, whether jointly or singly, of any Defendant;
B. Take all steps necessary to provide the Receiver and Plaintiff's counsel access to all Documents and records that may be held by third parties located outside of the territorial United States of America, including signing the Consent to Release of Financial Records appended to this Order as
C. Transfer to the territory of the United States and deliver to the Receiver all Documents and Assets located in foreign countries that are: (1) titled in the name, individually or jointly, of any Defendant, or any trust or other entity for which any Defendant is a beneficiary or trustee; (2) held by any person or entity for the benefit of any Defendant or for the benefit of any corporation, partnership, asset protection trust, or other entity that is directly or indirectly owned, managed or controlled by any Defendant; or (3) under the direct or indirect control, whether jointly or singly, of any Defendant; and
D. The same business day as any repatriation, (1) notify the Receiver and Plaintiff's counsel of the name and location of the financial institution or other entity that is the recipient of such Documents or Assets; and (2) serve this Order on any such financial institution or other entity.
A. Sending any communication or engaging in any other act, directly or indirectly, that results in a determination by a foreign trustee or other entity that a "duress" event has occurred under the terms of a foreign trust agreement until such time that all Defendants' Assets have been fully repatriated pursuant to this Order; or
B. Notifying any trustee, protector, or other agent of any foreign trust or other related entities of either the existence of this Order, or of the fact that repatriation is required pursuant to a court order, until such time that all Defendants' Assets have been fully repatriated pursuant to this Order.
A. Destroying, erasing, falsifying, writing over, mutilating, concealing, altering, transferring, or otherwise disposing of, in any manner, directly or indirectly, Documents that relate to: (1) the business, business practices, Assets, or business or personal finances of any Defendant; (2) the business practices or finances of entities directly or indirectly under the control of any Defendant; or (3) the business practices or finances of entities directly or indirectly under common control with any other Defendant; and
B. Failing to create and maintain Documents that, in reasonable detail, accurately, fairly, and completely reflect Defendants' incomes, disbursements, transactions, and use of Defendants' Assets.
with full powers of an equity receiver. The Receiver shall be solely the agent of this Court in acting as Receiver under this Order.
A. Assume full control of the Receivership Entities by removing, as the Receiver deems necessary or advisable, any director, officer, independent contractor, employee, attorney, or agent of any Receivership Entity from control of, management of, or participation in, the affairs of the Receivership Entity;
B. Take exclusive custody, control, and possession of all Assets and Documents of, or in the possession, custody, or under the control of, any Receivership Entity and all Assets of Jason Cardiff and Eunjung Cardiff covered by Part XV of this Order, wherever situated, except for real property used as the residence of Jason Cardiff and Eunjung Cardiff;
C. Take exclusive custody, control, and possession of all Documents or Assets associated with credits, debits, or charges made on behalf of any Receivership Entity, wherever situated, including reserve funds held by payment processors, credit card processors, merchant banks, acquiring banks, independent sales organizations, third party processors, payment gateways, insurance companies, or other entities;
D. Conserve, hold, manage, and prevent the loss of all Receivership Property, and perform all acts necessary or advisable to preserve the value of those Assets. The Receiver shall assume control over the income and profits therefrom and all sums of money now or hereafter due or owing to the Receivership Entities. The Receiver shall have full power to sue for, collect, and receive, all Receivership Property and all Assets of other persons or entities whose interests are now under the direction, possession, custody, or control of, the Receivership Entities or of Jason Cardiff or Eunjung Cardiff. Provided, however, that the Receiver shall not attempt to collect any amount from a consumer if the Receiver believes the consumer's debt to the Receivership Entities has resulted from the deceptive acts or practices or other violations of law alleged in the Complaint in this matter, without prior Court approval;
E. Take exclusive custody, control, and possession of the following valuable articles in the possession, custody, or under the control of, Defendants Jason Cardiff, Eunjung Cardiff, or Carols Place Limited Partnership, wherever located:
Defendants Jason Cardiff and Eunjung Cardiff shall deliver all of the foregoing articles to the Receiver at a place and time to be determined by the Receiver.
F. Obtain, conserve, hold, manage, and prevent the loss of all Documents of the Receivership Entities, and perform all acts necessary or advisable to preserve such Documents. The Receiver shall: divert mail; preserve all Documents of the Receivership Entities that are accessible via electronic means (such as online access to financial accounts and access to electronic documents held onsite or by Electronic Data Hosts, by changing usernames, passwords or other log-in credentials; take possession of all electronic Documents of the Receivership Entities stored onsite or remotely; take whatever steps necessary to preserve all such Documents; and obtain the assistance of the FTC's Digital Forensic Unit for the purpose of obtaining electronic documents stored onsite or remotely.
G. Choose, engage, and employ attorneys, accountants, appraisers, and other independent contractors and technical specialists, as the Receiver deems advisable or necessary in the performance of duties and responsibilities under the authority granted by this Order;
H. Make payments and disbursements from the receivership estate that are necessary or advisable for carrying out the directions of, or exercising the authority granted by, this Order, and to incur, or authorize the making of, such agreements as may be necessary and advisable in discharging his or her duties as Receiver. The Receiver shall apply to the Court for prior approval of any payment of any debt or obligation incurred by the Receivership Entities prior to the date of entry of this Order, except payments that the Receiver deems necessary or advisable to secure Assets of the Receivership Entities, such as rental payments;
I. Take all steps necessary to secure and take exclusive custody of each location from which the Receivership Entities operate their businesses. Such steps may include, but are not limited to, any of the following, as the Receiver deems necessary or advisable: (1) securing the location by changing the locks and alarm codes and disconnecting any Internet access or other means of access to the computers, servers, internal networks, or other records maintained at that location; and (2) requiring any persons present at the location to leave the premises, to provide the Receiver with proof of identification, and/or to demonstrate to the satisfaction of the Receiver that such persons are not removing from the premises Documents or Assets of the Receivership Entities, including, but not limited to, telephones, computers, and tablets paid for by the Receivership Entities. Law enforcement personnel, including, but not limited to, police or sheriffs, may assist the Receiver in implementing these provisions in order to keep the peace and maintain security. If requested by the Receiver, the United States Marshal will provide appropriate and necessary assistance to the Receiver to implement this Order and is authorized to use any necessary and reasonable force to do so;
J. Take all steps necessary to prevent the modification, destruction, or erasure of any web page or website registered to and operated, in whole or in part, by any Defendants, and to provide access to all such web page or websites to Plaintiff's representatives, agents, and assistants, as well as Defendants and their representatives;
K. Enter into and cancel contracts and purchase insurance as advisable or necessary;
L. Prevent the inequitable distribution of Assets and determine, adjust, and protect the interests of consumers who have transacted business with the Receivership Entities;
M. Make an accounting, as soon as practicable, of the Assets and financial condition of the receivership and file the accounting with the Court and deliver copies thereof to all parties;
N. Institute, compromise, adjust, appear in, intervene in, defend, dispose of, or otherwise become party to any legal action in state, federal or foreign courts or arbitration proceedings as the Receiver deems necessary and advisable to preserve or recover the Assets of the Receivership Entities, or to carry out the Receiver's mandate under this Order, including, but not limited to, actions challenging fraudulent or voidable transfers;
O. Issue subpoenas to obtain Documents and records pertaining to the Receivership, and conduct discovery in this action on behalf of the receivership estate, in addition to obtaining other discovery as set forth in this Order;
P. Open one or more bank accounts at designated depositories for funds of the Receivership Entities. The Receiver shall deposit all funds of the Receivership Entities in such designated accounts and shall make all payments and disbursements from the receivership estate from such accounts. The Receiver shall serve copies of monthly account statements on all parties;
Q. Maintain accurate records of all receipts and expenditures incurred as Receiver;
R. Allow Plaintiffs' representatives, agents, and assistants, as well as Defendants' representatives and Defendants themselves, reasonable access to the premises of the Receivership Entities, or any other premises where the Receivership Entities conduct business. The purpose of this access shall be to inspect and copy any and all books, records, Documents, accounts, and other property owned by, or in the possession of, the Receivership Entities or their agents. The Receiver shall have the discretion to determine the time, manner, and reasonable conditions of such access;
S. Allow Plaintiffs' representatives, agents, and assistants, as well as Defendants and their representatives reasonable access to all Documents in the possession, custody, or control of the Receivership Entities;
T. Cooperate with reasonable requests for information or assistance from any state or federal civil or criminal law enforcement agency;
U. Suspend business operations of the Receivership Entities if in the judgment of the Receiver such operations cannot be continued legally and profitably;
V. If the Receiver identifies a nonparty entity as a Receivership Entity, promptly notify the entity as well as the parties, and inform the entity that it can challenge the Receiver's determination by filing a motion with the Court. Provided, however, that the Receiver may delay providing such notice until the Receiver has established control of the nonparty entity and its assets and records, if the Receiver determines that notice to the entity or the parties before the Receiver establishes control over the entity may result in the destruction of records, dissipation of assets, or any other obstruction of the Receiver's control of the entity;
W. If in the Receiver's judgment the business operations cannot be continued legally and profitably, take all steps necessary to ensure that any of the Receivership Entities' web pages or websites relating to the activities alleged in the Complaint cannot be accessed by the public, or are modified for consumer education and/or informational purposes, and take all steps necessary to ensure that any telephone numbers associated with the Receivership Entities cannot be accessed by the public, or are answered solely to provide consumer education or information regarding the status of operations; and
X. Report to this Court on or before the date set for the hearing to Show Cause regarding the Preliminary Injunction or as otherwise directed by the Court, regarding: (1) the steps taken by the Receiver to implement the terms of the Order; (2) the value of all assets and sum of all liabilities of the Receivership Entities; (3) the steps the Receiver intends to take in the future to protect receivership assets, recover receivership assets from third parties, and adjust receivership liabilities; (4) the Receiver's opinion on whether any portion of the business of any of the Receivership Entities can continue to operate legally and profitably; and (5) any other matters that the Receiver believes should be brought to the Court's attention.
A. All Assets held by or for the benefit of the Receivership Entities or of Jason Cardiff or Eunjung Cardiff, except for real property used as the residence of Jason Cardiff and Eunjung Cardiff;
B. All Documents or Assets associated with credits, debits, or charges made on behalf of any Receivership Entity, wherever situated, including reserve funds held by payment processors, credit card processors, merchant banks, acquiring banks, independent sales organizations, third party processors, payment gateways, insurance companies, or other entities;
C. All Documents of or pertaining to the Receivership Entities or to the Assets of Jason Cardiff or Eunjung Cardiff;
D. All computers, electronic devices, mobile devices, and machines used to conduct the business of the Receivership Entities;
E. All Assets and Documents belonging to other persons or entities whose interests are under the direction, possession, custody, or control of the Receivership Entities; and
F. All keys, codes, user names, passwords, and all other means of authentication necessary to gain or to secure access to any Assets or Documents of or pertaining to the Receivership Entities, including access to their business premises, means of communication, mobile phones, accounts, computer systems (onsite and remote), Electronic Data Hosts, or other property.
In the event that any person or entity fails to deliver or transfer any Asset, Document, or otherwise fails to comply with any provision of this Section, the Receiver may file an Affidavit of Non-Compliance regarding the failure and a motion seeking compliance or a contempt citation.
A. A list of all Assets and accounts of the Receivership Entities that are held in any name other than the name of a Receivership Entity, or by any person or entity other than a Receivership Entity;
B. A list of all Assets and accounts of Jason Cardiff and Eunjung Cardiff that are held in any name other than their own names, or by any person or entity other than themselves;
C. A list of all agents, employees, officers, attorneys, servants and those persons in active concert and participation with the Receivership Entities, or who have been associated or done business with the Receivership Entities; and
D. A description of any documents covered by attorney-client privilege or attorney work product, including files where such documents are likely to be located, authors or recipients of such documents, and search terms likely to identify such electronic documents.
who receive actual notice of this Order shall fully cooperate with and assist the Receiver. This cooperation and assistance shall include, but is not limited to, providing information to the Receiver that the Receiver deems necessary to exercise the authority and discharge the responsibilities of the Receiver under this Order; providing any keys, codes, user names, passwords, and all other means required to access any computers, electronic devices, mobile devices, machines (onsite or remotely), and any cloud account (including specific method to access account) or electronic file in any medium; advising all persons who owe money to any Receivership Entity that all debts should be paid directly to the Receiver; and transferring funds at the Receiver's direction and producing records related to the Receivership Property and sales of the Receivership Entities.
A. Interfering with the Receiver's efforts to manage, or take custody, control, or possession of, the Assets or Documents subject to the receivership;
B. Transacting any of the business of the Receivership Entities;
C. Transferring, receiving, altering, selling, encumbering, pledging, assigning, liquidating, or otherwise disposing of any Assets owned, controlled, or in the possession or custody of, or in which an interest is held or claimed by, the Receivership Entities, Jason Cardiff, or Eunjung Cardiff; or
D. Refusing to cooperate with the Receiver or the Receiver's duly authorized agents in the exercise of their duties or authority under any order of this Court.
A. Filing or assisting in the filing of a petition for relief under the Bankruptcy Code, 11 U.S.C. § 101 et seq., or of any similar insolvency proceeding on behalf of the Receivership Entities;
B. Commencing, prosecuting, or continuing a judicial, administrative, or other action or proceeding against the Receivership Entities, including the issuance or employment of process against the Receivership Entities, except that such actions may be commenced if necessary to toll any applicable statute of limitations;
C. Filing or enforcing any lien on any Asset of the Receivership Entities, taking or attempting to take possession, custody, or control of any Asset of the Receivership Entities, Jason Cardiff, or Eunjung Cardiff; or attempting to foreclose, forfeit, alter, or terminate any interest in any Asset of the Receivership Entities, Jason Cardiff, or Eunjung Cardiff, whether such acts are part of a judicial proceeding, are acts of self-help, or otherwise. Provided, however, that this Order does not stay: (1) the commencement or continuation of a criminal action or proceeding; (2) the commencement or continuation of an action or proceeding by a governmental unit to enforce such governmental unit's police or regulatory power; or (3) the enforcement of a judgment, other than a money judgment, obtained in an action or proceeding by a governmental unit to enforce such governmental unit's police or regulatory power.
A. In order to allow Plaintiff and the Receiver to preserve Assets and evidence relevant to this action and to expedite discovery, Plaintiff and the Receiver, and their representatives, agents, contractors, and assistants, shall have immediate access to the business premises and storage facilities, owned, controlled, or used by the Receivership Entities. Such locations include, but are not limited to: 820 North Mountain Ave., Suite 100, Upland, CA 91786; 870 North Mountain Ave., Suites 115 and 118, Upland, CA 91786; any additional business locations if they are discovered during the immediate access, and any offsite location or commercial mailbox used by the Receivership Entities. The Receiver may exclude Defendants, Receivership Entities, and their employees from the business premises during the immediate access.
B. Plaintiff and the Receiver, and their representatives, agents, contractors, and assistants, are authorized to remove Documents from the Receivership Entities' premises in order that they may be inspected, inventoried, and copied. Plaintiff shall return any removed materials to the Receiver within five (5) business days of completing inventorying and copying, or such time as is agreed upon by Plaintiff and the Receiver;
C. Plaintiff's access to the Receivership Entities' documents pursuant to this Section shall not provide grounds for any Defendant to object to any subsequent request for documents served by Plaintiff.
D. Plaintiff and the Receiver, and their representatives, agents, contractors, and assistants, are authorized to obtain the assistance of federal, state and local law enforcement officers as they deem necessary to effect service and to implement peacefully the provisions of this Order;
E. If any Documents, computers, or electronic storage devices containing information related to the business practices or finances of the Receivership Entities are at a location other than those listed herein, including personal residence(s) of any Defendant, then, immediately upon receiving notice of this order, Defendants and the Receivership Entities shall produce to the Receiver all such Documents, computers, and electronic storage devices, along with any codes or passwords needed for access. In order to prevent the destruction of computer data, upon service of this Order, any such computers or electronic storage devices shall be powered down in the normal course of the operating system used on such devices and shall not be powered up or used until produced for copying and inspection; and
F. If any communications or records of any Receivership Entity are stored with an Electronic Data Host, such Entity shall, immediately upon receiving notice of this order, provide the Receiver with the username, passwords, and any other login credential needed to access the communications and records, and shall not attempt to access, or cause a third party to attempt to access, the communications or records.
A. Plaintiff and the Receiver may take the deposition of parties and nonparties. Forty-eight (48) hours notice shall be sufficient notice for such depositions. The limitations and conditions set forth in Rules 30(a)(2)(B) and 31(a)(2)(B) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure regarding subsequent depositions of an individual shall not apply to depositions taken pursuant to this Section. Any such deposition taken pursuant to this Section shall not be counted towards the deposition limit set forth in Rules 30(a)(2)(A) and 31(a)(2)(A) and depositions may be taken by telephone or other remote electronic means.
B. Plaintiff and the Receiver may serve upon parties requests for production of Documents or inspection that require production or inspection within five (5) days of service, provided, however, that three (3) days of notice shall be deemed sufficient for the production of any such Documents that are maintained or stored only in an electronic format.
C. Plaintiff and the Receiver may serve upon parties interrogatories that require response within five (5) days after Plaintiff serves such interrogatories.
D. Plaintiff and the Receiver may serve subpoenas upon non-parties that direct production or inspection within five (5) days of service.
E. Service of discovery upon a party to this action, taken pursuant to this Section, shall be sufficient if made by facsimile, email, or by overnight delivery.
F. Any expedited discovery taken pursuant to this Section is in addition to, and is not subject to, the limits on discovery set forth in the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and the Local Rules of this Court. The expedited discovery permitted by this Section does not require a meeting or conference of the parties, pursuant to Rules 26(d) & (f) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.
G. The Parties are exempted from making initial disclosures under Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(a)(1) until further order of this Court.
A. Defendants shall file with the Court and serve on Plaintiff's counsel any answering pleadings, affidavits, motions, expert reports or declarations, or legal memoranda no later than
B. An evidentiary hearing on Plaintiff's request for a preliminary injunction is not necessary unless Defendants demonstrate that they have, and intend to introduce, evidence that raises a genuine and material factual issue. The question of whether this Court should enter a preliminary injunction shall be resolved on the pleadings, declarations, exhibits, and memoranda filed by, and oral argument of, the parties. Live testimony shall be heard only on further order of this Court. Any motion to permit such testimony shall be filed with the Court and served on counsel for the other parties at least five (5) days prior to the preliminary injunction hearing in this matter. Such motion shall set forth the name, address, and telephone number of each proposed witness, a detailed summary or affidavit revealing the substance of each proposed witness's expected testimony, and an explanation of why the taking of live testimony would be helpful to this Court. Any papers opposing a timely motion to present live testimony or to present live testimony in response to another party's timely motion to present live testimony shall be filed with this Court and served on the other parties at least three (3) days prior to the order to show cause hearing.
Provided, however, that service shall be performed by personal or overnight delivery, facsimile, or email, and Documents shall be delivered so that they shall be received by the other parties no later than 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time on the appropriate dates provided in this Section.
SO ORDERED.
Federal law provides that any person may be imprisoned for not more than five years, fined, or both, if such person:
(1) "in any matter within the jurisdiction of the executive, legislative, or judicial branch of the Government of the United States, knowingly and willfully falsifies, conceals or covers up by any trick, scheme, or devise a material fact; makes any materially false, fictitious or fraudulent statement or representation; or makes or uses any false writing or document knowing the same to contain any materially false, fictitious or fraudulent statement or entry" (18 U.S.C. § 1001);
(2) "in any . . . statement under penalty of perjury as permitted under section 1746 of title 28, United States Code, willfully subscribes as true any material matter which he does not believe to be true" (18 U.S.C. § 1621); or
(3) "in any (. . . statement under penalty of perjury as permitted under section 1746 of title 28, United States Code) in any proceeding before or ancillary to any court or grand jury of the United States knowingly makes any false material declaration or makes or uses any other information . . . knowing the same to contain any false material declaration" (18 U.S.C. § 1623).
For a felony conviction under the provisions cited above, federal law provides that the fine may be not more than the greater of (i) $250,000 for an individual or $500,000 for a corporation, or (ii) if the felony results in pecuniary gain to any person or pecuniary loss to any person other than the defendant, the greater of twice the gross gain or twice the gross loss. 18 U.S.C. § 3571.
