Complaint Review: JCOTA - Just Charities of the Americas - Los Angeles California

Mark Gelazela and DR. W. CHANDLER REYNOLDS are a couple of smooth operators. The story begins, I just got ripped off from another company called US Capital for $350,000 and these two guys came to the rescue. They said, we will get all that investment you lost and more back in 4-7 days and it will only cost you $150,000. They conitued, I said I cant take another loss as my whole trust that I built my whole life is verging colapse form the loss of the last investment.

They said we are so sorry that you were taken by the other company and we would have told you to not do business with them but now you found us and now your in good hands. We buy Bank Gurantees, MTN's (Mid Term Notes) from banks for pennies on the dollar and use your money to buy them and then we use these Bank Gurantees and MTN's to make huge daily returns. You can buy a Bank Gurantee through our multi-decade relatiohsips with huge banks HSBC, Credit Suise, Duetche.

We have been in International Banking for years in fact Mark owns his own bank and Chanlder is a trader. You've got nothing to worry about and your money will only be out of your trust for 4-7 days and then we will pay you a minimum of $15,000,000 a week for a year and we will put it in writing and they did. I transfered $150,000 to them in November and then they turned nasty.

I started calling them at abuot day 5 to see how the investment was doing and they said great. I called again a couple of days later and asked where the money was at and they said be patient. I called again in a couple of more days and they said it's Thanksgiving and banks are closed for a few days. I called again in a few more days and they said yes we bought your Bank Gurantee (BG) and we should have your $15,000,000 first payment in a day or two. Now comes December and I started calling them everyday and they started getting nasty....quit calling us all the time, we have customers from around the world and your not our only customer. Then came the tough part, they quit taking the calls all together. Commuincation fell apart. they said they are too busy making money to take calls from people like me "The Investor". They said be patient and we know we told you 4-7 days but if you dont want me to give your money back and canel the deal, you'd better be patient and quit calling us.

I am now worried, it has been 5 times longer, at this point, then the said it would be on the initial investment timeline and now I can't even cal them or ask what is going on. Week after week passed and soon they promised to pay out the $15,000,000 a week on December 11th 2009 after threatening to call the authorities. BUT still no money, then they said we will make sure you and your families have a GREAT Christmas and all 27 investors will be paid before Christmas. Then came Christmas and yes you guessed it... the banks are closed for Christmas holidays and call back in a week. Then came new years, then came a holiday that is only recognized by international bankers "end of season". Where they all take off for 4-6 weeks. This was getting serious, Mark and Chanlder were only retunring 1 for every 50 calls made to them and then it was I'de better shut up or they will cancel the deal and I started to get really upset and told them many times just to cancel the deal and return my money and then they would disapear again.

Month after month they manufactured bigger and better excuses and if you didnt like the excuses, they would tell you tough. Finally, I started saying that I am going to come and see them and staighten this out or I would send people to straighten this out. They still didnt call back. I considered the FBI but I was embarressed and I didn't want to tarnish my own name by lodging an investigation with the FBI. I talked with other brokers that brought their clients to Mark and Chandler to see if they had been paid and they were in the same boat.

Mark, started changing the conversations into I'de better not call and yell at them anymore or they would keep the money or cancel the deal. I started yelling even more and threatened action if they dont bring in the contract exactly as written. Month after month they kept making it my fault that if I was nicer to these two... it would make things better. Finally, I contacted a friend that has conections in the FBI and asked if he could look into these two guys. He simply said RUN! If you can get your money... you'd better grab it and RUN! After another month, I asked for proof of the BG that I had bought and if they couldnt prove it I wanted my money back or I was going to the FBI. They said if you sign a RELEASE that releases us from ALL liability then you can have your money back and 15% more but I was done with the investment angle and said I am not releaseing you from liability and keep your 15% and I want my moeny back or I am going to seek legal recourse.

After dozens of phone calls, text messages, emails and skypes. They finally agreed to wire back my money. This was a glouious day and a sad day as well as I would never relaize the dream of the investment. But Atleast I wasnt taken by another PPP (Private Placement Platform). I waited and sent them a Cease & Desist/Demand Letter. Then they said if your patient, you will be paid out soon as we have your first $15,000,000 payment and the Bank Gurantee. I said NO just return my money and if you have any respect, you might pay me atleast part of the $15,000,000 per week that you guranteed me. Heck even one payment of the of the 18 $15,000,000 payments that you owed me would have made me realy happy.

I waited and on the third week of March came the wire... I was so happy.... as I was finally out of this emotinal rollercoaster. My Trust was ruined and I quit my carreer as I was coming into to real money and I wanted to do charity work like Mark and Chanlder but hay, atleast I will limp away with a crasshed life and $150,000 to rebuild again. BUT when I went to my Bank account they only wired a partial paynment. I was furious as I had to start the whole thing again with Mark and Chandler. All the calls and no anwers and emails and texts.... Finally, I threatned the FBI again and then they said it was a simple bank error and  said the whole deal is a simple Bank Error and they would get the remainder out to me. I waited another week or two with more phone calls and more emails and more threats and then came another wire and finally I could relax as I have worked months to get get my invesmtemnt back but YOU GUESSED it it wasn't all there. I still havent recieved all of my money but I know that their are plenty of people taken by these guys that may never get thier money.

WATCH OUT FOR THESE GUYS AND THEIR MANY DIFFERENT SHELL COMPANIES!!!!