Posted by Da Butcha Da Betta on October 12, 2009 at 10:59:24:
Bears sue alleged Ponzi schemer David Hernandez
October 9, 2009
BY LISA DONOVAN AND MARK J. KONKOL Staff Reporters
The Chicago Bears count themselves among the victims of alleged Ponzi schemer David Hernandez.
On Thursday, the team sued Hernandez alleging his now defunct ChicagoSportsWebio.com failed to pay up in a sponsorship deal related to the 2009 NFL draft.
According to the breach-of-contract suit, filed Thursday in Cook County Circuit Court, the Bears claim Hernandez failed to pay $50,000 for two 30-second television
commercials. The suit also claims he failed to pay for the Internet radio station's logo on ChicagoBears.com and in the background of video interviews on draft day and other
ads, court papers show.
While the Bears acknowledged Hernandez never signed the agreement, the suit includes an e-mail between the parties that the Bears' say proves Hernandez intended to seal the
deal. That's why the Bears say they met all the terms of the sponsorship agreement, according to the lawsuit.
Hernandez -- now in jail on felony mail fraud charges -- allegedly bilked investors in one of his companies, Next Step Medical Staffing, out of nearly $12 million. The
federal government says Hernandez defrauded investors by using their money as start-up cash for Webio -- the now defunct brainchild of Chicago sports talk personality Mike
North.
Bears officials join a long line of people looking to get cash they claim Hernandez owes them. Fred and Linda Samp of Deer Park -- Next Step investors who blew the whistle
on the scheme -- filed a class-action lawsuit against Hernandez and other Webio officials in July.
Bears officials could not be reached for comment late Thursday.