Iowa’s attorney general is accusing a Davenport family of a fraud scheme linked to promotional materials, like calendars and programs for high school sports.
The civil lawsuit has been filed against Alphonso Barnun, his wife and his mother as well as their businesses — City Wide Promotions, Top Faith Solutions and New Start Media. The lawsuit alleges the companies promised to print and distribute promotional materials, like football programs, through a community by mail or in supermarket stands.
The Iowa Attorney General says “consumers in several states have complained about the defendants’ practices.” News accounts indicate the companies sent email to small businesses around the country, selling ads that would be printed in local high school brochures or programs — but nothing was ever printed.
Several news stories indicated the Davenport companies’ email solicitations mentioned teams that did not exist, prompting schools and chambers of commerce to issue scam warnings to local businesses.