Investigation: Men accused of selling bogus businesses

CHERRY HILL, N.J. (WPVI) -- Two men are accused of selling fraudulent businesses, and Action News identified more than a dozen alleged victims around the country during a year-long investigation.

As it turns out, one of the alleged con artists has been operating out of Cherry Hill, New Jersey.

Steve Sami is an alleged victim out of Florida.

"They will take your money, they will string you along. They have no morals and conscience and you will lose every penny you have."

David Weinstein of Cherry Hill, New Jersey and Jay Reddy of Michigan say they sign medical practices up for billing, transcription, and/or collection services and then sell those contracts to investors who want to manage the businesses.

But some investors tell Action News those companies are bogus, and that they've lost more than $1.3 million with one or both of these men since 2010.

Sami says, "I've made probably, in the whole process, a couple hundred dollars."

Weinstein's marketing materials say, "We do the hard part. We get the doctors under contract for you." Buyers get what's called a Triple Play of all three businesses for $125,000.

According to a sales brochures, buyers get "a clear and direct approach to profitability." Steve Sami says his contract with Jay Reddy promised 300 medical answering service contracts.

But in the two years since, he says he's received just a few. Sami and others have filed complaints with their state attorneys general.

"Within a month I texted him and said something feels strange and the contracts aren't coming, and he basically said he had a death in the family and it's the holidays. He told me it will pick up."

But he says it never did and that when he threatened to expose Reddy after learning of other alleged victims, a man claiming to be David Weinstein called out of the blue and left a profanity-laced voicemail.

Action News has learned at least three alleged victims have sued Weinstein and or Reddy over the years. Attorney John Perrin represented an alleged victim out of Michigan who sued Reddy in 2010.

"It was really just an empty shell and there was nothing to it," Perrin said.

He says Reddy was constantly reselling the business but never delivering contracts with physicians,

"There were literally dozens of these entities and when you looked at who created them, it was coming back to either Vijay Reddy or David Weinstein."

Perrin won $200,000 in court but says he's never been able to collect and just last month Reddy filed for bankruptcy.

Two Georgia men sued Weinstein in Federal court in 2012. In court papers, Weinstein denied any wrongdoing. He and other defendants later agreed to a confidential settlement. Action News has also learned Weinstein was convicted of health insurance fraud in 2002.

Sami says he wants his money back and justice for himself and other victims.

"I believe the FBI should be involved, the IRS. Money should be recouped and given back to the people who lost it," Sami said.

Both Reddy and Weinstein refused our request for comment. We tracked down Weinstein to a Cherry Hill condo and he actually called police on us, accusing us of harassment.

Officially, the FBI says it cannot confirm or deny they're investigating. But since our investigation began, several alleged victims tell us they've been interviewed by agents.

Weinstein is still selling the business model and living in Las Vegas.

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