Police probe strange actions by company
Authorities want answers regarding Urban Marketing Media
By Larry Hurrle
Argus Observer
Thursday, October 1, 2009 11:17 AM PDT
Fruitland—Local Idaho law enforcement officials are currently investigating an Eagle company and the possibility the firm misled local investors concerning a relocation magazine it promised to design.
Fruitland Police Chief J.D. Huff asserted the firm, Urban Marketing Media, a limited liability company, approached the Fruitland and Payette chambers of commerce in 2008 about selling advertising for a “coffee table book” that could be used as a relocation tool for the chambers.
The magazine was to be completed earlier this year and distributed to the local chambers of commerce.
Thus far, the chambers of commerce have not received the magazine and cannot make contact with the company.
“We are conducting a criminal investigation and treating this as a potential fraud,” Huff said. “We are working with local law enforcement offices and the Payette County prosecutor.”
Huff said law enforcement officials met with both the Payette and Fruitland chambers of commerce Sept. 23 concerning the investigation. He said there have been several attempts to contact Urban Marketing Media with no success.
Huff said there are several potential victims in Payette, Fruitland, Payette County and Ontario. He said the company sold approximately $15,000 in advertising locally, of which, he said, slightly more than $10,000 was collected. He said it is important to note, since the company is an LLC, the issue could easily become a bankruptcy rather than a potential criminal case.
“If this is a legitimate business and they’re filing bankruptcy, it is not a crime,” Huff said. “It is not illegal not to tell someone you are filing bankruptcy.”
Payette Chamber of Commerce President Jody Clements said she has checked on the Idaho State Judiciary Repository and has found no filings of bankruptcy for either Urban Marketing Media or Kerby Kirkham or Jarrod Barr, the two representatives of the company who were selling advertising. Huff said Urban Marketing Media has completed and distributed magazines, similar to the one planned for Payette County, for both the cities of Caldwell and Eagle. Fruitland Chamber of Commerce President Carrie Draper said the magazine was to be completed by May. After hearing nothing from the company, Draper said the chamber called the company, then received a return call to tell them the company was dissolved.
“We never heard back from them after that,” Draper said. “They were supposed to send us a spreadsheet with the names of the people who bought ads, but we never heard from them.”
Both the Payette and Fruitland chambers of commerce e-mailed letters to chamber members concerning Urban Marketing Media, asking those who purchased ads to send copies of contracts and receipts.
“They are slowly coming in,” Draper said. “We don’t know how many people bought ads.”
Urban Marketing Media has an active Web site that shows examples of magazines completed for both Caldwell and Eagle. However, attempts to contact Urban Marketing Media via e-mail were unanswered and telephone numbers listed for the company were disconnected.
Clements has filed a complaint against the company with the Better Business Bureau. She said both chambers of commerce need members to come forward with receipts and/or contacts with Urban Marketing Media to aid in the investigation.
“We’re collecting documents right now,” she said. “The more receipts or signed contacts we can get, the stronger it makes our case against them.”
Huff said any local business in Payette, Fruitland, New Plymouth or Ontario, or within Payette County, which purchased advertising from the company should contact their local police with information.
Draper said when the Fruitland Chamber of Commerce was able to make contact with the company, they tried to resolve the problem by finding a less expensive way to print the magazine. However, in the letter to chamber members, it says the chamber learned “the books cannot be printed and the money is gone.”
“We were so excited to get Payette County Magazine,” Draper said. “It would have been good for our members and good for the chambers as part of our relocation packages.”
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