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Team Sergeant
05-03-2007, 16:17
Heads up contractors!


NC5 Investigates: Consumer Alert
Homeland Security Jobs Offered As 'Bait'
May 2, 2007 07:01 PM MST


One local company runs ads for jobs that it says will let you defend your country -- and make big bucks doing it.

That's what it claims.

But consumer investigator Jennifer Kraus found big problems with the ads and the man behind them.

Hit TV shows like 'The Unit' make counterterrorism and homeland security work look dangerous and exciting.

"You see that and you want to get all pumped up and say, 'I want to go do this,'" says Carl Wild.

So when Wild and two of his National Guard buddies from Texas saw a help-wanted ad in their local paper that read, "Be willing to commit to three 90-day tours overseas -- $168,000 to $220,000 a year," they thought it was their dream job come true.

Wild's understanding of the ad was, "We'll give you a job and you're going to get paid a lot of money to do this for us."

But what Wild and his friends didn't know was what we uncovered about the company running the ads and its owner who told us to leave his property when we went to the business office.

And they had no idea that the Better Business Bureau had found problems with the ads too.

The BBB's Kathleen Calligan says, "It's outrageous," but true that despite what the ads lead you to believe, the company doesn't really hire anyone.

"They're targeting very highly skilled, trained, professional soldiers, police officers, that caliber of individual," Calligan says.

The company known as both International Executive Services and Advancement Solutions runs these same "now hiring" ads in newspapers around the country and all over the internet.

But when you go to the company's website, you find that if you want one of these advertised jobs, you first have to sign up for training through the company -- specialized classes that International Executive Services leads you to believe it offers.

"That's the bait," Calligan tells Jennifer Kraus.

"There are no classes?" Kraus asks.

"No, that's the bait. There are no classes."

Matt Buglehall, another of the Texas National Guardsmen who was excited by what the ad offered says, "There's no telling how many people have been taken by this company."

Buglehall, along with Wild and their friend Chris Gillespie, all paid International Executive Services nearly $300 a piece.

Buglehall now admits, "Man, I should have known."

And he says he was so convinced by what the company told him and his friends that he quit his job with the police department, only to get the run-around from the company when he tried to find out when their class would begin.

Chris Gillespie, another of the Guardsmen says, "They told us everything we wanted to hear until they got the money. And once they got the money, they wouldn't'call us back.

We found another man who also paid International Executive Services, Chris Dyer in Murfreesboro.

We asked Dyer, "Did you get a class?"

Dyer said, "No."

We then asked, "What did you get?"

Dyer says, "Nothing. I got ripped off."

Dyer tells NewsChannel 5 he signed up for International Executive Service's bodyguard program after he says the company told him once he finished his training, he'd be guarding movie stars, country singers and athletes just like you see in movies like, "The Bodyguard."

"They promised you a job after you finished school. It's all in the paperwork they send you," Dyer says.

The BBB's Kathleen Calligan says, "They're very skilled at stringing these people along."

We also discovered that the address International Executive Services gives on its website as its location is nothing more than a mailbox rental business where the company gets its mail.

We finally did track down International Executive Services to a rather non-descript building in Antioch.

But we found company owner Ricky Coleman wouldn't talk with us or his own checkered past.

When Kraus introduced herself to Coleman, he immediately told her, "You can leave now."

"Why won't you talk to us?" Kraus asked.

"I have no comment."

Then he slammed the door shut.

Our investigation found Coleman has a lengthy arrest record that includes at least five occasions where he's been accused of posing as a police officer.

We discovered he was convicted of criminal impersonation in Georgia and spent a year in prison there.

We also found he's spent time behind bars for credit card fraud, multiple DUIs, and at least three different weapons charges.

Kraus tried to ask Coleman through his closed office door after he slammed it.

"You say you're running a legitimate business. So, why don't you want to talk about it?" she asked.

Coleman's response: "Cause I'm camera shy."

Coleman insists his company never promises anyone a job.

We mentioned that to Chris Dyer who says he thought he was paying for a guaranteed job and he told us, "That's a lie. They do. They tell you that on the phone. Yes, they do."

And we even found in the front windshield of Coleman's own car a large "now hiring" ad that talks about the jobs and pay that are offered.

It's the same kind of ad that hooked the three National Guardsmen from Texas who now fear watching shows like "The Unit" may be the closest they'll ever get to this kind of work.

Carl Wild says, "It was a huge scam and we got taken for a ride."

Ricky Coleman tells me his company gets more than 500 calls a month, which means nearly 6,000 jobs a year.

NewsChannel 5 asked him for the names of at least a couple of people who have gotten jobs through his company. And, we're still waiting.

Now there are schools out there that do offer training. But they don't guarantee jobs or make any of the other promises that International Executive Services does.

And we couldn't find any of these schools that work with Ricky Coleman and his company.


http://www.newschannel5.com/Global/story.asp?S=6462298

incommin
05-03-2007, 17:51
In the old days someone would go break this guys knees.....

Jim

82ndtrooper
05-04-2007, 04:51
I believe Blackwater charges like $14,000 for their BWTA course which then can be offset with your contract pay.

I dont know if this is true of former SF, SOF, SEAL type candidates.

sf11b_p
05-04-2007, 11:05
There was a question on an Airborne website related to this business about a month ago. It was researched and found to be a fraud.

The affiliate Advancement Solutions made the Better Business Bureau list, doesn't look good.

Quote:
Advancement Solutions, LLC 615-731-0917 aka International Executive Services various other #’s Antioch, TN
BODYGUARD, SPECIAL AGENTS & PRISONER TRANSPORTER POSITIONS AVAILABLE – At least that’s what Advancement Solutions’ advertisements offer. The company’s newspaper and online classified advertisements claim you could earn $35.00 - $75.00 per hour as a bodyguard, $114,300.00 - $143,544.00 per yr as a special agent and $16.50 - $ 18.53 an hour as a prisoner transporter. But when BBB requested the company to substantiate the available positions and supply proof of the advertised income the company failed to respond. The company has responded to complaints indicating they are nothing more than a registration office. Complainants have supplied BBB with basic materials provided to consumers by Advancement Solutions, none of which identify credible sources for training or employment as body guards, special agents or prisoner transporters. It is the position of BBB that Advancement Solutions is deceptive and misleading and there are no body guards, special agents or prisoner transporter positions available.
Is he signing for training or are they contracting real work, for who, where, as what?

Is their certification page claiming they were certified by themselves?

Quote:
INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS
BODYGURD NETWORK
INTERNATIONAL EXECUTIVE SERVICES, LLC has been awarded this certification showing professionalism and staffing solutions for executive accounts. This agency has been investigated and is a proud member of the IES Standards and Bodyguard Network.

http://www.bodyguardcareers.com/2006...e-50-120-hour/

Also this company is out of Tennessee not Dallas.

Quote:
On January 16, 2006, the Better Business Bureau contacted Advancement
Solutions via mail to request basic business information such as the
principles of the company and their nature of business. BBB’s mail to the
company was returned on February 1, 2006 as “REFUSED.”

Quote:
Here you can check on the status of class dates, paperwork and changes that my accur. You will also see if your status is active or inactive. This site will up date each week and if there are any problems with your paperwork you will have a note next to your name.

Training classes will change from time to time and Advancement Solutions Cant be Held Responsable For This.

http://www.deployment.zoomshare.com/


If this is the company your friend is involved with lets hope he's sent them no money.

By searching the Dallas BBB data base for International Executive Solutions it linked this page.

http://data.middletennessee.bbb.org/...l?bid=37017832

Quote:
Additional DBA Names
Networth Group
International Executive Services

On November 1, 2006 the Better Business Bureau contacted Advancement Solutions via certified mail requesting substantiation of the company's advertisments by November 10, 2006 for the bodyguard, special agent and prisoner transporter positions. BBB requested from the company the contact information of 10 consumers that have obtained employment through the help wanted ads and proof that bodyguard applicants have earned the quoted $35.00 - $75.00 per hour, special agent applicants have earned the quoted $114,300.00 - $143,544.00 per yr and prisoner transporter applicants have earned the quoted $16.50 - $ 18.53 an hour.

As of November 20, 2006 Advancement Solutions had failed to respond to the Better Business Bureau's request for substantiation of their advertisements.

On December 26, 2006, BBB received correspondence from Advancement Solutions stating "We are not a hiring company only a headhunter service that provides consumers help getting a position as a bodyguard, prisoner transporter and training over seas. We provide service to the customer that has no knowledge of these positions available and we help them build a professional resume and send it to these companies that are looking for applicants." The company further states they are not affiliated with any training school or company offering these positions.

504PIR
05-05-2007, 07:24
IMHO if you have to pay for your training to get your foot in the door in security business......its likely:

A) The company offering the training is shady.
B) The security business may not be for you.
C) The people you will work with may not be of the highest quality

Its one thing to go to attend Olive Training Center PSD Crs, Kroll, BSR driving crs or say a shooting crs at Mid-South to improve your skill sets. But I wouldn't pay for a training crs to get a job. Now if there is a train-up or selection which the employer pays for that is of course different.

The Reaper
05-05-2007, 10:09
I believe Blackwater charges like $14,000 for their BWTA course which then can be offset with your contract pay.

I dont know if this is true of former SF, SOF, SEAL type candidates.

That is for the non-SOF types.

They allow you to pay for it up front, or to have it deducted from your pay over a year or two.

I do not see laying out $15,000 for a few week training course, with a company who would require or accept that training, or to go to war with people who did.

TR

kgoerz
05-05-2007, 16:27
"They're targeting very highly skilled, trained, professional soldiers, police officers, that caliber of individual," Calligan says.

Sorry but the people they profiled didn't fit that category. No they are targeting people who have no idea about the business.

Dyer tells NewsChannel 5 he signed up for International Executive Service's bodyguard program after he says the company told him once he finished his training, he'd be guarding movie stars, country singers and athletes just like you see in movies like, "The Bodyguard."

Wonder what Dyers back ground is. To think you are going to get a state side job off the bat instead of the sand box is.....well STUPID.

I don't know what would make me hang up the phone faster, hearing "just like in the movies" or "I'm pregnant":eek:

One thing is. The people they are ripping off. All know how to shoot a gun. Even worse they probably own a few. I wouldn't be surprised if this hasn't happened before.

82ndtrooper
05-05-2007, 19:27
Sorry but the people they profiled didn't fit that category. No they are targeting people who have no idea about the business.



Wonder what Dyers back ground is. To think you are going to get a state side job off the bat instead of the sand box is.....well STUPID.

I don't know what would make me hang up the phone faster, hearing "just like in the movies" or "I'm pregnant":eek:

One thing is. The people they are ripping off. All know how to shoot a gun. Even worse they probably own a few. I wouldn't be surprised if this hasn't happened before.

"Like in the movies" "I'm pregnant"......................the first is reason to chuckle and hang up the phone, the second is reason to get a P.O box and a new address and non-listed telephone number. :eek: