Under Investigation: The inside story of the Florida Attorney General’s investigation of Wilhelmina Scouting Network, the largest model and talent scam in America.

ISBN-0968713335 Paperback 512 pages $29.95

Modeling Agency News

Out of harmony: Group dogged by new lawsuit

"Will the real talent agent behind the Backstreet Boys please stand up? Jeanne Tanzy Williams, former owner of Tanzy/Galler Personal Artist Management in Orlando, is among those locals stepping up to take credit for the popular group's international success. At least three lawsuits linked to early management deals and recording contracts have been filed since 1998. Out of the litigation limelight until now, Williams has joined the legal fray, filing a 55-page, seven-count federal court conspiracy and breach of contract lawsuit against 14 corporate defendants and 10 individual defendants, including the Backstreet Boys' current manager, Louis J. Pearlman."¹

1. Alex Finkelstein, "Out of harmony: Group dogged by new lawsuit," Orlando Business Journal, Sept. 10, 1999.

(Jeanne Tanzy Williams, Lou Pearlman, Personal Artist Management, Case No. CI 99-7235-35)

Wilhelmina and Trans Continental Announce
Multi-Million Dollar Affiliation

"Trans Continental Entertainment Group, Inc., (OTCBB:TCTE), the parent company of Trans Continental Talent, Inc. (TCT), the world's largest searchable database for modeling, acting and musical talent, announced today that it has finalized a multi-million dollar deal with Wilhelmina Scouting, LLC, the newly formed Scouting and Development affiliate of Wilhelmina Models."¹

1. "Wilhelmina and Trans Continental Announce Multi-Million Dollar Affiliation," BusinessWire, Mar. 21, 2003.

http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/cb_headline.cgi?&story_file=bw.032103/230805239

(Trans Continental Entertainment Group, Inc., Trans Continental Talent, Wilhelmina Scouting Network)

High Priced Talent

"Trans Continental Talent Agency claims it is the #1 talent scouting company in the world but a local family disagrees. A local fourteen-year-old and her family were out shopping over the weekend, when they were approached by a talent scout. The company promised to put the teen's picture on the internet, but it wouldn't be cheap. For more than $1,000, Trans Continental Talent promises to make your face famous. A local teen and her grandmother nearly took the company up on its offer. Model Jasmine Bella, says, "We were so convinced; we were going to do it. We were going to pay $795 and $19.95 per month. We were convinced and then we started doing research and found out it was a big scam." Her grandmother, Darlyn Bellah, felt the same way, "I was convinced when we left the other day, and, yes, I was convinced I was going to do it, and my daughter-in-law said, 'How are we gonna check this company out?'" An internet search turned up more information about the company than they imagined. Todd Bellah, Jasmine's father, says, "The more I looked, the more I didn't like the move. I thought there was something going on with investigative reports from Detroit and Atlanta."¹

1. Michelle Mauch, "High Priced Talent," KRIS-TV Corpus Christi, Feb. 26, 2003.

http://www.caller.com/ccct/kris_tv/article/0,1641,CCCT_995_1773289,00.html

(Trans Continental Talent)

Model agency faces top probe

"A government department is to study evidence revealed by an M.E.N. investigation into a Manchester model agency. The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) will look at claims that Perfect Image and its director Nigel Read broke the strict rules governing employment agencies."¹

"If the inspectors find an agency is in breach of the regulations we can take a case to the employment tribunal system which has the power to stop a director from operating for up to 10 years." Perfect Image took money from an undercover Manchester Evening News reporter, leading her on for weeks with promises of work before finally "losing" all her details."²

"Before starting Perfect Image, Mr Read was manager of the Manchester franchise of talent spotting company Wilhelmina Scouting Network (WSN). The company's UK arm crashed, but not before WSN, operating from the same city centre offices as Perfect Image, took almost £400 from an ex-male dancer before demanding a further £250 for items the man claims were included in the original price."³

"The DTI is seeking to outlaw the practice of unscrupulous agencies taking money from workers in the modelling and entertainment sectors but offering little or no work."⁴

1. "Model agency faces top probe," Manchester Evening News, Mar. 4, 2004.
2. Ibid.
3. Ibid.
4. Ibid.

http://www.manchesteronline.co.uk/model_agency_faces_top_probe_.html

(Nigel Read, Perfect Image, Wilhelmina Scouting Network)

Pearlman Probed

"Pearlman, the music impresario known for discovering the pop bands N*SYNC and Backstreet Boys, is in hot water over allegations that his talent agency, TransContinental Talent, told thousands of aspiring models and actors it would help them find work, and then simply posted their photos in its database. Numerous former employees and clients have come forward with complaints in recent months, triggering investigations in California, Massachusetts and Florida. Pearlman is the chairman of Trans Continental. Meanwhile, the Orlando, Fla.-based company has raised eyebrows by continuing to work with at least two men who have spent time in prison on fraud charges, according to sources and SEC filings."¹

1. Tim Arango, "Pearlman Probed," New York Post, Feb. 26, 2003.

http://www.nypost.com/business/69418.htm

(TransContinental Talent)

Modeling Agency: Big Fees, Small Return

"What was once E-models, then Options Talent, is now Transcontinental Talent... A company that claims to be the largest model scouting firm in the world is under scrutiny by the San Francisco District Attorney's office... The company is not only being examined here. Two other states are also now investigating complaints.... TC Talent scouted Ericka Wingerter, a KRON 4 employee, in the locker room of her gym. We went with her to an open call in San Francisco.... By law, talent agencies can't collect upfront fees. TC Talent gets around that by claiming it's not an agency, it's a scouting company. Last year the state labor commission didn't act on our concerns, but now? Dean Fryer of the SF Labor Commission says, "They're acting as a talent agency, pure and simple. They are in violation of the state labor code and anyone who pays a fee to procure work for them, they are entitled to that fee back."¹

1. "Modeling Agency- Big Fees, Small Return," KRON-4 San Francisco, Feb. 18, 2003.

http://www.kron4.com/Global/story.asp?S=1137751

(Emodel, Options Talent, Transcontinental Talent)

The Model Maker

"It's an invitation to the glamorous, fast-paced world of modeling and acting... Trans Continental Talent. On the Internet, billed as the world's largest entertainment scouting company, with success stories plastered on the main page--a place where your picture can allegedly be seen by a thousand modeling agencies worldwide. These are the agencies allegedly searching for that new look--but some Trans Continental clients say look out!"

"The Model Maker," K-CAL 9 Los Angeles, Feb. 18, 2003.

http://kcal9.com/investigative/local_story_049133031.html

(Trans Continental Talent)