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Tuesday, March 29, 2016

BREAKING NEWS! Full Spectrum Management's Mark Noss Admits Monthly $12,500 Payments To Steven Ingersoll Beginning April 2014; Claims It's Not 'Hush Money' Just IVL-Related "Intellectual Property" Usage Fees. Ingersoll Hid Noss-Related $300,000 Income From Government & Ducked Taxes; Tip Of The Iceberg? Miss Fortune Has All The Exclusive Details!

BREAKING NEWS -- THOUSANDS TO INGERSOLL FROM NOSS!

Ingersoll’s failure to disclose the fact that he has been receiving $12,500 per month from Noss for two years is not an accident.”



An accountant formerly employed by Mark Noss at his Full Spectrum Management, LLC (FSM) sent a stunning whistleblower email to the Grand Traverse Academy Board of Directors on March 15, 2016 at 6:00pm, alleging Noss deceived the Board when he stated during its December 17, 2015 meeting that he "has no business relationship with Dr. Ingersoll at the present time". 

The former FSM accountant disclosed information to Board president Brad Habermehl and Grand Traverse Academy employee, Heidi Sych, that revealed Noss had been making monthly $12,500 payments to Steven Ingersoll for nearly two years.

The incendiary email, sent by former FSM accountant Richard Lowe, and a March 16, 2016 response from Mark Noss, were both provided to the U. S. Attorney's Office by counsel for Lake Superior State University.

According to a supplemental brief filed late this afternoon by government prosecutors, FSM honcho Mark Noss acknowledged paying Ingersoll $12,500 per month since he took over the role of educational services provider for the Grand Traverse Academy on March 19, 2014, with the first payment issued in April 2014.

The government's eight-page supplemental memorandum was submitted to make the court aware of the newly-received evidence, and to request that Judge Thomas L. Ludington impose an additional two-point enhancement for Ingersoll's "obstruction of justice". (Steven Ingersoll failed to include his receipt of $12,500 per month from FSM, yielding $150,000 per year, in the financial information Ingersoll provided the government on October 15, 2015 in response to a court order directing him to provide complete and accurate information regarding his income.) 

Mark Noss responded to the accountant’s email the next morning, on March 16, 2016, acknowledging that he has “for years and continue[s] to pay a proprietary fee for IVL’s Intellectual Properties that has allowed me to use it in my solely owned clinics, as well as more recently apply it in the GTA setting.” 

THE EMAILS


The March 15, 2016 email from Lowe included attachments showing the payment history and the most recent transaction, which were not included with today's prosecution filing. 

Here is the complete text of the Lowe email: 

As you may recall, during the December board meeting held on January 15, 2016 Mark Noss stated that he had “no business relationship with Dr. Ingersoll at the present time”. I regret to have to inform you that that statement is false. 

Mark currently has through Full Spectrum Management an agreement to pay Dr. Ingersoll $12,500 per month for “intellectual property” and has been paying this fee every month since April 2014 when FSM was established. This arrangement continues to this day. I have attached documents showing the payment history and the most recent transactions. 

I have struggled with the knowledge that Mark chose to mislead the board at that meeting and have come to the conclusion that the right thing to do is inform you. Given the media attention concerning the sentencing hearings for Dr. Ingersoll and the concern that the board has shown regarding the perception that may be out in the public I felt you need to know all the facts. 

Although these payments to Dr. Ingersoll are legal and are from the FSM account it still seems inappropriate to me that this arrangement is continuing. I have expressed my concern about this to Mark on several occasions to no avail. The school is not billed for these fees so GTA has no financial exposure from this. 

Mark continually uses Dr. Ingersoll for advice on how to run a management company, cash flow management, and budgeting. Asking financial advice from a convicted felon who was found guilty of financial manipulation seems to show a lack of judgement and understanding of potential damage that could be done. I would think he would be the last person you would ask for advice. Under the circumstances and given the continuing media coverage, I think this places the academy at risk for a potential public relations nightmare. 

I understand that Mark and Steve are friends and showing loyalty is admirable. That being said I think the relationship has clouded Mark’s judgement when it comes to Steven and he can’t see the reality that his ties to him could do to the school. No matter what course of action the board chooses to take at least you now know the situation is not as it was represented.

Noss responded to the allegations the next morning, variously referring to Lowe as a “disgruntled previous employee” and asserting that the “GTA has never been compromised and has only benefitted” from his continuing business relationship with Ingersoll — while burbling on about the upcoming ground breaking of the multi-million dollar expansion his MDN Development, LLC is constructing on the grounds of the Grand Traverse Academy.




The entire text of the Noss response email, as shown above, follows:

I was just made aware that you have been contacted by Full Spectrum Management’s (FSM) disgruntled previous employee, Richard Lowe, I apologize for involving you in this negative situation. I have been searching for his replacement ever since he verbally accosted my wife and threatened to “punch her”. I reluctantly kept him employed in the interim to prevent any financial risk to GTA.

I would like to address his accusations. As I told the GTA Board in January, I have no formal business relationship with Dr. Steven Ingersoll. Integrated Visual Learning (IVL) was developed by Steven Ingersoll and I have used it in a variety of ways educationally and clinically. I have for years and continue to pay a proprietary fee for IVL’s Intellectual Properties that has allowed me to use it in my solely owned clinics, as well as more recently apply in in the GTA setting. When I was awarded the management contract for GTA two years ago, I realized there was a tremendous amount of knowledge for me to acquire quickly. I have utilized Dr. Ingersoll’s 18 years of school management expertise as needed for the benefit of GTA. I assure you he has never had access to any of GTA’s accounts since FSM has become the management company. I have spoken to him for guidance with respect to regulation, compliance, and reporting, as well as the requirements of the State of MI, LSSU, and our bond issue. GTA has never been compromised and has only benefitted from this communication.

I encourage any of you to please contact me with any questions you may have. I believe you all know me well and my passion for the success of the GTA! Looking forward to seeing you this Friday at the Board meeting and the exciting ground-breaking! 

For additional analysis of today's supplemental briefing, check back tomorrow.

 

15 comments:

  1. I am seriously laughing out loud! And so it begins, the Noss/Lynch parade has begun to epically fail. This is exactly what I had thought would eventually happen. Noss is a liar and so is Lynch. It is just a matter of time before a new court case opens up with these two idiots.

    A six figure yearly payment is not chump change either. I love how the cop-out is a "disgruntled" employee. Who cares if the employees disgruntled, they're speaking the truth.

    Must be tough when your circle of lies begin to bite you in the ass.

    I'd love a follow up on this Miss Fortune.

    Excellent reporting.

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    1. I will have much more tomorrow!

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    2. So glad Mr. Lowe, the accountant, had the sense and responsibilty to report this to the board. And his conscience was speaking to him to do the right thing. Unfortunately the Ingersoll/Noss empire has NOT been getting the needed media coverage. This disclosure should have hit the Traverse City paper and local TV news, but has it? Thank heaven for Miss Fortune and her coverage!

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    3. You would think that with $12,500 coming in monthly (and for nearly two years!) that Ingersoll would have enough or at least some money to pay his $72,000 + in property taxes on the three Bay City Academy buildings in Bay City? And why, with that amount of money hasn't the buildling deficiencies /violations been addressed at the satellite campus in Mancelona? And Noss is looking to Ingersoll for advice on how to run a school? Or is Ingersoll giving Noss advice on shirking responsibilty and trying to get away with anything as long as possible?

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    4. I have a funny feeling that Noss and Lynch won't be smiling like that for long! Just think what an indictment and trial would do to them, the GTA cronny group board and the GTA!

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  2. I just love the discourse between you, Miss Fortune, and the amazing Anonymous!!! I hope this dialogue continues as you have to know it is chafing the already dry asses of Ingersoll, Lunch and Noss. I cannot wait until tomorrow! I too want to thank you, Miss Fortune also, for your incredible reporting!!! As well, I need to thank Anonymous for your riveting commentary on this case!!!!!

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  3. I think this is just the tip of the iceberg of what Ingersoll, Noss and Lynch are pocketing, all in the name of education. Noss needs advice from Ingersoll, because Ingersoll wrote the book on Charters called, "Multiple Streams of Free Public Money: Charter School Management." Chapters like; how to pretend like you generously give money to a school yet pull it out a few days later, how to pocket all the money from the state and no questions are asked, how to get paid without paying taxes. Oh, I could go on believe me.
    I bet we have no idea how many LLC's these guys have deposited money into and the accounts they have hidden. They are crooked as hell.
    I believe that all the schools that these guys are involved in, need to be thoroughly investigated. I smell more than one rat and it is stinking up these communities and education.

    I commend this man for speaking up. I bet there are many more people that will follow his lead and let us all know what these terrible individuals are doing. BRAVO for the honest people in the world not being afraid of these low lives.

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    1. After writing about this story for nearly two years, enduring criminal threats, multiple Ripoff Reports rife with lies, a proposed defamation suit by a former GTA board member who should kiss my a** if he ever meets me, and general bullshit coverage from those lucky enough to be employed in journalism, I'm thrilled that another has had the courage to speak up.

      If my coverage emboldened him in any way, I'm damn proud!

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    2. We're proud of you and him, Miss Fortune. Hope others join the growing stream of people sick of those arrogant people. They operate like the mob. Keep up the great work; we're rooting for you and others like you who are willing to stand up!

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  4. One really good thing could come out of the monthly supposedly hidden (and now divulged!) $12,500 income is that TWO POINTS could and hopefully will be added to the sentencing guidelines! Yeah!

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  5. Noss's "passion for GTA". Give me a break. It's his passion for money and power! It's GTA all right: Grand Theft Academy.

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  6. I bet if they dug even deeper they might find even more evidence against these guys. How about retirement funds for all those teachers, invested through Noss's brother. What about insurance fraud has anyone looked into any of those claims, and unemployment benefits or how they might tweet the payment of employees. Think about all the ways people take unfair advantage in business. I bet they haven't missed a beat. And then what about the jury during his trial did anyone ever look to see if he paid someone off to let his wife and others go and lighten the degree of his sins. Two more points against him, hell I bet they could find many more illegal activities if the just go a little deeper.

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    1. That would be nice - to find more non-reported income, more corruption, abuse of his position of trust...and all that would equal more prison time!

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  7. I think that we are on to something really good. The fact that this one former employee leaked this much already makes me wonder just how bad this corruption is.

    Just from the excellent reporting by this blog, I have come to the conclusion that people like Noss, Lynch, and Ingersoll should never be around public education.....period.

    It's almost as if these crooks think they're invisible. Like all Ponzi schemes like IVL, grotesque salaries that rip off of hard working teachers backs, and arrogant egos, these people will fall.

    I have not had the "pleasure" of meeting Noss yet, but as someone who has met Lynch in passing, I can tell you all that he's a loser. I have also heard from a parent at the Mancelona campus that Lynch is letting the building fall apart, paying his staff next to nothing, and living the rich life. How can someone feel so comfortable wil paying himself 80k as Superintendant last year and paying the current Superintendant 39k this year? What an ass.

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    1. How can someone feel so comfortable - no conscience and an attitude of entitlement, that's how. It's also called "GREED" (all caps!)and ARROGANCE. Also, Lynch has been 'coached' by his father-in-law, Noss, and Ingersoll, (whom some people would call the CEA - Chief Executive Ass).

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