UPDATED: Mark L. Schifter, PLEADS GUILTY to suspicion of charity fraud

[thenatinator]

They took in a touch more than $17k plus the 16% buyer's premium before their expenses.

A drop in the proverbial bucket.

Thanks!
I wonder what shipping and handling costs added up to.
It would be interesting to know who collects on that. it appears that shipping costs added up to great deal more than the cost of the items in question.

 

[thenatinator]

All Onix came from SAC.

Was av123 ever timely with payments to sac?
I've heard the $1,000,000 number thrown around quite a bit. How quickly did that debt accumilate?

 

[Chu Gai]

Was av123 ever timely with payments to sac?
I've heard the $1,000,000 number thrown around quite a bit. How quickly did that debt accumilate?

I think the relationship ended around 2008. I have no information regarding when he actually stopped paying Pu but understand that MLS had very generous terms when it came from buying from him which would allow him to get in many shipments before he was supposed to pay Pu.

 

[themusicman]

So you haven't seen the finish yet? The adjective "beautiful" in this case gives me an image of a guy on the streets trying to sell me a cheap watch.

You're right I'll be like a kid at Xmas when I open it. Either it will be oooh wow or more underwear or socks.

 

[Chu Gai]

Here's an interesting post by Quintana from 5/5/2008

OK, Let me clear this up for all of you concerning AV123. This is what everyone does, sort of, we all wear lots of hats.

Colorado Headquarters Team
Mark Schifter, Founder, Partner, Guru, Big cheese, Bossman, and all around Nice Guy!
Lynn Schifter, Partner, Warehouse manager, builder of LS and MFW, b Stock Guru/Coordinator
Suzanne Johnson, Controller, Operations management, Public Relations, and everything else you can imagine.
Kim Deknikker, Sales Administration
Kyle Steidle, Sales Admin, and Customer Service Manager
Mark Joslin, Technical Service Manager
Corey Moraign, Shipping Manager
Jess Quintana, National Sales Manager, Sales
Sean Parque, Export Sales Manager, Sales, Web Master, Audition Ave, CEO of Skiing Ninja, and lots of other stuff!
Luis Gerena, Sales
John Feider, Sales

Out of State Partners/Staff/Consultants/Engineers/forum Ambassadors
Walter Liederman Partner
Danny Ritchie Speaker Design
Doug Goldberg , Engineer
Phil Bamberg Product Manager, Engineer
Peter Madnick, Engineer
Mark Seaton Subwoofer design, "Master of the Deep"
Scott Day, Forum Ambassador
Jack Richards, Forum Ambassador

Manufacturing Partners and Employees
Sound Art China
Mr. Pu
Delia Kung

UniAudio
Santiago Chevarro
Elena Chevarro
Cesar Coriat
Diego

There!

I think I have covered everyone whose name is mentioned on a day to day basis. I hope I got everyone's title correct. Since we are an internet business, there a few people on this list that I have never met!

I sure hope they bought some of those hats they were selling.

 

[MinusTheBear]

Where was the management accountant?

 

[Stereodude]

Someone should edit that to reflect the subsequent under the bus throwing that was done to the people by MLS. A sort of before and after.

 

[gonk]

Interesting. By May 2008, I thought Sean had already left to do Skiing Ninja full-time. Didn't that happen in early 2008? Interesting that Sean had one of the longest "titles" on that list.

I hope I got everyone's title correct.

I think I found an oversight:

Mark Schifter, Founder, Partner, Guru, Big cheese, Bossman, and all around Nice Guy!

He left off "Director of Taking People's Money" and "Vaporware Developer."

 

[MinusTheBear]

Did anyone pick up some stuff from the liquidation? As much as I hate to say this, for the DIYer it looks like there could have been some nice buys there, if I was local I'd probably have jumped on a couple of stuff...

Girgle, I think you would find religion before buying any AV123 product.

 

[Eddie Horton]

Interesting that the first gen UFW drivers were made of Nomex. That's the same stuff they make fire resistant suits from. They should have made the MFW drivers out of it instead so they would be safe from all the amps going up in smoke.

 

[Mark Seaton]

Interesting that the first gen UFW drivers were made of Nomex. That's the same stuff they make fire resistant suits from. They should have made the MFW drivers out of it instead so they would be safe from all the amps going up in smoke.

Those originals looked rather attractive, but were not terribly useful. The one I played with and then had dissected showed all sorts of problems with the spider operation past 6-10mm of travel. The spiders were not formed correctly and were already showing signs of wear after some cursory testing. I did find it quite curious that "90125" showed interest in the 128 pc lot of them. There is a chance that not all of the spiders were that bad, but I know that what I had was mostly representative of the batch.

 

[Stereodude]

Well, that doesn't bode well for the drivers Murrel's bought.

 

[SteveSatch]

I've got an unpacked mfw15 in storage that I haven't even opened yet and have my fingers and toes crossed.

During what time frame did you get it? Ones that arrived prior to 11-08 are fine are far as I know. They have the version 1 amp that people don't have problems with. I have one from this time period and it works fine. MFWs that people got in 11-08 and 12-08 had tons of problems with this amp (still version 1). It's because of this time period MFWs that version 2 amp came around. I have two MFWs from this time frame and the version 1 amps failed and have been replaced with version 2 amps and they have blown. I don't know a lot about MFWs made after 12-08 as I got fed up with the whole thing.

 

[themusicman]

During what time frame did you get it?

I got it 12/09 but who knows how long it was in the showroom.

 

[Murrel]

Well, that doesn't bode well for the drivers Murrel's bought.

Im not overly worried as they are just for fun. My son and his friends want a few to put in their cars. And the rest well who knows. I have plenty of subs in the HT. And plenty of plate amps to play with in my shop. Not like I paid much for them in the first place.

Murrel

 

[blackzarg]

What I meant was did AV123 have any influence in bringing that model to market? In the "Rocket" rosewood, it cost much less, and was also for a time offered as a bundle with the tube amp.

I remember reading a post by Mr. Pu or MLS that the Rocket was an AV123 speaker that was allowed to carry the Onix name (until 2008-ish). Maybe the "Rocket Rosewood" was just marketing terms since AV123 was known for their Rockets.

 

[Chu Gai]

I don't recall any posts by Pu but I wouldn't be surprised if MLS said that. On other notes, it appears as if the folks at Rennteam, where MLS waxed on about all the cars available to him, have taken appropriate action. Not that I think MLS would ever post there again.

 

[tonygeno]

I had asked MLS how he was able to use Onix since it was an old UK marque.

He told me he had purchased the name. Hmmm.

 

[sandbagger]

Mr. Pu Owned the Name During that time.

there was a lot of blurring of the lines between the lines with what got the ONIX name thrown on it. I have seen X series with the Onix name and then there was Onix Rockets and Onix this and that.....

Back then there was the Onix REF series of speakers, electronics and Cables. As of now the REF line has been discontinued and the Speakers consist of the Monitor, Music, Concerto, and Bravo's. Electronics include some very nice integrated amps and CD Players and the Cables.

I had asked MLS how he was able to use Onix since it was an old UK marque.

He told me he had purchased the name. Hmmm.

 

[Hugh-Melody]

Schifter got no money to purchase anything.

I had asked MLS how he was able to use Onix since it was an old UK marque.

He told me he had purchased the name. Hmmm.