Steve Renner Fires, Gets Restraining Order Against Donald Allen; Says Former VP Harassed Him, Tried To Extort $100,000
Steve Renner
Former INetGlobal CEO Steven Keough now has some company on the list of people alleged to have tried to extort money from the Steve Renner family of companies.
Renner went to court yesterday in Minnesota to seek a restraining order prohibiting Donald Allen from harassing him. The order was granted after Renner asserted Allen tried to extort $100,000 and had engaged in a pattern of abusive behavior, including raising “havoc” with employees, threatening “to destroy him and his family,” posting libelous and defamatory material on the Internet and engaging in verbal harassment.
Allen also was accused to taking pictures of Renner’s offices and employees without their consent.
“[Allen] has attempted to extort $100,000 from Petitioner’s businesses [and] if not paid will go to the FBI and Secret Service,” Renner asserted.
A judge ordered Allen not to harass Renner, not to have any contact with Renner and to stay away from Renner’s home. The judge also ordered Allen to stay one “city block” away “in all directions” from Renner’s businesses in Minneapolis.
Should Allen violate the order, he could be arrested, jailed for up to 90 days and fined up to $1,000, according to the order. Subsequent violations of the order could result in stiffer measures, including the filing of felony charges that could land Allen in jail for for up to 10 years and force him to pay a fine of up to $20,000.
Allen is referred to in court papers as a previous employee of a Renner company.
In a story published yesterday on the PP Blog, Allen said he was cooperating with the U.S. Secret Service “100 percent” in a probe of Renner’s business practices. The Secret Service said in February that it believed Renner was operating a Ponzi scheme and engaging in wire fraud and money laundering.
Renner has not been charged with a crime and denies wrongdoing. Allen was vice president at V-Newswire, one of the “V” entities in the Renner family of companies. The Secret Service said in February that Allen had given confusing information to a customer of INetGlobal, another Renner entity.
Allen denies wrongdoing, and now says he has met with the Secret Service twice and is cooperating fully in the Ponzi probe. The first meeting with the Secret Service occurred Friday, after agents showed up unannounced at his home, Allen said yesterday.
In March, Renner accused Steven Keough, the former CEO of INetGlobal, of trying to extort $500,000 from the company. Keough may be the government’s star witness if charges are filed.
“This is the same move they tried on Steve Keough,” Allen said this morning. “I never tried to extort anything.”
For the record, Mr. Renner’s attorney – Mark Kallenbach never mentions iNetGlobal in Order of Protection. Secondly, in a “good-faith effort” I met with HR who put together a severance package work $15,000 n the return of my website. What Kallenbach has represented to the Courts is a heinous act of misrepresentation of the facts.
While I believe Donald Allen is not entirely innocent in this, I believe this to be true.
I suspect that the whole restraining order is a smokescreen. It sets up Donald as a target to be blamed for the demise of iNetGlobal. Similar to the “Bad Advice From Lawyer” excuse as used by “Honest” Andy in the court filings.
The “Extortion Excuse” as used against Keough & Allen is similar to the “Russian Hacker” excuse, in that it gives the ponzi operators a target to be blamed for any ills.
@Tony H: I am innocent, 100%. When Steve created iNetGlobal I was selling directory listings for Twin City Business. I had no dealings at all with iNetGlobal, his MIT courses or going on tour. When he hired his kid, I thought this would be a great opportunity for me (know) as the VP of V-Newswire to offer this service to members of iNetGlobal – Renner balked at the idea.
When former CEO Steve Keough was at iNetGlobal he saw the value of V-Newswire for individuals, businesses and non-profits and the research we did showing that over 15,000 iNetGlobal members had at least $2-5k in there V-Cash accounts, they could afford this product. When Steve caught wind of Keough’s plan, I allege that is when he (Keough) was fired. If Mr.Keough was at iNetGlobal today, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.
Today I spent most of the morning at the court house filing for a hearing in the matter of myself and Steve Renner. I do agree with you, this is a smokescreen and Renner is using “who I am, and what I look like” to play the “race-card,” i.e; I’m afraid of the Black man, he might hurt me. When in fact testimony will show, that I only asked Steve for some answers and was in good-faith negotiating my severance plan with the HR director.
Yea, I’m a smart guy – I didn’t know exactly what Steve was doing – but when I looked at all those members making lots of money everyday – I said, “why am I busting my ass, trying to sell V-Newswire to people other than iNetGlobal members, the leads are all right here.”
Now, I allege that iNetGlobal was never set-up to sell products for Internet marketing, but to have those products to attract “bodies” for the surfing program. I worked real hard in my field, I fell I’ve been “punked” by Steve, his kid, his attorney.
I promise to the people that are fed up with misrepresentations of products on the Internet that I will see this through. iNetGlobal must not be allowed to function in the same capacity it was prior to 2/23/10.
It’s really funny how the same man that was talking about inetglobal so positively in less than 10 days is switching his stance. I’m sorry, I am a woman that refuses to listen to this man as when we were in Toronto, he was all inetglobal. But he had a way about him that makes me know he is not to be trusted. I’m sorry Donald, but it sounds to me like you are full of it.
@ Donald Allen
Quote: Today I spent most of the morning at the court house filing for a hearing in the matter of myself and Steve Renner. . . . When in fact testimony will show, that I only asked Steve for some answers and was in good-faith negotiating my severance plan with the HR director. Unquote:
Don, why are you seeking a court hearing for matters between you and Renner, when in fact you’re already collaborating with Secret Service 100%? What are things that you need to straight out with Steve Renner? By asking for a court hearing, are you in fact asking for additional communication with the Renner’s? But on what? to gain a better understanding between you two? For give me if I am wrong, from the way I read your reply, it seems that is a message that you’re trying to send? Because after hearing about the court restrain order that bar you from approaching the Renner’s, you could simply stay away and pursuit your case by other means. You didn’t, you asked for a court hearing. Unless you still eye your severance package?
This is what I am not getting it. If I am suppose to rationalize it, under normal circumstances, these two things, talking to federal prosecutors about the company that employees you and turn around and negotiate a severance package with the same company in good faith, don’t go hand in hand. While admit taht I am not familiar with the labor law in MN, only to common sense it, don’t you have to forfeit one and go for the other? You can’t have both, can you?
When dragging along like this, are you not discrediting yourself from both sides? Or are you trying to stage two shows and see which one sells more tickets? Did the Secret Service unexpectedly showed up on your door step and that you have to agree to collaborate 100% screw your chances from negotiating your severance package with the Renner’s? Were you trying to leave the Renner’s before the Secret Service approached you? Which way is it? It just seems you’re throwing equal amount of mixed signals to both sides and to the readers of this blog.
Donald, you say you met with HR. Who is in charge of HR at Inetglobal? How many employees were at Inet when it was closed by the raid, and how many are working now?
@just sick of it: The human resource director was brought in by Mr. Keough – she’s a good person, so I will not publish her name. When the raid took place on 2/23/10 iNetGlobal had approximately 60 employees in 3 offices. On Monday, April 23, 2010 iNet had 6-8 Chinese support, 1 Russian support, 2 English support, the event planner and her friend (friends of Steve Renner’s girlfriend and iNetGLobal Board member) were at the front desk in each office and they hired a couple of programmers. Steve’s sons (2) and the “Cash Cards” office is open STILL with 1 or 2 people. The accountants usually come in right before Friday to pay the bills and divide the cash Steve has to pay the crew working now.
@ beebee
Trust me, I met Donald in Toronto. He is a snake. Out for himself. I spoke to someone at inetglobal and maybe we need to ask Donald about his motives. The person I spoke to protected everyone, even Donald, but you could hear the sarcasm. Basically, Donald tried to play his talk off as a way to help the company. HE IS FAKE. Big Bark, lots of noise, but if Renner kept him there, he would still be there. He is a joke.
You’ll find this interesting:
http://donny-allen.us/?p=1565