Arturo Ruiz, Francisco Mendoza and Old Quest Foundation, Inc.

Roger Elvick developed the “redemption process” and, in conjunction with the efforts of Dave DeReimer and Jean Keating, started its promotion in 1999. Soon, seminars were being conducted all across the country and attendees were being encouraged to use checks allegedly drawn on the US Treasury to buy cars, boats, homes, etc. But within two years, people were being indicted and convicted for using this program.

Winston Shrout was a student of the “legal” arguments developed and advocated by Elvick, and he heavily promoted the “1099-OID” tax return program that “Dr. Sam Kennedy” and Tim Turner also began using in 2006. By late 2007 and early 2008, the “1099-OID” tax return argument was being promoted everywhere by the seminar gurus.

Convicted pipe-bomber John Lloyd Kirk conducted “1099-OID” tax return seminars that were attended by Arturo Ruiz and Francisco Mendoza. After attending one of Kirk's seminars, Ruiz and Mendoza went back to their homes in southern California, formed Old Quest Foundation, Inc., and got into the “1099-OID” seminar business. Rather than re-write this story, please read this article. This promotion resulted in 32 federal indictments charging 55 defendants, including a big one against Ruiz, Mendoza and many others. The main indictment was 69 pages long and it charged 19 defendants with various crimes. Heavy sentences were imposed.

Incidentally, John Lloyd Kirk may have also been the party who pled guilty to child sex-abuse charges.