Man Sentenced to 6 Years in Federal Prison for Telemarketing Scam

A man was recently sentenced to six years in federal prison for running a telemarketing scheme that bilked more than 80,000 people out of $6 million by offering non-existent bartender or "mystery shopper" jobs.  Stevan Todorovic was convicted last July of 10 counts of mail and wire fraud in U.S. District Court in downtown Los Angeles.

Todorovic set up several companies in Santa Barbara -- including American Bartending Institute and Consumer Response Group -- to market and sell a bogus training program, false certifications and job referrals.  He placed ads in newspapers across the country offering bartending and mystery shopping jobs.

Those who inquired about the jobs were told they had to purchase certification programs.  Todorovic promised the certifications would come with referrals to bars and retail establishments needing bartenders or mystery shoppers.  However, the certifications were worthless and Todorovic had no jobs to offer.

Along with the 6-year federal prison term, Todorovic has been ordered to pay a $1,000 fine and serve three years of supervised release after he gets out of prison.