National Sports Services defectors fire back at firm

Grace Leong

Wednesday, Oct. 27, 1999 | 10:54 a.m.

Five former employees of National Sports Services Inc. of Las Vegas denied allegations in a lawsuit that they misappropriated its customer lists to start a competing telemarketing business called Monaco Sports, and plan to file a $10 million counterclaim alleging unethical work practices and an unsafe and hostile work environment.

In an Oct. 20 Clark County District Court suit, National Sports Services sought an injunction against its former telemarketers, who are now employed by Las Vegas handicapper Jimmy Spats, alleging they were bound by an employment agreement to not engage in any competing sports information business in Nevada until Oct. 15, 2000.

"We believe this is an invalid contract because it was signed under duress," said Paul Wommer, the defendants' attorney.

The defendants, Perfecto Bobadilla, Bernard Peraino, Roy Perry, Joseph Panzica and Michael Roshkind, said in response to the lawsuit that they were forced by National Sports to participate in an alleged wire fraud scheme where customers were allegedly duped into thinking they were receiving sports betting information from several unrelated sports services when these services allegedly belong to handicapper Jim Feist.

"The sports services are trying to perpetuate the myth that they are in competition when in fact they are all part of the same organization," Wommer said. "All the information is being sold by the same entity but they're giving the illusion you are getting information from different sources."

The defendants allege the customers aren't aware that five sports services were related because the mailing addresses of these services were at different locations in Las Vegas. They allege these services were actually all located in one office in Las Vegas.

"Once a customer calls in to Jim Feist, within the next five days, whether he wins or lose, his name and information will be passed on to the five other services," said Bobadilla.

Perry agreed. "I would ask Jim Demasi (National Sports' vice-president) if I could keep my customers to myself. He told me this is the way we can get the most money out of the customer."

The defendants said National Sports also didn't tell customers they were allegedly being recommended to place their bets with an alleged offshore sports betting company in Costa Rica called Guardian Guarantee, which is allegedly owned by Feist.

They disputed National Sports' allegations they had stolen their customers. "Cynthia Gordon (National Sports' president) sold its leads (customers) to Jimmy Spats even before we joined his company," said Roshkind.

The defendants also disputed allegations that they sabotaged National Sports business by telling customers to "charge back" the payment for the purchase of the information on their credit cards.

"To teach the customer how to charge back is also to teach him how to charge back against you. It doesn't make sense to do that," Bobadilla said.

The defendants also disputed National Sports' allegations that they illegally operated and unfairly competed against the company when they failed to obtain a telemarketing licence and a $50,000 surety bond for Monaco Sports.

"There is no such company as 'Monaco Sports.' Jim Feist called Jimmy Spats and spoke to him two days after we left... He called us 'unsavory characters.' He knew we are now working for Las Vegas handicapper Jimmy Spats, and still he claims we're working for this fictitious 'Monaco Sports' " Roshkind said.

The defendants said they plan to seek an injunction prohibiting National Sports from releasing false information about them and allege they suffered abusive treatment and intimidation and unsafe working conditions.