WRIGLEY SHUTS DOWN JOHN SPILLER AND JACOB MEARS FOR MAKING MILLIONS OF ILLEGAL ROBOCALLS IN NORTH DAKOTA

14 Mar WRIGLEY SHUTS DOWN JOHN SPILLER AND JACOB MEARS FOR MAKING MILLIONS OF ILLEGAL ROBOCALLS IN NORTH DAKOTA

March 6, 2023

Contact: Attorney General, Drew H. Wrigley 701.328.2210

Attorney  General  Drew  Wrigley  announced  judgments  shutting  down  a  vast  robocall  operation  involving  John  Caldwell  Spiller  II  and  his  business  partner  Jakob  Mears,  the  owners  of  Texas-based Rising Eagle Capital Group LLC and JSquared Telecom LLC, as well as Rising Eagle Capital Group–Cayman.  The  defendants  blasted  billions  of  illegal  robocalls  to  people  across  the  country.  In  2019  and  2020  alone,  the  defendants  bombarded  North  Dakotans  with  millions  of  illegal  robocalls,  including  calls  to  people  whose numbers were on the North Dakota Do Not Call Registry.

Wrigley noted that telephone subscribers detest robocalls and frequently contact his office to complain.  “These calls  hammer  our  landlines  and  cell  phones,  invading  our  peace  and  enjoyment,  and  constantly  interrupt  and  annoy us at the most inconvenient times,” said Wrigley.  “These solicitations are illegal, and we are pleased to have taken these particular actors out of the robocall game, making them accountable and giving our residents some much welcomed relief.”

The Attorney General’s Office sued the defendants in September 2020 alleging violations of North Dakota’s do not call laws, the federal Telephone Consumer Protection Act and the federal Telemarketing Sales Rule, as well as various state consumer protection laws. The complaint alleged that the defendants used their companies to flood people with robocalls about a variety of scams involving extended car warranties and health care services, among others. They also spoofed calls to mislead people and called people on the Do Not Call list. 

Mears and Spiller are now permanently banned from initiating or facilitating any robocalls, working in or with companies that make robocalls, or engaging in any telemarketing. The court also ordered monetary judgments totaling  $244,658,640  for  Spiller  and  Mears  combined,  though  these  payments  will  be  largely  suspended  in  favor of the permanent operational bans and because of their inability to pay.  “While these legal enforcement actions won’t stop all robocalls, they will significantly change the landscape by shutting down these defendants who made billions of calls throughout the country,” said Wrigley.

Wrigley noted that the legal action on this matter isn’t over.  “Our work is not yet done,” Wrigley said.  The attorneys general are continuing their cases in this same litigation against Florida-based Scott Shapiro, Michael Theron  Smith,  Jr.,  and  Health  Advisors  of  America,  Inc.  These  defendants  allegedly  worked  with  Mears  and  Spiller to make illegal robocalls targeting North Dakota consumers who never gave permission to be contacted by Health Advisors.

Attorney  General  Wrigley  is  joined  in  today’s  settlements  by  the  Attorneys  General  of  Arkansas,  Indiana,  Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, and Texas. 

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