Heinen v. iDigrati, LLC, et al. was filed in the Superior Court of Gwinnett County, Georgia on December 16, 2021, claiming civil damages for breach of contract and state securities violations in connection with purported investments in promissory notes sold by Defendants.

Plaintiff is an individual who invested $200,000 with Defendant in exchange for a promissory note. Defendants are the investment company, iDigrati, LLC (“iDigrati”) and its two operating individuals, Narendra Patel and Bruce Rowland.  Rowland is deceased and is represented by his estate in this action.

Plaintiff alleges Defendants marketed its investments promising $7,500 in monthly payments in exchange for a $200,000 initial investment, secured by a promissory note.  This promissory note was allegedly an unregistered security.  Plaintiff alleges that iDigrati never paid more than its first $7,500 payment and has defaulted on the note, and that Defendants have operated as a Ponzi scheme through iDigrati and other names to defraud investors.  Plaintiff does not detail how Defendants represented the investments would generate funds for interest payments; instead, Plaintiff alleges Defendants operate various businesses and use investor funds to pay interest obligations and luxurious personal expenses.  Plaintiff points to the Alabama Securities Commission’s 2019 Cease and Desist Order against Rowland for operating an investment business without proper licensing in its complaint.

The complaint alleges claims for breach of contract and violations of the Georgia Security Act of 2008, in addition to seeking punitive damages and attorney’s fees.  Plaintiff also seeks to pierce the corporate veil of iDigrati to reach funds held by the individual Defendants and other unknown operators of the scheme, named as John Does in the complaint.