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Tessemae’s LLC, a company that produces natural salad dressings, has sued Mike McDevitt Baltimore, a lawyer and investor based in DC, for fraud and racketeering. The lawsuit alleges that McDevitt violated the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) when he attempted to fraudulently acquire control of Tessemae’s.
The United States District Court in Baltimore received the lawsuit in June 2020. Judge George L. Russell, III rejected a motion by McDevitt and his co-defendants to dismiss the fraud and racketeering claims on March 31, 2021. RICO, fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, breach of contract, and negligence-legal malpractice are the surviving claims.
According to the lawsuit, McDevitt and his firm Tandem Growth Partners provided legal services and investment advice to Tessemae’s in 2017 and became involved in its management. The lawsuit claims that McDevitt and his co-defendants manipulated Tessemae’s affairs, caused it to incur unnecessary debts, misrepresented its financial situation, and pressured it to sell its assets to them at a low price. The lawsuit also accuses McDevitt of engaging in multiple acts of wire fraud by sending false emails and documents to Tessemae’s investors and creditors.
Natural salad dressings and condiments are what Tessemae’s LLC produces. Tesse Vetter, who wanted her three athletic boys to eat their veggies and stay healthy, founded it. Her family and friends enjoyed her own all-natural recipe for salad dressing, which she created and perfected.
The company’s product line and distribution have grown around the globe, with a motto of “Simplify Food, Amplify Life”. The company is also a proud partner of Dr. Axe Keto Diet, offering many delicious products that are keto-approved. The company is based in Essex, Maryland, and has a loyal customer base that appreciates its natural and healthy products.
The lawsuit against McDevitt and his co-defendants will probably go to trial later this year or early next year. Tessemae’s LLC hopes to recover the damages it suffered due to McDevitt’s alleged fraud and racketeering. McDevitt and his co-defendants deny any wrongdoing and maintain their innocence.
One of the most high-profile cases in Maryland this year is the lawsuit between Mike McDevitt and Tessemae and his co-defendants. Find out more about Mike McDevitt and Lawsuit. It involves allegations of fraud, racketeering, breach of fiduciary duty, breach of contract, negligence-legal malpractice, and RICO violations. RICO violations are federal crimes that target racketeering activity connected to an enterprise. Such as murder, kidnapping, drug dealing, bribery, mail and wire fraud, racketeering activity includes 35 offenses.
To convict someone of a RICO violation, the prosecutor must prove that the person committed two of these offenses with the same enterprise within 10 years and that the acts affected interstate commerce. RICO has been used for other crimes as well since it was originally passed in 1970 to prosecute the Mafia. For criminal charges or civil lawsuit cases, RICO violations can be alleged.
By sending false emails and documents to Tessemae’s investors and creditors, Michael McDevitt and Defendents engaged in multiple acts of wire fraud, Tessemae’s LLC alleges. Using electronic communication to obtain money or property by deception is a crime that is wire fraud. Wire fraud is one of the predicate offenses for RICO violations.