EXHIBIT 1 - Federal Communications Commission
Transcript of EXHIBIT 1 - Federal Communications Commission
EXHIBIT 1
Complaint and Declarations of Mark Scully and David McGinnis in
National Lightnet, LLC v. Willard Burge III, Betty Burge et al.
Case No. 18CV40521 (OR Cir. Ct., filed Sept. 12, 2018)
EXHIBIT 2
Third Amended Complaint in
National Lightnet, LLC v. Willard Burge III, Betty Burge et al.
Case No. 18CV40521 (OR Cir. Ct., filed Jan. 8, 2020)
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IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE STATE OF OREGON FOR DOUGLAS COIINTY
NATIONAL LIGHTNET, LLC, andCOMSPAN COMMUNICATIONS INC.,
Case No. Case No. 18CV40521))))))))))))))))))))))
Plaintiffs, THIRD AMENDED COMPLAINT
v(Breach of Duty; Fraud; Diversion ofBusiness Opportunities; Account;Conversion; Breach of Contract;Negligence)
WILLARD BURGE III, BETTY BURGE,NATIONAL NETWORK HOLDINGS, [NC.,and LOCALITY NETWORKS, INC.,
Not Subject to Mandatory Arbitration
Total claim : $77 0,800.79
DefendantsiThird PartyPlaintiffs,
MARK J. SCULLY,
Third Party Defendant.
Plaintiffs allege:
Plaintiff National Lightnet, LLC (hereinafter, "Plaintiffi") is a Nevada manager-managed
rFor the sake of convenience, "Plaintiff' shall refer to National Lightnet, LLC, while"Comspan" shall refer to Plaintiff Comspan Communications Inc., even though both parties are
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DOLE COALWELLAltorneys
8 I 0 SE Douglas - PO Box I 205Roseburg. OR 97470
Phonc: (54 I )(r73-554 I
1/8/2020 9:20 AM18CV40521
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I limited liability company engaged in the business of telecommunications. Plaintiff Comspan
Communications Inc. (hereinafter, "Comspan") is an Oregon corporation with its principal place
of business in Roseburg, Douglas County, Oregon.
At all material times, Defendants Willard Burge III (hereinafter, "Willard Burge") and
Betty Burge were residents of Douglas County, Oregon. At all material times, Willard Burge
was an employee and manager of Plaintiff and the President of Comspan. At all material times,
Betty Burge was an accountant and bookkeeper who provided accountant and bookkeeper
services for Plaintiff and Comspan in Douglas County, Oregon.
Defendant National Network Holdings, Inc. (hereinafter, "NNH"), is a Washington
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12 Corporation formed by Willard Burge on March 8, 2018
Defendant Locality Networks Inc. (hereinafter, "LNI") is a North Carolina Corporation
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t7 Defendant Willard Burge was employed by Plaintiff from March 17 ,2015 through July
18 17 ,2018. Some time after Willard Burge was hired, Defendant Betty Burge was contracted by
19 Plaintiff and Comspan to provide bookkeeping and accounting services.
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DOLE COALWEI-LAtlorneys
8 I 0 Si: Douglas - PO Box 1205Roseburg. OR97470
Phone: (54 I )673-554 I
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Plaintiffs herein
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1 6.
As a manager and employee of Plaintiff, Willard Burge owed Plaintiff the duty of loyalty,
and was obligated to act for the benefit of Plaintiff and to avoid self-dealing. Willard Burge also
owed Plaintiff a duty to disclose his plans to compete with Plaintiff.
FIRST CLAIM FOR RELIEF
(Breach of Duty of Loyalty and Disclosure)
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Plaintiffs reallege paragraphs 1 through 6.
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Willard Burge, in concert with his wife, Betty Burge, participated in a secret plan to
misappropriate Plaintiff s funds, as well as a business opportunity of Plaintiff.
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During his employment, Willard Burge, in concert with Betty Burge, failed to fulfill and
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14 breached his duties and obligations to Plaintiff and/or Comspan in the following particulars:
15 a. Paying Willard Burge, Betty Burge, and another family member expense
16 reimbursements that were fabricated, undocumented, andlor unsubstantiated;
l7 b. Misappropriating funds from Plaintiff under the guise of "office storage rent ,
18 c. Paying Willard Burge unauthorized and excessive vacation and PTO pay, including
19 pay for periods after Willard Burge had resigned;
Page 3 -- THIRD AMENDED COMPLAINT
DOLE COALWELLAttorneys
810 SE Douglas - PO Box 1205
Roseburg, OR97470Phone: (54 I )673-554 I
1 d. Paying Betty Burge amounts in excess of the terms of her contract with Plaintiff;
e. Using company funds and credit to pay for expenses incur:red in personal business
ventures;
f. Taking a business opportunity in North Carolina for themselves, without disclosing
their intention to compete to Plaintiff;
g. Failing to pay payroll taxes, while improperly taking company funds for themselves
that could otherwise have been paid toward those liabilities; and
h. inaccurately reporting assessable revenues to the Universal Service Administrative
Company, resulting in erroneously high Universal Service Fund assessments and a withholding
10 of credits otherwise due to Comspan, failing to pay the Universal Service Fund assessments,
11 resulting in penalties and interest, and misrepresenting to Comspan that said assessments were
12 timely paid. Defendants' breaches set forth above also caused Plaintiff and Comspan to incur
13 legal fees, accountant fees, and consultant fees to seek to remedy the harm caused by Defendants,
14 not including the attorney fees incurred as part of this action.
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t6 The above breaches of duty were not discovered until on or after August, 2018, upon the
t7 hiring of an independent accountant to review Plaintiff and Comspan's financial and payroll
records. Defendants actively concealed their breaches of duty to Plaintiff and Comspan.18
19 Plaintiff neither knew nor should have known of Defendants' breaches until on or after August
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DOLE COALWELLAttorneys
810 SE Douglas - PO Box 1205
Roseburg, OR 97470Phone: (541)673-5541
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1 2018
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As a direct and proximate result of Defendants' breaches of duty detailed above, Plaintiff
has been damaged in the amount of $226,849.85, consisting of overpayments to Defendants
Burge, payroll tax penalties and interest incurred by Plaintiff, accounting and consulting fees in
addressing Defendants' breaches. Comspan has been damaged in the amount of $543,950.94,
consisting of USAF assessments, penalties, interest, and attorney fees in addressing the
unwarranted USAF liabilities.
SECOND CLAIM FOR RELIEF
(Fraud)
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Plaintiffs reallege paragraphs I through 1 1.
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During the period of Willard Burge's employment and the period that Betty Burge
contracted with Plaintiff and Comspan, both made representations to Plaintiff and Comspan
about their expenses submitted for reimbursement, vacation and PTO hours submitted for pay,
their pursuance of business opportunities on behalf of Plaintiff (while intending to take an
opportunity for themselves), their hours submitted for pay, their entitled to "storage rent"
payments, their alleged payment of payroll taxes, and their alleged timely payment of USF
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DOLE COALWELLAttorneys
810 SE Douglas - PO Box 1205
Roseburg, OR97470Phone: (541)673-5541
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1 contributions assessed against Comspan.
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Willard and Betty Burge's representations to Plaintiff and Comspan regarding the items
set forth in paragraphs 9 and 13 were false, and they knew they were false. Willard and Betty
Burge used Plaintiff s assets for their personal use and profit, to which neither was entitled, and
each received amounts that were not authorizedby Plaintiff or by law.
15.
Willard and Betty Burge fraudulently concealed facts from Plaintiff, including those set
forth in paragraphs 9 and 13 of this Complaint, by failing to disclose those facts, by making
misrepresentations regarding those facts, and by actively destroying and secreting files
concerning the same.
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Willard and Betty Burge made their misrepresentations and failed to disclose their
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14 wrongful conduct, knowing that Plaintiff would rely on their misrepresentations and thereby
15 continue the employment and contractual relationship, to Plaintiff s detriment.
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Willard and Betty Burge made their misrepresentations with the purpose of inducing
18 Plaintiff to rely on them.
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DOLE COALWELLAttorneys
8 I 0 SE Douglas - PO Box I 205
Roseburg, OR97470Phone: (541)673-5541
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Plaintiff did in fact rely upon the misrepresentations of Willard and Betty Burge, in
ignorance of their falsity.
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Plaintiff has been damaged as a result of Willard and Betty Burge's misrepresentations in
the amount of $226,849.85, and Comspan has been damaged in the amount of $543,950.94, as
more specifically alleged in paragraph 11 herein.
THIRD CLAIM FOR RELIEF
(Diversion of Business Opportunities - Constructive Trust )
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Plaintiffs reallege paragraphs I through 6.
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In early 2018, Willard Burge, purportedly acting on behalf of Plaintiff, considered a
potential expansion of Plaintiff s operations to a locality in North Carolina. Willard Burge
traveled to Norlh Carolina and worked to develop the new telecommunications opportunity.
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Unbeknownst to Plaintiff, Willard Burge intended to form a new company of his own and
take that opportunity in North Carolina for himself. On March 8,2018, Willard Burge secretly
formed Defendant NNH. Subsequently, on April 8, 2018, Willard Burge formed Defendant LNI.
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DOLE COALWELLAttorneys
8 I 0 SE Douglas - PO Box I 205
Roseburg, OR 97470Phone: (541)673-5541
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Willard Burge falsely represented to others that NNH was an investment group which
owned several corporations across the country providing broadband services to smaller
communities. In fact, NNH had just been formed and did not own several corporations across
the country. Willard Burge carefully selected the name "National Network Holdings, Inc." to
create confusion with Plaintifls name "National Lightnet, LLC." Unlike NNH, Plaintiff does
have several subsidiaries that provide broadband services to rural communities. Willard Burge
deliberately used Plaintiff s goodwill, as well as PlaintifPs assets and money, for his own
purposes and to divert the North Carolina opportunity for himself and the new companies he had
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12 Defendant LNI was formed to provide broadband services to Pinetops and other localities
13 in North Carolina. This was the same opportunity that Willard Burge had been paid to seek for
14 the benefit of Plaintiff.
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16 On information and belief, Defendants LNI and NNH are operating in the community of
17 Pinetops and other localities in North Carolina, providing broadband services, and receiving
18 profits therefrom.
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20 Willard Burge, in concert with Betty Burge, LNI, and NNH, concealed their plan to take
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DOLE COALWELLAttorneys
810 SE Douglas - PO Box 1205Roseburg, OR97470
Phone: (54 I )673-554 I
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I Plaintiff s business opportunity in North Carolina, and used Plaintiff s money to finance their
business venture through excessive payments of salary, contract payments, fraudulent benefits,
and fraudulent expense reimbursements.
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On information and belief, in the months leading to Willard Burge's resignation with
Plaintiff, Willard and Betty Burge intentionally attempted to sabotage Plaintiff s business by
failing to pay required regulatory fees and failing to file required regulatory filings. Willard and
Betty Burge have caused Plaintiff severe and irreparable financial harm with their efforts.
Plaintiff has no adequate remedy at law for Defendants' actions of diverting a business
1l opportunity
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l3 Defendants have usurped and misappropriated a business opportunity that belonged to
14 Plaintiff, and Defendants have been, and will continue to be, unjustly enriched at Plaintiff s
15 expense, and to Plaintiff s detriment.
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tl A constructive trust should be imposed in favor of Plaintiff on all of Defendants' profits
I 8 and proceeds derived as a result of the improper diversion of Plaintiff s business opportunity
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DOLE COALWELLAttorneys
810 SE Douglas - PO Box 1205
Roseburg, OR97470Phone: (541 )673-554 I
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FOURTH CLAIM FOR RELIEF
(Accounting)
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Plaintiffs reallege paragraphs 1 through 30.
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Defendants should be required to account to Plaintiff for the profits received as a result of
their wrongful diversion of Plaintiffls business opportunity
FIFTH CLAIM FOR RELIEF
(Conversion)
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Plaintiffs reallege paragraphs I through 10.
Defendants wrongfully and unlawfully took company funds with no intention of returning
them, and without the consent of Plaintiff. Defendants acted in bad faith.
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Defendants' dominion and control over Plaintiff s property has been to the exclusion of,
and in defiance of, Plaintiff s rights, and Defendants have interfered with the rights of Plaintiff in
and to such property.
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Defendants' conversion of Plaintiff s property has caused Plaintiff damages in the amount
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DOLE COALWELLAttorneys
810 SE Douglas - PO Box 1205
Roseburg, OR 97470Phone: (54 I )673-554 I
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I of $190,853.07, consistent of the value of the monies taken by Defendants and the consultant and
accountant fees incurred in discovering Defendants' acts of converslon.
SIXTH CLAIM FOR RELIEF
(Breach of Contract)
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Plaintiffs reallege paragraphs 1 through 10
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Plaintiff and Willard Burge were in a contractual relationship as employer and employee,
one of the implied terms of which was the duty of good faith, and the other duties set forth
10 herein.
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I2 Plaintiff and Betty Burge were in a contractual relationship under which Betty Burge
13 agreed to provide Plaintiff accounting and bookkeeping services, and Plaintiff agreed to pay
14 Betty Burge for those services. The contract between Plaintiff and Betty Burge included an
15 implied duty of good faith and fair dealing.
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17 Defendants Willard and Betty Burge breached the duty of good faith and fair dealing, as
18 well as the other duties alleged herein, by misappropriating the funds of Plaintiff and usurping
19 Plaintiff s business opportunity in North Carolina.
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DOLE COALWELLAttorneys
8 I 0 SE Douglas - PO Box I 205Roseburg, OR 97470
Phone: (541)673-5541
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Willard and Betty Burge's breaches of contract have caused Plaintiff damages in the
amount of $190,853.07, consistent of the value of the monies taken by Defendants and the
consultant and accountant fees incurred in discovering Defendants' acts of conversion.
SEVENTH CLAIM FOR RELIEF
Q.{egligence)
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Plaintiffs reallege paragraphs I through 10
Defendants Willard and Betty Burge's failure to accurately report gross revenue to USAC
11 and failure to timely pay assessed USF contribution amounts caused Comspan to incur
12 unwarranted USF assessments, penalties, and interest. Defendants Burges' failure to pay payroll
13 taxes caused National Lightnet to incur unwarranted payroll tax liabilities. As the President and
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bookkeeper/accountant for Comspan, Defendants Burge owed Comspan a heightened duty of
care and were in a special relationship with Comspan. It was foreseeable that the above-
described omissions would cause harm to Comspan, the type of which the law protects against
negligent invasion, and Defendants Burges' conduct was unreasonable in the light of the risk to
Comspan. Defendants Burges' negligence caused Comspan damages in the amount of
19 $543,950.94, consisting of USAF assessments, penalties, interest, and attorney fees in addressing
20 the unwananted USAF liabilities, and National Lightnet damages in the amount of $59,871.28,
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DOLE COALWELLAttorneys
810 SE Douglas - PO Box 1205
Roseburg, OR97470Phone: (541)673-5541
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1 consisting of payroll tax penalties and interest, plus accounting and consulting fees.
WHEREFORE, Plaintiffs request judgment against Defendants as follows:
1. A money award in the amount of $543,950.94 in favor of Comspan, plus post-
judgment interest at the statutory rate;
2. A money award in the amount of $226,849.85 in favor of National Lightnet, LLC, plus
post-judgment interest at the statutory rate;
3. Imposition of a constructive trust over the profits earned by Defendants as a result of
their usurpation of PlaintifPs business opportunity;
4. An order requiring Defendants to account to Plaintiff for the profits earned from their
misappropriation and diversion of Plaintiff s business opportunity; and
5. Such other equitable relief as the Court deems just and proper.
DATED: January 7,2020.12
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, osB #024004
AvenuePost Office Box 1205
Roseburg, OR 97470-0303Telephone: (541) 613-5541Telefax: (541) 673-I | 56
Email : [email protected]
Of Attorneys for Plaintiffs
DOLE COALWELLAttorneys
8 I 0 SE Douglas - PO Box I 205Roseburg, OR 97470
Phone: (54 I )673-554 I
CERTIFICATB OF SERVICB
I hereby certiff that on January 8,2020,I served a true copy of the foregoing ThirdAmended Complaint upon the following:
Travis W. MisfeldtOf Attorneys for DefendantsBassinger & Harvey1200 Executive Pkwy ste320Eugene, OR 97401
Electronic Service through the OJDElectronic filing system pursuant to UTCR.21.100 (lXa), at the party's email address onrecord in the eFiling system
X First Class Mail
tr Facsimile Transmissron
Electronic Mail
Electronic Mail through the OJDElectronic filing system at the party's emailaddress on record in the eFiling system
tr Hand Delivery
, osB #024004DO COAL81 ED AvenueP.O. Box 120
Roseburg, Oregon 97470Telephone: (541) 673 -5541Facsimile: (541) 67 3-1 | 56
Email : j ason@,roseburglaw.comOf Attorneys for Plaintiffs
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EXHIBIT 3
Trial Scheduling Order in
National Lightnet, LLC v. Willard Burge III, Betty Burge et al.
Case No. 18CV40521
(OR Cir. Ct., filed Feb. 18, 2020)
IwruB Clncurt Counr oFTHE Srarn or OnpcottFoRTHE CouNrv or DOUGLAS
ro36 SE DouglasAvenue Roseburg Oregon 97470S4r.gST.247r http://courts.oregon.gov/douglas
February t8, zozo
Dole Coalwell Trust AccountPO Box reo5Roseburg OR 9747o
Re: National Lightnet,LLC, Comspan Communications Inc vs Willard Burge, III, Betby Burge,
National Network Holdings, Inc., Locality Networks, Inc.Case #: r8CV4oser Tort - General
NOTICE OF SCHEDI.]LED COURT APPEARANCE
Scheduled Proceeding: Trial - Twelve Person JuryRoom: Courtroom 4o3
Date Timeo7/28/zozo g:go AMo7/zglzozo g:3o AMoTlgo/zozo 9:3o AMoTl3rlzozo 9:3o AM
Additional information: 4 days
IMPORTANT NOTICE: PLEASE READ
Failure to appear at the time and place noted above may result in an order or judgment being
entered against you in the case.
Inter?reter: If you need an interpreter, you must tell the court at least 4 business daysbef""e y"*;ppearatr"e date. Go {o www.courts.oregon.gou/ScheduleAnlnterpreter to get an
interpreter.
Interprete: Si Ud. necesita un int6rprete, debe notificar al tribunal por lo menos 4 dias
ffi"r ""t.s
de la fecha de su co-iarec"ncia. Para conseguir un int6rprete, siga el siguiente
enlace:
Hearing Notice03/2012