As noted
on the blog, Charles Humble has filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy with respect to NITV, LLC.
On Thursday, 7 October 2021, Michael R. Bakst, the bankruptcy trustee handling this case, convened a meeting of creditors. The meeting was held telephonically, and I dialed in and took notes.
At the opening of the meeting, Humble's lawyer for this bankruptcy case,
Julianne R. Frank, spoke about Humble's health, telling Mr. Bakst:
Quote:It's Julianne Frank for NITV. He authorized me to tell you that he's twice hospitalized, both versions of COVID victim [sic] and he's been experiencing long haul symptoms including brain fog.
Bakst opened by asking about the cause for the bankruptcy filing:
Quote:Michael R. Bakst: What caused the filing of this bankruptcy proceeding?
Charles Humble: Well, in 2008, NITV LLC lost about twenty-five percent of its income, and in 2009 it lost another twenty-five percent of its income, and in 2010 lost another twenty percent of its income. And together with attorneys' fees to defend numerous lawsuits that our competitors had filed against NITV LLC and the normal overhead, and then the back taxes owed to the IRS, the company was not able to pay its bills nor purchase the new equipment to sell to customers. As a matter of fact, I had to lend the company money in an attempt to keep it afloat, but unfortunately I ended up losing my home to foreclosure and also ended up owing the IRS all of the back taxes.
Bakst: Okay, and Mr. Humble, when you mention the IRS, is the IRS owed money from NITV, LLC at this time?
Humble: No.
Bakst also inquired about the last time NITV, LLC conducted business, and its electronic records:
Quote:Bakst: When's the last time that NITV, LLC actually conducted business?
Humble: I think it was around 2011 or so, maybe '10 or '11. Uh, I continued to, uh, I continued to, the actual business didn't go forward, but I continued to fund the company with some money to pay off creditors.
Bakst: Okay, and I've asked for information, data, of this company. Is there any computer that this company has somewhere?
Humble: No. No, those were all years and years and years ago given to, I think it was Faith Farms Ministries. I think it was around 2012, something like that, '11, '12.
Bakst: Okay, and how would I access like emails and history and other just online data of this company? Is there a way I would be able to do that?
Humble: Uh, there's nothing online, no.
Bakst: And last email address that was, this company's used?
Humble: Oh gee... I don't recall. That was ten years ago, about ten years ago.
Despite Humble's claim that NITV, LLC stopped doing business, and its email address was last used, about ten years ago, a
document presently on the NITV website (a copy of which is attached to this post) shows NITV, LLC as holding a four-year contract with the General Services Administration (Contract GS-07F-0114M) that became effective as of 1 January 2017 and that expires on 31 December 2021. This document lists the email address nitv@cvsa1.com.
Humble alleged in the meeting of creditors that he created NITV Federal Services in 2003 to handle dealings with the federal government. It's not clear why then NITV, LLC holds this federal contract.
Bakst also asked Humble about any dealings between NITV, LLC and NITV Federal Services, and about NITV, LLC's website:
Quote:Bakst: Have there been any dealings between that entity [NITV Federal Services] and the debtor [NITV, LLC], I guess within the last twelve years?
Humble: No.
Bakst: Is there a website that NITV has ever used?
Humble: It had a website. It no longer has a website that the CVSA it's a vendor [sic]. NITV and NITV Federal Services were both vendors that sold the CVSA so the CVSA basically has a website that NITV used.
A review of the website
www.cvsa1.com on the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine shows no evident change of corporate ownership from NITV, LLC to NITV Federal Services during the period around 2011 when Humble claims that NITV, LLC last conducted any business. Both before and after this supposed transition, the website continued to list the public email address of nitv@cvsa1.com, the same email address NITV, LLC lists on its letter regarding its current GSA contract.
In response to questioning by
Scott W. Zappolo, who represents E. Gary Baker, who hold a $250,000 judgment debt against NITV, LLC, Humble also purported not to know when NITV, LLC's reported $329,076.19 debt to law firm Brinkley Morgan and its reported $139,266.90 debt to law firm Seiden, Alder, et al. were incurred, or precisely what services these debts were for. Humble also claimed not to possess billing records for these alleged debts. Neither law firm participated in the meeting of creditors.