C Lee Enterprises, LLC

Grant funding that was guaranteed and did not arrive

C Lee Enterprises LLC, trading as Grant Bae, sold grant writing and consulting services to minority owned small businesses. The FTC and the State of Florida alleged that from at least October 2020 the company made false claims about access to grant funding and about its owner’s qualifications.

The marketing allegedly promised that all minority owned businesses qualified for at least $25,000 in funding, that a customer buying the $6,999 Elite package would receive at least $250,000, and that every customer would receive at least four grants in the first year. The complaint says the company claimed access to $268 million to distribute to clients when no such funds existed.

Customer portals allegedly displayed grants as awarded or pending when no money had been sent. The business marketed through Facebook, Instagram and Clubhouse. It offered a money back guarantee, then according to the complaint often stopped responding and blocked customers who asked for refunds.

The court steps

In June 2022 a federal court temporarily shut the company down and froze the defendants’ assets. In December 2022 the operators agreed to a proposed order permanently banning them from offering grant related products or services and from providing business consulting.

The proposed order required them to turn over a home, a car and a watch to a court appointed receiver, to be sold to fund refunds. It carried a monetary judgment of more than $2 million, partially suspended for inability to pay, and a separate $115,000 settlement with a relief defendant that was fully suspended. The full judgments become due if the defendants misrepresented their finances.

What is not established

The supplied releases do not state what the property sale produced, the payable portion of the partially suspended judgment, or a total amount businesses lost. Stipulated final orders have the force of law once approved and signed by the district court judge, and resolve allegations without an admission of wrongdoing.