Empire Holdings Group LLC

What was alleged

The FTC filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, case number 2:24-cv-04949, against Empire Holdings Group LLC, which does business as Ecommerce Empire Builders and StoreFunnels.net, and its owner Peter Prusinowski, also known as Peter Pru.

The complaint alleges the defendants deceptively marketed ecommerce business opportunities and self-study programmes by falsely claiming buyers would generate substantial income from online stores “powered by artificial intelligence” using the defendants’ “proven” strategies.

The pricing structure, per the FTC: training programmes costing almost $2,000, or a “done for you” online storefront for tens of thousands of dollars. Buyers were told they could potentially make millions. The complaint alleges those profits failed to materialise.

Since 2021, the complaint says, the defendants deceived consumers out of at least $14.3 million.

Alleged violations: Section 5(a) of the FTC Act, the Business Opportunity Rule (16 C.F.R. Part 437), and the Consumer Review Fairness Act.

A federal court temporarily halted the scheme and placed it under a receiver.

Outcome

On 8 May 2025 the court entered a stipulated order that:

• permanently bans EEB and Prusinowski from selling business opportunities of any kind
• prohibits earnings claims without evidence to support them
• prohibits offering or enforcing any contract term preventing buyers from reviewing or reporting on their business practices
• requires them to turn over assets including rental properties, luxury watches, and the balances of accounts held by the receiver

The monetary judgment is $9,786,124, partially suspended on inability to pay, becoming immediately payable in full if the defendants are found to have concealed or misrepresented any material asset. The Commission vote was 3-0.

Note the recurring contract clause

Three separate entries on this site involve orders prohibiting contract terms that stop buyers leaving honest reviews: this one, FBA Machine, and Click Profit.

That is worth treating as a diagnostic. A business opportunity whose contract restricts what you may say about it publicly afterwards has told you something about its expectations before you have paid.

What is not established

Allegations in a complaint are the government’s case, not findings of fact, and a stipulated order resolves them without admission of wrongdoing.

We have not yet contacted the named parties for comment. When we do, the attempt and any response will appear on this entry.