Hop-On Inc (HPNN)

[PRmaniac]

Michaels grabbed headlines with his promise to deliver "the world's first disposable, fully-recyclable and contract-free cell phone." The hype attracted media attention and persuaded Time Magazine to cite Hop-On's disposable phone as one of the "Inventions of the Year" in 2001. There was just one problem – Hop-On did not appear to have a phone to deliver. See HOP-ON.COM, INC. — TROUBLE IN RIVER CITY.

Meanwhile, authorities were focusing on Michaels' earlier activities promoting another tiny public company, WWWC. On April 17, 2003, prosecutors charged Michaels and four other men with raising $12 to $15 million for WWWC by orchestrating an aggressive telemarketing scheme and issuing online press releases that created "a veneer of legitimacy for WWWC and affiliated companies." That same description could be used to characterize Michaels' efforts to promote Hop-On.