Rick Garson is former Founder, President, Secretary, Treasurer and Director of MAXX International. In August 2000, the following announcement was made:
ITEX (a barter company) To Be Acquired By MAXX International Quote: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ITEX Management Team Will Play Important Role, MAXX Headquarters Will Relocate to Sacramento
Los Angeles-based MAXX International has entered into a memorandum of understanding under which they will acquire the assets of the ITEX Corporation (a retail barter exchange) for 16 million shares of MAXX International common stock. (The transaction is valued at $16 million.)
MAXX (OTCBB: MXII) is a global rights management company. Assets include the distribution rights to the prayer books of Pope John Paul II and Vatican licensing agreements. It is also the parent of PureVision Internet, developer of the web site www.thegospel.com.
Michael Jay Solomon will continue as Chairman of the Board, plus continue to oversee development of new products and services for the company. He was the founder of Telepictures which merged into Lorimar, becoming the largest television production company in the world.
Formerly the President of Warner Bros. TV from 1989 to 1994, Solomon was responsible for making it the largest television program distribution company in the world. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Among other things, Solomon went about promoting the fact that "he" had secured a license to produce credit, debit and calling cards featuring images of the Pope and Vatican library. Apparently MAXX had borrowed $300,000 from Itex at 18% per annum which was due October 2, 2000. The note went into default. The proceeds of the note were paid directly to the licensor (Second Renaissance, L.L.C.). Garson had also managed to (I kid you not) convince a group of American celebrities (like Britney Spears, Steven Tyler, Faith Hill, Brooke Shields, Celine Dion, Tim McGraw, and Jennifer Love Hewitt) to read prayers by formerly recited by the Pope which Garson peddled on CD's http://old.post-gazette.com/columnists/20000709gene.asp
Garson Resigned from MAXX in July 2000 but surely involved in the attempt these merger proceedings with ITEX before falling out with Solomon. In fact in the MAXX September 2000 SEC filing it states:
"The former president and majority stockholder of the Company (Rick Garson) has filed suit against the Company in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, claiming entitlement to certain shares of the Company and reimbursement of expenses and salary. The Company believes it has meritorious defenses to the action and has counterclaimed for damages against Mr. Garson."