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Java Jo’z, Emerald Coast Mfgr., Roy Snowden

The guiding principle of FranBest.Com is to explore franchises and franchise opportunities with eyes wide open. FRANCHISE WATCH entries are not to say whether a given company or franchise is good or bad – or whether allegations or complaints about them are true or false. The goal of FRANCHISE WATCH is to alert you to opinions, news and complaints posted elsewhere, so that you may investigate fully and draw your own conclusions.

Java Jo’z (also affiliated with an entity called Emerald Coast Manufacturing) is a drive-thru coffee franchise run by a Florida man named Roy Snowden. There have been numerous disturbing allegations and complaints made about Roy Snowden, Java Jo’z and the other entities. Before investing, we strongly suggest you investigate thoroughly. Here are some links to information on Java Jo’z:

Franchise Pick: Overview of the Ben Scoble allegations against the Java Jo’z franchise.

Scobleizer.com: Prominent tech Blogger Robert Scoble claims his brother Ben Scoble was ripped off by Java Jo’z to the tune of $30,000.

Ben Scoble’s Blog: Scoble’s brother Ben has started his own blog documenting his alleged loss of a $30,000 downpayment for a franchise he didn’t open due to lack of suitable locations.

Rip-Off Report: Nearly identical story dated 1/27/05 by a Florida man named Steve who allegedly paid $20,000, which he could not get back after being unable to find a location.

EmeraldCoast.Com: Story dated 11/16/2006. “FWB Businessman Pleads Guilty to Tax Evasion” Roy P. Snowden, owner of Java Jo’s drive-thru coffee businesses “pled guilty Monday in federal court to five counts of Evasion of Payment of Income Taxes and one count of Conspiracy to Defraud the Internal Revenue Service.”

FamousReviews.Com: Business review warning against dealing with Roy Snowden, the Java Jo’z franchise, or Emerald Coast Mfgr.

National Arbitration Forum: Arbitration ruling against Roy Snowden in domain & trademark dispute.

If you have any experience or information on the Java Jo’z franchise opportunity, feel free to leave a comment or email us at info [at] ideafarm [dot] net.

25 replies on “Java Jo’z, Emerald Coast Mfgr., Roy Snowden”

Java Jo’z Controversy Gaining Attention Via Blogs…

According to Ben Scoble, he  paid a $30,000 refundable downpayment for a Java Jo'z drive-thru coffee franchise.  He was unable to find a location but, according to Scoble, the company will not refund his deposit.
Others in the same situat…

I just wanted to add something to this. Not only is Roy P. Snowden and his wife crooks…But they are monsters. Roy and Kim ran a Door to Door traveling sales crew where he worked us kids like dogs and Kept most of our money.Ironicly they let me go for not being honest and left me at a bus station in St. PAul w/ no money and no ticket. Someone should take this evil man off the streets for ever.
Thanks
Trisha A.Paliotti

Official Statement from Cuppy’s Coffee & More

In May 2006, Medina Enterprises, a Nevada based company, purchased the assets of Java Jo’z Coffee & More, LLC, and Emerald Coast Manufacturing Inc. From this transaction, the principle owner of Medina formed an association with another individual, and Cuppy’s Coffee & More, an international coffee franchise, emerged.

Through this transaction, Cuppy’s Coffee obtained the rights to the logos, assumed the leases and acquired a majority of the equipment. A majority of the former employees of Java Jo’z were offered positions and are now employed at Cuppy’s.

Java Jo’z still exists as a licensing company and is owned by Kim Snowden. Roy and Kim Snowden have no financial, operational, or legal association with Cuppy’s Coffee.

Although Cuppy’s Coffee holds no legal obligation to provide marketing, operational, or product support to the Java Jo’z customers, Cuppy’s has chosen to offer these services to the Java Jo’z owners.

Since August 2006, Cuppy’s Coffee has been inviting any coffee business (including Java Jo’z customers) the opportunity to convert into a Cuppy’s franchise. For conversion details please contact Rudy Harper at rudy@medinamgt.com

Rudy:

Will Cuppy’s give credit for the $20,000 and $30,000 fees they allegedly paid?

Most of these owners, I believe, couldn’t find locations in their markets. Will Cuppys find them a site?

Trisha, what a crock! You lived great, ate great food – and stole from people! SHAME ON YOU! Oh wait…crooks don’t feel guilty I heard about you. You made your bed(s) lay in it.

guest said “Oh wait…crooks don’t feel guilty.”

That’s a relief. At least Roy Snowden will be able to serve out his prison term without the added burden of guilt and remorse.

J WROTE:
I am not here to ‘slam’Cuppy’s/Java Jo’z, however I do think its important to understand the relevance of Roy Snowden and World Media in relationship to this topic. I understand that most of the conversatio here is based on the Cuppy’s/Java Jo’z scandal. But Roy is also in prison due to tax evasion and IRS fraud issues, correct? Why it is your place to decide which of us that were screwed over by this man have a write to voice oppinion here confuses me. Who are you the blog police? Back off and understand that the people who lost 30grand of refundable deposits were not the first to be screwed by Roy and Kim. I know, I am also a past sales rep for World Media.

It is just as important for someone like Trisha to voive her oppinion as it is for the rest of you. You all may be involved a little more on a professional level and feel that because you may be directly related to the coffee end of the scandal, that your oppinions here are more valid. You are adults who probably make rational decisions and you were still taken for a ride by this guy. Trisha was a child when he manipulated her and so was I. And….so were hundreds of other children as young between 16 and 20 years old…..and so were hundreds of thousands of folks who bought or renewed magazine subscriptions from these kids at their doorstep, perhapse paid in cash and never recieved one issue of the magazine and no doubt never saw the $40 to $80 again. Maybe this is not the place to be bringing this up. But its definitely not your right to tell Trisha to take it somewhere else. If you people heard her story and stories from hundreds of other children (or the parents of these kids) 5 or 10 years ago it may have helped you to make different and better decisions regarding your trusting your investments with this man. If you had known me, and my story, you would have asked different questions and maybe taken your business elsewhere. What happened to us on the magazine crew is relevant because it shows a cycle and a trend of how this man operates. Falsley advertising in local newspapers directed at appealing to kids. Liying to them about the expectations of the job when you hire them. Bussing them from there home in Seattle to Escondito, CA where they pack 4 to 7 kids per room in ratty, shabby, filthy hotels in ghetto-esque neighborhoods. Bussing them around these same neighborhoods and dropping them off, alone, for hours at a time with no phone or possible way to call for help if something should happen to them or if they should get lost. Only allowing them 2 meals a day, one very early and one very very late. Requiring them to work 6 or 7 hours a day from 8am until they got there ‘quota’, often times keeping them out in crime ridden neighborhoods long after dark knocking on strangers doors asking for money for magazines at 11pm or later. At the popular chance that one did not get their ‘quota’ there was punishment. You might go hungry, you might sleep on the floor or worse, you might be physically harmed during a fit of rage in one of Roys temper tantrums. I can tell you about a time where I had raised some eyebrows in the group and caused negativity because I complained when I was not allowed to visit my family for my birthday. A meeting was called for the entire crew and in Roys rage he picked up an adding machine and sent it flying accross the room, landing against a wall inches from my 19 year old head. After that, it was thought that I might try to leave the crew so I was not given my 15$ a day money to eat for the next few weeks and was forced to borrow or share from other kids. My phone card given to me by my mother was taken from me. I was threatened that if I left I would owe thousands of dollars for my hotel accomodations for the last several months, though I had made thousands of thousands of dollars for Roy that I never saw a penny of. Tell me that my oppinion on the man does not matter. Tell me I cant voice it here. He was lying, cheating and stealing long before this story became public conversation. The difference is, at that time he was lying cheating and stealing from your children or your grandchildren.

I for one am happy to see him get what he deserves. To bad Kim is not getting hers as well. I give props to Trish for standing up for herself here.

J.Gleason, Seattle Washington
jlglea@msn.com

I have said from the beginning this was not about me being a part of the franchise…But As J. Gleason points out this man and His wife have a track record…the Jail time he is doing is because of hiding his ASSETS of WORLD MEDIA INTERNATIONAL INC… and the money he made during 4-5 years of that buisness—- I am sorry that the taste left in my mouth by this man is still bitter….Excuse the Pun… To say that the only ones important here are those that Lost 30,000 from the Java JO’z….Is Ignorant….I wish I could tell you how much money the man owes me and thousands of other kids and MAGAZINE customers. I have every right to comment on this and back up the anger that these other people are, that were screwed by ROY P SNOWDEN and KIM SNOWDEN.

The fact I am dead or kidnapped after being left in the Ghetto of ST.paul w/ no money or way home….TO RI….at 19 years old shows the reason for my bitterness….anger …and complete satisfaction in his imprisonment.

Trisha A. Paliotti
good2bmom2001@yahoo.com

I can’t believe I didn’t find this sooner. While doing a quick search for Roy I can upon this bash fest with little delight. First lets start things of by saying that I am amazed that “J” can even spell much less read enough to try to stick up for a lier. It would be one thing if her story was strait but it is in fact, fictional! She was caught stealing or “not giving the customers receipts and keeping the money for herself” and then was given another chance by Roy to stay on and do the right thing. But alas she could not help herself and continued about her ways. And if-so-facto she was “let go” in Fargo, N.D. at a Greyhound Station with ticket in hand.

Now as for “J”. There are “mag crews” that are like you describe but the one Roy P. ran was nothing as you describe. Yes some did have bad experiences but those where mostly people who didn’t give a shit about anything and where treated like wise. W.A.B. I believe was the term used most for people who couldn’t swing the d to d sales b.s. and you sound very much like one of those people. I happen to work for this man for two years, I stayed in one hotel that wasn’t the greatest and yes sometimes I didn’t meet my quota but never did Roy treat me with anything but respect as I him. I guess my point here is you get what you give.

Sometimes karma is quick and sometimes it can take years.

P.S. Kim went crazy and was institutionalized some years back so I doubt she had anything to do with this.

Steve H. said: I am amazed that “J” can even spell much less read enough to try to stick up for a lier

Steve: Did you mean “stick up for a liar?

By “strait” did you mean straight?

By “if-so-facto” did you mean ipso facto?

By “where treated” did you mean were treated?

Roy sounds like a great guy. He’s lucky to have you to defend his honor and correct spelling. Tell him we send our regards when you see him on visiting day.

Roy Snowden used to clear orders for his Mag Crew through Belo Kellum and TICOA in the 80s, then he met his match. A bigger crook than himself. Steve Bellamy.

Bellamy looted Snowden for over half his crew and much more cash. Funny Stuff.

Roy’s vitamin poppin ass is a well known criminal from the mag biz. World Media was formed after Bellamy’s Media World bent Roys dumb ass over a post.

It was common for the old Mg Pro’s . like Roy and Bellay, to “pad” the 1099s they issued to young adults. Sometimes they even issued 1099s in the sum of 90 grand or more to pass of the tax liability. Snowden’s crooked ass is in prison for that.

In 1990, at the Holiday Inn in Parsipany NJ, i became very aqaiunted with Kim. Nice girl and a great sport.

Anyway, my old favorite saying has come true.

” Your destiny is my revenge”

Dont drop the soap Snowden 🙂

WellYour right I sure did do things I am not proud of! A child in the position of survival and approval can do many things! However the man you defend has MADE HIS BED in a cell while I tuck my son into bed! Moral of the story is to know just who it is you are lying in bed with!

By the way Steve “H”, if i remember correctly you had your fair share of issues, as we all did. You are very ignorant to be sticking up for ROY when it is clear what kind of man he is, he is sitting in Federal Prison.(I am not) I mean it’s not like people are just making up all tis stuff about him.

The man made millions of dollars off kids, paying them 15.00 a day to eat and do whatever else they needed.(BTW he is in jail for tax freud relevent to the mag crew buisiness.) The hours worked, the brainwashing, I mean this man has never looked out for anyone but himself.

He also took these peoples money and lived a lavish life style BY BEING DISHONEST. A little bit of pot calling kettle black, don’t cha think.

I see the brainwashing stuck w/ you. I did chose to go and sell these magazines, I did chose to go back, but I was a nieve kid, and thats what these people count on.

Any amount of research will show everyone involved in these mag crews (upper management) are shady, too slimy to make it in the real buisness world, which requires dealing with smart , savy buisness people.

Therefore they involve themselves in a buisness, that requires little more intelligence then brainwashing kids, and living off of thier hard work.

I on the other hand left crew, went back to school and work in the financial industry, where I am no longer nieve, nore deal w/ slimly, lowlife, selfish, small minded mag crew “managers”.

Steve H, did you work with Frank, Tara, Steve Kowalski, Jerry and Dora, etc??????? Just curious. If so, you worked with me.

Yes Java Jo’z and Cuppy’s are separate companies BUT- took over all the same lame people that do not know how to serve franchisees! I visited the Corporate Office, and talk about unprofessional. They wanted me to sign a contract that day. The whole company is a scam and if you are looking into their franchise beware- oh I also saw their wonderful high rating from The AAFD- well new owner of Cuppy’s stated they did not live up to the AAFD standards at all, so they should not have that award by any means. Beware of all the scams!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I was a java jo’z franchisee. I to was ripped off of 30,000. I was receiving quarterly disbursments from a law firm handling the java jo’z settlement. We also had trouble finding a site. That law firm is no longer sending the disbursment out. I received a letter, but lost it about a new firm handling the quarterly payments. Question: Anyone knows how to contact or has contacts to see why the payments stopped. We settled on 27,000 to be refunded and about 4,500 hundred has already. Please call me at 504 259-4520. Thanks, Stephen New Orleans

look who’s up to no good again

Plaintiffs: ROY P. SNOWDEN and KIMBERLY M. SNOWDEN
Defendants: JOHNSON & JOHNSON, ORTHO-MCNEIL PHARMACEUTICAL, INC. and JOHNSON & JOHNSON PHARMACEUTICAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, LLC

Case Number: 3:2010cv03510
Filed: July 8, 2010

Nature of Suit: Torts – Injury – Personal Injury- Product Liability
Cause: 28:1332

look who’s up to no good again

Plaintiffs: ROY P. SNOWDEN and KIMBERLY M. SNOWDEN
Defendants: JOHNSON & JOHNSON, ORTHO-MCNEIL PHARMACEUTICAL, INC. and JOHNSON & JOHNSON PHARMACEUTICAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, LLC

Case Number: 3:2010cv03510
Filed: July 8, 2010

Nature of Suit: Torts – Injury – Personal Injury- Product Liability
Cause: 28:1332

Wow , God works in mysterious ways , just now seeing and hearing about all of this and all I can say is you reap what you sew . I am a living witness that everything that Trisha said is true, I too am a former mag crew worker for Roy P , Pam , and Kim Snowden and yes they were crooks from a long time ago . I pray that they have repented and changed . Word for word Trisha was telling the truth .

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