AG Yost Permanently Bars Robocaller Responsible for Billions of Illegal Calls

(COLUMBUS, Ohio) — Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost and his counterparts in seven other states have secured a permanent ban against a Texas-based robocaller behind billions of illegal calls, including millions sent to Ohioans.

“This scammer’s line is dead — and it’s not coming back,” Yost said.

John Spiller has been found in contempt of court by a federal judge in Texas who imposed the strictest penalty possible, permanently prohibiting him from launching future telecommunications companies or otherwise operating in the telecom industry.

Spiller also is forbidden to collaborate with those who aided his illegal operations, make deceptive statements or use aliases in government filings. In addition, he must pay more than $600,000 in attorney’s fees and litigation costs for violating a 2023 court order that barred him from placing or facilitating robocalls – violations that last year prompted  the attorneys general to seek the contempt order.

Spiller – owner of Rising Eagle Capital Group, JSquared Telecom, and Rising Eagle Capital Group-Cayman – offered robocall dialer and VoIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol ) service to telemarketers, facilitating massive volumes of robocalls, including many targeting numbers on the Do Not Call Registry.

He tried to circumvent the 2023 court order by using aliases to launch new VoIP providers –  Every1 Telecom and ATX Telco – continuing to facilitate the same types of illegal robocalls.

The judge’s latest ruling sends a strong message that bad actors cannot evade court orders by simply operating under different business names.  

Joining Ohio in winning the contempt order were the attorneys general of Arkansas, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina, North Dakota and Texas.

Consumers who receive unwanted calls can complete an Unwanted Call Notification Form at www.OhioProtects.org. That information will be shared with the Robocall Enforcement Unit, which uses the reports to identify trends and protect Ohioans.

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