Steven Tsonis Ryan Kowalis Defrauded a Veteran out of his Life Savings Chicago IL

Check out the news story that CBS Chicago did on the matter. 

https://cbsloc.al/3vxgUKh

A veteran who honorably served ten tours in Iraq and Afghanistan over nearly a decade, was injured in Afghanistan in 2014 and no longer able to work in his capacity as a personal protection expert. He managed to save a significant sum along the way for his eventual retirement, but his sudden injury meant that he would need a new plan to provide for his future.

Enter: Ryan Kowalis and Steve Tsonis. Kowalis works at his family business that owns and operates two Lexus dealerships and a Toyota dealership in the Chicagoland area. Tsonis has owned and operated restaurants in the past. In 2018, Kowalis decided that he wanted to branch off from the family dealerships and start something that was his own.  He partnered with his best friend, Tsonis, to open up a restaurant in Chicago's West Loop neighborhood. In order to start this business, they needed investment money. Kowalis and Tsonis had multiple conversations with the veteran and induced an investment out of him into Kerouacs Cafe Inc., the corporation that operated The Gringo Chicago. 

The veteran found out later that Kowalis and Tsonis were transferring investment money into their personal accounts and the corporate account was being used for personal expenses. The veteran, figuring this out, brought the Federal Bureau of Investigation in to open a criminal investigation. The criminal investigation by the FBI is still ongoing and expected to wrap up in the first half of 2021.

Now the veteran, is forced to file a civil complaint in order to recover his life savings. The veteran has brought forth a civil complaint that alleges Kowalis and Tsonis of: Fraud, Conversion, Breach of Fiduciary Duty, Breach of Contract, Civil Conspiracy, and Violating the Illinois Deceptive Practices Act. Kowalis and Tsonis made materially false and misleading statements and failed to disclose material facts while soliciting Eggum’s investment payments. Among these, that Kowalis and Tsonis did not own Kerouacs on the dates claimed, that Kerouacs was financially stable to include $100,000 capital investment by Kowalis and $100,000 capital investment by Tsonis, that Kowalis and Tsonisreported an inflated purchase price for Kerouacs, and a misrepresentation that the veteran's funds would go solely and directly to restaurant buildout where these funds were actually and immediately transferred to Kowalis’ and others’ personal accounts. 

The veteran has sent Kowalis a demand letter, asking for his principal investment back. Kowalis, instead of doing the right thing, has hired two law firms to try and get out of paying him back. Kowalis is represented by two law firms, Walsh, Fewkes, & Sterba and Blaine Vanzant LLP, a prominent federal criminal defense firm, which according to its website “serves clients in the greater Chicago area who have been charged with the most serious federal crimes”
(https://www.blainevanzant.com/).

Kowalis will be able to spend more money on dragging this case out, which would cause the veteran to have to spend even more to get restitution. This GoFundMe will go towards helping pay for the legal bills associated with bringing Kowalis and Tsonis to justice. 

The veteran is working with national organizations to organize a boycott of all Lexus and Toyota vehicles as well as the Kowalis family dealerships in the Chicagoland area. Kowalis is currently the director of marketing for Lexus of Merrillville, Lexus of Orland Park, and Toyota of Orland Park.