fl.reply to oppositi

REPLY submitted by Stanacard, LLC

Reply to Opposition

2012-07-12

This document pretains to ITC-214-20120518-00134 for International Global Resale Authority on a International Telecommunications filing.

IBFS_ITC2142012051800134_959359

                                       Before the
                            Federal Communications Commission
                                  Washington, D.C. 20554

In the Matter of                            )
                                            )
Rubard LLC d/b/a Centmobile                 )
                                            )      File No. ITC-214-20120518-00134
Streamlined International                   )
Section 214 Application                     )




        REPLY TO OPPOSITION TO PETITION TO DENY INTERNATIONAL
        SECTION 214 APPLICATION OF RUBARD LLC D/B/A CENTMOBILE




                                                Thomas K. Crowe
                                                Cheng-yi Liu
                                                LAW OFFICES OF THOMAS K.
                                                CROWE, P.C.
                                                1250 24th Street, N.W.
                                                Suite 300
                                                Washington, D.C. 20037
                                                (202) 263-3640
                                                firm@tkcrowe.com

                                                COUNSEL FOR STANACARD, LLC

                                                July 12, 2012


                                                 TABLE OF CONTENTS


TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................................................ ii

SUMMARY OF RESPONSE ........................................................................................................ iii


I.        THE UNDISPUTED FACTS SHOW THAT RUBARD’S INTERNATIONAL
          SECTION 214 APPLICATION IS NOT TRUTHFUL AND ATTEMPTS TO
          CONCEAL RUBARD’S UNLAWFUL OPERATIONS ....................................................2

II.       ZAYTSEV’S TRANSFER REQUIRED FCC APPROVAL DESPITE
          RUBARD’S FAILURE TO OBTAIN INITIAL INTERNATIONAL SECTION
          214 AUTHORITY AT THE TIME THE TRANSFER OCCURRED ................................6

III.      RUBARD APPARENTLY BEGAN PROVIDING INTERNATIONAL
          TELECOMMUNICATIONS SERVICES PRIOR TO 2011 ...............................................9

IV.       THE OPPOSITION ADVANCES OTHER UNFOUNDED ARGUMENTS
          AND ACCUSATIONS IN AN ATTEMPT TO DIVERT THE COMMISSION
          FROM THE TRUE ISSUES..............................................................................................11

V.        CONCLUSION ..................................................................................................................14


DECLARATION OF CHOUPAK

EXHIBIT A

EXHIBIT B




                                                                   ii


                                  SUMMARY OF RESPONSE

       Rubard is and has been intentionally operating in violation of federal law, despite its

owners and officers having specific and documented knowledge of applicable Commission

requirements, and thus lacks the necessary character and fitness to obtain Commission

authorization for the provision of regulated international telecommunications services. The

Opposition is simply an attempt to divert the Commission’s attention from this reality.

       Rubard’s international Section 214 application (the “Application”) is a clear attempt to

conceal the Applicant’s lengthy period of unauthorized operations. Rubard has admitted to

unlawfully providing international telecommunications services and cannot deny that Artur

Zaytsev, both an owner and officer of the company, had specific knowledge of federal regulatory

requirements applicable to Rubard. In other words, Rubard fully understood its obligations but

chose to deliberately and intentionally violate federal laws regardless. This is an intentional

offense which speaks to the Applicant’s lack of character and fitness, and requires the

Commission to deny the Application.

       The Opposition claims that Rubard’s commitment to “meeting its past and present

obligations… is the reason for its present application.” This is a disingenuous claim because

Rubard clearly made no attempt to actually comply with any other known Commission

requirements at the time of the Application. On the other hand, Rubard’s failure to disclose the

fact of its unauthorized operations in the Application or through other filings shows that the

Application was an attempt to conceal its noncompliance.         Rubard continues its trend of

untruthfulness by claiming in the Opposition that the Application “did not hide this fact, and was

in all respects truthful.” The Commission must not condone unlawful operations and deceptive

applications, and must deny the Application.



                                                iii


                                           Before the
                                Federal Communications Commission
                                      Washington, D.C. 20554

In the Matter of                                  )
                                                  )
Rubard LLC d/b/a Centmobile                       )
                                                  )       File No. ITC-214-20120518-00134
Streamlined International                         )
Section 214 Application                           )



           REPLY TO OPPOSITION TO PETITION TO DENY INTERNATIONAL
           SECTION 214 APPLICATION OF RUBARD LLC D/B/A CENTMOBILE

         Pursuant to Section 63.20(d) of the Federal Communications Commission’s (“FCC’s” or

“Commission’s”) rules, 1 Stanacard, LLC (“Petitioner” or “Stanacard”), by its attorneys,

respectfully submits this reply to Rubard LLC d/b/a Centmobile’s (“Rubard’s” or “Applicant’s”)

Opposition to Petition to Deny (the “Opposition”). 2 The Opposition amounts to nothing more

than a subterfuge intended to divert the Commission from the only reasonable conclusion that

can be reached: Rubard is and has been intentionally operating in violation of federal law,

despite its owners and officers having specific and documented knowledge of applicable

Commission requirements, and thus is unqualified to obtain Commission authorization for the

provision of regulated international telecommunications services. 3 The Commission must not

condone such deliberate, illegal operations which blatantly flout its regulatory authority.

1
    See 47 C.F.R. § 63.20(d).
2
 In the Matter of Rubard LLC d/b/a Centmobile, Opposition to Petition to Deny, File No. ITC-
214-20120518-00134 (July 5, 2012). The Opposition was in response to Stanacard’s Petition to
Deny International Section 214 Application of Rubard LLC, d/b/a Centmobile filed under File
No. ITC-214-20120518-00134 on June 20, 2012 (“Petition to Deny”).
3
 See Petition to Deny at 2 (the lack of necessary character and fitness is material to the
Commission’s determination that Applicant is unqualified to hold an international Section 214
authorization).


I.        THE UNDISPUTED FACTS SHOW THAT RUBARD’S INTERNATIONAL
          SECTION 214 APPLICATION IS NOT TRUTHFUL AND ATTEMPTS TO
          CONCEAL RUBARD’S UNLAWFUL OPERATIONS

          Rubard’s international Section 214 application (the “Application”) 4 must be denied

because it is not “in all respects truthful” as Rubard claims. 5 In fact, the Application is a clear

attempt to conceal the Applicant’s lengthy period of unauthorized operations—an act that is far

from truthful.         As admitted in the Opposition, 6 Rubard had been unlawfully providing

international telecommunications services for (at least) “approximately fourteen months” before

filing the Application. 7 Rubard “regrets this error,” 8 implying its violations of federal laws were

simply unintentional oversights or mistakes due to ignorance. On the contrary, the undisputed

facts show that Rubard’s illegal operations were clearly deliberate and intentional and the

Applicant made no attempt to be forthright about its noncompliance in the Application or the

Opposition.

          Artur Zaytsev (“Zaytsev”), both an owner and officer of Rubard, 9 is a former officer of

Petitioner and had specific knowledge of, as well as documented involvement with FCC




4
 In the Matter of Rubard LLC d/b/a Centmobile, International Section 214 Application, File No.
ITC-214-20120518-00134 (May 18, 2012).
5
    Opposition at 1.
6
    Id. at 1 and 5.
7
  This admission is in direct contradiction to Rubard’s claim that it does not have a longstanding
pattern of violating the Commission’s rules. Opposition at 5. Fourteen months is certainly a
long enough duration to be considered “longstanding,” and the time period of admitted non-
compliance encompasses enough missed regulatory filing deadlines (and failures to remit
contributions to various federal telecommunications funding mechanisms) to establish a pattern
of violations. See Petition to Deny at 8 – 10.
8
    Opposition at 1 (emphasis added).
9
    Id. at 6 (stating that Zaytsev “continues to serve as an officer for Centmobile”).


                                                    2


regulatory requirements applicable to an international telecommunications service provider. 10

Because of Zaytsev’s involvement, Rubard simply cannot claim that it was unaware of its federal

regulatory obligations, 11 including obtaining international Section 214 authorization prior to

providing international telecommunications services.            Rubard’s failure to comply with

Commission requirements (of which it was aware) is not a simple error for which forgiveness (in

the form of an international Section 214 authorization) can be granted due to an insincere plea of

regret. Rubard fully understood its obligations but chose to deliberately and intentionally violate

federal laws regardless. 12 This is an intentional offense which speaks to the Applicant’s lack of

character and fitness, and requires the Commission to deny the Application.

          Rubard claims that its commitment to “meeting its past and present obligations… is the

reason for its present application.” 13 This is a disingenuous claim, given that Rubard made no

efforts documented on the public record at the time of its Application to disclose its unauthorized

operations or comply with other Commission requirements. At the time of the Application,

10
   Petition to Deny at 5, n. 18 and n. 20. In addition to having documented involvement on
Section 214 related obligations, the Commission can easily verify that Zaytsev was also the
signatory on Petitioner’s initial FCC Form 499-A registration, the signatory on several
subsequent FCC Form 499-A registration update filings and revenue reports, the senior officer
identified as the contact (i.e., systems security and integrity representative) on Petitioner’s initial
CALEA SSI Plan, and the signatory on more than one Section 43.61(a) report of international
telecommunications traffic.
11
  Indeed, the Opposition makes no attempt to deny that Rubard was specifically aware of the
applicable regulatory requirements nor does it show that any attempt was made to comply with
known requirements at the time of the Application. See id.; see also Petition to Deny at 9.
12
  This directly contradicts Rubard’s claim that it has not willfully and repeatedly violated
Commission rules. Opposition at 5. In fact, Section 312(f)(1) of the Communication Act of
1934, as amended (the “Act”), defines willful as “the conscious and deliberate commission or
omission of [any] act, irrespective of any intent to violate” the law. 47 U.S.C. § 312(f)(1).
Rubard can make no truthful claim that its admitted fourteen month failure to obtain international
Section 214 authority or its failure to comply with any other Commission requirements was
anything short of willful.
13
     Opposition at 1.


                                                   3


Rubard made no attempt to obtain Special Temporary Authority (“STA”) and chose to simply

continue with its unauthorized operations. 14 A timely application for STA would have disclosed

to the Commission that Rubard had been operating without authorization, and would have been a

more reliable indicator that Applicant had intended to meet its past and present obligations in

good faith. Rather, Rubard chose to aggravate its existing violation by not applying for STA,15

and then presumably hope that its unauthorized operations went undetected under a streamlined

international Section 214 application process. In fact, Rubard made no attempt to apply for STA

until July 3, 2012, 16 more than a month and a half after filing of the Application and only after

the Petition to Deny had already exposed Applicant’s unauthorized operations.

       Furthermore, Rubard failed to file an FCC Form 499-A registration—another important

Commission     prerequisite   for   the   provision    of   both   interstate   and   international

telecommunications services—at the time of its Application. 17 A company intent on meeting its

past and present obligations should certainly be willing to take the very minimal amount of time

required to complete and mail a registration form which requests primarily contact information. 18


14
   Again, Zaytsev had specific knowledge that an applicant which had been operating without
international Section 214 authority would be required to obtain STA. See Petition to Deny at 5
and n. 20.
15
   See, e.g., In the Matter of Teleplus, LLC; Apparent Liability for Forfeiture, Notice of Apparent
Liability for Forfeiture, 24 FCC Rcd 7666, 7669 (2009) (“Teleplus NAL”) (finding failure to
apply for STA to be an aggravating factor where a company continued to operate while its
international Section 214 application was pending).
16
  See File No. ITC-STA-20120703-00168. Stanacard filed an opposition to Rubard’s
application for STA on July 9, 2012.
17
   Searches for “Rubard” and “Centmobile” in the FCC Form 499-A Filer Database, reflecting
filings received by USAC as of June 8, 2012, indicated no FCC Form 499-A registration had
been filed by Rubard through at least June 8, 2012. See Exhibit A.
18
   Of note, the FCC Form 499-A registration also requires a filer to disclose the month and year
in which the filer first began providing telecommunications services. While this information is
not publicly available, the Commission can easily ascertain from this record (if truthful) whether


                                                 4


Yet, Rubard chose not to take this step—again, with Zaytsev’s specific knowledge that it would

be required—at the time it claims to have started providing service in April 2011 and again in

May 2012 when it claims to have filed the Application with an intent to meet its past and present

obligations. 19 There is no good faith intent that can be discerned from this deliberate delay of

compliance. 20

       The Application is not “in all respects truthful” in light of the documented facts in the

Commission’s records, 21 and based upon Applicant’s own admissions of unlawful operations.

Rubard’s after-the-fact attempts at concocting a semblance of good faith compliance only further

expose that the Application was simply an attempt to conceal at least fourteen months of

violating federal laws. At the time of its Application, Rubard could have easily (and should

have) disclosed to the Commission, through an application for STA or FCC Form 499-A

registration, that it had been providing unauthorized international telecommunications services.

a filer has been providing services prior to filing the registration. Overall circumstances would
seem to suggest that Rubard did not timely file its Form 499-A registration in hopes it would be
able to pick a less conspicuous start date after its Application was granted.
19
   There was also no record in the FCC Form 499-A Filer Database, prior to July 5, 2012 when
the database was last updated, of Rubard having filed its FCC Form 499-A registration. Since
the Opposition fails to state the exact date when Rubard’s FCC Form 499-A registration was
filed, the only reasonable conclusion is that no such filing was made until after the Petition to
Deny. Regardless, it is clear that Rubard made no attempt to comply with this important
Commission requirement at the time of its Application in May 2012.
20
   At the time of the Petition to Deny, searches of the Commission’s publicly available databases
(e.g., ECFS) also conspicuously yielded no results for any apparent compliance filings by
Rubard. See Petition to Deny at 9 and n. 9.
21
   Rubard falsely accuses Petitioner of violating 47 C.F.R. §§ 1.17(a)(2), (b)(2) and 63.20(d) by
not providing truthful statements of fact or supporting such statements with an affidavit.
Opposition at 6 – 7. Rubard clearly overlooks the exception in rule 63.20(d) for facts which are
in the Commission’s records and for which official notice may be taken. Rubard also fails to
understand the distinction between facts and conclusions. The first is a necessary truth, the latter
is merely a reasoned judgment or inference. Petitioner has not violated any duty of candor or
truthfulness simply because Rubard disagrees with the conclusions drawn in the Petition to
Deny.


                                                 5


However, Rubard chose not to make such a disclosure through these additional filings or in the

Application itself. Thus, the Opposition misleadingly claims that the Application “did not hide

this fact, and was in all respects truthful.” 22 The plain facts show that Rubard chose to continue

operating under the Commission’s radar and, through omission of information and deliberate

non-action, effectively concealed the nature of its unauthorized operations on the Application.

The Application is not truthful and must therefore be denied.


II.       ZAYTSEV’S TRANSFER REQUIRED FCC APPROVAL DESPITE RUBARD’S
          FAILURE TO OBTAIN INITIAL INTERNATIONAL SECTION 214
          AUTHORITY AT THE TIME THE TRANSFER OCCURRED

          Rubard admits that it did not seek approval for the transfer of 90.1% ownership interest

from Zaytsev to Alexander Dzerneyko (“Dzerneyko”) “because Centmobile was not yet

authorized to provide international common carrier telecommunications services.” 23           This

suspect interpretation of Commission authority implies that Rubard believes compliance with all

other FCC requirements can be evaded simply by virtue of choosing to operate illegally without

the necessary authorization. 24 This interpretation defies both reason and established Commission

precedent. 25 Since Rubard was providing international telecommunications services, 26 it would

have been required to obtain international Section 214 authorization and FCC approval for the

transfer from Zaytsev to Dzerneyko. Rubard has not sought such approval, either permanently or
22
 Opposition at 1. This can only be seen as a violation of the Applicant’s duty of candor to
make truthful statements to the Commission. See 47 C.F.R. §§ 1.17(a) and (b)(1).
23
     Opposition at 3.
24
     See id. at n. 8.
25
  See, e.g., In the Matter of FTTH Communications, LLC, Notice of Apparent Liability for
Forfeiture, 26 FCC Rcd 12890 (2011) (discussing steps taken by an applicant to obtain STA and
approval for a transfer of control even prior to having obtained an initial international Section
214 authorization).
26
     See Section III, infra at 9.


                                                 6


through STA, resulting in a misrepresentation of the true nature of its ownership structure on the

Application.

         Rubard also attempts to bypass the transfer of control requirement by claiming in the

Opposition that “[i]t was not until two months after the transfer, in April 2011, that Centmobile

was approved for a merchant account and began providing common carrier telecommunications

services through that account.” 27 Suspiciously, the assertion in the Opposition is qualified

differently than the assertion in Dzerneyko’s declaration, which reads:

         Centmobile began providing international common carrier telecommunications service in
         approximately April 2011. On April 4, 2011, Centmobile was first approved for a
         merchant account with Chase Bank, which was a practical prerequisite for the broad sale
         of telecommunications services to the general public. 28

On one hand, the assertion in the Opposition only goes so far as saying telecommunications

services were not provided through the Chase Bank merchant account until April 2011. The

approval of a merchant account in April 2011 does not equate with the provision of international

telecommunications services, and strong evidence exists to suggest that Rubard provided

international telecommunications services prior to this time using other means of payment

processing, such as Paypal or TelPay, 29 which would not necessarily require a merchant




27
     Opposition at 3 (emphasis added).
28
     Declaration of Alexander Dzerneyko (“Dzerneyko Declaration”) at ¶ 7 (emphasis added).
29
   The Centmobile.com website, in November and December of 2010, identified PayPal as a
payment method and describes next to the copyright footer that “CentMobile is a service of
TelPay Inc.” TelPay is a payment processing company based out of Canada, and is clearly not a
telecommunications service provider. See http://www.telpay.ca/about/english (last accessed July
12, 2012). The apparently fully functional nature of the website in 2010, including the posting of
rates, calling instructions and alternative payment methods shows that Rubard apparently began
providing international telecommunications service (as defined by the Act) prior to 2011. See
Section III, infra at 9.


                                                7


account. 30 On the other hand, the Dzerneyko Declaration only asserts April 2011 to be the

approximate start date for Rubard’s provision of international telecommunications service.

Surely, April 2011 is not so far back in time that Rubard cannot accurately and more specifically

determine from its own records—and consistently assert in its Opposition—when it actually

began providing international telecommunications services. In fact, all Rubard would need to

do—if indeed it was providing international telecommunications services only through the

merchant account—is to verify the date it first received payment for services through the

merchant account to know that no international telecommunications services could have been

provided prior to that date. These inconsistent and loose assertions as to Rubard’s start date for

the provision of international telecommunications services, combined with the apparently fully

functional nature of the Centmobile.com website in 2010, 31 raise serious concerns regarding the

veracity of the Opposition and the Dzerneyko Declaration. 32 In short, evidence strongly suggests

that Rubard apparently began providing international telecommunications services well before

the February 2011 transfer and, as a result, FCC approval for a transfer of control was and still is

required.




30
   A merchant account, such as one obtained through Chase Bank, would only be necessary for a
company to directly accept and process credit and debit cards without utilizing another third-
party payment processor. See, e.g.,
https://www.chase.com/index.jsp?pg_name=ccpmapp/smallbusiness/merchant_services/page/pa
ymentech (last accessed July 12, 2012).
31
     See supra at n. 30; Section III, infra at 9.
32
  These concerns regarding truthfulness further illustrate Applicant’s apparent lack of character
and fitness.


                                                    8


III.       RUBARD APPARENTLY BEGAN PROVIDING INTERNATIONAL
           TELECOMMUNICATIONS SERVICES PRIOR TO 2011

           The Commission need not rely solely upon the inconsistent assertions of start date in the

Opposition and Dzerneyko Declaration to determine that Rubard began providing international

telecommunications services prior to 2011.         The Centmobile.com website, 33 through which

Rubard provides telecommunications services, has been documented to be in functional

existence since at least November of 2010.             The Internet Archive Wayback Machine has

archived versions of the main Centmobile.com page dating to December 2010, 34 as well as

archived versions of various subpages, all in substantially the same form as exists today, dating

to November 2010. 35 Specifically, the following archived pages support a conclusion that

Centmobile.com was offering international telecommunications services as early as November

2010. 36

           •   “How to Use – Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)” page from November 7, 2010
               describing, among other things, that: (a) PayPal payments sent to
               paypal@centmobile.com were accepted; (b) calls could also be made from countries
               other than the U.S. and Canada because CentMobile had access numbers all over the
               world; (c) customers could sign up and begin using the service instantly; and (d)
               TelPay was apparently utilized as another payment option because the page footer
               indicates “CentMobile is a service of TelPay Inc.” 37
33
  A search at any online domain registrar will show that the Centmobile.com domain name was
registered as of July 13, 2009. See, e.g., http://www.networksolutions.com/whois-
search/centmobile.com (last accessed July 12, 2012).
34
  See http://web.archive.org/web/20101230114927/http://www.centmobile.com/ (last accessed
July 12, 2012).
35
  The fact that earlier versions of Centmobile.com do not exist in the Internet Archive Wayback
Machine archive does not necessarily rule out that the website was in existence and operational
prior to November 2010.
36
   Note that the conclusion here is that Centmobile.com had offered international
telecommunications services as early as November 2010. As Rubard will certainly be quick to
point out, the company itself was not formally organized until December 2010.
37
     http://web.archive.org/web/20101107190451/http://www.centmobile.com/how_to_use.aspx?id=1 (last
accessed July 12, 2012).


                                                   9


       •   “How to Use” page from November 8, 2010 explaining how calling a local number in
           the U.S. (click on the example in step 3) allows a customer to be “connected to the
           international number corresponding to your Local CentMobile number.” 38

       •   “Call Rates” page from November 7, 2010 displaying rates for calls to numerous
           international destinations. 39

       These archived pages clearly show that Centmobile.com was, at the very least, offering

international telecommunications services to the public as of November 2010. 40 Thus, upon its

formation in December 2010, assuming it was operating the Centmobile.com website at that

time, Rubard was also offering international telecommunications services to the public in 2010,

well before its asserted start date of approximately April 2011. 41

       Finally, to further refute Applicant’s unreliable assertions that it did not provide

international telecommunications services until approximately April 2011, two declarations have

been enclosed to further refute Rubard’s assertions as to the start date of its international

telecommunications services.       The first is a declaration signed by Michael Choupak

(“Choupak”), the former Managing Member of Stanacard, attesting to having personal

knowledge that Zaytsev and his known colleague, Aleksandr Palatkevich (“Palatkevich”), have

been obtaining international telecommunications services for resale from at least one underlying



38
   http://web.archive.org/web/20101108022348/http://www.centmobile.com/how_to_use.aspx
(last accessed July 12, 2012).
39
  http://web.archive.org/web/20101107220255/http://www.centmobile.com/Callrates.aspx (last
accessed July 12, 2012).
40
  The Act defines “telecommunications service” to mean “the offering of telecommunications
for a fee directly to the public…” 47 U.S.C. § 153(53) (emphasis added).
41
  If Rubard claims it was not the owner and operator of Centmobile.com in December 2010,
then it must somehow show that its later acquisition of the website and any associated customer
base from another provider of telecommunications services was not an unsanctioned transfer of
control.


                                                 10


provider (with which Choupak has a professional relationship) since 2009. 42             Specifically,

Zaytsev and Palatkevich have been obtaining international telecommunications services for

resale on behalf of Rubard and, prior to Rubard’s formation, on behalf of another corporate

entity known as Omnitel Communications Corp. (“Omnitel”). Because of the involvement of the

same individuals in both Rubard and Omnitel, it is highly likely that Zaytsev and Palatkevich

were operating Centmobile.com through Omnitel prior to the formation of Rubard. Choupak’s

declaration is further supported by a confidential declaration provided by the underlying

provider. 43     The underlying provider’s declaration attests to facts corroborating Choupak’s

declaration, including the fact that Zaytsev personally requested the underlying provider allow

Rubard to assume the contract between Omnitel and the underlying provider. The information in

these declarations further corroborates the assertions that Rubard and Centmobile.com have been

providing international telecommunications services since prior to 2011.


IV.        THE OPPOSITION ADVANCES OTHER UNFOUNDED ARGUMENTS AND
           ACCUSATIONS IN AN ATTEMPT TO DIVERT THE COMMISSION FROM
           THE TRUE ISSUES

           Rubard questions Petitioner’s motives, 44 accuses it of anticompetitive behavior, 45 and of

misrepresenting facts “in an attempt to exact retribution against a would-be competitor.”46

Stanacard encourages         and invites healthy, lawful competition in the international

telecommunications service market by service providers which operate in compliance with

Commission requirements. However, any service provider that is willing to deliberately flout
42
     See Declaration of Michael Choupak.
43
     See Confidential Declaration of Underlying Provider, enclosed as Exhibit B.
44
     Opposition at 2.
45
     Id. at 6.
46
     Id. at 7.


                                                   11


federal laws and operate outside of the Commission’s authority cannot claim to legitimately

benefit a competitive market. In fact, deliberately operating without authorization and violating

other Commission requirements creates an unequal playing field which gives companies like

Rubard an unfair and anticompetitive advantage over lawfully operating service providers. In

this regard, Rubard is not a “would-be competitor” because it currently seeks Commission

authorization—it is an existing competitor which has been operating unlawfully to the detriment

of the entire competitive telecommunications market, of all the federal funding mechanisms to

which it has avoided making required contributions, and of all the consumers who have been

deceived into signing up for service with a noncompliant, unauthorized provider.

          As Rubard seems to have a proclivity for doing, it has misunderstood and

mischaracterized statements and conclusions contained in the Petition to Deny. For example,

Petitioner does not attempt to show Rubard’s “bad intent in listing the South Dakota address by

citing to the address listed on the contact page of Centmobile’s public website.” 47 The bad intent

is inferred from the fact that Rubard exhibits a great hesitance in making known its true place of

business on its website (which uses a Delaware registered agent address) or the Application

(which uses the South Dakota P.O. Box address). 48 The Opposition correctly points out that

Petitioner also utilizes a similar South Dakota address. However, unlike Rubard, Petitioner has

not represented this as its place of business or provided this as its only address on applications to

the Commission. Finally, the Opposition clearly misinterprets and quotes out of context footnote




47
     Opposition at 4.
48
  At the time of the Petition to Deny, there was no publicly available evidence in the
Commission’s Form 499 Filer Database to show that Rubard had provided a true corporate
business address to the Commission. See supra at n. 17.


                                                 12


17 of the Petition to Deny. 49 Petitioner made absolutely no claim that Zaytsev is not a U.S.

citizen. In fact, footnote 17 clearly states “the involvement of other individuals” and specifically

contemplates the possibility that Palatkevich, a non-U.S. citizen according to Petitioner’s

records, is likely to be involved with Applicant because he is a known colleague of Zaytsev (a

fact also documented in the Commission’s records). 50             Again, Rubard’s emphasis on

mischaracterizing these issues is a clear attempt to create subterfuge and divert the

Commission’s attention from the true issues (i.e., Rubard’s intentional violations of the law and

lack of character and fitness) which require denial of the Application.




49
     Opposition at 6.
50
     See Petition to Deny at n. 18.


                                                13




                                  DECLARATION OF MICHAEL CHOT]PAK

I, Michael Choupak, do hereby declare as follows:

    1. I         am the former Managing Member         of Stanacard, LLC ("Stanacard")     and   I   have personal
            knowledge of the facts set forth herein.

    Z. I         have   a professional   relationship with an underlying provider   of   wholesale international
            telecommunications services.

    3.      Through my professional  relationship, I discovered information indicating the underlying
            provider *u, providing international telecommunications services for resale to Omnitel
                        ^


            Communications Corp. ("Omnitel") since August 2009.

    4.      From this information, I recognized that two individuals known to me through my former
            involvement with Stanacard, artur Zaytsev ("Zaytsev") and Aleksandr Palatkevich
            (,,Palatkevich"), were involved in the operations of omnitel.

    5.      I also discovered information indicating thatZaytsev and Palatkevich later, in January 2011, were
            involved in the shift of Omnitel's operations to an entity known as Rubard LLC dlbla Centmobile
            ("Rubard").

            Based on this overall information, I believe that Zaytsev and Palatkevich were operating
                                                                                                     the
    6.
            Centmobile.com website, first through Omnitel and then later through Rubard.


    7   .   When I was the Managing Member of Stanacard, I hired Palatkevich to implement the technology
            system for the operation of Sturu.ard's calling platform. Palatkevich is the only individual
                                                                                                         who
            could have implemented the technology system for Centmobile.com, as Zaytsev and Alexander
            Dzerneyko (Rubard's alleged managing member) would not have the knowledge or ability to
                                                                                                           do
            so. I can only .onclude that Palatkevich would not have  implemented   the technology  system for
            Centmobile.com without also having obtained a controlling or at least substantial interest in
                                                                                                           its
            operations, whether through Omnitel or Rubard.

           declare under penalty of perjury under the laws of the United States
             I                                                                              of America that the
 foregoing is true and correct to the best of my knowledge, information and belief.


             Executed on this   LdaY         of JulY, 2012.


EXHIBIT A


FCC Form 499 Filer Database Search Results                             http://apps.fcc.gov/cgb/form499/499results.cfm?FilerID=&frn=&operatio...




                                                       Search | RSS | Updates | E-Filing | Initiatives | Consumers | Find People



         FCC Form 499 Filer Database Search Results
         FCC > CGB Home > FCC Form 499 Filer Database > FCC Form 499 Filer Database Search Results




                                             Name, Trade Name or DBA contains "centmobile"

                         No records were found matching your criteria.



         This database reflects filings received by USAC as                 FCC Form 499 Filer Database Software Version
         of Jun. 08, 2012                                                                         01.03.06 July 21, 2011

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         Federal Communications Commission         Phone: 1-888-CALL-FCC (1-888-225-5322)                 - Privacy Policy
         445 12th Street SW                          TTY: 1-888-TELL-FCC (1-888-835-5322)                 - Website Policies & Notices
         Washington, DC 20554                        Fax: 1-866-418-0232                                  - Required Browser Plug-ins
         More FCC Contact Information...           E-mail: fccinfo@fcc.gov                                - Freedom of Information Act




1 of 1                                                                                                                    6/13/2012 11:42 AM


FCC Form 499 Filer Database Search Results                           http://apps.fcc.gov/cgb/form499/499results.cfm?FilerID=&frn=&operatio...




                                                     Search | RSS | Updates | E-Filing | Initiatives | Consumers | Find People



         FCC Form 499 Filer Database Search Results
         FCC > CGB Home > FCC Form 499 Filer Database > FCC Form 499 Filer Database Search Results




                                             Name, Trade Name or DBA contains "rubard"

                         No records were found matching your criteria.



         This database reflects filings received by USAC as               FCC Form 499 Filer Database Software Version
         of Jun. 08, 2012                                                                       01.03.06 July 21, 2011

           FCC Home       | Search | RSS | Updates | E-Filing |             Initiatives    |   Consumers       |   Find People

         Federal Communications Commission       Phone: 1-888-CALL-FCC (1-888-225-5322)                 - Privacy Policy
         445 12th Street SW                        TTY: 1-888-TELL-FCC (1-888-835-5322)                 - Website Policies & Notices
         Washington, DC 20554                      Fax: 1-866-418-0232                                  - Required Browser Plug-ins
         More FCC Contact Information...         E-mail: fccinfo@fcc.gov                                - Freedom of Information Act




1 of 1                                                                                                                  6/13/2012 11:43 AM


          EXHIBIT B
(REDACTED FOR PUBLIC INSPECTION)





Document Created: 2012-07-12 19:23:29
Document Modified: 2012-07-12 19:23:29

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