The Federal Trade Commission has secured a settlement with the defendants behind Growth Cave, a business opportunity operation that allegedly defrauded consumers out of nearly $50 million through false promises of significant income. Under the terms of the settlement, Growth Cave's co-CEOs are permanently banned from marketing and selling business opportunities and credit repair programs.
The settlement requires Growth Cave's co-CEOs Lucas Lee-Tyson and Osmany Batte to liquidate millions of dollars worth of assets, including a multimillion-dollar house, to provide consumer redress to victims of the alleged scheme. The agreement resolves FTC allegations that the defendants operated a wide-ranging fraudulent operation that cost consumers substantial sums while failing to deliver promised results.
"On day one, the Trump-Vance FTC reprioritized combatting fraud that harms American markets," said Christopher Mufarrige, Director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection. "Today's successful resolution demonstrates that the Commission is focused on protecting our markets from dishonest actors."
The FTC filed its lawsuit against Growth Cave in February 2025, alleging that the operation deceived consumers with false promises of significant income through various business opportunities. According to the complaint, Growth Cave offered numerous business opportunities that regularly failed to deliver the promised results while costing consumers thousands of dollars each.
The amended complaint also alleges that consumers experienced significant difficulties in reaching Growth Cave employees and obtaining customer support after purchasing the company's services. This lack of support compounded the financial harm to consumers who had invested in what they believed were legitimate business opportunities.
Named as defendants in the lawsuit were Growth Cave's co-CEOs Lucas Lee-Tyson and Osmany Batte, Operations Manager Jordan Marksberry, related Growth Cave entities, and relief defendant Friendly Solar. The case demonstrates the FTC's continued focus on protecting consumers from business opportunity and credit repair scams that target individuals seeking financial improvement.
The FTC previously resolved its case against Operations Manager Jordan Marksberry through a stipulated order that the court entered in late August 2024. That settlement banned Marksberry from marketing or selling business opportunities, engaging in credit repair activities, and making misleading earning claims or assisting others in doing the same. The order included a judgment of $48,597,538 against Marksberry, which was partially suspended upon his payment of $35,000 to the Commission.
The court orders announced today settle the FTC's charges against all remaining defendants in this case. The first order, known as the LLT order, binds Lee-Tyson individually and as an officer and owner of Growth Cave, LLC and LLT Research LLC. The second order, the Batte order, binds Apex Mind, LLC; Osmany Batte individually and as an officer of Growth Cave, LLC and Apex Mind, LLC; and relief defendant Friendly Solar, Inc.
Both orders contain similar conduct provisions that permanently ban the defendants from selling and marketing business opportunities or assisting others in such activities. The defendants are also prohibited from engaging in credit repair activities, reflecting the broad scope of Growth Cave's alleged fraudulent operations.
The asset liquidation requirement represents a significant victory for consumer protection efforts, as it ensures that funds will be available to compensate victims of the alleged fraud. The multimillion-dollar house and other assets that must be liquidated demonstrate the substantial profits the defendants allegedly derived from their fraudulent scheme.
This settlement continues the FTC's aggressive enforcement efforts against business opportunity frauds, which often target consumers seeking additional income or financial independence. Such schemes typically promise unrealistic returns or guaranteed success while requiring substantial upfront investments from consumers.
The Growth Cave case illustrates common warning signs of business opportunity fraud, including promises of significant income with little effort, difficulty in reaching customer service, and failure to deliver promised results. The FTC has consistently warned consumers to be skeptical of business opportunities that promise guaranteed income or require substantial upfront payments.
The resolution of this case provides closure for consumers who were allegedly harmed by Growth Cave's operations and sends a clear message to other potential fraudsters. The permanent bans and asset liquidation requirements demonstrate the serious consequences that can result from operating fraudulent business opportunity schemes.
Consumers who believe they were victims of Growth Cave's alleged fraud should monitor FTC communications regarding the distribution of recovered funds. The Commission typically establishes procedures for eligible consumers to receive compensation from settlements like this one, though the exact process and timeline for distribution will be determined as the case proceeds through the asset recovery phase.