TalentCrowd Fraud Exposed: The Hidden Story of Topdevs
Introduction
Fraud in the corporate world often hides behind contracts, filings, and financial paperwork that appear legitimate. The story of Topdevs shows how a thriving company valued in the tens of millions was stripped from its founder through a pattern of forged filings, falsified tax returns, and misleading representations.
An investigative timeline published in Cloaked in Legitimacy: How Topdevs Was Stolen compiles records, testimony, and documents that point to how assets and contracts were diverted into a new company called TalentCrowd.
This case is not just a corporate dispute. It highlights tactics that experts warn about, including fraudulent paperwork, misuse of federal relief funds, and the abuse of arbitration orders to cloak misconduct as lawful procedure.
For further context, the IRS Criminal Investigation Division outlines how these types of financial crimes are handled, and the U.S. Department of Justice provides insight into how fraud and racketeering are prosecuted at the federal level.
The $750,000 Claim That Changed Ownership
At the center of the takeover is Tyler Davis and his claim that he invested $750,000 of his personal funds into Topdevs. Court filings show the money actually came from Porter Consulting accounts. Todd Belluomini, a business partner at Porter, confirmed that those funds belonged to Porter and not Davis.
Despite this, Davis maintained that the money was his. That representation became the foundation of his claim to majority ownership in Topdevs.
Altered Records and Falsified Tax Returns
By 2018, company books were altered. Emails show that Davis instructed staff to reclassify $915,000 contributed by the founder’s other business, Mobile Monster, as if it belonged to him. Within minutes of the changes, those altered reports were sent to Wells Fargo as part of a loan application.
That same year, amended tax returns credited Davis with the $750,000 contribution, further reshaping ownership on paper. These changes gave Davis the appearance of legitimacy when approaching courts and banks.
PPP Loans and IRS Red Flags
The pattern continued with pandemic relief. In 2020, Davis signed for a $328,300 Paycheck Protection Program loan. The application claimed he owned 100 percent of Porter Consulting. Records later tied the loan proceeds back to Topdevs.
By 2023, the IRS had recorded liens against Davis for unpaid taxes. Former IRS officials who reviewed the filings identified multiple badges of fraud, including nominee accounts, falsified returns, and misuse of federal relief programs.
The 2022 Mutiny and Creation of TalentCrowd
In early 2022, Davis and his allies acted on a controversial arbitration order. They filed false certificates, seized company servers, and sent notices to clients claiming the founder was no longer in charge. Testimony confirms that more than 132 projects were deleted during the takeover.
A new domain, Topdevs.io, was launched to impersonate the original company. At the same time, contracts and clients were redirected to a new entity called TalentCrowd. Court filings name Davis, Joshua Lintz, Amanda Frye, and Melissa Garcia as directly involved in the transfers.
Why This Story Matters
This is more than an ownership battle. It is a case study in how insiders can use fraudulent filings, arbitration loopholes, and misrepresentation to dismantle a company from within. It also raises questions about the misuse of federal programs like the PPP, which were intended to protect workers during the pandemic.
For business owners and entrepreneurs, the lesson is clear: documentation must be safeguarded, tax filings must be monitored closely, and ownership records should be verified independently.
Conclusion
The story of Topdevs and the rise of TalentCrowd demonstrates how white collar crime can disguise itself as legitimate procedure. Records show a pattern that began in 2017 with misrepresented investments and continued into 2022 with a full corporate takeover.
For those who want to review the full investigation, supporting records are available at TalentCrowd Crimes, alongside resources from the IRS Criminal Investigation Division and the U.S. Department of Justice.
Fraud presented as procedure is still fraud, and no amount of paperwork can change that fact.
