NorVergence, incorporated as NorVergence, Inc., was a Newark, New Jersey corporation started by Thomas and Peter Salzano. Prior to filing for bankruptcy in July 2004, the company sold fraudulent telecommunications services, devices and related products to small businesses with little tech savvy. In its three-year existence, NorVergence hired 1,800 sales and other employees and had revenues of $143 million. The company cold-called companies, promising huge saving on their Internet and phone bills. The company's motto was "Drastically Reducing Telecommunications Costs". The company marketed a "Merged Access Transport Intelligent Exchange" (MATRIX) that it claimed would provide unlimited broadband Internet access, landline and cell phone services without per-minute charges. They claimed the MATRIX had "algorithms create the most efficient use of T-1 loops ever". However, the box was a full functional ATM and VoATM, connected to an ATM T1 normally. It has been accused of being nothing more than a firewall and router that could not provide Internet access or save on phone costs. But the box was designed by a genius scientist who put the same functionality that Carrier had with Large ATM devices into a device that could fit on most shelves of a telecom closet For the fraudulent device, the firm charged a flat fee and arranged financing for the rental of the MATRIX device for a period of usually five years. Once NorVergence had moved into as many regional markets as possible and pitched every business in the area, NorVergence sold the leasing agreements to banks, and the banks would be left with the leasing agreements with the expectation that customers to continue to pay for the hardware leases for five years. The Five year payment price was on average 30% lower than the company's bills before the MATRIX installation. After the company entered into bankruptcy, companies that had signed up for the service still had the leasing bank attempt to collect on the finance bills. Rental agreements stipulated that the finance companies could insist on full payment from customers even if NorVergence failed to provide the services promised. Over time, courts have invalidated some of the leases or banks have settled the cases. Lawsuits against the company have been filed in numerous states, by both former employees and customers. The lawsuits allege that Norvergence was a Ponzi scheme or pyramid scheme, or that the technology did not work. Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana District Attorney John DeRosier said, "The