By Kathy Reynolds

PALMER, MASS (WGGB) -- A tiny newspaper advertisement put abc40 on the trail of an elusive business with a colorful opportunity and a proprietor with a possible criminal past.

The ad appeared weekly in USA Today. Carl Gentile of St. Louis and Mike Donoghue of Detroit both responded to the work at home opportunity offered up by SAC Financial of Palmer. They were convinced by the references, recommendations and paperwork that followed.

Each signed a contract and sent in $5,900. They say they were allegedly supposed to receive an exclusive list of clients who needed loans.

Gentile and Donoghue would facilitate them getting those loans and get paid a cut for each.

But after a year of trying both Gentile and Donoghue say they haven't made any money.

That's when they contacted abc40 and Fox 6. We found more people who claim they were scammed by John Sacco and that it has put them in financial ruin. We tried to reach Sacco, the owner of the company. After he didn't return our calls, we visited his home, and then went to see him at work.

Turns out that big beautiful SAC Financial building pictured in Palmer on his Web site supposedly at 25 Central St., doesn't exist. And his so-called mailing center is actually a post office box in Wilbraham.

We also called the references listed and none returned our calls.

abc40 and Fox6 used the Freedom of Information Act to obtain a copy of a 2001 court case in which a John Sacco was convicted of bank fraud. The former vice president of Monson Savings Bank was accused of taking hundreds of thousands of dollars. He pled guilty and served time as well as paid restitution.

Both Gentile and Donoghue have filed complaints with the Massachusetts Attorney General's office and we have turned over our information to police.