Since 2008, Dan has Mr. Keene has grown his business from a small company serving customers in the Pacific Northwest to a major national firm in the company formation industry. The company and its competitors offer customers the ability to establish a business in a state of their choice and receive mail and legal notices.
Mr. Keene founded the company after owning a tree removal and landscaping business. Mr. Keene worked tirelessly to build the business, often sending emails through the night, former employees said.
“Dan put in a lot of effort and worked tirelessly,” says Matt McKenzie, who has worked as a compliance specialist for more than 11 years and was one of the company's early employees.
When the company was a small start-up, Keene regularly listed his name on the incorporation documents of the company and its various subsidiaries in states across America. “After a few years, he began using a full pseudonym and wanted to remove his name from all Registered Agents Inc. company documents,” McKenzie said.
Mr. Keene was an ambitious but eccentric businessman prone to micromanaging and sudden changes in mood, former employees said. Mr. Keene, dressed modestly in shorts and a flannel shirt, was an avid skier and outdoor enthusiast, former employees said.
Six former employees said Mr. Keene often took a passive-aggressive approach to subordinates. Two people testified that Keene reluctantly offered health care plans to employees after being told they were required to do so by the Affordable Care Act, and that asking for them was a “whiner and complainer.” He is said to have said, “I am a complainer.”
Several former employees said Mr. Keene frequently made comments about employees' appearance that they described as “inappropriate.” Two former employees testified that he made derogatory comments about women, including making sexual comments about them and frequently questioning their ability to perform their jobs.
Several former employees said they had surveillance cameras installed in the office and were required to lock their cellphones in a box, raising questions about the tight security at the office. Slyusarev, a former senior engineer at Registered Agents Inc., says the phone system he allegedly installed was able to secretly record employees' calls.
Mr. Keene resented government regulations and had complete control of the company and its operations, former employees said. Mr. Keene has no website or social media profiles and has not given interviews about his business.
“He thinks people are out to get him or get the company,” claims Evans, a former senior employee.
Internal details, including ownership and management structure, were kept secret from employees, who said they were reluctant to discuss the matter in the office. The use of false personas then extends to Registered Agents Inc.'s own employees.
When Don Evans began interviewing at Registered Agents Inc., he recalled his first conversation on LinkedIn with Diane Brunner, who identified herself as a recruiter for the company. When he arrived at the office for his interview, he asked to speak to Mr. Brunner, but was told that no one by that name worked for the company.
Jack Stevenson, vice president and director of client relations for Registered Agents Inc. on LinkedIn, is another fake person, employees said. Stevenson frequently comments on the registered agent industry on LinkedIn. His profile says he holds a bachelor's degree in business administration from Utah State University, but university officials told WIRED they could not find any records of Jack Stevenson.
