A Wyoming-based payment processing company has initiated legal action in federal court against its former general manager and several associated individuals and entities, alleging that the defendants stole company funds, misappropriated confidential business information, and diverted customer accounts for their own benefit. The complaint was filed by Alliant LLC in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia on March 5, 2026, naming John “Esty” McCoy; Fluid Charge LLC; Leesburg Pike Partners LLC (Maryland); DealerWorks LLC; Zach Lapole; Gage Evans; Christy Milton (also known as Christy Grimes); and Tracer Payments LLC as defendants.
According to the filing, Alliant claims that it is seeking to recover more than $75,000 in damages as well as injunctive relief based on multiple causes of action. These include conversion, breach of fiduciary duties, misappropriation of trade secrets under both the Virginia Uniform Trade Secrets Act and the Defend Trade Secrets Act, breach of implied contract for money lent, fraudulent inducement, intentional interference with business expectancy, civil conspiracy, unjust enrichment, and constructive trust.
The complaint outlines that Alliant operates in the payment processing industry as an Independent Sales Organization (ISO), facilitating electronic transactions for merchants—primarily automobile dealerships—and earning commissions from these services. The dispute centers around allegations that Esty McCoy abused his position as general manager over a ten-year period by failing to carry out job responsibilities, misappropriating company funds for personal use—including paying personal attorneys—and engaging in unauthorized financial practices. The document states: “Esty engaged in a persistent and continuous pattern of misconduct,” including miscoding personal expenses as business-related ones.
Alliant further alleges that Esty wrongfully retained access to two bank accounts established for Virginia operations after his termination in June 2024. It is claimed that he diverted income intended for Alliant into these accounts for his own use without authorization. When Alliant discovered missing residual payments from a vendor called TRX Transaction Services after Esty’s departure, they learned he had changed account permissions to block access by Alliant staff and had instructed TRX to redirect payments into accounts he controlled. After providing documentation to TRX regarding ownership rights over these accounts and contracts dating back more than a decade, Alliant reports that its access was restored.
In addition to financial misconduct allegations—including unauthorized withdrawals totaling at least $13,134 after January 2024—the complaint accuses Esty of submitting numerous personal expenses such as travel costs with his girlfriend or family members disguised as business expenses. The estimated total value of these unauthorized reimbursements exceeds $28,000 according to the plaintiff.
The lawsuit also details how Esty allegedly set up competing business relationships while still employed at Alliant by forming Fluid Charge LLC in April 2021. Through this entity—and with assistance from other named defendants—he is said to have transferred existing clients from Alliant’s portfolio to new processors or companies where he held an interest or employment. Notably cited are long-term dealership clients whose monthly revenues ranged from hundreds to tens of thousands of dollars per account.
Alliant asserts that other former employees—Zach Lapole and Gage Evans—knew about or assisted with these activities during their tenure at the company. Both were given significant access to confidential client lists and proprietary information through their roles managing internal systems like IRIS CRM software platforms used for merchant acquisition and support. After their termination alongside Esty in June 2024 (with all wages paid), both are alleged to have delivered proprietary data to new employers who then solicited or acquired former Alliant customers using this information.
The suit includes detailed counts describing violations under state law (Virginia Uniform Trade Secrets Act) and federal law (Defend Trade Secrets Act), emphasizing that “the acts of misappropriation…were willful and malicious.” It seeks compensatory damages; punitive damages; injunctive relief requiring return or destruction of confidential materials; an accounting identifying all parties who received such information; statutory interest on unrepaid loans made personally to Esty ($103,000); attorneys’ fees where permitted by statute; costs; pre-judgment interest; post-judgment interest; and any further relief deemed appropriate by the court.
The case is being handled by Anthony R. Coppola (Virginia Bar Number 74788) at Semmes Bowen & Semmes in McLean VA along with Christopher R. Dryden and Chuanchi “Tren” Tang at Global Legal Law Firm in Encinitas CA (pro hac vice applications forthcoming). The case number is 1:26-cv-00638-PTG-IDD.
Source: 126cv00638_Alliant_LLC_v_McCoy_Complaint_Eastern_District_Virginia.pdf
