A nonprofit media organization is seeking to recover $200,000 it says was paid for a documentary program that was never delivered, after discovering the company it contracted with did not legally exist. The complaint was filed by Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) on April 22, 2026 in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia against S2BN Folk Revival LLC, S2BN Holdings, Inc., S2BN Entertainment Corporation, and Jacob Cohl.
According to the filing, PBS entered into a licensing agreement on November 9, 2023 with S2BN Folk Revival LLC for the creation and licensing of a documentary titled “The Folk Revival: Then and Now.” The agreement required delivery of three original episodes and one compilation episode intended for release during PBS’s September 2024 fundraising drive. PBS agreed to pay a total license fee of $550,000, including an advance payment of $200,000.
PBS reports that after paying the advance in December 2023—wired to S2BN Holdings’ bank account at the direction of attorney Marc Stollman—it later discovered that S2BN Folk Revival LLC “does not legally exist and never did.” The complaint states that “PBS paid $200,000 to a phantom LLC that was never formed under the laws of any state or jurisdiction.” PBS alleges that Jacob Cohl signed as President of S2BN Folk Revival LLC and repeatedly warranted in writing that the entity had full legal capacity. These warranties were reaffirmed as recently as February 12, 2025 when an amendment extended production deadlines.
The lawsuit details how no program or required deliverables were provided under either the original agreement or its amendment. PBS states that it received none of the required materials for either its September 2024 or December 2025 fundraising drives despite revised schedules. After multiple missed deadlines, PBS sent written notice terminating the agreement on September 26, 2025 due to material breach but reports that defendants failed to cure defaults or return any portion of the advance payment.
The complaint further alleges that all involved entities—S2BN Holdings and S2BN Entertainment—share corporate infrastructure including address, chief executive officer Glenn Orsher, legal counsel Marc Stollman, and registered agent. PBS asserts these companies operated as a single integrated enterprise controlled by Jacob Cohl and others. According to PBS’s investigation following termination of the contract: “S2BN Folk Revival LLC was never organized or formed as a limited liability company under the laws of any state or jurisdiction in the United States.”
Legal arguments outlined in the filing include breach of contract against all defendants; personal liability on contract for non-existent entity against Jacob Cohl; breach of express warranty; fraud and fraudulent misrepresentation; unjust enrichment; money had and received; conversion; and alter ego/piercing the corporate veil claims against various combinations of defendants. For example, PBS cites Virginia law stating that anyone executing contracts on behalf of non-existent entities is personally liable: “a person who executes a contract purportedly on behalf of a non-existent or never-formed legal entity is personally liable on that contract.”
PBS seeks compensatory damages totaling at least $200,000 representing the unreturned advance payment. Additional relief requested includes consequential damages related to costs incurred substituting other programming during fundraising drives; punitive damages based on alleged willful conduct; prejudgment interest from December 19, 2023; attorneys’ fees; restitution requiring defendants to disgorge all amounts received from PBS; declarations regarding personal liability for Jacob Cohl and alter ego status among defendant entities; as well as other relief deemed appropriate by the court.
The case identifies Carmita Hedman Sequeira (Hedman Sequeira Law PLLC) as lead counsel for PBS with Lars H. Liebeler (Lars Liebeler PC) listed as Of Counsel. The case is filed under Civil Action No. 1:26-cv-01087.
