My Dispute With Blake Evertsen, Evertsen Equity, Dustin Heinrich Boudreau, and Eyad Abbas

$328,495.95 Lost in a Done-For-You Amazon Store Venture with Empower Cosmetics LLC

Note: This post reflects my personal experience and understanding of events based on documentation, communications, and representations made to me at the time. I welcome any additional facts, corrections, or statements from the parties named here and will publish such responses as appropriate.

Executive Summary:

In 2023, I invested heavily in a credit expansion program and a "done-for-you" Amazon store venture promoted by Dustin Heinrich Boudreau and Eyad Abbas through companies owned by Eyad Abbas, including Empower Cosmetics LLC and Empower Consulting Group LLC. Despite promises of turnkey success and secure inventory funding, the store was never properly launched, Amazon ultimately deactivated my account, and I was left facing devastating financial losses. Despite polished confident sales presentations, what ultimately followed was silence, finger-pointing, and a trail of unanswered questions.

What Did Blake Evertsen Do With My $135,494.99?

I’m still left wondering about this: Why was track-and-field standout and Harvard University graduate Blake Evertsen involved in processing transactions for a company he didn’t own, work for, or control? His firm, Evertsen Equity, processed $135,494.99 of the $328,495.95 I lost.

1. What exactly happened to my funds after Evertsen Equity handled them?

2. Did he deposit any of these funds into his own accounts? Did he pocket the money? Could he have stolen it? 

3. Did my money help cover his Lamborghini car payments?

4. Why won’t he be transparent about his actions? 

When given the opportunity to explain himself, he chose not to. These are legitimate and reasonable questions. I intend to keep asking them—publicly—until I get real answers. I’ll publish updates as new thoughts, questions, and developments emerge. This article outlines my experience, presents supporting evidence, and offers lessons learned for others performing due diligence on these individuals or businesses.

What Is Evertsen Equity, and Why Was It Involved in My Transactions?

How I Found Empower Consulting Partners LLC and Empower Cosmetics LLC

In late 2022, my son saw a Facebook ad promising financial growth through credit expansion services. He shared the information with me — a retiree looking for safe, passive investment opportunities.

After Andy begun the credit expansion phase of his plan he expressed confidence in Dustin Heinrich Boudreau. I joined a Zoom call where Dustin Boudreau pitched a plan: Empower Consulting Group LLC would secure me $350,000–$450,000 in interest-free credit for one year, which I would use to pay for the credit expansion and pay  Empower Cosmetics LLC to set up and manage a fully operational Amazon store, or better known as a done-for-you store (DFY). The store’s profits would easily cover the monthly credit card payments, they promised, during the interest-free one-year time period.

Their presentation was polished, and my research showed Blake Evertsen had a Harvard degree — adding credibility to the offer.

Empower Cosmetics LLC Dustin Heinrich Boudreau, Eyad Abbas, and the Credit Expansion Phase

By June 2023, working with Dustin Boudreau and Eyad Abbas, I had successfully secured over $350,000 in new credit lines. This seemed like a strong start.

Following instructions from Dustin Boudreau, I transferred funds — mostly via PayPal, Stripe, Square, and wire transfers — totaling $462,846.99 to Empower Cosmetics LLC,including $1 Evertsen Equity LLC, and related parties. A significant portion of this, about $250,000, was inventory funding and was pooled for what Dustin Boudreau described as a bulk inventory purchase for Amazon stores.

I trusted the process. I was repeatedly reassured everything was on track.

The Collapse: Gated Products and Amazon Deactivation

In August 2023, Dustin informed me that Amazon had rejected the entire inventory shipment because it included "gated" products — items requiring special approvals Empower hadn’t obtained.

In January 2024, Amazon deactivated my seller account entirely, citing “deceptive, fraudulent, or illegal activity.”

Despite multiple appeals, my store could not be reinstated. At that point, it became clear that what had been presented as a managed, low-risk opportunity had completely unraveled.

You can review the full evidence archive here:
👉 View Documents and Proof

Attempts to Recover Funds from Evertsen Equity, Blake Evertsen, Dustin Heinrich Boudreau, and Eyad Abbas 

After the Amazon failure, Dustin Boudreau advised me to file chargebacks through my credit cards. Over months of effort, I recovered approximately $233,000.

I continued sending money to Empower through payment processors linked to Dustin Boudreau and Blake Evertsen, based on Dustin’s assurances. However, repeated broken promises and missed deadlines led me to sense that things were never going to improve. After Amazon rejected my appeals, I finally threw in the towel. At that point, Dustin informed me that the refund I had been promised—both verbally and in writing—would not be issued as a lump sum, but rather in monthly installments. Empower Cosmetics LLC began making those payments, or so I believed, as Dustin referenced ongoing meetings with his team about them in multiple text messages. The payments, however, were sporadic, the schedule was inconsistent, and each required persistent follow-up. After all refunds and chargebacks, I remain out $328,495.95.

Importantly, this figure does not include accrued interest on credit card balances—meaning the real financial impact is close to $100,000 greater.

As communication with Dustin deteriorated, Eyad Abbas eventually called and then texted me with a story that Dustin had taken all of the payments I made and that Empower had never received any of it. "Dustin scammed everyone under the guise of Empower," he wrote in a text message to me. Despite being Dustin's roommate, Abbas claimed he had been completely blindsided by the betrayal. Yet even after this admission, Abbas refused to offer full restitution. Instead, he made it clear he would only repay what he personally believed Empower Cosmetics owed, leaving it up to me to pursue Dustin for the balance. It was my perspective then and remains so now that the situation was all too convenient. Even if Dustin was guilty of what Eyad accused him of, I believe Eyad had a responsibility to manage him more closely. In my view, Empower should be responsible for repaying the entire amount.

The following table reflects a combination of documented evidence and Steve Chayer's personal recollection based on publicly available records, communications, and direct experience. Where hard evidence exists, a checkmark is shown. Where involvement remains unclear, a question mark is displayed.

Evidence Archive

I have preserved extensive documentation:

• Signed agreements (where available)
• Credit card statements totaling $462,846.99
• Text messages from Dustin Boudreau and Eyad Abbas
• Amazon’s deactivation notice
• Payment processing records tied to Blake Evertsen and Evertsen Equity for $135,494.99.
• Payment processing records tied to Dustin Boudreau for $309,335.20.

Lessons Learned from Working with Empower Cosmetics LLC and Associates Dustin Heinrich Boudreau, Eyad Abbas, and Blake Evertsen

✅ Demand fully executed contracts: Empower often failed to return signed agreements.

✅ Verify payment recipients carefully: I sent funds through multiple processors tied to individuals, complicating recovery. 

✅ Understand Amazon’s restrictions: Selling gated products without authorization is a major violation.

✅ Establish enforceable deadlines: My store was promised for summer 2023 — it never launched.

✅ Use payment methods with recourse: My ability to file chargebacks was a saving grace.

✅ Document everything: Every transaction, every promise, every conversation.

Invitation to Respond

I want to be clear:
I am not disparaging Eyad Abbas or Blake Evertsen, or Dustin Heinrich Boudreau, nor do I have any intent to do so. I have gone out of my way to ensure that my article is factual, supported by verifiable evidence, and fair in tone. Did these people behave ethically, honestly? You must draw your own conclusions. 

I have offered Mr. Abbas, Mr. Evertsen, and Mr. Boudreau the opportunity to submit their own written responses with accompanying proof.  If they do so by April 27, 2025, their responses will be included in this publication alongside my story.

Closing Thoughts

This experience was a major financial and personal setback. I am sharing it publicly because I believe others deserve transparency when considering who they choose to do business with and what kind of business they invest in.

Done-for-you Amazon store opportunities can sound appealing. But they carry significant risks — especially when critical promises are broken, and transparency disappears.

I urge anyone conducting due diligence on Eyad Abbas, Blake Evertsen, Dustin Heinrich Boudreau, Empower Cosmetics LLC, Empower Consulting Group LLC, or Evertsen Equity LLC to proceed carefully.