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Anti-Gym Owner Investigated By The IRS

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Feb 2, 2009 7:24 pm US/Mountain

Anti-Gym Owner Investigated By The IRS

Reporting
Rick Sallinger
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DENVER (CBS4) ―

Click to enlarge 1 of 1: Michael Karolchyk seen in one of his controversial Anti-Gym commercials.
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A Colorado gym known for its outrageous commercials has shut down amid an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service.

The Anti-Gym featured commercials that taunted its overweight subjects.

There is very little that is subtle about Michael Karolchyk and his Anti-Gyms. Karolchyk operated in two locations taunting his clients by throwing cup cakes at them. One was shut down last year in Cherry Creek. An attorney for the property owner says Karolchyk was evicted for not paying rent. A court file contains one of his returned checks for $20,000.

Then there's the location on Curtis Street. CBS4 investigator Rick Sallinger found two federal tax liens on Karolchyk from 2008.

A news release issued Monday by Karolchyk's publicist says "Mr. Karolchyk was dogged by rumors of IRS troubles."

He has other legal issues. Former employees of the Anti-Gym claimed Karolchyk wouldn't pay their final checks when they quit. And they claim in a lawsuit suit he wrote on Web sites and in emails "false accusations about his former employees."

Attorney Mike Ogborn represents several personal trainers.

"The emails did allege sexual impropriety, extramarital affairs and sexually transmitted diseases," Ogborn said.

Karolchyk denies the allegations made in the lawsuit, but makes no apologies for his in-the-face style.

CBS4 spoke with Karolchyk last week and again Monday. Both times he said he would agree to an interview, but only under his conditions that journalistically CBS4 could not accept.