# I transferred my codebase before payment. Don't make my mistake.

> Source: <https://dev.to/clickableman/i-transferred-my-codebase-before-payment-dont-make-my-mistake-14d3>
> Published: 2026-07-09 01:01:14+00:00

I am a Pakistani software founder who built a $100K MRR AI SaaS over three years. In May 2026, I negotiated a $200K acquisition with **James De Berardine**, Director of NOTO nightclub in Philadelphia.

I transferred my domain and full proprietary codebase to his AWS environment in good faith. He made six written promises to fund a $30K deposit. He paid $1,000. He retained my code for two months while demanding endless diligence. When pressed to close, he called the transaction "non-authentic," claimed the code had "no value," and threatened to delete it.

I have filed complaints with FBI IC3 and Pennsylvania authorities. Full documented timeline with screenshots of his own messages: