I know that the actions of Tobias Boyland are not funny, but I just could not help myself when looking at the irony of this case. Collection agencies tend to bend or break the law on a daily basis. This case however deserved a second look.
Tobias Boyland was first featured on Dateline NBC on March 27, 2009. When you read the transcript of this show, you begin to realize how vicious some of these attacks really were. You might as well pack your bags and grab your coat because the sheriff is coming to pick you up.
This is what one of Boyland’s employees threatened a debtor with unless they sent in payment right away. Of course, making such threats are illegal and a violation of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA).
Within just a few months, Boyland’s collection agencies were shut down by the New York Attorney General. Mario Cuomo personally oversaw the 6 month investigation in which he stated that Boyland illegally threatened debtors who had defaulted on debts. On Thursday March 4, 2009, Boyland was found guilty of four weapons charges. After all, it is illegal for convicted felons to carry firearms.
Of course, I just had to find out what felony Boyland originally committed. It turns out, Tobias Boyland served 13 years in prison for attempted robbery.
Now to be clear, there is no evidence that Boyland or any of his employees made threats to actually use those weapons against his clients. Instead, they impersonated police officers and made threats to debtors that arrest warrants had been issued.
Boyland was an owner of the following collection agencies:
- Central Resource Management
- Final Claims Asset Locators
- Final Control Asset Locators
- Interchange Payment Solutions
- Next Step Services
- Portfolio Asset Assurance
- Silverbay Services
- Teleport.
All of these agencies have been shut down. Furthermore, Tobias Boyland and two associates, Kayla Pritchett and Dorian Wills have all been barred from further collections activities in New York.
It is sad and regrettable that so many debtors faced such abuse. If more people knew their rights under the FDCPA, fewer would stand for such abuse. Those who filed the complaints set the state investigation in motion.
UPDATE: Tobias Boyland failed to surrender to authorities to serve his 15-year prison sentence and was wanted by U.S. Marshalls. He has now been captured.
Long is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a B.A. in Industrial Relations. He subsequently received his Certificate in Nonprofit Management from Duke University. His Certificate in Financial Planning was issued by Florida State University.
Long has achieved the Accredited Credit Counselor and Accredited Financial Counselor certifications through the Association for Financial Counseling, Planning and Education. Long originally achieved the Certified Credit Counselor designation through the National Institute for Financial Education.
In addition to years of nonprofit leadership, Long has been an innovator in the field of volunteer tax return preparation programs. He assists volunteer associations and nonprofit organizations who seek to integrate credit counseling and asset-building programs with free personal income tax preparation. His approach to using free credit reports as both an incentive and a screening tool for placement into asset-building programs has been shared with members of the National Community Tax Coalition, the EITC-Carolinas Initiative of MDC, Inc. and nonprofit groups across the Carolinas.
Long assists members of our armed forces in the Carolinas, Iowa, Rhode Island, Georgia and Germany with financial readiness. Please support our Soldiers, Marines, Airmen and Sailors!
Favorite quote:
"The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not."
Thomas Jefferson
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