West Virginia Attorney General Darrell McGraw has sued seven debt collectors after they ignored investigative subpoenas. The firms failed to obtain a license for the collection of consumer debt. Furthermore, they have been accused of substantial violations of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA).
The initial violation committed by each of the seven firms was the attempted collection of consumer debts without first obtaining the proper licenses. West Virginia law requires that collection agencies obtain a license with the state prior to contacting residents to collect on unpaid debts.
More substantial violations were committed by several of the firms. Debtors were threatened with arrest and imprisonment if they did not pay. In some cases, the collection agents claimed that they were representatives of law enforcement or judicial officers.
The firms had been under investigation by the attorney general, but in each case they defied the subpoenas and failed to comply with the investigations. Now West Virginia has taken action to stop all illegal activities by the firms. The lawsuit names the following unlicensed debt collection firms:
- County Filing Services, Inc., and owner Todd Loop
- Portfolio Investment Financial, also owned by Todd Loop
- Investment Management and Recoveries, Inc., and owner Randall Ray Goins
- Rosenthal, Stein and Associates, LLC, and owner Sharisse Williams
- Vision Credit Solutions, LLC, and owner James P. Belstadt
- National Capital Management, Inc., and owners Ryan Daniel Todora and Natlie Lynn Rowe
- Dorsey Thornton & Associates, LLC, and owners Wyteria Dorsey and Michael Thornton
The investigations were launched following dozens of complaints by residents against the firms for aggressive and illegal collection activities. The firms collected phony debts and continued collection activities on legitimate debts even after the debts had already been repaid.
The firms failed to supply information requested by McGraw’s office as requested by investigative subpoenas. The firms also brazenly refused to apply for debt collector’s licenses yet still pursued debts from West Virginia residents.
Attorney General Darrell McGraw released the following statement:
“In recent years, my office has been flooded with complaints against companies making unlawful threats of arrest or legal action to coerce consumers to pay nonexistent debts or debts that have already been paid. These companies refuse to become licensed in West Virginia and often go through great lengths to keep their whereabouts hidden in order to evade regulation. I have directed my staff to aggressively pursue all such violators and to do whatever it takes to force compliance with laws governing the conduct of collection agencies.”
Residents of any state who believe their rights have been violated are encouraged to contact their state’s attorney general to file a formal complaint. Victims may also file FDCPA lawsuits against rogue debt collectors to pursue damages.
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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