Not that they’ll be able to collect on debts anytime soon, but a pair of defendants have been permanently barred from the ARM industry as part of a settlement that was reached with the Federal Trade Commission.
The settlement ends the case against Travell Thomas, 4 Star Resolution LLC, Profile Management Inc., International Recovery Service LLC, Check Solutions Services Inc., Check Fraud Service LLC and Fourstar Revenue Management LLC, Maurice Sessum, Charles Blakely III, and Merchant Recovery Service, Inc.
Thomas and Sessum had each previously been sentenced to more than seven years in prison for their roles in the scam.
A $0 million judgment has been imposed — and partially suspended — against Thomas, 4 Star Resolution LLC, Profile Management Inc., International Recovery Service LLC, Check Solutions Services Inc., Check Fraud Service LLC and Fourstar Revenue Management LLC, and Sessum. A $19 million judgment has been imposed — and partially suspended — against Blakely and Merchant Recovery Service, Inc.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York obtained 14 guilty pleas from those involved in the scam, which had individuals making threats and using abusive language, including false threats that consumers would be arrested or sued, to collect supposed debts.