Whistleblower Group

February 17, 2016

New York announced an agreement with Buffalo Biodiesel, a company that collects cooking oil waste and converts it into biodiesel, over claims that the company filed lawsuits against hundreds of small businesses across Western New York and several surrounding states. The over 600 lawsuits, most of which were filed in Buffalo City Court, made various breach of contract claims against small businesses that had entered into a contract with the company. Buffalo Biodiesel sought thousands of dollars, sometimes as much as tens of thousands of dollars, in damages from ‘mom and pop’ restaurants. The agreement requires Buffalo Biodiesel to withdraw all applications it made for default judgments, to vacate default judgments it has taken against unrepresented businesses, and return any money it might have collected on judgments. NY

February 26, 2016

Illinois filed a lawsuit against a Delaware coal company, the American Coal Company, for a coal slurry release near an Illinois mine that resulted in the relocation of at least one resident. The complaint alleges that an injection well located around the village of Raleigh, was leaking unknown quantities of coal slurry, a byproduct of coal preparation. The complaint further alleges the slurry flowed into the nearby Bethel Creek and contaminated soil and groundwater, resulting in at least one resident having to be relocated. IL

February 25, 2016

Florida announced a multimillion dollar settlement with entities doing business as InterFACE Talent and the entities’ president and CEO, Roman Vintfeld. The Florida Attorney General’s Office obtained a stipulated permanent injunction and a final consent judgment against the defendants, resolving allegations of unfair and deceptive business practices in selling talent marketing services to Florida consumers. InterFACE, a New Jersey-based talent company, allegedly falsely promised to help Florida consumers get modeling and acting jobs, but instead took large up-front fees for nothing more than photo shoots and introductions to industry professionals. FL

February 25, 2016

Pennsylvania announced a recent Commonwealth Court ruling imposed a civil penalty of $10.8 million on two individuals who will be barred from soliciting charitable donations in Pennsylvania until the penalty is paid in full. According to legal filings in the case, the defendants operated commercial telemarketing firms, Phil’s Productions, LLC and MVP Productions, based in Ohio that sold concert tickets and advertising on behalf of local firefighters unions. Telemarketers led consumers to believe they were firefighters or police officers when they were not. They also made misrepresentations about how much they were paid. PA