University of Phoenix Cancels $141 Million in Debt for ‘Deceptive’ Ads

Posted on February 17, 2020 by Camron Hoorfar

The for-profit school, University of Phoenix, agreed to a $191 million settlement after it lured students by advertising employer partnerships that did not exist, the Federal Trade Commission said.

The school’s deceptions affected students who enrolled between October 2012 and December 2016. The fabrication targeted students interested in A-list companies like Microsoft and Twitter thought a marketing campaign set out by the school.

The University of Phoenix admits to wrongdoing under the settlement and will pay a $50 million penalty to the F.T.C. and cancel $141 million in debts accrued by student who enrolled during the affected years.

If you have debt and would like to seek help, contact us at 816-524-4949 or visit our website at www.hoorfarlaw.com

Posted in Debt, Fraud, General | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Express is closing 31 stores. Is your location on the list of closures?

Posted on February 14, 2020 by Camron Hoorfar

The stores are closing as part of the fashion retailer’s “fleet rationalization,” after an abysmal holiday season. Express officials announced 100 closures overall. 31 Stores have closed since this blog post, and another 35 stores will close by the end of January 2021 and the rest by 2022. The company recently closed forty stores.

If you or your business are facing debt or other financial issues, contact our office today at 816-524-4949 or visit our website www.hoorfarlaw.com

Posted in Bankruptcy, Debt, General | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Wells Fargo Ex-CEO Banned in Fake-Account Scandal

Posted on February 13, 2020 by Camron Hoorfar

A regulator barred former Wells Fargo chief executive John Stumpf from the banking industry and fined him $17.5 million over the firm’s fake-accounts scandal, an extraordinary sanction for a top executive at a large bank, Wall Street Journal Reported.

Mr. Stumpf reached a settlement with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency which included an agreement to the lifetime ban.  The sanctions against Mr. Stumpf haven’t been seen in recent years. During the economic crisis of 2008, banks paid tens of billions of dollars in fines for misconduct, but due to lack of charges against individuals, onlookers criticized the enforcement efforts.

On the surface of Mr. Stumpf’s tenure, Wells Fargo seemed to have escaped the financial crisis largely unscathed. But after it became public that an aggressive sales culture led employees to open millions of possibly fake accounts, that reputation was left stained. Employees submitted many complaints about pervasive pressure and illegal sales activity to Mr. Stumpf’s office, but he didn’t respond to them, the agency said.

The fake-accounts scandal came into public view when the OCC, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Los Angeles City Attorney’s office sanctioned Wells Fargo in September 2016.

If you or your business are facing a lawsuit or civil action, contact us at 816-524-4949 or visit our website at www.hoorfarlaw.com

Posted in Fraud, General | Tagged , | Leave a comment

PayPal Squares Up with U.S. Regulator Over New Prepaid-Card Rule

Posted on February 12, 2020 by Camron Hoorfar

PayPal Holdings sued federal banking regulators alleging that its new rule has hampered the company’s ability to offer credit products and has created confusion among users of its popular digital-payment services PayPal and Venmo with a new regulation on prepaid accounts that was rolled out by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) in April of 2019.

The rule’s primary aim is to improve protections for consumers on prepaid payment cards. A side effect of the rule is it also extends to any financial products capable of holding cash balances directly on cards or electronic devices, better known as “digital wallets.”

As a result, the rule umbrellas digital-payment tools such as PayPal, Venmo, Alphabet Inc.’s Google Pay, and Square Inc.’s Cash App. Even though digital wallets are fundamentally different from prepaid cards, which are often sold at grocery and drugstores. Apple Cash comes under the rule’s oversight, while Apple Pay, which doesn’t store money, does not.

The regulation instills complex requirements on issuers to disclose fees and other terms of services, while placing limits on their ability to offer credit products to customers.

If you are looking into a civil action or lawsuit, contact us at our office at 816-524-4949 or visit our website at www.hoorfarlaw.com

Posted in General, Lawsuits | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Former NFL Players Fraud Scheme Picked Off

Posted on February 11, 2020 by Camron Hoorfar

The Justice Department charged 10 former NFL players with defrauding a health-care program for retired players of nearly $4 million. Among them a group the Justice Department filed charges against are Robert McCune, John Eubanks, Tamarick Vanover, Ceandris Brown, James Butler, Frederick Bennett, Correll Buckhalter, Etric Pruitt, Clinton Portis and Rogers.

The charges for the 10 players vary by individual but include conspiracy to commit health-care wire fraud, wire fraud and health-care fraud. Portis was charged with all three and could face up to 50 years max in federal prison.

The players allegedly submitted false claims to the Gene Upshaw NFL Player Health Reimbursement Account Plan for reimbursement for medical equipment costing between $40,000 and $50,000. According to the indictments, the players fabricated documents, including invoices and prescriptions, to execute the plan, reported The Washington Post.

In total, the accused players filed $3.9 million in false claims between June 2017 and December 2018. If you have debt issues or are being charged with a crime,  contact our law office at 816-524-4949 and speak with an attorney or visit our website at www.Hoorfarlaw.com

Posted in Debt, Fraud, General, Lawsuits | Tagged , | Leave a comment

What is Felony Murder

Posted on January 29, 2020 by Camron Hoorfar

Felony murder occurs when there is a felony offense in which a homicide, or death, occurs. 

If you are facing a felony charge or a crime being charged against you, contact our law office at 816-524-4949 or visit our website at Hoorfarlaw.com.

Posted in General | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Evidence from a Lawsuit can be used in Criminal Court

Posted on January 28, 2020 by Camron Hoorfar

In Vernon Christian’s case, evidence of his forgery in a civil lawsuit was used against Vernon in his criminal forgery case.  

If you are in need of filing a civil action or have a criminal action against you, contact our law office at 816-524-4949 or visit our website at Hoorfarlaw.com.

Posted in General, Lawsuits | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Qualifying for an Expungement

Posted on January 27, 2020 by Camron Hoorfar

To qualify for an expungement in Missouri, seven (7) years must have passed from when the defendant was charged and convicted of the crime.

If you are considering filing for an expungement, give our office a call at 816-524-4949 or visit our website at Hoorfarlaw.com

Posted in General, Traffic | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Hospital Files for Bankruptcy

Posted on January 24, 2020 by Camron Hoorfar

Americore Health and its four affiliated hospitals in Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Missouri and Arkansas filed for Chapter 11 protection, Becker’s Hospital Review reported. The three of the hospitals listed in the bankruptcy petition are: Ellwood Medical Center in Ellwood City, Alexius Hospital in St. Louis and Izard County Medical Center in Calico Rock, Ark. According to the bankruptcy petition, Americore’s affiliate hospitals have faced financial troubles for months. Most recently, Ellwood Medical Center shut down on December 10, 2019, laid off 152 employees, and fell behind on payroll.

If you have a business in financial trouble, contact our law office at 816-524-4949 or visit our website at Hoorfarlaw.com.

Posted in Bankruptcy, Business, Debt | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Kansas Farmer Grows Bankruptcy Fraud Scheme

Posted on January 23, 2020 by Camron Hoorfar

Wichita Kansas prosecutors say they plan to seek more than $2.1 million in restitution from a Kansas farmer who pled guilty to crop insurance and bankruptcy fraud, reported AP News.

The Wichita Eagle reports that Kevin Struss, of rural WaKeeney, Kansas, entered the guilty plea in federal court. Struss admitted that he created a scheme to fraudulently collect crop insurance benefits by underreporting his corn production. The crop insurance fraud charge stems from false reports in 2015, 2016, and 2017.

Struss also admitted he lied about transferring $470,000 to someone three months prior to filing for bankruptcy in April 2018. If you are considering bankruptcy, contact our law office at 816-524-4949 or visit our website at Hoorfarlaw.com.

Posted in Bankruptcy | Tagged , | Leave a comment