Three Oklahoma men and their companies have been permanently barred from debt collection activities after running a fraudulent scheme targeting servicemembers, veterans, and seniors.
Driving the news: The District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma issued permanent injunctions against Christopher Parks (63), Christopher Noah Parks (31), and Stephen Miller (39), along with their companies Assured Collections LLC and Assured Financial LLC.
- The injunctions prevent the defendants from engaging in any future billing and debt collection activities.
- They must also disclose the consent decrees to any current or future business associates in the healthcare or debt collection industries.
- Preliminary injunctions were granted last October against the defendants.
Details: According to the Justice Department:
- The defendants sent thousands of fraudulent debt collection notices nationwide, demanding thousands of dollars in payments for medical devices that consumers may have received during past procedures, such as leg compression devices used to prevent blood clots after surgery.
- Many of the debts were illusory, with consumers paying despite not actually owing the money. The complaint further alleged that the defendants knew that the debt collection notices were fraudulent yet continued to harass consumers and demand payments.
- The elder Parks instructed Miller to rebrand the company as Assured Financial LLC after numerous consumer complaints against Assured Collections LLC surfaced. This rebranding was part of a broader strategy to evade accountability and continue exploiting consumers.
- Christopher Parks is still facing additional legal challenges. He is awaiting trial in the Eastern District of Texas on charges related to fraudulent billing practices through another company he operated, USA Medical.
