A California man pleaded guilty Friday to conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud for his role in a scheme that defrauded individuals and businesses through a phony collection operation, according to U.S. Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner.
Darrian Jeffrey Summers, 40, was a salesman for Maxwell, Turner and Associates Inc. (MTA) in Bakersfield, Calif., a company that said it provided collection services, according to a plea agreement.
After a client signed a contract, MTA would provide false information to the clients about legal proceedings, the whereabouts of the debtor and MTA’s ability to collect the funds.
When MTA collected money from the debtor, they would not send the money to their clients. MTA often would tell clients that additional fees were needed to continue with the litigation process, although no litigation was actually taking place.
Summers admitted that the losses to victims of this scheme were approximately $1.6 million to $1.7 million. Summers also agreed to forfeit any claim he had t0 $919,419 in cash seized in December 2010 when he was arrested.
Summers is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Oliver W. Wanger on August 29. He faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The case is part of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, the Bakersfield (Calif.) Police Department and the Kern County (Calif.) District Attorney’s Office. Assistant United States Attorneys Mark J. McKeon and Stanley A. Boone are prosecuting the case.
