Pennsylvania's Attorney General's office has filed a motion asking to amend the consumer-protection lawsuit against collection agency Unicredit America Inc. to include Michael Covatto, company president, and Anthony D. Covatto, company vice president, as defendants.
State regulators previously went to court to shut down Unicredit on claims the agency duped consumers with phony court proceedings. The initial complaint named Unicredit America Inc., as the only defendant. They now believe the company’s officers should be held personally liable for the harm caused by the company’s practices, reports the Erie Times-News.
Deputy Attorney General Leslie Grey says the government did not “become aware of the extent of the involvement of the Covattos until the presentation of testimony from consumers, the receipt of numerous consumer complaints (and documents in support thereof) subsequent to the filing of the original complaint, and the representations of litigation counsel for Unicredit.”
Grey wants to change the complaint so that it charges that Michael Covatto and Anthony Covatto directly participated in the company’s unfair practices and had the ability to stop them. The Covattos have filed no response, and so far no lawyers have filed notice that they are representing them in the case. The Covattos could not be reached for comment.
Judge Michael E. Dunlavey has scheduled a hearing on the motion for June 30.
The Attorney General’s Office Bureau of Consumer Protection sued Unicredit last year (
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