N.Y. process server charged in fraud case

Associated Press - April 14, 2009

NEW YORK, April 14 (UPI) -- A New York company failed to provide notification to thousands of consumers facing debt-related lawsuits, causing them unknowingly to default, officials say.

New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo said in criminal charges filed Tuesday accuse American Legal Process of Long Island and Chief Executive William Singler of perpetrating a fraudulent business scheme in which process servers didn't do their jobs in alerting consumers they were being sued, thus denying them a chance to respond.

As a result, Cuomo said, thousands of judgments were allegedly obtained against unsuspecting New Yorkers, many of whom first learned they were being sued when they found their bank accounts frozen or their wages garnished. Prosecutors alleged that ALP covered up the fraud by falsifying sworn affidavits of service in state courts across New York.

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N.Y. process server charged in fraud case

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Additional links to this story:

Lawsuit: NY firm lied about delivering lawsuits
Forbes - ‎Apr 14, 2009‎
By DAVID B. CARUSO , 04.14.09, 02:09 PM EDT A company hired to serve debt collection lawsuits to thousands of cash-strapped New Yorkers didn't bother to ...

NY process server charged in fraud case

United Press International - ‎Apr 14, 2009‎
NEW YORK, April 14 (UPI) -- A New York company failed to provide notification to thousands of consumers facing debt-related lawsuits, causing them ...

Head of LI process-serving firm charged in alleged fraud scheme

Newsday - ‎Apr 14, 2009‎
BY ROBERT E. KESSLER | robert.kessler@newsday.com William Singler, the head of American Legal Process in Lynbrook, was arrested on charges of running a ...

Andrew Cuomo

InsideARM - ‎8 hours ago‎
April 15, 2009 — Earlier this week, New York State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo’s office announced that it had sued a process server, American Legal ...

AG’s office cites company for failure to notify defendants

Times Herald-Record - ‎Apr 14, 2009‎
By Oliver Mackson ALBANY — The state attorney general’s office on Tuesday filed criminal charges against a Long Island-based company,charging that the firm ...

AG Cuomo Files Fraud Charges Against NY Firm

WCBS-TV New York - ‎Apr 14, 2009‎
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NY Attorney General Going After Debt Collection Case Process Servers

InsideARM - ‎Apr 14, 2009
The New York state attorney general will be suing a debt collection case court notification firm today, according to The New York Times. ...

NY process serving firm charged with fraud

WTEN - ‎Apr 14, 2009‎
AP - April 14, 2009 11:45 AM ET NEW YORK (AP) - A company that specializes in serving lawsuits on people in trouble over unpaid debts is facing criminal ...

AG Sues Process Server ALP For “Sewer Service”

North Country Gazette - ‎Apr 14, 2009‎
LONG ISLAND—The state Attorney General’s office has lodged criminal charges against Long Island-based American Legal Process and its CEO and president ...

AG: Long Island Exec Ran Massive Fraud
New York's CW11 / WPIX-TV - ‎Apr 14, 2009‎
William Singler, the head of American Legal Process in Lynbrook, was arrested on charges of running a massive fraud scheme by failing to properly serve ...

AG Charges LI-Based Process Server Company Exec With Massive Fraud

LongIslandPress.com - ‎Apr 14, 2009‎
By Patrick Kelton Long Island-based American Legal Process (ALP) CEO and President William Singler was charged with allegedly failing to provide proper ...

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Cuomo launches probe into process servers

BY ROBERT E. KESSLER | robert.kessler@newsday.com
12:53 AM EDT, April 13, 2009

State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo has launched a wide-ranging investigation of possible fraud in the process-serving industry, in which thousands of people may have had their financial accounts frozen or wages garnished without any knowledge of court proceedings against them, according to officials.

A spokesman for Cuomo, Richard Bamberger, confirmed the existence of the probe and said it's an important issue in a time of increasing economic hardship. He declined to elaborate on the scope of the investigation or on firms under scrutiny.

Sources familiar with it, however, said that the investigation includes practices on Long Island and around the state. There could be as many as tens of thousands of people statewide affected, the sources said.

Two people said last week they were victims of so-called "sewer service," a term used to indicate that a person was not served and the summons could just as well have been thrown down a sewer.

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Cuomo launches probe into process servers

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