Lots and Lots of Jail Time for Former "Collection Agency" Owner

When last we left Tobias “Bags of Money” Boyland, he was being charged with all kinds of debt collection abuses by the state of New York. Those simple debt collection abuses turned into larceny charges and all kinds of other stuff.

Well, things got real interesting for Boyland in the interim. He was charged with, and convicted of, weapons law violations (among other things) and sentenced to 15 years in prison. And then he decided to make a run for it.

Skipping out on bail between his trial and sentencing, Boyland was apprehended in March. This past week, he pleaded guilty to bail jumping. He’s expected to get another two to four years added to his sentence for skipping out. That would be on top of the weapons charges.

This is another reminder of the public relations issues that the ARM industry faces with consumers and their advocates. The general media treats Boyland as a debt collector, when in fact, he was a criminal that picked the debt collection business model as a platform for his malfeasance. Once officials began investigating his “business,” it became clear that FDCPA violations were the least of their concerns.

Bear this in mind when discussing similar stories with potential clients and regulators.