Second Guilty Plea Entered in California Scam Debt Collection Case

When a website tells me to “Turn to 23″ I’m probably going to do it. And I’m glad I did, because whoo-boy.

For regular readers of insideARM, you might remember a couple of stories we ran back in June of 2011 and December of 2010, respectively, about Maxwell, Turner & Associates — an alleged debt collection agency out of Bakersfield, Calif.

In December, local law enforcement officials, along with the Internal Revenue Service, raided the Maxwell Turner offices, charging the holders with mail fraud, money laundering, and wire fraud.

Those holders, who were arrested, were Paul Anthony Vasquez and Stefan Lemar Miller. Additionally, a salesman, Darrian Jeffrey Summers, also found himself under the thumb of Johnny Law (and later plead guilty and let me just stop you right there: You’re going to want to say something about his eyebrows. You’re only human, and his eyebrows are ridiculous. Just know that there’s probably not anything you can say about them that I haven’t already scribbled into my Mean Girls Burn Book, so just cross “making fun of that guy” off your bucket list).

Almost up until the arrest, Maxwell, Turner, & Associates was busy promoting themselves in the ARM-sphere. Their press releases were filled with tales of entries into debt buying (good luck!) and announcing the launch of their new website, MaxwellTurner.com.

Go ahead and click that link. Because guess who no longer appears to own the domain name www.MaxwellTurner.com? Oh, I’ll just tell you: Maxwell, Turner, & Associates! (You’ve just been Shyamalaned! But also: you’re welcome, because I got all those emails you sent me about wanting to find a reliable website for learning French.)

Anyway. The latest news in this clustermunch of a case is that someone else has plead guilty. This time, it’s Stefan Lemar Miller.

Miller was sort of the Barbra Streisand (actor, writer, director, producer, executive producer, composer, choreographer, fabulous) of Maxwell, Turner, & Associates:  “According to the plea agreement, Miller was the chief executive officer, secretary, chief financial officer, director, and president” of the agency.

It sounds like the guilty plea might be part of a longer term strategy for Miller, who could face a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the mail and wire fraud. As part of his guilty plea, Miller has agreed to pay full restitution and forfeit all the assets that had been seized by federal agents in that initial raid back in December — “including more than $950,000 in cash and a 1.5 carat diamond ring.”

And speaking of diamonds, anyone remember this? FLAWLESS!

It’s unlikely, though, that a last-minute Liz Taylor appearance will save Miller from serving time. (Editor’s Note: Mike Bevel is aware that, while the great Elizabeth Taylor is technically deceased, “can you actually kill a goddess? No.”)

And as far as the last defendant, Paul Anthony Vasquez, goes — he hasn’t pled guilty. Yet.