By Mark Scott
Buffalo, NY – State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo is suing a Williamsville attorney for allegedly allowed a debt collection company to use his name to intimidate consumers.
Cuomo accuses John Nicolia of selling his name to Eastern Asset Management for $141,000 even though he did not provide any actual legal services.
"The lawsuit alleges that this attorney knowingly allowed a debt collection firm to use his name to threaten, intimidate, and harass consumers, while he sat back and profited without having to do any actual work," Cuomo said. "Our investigation into illegal debt collection practices has uncovered layer upon layer of abusive acts, and we will continue to root out the bad players in this industry."
In his suit, Cuomo is seeking civil penalties and is asking the court to bar Nicolia from allowing debt collectors to use his name.