Colorado Attorney General John Suthers’ office has landed a blow for consumers against a Colorado Springs business that was scamming people looking for immigration assistance. Suthers’ office announced Wednesday it reached a settlement with Simply Done Immigration and its owner, 45-year-old Joseph P. Corrigan, which, in addition to garnering $20,000 in consumer restitution, bars the company from operating in Colorado. The settlement comes in addition to out-of-court payments equaling $18,000 to be paid by two other individuals associated with the business.
Although Corrigan and Simply Done admit to no wrongdoing in the settlement, the complaint against them filed by Suthers last week is damning.
Suthers accused the company of charging hundreds of dollars to customers for government documents available free online. He said the company often sold the wrong free online documents to its customers; that it also peddled immigration and legal expertise that none of the staffers possessed; that it pretended to be affiliated with a government agency when it was in no way affiliated with any such agency; that it guaranteed results it couldn’t deliver; and that it ignored requests for assistance customers had already paid to secure.
Attorney General Communications Director Mike Saccone told the Colorado Independent that so far just over 70 customers were signed on to receive cash restitution from the settlements but that hundreds if not thousands of Simply Done Immigration customers are eligible.
He expects many more will apply now that a settlement has been reached and is being reported in the press. He encourages customers to apply at the attorney general website or to call the hotline at 1-800-222-4444.
This is the second Colorado Springs scam immigration service business Suthers’ office has targeted successfully in the last two years.
Suthers pulled down a default judgment in 2009 against the Immigration Center, which was operated by Charles Doucette. The judge awarded the state and consumers $2.5 million in that case on top of an $85,000 settlement with Doucette and co-defendant Deborah Stillson.
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