A jury ordered a Texas businessman to pay $13.8 million for committing fraud against at least 700 Texans, according to the Texas Attorney General’s Office. Attorney General Greg Abbott’s office announced the verdict against Robert M. Lindsey earlier this week. Lindsey failed to register his debt elimination companies including Jubilee Financial Management LLC, The Credit Card Solution (TCCS), and Freedom from Debt Alliance with state authorities and also made false claims that he would restore customers’ credit ratings and remove their debt.

According to a news release issued by the Texas Attorney General, more than 700 people paid an average of $3,000 for these fraudulent services. Jurors convicted Lindsey under the grounds that he violated the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act and the Texas Credit Services Act. Lindsey’s companies told consumers they would use loopholes in the credit reporting system to file lawsuits against debt collectors, eventually wiping away their debt and even getting them court-awarded damages. “Because the defendants offered nothing of value – and charged thousands of dollars for the purported services – already struggling customers were worse off financially after paying TCCS,” the attorney general’s office said in a statement Tuesday.

The Attorney General says once a customer paid a fee to TCCS, the defendants promised to assist customers in sending “form letters” to debt collectors and credit reporting agencies. Those letters would then put the recipient on notice, which TCCS said would help customers with their debt. Texans who believe they’ve been involved in similar practices are asked to call the Office of the Attorney General’s complaint line at (800) 252-8011.

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