Palm Beach home scammers must give up bling and bucks

Article Courtesy of The Palm Beach Post

Published May 9, 2015   

   

A federal court judge is ordering two men involved in a North Palm Beach foreclosure prevention scheme to hand over tens of thousands of dollars in jewelry, watches and guns to help compensate victims.

Negotiated settlements in the federal civil complaint against Hoffman Law Group managers Michael Harper, of North Palm Beach, and Palm Beach Gardens resident Benn Willcox, ban the duo from working in loan modification or debt collection businesses and requires them to surrender a combined $140,000 in assets.


Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and Florida Office of the Attorney General paperwork is taped to the front door of the Hoffmnan Law Group, P.A. offices in North Palm Beach July 16, 2014.


Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and Florida Office of the Attorney General paperwork is taped to the front door of the Hoffmnan Law Group, P.A. offices in North Palm Beach July 16, 2014. (Richard Graulich / The Palm Beach Post)

Those assets include watches with brand names like Rolex, Cartier, Bretling, Tag Heuer and Zenith. Diamond jewelry, a 380 Ruger and Glock 45 will also go up for auction to help refund an estimated 1,200 former Hoffman clients nationwide.
   
Rolex Yachtmaster: Depending on style, can run nearly $20,000.

Willcox was already forced to hand over two jet skis, which fetched $16,770 at auction.

A receiver working for the court has regained about $1 million in cash and from personal and business bank accounts.

The judgments come nearly a year after a dramatic afternoon raid of the Hoffman Law Group offices on U.S. 1 where employees watched agents representing the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and Florida attorney general’s office shut the business down.


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