Effective July 18, 2008 Maine residents who are victims of identity theft have the right to file a police report and receive a copy of a written report from their local law enforcement agency. A police report is required by most financial institutions in order for victims of identity theft to clear their name. In the past, many identity theft victims in Maine were unable to obtain a police report because the crime took place outside of the state.
Attorney General Steven Rowe announced today that Indian Township Police Officer Alexander Nicholas II and Indian Township Game Warden Scott Francis were legally justified when they used deadly force against Douglas P. Kelley, Jr., 40, of Calais, during the early evening of May 12, 2008, in Indian Township. Mr. Kelley died as the result of gunshot wounds inflicted by the officers.
Maine Attorney General Steve Rowe announced that Maine has joined 42 other states and the federal government in settling Medicaid legal claims against Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (BMS) and its former wholly owned subsidiary Apothecon, Inc.
The total settlement amount that will be paid to the states and the federal government is $389 million. The State of Maine will receive $829,862 from the settlement. This amount will be paid to the Department of Health and Human Services on behalf of MaineCare, the State?s Medicaid program.
Maine Attorney General Steve Rowe announced today that MoneyGram Payment Systems, Inc., has entered into an Assurance of Voluntary Compliance (AVC) with Maine and 43 other States and the District of Columbia. The agreement is in response to concerns about the use of the company?s wire transfer services by fraudulent telemarketers. Under the AVC, MoneyGram will, among other things, fund a $1.1 million national consumer awareness program and display highly visible consumer warnings on the forms used to wire money by consumers.
Today Attorney General Steve Rowe, joined by ten other state Attorneys General[1], announced an agreement with Anheuser-Busch that will result in the discontinuance of two popular pre-mixed alcoholic energy drinks, Tilt and Bud Extra. As part of the agreement, Anheuser-Busch will not produce any caffeinated alcohol beverages in the future. Rowe commends Anheuser-Busch for its decision and calls on other manufactures to take similar steps to remove these potentially dangerous beverages from the market.
IN RE:
ANHEUSER-BUSCH, INC.
ASSURANCE OF VOLUNTARY COMPLIANCEAND VOLUNTARY DISCONTINUANCE
Two South Carolina companies who purported to help people in financial trouble but were actually offering little or no benefit at all have agreed to stop misleading consumers. The North Charleston, SC companies JK Harris, a tax-relief company that did not deliver on its claim to settle IRS debts for ?pennies on the dollar?, and Financial Recovery Systems, LLC, a credit repair company that sent out bogus notices to make people think they needed credit help, have agreed to pay $1.5 million in refunds to consumer across the country.
Maine Attorney General Steve Rowe and Maine Labor Commissioner Laura Fortman announced today the filing of an Offer of Judgment made by Richardson Hollow, where the company agreed to pay $190,193.72 in back wages and vacation pay.
The judgment covers 126 former employees of Richardson Hollow who were not paid when the business closed in September 2007. The Office of Attorney General filed a complaint for back wages against the company in Androscoggin County Superior Court in October of 2007.
Attorney General Steven Rowe today filed a stipulated judgment with Merck and Company, Inc. resolving a three-year investigation by 30 states concerning the company's deceptive promotion of the anti-inflammatory "Cox-2" drug Vioxx. In addition to a $58 million payment to the participating states, with Maine's share being $1.1 million the judgment filed in the Kennebec County Superior Court will restrict Merck's ability to deceptively promote other Merck products.
Attorney General Steve Rowe announced today that Port Property Management, a Maine corporation which manages over 700 residential apartments in Portland and South Portland, has agreed to a Court-ordered Consent Decree which bars it from automatically charging an Early Termination Fee whenever a tenant has to leave the apartment before the lease has expired.