Suthers
DENVER (Legal Newsline) - Colorado Attorney General John Suthers has filed a lawsuit against a Denver man who allegedly defrauded homeowners facing foreclosure by collecting up-front fees for fraudulent legal services.
Sherron L. Lewis, Jr., Suthers alleges, informed consumers through mail advertising and his Web site, Illegalforeclosures.com, that they could stop the foreclosure process and eliminate their mortgages.
Lewis is not licensed to practice law and is suspected of providing legal advice to consumers on how to combat their foreclosures through the use of frivolous lawsuits. Lewis' lawsuits, which have been routinely dismissed as meritless, were often filed against judges, public trustees and even against one of his victims, Suthers said.
Lewis is alleged to have required up-front fees for his services from his victims, which is illegal under the Colorado Foreclosure Protection Act.
As part of his agreements, Lewis also allegedly acquired an interest in his victims' properties. In some cases, Lewis is believed to have rented out properties he acquired an interest in while delaying foreclosure through frivolous lawsuits.
In one case, Lewis is alleged to have advised a quadriplegic victim to file multiple lawsuits challenging foreclosure on his home and two other properties. The man was allegedly charged more than $20,000 in exchange for legal work Lewis performed for the victim.
In a different case, it is alleged that Lewis occupied an elderly Illinois woman's home rent-free for more than a year. Lewis filed a lawsuit against the woman claiming racial discrimination when she attempted to repossess her own home.