Koster
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (Legal Newsline) - Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster announced a settlement on Wednesday with a Pennsylvania-based business and its owner for allegedly violating the state's no-call law.
Under the terms of the agreement, Internet Technology Partnerships Inc. and Jesse Levine, the company's owner, must pay the state $35,000 and stop making telemarketing calls to any consumer in Missouri unless the consumer has an agreement with the company to allow the calls.
Koster filed a lawsuit against the defendants in August after his office received more than 100 complaints from consumers who had registered their numbers on the state's Do-Not-Call list. The telemarketers called consumers attempting to solicit plaintiffs for class action lawsuits.
"Missourians do not want to be bothered by telemarketers and they make it clear by signing up for our Do-Not-Call list and notifying us when they get the illegal calls," Koster said. "The attorney general's office will continue to take action against telemarketers who do not obey Missouri's law."
Each chamber of the Missouri general assembly has unanimously passed different versions of legislation to add cell phone numbers to the No-Call registry. The legislature has 3.5 weeks to agree on a single bill before the session ends. Koster has encouraged the assembly to pass such a bill.
"Missourians have been clear that they want to register their cell phones on the No-Call list," Koster said. "I appreciate the legislature's attention to this issue, and urge passage of a bill by May 18."