WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) — The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced April 13 a settlement with Justin Ramsey, the ringleader behind an alleged telemarketing scheme that robocalled consumers and called phone numbers listed on the National Do Not Call (DNC) Registry.
According to allegations, Ramsey and co-conspirators made millions of illegal telemarketing calls between 2012 and 2013. The defendants allegedly made more than 1.3 million illegal robocalls to consumers throughout the country in only one week of 2012 alone.
The order requires Ramsey and his company, Prime Marketing LLC, to pay $2.2 million in civil penalties. All but $65,000 of that penalty will be suspended, however, due to the defendants’ inability to pay. The FTC notes the full judgment will become due immediately if it is found the defendants misrepresented their financial condition. The order also bans the defendants from placing robocalls and calling consumers listed on the DNC.
The FTC voted 2-0 to authorize staff to file the proposed stipulated federal court order settling charges against Ramsey and Prime Marketing. The order was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida.
Co-conspirators in the case had settled FTC charges at the same time the agency filed its complaint.