by Structured Settlement Watchdog

In another episode of "As the Maryland Cauldron of Deceit Turns",  the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau has filed suit against structured settlement factoring company Reliance Funding, its predecessor Access Funding, CEO Lee Jundanian, COO Raffi Boghosian,  and Charles E Smith a corrupt Maryland attorney for an alleged financial scam targeting cognitively impaired black lead paint victims with structured settlements.

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Is Putting Some Heat On "the Mo Fo"

 The same cast of characters are also defendants in a law suit brought by the Maryland State Attorney General Brian Frosh as well as a civil class action law suit brought by the victims.  perhaps coincidentally the Chevy Chase office of Reliance Funding was burgled the same  day the class action lawsuit was filed.

Yep It's 'Cordray' Season!

According to a press release issued by the CFPB on November 21, 2016,  Director Richard Cordray said “Many of these struggling consumers were victimized first by toxic lead, and second by a company that saw them as little more than income streams to be courted and harvested. The Consumer Bureau is fighting to help vulnerable consumers who were swindled out of their settlements, and to prevent future abuses.”

A cavalcade of litigation followed a blistering award winning expose by Terrence McCoy of The Washington Post in August 2015, which outraged lawmakers such as Congressman Elijah Cummings and turned the spot light on the under regulated structured settlement secondary market.

Since then there have been significant structured settlement protection reforms that include mandatory state registration,  registration fees and the p0sting of a bond. Claimants must appear in court and proceedings must take place in the jurisdiction where the seller lives, not what is most convenient for  the buyer.

Derwood MD lawyer Charles E Smith, who the CFPB characterizes as a "sham adviser"  deserves to be singled out for his sleazy business practices and disbarred in my personal opinion. CFPB alleges that Access Funding steered victims to receive “independent advice” from a sham advisor, an attorney who was actually paid directly by the company and indicated to consumers that the transactions required little scrutiny.  People like Mary Alice Rose, who could not even read.  Smith purportedly provided advice for almost all Maryland consumers who did business with Access Funding.

/static/js/modernizr.min.b7c8dd893f45.js
// <![CDATA[
// <![CDATA[
// <![CDATA[
// <![CDATA[
if ( window.Modernizr && window.Modernizr.es5 === false ) {
var script = document.createElement( 'script' );
script.type = 'text/javascript';
script.src = '/static/js/es5-shim.43bfbd352a7d.js';
document.getElementsByTagName( 'head' )[0].appendChild( script );
}
// ]]>
// ]]>
// ]]>
// ]]>
//ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/1.11.3/jquery.min.js
// <![CDATA[
// <![CDATA[
// <![CDATA[
// <![CDATA[
if (!window.jQuery) { document.write('<script src="/static/js/jquery.min.f03e5a3bf534.js"><\/script>'); }
// ]]>
// ]]>
// ]]>
// ]]>
https://search.usa.gov/javascripts/remote.loader.js

/static/js/modernizr.min.b7c8dd893f45.js
// <![CDATA[
// <![CDATA[
// <![CDATA[
// <![CDATA[
if ( window.Modernizr && window.Modernizr.es5 === false ) {
var script = document.createElement( 'script' );
script.type = 'text/javascript';
script.src = '/static/js/es5-shim.43bfbd352a7d.js';
document.getElementsByTagName( 'head' )[0].appendChild( script );
}
// ]]>
// ]]>
// ]]>
// ]]>

//ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/1.11.3/jquery.min.js
// <![CDATA[
// <![CDATA[
// <![CDATA[
// <![CDATA[
if (!window.jQuery) { document.write('<script src="/static/js/jquery.min.f03e5a3bf534.js"><\/script>'); }
// ]]>
// ]]>
// ]]>
// ]]>
https://search.usa.gov/javascripts/remote.loader.js

/static/js/modernizr.min.b7c8dd893f45.js
// <![CDATA[
// <![CDATA[
// <![CDATA[
// <![CDATA[
if ( window.Modernizr && window.Modernizr.es5 === false ) {
var script = document.createElement( 'script' );
script.type = 'text/javascript';
script.src = '/static/js/es5-shim.43bfbd352a7d.js';
document.getElementsByTagName( 'head' )[0].appendChild( script );
}
// ]]>
// ]]>
// ]]>
// ]]>
//ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/1.11.3/jquery.min.js
// <![CDATA[
// <![CDATA[
// <![CDATA[
// <![CDATA[
if (!window.jQuery) { document.write('<script src="/static/js/jquery.min.f03e5a3bf534.js"><\/script>'); }
// ]]>
// ]]>
// ]]>
// ]]>
https://search.usa.gov/javascripts/remote.loader.js