State AG Shuts Down Debt Collection Operation

Louisiana Attorney General James D. “Buddy” Caldwell announced Friday that his office had successfully won an injunction against a father-son debt collection team that continued to operate ARM businesses despite an earlier order for them to cease operations.

Caldwell said that a Louisiana District Court found William “Bill” S. Ferguson II in contempt of court for violating a previous order to stop his illegal debt collection activities. Ferguson, and his son Jason, had been ordered to cut it out back in January 2010 when their firm, Bush & Kennedy, attracted a lawsuit from Caldwell.

But the Fergusons soldiered on, starting up other collection operations under different company names. The central beef the L.A. AG had with Ferguson is that he was collecting debts and not remitting payments to his clients.

Caldwell said that the judge ordered Ferguson to pay penalties, but did not disclose an amount. The order this time more explicitly states that neither of the Fergusons can work in debt collection at all in any way.

The two will be tried for fraud, but a trial date has not been set.