Sold investments with no benefit, misrepresented qualifications

SEATTLE — Attorney General Bob Ferguson has filed a lawsuit against a Snohomish couple who scammed elderly Washington residents applying for Medicaid and veterans benefits.  The Attorney General’s Office alleges that the Cooks’ actions violated the state Consumer Protection Act.

OLYMPIA — Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson issued this statement today in response to the recent announcement by the U.S. Department of Education outlining a new debt relief process for Corinthian Colleges, Inc. (“Corinthian”) students.

SEATTLE — Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced today his office will offer a formal opinion in response to a request from Senator Pam Roach related to the City of Pasco’s proposed district-only voting system.

In Opinion Docket No. 15-06-01, Roach asks: “May a non-charter code city subject to RCW 35A.12.180, having a large minority population, adopt a district-based general election procedure to avoid a potential violation of Section 2 of the Federal Voting Rights Act?”

First conviction of healthcare provider for felony-level mistreatment

SEATTLE — A former adult family home operator pleaded guilty today to charges he criminally mistreated a man in his care.

The Attorney General’s Office Medicaid Fraud Control Unit charged Alfredo Tia with second-degree criminal mistreatment in King County Superior Court. Tia was arrested at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport April 22 as he returned from the Philippines.

SEATTLE — Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced that the King County Superior Court yesterday convicted Elene Allonce of forging a nursing license that she used to fraudulently serve as a Medicaid healthcare provider. Allonce is sentenced to six months in jail, the most time allowed for this 16-year-old crime.

OLYMPIA — Today the Washington State Supreme Court declined to hear a challenge to the state’s voter-approved recreational marijuana law.

Instead, the justices referred MMH, LLC v. Fife to Division Two of the Washington Court of Appeals.

Restitution available for eligible Classmates subscribers

SEATTLE — Attorney General Bob Ferguson joined with attorneys general from 21 other states to announce that social networking site Classmates.com and floral delivery company FTD have agreed to pay $11 million to resolve allegations the companies engaged in misleading advertising and billing practices.

SEATTLE — Today Attorney General Bob Ferguson filed an amicus, or “friend of the court,” brief supporting Seattle’s $15-an-hour minimum wage ordinance in the case of International Franchise Association v. City of Seattle.

Argues upholding local bans reduces likelihood of federal scrutiny

SEATTLE — The Washington State Supreme Court this week agreed with an Attorney General’s Office “friend of the court” brief that local jurisdictions have the right to regulate or ban collective gardens.  

The office filed an amicus curiae brief in Cannabis Action Coalition v. City of Kent, where a medical marijuana advocacy group challenged the city’s ban on collective gardens.

On Thursday, the high court ruled in agreement with the Attorney General’s argument.

Only $5 million of $187 million donated went to the help cancer patients