News Releases

STATEWIDE – Washington residents and news media can meet with officials from the state Attorney General’s Office, U.S. Attorneys Office, Internal Revenue Service, U.S. Postal Inspection Service and local police and sheriffs departments on April 28 when they blanket the state to help educate the public about reducing their risk of becoming identity theft victims. Experts will be present at 29 locations as part of a statewide shred-a-thon organized by Washington’s Law Enforcement Group Against Identity Theft, better known as LEGIT. Consumers and small businesses are invited to bring sensitive documents to be destroyed at no charge by commercial shred trucks, which are donating their services. Details at www.atg.wa.gov/Shredathon.aspx.

EVERETT — A loan officer accused of stealing funds from her customers’ mortgage loan proceeds was sentenced today to six months in jail and another six months of home monitoring, Attorney General Rob McKenna announced.

OLYMPIA – Washington Attorney General Rob McKenna today announced that he is teaming up with the Governor’s Office and the Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development to investigate factors that influence gas prices in the state.

OLYMPIA -- Secretary of State Sam Reed and Attorney General Rob McKenna urge citizens to watch out for scam artists playing off legitimate charitable efforts following the tragic shootings at Virginia Tech.

SEATTLE – Washington State Attorney General Rob McKenna today announced a settlement with three California-based businesses that resolves allegations they installed software that took control of a consumer’s computer by launching aggressive and persistent pop-ups that demanded payment for a movie download service. The software was installed after users signed up for a seemingly anonymous free trial for the service.

OLYMPIA…Attorney General Rob McKenna, Ken Miller and his family today joined Gov. Chris Gregoire as she signed into law a new notice requirement for property owners whose land has been targeted for government projects.

SEATTLE – Washington state consumers are eligible for refunds as part of a settlement reached between the Florida Attorney General’s Office and Email Discount Network (EDN). Email Discount Network, located in Florida, charged more than 250,000 consumers nationwide a monthly fee for shopping coupons and discounts the company advertised on the Internet.

Attorney General Rob McKenna will join Gov. Chris Gregoire in her executive conference room at 10 a.m. Tuesday, April 17, 2007,  as she signs a bill they jointly requested to improve public notice in eminent domain cases and takes action on two of his other attorney-general request bills:

SEATTLE – Attorney General Rob McKenna today announced a lawsuit against an estate property consignment business and its owner for allegedly failing to fully compensate customers for sold items and keeping unsold property. The company is located on the Olympic Peninsula and also does business online. The Attorney General’s Office filed a suit today in Kitsap County Superior Court, alleging violations of Washington’s Consumer Protection Act by Great Estates, LCC, of Port Orchard, and its owner, Alice Simpson, of Olalla. The company has also done business as Cornucopia Ailisia.

SEATTLE – Washington State Attorney General Rob McKenna today announced a lawsuit against Merchant Processing, Inc. (MPI), of Beaverton, Ore., and several of its associates. The suit alleges the defendants used deceptive tactics to sell credit and debit card processing services to small businesses in Washington state. The Attorney General’s Office filed its complaint today in King County Superior Court, alleging violations of the state’s Consumer Protection Act by MPI and two affiliated companies in Oregon: Vequity Financial Group, of Beaverton, and Direct Merchant Processing, of Tigard. MPI’s president Aaron Rian and vice president Michael DeGroat are also defendants.