19 Feb Feds charge race car driver for online payday lending scheme
New York racing fans may be interested in learning that Scott Tucker, a race car driver who competes on both European and U.S. circuits, was recently indicted for allegedly running a $2 billion fraudulent payday loan operation online. The indictment against Mr. Tucker was filed in federal court in Manhattan.
According to the indictment, authorities allege that Mr. Tucker, along with a lawyer who worked for his company, tried to claim immunity by setting up allegedly sham operations with various Native American tribes. The company, AMG Services, operated out of Kansas and ran two online payday lending companies. The reportedly false tribal relationships were used by Mr. Tucker and his lawyer to shield them from state lawsuits for allegedly abusive lending practices.
Authorities claim that Mr. Tucker earned hundreds of millions of dollars in profits, buying lavish real estate, a private plane and more while also funding his racing team. In addition to Mr. Tucker and the lawyer working for him, another man was also indicted for a separate alleged fraudulent payday lending operation. AMG Services has reportedly already reached a settlement with the government for $25 million.
When a person learns that they are the subject of a federal investigation, they may want to get help from a criminal defense attorney even before they are charged. An attorney may be able to negotiate with the U.S. Attorney in order to avoid criminal charges. This may help their client avoid the possibility of prison time so that they may move forward with their life. If an indictment is handed down, an attorney may still be able to negotiate a plea to a lesser offense or to an alternative sentence.
Source: Fortune, “This race car driver was arrested for running a payday lender fraud,” Feb. 11, 2016.