KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) – Michigan’s Attorney General accusing after a business that set set up shop in Kalamazoo of fraud and deceptive business practices.
Dana Nessel’s office filed suit in Kalamazoo County’s 9th Circuit Court this week to dissolve American Air Mavericks, and to seek injunctive relief against it and agent Roman Choumeliski, over alleged fraud committed in establishing the business and “repeated and willful unlawful business practices.”
The lawsuit alleges Choumeliski, a Florida resident, fraudulently established a limited liability company (LLC) named ‘24/7 AD Cleaning’, doing business as ‘American Air Mavericks’, by using the address of a short-term rental in Kalamazoo as the ‘resident agent address’. The AG contends Choumeliski rented the property for three nights, and during that time filed the LLC formation paperwork with the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, which would be a violation of the Limited Liability Act,
Also alleged in the lawsuit is a repeated and willful use of illegal business practices harming consumers. The Department contends American Air Mavericks “has engaged in several violations of the Michigan Consumer Protection Act in deceptively representing their geographic origin, making false or misleading statements concerning price reductions, and employing gross discrepancies between oral representations and written agreements covering transactions or failing to provide promised services.”
Consumer complaints cited in the lawsuit contend the company has double-charged customers, fabricated findings of black mold to justify exorbitant price increases from previously quoted prices, engaged in high-pressure demands for unexpectedly large sums of cash based upon false pretenses, inadequately performed or entirely failed to perform agreed-upon services, and ignored customer contact attempts to secure refunds or repairs.
“This company appears to have been a scam from its very inception,” said Nessel. “Consumers were harmed by this business’ use of unambiguously predatory and illegal practices.”
In one reported instance reported to the Better Business Bureau, employees refused to leave a customer’s property until she produced a large amount of cash, well above their agreed-upon quoted price.
The lawsuit also contends American Air Mavericks engages in fraudulent marketing tactics intentionally impersonating would-be customers on neighborhood group pages or utilizing pop-up ads on social media platforms that suggest to consumers that someone in their neighborhood is already utilizing the services of the company. In at least one instance, a defrauded customer contends they first engaged with American Air Mavericks by responding to a fake community post encouraging ‘neighbors’ to sign-up for services to obtain a group discount.
For the alleged violations the state is seeking civil fines of $75,000, payment to the Department of Attorney General for costs associated with the investigation and litigation, and any other relief the Court deems “just and proper.”
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