Courtesy of the Department of Labor & Industries

SEATTLE — An unregistered contractor must serve 30 days in jail for scamming homeowners who paid him thousands of dollars for home improvement projects that he never finished.

King County Superior Court Judge Theresa Doyle also ordered Gary Shannon Edwards to repay his victims in King and Pierce counties $51,659, and pay court costs.

Seeks to refund money to consumers, stop deceptive ads

SEATTLE—Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson filed a lawsuit today against the makers of 5-hour ENERGY®, the popular energy drink. The AGO alleges they misled consumers with ads claiming that doctors recommend 5-hour ENERGY®, by implying the product is safe for teenagers and claiming that the product causes ‛no sugar crash’ when the companies’ own study showed it triggers a caffeine crash.

OLYMPIA—Negotiators from Washington state and the federal government have agreed to extend the dispute resolution period by 70 days, ending on Sept. 5.

The dispute resolution was triggered under a 2010 court order to clean up high-level radioactive and chemically hazardous waste at Hanford.

Joins national effort to help military families avoid scams and fraud

OLYMPIA – Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson joins other government agencies, advocacy organizations and private sector groups today, July 16, 2014, in commemorating the second annual Military Consumer Protection Day.

“The men and women who serve to protect our country don't deserve to be taken advantage of by businesses that don't play by the rules," said Ferguson. “I am making sure that my office stands firmly for military families against fraud and scams.”

OLYMPIA— Prosecutors from the Attorney General’s Sexually Violent Predator Unit (SVP) begin trial this week in Lewis County Superior Court to determine whether a repeat sex offender should remain confined to the State’s Special Commitment Center on McNeil Island.

OLYMPIA… Thurston County Superior Court Judge Carol Murphy has reversed a key portion of a decision approving Puget Sound Energy’s multi-year energy rate plan, which could roll back automatic rate increases for PSE customers.

The Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission (UTC) approved the rate plan for PSE in 2013.  The plan included automatic rate increases for PSE customers beginning in 2013 and continuing until 2016 or 2017— at PSE’s option.

News Release Courtesy of Washington Dept. of Labor and Industries

SEATTLE — A Seattle contractor faces charges that he defrauded homeowners who paid him more than $45,000 to upgrade their bathrooms and kitchens, and do other home renovation projects.

Instead of improving homes, the Attorney General's Office alleges Gary Shannon Edwards pocketed payments for work that he never completed or never even started.

SEATTLE—A Washington State Attorney General’s Office lawsuit has stopped deceptive business practices and will return money to over 11,000 Washington state consumers. These consumers purchased worthless food handler certificates from eFoodhandlers, Inc. that do not comply with Washington state law.

“Consumers paid for a worthless piece of paper,” said Attorney General Bob Ferguson. “eFoodhandlers’ deceptive practices made it difficult for food service workers to keep a job and businesses to stay open. My office will not tolerate deceptive business practices.”

OLYMPIA—A former Franklin County Corrections Officer entered a guilty plea in Franklin County Superior Court in response to sexual misconduct charges filed by the Attorney General’s Office in late April.

Justin Thomas Husom pled guilty today to:

Roughly 2,900 small businesses may receive refunds

OLYMPIA— The Attorney General’s Office recently filed suit in King County Superior Court against Mandatory Poster Agency (MPA), doing business as Corporate Records Service, and its top corporate officers, for unfair and deceptive business practices in violation of Washington’s Consumer Protection Act.