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Attorney General Mike DeWine
DeWine Sues Man
Accused of Illegally Placing Over 1 Million Robocalls to Consumers
(CINCINNATI)—Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine today announced a
lawsuit against a man accused of placing illegal robocalls to consumers
in Ohio and other states.
According to the lawsuit, Kevin J. Calvin, doing business as Rocket
Marketing, Network Solutions, and Made in America Cleaning and
Restoration, placed about 1.6 million automated telemarketing calls
advertising his cleaning services and violated state and federal
telemarketing laws.
Calvin is accused of initiating the calls over a five-month period,
often repeatedly calling the same telephone numbers. He allegedly used
60 different originating telephone numbers, which frustrated consumers’
efforts to block the calls. Calls were made before 8 a.m. or after 9
p.m., made to consumers who were listed on the National Do Not Call
Registry, or placed without consumers’ permission.
“This is about protecting Ohio consumers from illegal robocalls,”
Attorney General DeWine said. “When we find those who violate
telemarketing laws, we hold them accountable.”
According to the Attorney General’s lawsuit, Calvin operated from an
office at 431 Ohio Pike in Cincinnati, placing calls that used
artificial or prerecorded voices. The calls instructed consumers to
press “1” to be connected to a representative or to call a certain
number to schedule services. When consumers responded, they often were
disconnected, unable to reach a live representative, or their requests
to opt out were ignored.
The lawsuit, filed in the Hamilton County Common Pleas Court, accuses
Calvin of violating the Consumer Sales Practices Act, Telephone
Solicitation Sales Act, and Telephone Consumer Protection Act. In the
lawsuit, the Attorney General seeks an order finding the defendant’s
actions in violation of the law, an injunction to stop further
violations, consumer damages, and civil penalties.
State and federal telemarketing regulations limit many types of
robocalls, including unsolicited prerecorded telemarketing calls to
landline home telephones and autodialed or prerecorded calls or text
messages to wireless numbers.
Sellers generally are prohibited from soliciting consumers using
robocalls without first obtaining the consumer’s prior written consent,
without identifying the caller, and without providing an automated
opt-out mechanism.
Telemarketers also cannot call before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m., and if
consumers have added their numbers to the National Do Not Call Registry
or opted out of receiving calls, telemarketers must honor their
requests.
Ohioans who suspect an unfair or deceptive sales practice should
contact the Ohio Attorney General’s Office at
www.OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov or 800-282-0515.
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