In a significant legal development, attorney regulators in California are taking decisive action against Gregory Trimarche, a lawyer allegedly involved in the unauthorized collection of $11.8 million in upfront fees from individuals seeking relief from private student loan debt.
On Monday, the State Bar of California announced initiating a disciplinary proceeding against Trimarche. The bar alleges that he violated a federal telemarketing rule by charging clients upfront fees for purported debt relief services before effectively settling the debts. This action was taken even before clients made renegotiated debt service payments. According to an official press release, the state bar contends that Trimarche and his business associates failed to fulfill many promised services.
Records show that Trimarche held a significant stake in GST Factoring Inc., a company that launched its student debt relief operations in April 2015. California's state bar reveals that he played an instrumental role in recruiting attorneys to the company, drafting its profit distribution agreement, and crafting communication scripts for staff to engage prospective clients.
Legal action previously unfolded in July 2020 when the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) filed a lawsuit against Trimarche and his business associates in connection with the alleged debt relief operation. As a part of the resolution reached in August 2020, Trimarche has been prohibited from engaging in any future debt-relief services or telemarketing activities. However, it is notable that Trimarche neither admitted nor denied the allegations brought forth by the agency, which asserted that he had charged clients without providing the agreed-upon services. Trimarche and his partners are reported to have unlawfully amassed over $11.8 million from their clients. This assessment aligns with both the CFPB and the State Bar of California.
Another individual implicated in the student-debt relief operation conducted by GST, Amanda Johanson, also faced legal repercussions. The California state bar placed her on inactive status and subsequently suspended in 2018. Allegations against Johanson included delegating legal tasks to non-lawyers and inadequately fulfilling her professional responsibilities.
U.S. District Judge David Carter, presiding in Santa Ana, California, issued a default judgment amounting to $9.9 million against Johanson in connection with the CFPB's lawsuit against GST in December 2020. Unfortunately, Johanson has not responded to inquiries for comments regarding the matter.
