Federal Judge: Robocaller Must Pay More Than $600,000 to 8 States
A district court judge ordered robocaller John Spiller last week to pay more than $600,000 in attorney fees and costs to eight states for violating a 2023 order barring him from participating in any business in the telecom industry. The 2023 order resulted from a suit brought in 2020 by the states against Spiller and his companies for initiating and facilitating tens of millions of illegal robocalls (see 2303060045).
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Issued by Judge George Hanks of the U.S. District Court for Southern Texas, the ruling followed the court’s October finding that Spiller was in contempt. It awarded $601,763 to Arkansas, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio and Texas for costs related to the contempt litigation.
North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson (D) said the ruling represents a meaningful step toward consumer protection. “This is a significant outcome that will help prevent future phone scams and fraud.” North Carolina led the suit against Spiller in 2020 that helped shut down several of his companies in 2023, including Rising Eagle Capital Group, Rising Eagle Capital Group-Cayman and JSquared Telecom.
Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin (R) emphasized the bipartisan nature of the legal action. “The coalition of eight attorneys general who filed this contempt motion represents both parties,” he said: "This is not a political issue -- it’s about protecting consumers."