Attorney General Brown announces $700 million multistate settlement against Johnson and Johnson

BALTIMORE, MD—A coalition of 42 attorneys general has announced a $700 million settlement with Johnson & Johnson over its marketing of the Johnson’s Baby Powder and Shower to Shower products. The attorneys general allege (PDF) that Johnson & Johnson misled consumers about the safety of the talc-based products, which have been linked to ovarian cancer. The company has agreed to […]

Baltimore woman indicted for operating sex trafficking ring throughout Maryland

BALTIMORE, MD—A Baltimore woman has been indicted on charges of running a sex trafficking ring throughout the state of Maryland. Attorney General Anthony G. Brown on Monday announced that Kenika Danielle Leach, 33, of Baltimore, has been indicted by a Washington County grand jury in a 135-count indictment. The charges stem from a two-year multi-agency investigation led by the Attorney […]

Scammers targeting E-ZPass users in fake text messages

BALTIMORE, MD—Attorney General Anthony G. Brown is warning consumers about scam texts falsely claiming to represent a road toll collection service asserting that recipients owe money for unpaid tolls. The scam text looks similar to the example displayed below: Maryland Toll Services: We’ve noticed an outstanding toll amount of $12.51 on your record. To avoid a late fee of $50.00, visit […]

Attorney General Brown supports FTC effort to protect car buyers

BALTIMORE, MD—Attorney General Anthony G. Brown has joined a multistate coalition of 19 attorneys general in filing an amicus brief (PDF) in National Automobile Dealers Association et al. v. FTC, supporting the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) defense of its new Combating Auto Retail Scams (CARS) Trade Regulation Rule. The rule addresses several persistent unfair and deceptive practices in the auto […]

Maryland joins federal antitrust lawsuit against Live Nation, Ticketmaster

BALTIMORE, MD—This week, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and a bipartisan coalition of 30 states, including Maryland, filed an antitrust lawsuit (PDF) against Live Nation Entertainment (NASDAQ: LCN), which owns Ticketmaster, alleging that the company has abused its monopoly power in the live entertainment market. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New […]

Maryland selects law firms for potential Key Bridge collapse litigation

BALTIMORE, MD—A team of five law firms has been selected by the Maryland Transportation Authority to assist the state in its lawsuit against the parties responsible for the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse. The announcement was made by Attorney General Anthony G. Brown this week. The firms were selected from a pool of candidates that submitted proposals for legal services […]

Attorney General Brown announces settlement with wireless carriers over allegations of undisclosed terms in offers

BALTIMORE, MD—Some of the nation’s largest wireless carriers have agreed to settle with attorneys general over allegations they failed to disclose all the material terms of their offers. The settlement, announced this week by the office of Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown, resolves claims against AT&T Mobility, Cricket Wireless, T-Mobile USA, Cellco Partnership, and TracFone Wireless. The wireless carriers agreed […]

Baltimore-based home improvement contractor ordered to pay $1 million after failing to perform work

BALTIMORE, MD—Attorney General Anthony G. Brown announced this week that the Consumer Protection Division has entered a Final Order (PDF) against a Baltimore-based home improvement contractor, Bryan O. Jones, and his company, BOJ & Sons Construction, to pay restitution to consumers and civil penalties and costs of more than $1 million. BOJ & Sons took large deposits from at least […]