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Wednesday, April 24, 2002
By Jim Bodor
Telegram & Gazette Staff
Woman planning to repay customers
WORCESTER-- A Worcester woman who is the focus of a multi-agency investigation into allegations that she defrauded consumers over the Internet is developing a plan to repay her former customers, her lawyer said yesterday.
More than 150 people from across the United States and Canada have filed complaints with federal, state and local officials claiming Teresa Smith, 25, of 65 Lake Ave., collected thousands of dollars from them but failed to deliver the computers they tried to purchase.
The U.S. Attorney, the state Attorney General, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the FBI and the Worcester District Attorney’s office as well as West Boylston police are investigating, according to authorities. Four of the woman’s businesses used a West Boylston address.
Ms. Smith’s lawyer, Angelo P. Catanzaro of Ashland, said yesterday that his client intends to pay refunds to everyone who deserves one.
"Her plan is clearly if anybody is entitled to a deposit or refund, every effort will be made to repay them," he said.
Ms. Smith’s businesses grew too quickly for her to keep pace, he said. If she is guilty of anything, it is poor business management, he said.
"This is a business that took off too quickly," he said. "The business got ahead of itself. We are implementing a plan to return all of the money."
Mr. Catanzaro said he has been in touch with the Attorney General’s office about repaying those with claims against Ms. Smith.
"We are pulling together something in terms of the mechanism and feasibility of doing this," he said. "It will be over several months."
Complaints about Ms. Smith’s businesses, which operated under such names as ShadowSB, DRJ Co. LLC, and Cheap Trick Sales, began arriving at the Better Business Bureau of Central New England Inc. about two months ago.
Two Better Business Bureau consumer specialists found Ms. Smith selling computer equipment for $2,000 to $5,000 to consumers in the United States and Canada, but in many cases failed to deliver the computers after payment was made. She offered refunds to many customers, but those refund checks usually bounced, the specialists found.
West Boylston police arrested Ms. Smith on a larceny charge last week for passing a $30 check that bounced. That charge has been dismissed, her lawyer said yesterday.