Felony complaint filed against Westlake Village telemarketer





The Ventura County District Attorney’s Consumer and Environmental Protection Unit has filed a felony complaint against 56-year-old William Henry Hirsh of Westlake Village and his business Print-Mate, Inc., which allegedly used telemarketers to solicit orders for ink and paper used in credit-card machines.


District Attorney Greg Totten previously prosecuted Hirsh and Print-Mate, Inc. for fraudulent telemarketing in a civil action in December 1998. That action was settled when Hirsh agreed to be bound by a permanent injunction prohibiting fraudulent telemarketing and to pay restitution, civil penalties and costs of $15,000.


A complaint from one of Print-Mate, Inc.’s customers prompted the district attorney to reopen the case.


Investigators searched the business at 2985 Hillcrest Drive in Thousand Oaks last year and found more than 100 boxes of evidence.


The complaint alleges Hirsch and Print-Mate, Inc. committed a felony violation of California’s telephonic seller law by willfully engaging in a business that operated as a fraud.


If convicted, the defendants could face a maximum fine of $10,000 for each unlawful transaction and Hirsh could be imprisoned for up to three years.



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