Pa. attorney general files lawsuit over bogus spotted lanternfly permits
The deceptive, official-looking letters sent to at least 80 residents threatened civil and criminal penalties.
An Idaho man scammed Pennsylvania residents and businesses into paying for bogus spotted lanternfly containment training and permitting, according to a newly filed lawsuit from the state attorney general’s office.
Kevin Wardell and his company Diverse Solutions LLC allegedly operated the scheme under the banner of the “Spotted Lanternfly Commission” between last year and this year, sending deceptive, official-looking letters to at least 80 residents. The letters threatened recipients with civil and criminal penalties if they did not comply with the training, according to the lawsuit, which was filed in the Dauphin County Court of Common Pleas this week.
According to the filing, the letter included a logo that was designed to look like the Great Seal of the United States, and referenced an “order by the Department of Agriculture” that “required compliance.” All the targets had to do, the letter said, was pay up for the permitting at a website allegedly operated by Wardell.
At least 80 Pennsylvania residents and businesses received the correspondence, but it was not immediately clear how many paid up. The lawsuit alleges “numerous businesses” were alarmed by the letter, and added that “there may be consumers” who did not contact authorities.
“Pennsylvania is working hard to stop the spread of invasive species such as spotted lanternflies, but they aren’t the only pests that are harming Pennsylvanians,” Attorney General Dave Sunday said in a statement. “Scammers peddling fraudulent trainings and fake permits do not help anyone keep their crops safe from this destructive species.”
The Keystone State has a quarantine related to the insects active in most counties, and businesses moving products into or within those areas are required to be trained and permitted, according to the Penn State Extension. But the permitting and training are offered free of charge by the state Department of Agriculture and the Penn State Extension.
Wardell, the lawsuit alleges, charged $59 to $139 for his fraudulent training and permitting service. The trainings offered, the attorney general’s office said, consisted of three videos totaling seven minutes combined, and featured Wardell himself speaking generally about spotted lanternflies without providing information about preventing their spread. The legitimate training runs about three hours.
The lawsuit alleges Wardell had no authorization from the state to offer the trainings, and could not issue legitimate permits. In doing so, the Sunday’s office said, Wardell violated the Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law.
As a result, the attorney general is asking the court to bar Wardell and Diverse Solutions from doing business in Pennsylvania, and provide restitution for victims who paid for the fraudulent permits and training.
