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ND AG subpoenas shuttered Bismarck photo firm

By Pat Sweeney Oct 22, 2021 | 5:28 PM

The North Dakota Attorney General’s office has subpoenaed a Bismarck photography firm that suddenly closed, leaving customers with no way to get their money back.

 

Parrell Grossman, the director of the Consumer Protection & Antitrust Division, says investigators are seeking relevant documents from Glasser Images and owner Jack Glasser. When Glasser Images closed in early October, the company apologized and said refunds would not be provided.

 

Grossman said the attorney general’s office also intends to schedule a hearing in which Glasser would be required to answer questions under oath.

 

“We are awaiting production of the documents pursuant to those subpoenas, as well as a subpoena hearing date in the future, under which Mr. Glasser in particular, will be examined under oath as to the nature of his activities, the conduct, anything that really is relevant to our consumer fraud investigation” Grossman said.

 

“Generally, subpoenas seek all business records that relate to the transactions that occurred.  The contracts, the payments that were made, the payments that haven’t been made, the various expenditures by a business, etc. that would reflect on any circumstances that created the failure of the business to make its promised delivery.”

 

Grossman says so far, more than 500 complaints have been received from customers in North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Colorado and other states.  “This investigation is a huge priority for the attorney general’s office.  It’s going to be a significant undertaking to review, digest and categorize each of those complaints.”

 

Grossman says if the investigation finds wrongdoing, the Office of Consumer Protection would process the case as a civil matter, although he says, criminal charges could be filed by individual county attorney offices.

 

Glasser Images attorney Tim O’Keeffe has said the company developed a plan to get wedding photos and videos that have been already shot into the hands of customers and to have subcontractors ready to cover future reservations.  But O’Keeffe says the process will take some time because there have been thousands of requests for assistance.

 

Grossman says he does not believe Glasser intends to make any refunds.

 

 

 

 

 

 

(KNOX/KVRR)

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