TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

State Extends Fraud Investigation To Landmark Leasing

ADVERTISEMENT

By MARK DOUGLAS

News Channel 8

Published: November 26, 2008

The Florida attorney general has opened an investigation into allegations of unfair and deceptive trade practices involving Landmark Leasing, the subject of a news report Monday.

Investigators with the attorney general's office say they think Jeffrey M. Maricle is the owner of Landmark Leasing, which opened two days after the closing of a troubled company Maricle owned, Global Funding of Clearwater.

The attorney general's office began investigating Global Funding this year and has received 65 complaints about the company from consumers, many regarding deposits that were lost on truck leases.

In a written statement released today, the office says, "Maricle has been sighted working at the offices of Landmark Leasing, LLC. Other undisclosed information supports the agency's jurisdiction and reasons for opening this investigation."

Maricle told a reporter today that he is a consultant with Landmark Leasing.

According to records from the attorney general's office, Robert Craig Gibbons worked for Maricle at Global Funding. Gibbons says he runs Landmark along with two unnamed female partners.

When a reporter told Gibbons the attorney general's office is investigating Landmark because of Maricle's connections, he wasn't concerned.

"Good. I don't have anything to worry about," Gibbons said.

The attorney general's decision to extend its investigation to Landmark Leasing came after news report that Landmark's Web site was registered by Maricle and that he and five of his former employees are on the staff of the new company.

The report also revealed that six heavy equipment dealers told a reporter they never heard of Landmark, though the company's Web site says Landmark arranged financing for truck and equipment sales they made.

Gibbons said Landmark was trying to illustrate some of its deals with generic Web site photos of similar equipment. "Those pictures are all over the Internet," Gibbons said. "We wanted to show what it would look like."

Gibbons would not say who posted the pictures on Landmark's Web site but that it was a mistake and has been corrected.

Last week, a civil court jury in Pinellas County found that Global Funding committed fraud against a former customer and ordered the company to pay the customer $18,517.77.

Reporter Mark Douglas can be reached at (727) 536-9603.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT