Calif AG accuses Midas owner of scamming customers
Associated Press
July 1, 2009
OAKLAND — California Attorney General Jerry Brown and two county district attorneys are suing the owner of nearly two dozen Midas auto shops in the state, accusing him of a "massive bait-and-switch scam."
Brown and the district attorneys in Alameda and Fresno counties filed a complaint Tuesday in Alameda County Superior Court against Maurice Irving Glad, the owner of 22 Midas auto shops, many in the San Francisco Bay area.
The prosecutors claim Glad lured customers with cheap brake specials, then charged them for repairs that were either unnecessary or were never performed. They are seeking $222 million in civil penalties, costs and reimbursements to customers.
Glad's attorney Bill Gagen calls the sting operation that led to the lawsuit a "deceptive setup." He says his client will fight the suit.
