U.S. Marshals Arresting People Who Have Outstanding Student Loans: OPERATION ANACONDA SQUEEZE

OPERATION ANACONDA SQUEEZE

The holder of your loan can take other actions to collect as well.” Those “other actions” involve withholding your tax refund or, in some cases, garnishing your wages. And, this week in Texas, they began to involve federal agents in combat gear bursting into debtors’ houses and arresting them.

That’s what happened to Paul Aker. Seven armed U.S. marshals arrived at his door in Houston last Thursday, arrested him on the spot, and took him to jail. He owed all of $1,500, outstanding since 1987. Aker told Fox 26 that without any warning, his 29-year-old debt was forcibly being collected; the marshals took him to federal court and made him sign a payment plan. “It was totally mind-boggling,” Aker told Fox 26.

U.S. Marshals Are Arresting People in Texas Who Have Outstanding Student Loans

Thrown in jail for a $1,500 outstanding student loan? This is insanity!

federal agents in combat gear bursting into debtors’ houses and arresting them. That’s what happened to Paul Aker. Seven armed U.S. marshals arrived at his door in Houston last Thursday, arrested him on the spot, and took him to jail.

Operation Anaconda Squeeze leads to arrests of debtors in Minnesota

U.S. Marshals recently arrested and jailed four people in Minnesota who had defaulted on their student loans.
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FACT: Of 7000 cases filed in the Houston area alone, 1,500 are now queued up for ARREST. The vast majority of these, if not ALL OF THESE judgements were obtained against the borrowers IN ABSENTIA.

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I get it, pay your student loan. But arresting people over it? Thats beyond dumb.

a reply to: Julie Washington

Its probably a covert DynCorp operation . George Webb has a sheet on their links to FBI counter intelligence branch and law enforcement groups across the US .

a reply to: Julie Washington

A debtors' prison is a prison for people who are unable to pay debt. Through the mid 19th century, debtors' prisons (usually similar in form to locked workhouses) were a common way to deal with unpaid debt in Western Europe.

a reply to: seasonal

They are also illegal.

That's why our blood sucking legal system throws you in jail for "contempt of court" instead of just calling it what it is, debtors prison.

originally posted by: Julie Washington
The holder of your loan can take other actions to collect as well.” Those “other actions” involve withholding your tax refund or, in some cases, garnishing your wages. And, this week in Texas, they began to involve federal agents in combat gear bursting into debtors’ houses and arresting them.
That’s what happened to Paul Aker. Seven armed U.S. marshals arrived at his door in Houston last Thursday, arrested him on the spot, and took him to jail. He owed all of $1,500, outstanding since 1987. Aker told Fox 26 that without any warning, his 29-year-old debt was forcibly being collected; the marshals took him to federal court and made him sign a payment plan. “It was totally mind-boggling,” Aker told Fox 26.

I guess then, that having a name like Paul Aker, doesn't have the same ring as Trump for debtors as yet.

Wait...

This all happened 14 years ago?

Uhhhh.

a reply to: Julie Washington

This story is over a year old.. And there's more to it than what Aker is letting on...

In the statement first provided to The New York Times, the Marshals said Aker claimed “he had a gun” when they attempted to collect on his debt.

“After Aker made the statement that he was armed, in order to protect everyone involved, the deputies requested additional law enforcement assistance,” the statement read.

www.businessinsider.com.au...

a reply to: Julie Washington

He owed all of $1,500, outstanding since 1987

I would say since he owed the money since 1987 he had no plans on paying back the money he was given... You have to set the tone somewhere and to be honest that was as good as anyplace IMO. Sorry not touchy feely on debts owed for that length of time...

originally posted by: Chadwickus
a reply to: Julie Washington

This story is over a year old.. And there's more to it than what Aker is letting on...

In the statement first provided to The New York Times, the Marshals said Aker claimed “he had a gun” when they attempted to collect on his debt.

“After Aker made the statement that he was armed, in order to protect everyone involved, the deputies requested additional law enforcement assistance,” the statement read.

www.businessinsider.com.au...

It's still he says, she says, they say nevertheless. this is how it works,

A creditor gets a civil judgment against the debtor. Then the creditor's lawyer calls the debtor to an “examination” in civil court, where they are asked about bank accounts and other assets the creditor might seize.
If the debtor doesn't show, the creditor asks the court for a “body attachment.” That's an order to arrest the debtor and hold him or her until a court hearing, or until the debtor posts bond.
The practice draws fire from legal aid attorneys and some politicians. They call it modern-day debtors prison, a way to squeeze money out of people with little legal knowledge.

www.stltoday.com...

a reply to: Chadwickus

Yes, I understand the story came out last year, but it is new news to me, and there haven't been any threads on it here at ATS.

Also, Aker's didn't have a gun... when confronted at home he didn't know who these people were and said he was going to go get a gun.... after negotiations he was arrested and hauled into court to settle his $1,500 student loan debt.

Really? All that was necessary over a $1,500 debt and prior refusal to appear in court.... How about maybe garnishing his paycheck, seizing assets, or liens on property.... isn't that typically how other unpaid debts are handled?

Good lord, I had no idea there was still Debtor's Prisons in our day and age. Here is a list of qualifications broken down by state.

I still think that U.S. Marshall's coming knocking on your door to arrest you is insanity.

Debtor's Prisons By State

so how much did it costs the system to: pay the arresting officer's salaries, set up a court date, get court personnel, find an arbitrator or collection agency to set up the payment plan collection and allocate the funds the the accounts receivable of the loan lender, send the loan information to the credit bureau agencies when it is finally payed in full...etc

so $1500 from 1987 cost our system $35-55k in dealings to collect the $1500.

'murka...

So, if this occurred a year ago, who was in charge to stop this?

Pretty crazy.

Is this legal?

If it isn't, hopefully it's put to a stop real quick like, and folks compensated for their troubles

If it is.
Well... careful with them loans.

Regardless of legality, it seems pretty petty ... ''tis a pitty.

An agreement is an agreement I guess.. even if honored by force.


a reply to: Julie Washington

Forbes has more on this (full article here)

So what happens if you can't pay? Here are some possibilities:

Your wages may be garnished. When it comes to debt - whether for tax debts or student loans - the feds have a potentially powerful reach. That includes the ability to garnish your wages (generally up to 15% of your take home pay) to satisfy your debt.
You may be sued. This is more likely to happen when it comes to private loans but you can be sued for the balance of the outstanding debt. When that happens, not only are you on the hook for the debt but also potentially for attorney's fees and other costs.
Your mom may be sued. Okay, this really depends on whether your mom actually co-signed the loan. Any person that co-signs a loan for you is generally subject to the same terms as you: if you fail to pay, the lender will try to get money from the next in the line. That could be your mom. Or your dad. Or your great aunt. Don't leave them to clean up after your mess.
Your federal income tax refund may be seized. This is often called "offset" since the seizures are part of the Treasury Offset Program (TOP); the program is administered by Financial Management Service, a branch of the U.S. Department of Treasury.

Forbes has a number of details on the offset and how you can deal with being not able to repay a student loan.

During the last election, plans were floated to forgive student loan debt. I wish that had happened.

a reply to: Julie Washington


Eleven per cent of all student loans are in default. The Banks, class student loans as assets, so eleven per cent of their assets are in default. Things are getting desperate. The real job figures and the Government ones tell the whole sad tale. Credit defaults gain because their are no jobs to pay the loans back, the whole system relies on a loan being classed as an asset to make more loans. The Cops are doing this to keep their jobs, the defaulter is taken to court, a payment plan is worked out, and when he walks they will forget him and have to arrest some other poor sucker, I cant see them jailing anyone, it would cost to much.

You guys are twisting this, it all evolves around failure to appear in court.
No sitting judge will issue a body attachment until there is failure of the defendant to show due / just cause , which is usually by failing to appear in court when legally notified to do so.

Getting these loans taken care of is easy if you use the law to your advantage, but nobody does and therefore they go to jail , garnishment and / or seizure.

Buck

The IRS just took my entire refund of 4300.00 and forwarded it to dept of ed. which they shouldn't be able to do, so they should be like any other debtor but have put themselves above all...and so next year I will pay it off and leave some, but to hear marshals arresting people is insanity. It's also quite illegal under the constitution. Owing money is not any kind of crime unless they can prove a person took money on loan with the intent to defraud the loaner. The action of not repaying the loan is not enough to show the intent was to defraud.

Elements of our government are quite amok during and before this new administration. This is the worst part of the swamp showing it's ugly head.

$1,500?

Shoot! I wish that's all the student loan debt we had left ...

a reply to: Julie Washington

Very nice post. If you want to know what they are trying to stop, then may I redirect your investigation to a thread from 2007.

www.abovetopsecret.com...