A Pierce County business owner will have to pay more than $360,000 for scamming gas station owners.that Kevin Wilkerson and his companies have been ordered to pay $360,741 in penalties for “unlawfully charging gas station owners for unfinished, unnecessary or shoddy work on underground fuel storage tanks.”
“In many cases, Wilkerson stopped responding to the owners of the gas stations when they attempted to contact him and refused to refund what they paid,” the AG’s Office said. According to Judge Clarence Henderson, Jr., Wilkerson violated the state Consumer Protection Act. Along with paying the $360,741 — which includes $195,000 in civil penalties for harming individuals in Washington based on their national origin — Wilkerson and his companies must stop all unlawful conduct or face more fines.
The AG’s Office added that Wilkerson accepted payment for services that were not complete or partially complete, completing services that violated regulations and exposed customers to liability for environmental damages, misrepresented certifications to customers, persuaded gas station owners to purchase and install unnecessary equipment and make necessary repairs and telling gas station owners they had submitted paperwork to the DOE when they had not.