Interstate Moving Company Employee Sentenced to Jail in Household Goods (HHG) Case Involving Over $1 Million Loss

Office of Inspector General

Title:	Interstate Moving Company Employee Sentenced to Jail in Household Goods (HHG) Case Involving Over $1 Million Loss
Date:	January 06, 2005
Type:	Investigation
Summary:	Martin Kirk, a foreman at Nationwide Moving Systems, LLC (Nationwide), Woodinville, Washington, was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Tacoma, WA, to 15 months in prison, 36 months supervised release, and ordered to pay a total of $21,575 in fees and restitution for his role in a scheme to extort money from the company’s customers by low-balling moving estimates and later charging large amounts – often after having held customers’ possessions hostage. The case involves over 50 customers whose monetary losses exceed $1 million. The owner of Nationwide and four other company employees are scheduled for sentencing later in January 2005. This investigation was conducted jointly with the USCIS and Washington State Attorney General’s office, with assistance from FMCSA.