Ninth Circuit Allows FTC to Pursue $131 Million Judgment Against Telemarketing Fraudsters

In a recent decision, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals determined that a Nevada federal judge incorrectly used the state’s six-year limitation period to block the Federal Trade Commission from collecting more than $131 million in judgments. Those judgments were obtained against Benjamin Hoskins and his wife Leanne Rodgers for operating a telemarketing scam. The appellate court emphasized that the Federal Debt Collection Procedure Act does not set a deadline for the government to collect debts, overriding the state limitation rule.

As a result, the FTC is now authorized to pursue the full amount owed by the couple. The ruling reinforces the agency’s capacity to enforce large consumer-protection judgments nationwide. The case highlights the tension between state statutes of limitations and federal debt-collection powers.