NEW CUMBERLAND — A Hancock Circuit Court judge has awarded $270,000 in civil penalties against a disc jockey and event planner for violating the state Consumer Credit & Protection Act.
The defendant, Helen Marie Nichole Smith, formerly of Steubenville, Ohio and Weirton, who is now living in Cincinnati, operated a disc jockey and event planning company in West Virginia, then in Ohio, from April 2020 through June 2021.
During that time, she entered into 135 contracts to provide disc jockey services for weddings in West Virginia and other states but failed to perform or issue refunds. Smith’s conduct resulted in guilty pleas in West Virginia and Ohio where she promised to repay 54 victims of her business practices. The recent order penalizes Smith for her violations of the West Virginia Consumer Credit and Protection Act.
Morrisey
Smith advertised her services widely on social media and the internet. Dozens of West Virginia consumers contracted with her business; however, she failed to provide services at numerous weddings. Once word spread of her failure to provide DJ services at weddings, many brides and grooms cancelled their contacts in April and May of 2021 but did not receive refunds.
The West Virginia Attorney General’s Office opened an investigation into Smith and her business, H&K DJ and Event Services LLC in the spring of 2021 after receiving numerous complaints from brides and their mothers. The office sued Smith in October.
Circuit Judge David Sims issued his order August 9.
“This is a victory for consumers. Business owners need to know you can’t promise consumers something and then not deliver,” Attorney General Patrick Morrisey said. “My office will continue to work to hold businesses that rip off customers accountable by enforcing laws to protect West Virginia consumers.”
Hancock Circuit Court case number 22-C-67