WEIRTON, W.Va. — A woman running a disc jockey and event planning company in West Virginia and Ohio is ordered to pay $270,000 in civil penalties for violating the Consumer Credit & Protection Act.
West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey said a Hancock County Circuit Court judge ordered Helen Marie Nichole Smith, of Cincinnati, and formerly of Steubenville, Ohio and Weirton, to repay 54 victims that Smith failed to perform or issue refunds to.
Smith operated a disc jockey and event planning company in the two states from April 2020 through June 2021. During that time, Smith entered into 135 contracts to provide services for weddings in West Virginia and a few surrounding states. Smith entered into guilty pleas for her conduct in West Virginia and Ohio.
Smith mainly advertised her services on social media and through the internet.
Many brides and grooms in West Virginia entered into contracts with Smith and her business, however, she failed to provide services to many of those customers and their weddings. Many customers started to cancel their contacts in April and May of 2021, but were not issued refunds.
Smith’s business, H&K DJ and Event Services LLC, was investigated by the Attorney General’s Office in the spring of 2021 after receiving numerous complaints from families that Smith did business with. The Attorney General sued Smith in October.
“This is a victory for consumers. Business owners need to know you can’t promise consumers something and then not deliver,” Morrisey said. “My office will continue to work to hold businesses that rip off customers accountable by enforcing laws to protect West Virginia consumers.”