Plaintiffs Accuse Lending Companies of Evading Usury Laws Through False Tribal Affiliations

In a sweeping legal action, a group of plaintiffs has launched a class-action lawsuit against several companies and individuals involved in what they allege is an illegal payday lending scheme. The complaint was filed by Whitney Evans, Michael Goetting, Dawn Famiglietti, Lacey Salcido, Felicia White, and Rubin Stone on February 24, 2026, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. The defendants named include Strategic Solution Services, Inc., Green Funds Group, Speedy Servicing, Kapital Solutions Inc., Waters Law Office PLLC, Travis Jacobs, and numerous John Does.

The plaintiffs accuse the defendants of operating under the guise of tribal sovereignty to issue high-interest loans that violate state usury laws. They claim that these entities have falsely represented themselves as being associated with a Canadian First Nation tribe to evade state regulations. According to the complaint, this model allowed them to charge exorbitant interest rates—sometimes as high as 736%—on small-dollar loans to consumers across various states including Alabama, North Carolina, California, New Hampshire, and Kentucky.

The plaintiffs argue that the defendants’ actions constitute a violation of the Racketeer Influenced Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) due to their involvement in a conspiracy to collect unlawful debts. They also assert claims for unjust enrichment and civil conspiracy under common law. The lawsuit seeks relief in the form of debt cancellation for affected consumers and monetary compensation for payments made on these void contracts.

In addition to monetary damages and loan cancellations amounting potentially into billions of dollars—as seen in similar cases—the plaintiffs are asking for their attorneys’ fees and costs to be covered. They highlight previous court decisions where such lending models were deemed illegal and resulted in significant settlements against other payday lenders.

Representing the plaintiffs are attorneys who specialize in consumer protection litigation. The case is presided over by judges familiar with similar predatory lending cases. The filing number for this case is 3:26-cv-00145.