Tom Miller (file photo)
Three California companies that allegedly tried to get Iowa libraries and businesses to buy expensive toner have reached an agreement that bars them from marketing to Iowans.
Attorney General Tom Miller says the so-called “toner pirate” scheme saw the companies send invoices to libraries, care facilities, professional offices, and other businesses across the state seeking payment for toner when the toner was never ordered. And the billing was for hundreds of dollars when the toner may have only been worth $60.
The companies involved are Central Supply Center, of Orange, and owner Sandra Steinmetz; Elite Supplies, of Irvine, and owner Krystle Lester; and Central Supply Solutions, of Orange, and owner Brittany Hertsch. The three owners are related-Steinmetz is an aunt of Lester and Hertsch, who are half-sisters.
A court-approved agreement also requires the companies to honor any refund requests from any Iowans who lost money from the schemes