12 indicted in scam involving increased costs for moving

A dozen individuals working for moving companies in Ohio and nine other states are facing federal charges for allegedly increasing agreedupon costs for services and, in some cases, keeping customers’ property when they refused to pay.

Prosecutors say hundreds of customers nationally, including some in central Ohio, lost money to the scheme.

The indictments were announced Tuesday afternoon in Cincinnati against the owners, employees and others affiliated with moving companies operating under at least a dozen different names, including Unified Van Lines, National Relocation Solutions and Independent Van Lines.

The companies operated mainly out of Hollywood, Florida, with an Ohio warehouse location in West Chester in Butler County, according to prosecutors. Five of the individuals named in the filing — four from Florida and one from North Carolina — were arrested Tuesday.

Prosecutors say the companies agreed to move a customer's property for one price, then increased that price once goods were on trucks for transport. Property was withheld from customers who refused to pay the higher prices, according to the filing.

When customers contacted regulators with complaints, the owners would shut down operations and reopen under a new name, according to the filing.

A hotline has been established (800-424-9071 or via email at hotline@oig. dot.gov) for customers who think they might have been affected.