In a bombshell investigation, a notorious Los Angeles billboard lawyer  firm is being accused of paying people to pose as sexual abuse victims to secure a $4 billion settlement. The Los Angeles Times reports that the firm recruited vulnerable individuals—many low-income or recently unemployed—to fabricate abuse claims. Now, real victims of the abuse fear their legitimate claims will go unanswered.

“Austin Beagle, 31, and Nevada Barker, 30, said they were trying to sign up for food stamps this spring when someone offered them a background [movie] role outside a county social services office in Long Beach. They thought the gig seemed intriguing, albeit a bit unusual.”

Instead, they recount:

“The couple said that when they arrived at Downtown LA’s offices in April, a man came down to the lobby with a clipboard and gave them a piece of paper to memorize before going upstairs. They assumed this was the role they’d be playing — with room to go off script. ‘They told us to say that we were sexually abused and harassed by the guards in … Las P? I can’t think of the institution’s name,’ said Beagle, who added he was told to say the incidents occurred around 2005. ‘The worse it was the better,’ he recalled being told.”

Afterward:

“A man named Kevin paid them $100 each, and told them they were part of a massive settlement involving juvenile halls they’d never heard about until that afternoon. The man told them they could get $100 for each additional person they referred to go through the same process, Beagle said.”

This was not, according to the investigation, a misunderstanding. It was allegedly a scheme that exploited vulnerable, low-income individuals at every step.

“seven plaintiffs represented by the firm who claimed they received cash from recruiters to sue the county over sex abuse, which could violate state law. Two said they had never been abused and were told to manufacture their claims.

…

On April 29, Downtown LA Law Group filed a lawsuit against the county on behalf of 63 plaintiffs, including Beagle and Barker, who claimed they were abused at Los Padrinos, L.A. County’s juvenile hall in Downey. The couple are now part of the $4-billion settlement.”

According the investigation:

“Under the settlement, each plaintiff could be eligible for anywhere from $100,000 to $3 million. Retainer agreements for Beagle and Barker reviewed by The Times show DTLA would get 45% of their payout.”

Now, real victims of this abuse worry that the fraud allegations will hurt their chances of achieving justice:

“Among some survivors, there is a palpable fear that the fraud allegations will steamroll the settlement, overshadowing the fact that many county-run facilities were home to unchecked abuse and torpedoing their chance of receiving a life-changing sum.”

This reported scam underscores the urgent need for lawsuit abuse reform, to ensure real victims can pursue justice with the dignity they deserve.