Another Fraud Lawsuit is Filed Against Alleged Car Restoration Scammer Shawn Harju

Better Business Bureau and FOX News report that car repair fraud is on the rise.  Now, federal authorities and the FBI are taking notice and victims are fighting back. The losses are in the millions and recovering the stolen or embezzled vehicles and the money is daunting. Most of the time consumers are victims who never recover and are only left with painful memories. 

Multiple lawsuits for fraud have been filed against a car restoration shop located in Pierce County, in the city of Gig Harbor, Washington. The restoration business that also sells camping gear is called Defenders Northwest, LLC.  It is operated by a husband-and-wife team, Michele and Brian Hall.  The lawsuits against the couple and their companies allege that the restoration shop’s proprietors orchestrated a multi-year fraud scheme to defraud their customers causing millions of dollars in damages. 

 The lawyers for the car restoration business called Defenders Northwest are LLC, Philip H. Lo, a partner in a large law firm known for its insurance defense work, and Shawn Harju of Federal Way, Washington. Lo and Harju apparently have also become part of the escalating controversy.  Ms. Harju has recently been sued for fraud in an unrelated case that involved alleged $20 Million invoice scam.  The civil where Harju is a defendant has been launched alongside a criminal case against Harju’s clients.  She has not been criminally charged at this time.  Philip H. Lo has been sanctioned by the court for refusing to allow for the inspection of the vintage car that his clients are alleged to have embezzled, also using fraudulent invoices.  According to sources for this editorial, Lo, a partner in a major insurance defense law firm, Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani, has according to sources resorted to threats and intimidation and may have defrauded the court in his efforts to aid Defenders Northwest in concealing their fraudulent scheme. Whether Mr. Lo is overstepping his role as counsel (paid by Liberty Mutual Insurance) from reckless client advocacy to unethical and possibly criminal behavior remains to be seen. Neither Philip Lo nor Shawn Harju responded to multiple inquiries for this editorial.