State says wage thief is at it again

SEATTLE — A local debt collector who state investigators said "deliberately and intentionally steals workers' wages" has a new business, apparently registered under an alias.

KIRO 7 Eyewitness News reporter Amy Clancy was the first to reveal that Randall Goins has a history of opening multiple debt collection agencies that were investigated and fined by the state for not paying employees.

Clancy says Goins now has a new Snohomish County-based business -- and new wage complaints.

The Washington State Department of Labor and Industries tells KIRO 7 that Integral Acquisitions and Management Inc., or IAM, is currently under investigation for not paying employees.

IAM is reportedly run by "James Alexander." According to L&I, "James Alexander" is a well-known alias for Randall Goins.

Goins operated Investment Management & Recoveries, IMR -- another debt collection agency investigated and fined by the state for not paying employees.

The letterhead for both businesses is incredibly similar.

The Better Business Bureau says both companies have generated very similar complaints about aggressive debt collection practices.

"The name of the business we're looking into is Integral Acquisitions and Management Incorporated," said David Quinlan of the Better Business Bureau. "It is run by a Mr. James Alexander, and it happens to have the same P.O. Box as the IMR address."

Clancy: "...which was run by?"

Quinlan: "A Mr. Goins."

KIRO 7 first warned about Goins' debt collection practices and multiple wage complaints earlier this year.

Since then, IMR's Mountlake Terrace office shut down, and some of its former employees say they, too, have not been paid.

Clancy: "How much does Randall owe you?"

"One hundred fifty five thousand dollars," said Jesse Wofford, a former employee.

"Well over, probably over $110,000," said Tiffany Asmussen, another former employee.

Two of them say they too have now filed wage complaints against Goins.

So, with Goins' name not appearing on any official documents, Clancy called IAM, Inc., Monday and asked whether Goins was there.

The man who answered said, "yes," but hung up when Clancy told him you she was.

KIRO