Tricolor Judge Says Advocate Took Fees, Defrauded Borrowers

An advocate for immigrant auto buyers who say they were harmed by bankrupt subprime auto lender Tricolor Holdings may be held in contempt for practicing law without a license, a federal judge said Wednesday.

Francisco Aguirre, who describes himself as a jailhouse lawyer, charged some Tricolor customers $1,500 to help them reduce their loan balances, US Bankruptcy Judge Michelle V. Larson said. Larson had previously rejected several motions filed by Aguirre and his Arizona firm, Beyond Attorneys, on behalf of customers challenging the validity of their loans.

“They were promised, if not legal services, then something akin to legal services,” ...