PORTLAND — A judge today signed off on a complex legal agreement that dismisses all pending criminal charges against Kaile Warren, the founder of the Rent-A-Husband home repair business.
In exchange, Warren agreed to repay just under $2 million to the state for reimbursement of investors, some of whom alleged they were duped by the entrepreneur from Windham.
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Warren also agreed to try to recover that money by filing a lawsuit against Preti Flaherty, the Portland-based law firm that did legal work for Warren and his business for about a decade until the spring of 2008. Warren also will seek damages from the law firm Marcus Clegg & Mistretta, and from Ace Hardware, which collaborated with Rent-A-Husband on business ventures.
“Mr. Warren has entered into a civil consent judgment with the state in which he is not required to make any admissions of guilt or liability to any violations of criminal or civil law,” Warren and his lawyer, Daniel Lilley, said in a press release issued this afternoon.
“He will receive investment guidance by the state in the future to assure compliance with Maine’s securities laws. The major thrust of the agreement is that he pursues a civil action for money damages to reimburse his investors for their losses. He intends to file suit against Preti Flaherty, Marcus Clegg & Mistretta and the Ace Hardware Corporation for all the losses they have caused him, his company and most importantly his investors. He has always wanted his investors who believed in and supported his American dream company to be reimbursed for their losses.”
Warren had been scheduled to go to trial March 14 on one count of securities fraud and one count of theft by deception.
The consent judgment was signed today by Warren, Lilley, Assistant Attorney General Michael Colleran and Justice Roland Cole.
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