Former radio host arrested, charged

Former radio talk show host Jack Ferm was arrested in Clark County District Court on Wednesday and charged with theft and deceptive trade in cases involving alleged services for stopping home foreclosures.

Ferm, former host of "Straight Talk" on radio station KKVV-AM (1060), was arrested by three investigators of the attorney general's office after District Judge Kathleen Delaney fined him $500 for practicing law without a license and ordered him to return a payment to a woman.

Ferm did business as US Justice Foundation, which he advertised as a service to stop home foreclosures, according to the criminal complaint.

Maria Lampton sought help from Ferm's company after she saw the company's TV commercial, according to the complaint. She paid $2,500 in December for help with her mortgage although she was current with payments at the time, according to the complaint.

Ferm's company advised her to stop making mortgage payments, but Lampton continued to pay on the home loan, the complaint says. However, Lampton retained US Justice Foundation to prepare paperwork for a lawsuit to stop a company accused of predatory lending from foreclosing.

US Justice Foundation employees claimed they lost her paperwork and "verbally assaulted her and told her to leave" when she asked for a refund, according to the state.

The criminal charges say that Ramon Sanchez also paid $2,500 for legal assistance with a home mortgage but received no paperwork. The criminal case accuses Ferm of two deceptive trade practices in dealing with Sheila Romulo.

Defense attorney Frank Cremen said he did not have any information from his client about the two felony theft counts and two misdemeanor deceptive trade allegations.

In a statement, Nevada Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto said: "Mr. Ferm's conduct warrants prosecution to the fullest extent of the law, These schemes will not be tolerated in our state."

Cremen said a justice of the peace set bond at $25,000 on each of the four counts, But he added that he expects the bond to be lowered because he and the attorney general's office considered the sum too high. Ferm remained in jail Wednesday afternoon.

Contact reporter John G. Edwards at jedwards@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0420.