Attorney General Phil Weiser sues to shut down phony company

May 14, 2025 (DENVER) – Attorney General Phil Weiser has filed a lawsuit against a fraudulent company that filed fake articles of incorporation with the Colorado Secretary of State’s Office to allegedly illegally cash a check made out to thyssenkrupp Materials, LLC. In the lawsuit filed yesterday in Denver District Court, Attorney General Weiser is asking a judge to shut down the fraudulent company and sell off its assets.

“Imposter scams are a growing threat to consumers and businesses alike and this case is the latest example of how we are holding fraudsters accountable,” said Attorney General Weiser. “This lawsuit sends a message to scammers who think they can pose as a legitimate business to make a quick buck that we are watching, we will catch you, and we will put you out of business.”

According to the lawsuit, in December of 2022, an individual named Jeremy Vasquez filed fraudulent articles of incorporation with the secretary of state’s office for a company called “ThyssenKrupp Materials LLC.” This company’s name is almost identical to the legitimate thyssenkrupp Materials, LLC, with important differences of different uppercase letters and lacking a comma.

When submitting the fraudulent filing, Vasquez listed an address that investigators believe was unoccupied at the time but was in the process of a sale. Vasquez was never the owner and it was not until the new property owner was approached by attorneys for the legitimate thyssenkrupp Materials that he was made aware of the fraudulent company.

Despite having no discernible relationship with the address, Vasquez listed himself as the registered agent for five entities filed with the secretary of state’s office between mid-November and early December 2022.

Vasquez also created a bank account under the name of the fraudulent “ThyssenKrupp Materials LLC” at a bank in Pueblo. Once he created the account, he attempted to deposit the check from a vendor made out to the legitimate thyssenkrupp company at an ATM. Just a few days later, the vendor notified the legitimate company of the attempted fraudulent deposit.

Since the alleged check cashing scheme, Vasquez has not engaged in any other known business activities and the fraudulent entity has since fallen into delinquency with the state.

Read the lawsuit filed in Denver District Court (PDF).

Consumers who experience or suspect fraud are encouraged to report it to the attorney general at StopFraudColorado.gov.

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