Former Disc Jockey Assessed Civil Penalties

Helen Marie Nichole Smith, formerly of Steubenville and Weirton, has been assessed $270,000 in civil penalties by Hancock County Circuit Judge David A. Sims.
The penalties against the disc jockey stem from violations of the Consumer Credit and Protection Act.
Smith, who is now living in Cincinnati, operated a disc jockey and event planning company in West Virginia and then in Ohio from April 2020-June 2021.
During that time, she entered into 135 contracts to provide disc jockey services for weddings in West Virginia and other states but failed to perform or issue refunds.
Smith’s conduct resulted in guilty pleas in West Virginia and Ohio where she promised to repay 54 victims of her business practices.
Last week’s order penalizes Smith for her violations of the West Virginia Consumer Credit and Protection Act.
Smith advertised her services widely on social media and the internet. Dozens of West Virginia consumers contracted with her business; however, she failed to provide services at numerous weddings.
Once word spread of her failure to provide DJ services at weddings, many brides and grooms cancelled their contacts in April and May 2021 but did not receive refunds.
The Attorney General’s Office opened an investigation into Smith and her business, H&K DJ and Event Services LLC in the spring of 2021 after receiving numerous complaints from brides and their mothers. The attorney general sued Smith in October.
“This is a victory for consumers. Business owners need to know you can’t promise consumers something and then not deliver,” attorney general Patrick Morrisey said.
“My office will continue to work to hold businesses that rip off customers accountable by enforcing laws to protect West Virginia consumers.”
The judge also issued a permanent injunction against Smith which prohibits her from conducting any business in the State of West Virginia.
“The state is entitled to summary judgment as a matter of law since the defendant cannot dispute any of the material facts due to her failure to answer the complaint, admissions she made in her bankruptcy Smith filed a bankruptcy case under Chapter 7 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code and has been discharged of her unsecured debts.
The state did not seek any monetary relief other than for civil penalties which cannot be discharged in bankruptcy.
The $270,000 in civil penalties is the maximum allowed under state law. It includes 54 incidents, each of which carried a $5,000 maximum penalty.
Anyone who believes they have been a victim of this business or any other scam can contact the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division at 1.800.368.8808 or visit the office online at www.wvago.gov.