Post by Peteetongman on Jun 4, 2013 17:04:33 GMT -5
If these charges are true:
A local drug rehab that's been the subject of a series of Channel 2 Action News investigations is facing new legal trouble. Five families filed a class action lawsuit Tuesday, calling the entire Narconon of Georgia program a fraud.
"The main thing is to stop them from preying on other families in our situation. If we get any reimbursement back that would be wonderful also," said Rhonda Burgess, who enrolled her son, Blaze, in the program in 2011 for his addiction to prescription pain pills.
Her husband, Ben, said Blaze returned in even worse condition, and had tried more dangerous, illegal drugs while in the Narconon program.
"There's nothing but fraud happening there. It's all about making money it's not about helping anyone," said Ben Burgess.
The alleged drug treatment included written courses in Scientology, spending five hours a day in a sauna, and megadoses of the vitamin, niacin. The family is still paying for the program.
As Channel 2 first exposed last month, the Burgesses are one of several families who say Narconon fraudulently opened high-interest credit cards in their names without authorization. They were forced to sell their home to keep afloat.
"Naturally, it destroyed us, cause I don't make that kind of money to be able to afford that," said Ben Burgess, who works as an Athens-Clarke County firefighter. His wife is a school bus driver.
"We're just now starting to feel like we can breathe, and we still have all this debt to pay back," said Rhonda Burgess, "They're predators that are sucking the life out of people by doing this. They're taking advantage of a tragic situation."
"They promise families that if you go through Narconon you'll be cured, and that's just nonsense," said attorney Jeff Harris, who represents all five families.
www.wsbtv.com/news/news/local/class-action-lawsuit-calls-narconon-rehab-fraud/nYBTZ/
A local drug rehab that's been the subject of a series of Channel 2 Action News investigations is facing new legal trouble. Five families filed a class action lawsuit Tuesday, calling the entire Narconon of Georgia program a fraud.
"The main thing is to stop them from preying on other families in our situation. If we get any reimbursement back that would be wonderful also," said Rhonda Burgess, who enrolled her son, Blaze, in the program in 2011 for his addiction to prescription pain pills.
Her husband, Ben, said Blaze returned in even worse condition, and had tried more dangerous, illegal drugs while in the Narconon program.
"There's nothing but fraud happening there. It's all about making money it's not about helping anyone," said Ben Burgess.
The alleged drug treatment included written courses in Scientology, spending five hours a day in a sauna, and megadoses of the vitamin, niacin. The family is still paying for the program.
As Channel 2 first exposed last month, the Burgesses are one of several families who say Narconon fraudulently opened high-interest credit cards in their names without authorization. They were forced to sell their home to keep afloat.
"Naturally, it destroyed us, cause I don't make that kind of money to be able to afford that," said Ben Burgess, who works as an Athens-Clarke County firefighter. His wife is a school bus driver.
"We're just now starting to feel like we can breathe, and we still have all this debt to pay back," said Rhonda Burgess, "They're predators that are sucking the life out of people by doing this. They're taking advantage of a tragic situation."
"They promise families that if you go through Narconon you'll be cured, and that's just nonsense," said attorney Jeff Harris, who represents all five families.
www.wsbtv.com/news/news/local/class-action-lawsuit-calls-narconon-rehab-fraud/nYBTZ/
