HARRISBURG, Pa. (WTAJ) \u2014 Nearly 2,000 newly registered Pennsylvania business owners were scammed, and Attorney General Dave Sunday is getting their money back.<\/p>\n
Sunday announced a settlement with a Florida-based company and its owners for allegedly impersonating a Commonwealth agency. Now they\u2019ll pay a $40,000 restitution.<\/p>\n
According to Sunday, the company contacted Pennsylvania-based business owners under the name of \u201cPA Corporate Certificates, LLC,\u201d to solicit the purchase of a Subsistence Certificate, also known as a Certificate of Good Standing. The certificate is required for certain businesses as proof that they legally exist in Pennsylvania. It\u2019s often not needed for many businesses.<\/p>\n
The certificates, which cost $40 through the Pennsylvania Department of State, were being sold for $102.50 by the fraudulent LLC, according to Sunday. Nearly 2,000 Pennsylvania business owners paid the LLC for the service.<\/p>\n
PA Corporate Certificates sent letters that appeared to be from the Pa. Department of State and misrepresented the purpose or benefit of the certificate. Not all who paid for a certificate actually received it, Sunday said.<\/p>\n
\u201cToday\u2019s settlement will return thousands of dollars to Pennsylvania business owners who paid for documentation they likely did not need,\u201d Attorney General Sunday said. \u201cNew businesses and entrepreneurs are the backbone of our local economies and communities, and my Office will continue to take seriously any attempts to exploit them.\u201d<\/p>\n
The settlement resolves the lawsuit against PA Corporate Certificates, LLC, and its owners \u2013 Brian Capobiano, Dean Marshlack, and David Marshlack.<\/p>\n
The LLC has also ceased operations in Pennsylvania, and is prevented from operating, soliciting and\/or engaging in the sale of certificates in the Commonwealth.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe thank the Attorney General for investigating and resolving this matter,\u201d Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt said. \u201cWhen the Department of State became aware of this issue, we immediately forwarded the information to the Office of Attorney General. We also alerted Pennsylvania businesses with a message on our website. Our Department has already supplied the Attorney General with the list of business owners who deserve restitution.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Consent Petition was filed in the Dauphin County Court of Common Pleas and is pending approval of the Court.<\/p>\n
Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.<\/p>\n