The Maryland Office of the Attorney General today ordered Gerald Stringer, owner of the Elkton-based Tiffin Athletic Mats to pay $314,000 in restitution and penalties for undelivered products.
Back in December 2023, the business burned down and WMAR-2 News heard from a viewer that the company had been facing complaints over unfilled orders.
The Final Order, issued Friday, prohibits Stringer from taking any payments from customers, unless he posts a bond with the Consumer Protection Division first.
Stringer is also ordered to pay a $174,000 penalty and return all the money to consumers and organizations that had purchased athletic equipment from him that never came.
That restitution comes out to a little under $140,000.
In addition to individuals who tried purchasing from him, schools and athletic clubs and organizations also paid stringer thousands of dollars for equipment that never arrived, according to the final order.
“Tiffin Athletic Mats’ deceptive practices not only violated consumer protection laws but also betrayed the trust of young athletes and the communities that supported them," said Attorney General Anthony Brown.
The fire at the Tiffin Athletic Mats building is still under investigation by the Office of the State Fire Marshal, a spokesperson for the State Fire Marshal confirmed on Friday.
They are continuing to work with their partners at ATF on that investigation.
