U.S. Marshals Are Arresting People For Not Paying Their Student Loans

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On February 11th, Paul Aker was sitting in his Houston home when he heard a knock at the door. Seven U.S. Marshals armed with automatic weapons were there to arrest him. His crime? Not paying off a $1,500 student loan from 1987.

The Prairie View A&M University alum told FOX26 that he hadn’t received any notification; no calls, letters or email correspondences that the thirty year old debt was outstanding.

Here are the details from Aker’s bizarre ordeal.

“He was put in the back of a truck and placed in a cell at the federal building in downtown Houston. Later, he was brought to court, where a “prosecutor,” county clerk and judge were present. Aker said the prosecutor was actually a collection lawyer.

“Then I get a lecture (from the judge) about the United States and stealing from the government,” Aker said.

Aker told The News that he was ordered to pay $5,700 for the loan, including interest. However, Aker was also ordered to pay for the cost of the morning arrest — nearly $1,300. If he didn’t pay that amount by March 1, he said, he was told he would be arrested again.

Aker is now pursuing legal action as he claims that he was never read his rights. Days later, he’s still haunted by the situation and the possibility of being unlawfully apprehended again.

“I am still shaken,” he shared. “I had to go to work yesterday, and it was hard to drive to work, for the fear of someone coming. I am looking out the window and I have things to do today, and I am still afraid to go outside.”

Unfortunately, this is far from an isolated incident. FOX26 has confirmed that U.S. Marshals are planning to serve nearly 2,000 warrants to people who have defaulted on their loans.

Click here to watch Aker share his story on the news. Beauties, do you have a debt repayment plan in place for your loans?

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