The Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General has reached a settlement with the president of a Tamaqua company over allegations that she misrepresented herself as an attorney.

The legal settlement was with the company Christi L. Jones and Associates Inc. and its president, Christi Jones, according to a press release issued Tuesday by Attorney General Kathleen G. Kane.The settlement was filed by the Office of Attorney General's Bureau of Consumer Protection and approved by court order.Jones allegedly represented herself as an attorney by advertising and offering to investigate, enforce and recover unpaid judgments.Jones is not an attorney, nor does she employ any licensed attorneys.Her alleged actions are a violation of the Judicial Code, the Fair Credit Extensions Uniformity Act and the Consumer Protection Law.As part of a request to recover an unpaid judgment, Jones allegedly mailed a court subpoena to the Port Authority of Pittsburgh to obtain the current employment status of a debtor.The subpoena stated that the requesting attorney was Christi L. Jones & Associates, and allegedly listed a miscellaneous attorney identification number.It was alleged that listing this misleading information gave the impression that Jones, or her business, was a licensed attorney.The settlement, reached in the form of a consent agreement, prohibits Jones from investigating, enforcing and recovering unpaid judgments.Additionally, it prohibits Jones from advertising these services.Jones has agreed to pay $14,000 in civil penalties and costs. If she or her company violates the settlement, they may be ordered to pay any suspended amount plus $5,000 for each additional violation.Since the filing of the consent agreement, Jones was married and changed her name last name to Beuchler.The settlement was filed in the Schuylkill County Court of Common Pleas by Deputy Attorney General Nicole R. DiTomo of the Bureau of Consumer Protection.Consumers with additional questions about the settlement, or who would like to file a complaint, may call the Bureau of Consumer Protection at 800-441-2555, visit

www.attorneygeneral.gov or email

Consumers@attorneygeneral.gov.