New York State Attorney General Letitia James says the state has won its lawsuit against an Endicott-based basketball academy and AAUCONNECT has to refund customers.

New York State Attorney General Letitia James (provided)
New York State Attorney General Letitia James (provided)
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The suit alleged owners Chris Bevin and Hazel Ward misled families claiming to run a premier athletic and educational program that never delivered advertised services and accommodations.

The basketball academy claimed to be a highly-ranked training program and took money from families but did not provide the promised housing, education and training that was supposed to lead to college placement for students.  

AAUCONNECT.COM offered a ten-month program at what it called a New York International Academy High School or six-month post-graduate program.

Families complained, not only were promised training and educational courses not delivered but the students didn’t have safe, clean housing accommodations and Ward and Bevin were absentee owners living outside the United States and were never available to supervise programs or address problems.

(Photo: Bob Joseph/WNBF News)
(Photo: Bob Joseph/WNBF News)
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James says the Attorney General’s office will provide the court with information about the participants who are entitled to refunds and the total amount for each.  Those calculations are expected to be done by the end of August.  

James encourages any additional consumers who believe they may have been damaged by AAUCONNECT to file a complaint, along with proof of loss with the Attorney General’s Binghamton Regional Office at 44 Hawley Street #1707, Binghamton, New York, 13901 by August 15.

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