INTHEUNITEDSTATESDISTRICTCOURT

FORTHENORTHERNDISTRICTOFTEXAS

DALLASDIVISION

MICHAELDELONG,MONICA

HARTMAN andCARLMORELAND,on

behalfofthemselvesandotherssimilarly

situated,

Plaintiffs,

v.

TRUENERGYSERVICES,LLC,

Defendants.

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JuryTrialDemanded

CLASS-ACTION COMPLAINT

COME NOW Plaintiffs Michael DeLong, Monica Hartman and Carl Moreland

(collectivelyreferredtoas“Plaintiffs”)individuallyandonbehalfofallotherssimilarlysituated,

and for their Second Amended Complaint against Defendant TruEnergy Services, LLC

(“TruEnergy”or“Defendant”),stateas follows:

BACKGROUND

1. In1991,CongressenactedtheTelephoneConsumerProtectionAct(“TCPA”)to

protectconsumers’privacyrights,namely,therighttobeleftalonefromunwantedtelemarketing

phone calls. A leading sponsor of the TCPA described unwanted telemarketing calls as “the

scourgeofmoderncivilization.”137Cong.Rec.30821(1991).

2. The TCPA affords special protections for people who register their cell phone

numbersontheNationalDoNotCallRegistry.Specifically,theTCPAprovidesthateach person

whoreceivesmorethanonecallontheircellphoneafterbeingregisteredontheNationalDoNot

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CallRegistryisentitledtorecoverapenaltyof$500percall,andpotentially$1,500percallifthe

callingpartyisdeterminedtohavewillfullyviolatedtheTCPA. See47U.S.C.§227(c)etseq.

3. InMarch2021alone,approximately4.9billionrobocallswereplacedintheUnited

States.RobocallIndex.com,YouMailRobocallIndex,https://robocallindex.com (lastvisitedApr.

2,2021).TheprivaterightofenforcementoftheTCPAiscriticaltostoppingtheproliferationof

theseunwantedtelemarketingcalls.Forexample,whiletheFederalCommunicationsCommission

leviedover$200millioninpenaltiesagainsttelemarketersbetween2015and2018,itcollected

lessthan$7,000ofthatamount.SeeSarahKrouse,TheFCCHasFinedRobocallers$208Million.

It’s Collected $6,790, THE WALL STREET JOURNAL, March 28, 2019,

https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-fcc-has-fined-robocallers-208-million-its-collected-6-790-

11553770803.

4. PlaintiffsMichaelDeLong, MonicaHartmanandCarlMorelandbringthiscaseto

protect the privacy rights of themselves and a class of similarly situated people who were

improperly called on their cell phones by TruEnergy despite registering their numbers on the

NationalDoNotCallRegistry.

PARTIES,JURISDICTIONANDVENUE

5. MichaelDeLongisanindividualwhoresidesinArlington,Texas.

6. MonicaHartmanisanindividualwhoresidesinNaslet,Texas.

7. CarlMorelandisanindividualwhoresidesinSulphurSprings,Texas.

8. Plaintiffsare each “persons”asdefinedby47U.S.C.§153(39).

9. DefendantTruEnergyServices,LLC isaTexas limitedliabilitycompany whoat

alltimesmaterialtothisComplaint hasbeeningoodstandingtotransactbusinessintheStateof

Texas.

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10. TruEnergymaintainsitsheadquartersoraprimaryofficeat2101CedarSprings

Road,Suite1050,Dallas,Texas75201-2165

11. TruEnergyisa“person”asdefinedby47U.S.C.§153(39).

12. TruEnergyisanenergybrokeragefirmbasedin Dallas.

13. TruEnergy transactsbusinessinTexas andthroughouttheUnitedStates.

14. TruEnergy’swebsitedescribesitselfas“oneofthenation’sleadingenergybrokers”

thatworksto“helpensure[its]clientsaremaximizingtheirenergysavings.”

15. TruEnergy’s action as described in this Complaint were carried out through its

agents,employees,officers,members,directors,and/orprincipals.

16. This Court has subject-matter jurisdiction over the TCPA claims in this action

under28U.S.C.§1331,which grantsthiscourtoriginaljurisdictionofallcivilactionsarising

underthelawsoftheUnitedStates.SeeMimsv.ArrowFin.Servs.,LLC,565U.S.368,386-87

(2012)(confirmingthat28U.S.C.§1331grantstheUnited Statesdistrictcourtsfederal-question

subject-matterjurisdictiontohearprivatecivilsuitsundertheTCPA).

17. ThisCourthaspersonaljurisdictionoverTruEnergy becauseTruEnergymaintains

anofficeintheStateofTexas,conductsbusinessintheStateofTexasandbecausetheoccurrences

fromwhichPlaintiff’scauseofactionarisestookplaceandcausedPlaintifftosufferinjuryinthe

StateofTexas.

18. Venueisproperunder28U.S.C.§1391(b)(1)and(2).

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FACTUALALLEGATIONS

FactsastoDeLong:

19. Atalltimesrelevanttothisaction,Mr.DeLongownedacellphone,thenumberfor

whichis972-XXX-5431

20. DeLongusedhiscellphoneforprimarilyresidentialpurposes.

21. DeLong sought to protect his rightto beleft alone fromtelemarketing calls by

registeringhercellphonenumber,(972-XXX-5431,ontheFederalTradeCommission’sDoNot

CallRegistryinJune2006.

22. AtnopointdidDeLong provideexpresswrittenconsent forTruEnergytoplace

telemarketingcallstohiscellphone.

23. Onvariousinstancesinthesummerof2020,TruEnergycalledandtextedDeLong

inconnectionwithpower/utilityservicesforwhichTruEnergywassolicitingbusiness.

24. ThosecallswereplacedtoDeLongonJanuary20,2020,January28,2020andJuly

16,2020.

25. DeLongfoundtheunconsentedtelephonecallstobeirritating,annoying,disruptive

andtobeaninvasionofhisprivacy.

FactsastoHartman:

26. Atalltimesrelevanttothisaction,Ms.Hartmanownedacellphone,thenumber

forwhichis817-XXX-1923.

27. Ms.Hartmanusedhercellphoneforresidentialpurposes.

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28. Hartman soughtto protect her rightto beleftalone fromtelemarketing calls by

registeringhercellphonenumber,817-XXX-1923,ontheFederalTradeCommission’sDoNot

CallRegistry inAugust2020.

29. AtnopointdidHartmanprovideexpresswrittenconsentforTruEnergytoplace

telemarketingcallstohercellphone.

30. On various instances in or around January 2021, TruEnergy called and texted

Hartmaninconnectionwithpower/utilityservicesforwhichTruEnergywassolicitingbusiness.

31. ThosecallswereplacedtoHartmanon January11,2021andJanuary12,2021.

32. TruEnergyalsosenttwotextmessagestoHartmanonoraboutJanuary12,2021.

33. Hartman found the unconsented telephone calls to be irritating, annoying,

disruptiveandtobeaninvasionofherprivacy.

FactsastoMoreland

34. Atalltimesrelevanttothisaction,Carl Morelandownedacellphone,thenumber

forwhichis(214)XXX-7628

35. Morelandusedhiscellphoneforresidentialpurposes.

36. Morelandsoughttoprotecthisrighttobeleftalonefromtelemarketingcallsby

registeringhercellphonenumber,(214)XXX-7628, ontheFederalTradeCommission’sDoNot

CallRegistryinJune2003.

37. AtnopointdidMorelandprovideexpresswrittenconsentforTruEnergytoplace

telemarketingcallstohiscellphone.

38. Onvariousinstancesinthesummerof2020,TruEnergycalledandtexted

Morelandinconnectionwithpower/utilityservicesforwhichTruEnergywassolicitingbusiness.

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39. ThosecallswereplacedtoMorelandonJuly8,2020,July27,2020,August3,

2020,andAugust6,2020.

40. TruEnergyalsosenttextmessagestoMorelandonJuly29,2020andAugust7,

2020.

41. Morelandfoundtheunconsentedtelephonecallsandtextstobeirritating,

annoying,disruptiveandtobeaninvasionofhisprivacy.

CLASSACTIONALLEGATIONS

42. PursuanttoFederalRules ofCivil ProcedureRule 23(a), 23(b)(2) and 23(b)(3),

Plaintiffbringsthislawsuitasaclassactiononbehalfofherselfandonbehalfofotherssimilarly

situated. This action satisfies the requirements of numerosity, commonality, adequacy of

representationand predominance.Onlytotheextentitisarequirementunderapplicablelaw,the

proposedclasssatisfiestheelementsofascertainabilityandtypicality.

43. TheproposedclassthatPlaintiffs DeLong,HartmanandMorelandseektorepresent

istentativelydefinedasfollows:

For four yearspriortothe filingofthissuituntilthedateaclassiscertified,all

personsintheUnitedStateswho:(1)receivedmorethanonetelephonecall ortext

message fromTruEnergy (or someone acting onits behalf) during a 12 month

period;and,(2)wereregisteredontheDoNotCallRegistryformorethan30days

atthetimethecallswerereceived.

44. Plaintiffs reserve the right to add administrative subclasses, or to amend the

definitionoftheproposedclass,duringthelawsuitproceedings.

45. Themembersoftheproposedclasses aresonumerousthatjoinderofallmembers

isimpracticable.Plaintiffs reasonablybelievesthat hundreds orthousandsof peoplehavebeen

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harmedbyTruEnergy’s actions.Thenamesandphonenumbersofthemembersoftheproposed

classarereadilyidentifiablethroughrecordsavailabletoTruEnergy.

46. Mostmembersoftheproposedclasshave suffereddamagesinanamountsuchthat

itwouldmakefilingseparatelawsuitsbyindividualmemberseconomicallyinfeasible.

47. Oninformationandbelief,TruEnergy hascalledandcontinuestocallpeoplewho

areregisteredontheDoNotCallRegistry.ItisreasonabletoexpectthatTruEnergy willcontinue

tomakesuchcallsabsentthislawsuit.

48. On information and belief, TruEnergy has called and continues to place

telemarketingcallswithoutfirstobtainingaregistrationcertificatefromtheOfficeoftheSecretary

ofState. Itis reasonabletoexpectthatTruEnergywillcontinuetomakesuchcallsabsentthis

lawsuit.

49. Commonquestionsoflawandfactexistastoallmembersoftheproposedclass

andpredominateoveranyquestionsaffectingonlyindividualmembers.Thequestionsoflawand

factcommontotheproposedclassinclude,butarenotlimitedto,whetherTruEnergycalledcell

phonenumbersthatwereregisteredontheDoNotCallRegistry,whethersuchcallsviolatethe

TCPA,whetherTruEnergyobtainedaregistrationcertificatefromtheOfficeoftheSecretaryof

Statebeforeplacingtelemarketingcalls,andwhethersuchcallsviolatetheTexasCommercialand

BusinessCode.

50. Onlytotheextentrequiredbylaw,Plaintiffs’ claimsare istypicaloftheclaimsof

theproposedclassmembersbecausePlaintiff’sclaimarosefromthesamepracticethatgiverise

totheclaimsofthemembersoftheproposedclassandisbasedonthesamelegaltheories.Plaintiff

isnotdifferentinanyrelevantmatterfrommembersoftheproposedclass.

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51. Plaintiffs andtheir counselwillfairlyandadequatelyprotecttheinterestsofthe

members of the proposed class. Plaintiffs’ interests do not conflict with the interests of the

proposed class he seeks to represent. Plaintiffs have retained lawyers who are competent and

experienced in class action, TCPA litigation and consumer law. Plaintiffs’ counsel have the

resourcestolitigatethisclassaction,andPlaintiffs andcounselareawareoftheirresponsibilities

totheputativemembersoftheclassandwilldischargethoseduties.Plaintiffs reservetherightto

joinotherunnamedclassmembersintothislawsuit.

52. Aclassactionissuperiortoallindividuallawsuitsforthiscontroversy.Joinderof

allproposedmembersoftheproposedclassinoneactionisimpracticableifnotimpossibleand

prosecutinghundredsorthousandsofindividualactionsisnotfeasible.Thesizeoftheindividual

claimsislikelynotlargeenoughtojustifyfilingaseparateactionforeachclaim.Formany,ifnot

most,membersoftheproposedclass,aclassactionistheonlyproceduralmechanismthatwill

allow recovery.Evenifmembers ofthe proposed classhadthe resourcesto pursueindividual

litigation,thatmethodwouldbeundulyburdensometothecourts.Individuallitigationcouldalso

resultininconsistentadjudications.

53. Incontrast,aclassactionissuperiorinthatitwillbenefitthecourtandlitigating

partiesthroughefficiency,economyofscaleandunitaryadjudicationresultingfromsupervision

ofthelitigationbyasinglecourt.

54. Questionsoflawandfact,particularlytheproprietyofcallingcellphonenumbers

registeredontheNationalDoNotCallRegistry,andplacingcallstopeoplewithoutfirstobtaining

a registration certificate fromtheOffice oftheSecretary ofState,predominate over questions

affectingonlyindividualmembers.

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55. TruEnergy hasactedorrefusedtoactongroundsthatapplygenerallytotheclass,

sofinalinjunctiverelieforcorrespondingdeclaratoryreliefisappropriatewithrespecttotheclass

asawhole.

CountI- Violations 47U.S.C.§227(c)(5)ofthe

TelephoneConsumerProtectionAct("TCPA")

56. Plaintiffsincorporatebyreferencetheallegationsofthepreviousparagraphsasif

fullystatedinthiscount.

57. TheTCPAprovidesthatisaviolationofthelawforapersonwhosephonenumber

is registeredontheNational DoNotCallRegistryto receivesmorethan onecall ontheir cell

phone “within any 12-month period by or on behalf of the same entity.” See 47 U.S.C. §§

227(c)(1),(c)(5);47C.F.R.§64.1200(c)(ii).

58. ThepenaltyforeachcallplacedinviolationoftheTCPA’srestrictionsoncalling

cellphonenumbers registeredontheNationalDoNotCallRegistryis$500percallandupto

$1,500percalliftheviolationisdeterminedtobewillful.See47U.S.C.§§ 227(c)(5).

59. In addition,theTCPAallowstheCourtto enjoinTruEnergy’s violations ofthe

TCPA’sregulationsprohibitingcallstocellphonenumbersregisteredontheNationalDoNotCall

Registry.See47U.S.C.§§227(c)(5)(A).

60. By making calls to the cell phones of Plaintiffs Hartman and DeLong and the

putativeclassmembersafterthenumberswereregisteredontheNationalDoNotCallRegistry,

TruEnergy violated the TCPA, including, but not limited to, 47 U.S.C. §§ 227(c)(1) and the

TCPA’scorresponding regulations.

61. TruEnergy kneworshouldhaveknownthattheputativeclassmembershadtheir

numbersregisteredontheDoNotCallRegistry.

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62. Plaintiffsandtheputativeclassmembersareentitledtodamagesof$500.00per

call made by or on behalf ofTruEnergy and up to $1,500.00 per call if the Court finds that

TruEnergy willfullyviolatedtheTCPA.

63. PlaintiffsandtheputativeclassmembersareentitledtoanorderfromtheCourt

enjoining TruEnergy from violating the TCPA’s regulations that prohibit calls to cell phone

numbersregisteredontheDoNotCallRegistry.

DemandforJudgment

WHEREFORE Plaintiffs Michael DeLong, Monica Hartman and Carl Moreland,

individually,andonbehalfofallotherssimilarlysituated,requeststheCourtgrantthefollowing

relief:

a. EnteranorderagainstTruEnergyServices,LLC,pursuanttoFederal RuleofCivil

Procedure Rule 23, certifying this action as a class action and appointing Plaintiffs Michael

DeLong, MonicaHartmanandCarlMorelandandasrepresentatives oftheclass;

b. Enter an order appointing Kimmel & Silverman, P.C. and Butsch Roberts &

AssociatesLLCandascounselfortheclass;

c. Enterjudgmentinfavorof Plaintiffsandtheputativeclassmembersforalldamages

availableundertheTCPA,includingstatutorydamagesof$500perviolation,orupto$1,500per

violationifTruEnergy willfullyviolatedtheTCPA;

d. EnterjudgmentinfavorofPlaintiffsandtheputativeclassmembersthatenjoins

TruEnergy fromviolatingtheTCPA’sregulationsbycallingcellphonenumbersregisteredonthe

DoNotCallRegistry;

e. AwardPlaintiffsandtheclassallexpensesofthisaction,andrequiringdefendant

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topaythecostsandexpensesofclassnoticeandclaimsadministration;and,

f. AwardPlaintiffsandtheclasssuchfurtherandotherrelieftheCourtdeemsjust

andappropriate.

DEMANDFORJURYTRIAL

PleasetakenoticethatPlaintiffsMichaelDeLong, MonicaHartman andCarlMoreland

demandajurytrialinthiscase.

Respectfullysubmitted,

/s/JacobU.Ginsburg

JacobU.Ginsburg,Esq.

 Kimmel&Silverman,P.C.

 30EastButlerAve.

 Ambler,PA19002

 Phone:(215)540-8888ext.104

(215)540-8888Ext.104

 Facsimile:(877)788-2864

 Email:jginsburg@creditlaw.com

teamkimmel@creditlaw.com

/s/ChristopherE.Roberts

ChristopherE.Roberts,Esq.

Butsch Roberts&AssociatesLLC

231S.BemistonAve.,Suite260

Clayton,MO63105

Tel:(314)863-5700

Fax:(314)863-5711

roberts@butschroberts.com

Dated:06/16/2022

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