What Happened to a Houston, Texas, man recently is apparently about to happen to hundreds of other Americans who defaulted on federal student loans decades ago: Armed U.S. marshals are coming to their homes to take them to court.
Paul Aker says seven federal agents, wearing combat gear, surrounded his home and took him into custody. Aker claims he received no warning about his $1,500 student loan debt, which dates back to the 1980s. He was taken in handcuffs and shackles to a federal courthouse where he was brought, without a lawyer, in front of a judge.
The use of federal agents by private debt collectors was authorized by Congress, U.S. Rep. Gene Green said.
The Houston ABC-TV affiliate reports that the U.S. attorney in that city has a list of about 1,500 people set for arrest.
