Sprint said Monday it won nearly $27 million in damages in one of the many lawsuits it has filed against sellers on the secondary cell phone market in recent years.
The carrier said Baltimore-area company Wireless Buybacks was found liable for “tortious interference stemming from a large handset trafficking scheme” in Maryland federal district court.
“While we understand there is a legitimate secondary market for devices that is beneficial to customers and to carriers, we strongly believe that customers are injured by the types of activities challenged in this case,” Sprint Chief Legal Officer Jorge Gracia said in a statement. “We are very pleased with this decision and its acknowledgment of this company’s wrongful conduct.”
The verdict, Sprint noted, is subject to appeal. The carrier several years ago touted more than 150 lawsuits filed against similar companies, but it lost cases against Florida firm 4 U Cell LLC — owned by the parents of Wireless Buybacks’ owner — and Kansas company The Middle Man last year, The Kansas City Star reported.
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