I thought it might be."
American admits debt misdeeds
An American businessman who tried to change the often unethical and intimidating way debts are collected in Japan pleaded guilty Friday to charges of lacking the proper licenses for debt-collection work.</PARAGRAPH>
<PARAGRAPH>Steven Gan, a U.S. certified public accountant and president of Advance & Associates Co., had collected outstanding small-scale debts on behalf of hundreds of corporate creditors. He was indicted on charges of collecting a combined 17.8 million yen in debts without being a licensed lawyer or debt-collection firm known as a servicer, for four years through the spring of 2004.</PARAGRAPH>
<PARAGRAPH>Gan was arrested by prosecutors on Nov. 4. After spending 25 days in detention, during which he admitted to the charges, he was released on bail.</PARAGRAPH>
<PARAGRAPH>'I'm very sorry for all the trouble I've caused,' Gan told the court. 'I never thought my company's collection business was definitely in violation of the law, –
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