CS-2026-00045 - Midland Credit Management, Inc. v. Kayla Williams

What's This Case About?

Let’s be real: the most insane thing about this case isn’t that someone owes money—it’s that a credit collector is suing a person for $2,058… using an affidavit signed by a guy named William Hebert Prahl in Minnesota to prove it. Yes, you read that right. A man in St. Cloud, Minnesota, swearing under penalty of perjury about the financial sins of a woman in Atoka County, Oklahoma, over two credit cards she hasn’t paid in over a year. This isn’t just a debt collection case—it’s a full-blown interstate bureaucratic ghost story, starring spreadsheets, notary stamps, and the quiet desperation of late-stage capitalism.

So who are these people? On one side, we’ve got Midland Credit Management, Inc.—a professional debt collector that buys up defaulted credit accounts for pennies on the dollar and then sues to collect the full amount. They’re not a bank. They didn’t lend Kayla Williams a single dime. But they now claim they “own” her debt, like someone who buys a haunted painting at auction and suddenly inherits the curse. Represented by the law firm LOVE, BEAL & NIXON, P.C. (yes, really—Love and Beal, like a 1970s soul duo), Midland operates with surgical precision, deploying affidavits, account numbers, and legal jargon like a corporate ninja. And at the tip of that legal spear? William Hebert Prahl, Legal Specialist, Minnesota-based, notarized, and apparently the only person alive who knows the intimate financial history of Kayla Williams’ Milestone and Indigo credit cards.

Then there’s Kayla Williams, a woman from Atoka County, Oklahoma—a quiet, rural part of the state where the biggest drama is usually whether the county fair will get rained out. We don’t know much about her, and that’s the point. She’s not a villain. She’s not a hero. She’s just… a person who opened two credit cards years ago, used them, stopped paying, and now finds herself in the crosshairs of a debt collection machine. She hasn’t filed a response—yet—so we don’t know if she disputes the debt, forgot about it, or just can’t afford a lawyer. But we do know this: she once made a payment on the Milestone card in August 2024 and the Indigo card in September 2024. Then, silence. The accounts were “charged off,” meaning the original lenders gave up and sold the debt to Midland, who then waited a few months before filing suit on January 5, 2026. And just like that—poof—she’s a defendant.

So what happened? Well, nothing dramatic. No embezzlement. No fraud. No midnight escapes or secret offshore accounts. Just life. Kayla opened a Milestone card in August 2022 and an Indigo card in May 2020—both of which are typically marketed to people with poor or limited credit, often with high interest rates and fees. Think of them as the financial equivalent of a payday loan with a rewards program. She used them, made payments, and then, at some point, stopped. The last payment on the Milestone card was August 9, 2024. The Indigo card got a payment on September 9, 2024. Then, both accounts were charged off—Milestone in September 2024, Indigo in November 2024. That’s when the original lenders washed their hands of the debt and sold it to Midland, who then spent a few months “servicing” it—sending letters, making calls, doing whatever debt collectors do before deciding, “Yep, it’s lawsuit time.”

Now, why are they in court? Because Midland wants a judgment. And to get one, they have to prove two things: that Kayla owed the money, and that they now own the right to collect it. That’s where the affidavits come in. William Hebert Prahl, from his office in Minnesota, swears under oath that Midland bought the debt, that the records are accurate, and that as of December 12, 2025, Kayla owed $1,352.26 on the Milestone account and $706.23 on the Indigo account—totaling $2,058.49. He didn’t see her spend the money. He didn’t watch her open the credit card offers in the mail. But he’s legally testifying that the digital paper trail says she owes it, and that Midland has the receipts (well, the digital equivalents) to prove they bought the debt. It’s not about morality. It’s about documentation. And in the world of debt collection, that’s enough to file a lawsuit.

And what do they want? $2,058.49. Plus interest. Plus court costs. Is that a lot? In the grand scheme of civil lawsuits, it’s pocket change. It’s less than a decent used car down payment. It’s two months of rent in some parts of Oklahoma. But for someone living paycheck to paycheck—especially in a rural county like Atoka, where the median household income is around $45,000—it’s not nothing. It’s groceries for half a year. It’s a car repair. It’s a medical bill. And if Midland wins, they could garnish wages, freeze a bank account, or place a lien on property. This isn’t just about the money—it’s about power. A faceless corporation with a team of lawyers in Oklahoma City is going after a single individual using a legal process that’s fast, efficient, and heavily stacked in their favor.

Now, here’s our take: the most absurd part of this case isn’t the amount. It’s the distance. The sheer, soulless geography of it all. A woman in rural Oklahoma falls behind on two sketchy credit cards. A bank sells that debt to a collector in California. A legal specialist in Minnesota swears under oath about her financial history. A law firm in Oklahoma City files a lawsuit. And somewhere, Kayla Williams gets served with papers and has to decide: do I fight this? Do I ignore it and risk a default judgment? Do I pay up, even if I don’t remember this debt or can’t afford it?

We’re not rooting for anyone to dodge responsibility. But we are rooting for fairness. For transparency. For a system where people aren’t hauled into court based on digital records curated by a man who’s never met them, never seen their bank statements, and couldn’t pick them out of a lineup. Debt collection isn’t evil—but it’s weird, and it’s cold, and it turns personal financial struggles into corporate inventory. And when a case like this lands in a small county courthouse, it feels less like justice and more like a transaction—another line item on Midland’s balance sheet, another affidavit stamped and notarized, another life quietly unraveled by a spreadsheet in Minnesota.

We’re entertainers, not lawyers. But if this were a movie, the real villain wouldn’t be Kayla Williams. It wouldn’t even be Midland. It’d be the system that lets a guy named William Hebert Prahl decide the financial fate of a stranger he’s never met—just because he has access to the right database and a notary public on speed dial.

Case Overview

$2,058 Demand Petition

Jurisdiction

District Court, Oklahoma

Filing Attorney

William L. Nixon, Jr.

LOVE, BEAL & NIXON, P.C.

Relief Sought

$2,058 Monetary

Plaintiffs

Midland Credit Management, Inc. business
Rep: LOVE, BEAL & NIXON, P.C.

Defendants

Kayla Williams individual

Claims

#	Cause of Action	Description
1		Debt collection for account with THE BANK OF MISSOURI/MILESTONE
2		Debt collection for account with CELTIC BANK/INDIGO

Petition Text

1,200 words

IN THE DISTRICT COURT OF ATOKA COUNTY STATE OF OKLAHOMA Midland Credit Management, Inc. Plaintiff, vs. Kayla Williams, Defendant. PETITION FOR INDEBTEDNESS COMES NOW Plaintiff, by and through its undersigned attorneys who hereby enter their appearance herein, and for cause of action against Defendant alleges and states: COUNT I 1. THE BANK OF MISSOURI, provided credit to the defendant on account number XXXXXXXXXXXX6774. Defendant defaulted on the obligation. The account has been assigned to Plaintiff. 2. Defendant owes Plaintiff $1,352.26. An Affidavit of Account is attached hereto and incorporated by reference. COUNT 2 1. CELTIC BANK, provided credit to the defendant on account number XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX4565. Defendant defaulted on the obligation. The account has been assigned to Plaintiff. 2. Defendant owes Plaintiff $706.23. An Affidavit of Account is attached hereto and incorporated by reference. WHEREFORE, Plaintiff prays for Judgment against the Defendant in the sum of $2,058.49, with interest at the statutory rate, all court costs, and for such other relief as the Court may deem just and proper. William L. Nixon, Jr., #012804 Harley L. Homjak, #019736 Gracelyn Porras Dillingham, #35852 Jennifer A. Gani, #021876 Daniela Westfahl, #36242 Mariah S. Ellicott, #36309 Benjamin F. Brackett, #36580 LOVE, BEAL & NIXON, P.C. Attorney for Plaintiff P.O. Box 32738 Oklahoma City, OK 73123 Telephone: 405-720-0565 E-Mail: [email protected] STATE OF OKLAHOMA Midland Credit Management, Inc, Plaintiff -vs- Williams, Kayla, Defendant(s). AFFIDAVIT OF WILLIAM HEBERT PRAHL William Hebert Prahl, whose business address is 600 W. Saint Germain St Suite 200, St. Cloud, MN 56301-3616, certifies and says: 1. I am employed as a Legal Specialist and have access to pertinent account records for Midland Credit Management, Inc. ("Plaintiff" or "MCM"). I am a competent person over eighteen years of age, and make the statements herein based upon personal knowledge of those account records maintained by Plaintiff. Plaintiff is the current owner of, and was assigned all the rights, title and interest to Defendant's THE BANK OF MISSOURI/MILESTONE account XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX6774 (MCM Number 329600889) (hereinafter "the Account"). 2. I have access to and have reviewed the electronic records pertaining to the Account maintained by MCM and am authorized to make this affidavit on MCM's behalf. The electronic records reviewed consist of (i) data and records acquired from the seller or assignor when MCM purchased or was assigned the Account, which were incorporated into MCM's business records upon purchase or assignment, and (ii) data and records generated by MCM in connection with servicing the Account since the date the Account was purchased by or was assigned to MCM. 3. I am familiar with and trained on the manner and method by which MCM creates and maintains its business records pertaining to the Account, which consist of (i) data and documents acquired from the seller or assignor, and (ii) subsequent collection and/or servicing activities by MCM. The records are acquired or created, and are kept in the regular course of MCM's business. It was in the regular course of MCM's business for a person with knowledge of the subsequent collection and/or servicing activities recorded, and a business duty to report, to make the record or data compilation, or to transmit information thereof to be included in such record, or for such information to be posted in MCM's records by a computer or similar digital means. In the regular course of MCM's business, the record or compilation of the subsequent collection activities is made at or near the time of the act or event by MCM as a regular practice. 4. MCM's records show that Defendant(s) owed a balance of $1,352.26 as of 2025-12-12. 5. On or about 2024-10-28, Midland Credit Management, Inc became the successor in interest to this Account. 6. MCM's records show that: 1) the Account was opened on 2022-08-28; 2) the last payment posted to the Account on 2024-08-09; and 3) the Account was charged off on 2024-09-17. 7. If called to testify as a witness thereon, I could and would competently testify as to all the facts stated herein. LEFT BLANK INTENTIONALLY I certify under penalty of perjury that the foregoing statements are true and correct. JAN 05 2026 Date STATE OF MINNESOTA COUNTY OF STEARNS William Hebert Prahl Signed and sworn to (or affirmed) before me on JAN 05 2026 by William Hebert Prahl. Julie A Kimmes Notary Public - Minnesota My Commission Expires 01/31/2030 J Kimmes Notary Public OK038 STATE OF OKLAHOMA Midland Credit Management, Inc, Plaintiff -vs- Williams, Kayla E, Defendant(s). AFFIDAVIT OF WILLIAM HEBERT PRAHL William Hebert Prahl, whose business address is 600 W. Saint Germain St Suite 200, St. Cloud, MN 56301-3616, certifies and says: 1. I am employed as a Legal Specialist and have access to pertinent account records for Midland Credit Management, Inc. ("Plaintiff" or "MCM"). I am a competent person over eighteen years of age, and make the statements herein based upon personal knowledge of those account records maintained by Plaintiff. Plaintiff is the current owner of, and was assigned all the rights, title and interest to Defendant's CELTIC BANK/INDIGO account XXXXXXXXX4565 (MCM Number 330323428) (hereinafter "the Account"). 2. I have access to and have reviewed the electronic records pertaining to the Account maintained by MCM and am authorized to make this affidavit on MCM's behalf. The electronic records reviewed consist of (i) data and records acquired from the seller or assignor when MCM purchased or was assigned the Account, which were incorporated into MCM's business records upon purchase or assignment, and (ii) data and records generated by MCM in connection with servicing the Account since the date the Account was purchased by or was assigned to MCM. 3. I am familiar with and trained on the manner and method by which MCM creates and maintains its business records pertaining to the Account, which consist of (i) data and documents acquired from the seller or assignor, and (ii) subsequent collection and/or servicing activities by MCM. The records are acquired or created, and are kept in the regular course of MCM's business. It was in the regular course of MCM's business for a person with knowledge of the subsequent collection and/or servicing activities recorded, and a business duty to report, to make the record or data compilation, or to transmit information thereof to be included in such record, or for such information to be posted in MCM's records by a computer or similar digital means. In the regular course of MCM's business, the record or compilation of the subsequent collection activities is made at or near the time of the act or event by MCM as a regular practice. 4. MCM's records show that Defendant(s) owed a balance of $706.23 as of 2025-12-12. 5. On or about 2024-11-25, Midland Credit Management, Inc became the successor in interest to this Account. 6. MCM's records show that: 1) the Account was opened on 2020-05-18; 2) the last payment posted to the Account on 2024-09-09; and 3) the Account was charged off on 2024-11-10. 7. If called to testify as a witness thereon, I could and would competently testify as to all the facts stated herein. LEFT BLANK INTENTIONALLY I certify under penalty of perjury that the foregoing statements are true and correct. JAN 05 2026 Date STATE OF MINNESOTA COUNTY OF STEARNS Signed and sworn to (or affirmed) before me on JAN 05 2026 by William Hebert Prahl. Julie A Kimmes Notary Public - Minnesota My Commission Expires 01/31/2030 OK038