“They Would’ve Shot Me For 1,500 Bucks!” – Student Loan arrest are on the rise.

On Thursday, a Houston man received an unwelcome visit from armed U.S. Marshals, who arrested him for nonpayment of a $1,500 student loan that he had taken out in 1987.

Paul Aker says he noticed a suspicious truck parked outside his residence Thursday morning. Frightened, he went back into his house, only to receive a knock on the door some time later. It was then that he was confronted by seven fully armed U.S. Marshals, donning combat gear, who arrested the 48-year-old for non-payment of the twenty-nine year old debt from his time at Prairie View A&M University.

“They grabbed me, they threw me down,” Aker told the New York Daily News. He was taken to the federal building in Downtown Houston and held in a cell prior to appearing before a judge. He was told to pay a grand total of $7,000 for the outstanding loan, including interest, and for the price of his arrest. The judge let Aker know that if he does not pay the full fee by March 1, he would be arrested again. Aker told the court he had never received a notice or any other communication regarding the outstanding loan.

Additionally, Aker was told that the firepower displayed by the Marshals was justified due to him being a registered gun owner. There has yet to be a statement issued from the Marshals regarding this story. “It’s out of control. Out of control,” stated Aker. “What if they had seen a gun on me? They would have shot me for 1,500 bucks.”

The use of U.S. Marshals for arresting student loan delinquents has been on the rise in the Houston area, with up to 1,500 arrests pending.