No attorney, justice of the peace, sheriff, deputy sheriff or constable shall, directly or indirectly, buy or be interested in buying, or, directly or indirectly, lend or advance or agree to lend or advance any money or other goods, or give or promise any valuable consideration whatever to any person, as an inducement to place, or in consideration of having placed, in the hands of any person any bond, note, book debt or right of action for collection, with intent to make for himself any gain from the fees arising from such collection by legal proceedings. Violations of this section shall be punished by a fine of not less than twenty nor more than five hundred dollars.
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 220, § 8