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Debt Collection Agency Owner Accused Of Bilking Thousands Of Dollars
A Buffalo man was indicted on 41 charges for allegedly bilking thousands of victims out of hundreds of thousands of dollars, according to U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul Jr. Alan Ceccarelli, 30, was charged with wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and distribution of alprazolam and buprenorphine, with a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine.
Ceccarelli was the owner and managing member of a debt collection business known by multiple names, including G&B Check Services, Check & Arbitration Services, Dudley & Associates, National Check Services, Regional Mediation, Regional ACH Services, Franklin & Ruggiero, and ACH Regional Debt & Recovery Services. He used various aliases, including Steve Jantrowski, Daniel Hamilton, Scott Richmond, Seth Galbert, Matthew Pacifico, Joshua Gable, Raymond Foy, Robert Header, Kyle Thill, William Starnes, Robert Laroski, Andre Spencer, and Sean Wagoner.
Between January 2013 and January 2016, Ceccarelli allegedly tricked and coerced thousands of victims throughout the United States into paying debts whether or not the debts were actually owed. The defendant and collectors working for him caused victims to send money in various ways, including credit and debit card payments, and prepaid debit cards such as Western Union. The indictment alleges that Ceccarelli’s company collected approximately $1,022,000 during the course of the scheme.
To coerce victims into paying the purported debts, collectors falsely told them that the company was affiliated with local government and law enforcement agencies, that they had committed criminal acts, and that a civil lawsuit would be filed or was pending against them for failing to pay their debts.
The company utilized a technique known as “spoofing” which made it appear to victims that telephone calls originated from police departments, government offices, and attorney offices located within the geographical vicinity of the victim.
Ceccarelli obtained preview lists from debt brokers and used commercial databases to find and fill in the missing data from the lists, such as social security numbers, dates of birth, telephone numbers, and other personal information. He also preyed upon individuals who had filed bankruptcy in an attempt to collect on debts owed by those individuals.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Maura O’Donnell is handling the case. Contact information for the press release is available at (716) 843-5817 or (716) 551-3051.
Key Facts
- State: New York
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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