Aston Lloyd Davis, 32, of Orlando, FL, was sentenced today to 18 months in federal prison for his role in a multimillion-dollar timeshare resale scam that ripped off more than 2,500 victims across the U.S. and Canada. The sentencing, handed down in Federal Court in East St. Louis, IL, marks another conviction in a sprawling fraud network that used fear, lies, and high-pressure sales tactics to steal hard-earned money from retirees and vacation property owners.
Davis, a telemarketer for National Solutions and a web of shell companies—including Bluescape Timeshares International, Country Wide Timeshares, Landmark Timeshares, and Universal Propertys—pleaded guilty on June 15, 2016, to one count of conspiring to commit mail and wire fraud. Prosecutors say Davis and his co-conspirators cold-called timeshare owners, falsely claiming they had ready buyers for their properties. The catch? Victims had to pay a fee—roughly $2,000—upfront to close the deal. There were no buyers. Just a script and a scam.
The operation, based in Orlando, Florida, operated under at least 15 fictitious business names designed to sound legitimate and nationwide. Telemarketers like Davis were incentivized with commissions for every victim who paid. The fees—nonrefundable and often drained from credit cards or savings—vanished into the company’s coffers, while victims were left with nothing but silence and broken promises.
According to federal filings, the National Solutions scheme bilked consumers out of at least $6 million. Eight of the identified victims were located in the Southern District of Illinois, though the fraud reached into every corner of the country and Canada. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, led by Donald S. Boyce, painted a picture of a ruthless, industrial-scale operation built on deception and greed.
In addition to his 18-month sentence, Davis was ordered to pay $52,637.56 in restitution to his victims. Upon release, he will serve a five-year period of supervised release—watched, but never trusted. The Federal Trade Commission had already moved to dismantle the operation, seizing National Solutions’ offices and records on July 13, 2011, after filing a civil complaint in the Middle District of Florida.
This case is one of nearly 100 timeshare resale fraud prosecutions brought by the Southern District of Illinois in the past four years. Led by the U.S. Postal Service’s St. Louis Field Office, the investigation continues to unravel a deeply entrenched criminal enterprise. The prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bruce Reppert and Scott Verseman—two names now feared in the underground world of telemarketing fraud.
Related Federal Cases
- Orlando Swindler Pleads Guilty in $6M Timeshare Scam · Illinois
- Florida Men Jailed for Rock Island Credit Card Skimming Ring · Illinois
- ‘White Boi’ Nabbed in $10M Treasury Check Scam · Mississippi
- $25M Tech Scam: Seven Florida Men Indicted · Puerto Rico
- Landry Leads Push Against Senior Scam Epidemic · Illinois
Key Facts
- State: Illinois
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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