Paul Michael Marciniak, Timeshare Resale Fraud, Nevada 2012
A high-ranking co-conspirator in a massive timeshare resale scam targeting elderly victims has been sentenced to 70 months in federal prison, U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich announced today. Paul Michael Marciniak, 34, of Orlando, Florida, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud.
The scam, which operated out of Orlando, Florida, and Las Vegas, Nevada, defrauded over 1,000 timeshare owners out of more than $3.3 million. Marciniak and his co-conspirators used stolen data to identify timeshare owners and promised to sell the timeshares in return for the owners paying in advance half of the costs associated with the purported sales.
According to court documents, the scam, which lasted from October 2010 to April 2012, used fake front companies and created websites with false information to mislead the victims. Twenty of Marciniak's co-conspirators were charged and have pleaded guilty for their involvement in this fraud scheme.
The case resulted from an investigation by the FBI, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dan Cowhig prosecuted the case.
The U.S. Attorney's office warned consumers to use caution when dealing with unsolicited services, as scam artists can easily create the appearance of legitimacy for a fraudulent business front.
Marciniak was sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $3.37 million in restitution to the victims of the fraud scheme.
Elder fraud complaints may be filed with the Federal Trade Commission at www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov or at 1-877-FTC-HELP. The Office of Victims of Crime provides a variety of resources relating to elder fraud victimization through its website at www.ovc.gov. Additional elder justice resources, training, and outreach materials can be found at the Elder Justice Website at www.elderjustice.gov.
Key Facts
- State: Nevada
- Category: White Collar Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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