Predator Caracciolo Gets 25 Years for Exploitation, Fraud

CAMDEN, N.J. – Joseph Anthony Caracciolo, 50, of New York, will spend the next 25 years in federal prison after being sentenced for a horrifying pattern of abuse and deceit. Caracciolo was handed a 300-month sentence today by U.S. District Judge Renée Marie Bumb for engaging in illicit sexual conduct with a 12-year-old girl, failing to register as a sex offender, and running a sophisticated wire fraud scheme that bilked victims out of $150,000.

The case, spearheaded by U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman, revealed Caracciolo’s depravity on multiple fronts. Between June and August 2012, Caracciolo repeatedly travelled to New Jersey and Pennsylvania to sexually exploit a minor, identified as “Victim 1” in court documents. This wasn’t a first offense; Caracciolo was already a convicted rapist, stemming from a 1993 conviction in Massachusetts, and was legally obligated to register as a sex offender – a requirement he blatantly ignored.

But the exploitation of a child wasn’t Caracciolo’s only crime. Simultaneously, he engaged in a callous fraud targeting a woman he was romantically involved with, “Victim 2,” and her family. Starting in July 2009, Caracciolo concocted a false narrative about battling cancer, soliciting financial assistance from Victim 2’s parents for bogus treatments. Over two years, they wired him more than $150,000, believing they were helping him fight for his life. To further conceal his scheme, Caracciolo assumed the identity of Anthony Scibelli, a man who had been deceased since 1998.

The layers of Caracciolo’s deception continued to unravel during a hearing regarding his attempt to withdraw his initial guilty plea in January 2017. Under cross-examination, he confessed to a lifetime of lies, admitting to falsely claiming various professions – pediatric dentist and celebrity chef – and conning women across the country. He also confessed to selling fake sports memorabilia on eBay and counterfeit electronics. The man is a professional liar, and his crimes are as varied as they are disturbing.

Judge Bumb didn’t just impose a lengthy prison sentence; she also sentenced Caracciolo to a lifetime of supervised release following his incarceration. The investigation was a collaborative effort between the FBI, the Egg Harbor Township Police Department, the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force, and the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office “Innocence Lost” Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin C. Danilewitz led the prosecution. Caracciolo was represented by Peter Levin Esq. of Philadelphia.

This case serves as a stark reminder of the predators who operate in our communities and the importance of diligent law enforcement. Caracciolo’s actions are a betrayal of trust and a violation of the most vulnerable. His 25-year sentence, while a measure of justice, cannot fully erase the damage he has inflicted.