Three Former Employees, Conspiring to Defraud Timeshare Owners, New Jersey 2016
Three former employees of The Vacation Ownership Group LLC, a timeshare consulting firm, have been sentenced for their roles in conspiring to defraud owners of timeshare properties in New Jersey.
Jeffrey Sawyer, 53, of Mullica Hill, New Jersey, was sentenced to 12 months in prison and three years of supervised release for his role in the conspiracy. Sawyer, who had previously pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, admitted to causing more than $70,000 in losses.
Aimee Allen, 30, of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, was sentenced to three years of probation, with eight months of home confinement, 50 hours of community service, and ordered to pay restitution of $197,440. Allen, who had also pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, admitted to causing over $200,000 in losses.
Vincent Giordano, 31, was sentenced to four months in prison, four months of home confinement, 200 hours of community service, and three years of supervised release. Giordano, who had pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, was implicated in the scheme.
The Vacation Ownership Group, a/k/a VO Group LLC, had offices in Mays Landing and Egg Harbor Township, N.J., and claimed to offer consulting services to owners of timeshares, including cancelling, purchasing and upgrading the timeshares.
Sawyer pretended to be a satisfied VO Group customer to persuade others to send money to the VO Group, while Allen would call customers and give them the false impression that she was working for a bank or lending institution. Allen then would falsely represent that the VO Group could pay off the customers' timeshares or have their timeshares cancelled.
The scheme was uncovered by an investigation led by the FBI's Atlantic City Resident Agency and the Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney R. David Walk Jr.
The defendants were sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Noel L. Hillman in Camden federal court on July 15, 2016.
Key Facts
- State: New Jersey
- Category: White Collar Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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