Xavier Walton Arraigned in $285K Timeshare Fraud Scheme

Xavier Walton, 26, of San Antonio, Texas, stood in a federal courtroom in Albany today, facing charges in a brazen wire fraud scheme that raked in over $285,000 from unsuspecting timeshare owners across the U.S. and Canada. The indictment unsealed Thursday accuses Walton of orchestrating a nationwide scam that exploited vacation property owners desperate for rental income.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office and FBI Albany, Walton’s scheme promised timeshare owners he would rent their properties and pay them—then turned the tables. Victims were told to send money to his company, AB Transfer, Inc., to cover fake taxes and processing fees before the rental could go through. The catch? No rental ever happened. No money returned. Just silence.

Among the 23 identified victims is a resident of Saratoga Springs, New York—tied directly to the federal jurisdiction in Albany. Others were hit hard in Florida, Pennsylvania, and even Ontario, Canada. Each payment funneled into AB Transfer, Inc. was swallowed up, leaving owners out thousands and scrambling for answers.

Walton was arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge Christian F. Hummel and released under strict conditions as the case moves toward trial. The indictment lays bare the mechanics of the fraud: false promises, forged legitimacy, and a paper trail of electronic transactions that federal agents say they’ve traced directly to Walton.

If convicted on the wire fraud charge, Walton faces up to 20 years in federal prison, a $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release post-incarceration. The U.S. Attorney’s Office emphasized that the charges are accusations only—Walton is presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.

The case, investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Carina H. Schoenberger, underscores the growing sophistication of financial scams targeting middle-class property owners. For now, Walton walks free—but under the weight of a federal indictment that could land him behind bars for decades.