The lead conspirators of an elaborate $10 million timeshare telemarketing scam were sentenced to prison last week.
Three Central Florida residents were accused of defrauding more than 5,000 people, many of whom were elderly, according to U.S. Attorney John Parker.
The racket involved the defendants posing as telemarketers and calling timeshare owners claiming they had a potential buyer and all owners had to provide was a small one-time fee that would cover the closing costs. The conspirators told their victims that if the sale didn’t go through they would get their money back, but that never happened.
The ringleader of the conspiracy, Fabien C. Fleifel, received 14 years in federal prison after being found guilty on a variety of fraud charges that were brought against him. Fleifel and the other co-defendants were also ordered to pay $1.3 million in restitution to their victims.
Two other members of the alleged scheme were also sentenced with Fleifel. Bradley James Gomez will serve 2 1/2 years behind bars while Armanda Nadine Rizkallah was sentenced to five years of probation and 180 days of home confinement. Seven other co-defendants are still awaiting sentencing for their roles in the scheme.
Fleifel eventually expanded the ring, hiring and training telemarketers to solicit homeowners. The scheme raked in $10 million before Fleifel and his crew were caught.
Instances of fraud like this are all too common in Florida. Every person is a potential victim of scammers, but the elderly seem to be particularly susceptible to these sorts of rackets. No matter your age, the Business Trial Group at Morgan &a Morgan can help you if you have been defrauded.
Currently, the Business Trial Group is helping an elderly Jacksonville couple, Tommy and Linda Tharp, recover their life savings after they were allegedly defrauded by a local businessman.
If you think you’ve been the victim of fraud, we can help. Contact one our experienced Business Trial Group attorneys to find out if you have a case today.
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