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Press Release

Rochester Woman Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud Conspiracy

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of New York
 

ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that Nancy Cedeno, 40, of Rochester, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge David G. Larimer, to conspiring to commit wire fraud. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Marisa J. Miller, who handled the case, stated that the defendant used online, e-commerce sites, including eBay.com and Amazon.com, to sell stolen merchandise to unwitting buyers. Cedeno used Rochester Consignment Broker, a consignment business in Rochester that she owns with her husband Brian Leonard, to purchase goods and merchandise that she knew to be stolen. The couple then advertised and sold or attempted to sell the items to buyers online, all while falsely representing that they had lawful ownership of the goods.

Charges against Brian Leonard are pending. The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

The plea was the culmination of an investigation on the part of Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and members of the Rochester Police Department under the direction of Chief Michael Ciminelli.

Sentencing is scheduled for December 17th, at 2:00 p.m. before Judge Larimer.
Updated November 19, 2014