Buffalo Man Sentenced On Wire Fraud And Aggravated Idenity Theft Charges

CONTACT:      Barbara Burns
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BUFFALO, N.Y.- Acting U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Alan Ceccarelli, 32, of Buffalo, NY, who was convicted of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, was sentenced to 78 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross, who handled the case, stated that between January 2013 and January 2016, Ceccarelli, the owner and manager of a debt collection business, engaged in a scheme to defraud debtors and purported debtors by false and fraudulent pretenses. The defendant tricked and coerced victims throughout the United States into paying debts that they owed or debts that they did not owe through a variety of false statements and threats. Ceccarelli hired a number of debt collectors as part of the scheme which resulted in his company collecting more than $1,022,000 from thousands of victims across the United States. In order to further the scheme, the defendant used a variety of aliases and identities of others.

Acting U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. stated, “With the significant sentence imposed by the court, Ceccarelli finally received the one payback he actually earned as a result of his fraudulent, ruthless, and predatory collection practices.”

"Financial scams like the one perpetrated by Ceccarelli have devastating long-term effects on the victims, many of whom were already under financial hardship,” said Special Agent in Charge of HSI Buffalo James C. Spero. “HSI will continue to aggressively investigate and bring to justice the criminal enterprises who perpetrate these scams that prey on vulnerable people.”

The sentencing is the result of an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James C. Spero.