Department of Justice
For Immediate Release
Leader in Timeshare Resale Fraud Scheme Sentenced to Nine Years in Federal Prison
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Carlos E. Mendoza has sentenced Eugene Warren Brewington (34, Orlando) to nine years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud for his role as a leader in a timeshare resale fraud scheme. The Court also entered a money judgment against Brewington in the amount of $704,326.55, which represents the total amount of money fraudulently obtained as a result of the scheme. Brewington was found guilty by a jury on June 10, 2016.
According to testimony and evidence presented at trial and sentencing, Brewington founded and operated two companies in Orlando, “Timeshare Title Services LLC” and “United Clearing Solutions LLC.” Representatives of the two companies, known as “callers,” made unsolicited phone calls to timeshare owners throughout the country and falsely claimed that a buyer existed for their timeshares. The timeshare owners were told that buyers had deposited money into an escrow account for the purchase of their timeshares, and they received documents from the companies that appeared to be legitimate timeshare sales contracts. Ultimately, the timeshare owners were told to send advance fees to the companies to finalize the sales. Numerous timeshare owners made advance fee payments to the companies but received no services and their timeshares were never sold.
Brewington managed the bank accounts where the advance fees were deposited and rented the office spaces from where the “callers” executed the scheme. Within a three-month period, more than $500,000 in timeshare owner payments were deposited into bank accounts for the two companies. Brewington and others associated with the companies used these funds to enrich themselves.
Another participant in the scheme, Chima Edozie Aligwekwe (33, Orlando), was also found guilty of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud by a jury. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for September 12, 2016.
This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the United States Secret Service. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Andrew C. Searle and Kara M. Wick.
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