Update as of 10-15-2018 -- The case (Trevino Vs Alfieri) has been dismissed by both parties. As we have agreed to move forward, the dismissed case will remain confidential.
UPDATE - January 16, 2015 Please read new post with updated information - Conviction
Last week I received an email from the U.S. Department of Justice Victim Notification System. I was hesitant to reply to it, as I did not recognize the name of the defendant. I thought it could be a "fake" email trying to get personal information from me. It did have specific information and phone numbers to contact the Assistant US Attorney handling the case.
UPDATE - January 16, 2015 Please read new post with updated information - Conviction
Last week I received an email from the U.S. Department of Justice Victim Notification System. I was hesitant to reply to it, as I did not recognize the name of the defendant. I thought it could be a "fake" email trying to get personal information from me. It did have specific information and phone numbers to contact the Assistant US Attorney handling the case.
I was about to do some inquiring into this case today when I receive another email notifying me of another person getting indicted. I am also listed as a victim on that case. I started to think and remembered these two men who called me on the phone telling me there was someone interested in buying my timeshare. They had very detailed information about when I bought my timeshare, my annual fees, etc, etc. They also gave me a very convincing sales pitch to hire them to close the deal. I clearly remember that this happened around the time I invested the money to produce "Looking for Clarissa." I did not have much left in the bank. I believed that if I could get what these men promised from the sale of my time-share, I would be financially comfortable for a few months as I recovered from the huge investment in the independent film.
They called me constantly. They claimed that they had to collect "their fees" before closing, as I would get the total amount of the sale of my timeshare in my name. They sent me papers that seemed legitimate. I remember telling them that I could not invest that money. They assured me that the sale would close in one month. It all seemed very fishy to me. I got a big knot in my stomach, I remember. I should have listened to my intuition and common sense... Too bad I did not.
They called me every week to give me updates. They kept pushing the sale "closing" date constantly. This all happened in 2011 - while I was going through the filming of "Looking for Clarissa," the break up with Victor, his taking my money, his bogus lawsuit and damaging claims against me... while I tried to defend myself using the little money I had left.
By late 2011, when I was not able to contact these two men to get an update on the alleged "sale," I decided to close that chapter and not to invest more energy into it. I had clearly been scammed. What could I do? It made me upset but nothing compared to the legal battle with Victor Alfieri.
It makes me happy that justice DOES prevail, at least in some cases. This is what I found on line about one of the con artists that defrauded me and over 3,000 other people.
United States Of America Vs. Michael Patrick Sullivan
United States District Court For The Southern District Of Illinois
Criminal No.: 13-CR-30103-GPM
UPCOMING EVENTS: On October 17, 2013, Sullivan plead guilty to this charge. Sentencing has been set for March 6, 2014 at 9:00 a.m. in East St. Louis Illinois Federal Courthouse before District Judge Michael J. Reagan.
On May 22, 2013, Michael Patrick Sullivan, Jr., 37, of Las Vegas, Nevada, was named in a one-count indictment for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1349 the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Stephen R. Wigginton, announced today. If convicted, Sullivan is subject to a term of imprisonment of up to 25 years, a fine of $250,000 and five years of supervised release.
The charge arose out of a telemarketing scam which operated in Las Vegas, Nevada, which the indictment alleged bilked over 3,000 victims of approximately 10 million dollars. Consumers were victimized in all fifty states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, all ten Canadian provinces and the Northwest Territory of Canada, as well as Australia, Israel and the United Kingdom. There were at least twelve (12) victims in nine (9) of the thirty-eight (38) counties comprising the Southern District of Illinois. The indictment alleges that the scheme operated from December 5, 2006 until January 24, 2012.
The indictment alleges that Sullivan owned a telemarketing company, Vacation Max, which operated a timeshare resale scam. The company purported to be a Georgia corporation located in Delaware, but actually operated in Las Vegas, Nevada. The indictment alleges that the company falsely represented that they had found corporate buyers interested in acquiring blocks of timeshare units including the consumer's timeshare unit for purported business and tax purposes. The company solicited fees of up to several thousand dollars from each timeshare owner in purported pre-paid closing costs and related expenses. The indictment alleges that the purported sales did not occur and that Vacation Max did not successfully sell any consumer’s timeshare interest except a relatively small number at firesale prices.
This case is one of several cases recently prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Illinois relating to timeshare resale fraud.
The prosecution of the case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bruce E. Reppert and Nathan D. Stump.
An indictment is a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, a defendant is presumed to be innocent of a charge until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of a jury.
Here's a link to the press release and indictment US Department of Justice.
There is another person who has been named in a separate indictment for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud. His name is John C. Nicosia. Criminal No 14-30009-MJR. He has been charged and there is a warrant for his arrest. I don't know if he has been apprehended yet.
Michael P. Sullivan Jr has already pled guilty to the charge. I hope he spends a long time in prison. I also hope that we, as victims, are given an opportunity to address the judge before his sentencing. Wouldn't it be great to get statements from over 3,000 people sharing how this scam affected us?
As to what Victor Alfieri did and continues to do to me, I do hope there will be some justice in the end. I am aware that I am not the only person who has been "victimized" by his deceiving and manipulative actions. I wish there were others willing to speak up and tell the truth. When we ignore and tolerate this type of behavior, we become enablers by helping perpetuate these unjust situations and unhealthy conduct.
Disclaimer – As of October 15, 2018, all legal issues (Trevino vs. Alfieri) have been resolved. This resolution was reached during arbitration. There are no pending issues related to fraud or theft (Trevino vs. Alfieri). The resolution was mutually agreeable. There will be no more posts written about this story.
