Analysis · Litigation & decisions
Timeshare Telemarketer Gets 21 More Months for Running a New Scam While on Supervised Release
On June 7, 2018, a federal judge in East St. Louis, Illinois, sent Wesley Scott Aldred, 30, of Kissimmee, Florida, back to prison for 21 months. Aldred was on supervised release for a prior telemarketing fraud conviction when he was caught running a similar scam aimed at timeshare owners. The Department of Justice (DOJ) announced the sentence on June 8, 2018.
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The bottom line: a telemarketing fraud conviction does not end when the prison term does. Repeat conduct during supervision brings swift additional time.
Background
Aldred was sentenced in 2015 for taking part in a timeshare resale fraud scam known as Premier Timeshare Solutions. According to the DOJ, that scheme victimized timeshare owners across the country, including in southern Illinois.
While on supervised release for that conviction, Aldred engaged in a similar telemarketing fraud scam targeting timeshare owners, the DOJ said.
The sentence
U.S. District Judge Nancy J. Rosenstengel revoked Aldred's supervised release. She ordered him to serve 21 months in federal prison, followed by 39 more months of supervised release. The DOJ said the sentence was the maximum term recommended by the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) investigated, with help from the Florida Attorney General's Office and the Florida Department of Agriculture. The DOJ described the investigation as ongoing.
The law
Supervised release is a period of court supervision that follows a federal prison sentence. A standard condition is that the person not commit another crime. When a court finds a violation, it can revoke supervision and impose additional prison time without a new trial on the underlying conduct.
Why it matters
Timeshare resale fraud has been a recurring target for federal prosecutors and state agencies. The pattern is familiar: cold calls to owners, promises of a buyer or resale, and upfront fees. This case shows that the same people may return to the same scheme, and that courts will respond with the maximum guideline term.
For legitimate businesses in the timeshare exit and resale space, cases like this shape how regulators view the entire category.
What this means for you
- Screen new employees and business partners for prior convictions related to telemarketing fraud.
- Do not charge upfront fees based on promised buyers or sales.
- Script calls to timeshare owners and retain recordings.
- Respond promptly and fully to requests from state agencies.
Supervision conditions are enforced. So are the rules against telemarketing fraud.
Not legal advice. TCPA.com provides general information, not legal advice, and is not a substitute for the advice of an attorney. Do not rely on it. Verify any action with your own licensed lawyer before you take it. See our Terms of Use.
Primary sources
About the Author: Harrison Gevirtz
Harrison Gevirtz serves as the Chief Strategy Officer (CSO) of Ringba, a call tracking and pay per call platform, and is based in Las Vegas, Nevada. Harrison Gevirtz is a serial operator in call tracking, call routing and telemarketing operations, and for the past several years he has focused on how federal regulations affect the daily operations of these industries. At TCPA.com, Harrison Gevirtz covers TCPA litigation, Telemarketing Sales Rule (TSR) enforcement, tech support fraud prosecutions and Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rulemaking in a way that's accessible to the non-lawyer executive or compliance manager.
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