ORLANDO, Fla. — A man known by the nickname “Wolf” accused of operating a timeshare fraud out of Orlando and St. Cloud call centers has been charged with swindling more than 1,000 people out of more than $3.3 million.
An indictment was unsealed Thursday charging Daniel Martin “Wolf” Boyer with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, mail fraud and wire fraud.
Boyer was arrested on Wednesday in Orlando, court documents said.
The fraud scheme, which allegedly affected more than 1,000 people, many of them elderly, operated under numerous company names and shell companies in other states, investigators said.
Florida-based telemarketers would contact timeshare owners promising to sell their property in return for half the seller fees up front, the indictment said.
Commonly known as “the buyer’s pitch,” the scheme did not involve any real buyers and timeshare sales were never arranged and never occurred, officials said.
Using false identities, Boyar would lease temporary office space, also known as a “virtual office” in states where front companies could direct victims to send payments and correspondence, the indictment said.
Over the course of about two years, the scheme netted Boyer’s companies more than $3.3 million.
To further the scheme, the companies set up legitimate-looking websites complete with made-up descriptions of the business, company officers, testimonials and press releases, the indictment said.
If convicted, Boyer could face up to 90 years in federal prison.
Cox Media Group
