(COLUMBUS, Ohio) - Attorney General Mike DeWine said today that six members of a multi-state telemarketing operation pleaded guilty this week to felonies. Four others pleaded guilty earlier this year. They are among 18 who, according to an indictment in June, operated a criminal enterprise that stole millions of dollars from victims who owned inexpensive, vacant land throughout the U.S.
"We are making progress in this major case that often ended up with senior citizens being the prime victims," said Attorney General DeWine. "We will continue to work with Miami County authorities to prepare the remaining cases for trial."
All of those who have pleaded guilty have agreed to cooperate with prosecutors and testify against the remaining co-defendants as part of the plea agreements.
Pleading guilty to felonies on Tuesday were Colin Hansford and Allen Cannon.
Pleading guilty to felonies on Monday were Samuel Acevedo, Michael D. Perry, Robert B Salafia, and Kara Thomas, wife of alleged ringleader, Theodore S. Thomas.
Earlier this year, four other members of the telemarketing ring, Michael D. Northcutt Jr., Michael Sweigart, Albert Smith, and Jessica Gutierrez, pleaded guilty to related felony charges.
Most of the defendants will be sentenced next year. The first trial in the case is set for Feb. 12, 2013.
The telemarketing ring allegedly fed victims a series of lies over the phone, leading them to believe that their investment was worth up to 15 times its assessed value. They were told they had to pay fees of $500 to nearly $16,000 to guarantee the sale of their land for the inflated value. Other victims were told that investors in a solar energy plant had already agreed to purchase their land for the inflated value, but to finalize the sale they had to prepay the closing costs.
This case was one of the first investigations undertaken after Attorney General DeWine created the Economic Crimes Division within the Consumer Protection Section. It was created in March of 2011 with the purpose of identifying criminal conduct in consumer fraud cases and assisting Ohio's prosecuting attorneys in holding scammers criminally accountable.
| Defendants |
Plea Date/Charges |
| Kara Thomas |
Dec. 10; F3, F4, Conspiracy, Telecommunications Fraud |
| Michael Perry |
Dec. 10; F3, Conspiracy |
| Robert "Ben" Salafia |
Dec. 10; F3, Conspiracy |
| Samuel Acevedo |
Dec. 10; F2, Engaging in a Pattern of Corrupt Activities |
| Allen Cannon |
Dec. 11; F4, F5, Telecommunications Fraud, Telemarketing Fraud |
| Colin Hansford |
Dec. 11; F3, F4, Conspiracy, Telecommunications Fraud |
| Michael Northcutt |
Nov. 13; F3, F4, Conspiracy, Grand Theft |
| Michael Sweigart |
Nov. 13; F3, Conspiracy |
| Albert Smith |
Aug. 27; F2, Engaging in a Pattern of Corrupt Activities |
| Jessica Gutierrez |
July 24; F2, Conspiracy |
Media Contacts:
Dan Tierney: 614-466-3840
Mark Moretti: 614-466-3840