Galloway Man Pleads Guilty For His Role in Mail Fraud Conspiracy

A Galloway Township man plead guilty for his role in a large scale mail fraud conspiracy, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced on Wednesday, Jan. 30.

Eric Reilly, 34, was one of nine Atlantic County residents arrested last April in connection with a $2.4 million mail fraud scheme involving time share mortgages. On Wednesday, Reilly plead guilty to an information charging him with one count conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, Fishman said.

Reilly faces a maximum of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or twice the gain or loss caused by the offense, according to Fishman. Sentencing was scheduled for May 17 of this year.

Reilly was one of 16 people arrested, which included 10 from New Jersey. The other eight from New Jersey included: Adam Lacerda, 28, of Egg Harbor Township; Ashley Lacerda, 32, of Egg Harbor Township; Steven Cox, 48, of Ventnor; Ian Resnick, 37, of Absecon; Ryan Bird, 34, of Clementon; Francis Santore, 52, of Northfield; Brian Corley, 27, of Egg Harbor City; Catherine Bannigan, 57, of Egg Harbor Township; Joseph Diventi, 32, of Somers Point; and Vincent Giordano, 21, of Margate.

The others charged included: Alfred Giordano, 32, of South Carolina; Joseph Saxon, 38, of the Virgin Islands; Aimee Allen, 26, of South Carolina; Genevieve Manzoni, 46, of Florida; and Eric K. Reiff, 40, of Williamsburg, Virginia.

The Lacerdas, Cox, Resnick, Santore and Diventi were set to be arraigned on additional wire and mail fraud charges Wednesday afternoon, Fishman said.

Both cases involved a group called the Vacation Ownership (VO) Group.

According to Fishman, Reilly began working with the VO Group in September of 2010, and was trained to contact and regularly lie to customers, stating he was calling in reference to a complaint they had filed to timeshare developers and lenders. Reilly falsely portrayed himself as working for timeshare developer Wyndham Vacation Resorts, Fishman said.

Reilly told customers they could pay off their timeshares or have their timeshares canceled without their credit being damaged, Fishman said. He would then provide references, who were actually VO employees posing as satisfied customers, Fishman said.

Customers would then send checks to the VO Group, including one for $31,385, Fishman said. Reilly admitted to causing more than $70,000 in losses.

Fishman credited special agents from the FBI’s Atlantic City Resident
Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge David Velazquez in Newark; and special agents from the Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Office of Labor Racketeering and Fraud Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Robert Panella, New York Region, for the investigation.