Assistant U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross, who is handling the case, stated that between January 2013 and January 2016, Alan Ceccarelli, the owner and manager of a debt collection business, engaged in a scheme to defraud debtors and purported debtors by false and fraudulent pretenses. The defendant tricked and coerced victims throughout the United States into paying debts that they owed or debts that they did not owe through a variety of false statements and threats. Ceccarelli hired a number of debt collectors as part of the scheme which resulted in his company collecting more than $1,022,000 from thousands of victims across the United States. In order to further the scheme, the defendant used a variety of aliases and identities of others.
The plea is the result of an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James C. Spero.
Sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 8.
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