Orlando timeshare fraudster sentenced to 9 years

ORLANDO, Fla. — A 34-year-old Orlando man who headed a timeshare fraud scheme that swindled buyers out of more than $700,000 has been sentenced to nine years in federal prison.

Eugene Warren Brewington was convicted in June on charges of conspiracy to commit mail fraud, five counts of wire fraud and 11 counts of mail fraud in the timeshare scheme.

Brewington founded and operated two Orlando companies which would make unsolicited calls to timeshare owners all over the country saying they had found a buyer for their timeshare.

The owners were told that buyers had deposited money into an escrow account for the purchase of their timeshares and then received legitimate-looking sales contracts from Brewington’s companies, a U.S. Department of Justice release said.

The timeshare owners were told to send advance fees to the companies to finalize the sales.

In a three month period, the scam netted $500,000, officials said.

Once the money was paid, Brewington’s companies provided no services to the owners and the timeshares were never sold.

Brewington’s co-conspirator, Chima Edozie Aligwekwe, 33, of Orlando, provide lead information on the timeshare owners and managed a team of “callers” at rented office space, investigators said.

Aligwekwe was also convicted in June on counts of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud.

His sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 12.

In all, Brewington and his accomplices were able to con timeshare owners out of $704,000, the DOJ said.

Cox Media Group