Buffallo NY Illegal news
Date: Fri, 01/21/2011 - 19:06
Updated: January 7, 2011, 4:58 PM
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Neil G. Wieczkowski, 42, of Buffalo, was arrested in October 2009 after an investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and criminal agents from the Internal Revenue Service.
Wieczkowski and Timothy G. Arent, 38, of West Ferry Street, were accused of running an illegal debt-collection firm that scared people by telling them they owed money, and threatening to have them arrested at work, in front of their employers and co-workers.
Over a period of three years, Wieczkowski and Arent "deposited approximately $6.8 million in checks written by over 1,000 victims from all over the country, for payment of completely fictitious debt," Assistant U.S. Attorney MaryEllen Kresse said in court papers.
"[Wieczkowski] received over $750,000 from Arent, which funds he used to purchase luxury automobiles, antiques and jewelry."
The prosecutor said Wieczkowski admitted that he and Arent paid employees at another Buffalo debt-collection firm thousands of dollars to steal lists of debtor names and contact information from their employer.
Wieczkowski and Arent were able to collect millions of dollars from the debtors by falsely claiming that they owed "additional, but wholly fictitious, debts," Kresse said.
Arent, who sometimes pretended to be an attorney when he called debtors, called himself "the Beast" because of his skill at illegally harassing and intimidating people, the prosecutor said. Charges against Arent are still pending, but he is scheduled to take a guilty plea next week.
Both defendants denied the allegations when they were charged after a lengthy federal probe.
Under advisory sentencing guidelines, Wieczkowski faces a prison term of at least five years and three months. District Judge William M. Skretny scheduled sentencing for April 26.
[EMAIL="dherbeck[at]buffnews.com"]dherbeck@buffnews.com[/EMAIL][/QUOTE]
01/12/2011 09:35 PM Debt collector convicted in scam By: AP Wi
01/12/2011 09:35 PM
Debt collector convicted in scam
By: AP Wire Service
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BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) – A 38-year-old Buffalo man has pleaded guilty to mail fraud and tax evasion in an illegal debt collection scam that coerced more than 1,000 victims into paying fake debts.
U.S. Attorney William Hochul said Timothy Arent pleaded guilty in federal court and faces a maximum penalty of 25 years in prison and a $500,000 fine.
Prosecutors say Arent and his partner, Neil Wieczkowski, bought debtor information from two former employees of Capital Management Services, a Buffalo collection agency. The employees, Thomas Rice and Andrew Jon Pytlewski, and Wieczkowski have been convicted and are awaiting sentencing.
Prosecutors say Arent and Wieczkowski received about $6.7 million in checks from more than 1,000 victims from across the country over a three-year period.
