Vanessa Roberts Avery, U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut
Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that Shadia Melissa Aguilar Sarmiento, 30, of Mexico, was sentenced to approximately 13 months of imprisonment by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport. The sentence is for conspiring with others to defraud timeshare property owners.
Court documents and statements revealed that Aguilar Sarmiento participated in an advance fee scheme targeting timeshare owners at various Mexican resorts, including those in the U.S. and Canada. The conspiracy operated as a business using multiple company names such as Club World Travel, Luxury Destinations, DeRemate, and Smart Travel.
Members of the conspiracy contacted timeshare owners claiming to represent companies interested in purchasing their timeshares. To appear legitimate, they referred owners to purported attorneys whose identities were used without consent. These conspirators impersonated real licensed attorneys and sent purchase agreements on attorney letterhead to the owners.
The agreements falsely promised that buyers would cover fees associated with selling and transferring the timeshares. Many owners signed these agreements believing them to be genuine. After signing, conspirators posing as authorities demanded payment of fees or taxes before completing sales. Owners transferred money internationally to accounts controlled by the conspirators but never received any sales proceeds.
From December 2018 until January 2021, over 50 timeshare owners lost about $2 million due to this scheme involving Aguilar Sarmiento.
Aguilar Sarmiento has been ordered to pay restitution amounting to $2,065,852.85 to the victims. She was detained since January 12, 2024, after being arrested in San Diego upon entering the U.S. on a visitor visa. On November 19, 2024, she pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division are investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Neeraj N. Patel prosecuted the case.
