Nicholas Janes, a Buffalo resident, has entered a guilty plea to mail fraud charges in a case that defrauded over 500 victims. The announcement came from U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo, stating that Janes faces up to 20 years in prison and a potential fine of $250,000.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Franz M. Wright, who is overseeing the case, detailed how in May 2023, law enforcement identified numerous suspicious packages being sent to Janes’s Buffalo address via United States Postal Service Express Mail. The packages were traced back to Janes, often under variations of his name or fictitious law office names, with the return addresses scattered across the U.S. A deeper investigation linked Janes's address to multiple debt collection fraud complaints. Various aliases and business names were used to cover illegal activities, extending to remote-controlled business mailboxes in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
The fraudulent scheme involved Janes posing as a sheriff's deputy and attorney to coerce individuals into repaying fake debts. He urged victims to send payments through USPS money orders, purportedly payable to him, and utilizing services like USPS, Federal Express, or UPS to funnel these payments through monitored addresses.
The total loss accounted for stands at $420,812.92, impacting more than 500 victims nationwide. The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, under the leadership of Special Agent-in-Charge Ketty Larco-Ward from the Boston Division. Sentencing for Janes is set for September 11, 2025, in front of U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr.
