NEW JERSEY — July 24, 2025 — James Toner, 43, formerly of New Jersey and now residing in Lake Mary, Florida, has pleaded guilty to wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud for his role in a nationwide telemarketing scam that defrauded senior citizens who owned timeshares, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.
Toner, who operated under several aliases including “Jason Turner” and “James Turner,” entered the plea in Camden federal court before U.S. District Judge Karen M. Williams. He admitted guilt to two counts from a 13-count indictment. Sentencing is scheduled for December 2, 2025.
How the Scam Worked
Between October 2016 and October 2020, Toner acted as a manager and supervisor at several fraudulent companies operating under the brand “WAB,” including:
Williams Andrews Burns LLC
Resort BNB, Inc.
Williams & Burns, Inc.
These companies targeted timeshare owners over the age of 55 with deceptive offers such as:
Guaranteed rental or purchase of their timeshares
Recovery of funds lost to previous scams
Claims that victims were owed government refunds, requiring upfront payment
Fake buyout and takeover services for unwanted timeshares
Using cold calls and misleading scripts, Toner and co-conspirators convinced victims to pay for services that were never rendered. The scheme also included misrepresentations to credit card companies.
Co-Conspirators and Sentencing
Toner is the final living defendant to plead guilty in connection to this specific phase of the fraud. The others include:
Karen Stefanowski, 63 – Sentencing: Sept. 4, 2025
William O’Hanlon (aka “Patrick Burns”), 61 – Sentencing: Sept. 24, 2025
La’Tresa Jackson, 59, of Lindenwold, NJ – Sentencing: Sept. 25, 2025
Alex Klemash, 32, of Williamstown, NJ – Sentencing: Sept. 23, 2025
Michael Lambe, 45, of Mullica Hill, NJ – Sentencing: Sept. 30, 2025
A sixth defendant, William Chiusano Jr., died during the proceedings and was dismissed from the case.
Penalties and Restitution
Each wire fraud count carries:
Up to 30 years in prison, due to enhancements for senior victims
Fines up to $250,000 or twice the financial gain or loss
Restitution to victims
Supervised release after prison
Toner has agreed to pay restitution to victims affected by the scheme.
Investigation and Prosecution
The case was investigated by the:
FBI – South Jersey Resident Agency
IRS Criminal Investigations – Newark Field Office
Social Security Administration – Office of Inspector General
It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elisa T. Wiygul and Diana Vondra Carrig.
This case underscores the Department of Justice’s ongoing commitment to protecting older Americans from financial exploitation and holding fraudulent telemarketing operators accountable.
