Telemarketing Ring: Suspects Plead Guilty to Avoid Jail

By Local Editor Sunde Farquhar

A Clearwater man pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges in connection with his role in a telemarketing ring that stretched from Florida to Ohio.

Robert B. “Ben” Salafia, 27, of Clearwater, was sentenced to 12 months for his part in the scheme that defrauded $2.8 million from thousands of people in 41 states, according to the Ohio Attorney General's Office.

The ringleader, Theodore Thomas, 33, of Dunedin was sentenced to six years in prison for his role in the crimes.

The men were accused of operating three companies that targeted victims who owned inexpensive, vacant land throughout the U.S.

The scheme involved telemarketers who led property owners to believe that their land was worth up to 15 times its assessed value. The property owners were then told they had to pay fees ranging from $500 to nearly $16,000 to guarantee the sale of their land.