NJ man’s bid to undo prison sentence in massive timeshare fraud scam denied by federal judge
Newark, NJ – Wednesday — A New Jersey man convicted for his role in a multimillion-dollar timeshare fraud scheme failed in his latest legal attempt to overturn his sentence, after a federal judge rejected his petition to vacate the conviction.
Ian Resnick, who was sentenced for wire and mail fraud in connection with the fraudulent operations of the Vacation Ownership Group (VOG), had filed a motion under 28 U.S.C. § 2255 seeking to have his sentence corrected or vacated. In a decision issued Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Edward S. Kiel denied the request and declined to issue a certificate of appealability, effectively ending Resnick’s habeas bid.
Resnick was part of a scheme that targeted timeshare owners under false pretenses, offering to help them cancel or reduce their mortgage obligations. In reality, VOG employees—including Resnick—used deceptive sales pitches to convince victims to sign contracts and pay hefty fees, while delivering no actual relief.
Initially employed by Wyndham Vacation Resorts, Resnick joined VOG full-time in 2010 after sending the company customer leads in exchange for kickbacks. Once onboard, he used fabricated scripts promising financial relief through fictitious bank settlements and mortgage cancellations. Despite knowing the services were bogus, Resnick continued pushing the scam, even returning to the company after an FBI raid and internal legal reassurances that falsely claimed the scripts were legal.
In 2013, Resnick was indicted for conspiracy and multiple counts of mail and wire fraud. He was ultimately convicted after a lengthy trial that detailed how VOG pocketed millions from customers who were promised a clean exit from their timeshare contracts.
Resnick argued in his motion that his conviction should be vacated, but the court found no grounds to reverse the jury’s verdict. Judge Kiel adopted the appellate court’s earlier findings, which held that Resnick was a knowing participant in the fraud and used deception to steal from unsuspecting victims.
With the denial of the 2255 motion, Resnick has exhausted another legal avenue to challenge his conviction, and remains bound to serve out the remainder of his sentence.
Key Points
- Ian Resnick’s petition to vacate his federal conviction for timeshare fraud was denied in New Jersey federal court.
- The court found no merit in Resnick’s claims and refused to issue a certificate of appealability.
- Resnick was part of a scam that promised to cancel timeshare debts but instead defrauded victims out of money.
Convicted timeshare scammer Ian Resnick struck out in court again as his bid to overturn his sentence was denied.
