Nicholas Janes, 26, from Buffalo, New York, has pleaded guilty to mail fraud before U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr. This offence carries a maximum penalty of 20 years' imprisonment and a fine of $250,000. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Franz M. Wright explained that law enforcement identified Janes's fraudulent activities in May 2023. Authorities noticed suspicious patterns involving United States Postal Service Express Mail envelopes directed to Janes. These envelopes were either addressed to variations of his name or to what seemed like different law offices. The senders, who were from all over the United States, typically used handwritten labels.
Upon investigating Janes’s address in various consumer complaint databases, a recurring pattern of alleged debt collection fraud was found. Multiple business names, including "Nicholas Janes," "Nicholas James," and "The Nichols Law Group," were linked to the address. Janes additionally managed business mailboxes in Ann Arbor, Michigan, forwarding mail to his Buffalo residence.
Janes orchestrated a scheme where he called individuals nationwide, falsely informing them about a supposed debt on an unpaid loan. He claimed to be a local sheriff’s deputy and threatened his victims with criminal charges if the debt wasn't settled. Presenting himself as a lawyer from fictitious law firms, Janes misled victims into believing they were dealing with legitimate entities. Payments were requested through USPS money orders, sent to addresses he monitored, using services like USPS, Federal Express, or United Parcel Service.
Overall, Janes defrauded over 500 people, collecting $420,812.92 through his scheme.
The plea resulted from an investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, led by Special Agent-in-Charge Ketty Larco-Ward, Boston Division. Sentencing is set for September 11, 2025, before Judge Sinatra.