Telemarketing Fraud Ring: Palm Harbor Men Accused of Bilking Millions From Victims

The Ohio Attorney General's Office is working to extradite two Palm Harbor residents who face felony charges there in connection with their alleged roles running a telemarketing ring that investigators say stole millions of dollars from thousands of victims in 41 states since 2007, according to Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine.

Steve Grannan, 56, and Justin Jones, 45, were arrested by Florida authorities in late June. Authorities in Ohio are working to extradite them to Miami County, Ohio, according to Dan Tierney at the Ohio Attorney General's Office.

The men are named in a grand jury indictment obtained by Palm Harbor Patch. Charges against them include money laundering, telecommunications fraud, aggravated theft, conspiracy, and engaging in a pattern of corrupt activities.

According to the indictment, Grannan and Jones are among 18 people accused of operating three companies that targeted victims who owned inexpensive, vacant land throughout the U.S. The elaborate 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, according to DeWine. 

Investigators say some victims were told that their land would be sold to buyers at lavish dinner shows in Las Vegas and other cities. The indictment also claims the suspects staged the dinner shows for use in promotional materials:

 "…members of the enterprise would spend large amounts of money in a lavish party for themselves and their family members. The enterprise spent money buying food and drinks, renting limos, hiring a band and renting out a party hall. The "dinner shows" were attended only be members of the enterprise and their relatives. No vacant land was actually advertised, marketed or sold at this event."

Grannan and Jones were indicted on June 20. The men live about a half mile away from each other in Palm Harbor. Jones was arrested June 21. Grannan was arrested June 22. 

A Palm Harbor Patch reader lives in a neighborhood where one of the men was arrested. The reader, who does not want to be named, said helicopters swarmed the neighborhood during the arrest. 

"It's just scary to me that something that serious is going on," said the reader.

The alleged ringleader, Theodore Thomas, 32, of Dunedin was arrested by Pinellas Park Police last Sunday, according to the Ohio Attorney General's Office.

Authorities are still looking for two other suspects: Robert B. “Ben” Salafia, 27, of Clearwater and Michael Sweigart, 55, of St. Petersburg. The Ohio Attorney General's Office released the following information about the wanted men-

Robert Benjamin Salafia

• Alias: Ben Salafia
• Last Known Address: 2037 Edgewater Drive, Apt. #104, Clearwater
• Race: Caucasian
• Sex: Male
• Date of Birth: March 26, 1985
• Eyes: Brown
• Hair: Brown
• Height: 5'11"
• Weight: 200 pounds
• Tatoo: "Salafia:

Michael Eugene Sweigart

• Last Known Address: 3612 Burlington Avenue North, St. Petersburg
• Race: Caucasian
• Sex: Male
• Date of Birth: June 16, 1957
• Eyes: Brown
• Hair: Brown
• Height: 5'9"
• Weight: 180

If you have information on the whereabouts of Salafia and Sweigart, contact the Bureau of Criminal Investigation at 1-855-BCI-OHIO.