Key Points
- Edward Cicciu, aged 48, of Attleboro was sentenced to serve between four and six years in state prison after pleading guilty to 120 counts of criminal charges in Fall River Superior Court.
- Former owner of Bristol County Auto Exchange in Swansea was asked to pay $340,381 in restitution to his 47 victims.
- People who suffered ranged in age between 18 and 80. These people paid for their vehicles but did not receive necessary titles to register those vehicles.
- As well as five years of probation, the defendant is prohibited to work in the auto sales field, and is obliged to stay drug- and alcohol-free and undergo screenings.
- Investigation on the car dealer began with Swansea Police in May 2024 after customers claimed they had purchased their vehicles without receiving titles.
- According to the investigators, Cicciu sold cars purchased at an auction company without paying those companies yet and distributed false or forged license plates to customers with the promise of titles and registration by mail.
- Boston Police arrested Cicciu in October 2024 under Swansea Police warrants.
- Attorney General Thomas M. Quinn of Bristol County District Attorney said that Edward Cicciu was “conned and ripped off man” and condemned the defendant’s actions as “despicable and unconscionable”.
- Swansea Police Chief Mark Foley noted that the victims lost thousands of dollars and became deprived of transportation.
Swansea (Wales Times) November 09, 2026 — A former uk/local/swansea/">Swansea used-car dealership owner has been sentenced to up to six years in state prison and ordered to pay $340,381 in restitution after pleading guilty to 120 criminal counts connected with a scheme in which customers paid for vehicles but did not receive the documents needed to register them.
As reported by The Sun Chronicle, Edward Cicciu, 48, of Attleboro, pleaded guilty on Friday in Fall River Superior Court. He was sentenced to serve four to six years at the Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center, followed by five years of probation.
Cicciu was the former owner of Bristol County Auto Exchange, located at 2388 Grand Army of the Republic Highway in Swansea. The case involved 47 victims, whose ages ranged from 18 to 80, according to prosecutors.
How Did the Dealership Fraud Work?
Swansea Police began investigating Bristol County Auto Exchange in May 2024 after receiving reports from customers who said they had paid for vehicles but never received the titles required to register them.
Prosecutors said Cicciu obtained vehicles from an auction company but would not receive their titles until he paid the company in full. He nevertheless sold the vehicles to customers, accepted their payments and provided fake or forged licence plates, while telling buyers that titles and registrations would arrive by post.
Cicciu then stopped responding to customers and failed to pay the auction company, leaving buyers without titles to vehicles they had purchased, prosecutors said.
As reported by MassLive, the case involved customers who were sold cars that Cicciu did not own outright. The Herald News reported that the 125 counts originally connected with the case represented 47 victims, most of them customers of the former dealership.
What Charges Did Edward Cicciu Plead Guilty To?
Cicciu changed his plea on Friday to guilty on 43 counts of larceny over $1,200 by false pretences, 38 counts of failure to deliver title upon transfer of a motor vehicle, 37 counts of forging or misusing an RMV document, five counts of larceny of a motor vehicle and two counts of larceny by check over $1,200.
The charges totalled 125 counts in the reporting by The Herald News, while The Sun Chronicle and several broadcasters reported that he pleaded guilty to 120 criminal counts. The discrepancy in the publicly reported count total has not been explained in the available court reporting.
As reported by WPRI 12, Cicciu was also prohibited from working in auto sales again. The Boston Globe reported that, as conditions of probation, he must remain drug- and alcohol-free and submit to screening.
What Did Prosecutors and Police Say?
Bristol County District Attorney Tom Quinn said Cicciu had “conned and ripped off” 47 victims.
As reported by The Sun Chronicle, Quinn said: “The defendant conned and ripped off 47 victims… Unfortunately, much to their horror, the defendant had no intention of completing the sales.”
Quinn added: “He only intended to steal their money. He even conned a victim at her son’s wake in the funeral home. This is absolutely despicable and unconscionable conduct.”
The district attorney also said he expected Cicciu would never repay the restitution ordered by the court, but hoped victims would feel there was some accountability for what he described as “callous and inhumane behaviour”.
Quinn credited Assistant District Attorney Nicole Cheney and Swansea Police Detective Charles Rowland with key roles in investigating and charging Cicciu in what he called a “very disturbing criminal caper”.
Swansea Police Chief Mark Foley said the victims had paid for vehicles they could not register, leaving them without reliable transport and out thousands of dollars.
“While this outcome cannot undo the hardship these victims experienced, it holds the defendant accountable for his actions,”
Foley said.
When Was Cicciu Arrested?
Boston Police arrested Cicciu on Swansea Police warrants in October 2024.
Additional victims came forward after Swansea Police publicised the investigation. The number of identified victims later rose to 47, according to reporting by WPRI 12 and Boston 25 News.
Before the sentencing, the case had already drawn attention in 2025. The Herald News reported in April that Cicciu appeared in Fall River District Court but did not enter a plea deal or accept sentencing at that stage; instead, he dismissed his attorney and asked for another to be appointed.
Boston 25 News reported at the time that police had identified 47 victims with losses exceeding $325,000. The final restitution order issued at sentencing was $340,380.76, according to Turn to 10 and The Herald News.
What Does the Sentence Mean?
The sentence requires Cicciu to serve between four and six years in state prison. He will then be subject to five years of probation.
Under the probation conditions, Cicciu cannot work in auto sales, must remain drug- and alcohol-free, and must submit to screening. He must also pay $340,381 in restitution to the victims.
The restitution figure represents money ordered to be paid back to victims; it does not itself establish that the full amount has been recovered. District Attorney Quinn said he did not expect the restitution to be paid in full.
Background of the Development
Bristol County Auto Exchange was a used-car dealership in Swansea, Massachusetts. Prosecutors said the alleged scheme began to attract police attention in May 2024, when customers reported paying for vehicles but not receiving the titles needed to register them.
Investigators said the arrangement relied on vehicles obtained through an auction company. Cicciu allegedly sold the vehicles before settling the amounts owed to the auction company, meaning the titles remained unavailable to the buyers.
The case expanded after police publicised the investigation and further customers came forward. By April 2025, authorities had identified 47 alleged victims and estimated losses at more than $325,000.
Cicciu was arraigned in April 2025 on 125 counts, according to Boston 25 News. The matter proceeded in Fall River Superior Court, where he later changed his plea and was sentenced on Friday, November 6, 2026.
Prediction: What It Means for Car Buyers
For used-car buyers in Massachusetts, the case is likely to reinforce the importance of verifying ownership and title status before completing a vehicle purchase. Buyers should ensure that a dealer can provide a valid title, confirm the vehicle identification number, and avoid relying solely on temporary plates or assurances that registration documents will arrive later.
For consumers who have already bought a vehicle, the case may encourage anyone facing similar circumstances to preserve payment records, contracts, messages and vehicle advertisements, and to contact the relevant state motor-vehicle authority or local police. The outcome may also increase awareness among buyers that a dealership’s closure does not automatically resolve an unresolved title or registration problem.
For legitimate dealers, the case may lead to closer scrutiny of title-handling practices, auction-payment arrangements and customer documentation. The sentence is also likely to be watched by victims and consumer advocates as a measure of whether the court’s restitution order can be enforced in practice.
