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Swansea Used-Car Dealer Sentenced to Prison for Fraud That Cheated Dozens of Buyers
Edward Cicciu, 48, of Attleboro, pleaded guilty to 120 criminal counts and will serve four to six years in state prison for a scheme in which customers paid for cars but never received titles. He was also ordered to pay $340,380.76 in restitution to 47 victims.
A former Swansea used-car dealer will spend four to six years in state prison after admitting to a sweeping fraud scheme that left dozens of customers without the titles to vehicles they had already paid for, authorities said Friday.
Edward Cicciu, 48, of Attleboro, pleaded guilty to 120 criminal counts in Fall River Superior Court, according to Swansea police and Bristol County prosecutors. Along with the prison term, he was ordered to pay $340,380.76 in restitution.
The case against Bristol County Auto Exchange began in May 2024, when Swansea police opened an investigation after customers reported paying for cars but never receiving the paperwork needed to legally own and register them. Prosecutors said the scheme affected 47 people, ranging in age from 18 to 80.
The sentencing closes a case that had been building for more than two years. Cicciu was arraigned in Fall River Superior Court in April 2025 on fraud charges, and alleged victims had spoken publicly about their losses as the investigation progressed.
For many buyers, a missing title is more than an inconvenience: without it, a vehicle cannot be registered or legally driven, and the buyer may be left making payments on a car they cannot use. The restitution order is intended to recover money for those who paid for vehicles they never fully received.
The case was handled by Swansea police and the Bristol County District Attorney's office.