A man who used to work in tech in Seattle was sentenced to prison for facilitating three separate fraud schemes — involving work, the pandemic and his love life.
Westcott Francis-Curley, 31, will spend three years in prison and will have to pay nearly $700,000 in restitution after being found guilty of two counts of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft, announced the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington Friday.
“Mr. Francis-Curley’s fraud spiral stemmed from greed,” Acting U.S. Attorney Miller said via the release. “After his employer discovered his theft, he stole from a program designed to keep small businesses afloat during the pandemic. And when those proceeds were gone, he committed identity theft against his former romantic partner. This sentence is an important step to break the cycle of fraud.”
Former Seattle tech worker begins scheme in 2023
Francis-Curley has been in custody since March 2024, following an indictment in August 2023…