PROVIDENCE – A former Ørsted North America information-technology specialist has admitted to defrauding the offshore wind company of close to $159,000.
Alfred Appiah, 34, has agreed to plead guilty to three counts of wire fraud for using a company credit card to pay for personal expenses such as child support, plane tickets, a trip to an amusement park, jewelry and other items, according to a plea agreement reached with federal prosecutors.
Company card used for Six Flags trip, Gucci shopping spree
Appiah began working for Ørsted, the Danish offshore wind farm developer, as an information technology technician in 2019, according to the complaint. Appiah frequently traveled in the role and was issued a MasterCard issued through Barclays Bank for company expenses.
From June 3, 2021, to Dec. 29, 2021, Appiah instead used the card to pay for a host of personal expenses, including hotel stays, tickets to Six Flags, shopping at the Gucci store in Boston, package stores, beauty shops, real-estate management, insurance and child support, court documents show. In total, he made $158,850 in unauthorized purchases, federal prosecutors said.