SEATTLE — A Seattle man pleaded guilty Friday in U.S. District Court for three different fraud schemes that involved his former employer, a COVID assistance program and his former partner.
Westcott Francis-Curley ran these schemes between 2019 and 2022, ultimately illegally obtaining over $600,000, federal prosecutors said.
In 2019, Francis-Curley used bank accounts of his employer to purchase cloud computing resources, then sold them back to the company at many times their market value. Prosecutors said he obtained over $550,000 and was caught while trying to steal another $500,000. He spent the money on "extravagances, such as private jets," prosecutors said.
In 2020, Francis-Curley filed false paperwork with the Paycheck Protection Program, a federal assistance program designed to help small businesses and their employees through the pandemic. He said he controlled two companies that had large payrolls and obtained nearly $100,000, despite these companies and costs not existing.
Two years later, Francis-Curley applied for and secured a credit card in the name of his former romantic partner, using it for over $1,000 in "personal expenditures."
Francis-Curley plead guilty to two counts of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.
Prosecutors and the suspect's lawyers have agreed to recommend a three-year prison sentence, and Francis-Curley must pay restitution to the employer, the Small Business Administration and his former partner. Sentencing is scheduled for March 21, 2025.
