Billie Conley Jr., 46, formerly of Shelton, pleaded guilty on May 28 before U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven to a fraud offense related to a computer intrusion scheme, according to an announcement by David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and P.J. O’Brien, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Conley owned Ridgefield Tech, LLC and provided information technology consulting services. In September 2023, he was hired by the owner of a funeral services business—referred to as Individual-A—to set up a computer network and video surveillance system for Company-A. During installation, Conley also installed unauthorized software that allowed him remote access to Company-A’s network.
After installation, Company-A experienced multiple service issues requiring paid assistance from Conley. He offered an ‘IT Service Agreement’ starting February 2024 for ongoing support, but Individual-A declined this contract. Between January and September 2024, Conley remotely disabled Company-A’s network on 21 separate days, preventing the company from conducting business during those times.
In August 2024, Individual-A hired another company (Company-B) which struggled to regain control over much of the network infrastructure installed by Conley; Individual-A incurred costs for labor and replacement equipment as a result. The investigation also found that between June and August 2024, Conley used Company-A’s bank account without authorization to make about $9,070 in payments toward debts owed by himself or Ridgefield Tech.
Conley pleaded guilty to wire fraud—a charge carrying up to 20 years imprisonment—and agreed to pay restitution. He has been detained on unrelated state charges since December 2, 2024; no sentencing date is scheduled at this time.
The matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Neeraj N. Patel. The U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut prosecutes federal crimes within Connecticut with about 68 assistant attorneys and handles civil cases involving the government; it operates under the Department of Justice and serves all residents statewide, according to its official website.