Krandon Wenger of Lititz, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty on June 2 before United States District Judge Joseph F. Leeson Jr. to two counts of wire fraud related to a scheme that defrauded the government of more than $741,000 through a pandemic broadband assistance program, according to an announcement by United States Attorney David Metcalf.
Wenger was charged by information last month and waived prosecution by indictment with his plea. The case involves the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), which was funded by the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and aimed to provide financial support for eligible low-income households to access broadband services during the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to court filings and statements, Wenger owned K20 Wireless, LLC and submitted an application in March 2022 for his company to become an ACP broadband provider. After approval in April 2022, K20 Wireless began enrolling subscribers and submitting monthly certifications for ACP reimbursements. Most reimbursement requests from K20 Wireless were for subscribers purportedly living on tribal lands—qualifying them for higher reimbursements of $75 per month instead of the standard $30—but these claims were false.
The filings state that Wenger directed employees and agents at K20 Wireless to change subscriber addresses from non-tribal lands to tribal lands before submitting claims. This resulted in the Federal Communications Commission overpaying K20 Wireless by approximately $741,726.
Wenger is scheduled for sentencing on September 28 and faces a maximum possible term of 20 years in prison on each count of wire fraud. The case was investigated by the FBI with assistance from the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Francis A. Weber.