A Seattle resident, Westcott Francis-Curley, has admitted guilt in a U.S. District Court to charges of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft related to three separate fraudulent schemes. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Francis-Curley, 31, has been detained since March 2024 following his indictment in August 2023. Sentencing is scheduled for March 21, 2025, under the supervision of U.S. District Judge Ricardo S. Martinez.
The fraudulent activities began in 2019 when Francis-Curley misappropriated funds from his employer by exploiting cloud computing resources and accounts he had access to as an employee. He used company bank accounts and work authorizations to purchase these resources and then sold them back at inflated prices, acquiring over $550,000 before being apprehended while attempting to secure an additional half-million dollars.
In 2020, he engaged in another scheme involving the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), which was intended to support small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Francis-Curley falsely claimed that two companies under his control had significant payrolls eligible for assistance, securing nearly $100,000 which he used for personal expenses.
The third scheme occurred in October 2022 when Francis-Curley applied for a credit card using the identity of a former significant other and incurred over $1,000 in personal expenses.
Both prosecutors and defense attorneys are recommending a three-year prison sentence for Francis-Curley's actions; however, Judge Martinez is not obligated to follow this recommendation and may impose any sentence permitted by law. Francis-Curley has also agreed to pay restitution to his former employer, the Small Business Administration, and the individual whose identity was used for the credit card fraud.
Wire fraud carries a potential penalty of up to 20 years imprisonment or up to 30 years if connected with a national disaster relief program. Aggravated identity theft entails a mandatory two-year sentence that must run consecutively with any other imposed sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David T. Martin.
