Westcott Francis-Curley, 31, of Seattle, was sentenced to three years in federal prison on March 21 for wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington detailed Francis-Curley’s fraudulent activities, which began in 2019 while he was employed at a company with access to cloud computing resources.
Francis-Curley used his employer-authorized accounts to purchase cloud services, which he then resold or leased back to the company at inflated prices, pocketing over $550,000 in the process. Even after being fired, he continued attempting to obtain more funds, attempting to secure an additional $500,000.
In addition to his embezzlement, Francis-Curley fraudulently obtained nearly $100,000 through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) in 2020. He falsely claimed that two businesses he controlled were eligible for COVID relief, using the funds for personal expenses despite the businesses having no payroll.
Francis-Curley also engaged in a separate identity theft incident in 2022, obtaining and using a credit card in the name of his former significant other, making personal purchases over $1,000.
In addition to his prison sentence, U.S. District Judge Ricardo S. Martinez ordered Francis-Curley to pay $689,675 in restitution to three victims. This case serves as a reminder of the serious legal consequences of financial fraud, embezzlement, and identity theft.
