IT Specialist Sentenced for Fraud

PROVIDENCE, RI – An IT specialist previously employed at the Rhode Island office of an international company that specializes in building and operating offshore and onshore wind and solar projects has been sentenced to federal prison to be followed by a term of  home confinement and supervised release for defrauding the company out of more than $158,000 through the fraudulent use of a company credit card, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.

Alfred Appiah, 35, of Pawtucket was sentenced today by Senior United States Judge William G. Young to seven months of incarceration in federal prison to be followed three months of home confinement and one year of federal supervised release. Additionally, Appiah was ordered to pay restitution totaling $158,850.43 to his former employer.

In pleading guilty on February 21, 2024, to three counts of wire fraud, Appiah admitted that during a span of six months beginning in June 2021, he made more than 600 unauthorized purchases using a company credit card to pay for personal expenses and services such as airline travel and lodging, clothing, beauty shops, laundry services, at grocery and liquor stores, for amusement park and movie theater fees, live event tickets, real estate management, insurance payments, child support payments, telecommunication services, and equipment rentals.

At no time did Appiah provide an accounting to his employer for any personal expenses, nor did he make remedial payments to the company.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Paul F. Daly, Jr.

The matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

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