A Seattle man has entered a guilty plea on charges of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, following allegations of defrauding his employer, a federal disaster relief program, and his former significant other. As reported by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Washington, Westcott Francis-Curley, 31, has been detained since March 2024 and faces sentencing in March 2025.
The commencement of Francis-Curley's fraudulent activities dates to 2019, where he began to exploit his then-employer by misappropriating cloud computing services for profit. According to official statements, Francis-Curley manipulated company bank accounts to purchase and resell these resources back to his employer at inflated rates, illegally amassing over $550,000. Efforts to secure an additional $500,000 were underway when he was apprehended. The U.S. Attorney's Office detailed that the fraudulent gains were largely spent on luxuries such as private jet travel.
The pandemic years unveiled further malfeasance as Francis-Curley capitalized on the economic turmoil to deceitfully extract nearly $100,000 from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Fabricating claims of sizable payrolls for two fictitious companies, he secured funds intended to assist struggling businesses throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman's office clarified that these companies lacked actual operations or payrolls, thus did not qualify for the relief funds.
In his final known act of deception, Francis-Curley ventured to fraudulently acquire a credit card under the name of a past romantic partner in October 2022. Utilizing it for personal purchases upwards of $1,000, his impersonation only added to the litany of allegations. Prosecutors and the defense jointly are recommending a three-year prison sentence for Francis-Curley, with restitution to his former employer, the Small Business Administration, and the identity theft victim, as disclosed by the Justice Department.
Wire fraud carries a maximum penalty of 20 years imprisonment, with fraud linked to a national disaster punishable up to 30 years, and aggravated identity theft demanding a mandatory two-year consecutive sentence. The investigation, which led to these criminal charges and guilty plea, was conducted by the FBI, with the case being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David T. Martin. U.S. District Judge Ricardo S. Martinez will deliver the final sentencing, which is not constrained by the recommendation.
