A former Seattle-based tech worker has been sentenced to three years in prison after engaging in multiple fraud schemes that targeted his employer, government programs, and even his former significant other. Westcott Francis-Curley, 31, was sentenced after being found guilty of two counts of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. The charges stem from his exploitation of a corporate cloud account, deceitful applications to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), and stealing the identity of an ex-partner to rack up credit card charges.
As reported by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Francis-Curley's ploys began while he was employed at a Seattle tech company in 2019. Here, he used his position to embezzle over $550,000, leveraging cloud computing resources to sell back to the company at inflated rates. Even after being discovered and dismissed, Francis-Curley tried to secure an additional half-million dollars from his former employer unabashedly.
In the wake of his termination in 2020, Francis-Curley turned to defrauding the Paycheck Protection Program—designed to support small businesses during the pandemic—by falsely claiming two of his companies were eligible for assistance. In reality, these companies had no payroll and were unqualified for the relief effort, yet he managed to secure nearly $100,000, which he spent on personal extravagances. This act of greed deprived legitimate businesses of the support they desperately needed during an unprecedented economic crisis.
The third act of deception occurred in October 2022, when Francis-Curley committed identity theft against a former romantic partner, taking a credit card out in their name and using it for personal expenses totaling over $1,000. As revealed in court documents, the impact of this fraud continues to adversely affect the victim, who has been left dealing with the financial aftermath.
According to the same U.S. Attorney's Office statement, Francis-Curley has been ordered to pay restitution totaling $689,675 to the three victims, who include his former employer, the Small Business Administration, and his identity theft victim. His sentence also includes three years of supervised release following his time in prison, outlining the consequences of his illegal tactics for financial gain.
