Westcott Francis-Curley, 31, has been sentenced to three years in prison and ordered to pay nearly $700,000 in restitution after being convicted of two counts of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington announced on Friday.
“Mr. Francis-Curley’s descent into fraud was driven by greed,” Acting U.S. Attorney Miller stated in the announcement. “After his employer uncovered his theft, he proceeded to exploit a program designed to support small businesses during the pandemic. Once those funds were exhausted, he resorted to identity theft against a former romantic partner. This sentencing represents a crucial step in breaking the cycle of fraud.”
Francis-Curley has been in custody since March 2024, following his indictment in August 2023. According to the attorney’s office, records indicate that his fraudulent activities began in 2019 when he embezzled funds from his previous employer by misappropriating cloud computing resources and accounts to which he had access.
He misused employer funds and his employee privileges to purchase cloud computing resources, which he then sold or leased back to the company, pocketing over $550,000. With his ill-gotten gains, Francis-Curley indulged in lavish travel via private jets, stayed in luxury hotels, and financed a penthouse at Seattle’s Harbor Steps apartment complex.
The attorney’s office reported that even after being caught, he continued his deceitful ways, emailing customer service and corporate executives in an attempt to secure another $500,000. In 2020, Francis-Curley committed another fraud by exploiting the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), which was intended to help struggling small businesses during the pandemic. By creating fictitious companies, he fraudulently acquired nearly $100,000, diverting funds meant for those in need.
His latest fraudulent act occurred in October 2022, when he opened a credit card in the name of his former partner, resulting in an unpaid bill that continues to affect the victim’s financial standing. The restitution amounting to $689,675 will be allocated to his former employer, the Small Business Administration, and the individual whose identity he misused for credit card fraud.
