Palmdale, California native Steven Alexander Bolden has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and filing a false income tax return. The 51-year-old was caught defrauding the federal Computers for Learning program, designed to provide computers to schools and non-profits. Bolden pleaded guilty in January 2014 but his sentencing was delayed until criminal charges in California were resolved.
Bolden, who posed as 14 different non-profits, obtained 19,442 items worth $30.3 million from the program, selling them for personal profit. He was ordered to pay $7.2 million in restitution and called a “con man” by Judge Ricardo S. Martinez during today’s hearing.
Acting United States Attorney Annette L. Hayes emphasized the impact of Bolden’s actions on education: “Thousands of kids would have benefitted from the equipment this defendant stole, stealing education opportunities from needy kids.”
Court records show that in 2010, Bolden claimed 41 Dell and HP computers made available by the Border Patrol, selling them for his own gain. He was also convicted of aggravated identity theft due to using non-profit identities in his scheme.
Additionally, Bolden failed to report more than $64,892 from computer sales on his tax return. He was previously sentenced to seven years in California for domestic violence.
The investigation into Bolden’s crimes was led by the General Services Administration Office of Inspector General and involved multiple federal agencies. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Reese Jennings.
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Key Facts
- State: Washington
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes|Cybercrime|Public Corruption
- Source: Official Source ↗
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