Former Greenwich resident Debra Biagi, 50, of Fogelsville, Pa., has been sentenced to serve 48 months in federal prison for her role in a sophisticated fraud scheme that netted over $700,000. U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Alker Meyer also imposed three years of supervised release following her sentence.
BIAGI was employed by the HB Nitkin Group, a Greenwich-based real estate management and development firm, where she held a position as an assistant to the chairman. Her responsibilities included managing accounts payable for the company. Between February 2014 and December 2015, BIAGI executed a fraudulent scheme that targeted the company, its key individuals, and their families.
BIAGI’s method involved creating false invoices from fictitious companies for services such as masonry, carpentry, electrical, and plumbing work. She then utilized victims’ checkbooks to cash or endorse checks made out to these fictitious entities, depositing them into her personal account. BIAGI sometimes used an indecipherable signature to hide her tracks.
Her initials ‘DB’ were frequently included in the invented company names on invoices and checks, which she recorded as business records. She also misappropriated the chairman’s signature stamp to authenticate the fraudulent checks, giving a false impression of legitimacy and authorization.
In some instances, BIAGI stole checks from company employees, cashing or endorsing them. The total amount stolen was $711,074.39. Judge Meyer ordered BIAGI to make full restitution.
BIAGI pleaded guilty on August 26, 2016, to one count of wire fraud. The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Greenwich Police Department, with prosecution handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher W. Schmeisser.
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Key Facts
- State: Connecticut
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Violent Crime|Sex Crimes|Cybercrime|Public Corruption|Weapons|Human Trafficking|White Collar Crime|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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