A Medfield man was sentenced to 30 months in prison and two years of supervised release in connection with an international business email compromise (BEC) scheme that defrauded companies of almost $900,000 and a romance fraud scheme that defrauded victims of at least $7,000.
Paul M. Iwuanyanwu, 41, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper to 30 months in prison and two years of supervised release. On Oct. 27, 2021, Iwuanyanwu pleaded guilty to wire fraud, mail fraud, conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud, and unlawful monetary transactions.
The government also seized over $800,000 in connection with the BEC scheme that the Court ordered forfeited.
Iwuanyanwu participated in a BEC scheme that breached the email systems of companies and installed unauthorized computer programs that diverted company emails to accounts controlled by Iwuanyanwu and his co-conspirators.
As a result, all emails sent by or to the companies were first routed through the conspiracy’s email accounts, where co-conspirators could view and respond to the messages as if they were representatives of the companies.
Iwuanyanwu and others used this unauthorized access to cause the companies to redirect more than $850,000 in payments intended for legitimate business operations to bank accounts he and others controlled.
With respect to romance fraud, Iwuanyanwu participated in a scheme to use fraudulent online relationships to deceive victims and to persuade them to send money to Iwuanyanwu and others, or to receive money on Iwuanyanwu and other’s behalf.
Victims wired at least $6,000 to accounts controlled by Iwuanyanwu and others and sent at least $1,000 via money orders to Iwuanyanwu.
Related Federal Cases
- Viviane Cazeau, Bank Fraud Scheme, Massachusetts, 2023 · New Hampshire
- Paul Ricco, EPA Fraud, MA, 2015 · Massachusetts
- Jayme Gordon, Kung Fu Panda Wire Fraud, Massachusetts 2024 · California
- Stephen S. Eubanks, Wire Fraud, Massachusetts 2024 · New Hampshire
- David Gorski, Contract Fraud, Massachusetts 2016 · Massachusetts
Key Facts
- State: Massachusetts
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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