On August 29, 2018, the U.S Attorney for Southern District of New York, the FBI, and FCC Office of Inspector General announced the return of Indictment charging seven individuals with defrauding the Federal E-rate program. Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman in describing the Indictment stated, “As alleged, for years, these defendants stole money from the E-rate program, billing the E-rate program for equipment and services which were not in fact provided. The defendants allegedly fraudulently obtained millions of dollars in E-rate funds to which they were not entitled, and which should lawfully have been spent to help provide access to technology to educate underprivileged children. This indictment is important not only because fraudsters should be held to account for their crimes, but also because the next generation of students should have access to telecommunication services, Internet access, and related equipment, irrespective of their means and in spite of the fact that people like the defendants seek to line their own pockets at the expense of underprivileged children.”
The Southern District of New York News Release can be viewed here.
