MAN CONVICTED IN STAPLES SCAM

[Anonymous]

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20091204/NEWS0103/912050335/Man+convicted+in+Staples+scam
MAN CONVICTED IN STAPLES SCAM
COVINGTON – A 33-year-old Loveland, Ohio,
man was convicted of getting almost free cameras, printers and computers
from a friend who worked at Staples.
A
federal jury on Friday found Paul Shumbayaonda guilty of conspiracy to
commit wire fraud after a four-day trial, according the U.S. Attorney’s
Office.Prosecutors say Shumbayaonda and two of his friends, Huyaimuzoona
Bere and Bekizulu Mhlanga, conspired to profit from Bere’s position as a
customer service representative at a Staples call center in
Florence.Shumbayaonda and Mhlanga would place Internet orders for items
such as ink cartridges and computer disks using personal credit cards.
Bere would then access the orders and add high priced items like
laptops, printers, and digital cameras, prosecutors said.

He
would discount the items to between one cent and $19.99. The trio was
charged with wire fraud because the orders were sent from the customer
service center in Florence to Framingham, Mass., Staples’ home office.In
one order, Bere added a $2,200 HP computer and two Canon cameras worth
$2,800 to an order and manipulated the computer system so that Mhlanga
was charged less than a dollar for each item, court records show.When
Shumbayaonda and Mhlanga received the items they would either sell the
goods for a profit on E-bay, use the items themselves or sell or give
the items to Bere.

The trio completed the scheme at least eight
times which resulted in Staples loosing $118,492, prosecutors
said.Shumbayaonda is scheduled to be sentenced March 18. He faces a
maximum prison sentence of 20 years.A detention hearing for Shumbayaonda
will be held Monday.Bere and Mhlanga each pleaded guilty to conspiracy
last month.Mhlanga, who is from Zimbabwe, will be sentenced on Jan. 22
and Bere will be sentenced Feb. 26. They also face 20 years in prison.

[Author]

December 7, 2009 at 10:23 AM