Kentucky Man Pleads Guilty to Defrauding E-rate $6.9M
A Kentucky man pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in a "decade-long scheme" to defraud the FCC of $6.9 million through the E-rate program, said a Justice Department news release Friday, in case 2:19-cr-20025-MSN. Charles Jones "paid kickbacks…
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to an E-rate consultant working with the Missouri and Tennessee schools," DOJ said, and used the schools as "vehicles to fraudulently obtain money." The FCC is "committed to pursuing investigations into those who would corrupt this program for personal gain," said Inspector General David Hunt, and the Office of Inspector General will "actively continue to support the investigation and prosecution of individuals who defraud this, and all other FCC programs." An attorney for Jones didn't comment. Jones is scheduled to be sentenced June 1 and faces a maximum 20-year prison term.