Man Sentenced to Eight Years for Million-Dollar Computer Parts Scam and Falsifying Evidence on the Eve of Trial

BOSTON—A North Attleboro man was sentenced today in federal court for running a million-dollar computer parts scam between 2005 and 2010 and obstructing justice shortly before trial.

Matthew J. Kuc, 32, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Douglas P. Woodlock to eight years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, forfeiture, and over $1.9 million in restitution. A jury had convicted Kuc on June 28, 2012, of four counts of wire fraud; one count of the receipt, possession, and storage of stolen property in interstate commerce; and one count of aggravated identity theft.

During the four-day trial, the evidence proved that between 2005 and 2010, Kuc was president and CEO of a company that sold Dell, Hewlett-Packard, Lenovo, and 3Com computer components through an eBay storefront. Kuc obtained these components by falsely claiming to own supposedly broken computer equipment under warranty and tricking Dell, Hewlett-Packard, Lenovo, and 3Com to replace that equipment. Kuc even had scripts for the fraud that he read from or copied into electronic chats with the computer companies. To confuse the computer companies’ fraud detection mechanisms, Kuc asked that the equipment be shipped to a combination of multiple names, addresses, corporate names, telephone numbers, and variations thereof. Those assumed names included the names of Kuc’s parents and his former friend and business equipment. Over the five-and-a-half-year scam, Kuc fraudulently obtained computer parts estimated to be worth as much as $3.6 million.

U.S. Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz; Richard DesLauriers, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation-Boston Field Division; and Chief John Reilly of the North Attleboro Police Department made the announcement today. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Scott L. Garland and Amy Harman Burkart of Ortiz’s Cybercrime Unit.