Computer Company Owner Sentenced to Prison, Ordered to Pay Restitution for Defrauding Customers

ERIE, PA—A resident of Erie, Pennsylvania has been sentenced in federal court to 30 months in jail and ordered to make restitution in the amount of $422,740.87 on his conviction of wire fraud, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.

United States District Judge David S. Cercone imposed the sentence on Jeffrey Stephen Kodba, 32, of Erie, Pennsylvania.

According to information presented to the court, Kodba was the president and owner/operator for JSK Computer Services and Asset Recovery. From in and around April 2006 to in and around June 2011, Kodba executed a scheme to defraud numerous customers out of approximately $422,740.87 by repeatedly shipping scrap metal and broken computer equipment to customers who ordered and paid for computer equipment that was represented by Kodba to be working and in good condition. When customers then requested refunds of the money they had wired to Kodba, he refused to return the victims' money or send equipment that corresponded to the customers' legitimate expectations.

Prior to imposing sentence, Judge Cercone noted Kodba’s extensive criminal history and the significant impact on the victims.

Assistant United States Attorney Christian A. Trabold prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

U.S. Attorney Hickton commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Kodba.