Stamford Woman Sentenced to Prison for Million-Dollar Embezzlement Scheme

John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that CANDACE RISPOLI, 32, of Stamford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in Bridgeport to 12 months and one day of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for embezzling more than $1 million from her employer.  Rispoli must also serve the first six months of her supervised release in home confinement.

According to court documents and statements made in court, from approximately January 2012 until June 2016, Rispoli was employed by Lodestone Management Consultants, later known as Infosys Consulting (the “company”).  Beginning in approximately 2013, Rispoli worked for the company from her former home in East Haven, which she shared with her then-boyfriend, Michael Miano.  In her capacity as a company employee, Rispoli had an American Express credit card to use to pay for travel, entertainment and other business expenses incurred by the company’s employees and potential employees.

From approximately 2013 until July 2016, Rispoli charged more than $250,000 of her own and Miano’s personal expenses to the company’s American Express card.  Rispoli also fraudulently transferred more than $800,000 in funds from the company’s American Express card to PayPal and Venmo accounts controlled by Rispoli and Miano.  To conceal her scheme, Rispoli altered the company’s American Express account statements and created false billing summaries, which she emailed to the company’s accounting firm.

Judge Bolden ordered Rispoli to pay $1,098,176 in restitution.

On June 24, 2018, Rispoli pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud.  She has been detained since May 13, 2019, after her bond was revoked.

On September 1, 2017, Miano, of Branford, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud related to this scheme.  He awaits sentencing.

This investigation has been conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Heather Cherry and Jonathan Francis.